Defensive Shooting Academy - Tulsa Firearm Training

Cody Boren _{on ChamberofCommerce.com}

Sep 22nd, 2023

This is my testimonial in reference to the Rural Tactics Course I attended with DSA.

I have been in Law Enforcement for over fourteen years and have been on a SWAT Team for twelve of those years. I have been blessed during my career to have taken some great training through many reputable schools and instructors. During my career I have found myself alone as well as with fellow officers in the woods or large, open fields, either pursuing a fleeing suspect, or while assisting a neighboring agency. We have been known to conduct surveillance and/or execute a planned operation. I have ended up in the woods or some type of pastureland more times than can recall. That being said, in those fourteen-plus years, I’ve never received any training related to this type of specialized environment . . . . none.

DSA is a phenomenal shooting/tactics school. Marshall Luton, owner of DSA, was a superb and down-to-earth host. The Rural Tactics Course at DSA, taught by Master Instructor, Billy Smith, is a fantastic course. The information provided during Rural Tactics was information packed even for myself and other experienced classmates. Every Law Enforcement Officer would profit by being exposed to this level of training. In fact, it should be required training in my opinion.

Over the years, in the many classes I’ve attended, several previous instructors felt it necessary to give a long-detailed introduction of their past Jedi experiences. They introduced themselves as “Delta”, or SWAT, or a S.E.A.L.. Some even told you about their classified “three-letter agency” experience including telling you of all their accolades and accomplishments while they were there. Instructor Billy Smith requires no such introduction. His students know that he is extremely knowledgeable and possesses legitimate real-world experience; not by what he says, but by what he does and demonstrates.

Rural Tactics at DSA with Billy Smith is the most unique course and one of the best training opportunities I’ve ever had.

Sergeant Cody Boren

Berryville Police Department

Thomas Kernes _{on ChamberofCommerce.com}

Sep 21st, 2023

Advanced Combat Pistol Level 1 June 23-24, 2023

ACP I is some of the best training available today. I’ve been competing in shooting sports for more than 20 years. As a sponsored shooter, I realize the importance of staying on top of the fundamentals. I also understand how bad habits and bad practice can creep into your technique. Vince Lombardi and John Wooden both understood how success was predicated on mastery of the fundamentals. Regardless of how advanced you are, there is always room for improvement. Starting with the fundamentals of marksmanship, the D.S.A. cadre present information in a safe, clear, and relatable manner that makes it easy to process and retain. Concepts and techniques are built upon each other as you progress through the class and you are given enough time and repetitions to build a solid platform before more techniques are introduced.

D.S.A. offers excellent training for shooters of ALL levels, novice to professional. Thank you for coming up to Lincoln.

Cha Macrander _{on ChamberofCommerce.com}

Sep 21st, 2023

Advanced Combat Pistol Level 1

I had the pleasure of attending ACP Level 1 on June 23-24 in Bennett, Nebraska. The course was taught by Marshall Luton and Jeremy Snow. Class started with a prayer (which I really appreciated) then a thorough safety brief. The safety protocols were enforced throughout the class and Marshall and Jeremy did a fantastic job of catching any infractions or potential infractions before they happened.

I personally have over 240 hours of professional handgun training from various instructors, most of whom are well known in the firearms industry. This was by far the best handgun shooting class I have ever attended. If I had to summarize the overall focus of this class, I would have to say that by far the main point of the curriculum is accuracy. In my experience, accuracy often takes a backseat in pistol training to other things like proper grip, proper stance, or even the presentation from the holster. In some classes, as long as students can keep the majority of their shots inside an FBI Q target at 5 yards, the instructors will focus on ensuring that students simply look proper doing it. While I believe stance, grip, and presentation are important, the DSA instructors did a very good job in covering and critiquing those areas as well. Above that, they placed a huge emphasis on getting your hits first, then quickly preparing to deliver a subsequent hit. Roughly 85% of the rounds fired in this 2-day class were fired at 3-inch circles at 5 yards. While Marshall and Jeremy were expecting your rounds to be inside those circles, they also encouraged you to push the speed and drive your gun to find your limitation. If you were getting all of your hits inside that little circle, then you could and should be trying to do it faster.

The step-by-step class progression was absolutely perfect for the new and experienced shooter. We focused on one thing at a time and then added to the primary tasks once the students had a grasp on what was covered in the previous block of instruction. Regardless of your ability level, taking this class will make you a better, faster shooter.

Maggie _{on ChamberofCommerce.com}

Sep 21st, 2023

AR-15 Level 1 Sept. 16-17, 2023

I took the AR-15 Level 1 rifle class this past weekend (I was the only girl in the class with 9 men by the way). To say this class was amazing is an understatement. I learned so much from this class, especially the first half. This part of the class consisted of taking apart the rifle to its bare minimum, cleaning it, making sure it is properly lubricated, then putting it back together. If I can do this, anyone can. You must be very meticulous with each part as you don’t want to jam/force anything back in its place or else…..

