Questions Answered
Do you offer a South Dakota Enhanced concealed-carry permit class?
Yes we do, go here to check out the requirements and see the next class.
It takes an hour, and it takes a lifetime. For our purposes here at The Forge, we do have material broken into chunks that can be trained to proficiency over a significant amount of intentional practice. Usually it takes a few months of training to become comfortable with the wide range of skills we work on.
What about you? What does “self defense” mean to you? What are your goals? How proficient do you want to be? What kinds of things do you need to defend against? In the end you decide how long it takes.
For us here at The Forge, self defense – or personal defense (which nominally includes other people), is whatever you do or don’t do in order to avoid, prevent, or survive an unsafe or violent encounter.
Obviously some things you might do (or not do) are better than others. Training in self defense will give you more and better options from which to choose.
You don’t, unless you want to be prepared for violence. Read the news today. The world is not becoming safer. Hope is a terrible strategy, and luck is terrible tactics.
If you had a professional protection detail, you might not feel very safe if you thought they had zero training.
Now consider that you are your own protection detail. You are your own first responder. You are responsible for your own safety and defense, and that of your family.
Why do you need self-defense training?
Concealed carry training is the practice of skills in a self-defense system that includes use of a concealed firearm.
This is not the same as a firearms safety class or CCW permit class, or even a defensive pistol class.
Obviously there is better and worse training out there for concealed carriers, but the idea of “concealed carry training” is that you are regularly training and practicing all of the things involved in carrying a deadly weapon for personal protection.
If you spend a decent amount of time on the range, we applaud you. Most people rarely go, and when they do it’s for fun, not practice. But you must also already know the limitations a live fire range brings to training.
We’re here precisely to fill in those training gaps, and make your range trips even more beneficial.
The Forge picks up where a typical concealed-carry permit class leaves off. You’ve had some classroom time to become familiar with firearms, concealed carry, and maybe some defensive concepts and legal considerations. You might have had some range time as well.
We’d like to build on that for you, and give you some additional concepts, techniques and tools to be an asset to yourself and your family.
Many people with no training manage to succeed in defensive encounters. Why do I need this training?
Relying on the other guy to make more mistakes than you, or hoping you get lucky, is probably not the best strategy. Yes, some people have done so and come out the other side.
How many of those people who managed to survive their attacker went out and sought training after the fact? We’ve seen a few.
Yes, we offer classes for the South Dakota Enhanced Concealed-Carry Permit. You can check for available dates right here.
The APEX training program was developed by Integrative Defense Strategies over many years of research, testing, practice, and evolution. A core philosophy of IDS is “don’t be a gunfighter, be a fighter with a gun.”
The IDS Apex approach is to integrate as much relevant training as possible while keeping solutions simple, and allowing for deep, intentional practice.
Most martial arts training includes a stick or knife as defensive tools, if they are not solely empty-hands focused. What we do is bridge the gap between empty hands and the access, use, and retention of defensive tools (mainly the firearm), as well as integrate the soft skills and broader principles that apply to self-defense situations and violence/criminality in general.
In short, we’re not primarily focused on the “damage control” portion of self defense. Your existing training will serve you well, but this will be something new for you.
Yes, absolutely. If you are someone who has increased potential of encountering a person with bad intentions or a violent situation, you need to be training in hand-to-hand skills. Recognition of pre-attack indicators, knowledge of the criminal environment, and skills in the use of any defensive tools you might carry are critical.
Come see for yourself whether it’s something that will benefit you. First one is free.
Over 60% of assaults are simple assaults, and some sources say it’s even higher. This would preclude the use of a deadly weapon in most cases.
Much of what we deal with are the broader principles and factors involved with violent encounters, which apply to self-defense with and without a firearm. You can come to The Forge and learn the skills you need to deal with personal defense in your context.
We offer weekly classes for ongoing training opportunities. Like a stream, you can dip in and get out when you want.
Currently classes are Mondays @ 7pm (unarmed) and Wednesdays @ 7pm (firearms). We also offer periodic weekend events that may be of interest. Check our Schedule for current info.
Your membership starts at $55 per month. This can change based on how many classes you attend, what other programs you are signed up for, and how many people are under your membership.
We offer discounts for those serving in the medical field and Fire/EMS.
We offer our classes at 3808 Sheridan Lake Rd, inside the About You Training Campus.
No, none. Our members range from beginners to very experienced. We’ll start where you are.
Yeah, yeah, I know… you’re too [insert excuse here] to be ready. Know what else you’re not ready for? Violence.
That sucks for the people you’re supposed to protect. Come get ready.
