Meet our Experts!
These are some of the key people that instruct and consult on the creation of our courses. One mind and one perspective is never enough.
Humble Beginnings
We like the saying “all the best gyms start in a garage”.
Our company has the humblest of beginnings, right in the owner’s garage. This means there are a few things you can always count on: reasonable prices, small groups, and NO Egos. No matter how big we get, This picture will always remind us how we started and our promise to maintain those three assurances.
If you want a close-knit family who watches out for and takes care of each other you have come to the right place.
Owner/Head Instructor
Joshua Caywood
Josh is the Founder of Survival and Defense Solutions. He brings 8 years of Army Infantry experience, 4 years in the security industry and many years of experience as a teacher/instructor. He has a BA in Military History and is slowly working on an MA in Irregular Warfare. He is a life-long student of all things related to survival, self-defense, tactics, and shooting. He has learned through experience that a mastery of the fundamentals is the key to proficiency and success.
Key Certifications and Training:
Self Defense Company Instructor
Sigma 3 Survival Instructor
Vision Training for Firearms Instructors Course
NRA Pistol Instructor
NRA Range Safety Officer
Instructor/Consultant
Rob Taylor
Rob is one of our primary curriculum experts for all three Pillars. He has 24 years of Army Infantry experience with 5 combat tours and 10+ years in Law Enforcement/Corrections with experience in SWAT and Crisis Intervention. He has a BA in Criminal Justice-Police Science with a minor in Criminal Psychology. Over the span of a lifetime, he has attended many courses and wore many hats in these fields with a significant portion of that time as an instructor and teacher.
Key Certifications and Training:
TCOLE Instructor- Firearms; Defensive Tactics; Less Lethal Weapons
SERE-C
Pathfinder
Army Master of Fitness
Certified Mental Health Officer
Certified Crisis/Hostage Negotiator
Consultant
Justin Sabey
Justin serves as a course consultant for firearms classes. He has 2 years of experience working at the USMC Small Arms Training Center as a CQB Specialist where they taught everyone from recruits to special operations professionals. He is currently active-duty Army Infantry working as an Infantry OSUT Instructor and has attended several specialized firearms and tactical courses throughout his career.