Practical Defense Systems

The instruction videos on their website can earn you Security Guard license and a lot of. other things through the state.

Took my firearms permit from them the teacher was amazing! He answered everyone’s questions down to the T and had some extra time and even showed a couple tips that made me a even better shooter very good instructor/​class

Practical Defense Systems is professional and effective at teaching you what you need to know to keep yourself out of trouble whether it be from danger or your employer. Plus the guy Joel is easy to get along with and listen to at the same time.

I recently took my exposed firearm permit class with PDS at thier range in El Cajon. I have never had such a positive experience at a range or with instructors in my entire life! my instructors were Joel and Floyd who were both outstanding in their teachings in the classroom and on the firing line. They were very patient and full of knowledge and great tips. I highly recommend PDS for any classes or permits you need they do everything from guard cards to baton to pepper spray to exposed permits.
Joel also offers private lessons which I will be taking. If you have any questions or need any skills worked on with your firearm please take the private lessons from Joel he will have you hitting bullseye no matter what your experience is with a firearm.

Took the online class and it was fast, easy, affordable and very interesting.(Guard card application took about 3 months before I got my card) Thanks Pdsclasses ! Will be taking the 32hr class with you soon.
Very reliable and would recommend it to anyone.

I first used Practical Defense Systems when I took the online guard card class. The online class was easy to navigate and the videos kept me entertained through out the whole course.
After working as a guard I decided to get my Firearms permit. Again I went with PDS. The class was taught by Mike and Joel. Joel’s awesome personalty made the class fun and the way he presented the material made it easy to learn. They are both patient and make sure every one is comfortable.
I highly recommend Practical Defense Systems.

I took the introduction to pistols class, even though I’ve done some shooting before. It was great! The class was informative and entertaining, and I would definitely recommend it for people new to shooting, especially if you are nervous about using a gun!

My wife got me a deal on Zozi to try this place out. Location was not the best for me being that I live in Carlsbad. Also it’s located right next to a construction site so I would not rec being a lowered car here (entering and exiting was an adventure for me in my Ford Mustang). The class itself was fun although better to enjoy the experience with someone else. I was the only person that went alone. Joel & Mike were great, both very nice, funny and helpful. My only classroom suggestion is to not mention going out to the gun range so much. It was mentioned a few times and the last time Joel said we’d be going in a minute but it was really like 30 minutes. Aside from that minor detail it was a fun time.

I bought my first handgun this week, so I figured I should get some handgun training. P2K offers a series of handgun classes, and you have to take the «Handgun Level 1» before you take the others (maybe you have to take them in sequence?), so I enrolled for the 4÷21÷12 class. Apparently these guys from PDS actually teach the classes at P2K.
I know a bit about handguns and have shot a few times before, but still, the class was very useful. I knew a few things already, but there was a wealth of information here. It was well worth my time. Most of the class was in a classroom, where they covered everything from safety to gun laws to proper stances and grips, as well as different types of handguns. The «bag of guns» activity was especially fun.
Mike and Joel were both awesome. The class was presented by Joel in a very funny and engaging manner. Despite being pretty sleepy when I got there, I didn’t fall asleep or stop paying attention at all the whole time. The class is definitely beginner-​focused, and they took the time to answer a lot of questions about people’s fears and other issues.
There was only one negative to the whole class, and it wasn’t anything to do with the instructors — it’s this dude in the class who kept taking up time by asking the stupidest questions. I’m not one to judge someone as smart/​dumb or whatever, but this guy was so off the wall. Every time he opened his mouth I just rolled my eyes. At one point he was talking about ICBMs and it was like, dude, just shut the f**** up and listen, would you? I went in thinking I knew something and I still just sat there and paid attention (relatively) quietly — and it was worth it: they covered all the basics and then some. Anyway, major props to Joel for cutting this guy off and keeping him focused, and eventually the dude stopped asking questions.
I guess if I had one critique, it’s that the description on the P2K range site doesn’t really tell you what you’re going to cover exactly, so I brought my gun and ammunition into class with me. I had asked someone on the phone at P2K if I needed anything, and she said we’d be outside, so I should bring a hat. That didn’t help at all. First off, all the guns and ammunition are provided for you in the Level 1 class, since you shoot .22s and it’s a lot of first-​time shooters. Second, the outdoor shooting portion wasn’t a big piece of the 4 hours, and the range was covered with like an awning, so what would I need the hat for?
I wish the description had told me what actually was going to be taught and how the class was going to go, but Joel even mentioned in class how P2Ks website isn’t updated often.
Anyway, I highly recommend these guys and the classes, and I’ll definitely be back for more handgun classes from them.

