Beyond the Holster
Contact-distance self-defense for people who already carry.
Next cohort: May 16-17, 2026 | Portland, OR | 4 seats remaining
“You should not have a favorite weapon, nor likes and dislikes. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.” - Miyamoto Musashi
Reviews of Beyond the Holster.
“Beyond The Holster is an excellent primer for empty-handed defensive skills, particularly for those who carry a gun for self-defense, and lack a martial arts background. A serious problem for people carrying concealed firearms is that a significant number of incidents that might require self-defense, don’t require or justify a firearm or deadly force. It is very important that concealed carry practitioners have an answer to the basic problem of using non-deadly force in self-defense. A lot of people are held back from addressing that need by the difficulty and scope of adopting a full martial arts training program. Beyond The Holster can give you ready-to-use answers immediately, and point you in some productive directions of further training from there. You’ll learn awareness, management of unknown approaching persons, strikes, defenses, grappling, weapon retention, and more.”
Gabriel White (Chief Instructor at PSTC)
“I found “Beyond the Holster” to be a great self-defense class that fills an important niche. Many people fail to appreciate that violent attacks occur at very close distances, in which getting to a firearm immediately is impossible or a very bad idea. Many assaults start as hands on encounters where lethal force is not justified. There are few opportunities to train accordingly or to learn best practices. The ones that I have encountered—such as Craig Douglas’s Shivworks courses—involve full-contact, force on force training, with simunitions. That kind of training is vital and excellent, but it isn’t practical for everyone. I would describe “Beyond the Holster” as an approach to the material that is suitable for everyone, for students of all levels of whatever age, even those with physical limitations or not in the best shape, or those not ready for intense force on force. The course has both a male and female instructor who are knowledgeable, empathic, and unpretentious. Clearly, they have thought deeply about how people learn and integrated that thinking into the coursework. Course content includes situational awareness, the characteristics of violent criminal assaults, tactical movement, posture (such as fences), strikes (and generating necessary force for them), flow drills, as well as reasonable solutions for typical attacks (chokes, bear hugs). Students get experience with applying non-lethal force (inert pepper spray). Students are oriented to the particular dangers of specific weapon attacks (knives, impact weapons). The course covers weapon retention, again with reasonable solutions. I especially enjoyed the historical context and considerable mindset information, which is drawn from a variety of sources from WWII Combatives to East Asian martial arts. I also liked the creative way that the course adapts military combat doctrine for civilian use. Not all of us are able, or willing, to regularly practice boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu or Krav Maga, or to travel for force on force training. In addition to your firearms training, and dry-fire, this course provides essential life-saving tools.”
-Benjamin David
“I highly recommend the Beyond the Holster class from Raven and Rose Training. I thoroughly enjoyed learning from Phill and AJ. There was plenty of background and theory presented, as well as "live" exercises and practice time. I am limited in my mobility, and both AJ and Phill were able to adjust to that and offer safety options for my particular situation.
AJ's perspective and input were invaluable as well, from a woman's point of view, and the possible situations or scenarios women may find themselves in.
All in all, an excellent class and learned so much! Thank you so much!”
-Megan Challinor
Most violent encounters happen at conversational distance, often too close to safely draw your firearm. This specialized training provides the missing link in your personal defense strategy.
You've trained the draw. You've trained the reload. You've put in the hours on the flat range and you take carrying seriously.
But most violent encounters don't start at seven yards. They start at conversational distance, often inside arm's length, and usually before you've consciously recognized that something is wrong. By the time the threat is unambiguous, the gap is already closed. Your hands are occupied. Your holster is buried under a cover garment and a body that is on top of you.
In that moment, the firearm you trained so carefully to use isn't a tool. It's something you have to protect.
Beyond the Holster is the training that lives in front of the draw stroke. Two days, eight students maximum, built around the skills that decide whether you ever get to use the rest of your training.
Who this class is for
This class is built for you if:
You carry concealed and have never trained empty-hand skills
You've wondered what actually happens in the first three seconds of a real encounter
You want serious training that respects your time and doesn't require you to become a full-time martial artist
You're ready to close the gap between "I own a gun" and "I'm prepared"
This class is not for you if:
You're looking for a certification checkbox rather than real skills
You believe the firearm is always the right answer
You're not willing to get on the mat and work
We cap every cohort at eight students. That isn't a marketing line. It's how the curriculum works. You will get hands-on attention, your questions answered, and reps that look like the problem you're actually training for.
What you'll walk out knowing
By Sunday evening, you'll have worked through:
The opening exchange. Recognizing pre-attack indicators. Managing an unknown approaching person. Using posture and positioning to buy yourself the seconds you need.
Empty hands at contact distance. Strikes that work under pressure, defenses against the attacks that actually happen (sucker punches, chokes, bear hugs, grabs, wild swings), and the movement that connects them.
Weapon retention. Protecting your firearm when someone's on top of you, on the ground, or trying to take it.
Less-lethal options. Appropriate use of pepper spray, flashlights, and contact weapons, including how to defend against them.
Mindset and decision-making. Verbal de-escalation as a tactical skill, the psychology of real encounters, and how to make sound decisions when your body is telling you not to.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to bring my firearm? No live firearms on the mat, ever. We use inert training tools so you can run the full skill set safely, including weapons retention and drawing under pressure. Bring your normal carry setup (holster, belt, cover garment, and, if you have one, an inert “red-gun” model of your actual gun) if you want to train in what you actually wear.
What's the fitness requirement? If you can walk, stand, and get up off the floor with some effort, you can take this class. We've trained students in their sixties and students with mobility limitations. Techniques scale to the body in front of us. This is not a bootcamp and you will not be asked to do anything your body can't handle. That said, expect to work.
I've never trained anything like this. Will I be lost? No. The curriculum is built for students with zero empty-hand background. Everything is taught from the ground up, with the reasoning behind it, and repped until it starts to feel like yours. Past students with no prior training have left the weekend with working skills.
What do I need to bring? Comfortable clothes you can move in, closed-toe shoes, a water bottle, and a notebook if you're the note-taking type. We'll send a full confirmation email with exact logistics once you book.
What if I have to cancel? Full refund up to 14 days before the class. After that, we'll work with you to roll your seat to the next cohort.
Is this anti-gun? No. The instructor carries. Most of our students carry. This class exists because carrying is a serious commitment and the firearm is only one tool in a serious toolbox. Beyond the Holster teaches the skills that make your firearm training useful, not the ones that replace it.
Held at the Public Safety Training Center (PSTC) Defensive Tactics Room, the training facility of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Co-taught by Phill and AJ, male and female instructors working together.
Still Have Questions?
Email Phill directly or book a free 20-minute consult call.
"Beyond the Holster fills an important niche... essential life-saving tools." — Benjamin David
"An excellent primer for empty-handed defensive skills, particularly for those who carry a gun for self-defense." — Gabriel White, Chief Instructor, PSTC
"Suitable for everyone, for students of all levels of whatever age." — Benjamin David
See full reviews below.