The second half of day one was just as awesome! We were able to zero our rifles and shoot from 7, 10, and 50 yards. We were given several positions to shoot from: standing, prone, and kneeling to name a few. We also performed several different drills throughout the first day and we all ENJOYED THAT A LOT!

Now onto day two….. we went over (briefly) what we learned on day one and off to the races we went! We continued with several different drills (body/body/head) was one of them. We were actually tested on our speed (which I wasn’t the fastest, but I was accurate). One of these days the speed will come, but for now, I was all about the accuracy. For me, the entire class was great, but the highlight was towards the end of the day when we got to shoot from 130 yards. Talk about a WOW factor. The steel plates from 130 yards seemed so small. I made all my shots from both prone and standing positions. I couldn’t believe it. Without Marshall’s instruction, I could not have done this. Trigger control and breathing ARE KEY!! We were all stoked about shooting from this distance. It was awesome.

Not one time did I feel unsafe. SAFETY IS A HUGE PRIORITY AT DSA and Marshall made sure we were all handling our rifles in a safe manner. Each time we were done with a drill, we moved the selector to SAFE.

I have taken a few classes from DSA and I must say, this AR-15 class is my absolute favorite. Honestly, any class taken at DSA will become a favorite. I CANNOT STRESS enough how safe I (we) felt. If you have a chance to take this class or any other DSA class for that matter, PLEASE consider it. It is definitely worth your time and money. You absolutely CANNOT put a price tag on saving your life or the lives of others. All the instructors at DSA are top notch and none of them are intimidating. They are extremely patient with each and every one of us. There were experienced shooters in the class as well as novice shooters and EVERYONE was treated the same, with respect and courtesy.

I was a little freaked out at first being the only girl in the class, but after a bit, I was good to go. I kept up with those men like it was no big deal (lol). I’d like to think I even taught them a thing or two. HA!

Don’t be afraid to take any classes that DSA has to offer. Once you get the first class out of the way, I guarantee you will be back for more.

THANK YOU again for an awesome class/weekend!

Regards,
Maggie

Maggie B _{on Google}

Sep 18th, 2023

I took the AR-15 Level 1 rifle class this past weekend (I was the only girl in the class with 9 men by the way). To say this class was amazing is an understatement. I learned so much from this class, especially the first half. This part of the class consisted of taking apart the rifle to its bare minimum, cleaning it, making sure it is properly lubricated, then putting it back together. If I can do this, anyone can. You must be very meticulous with each part as you dont want to jam/force anything back in its place or else..
The second half of day one was just as awesome! We were able to zero our rifles and shoot from 7, 10, and 50 yards. We were given several positions to shoot from: standing, prone, and kneeling to name a few. We also performed several different drills throughout the first day and we all ENJOYED THAT A LOT!
Now onto day two.. we went over (briefly) what we learned on day one and off to the races we went! We continued with several different drills (body/body/head) was one of them. We were actually tested on our speed (which I wasnt the fastest, but I was accurate). One of these days the speed will come, but for now, I was all about the accuracy. For me, the entire class was great, but the highlight was towards the end of the day when we got to shoot from 130 yards. Talk about a WOW factor. The steel plates from 130 yards seemed so small. I made all my shots from both prone and standing positions. I couldnt believe it. Without Marshalls instruction, I could not have done this. Trigger control and breathing ARE KEY!! We were all stoked about shooting from this distance. It was awesome.
Not one time did I feel unsafe. SAFETY IS A HUGE PRIORITY AT DSA and Marshall made sure we were all handling our rifles in a safe manner. Each time we were done with a drill, we moved the selector to SAFE.
I have taken a few classes from DSA and I must say, this AR-15 class is my absolute favorite. Honestly, any class taken at DSA will become a favorite. I CANNOT STRESS enough how safe I (we) felt. If you have a chance to take this class or any other DSA class for that matter, PLEASE consider it. It is definitely worth your time and money. You absolutely CANNOT put a price tag on saving your life or the lives of others. All the instructors at DSA are top notch and none of them are intimidating. They are extremely patient with each and every one of us. There were experienced shooters in the class as well as novice shooters and EVERYONE was treated the same, with respect and courtesy.
I was a little freaked out at first being the only girl in the class, but after a bit, I was good to go. I kept up with those men like it was no big deal (lol). Id like to think I even taught them a thing or two. HA!
Dont be afraid to take any classes that DSA has to offer. Once you get the first class out of the way, I guarantee you will be back for more.
THANK YOU again for an awesome class/weekend!
Regards,
Maggie