Handgun
Combatives
Real-world pistol skills for those who carry a firearm for personal protection. Not target shooting — combat-relevant training that could save your life.
Handgun Combatives LLC
Handgun Combatives LLC was founded on a simple but critical premise: the skills needed to fight with a handgun are fundamentally different from those used in target shooting or competition.
Our training programs focus exclusively on combat-relevant pistol skills — drawing from real-world encounters, law enforcement experience, and decades of research into what actually works when lives are on the line.
We don't teach you to punch paper. We teach you to fight. Every drill, every technique, and every round fired in our courses is designed to build the skills and mindset required for personal combat with a handgun.
"The pistol is a reactive tool used to counter a life-threatening attack. Training must reflect this reality."
Dave Spaulding
Dave Spaulding was one of the most respected firearms trainers in the United States, with over 36 years of law enforcement experience, including assignments in corrections, narcotics, SWAT, patrol, and investigations.
A recipient of the prestigious NRA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award, Dave dedicated his career to understanding what actually works in armed confrontations — studying real-world encounters and distilling those lessons into practical, proven training methodologies.
He authored the landmark book "Handgun Combatives" and became a leading voice in the firearms training community, challenging conventional thinking and emphasizing the difference between range skills and combat skills.
Dave's mission was clear: prepare armed citizens and law enforcement professionals to prevail in life-threatening encounters through realistic, combat-focused training.
Dave has officially retired from training but he has granted the ability to continue training people in the Handgun Combatives methods and techniques to Dave Jenkins (AKA DFJ)
The Legacy Lives On
Dave Jenkins carries forward the Handgun Combatives mission with unwavering commitment to the standards and principles established by Dave Spaulding.
Operating under Rochester Personal Defense and LionsPride Training, Dave Jenkins continues to deliver the same combat-relevant pistol training that made Handgun Combatives a trusted name in the firearms training community.
The courses, the philosophy, and the commitment to real-world preparedness remain unchanged. This isn't about reinvention — it's about preservation. Keeping alive a standard of training that prioritizes what matters most: your ability to defend yourself and your loved ones.
Our Courses
Each course is designed to build combat-relevant skills progressively. Choose the level that matches your current experience.
Essential Pistol
A foundational course focused on the essential combative pistol skills every armed citizen needs. Covers grip, draw, sight alignment, trigger control, and combat-relevant accuracy at realistic distances.
Combative Pistol
An intensive two-day course that builds on essential skills to develop true combative pistol capability. Includes malfunction clearance, multiple threat engagement, movement, and use of cover.
Kinetic Combat Pistol
Advanced course integrating physical exertion with pistol employment. Simulates the stress and fatigue of a real encounter while demanding accurate fire and sound decision-making.
Adaptive Combat Pistol
Focused on adapting your combative pistol skills to unconventional situations — low light, confined spaces, injured shooter drills, and one-handed manipulations.