I started with PDS when I enrolled into a Guard Card class. At the time I was just trying to do something to occupy my time being that Im a vet and at the time collecting unemployment. It had been a minute since I qualified expert on a range and I sucked big time. Joel told me to come back another day and he’d re-​teach me how to shoot in less than 1 hr. I wasnt skeptical, but I was eager to see what technique he would employ to get me back on track. Anyways, I did just that and by using post-​it notes, i had improved greatly. Joels approach wasn’t rushed, but rather made me feel as if a family member or close family friend was instructing me. Anyways, Ive gotten a job since then, but because of Joel I have sparked my old hobby of collecting guns and going to the range more often. Since Joels course, l have purchased 6 firearms (sold 2 of them) and can put consistent rounds down range onto single post-​it notes at 15 –20 feet with a Glock 27. Usually, when it comes to firearms in San Diego, you encounter some obnoxious A-​holes …not once did I detect any of this even after bombarding Joel with a million questions via email… PDS comes highly recommended and using post-​it notes has to be one of the best ideas ever when it comes to target practice.

First off I’ll start by saying that I am experienced with guns. I took the beginners class with my brother (back in November when it was half off) because it’s required before you take any of the other tactical classes. The classroom part of the course was fairly well done. Instructor (Joel) mostly taught about safety, which is paramount when dealing with people who have little or no experience with firearms. He did it in a «fun» but serious manner, so as not to bore you right from the start. Afterward we walked outside to the range with a different instructor (Mike I believe). More on safety then onto shooting the «new» .22 revolvers. The guns themselves did seem new, except NONE of them had accurate sights on them. From the range of about 8′ (distance from where we shot to the target) mine shot about 2″ high right. This was something the instructor knew about before hand. He said sorry, and blamed people from toying with them, or adjusting them. I don’t remember exactly but it was some BS answer. It was discouraging for the guy next to me who’s gun was shooting high left. Something to the effect of «I thought I would do better». I just told him to aim low right next time to make up for the guns poor sights. At some point we were told to reload. Fine, except that the instructor failed to show anyone just how to release the cylinder or how to use the extractor. I showed the guy next to me, he showed his wife. His wife’s guns extractor wouldn’t push the empty casing out. The instructor had to the force the extractor rod into our wooden bench to get the casing out. He did the same thing for several of the other guns as well. Really, for the amount of money paid, they should of had correctly functioning guns. There is absolutely no reason the guns shouldn’t have been perfect. Those problems aside, I think most the people only got to shoot maybe 18 rounds (I don’t remember how many, instructor told my brother and I that we could keep shooting while the others were having reloading issues). For the normal price of $ 89, I would think they would left you shoot more than just a few rounds. Also, I would have thought they would train with semi-​autos as well. Even at half price (I think they often run a deal) I’m not sure I would recommend the class to others. Class room/​Joel 4.5 — Range Experience/​Mike 1.0

I took the basic pistol course recently and it was outstanding! I have experience with rifles but not much with pistols so I wanted to get a good introduction to handling them and shooting them. The course exceeded my expectations. I love how Joel stresses safety from the gate, and continued to stress it throughout the classroom portion and the range portion. He even told a couple of range workers to get off his range until they put on ear protection. He was looking out for those guys like a concerned father. Mike was super helpful on the range, always there if you needed help or had a question. Overall it was such an informative but also really fun experience. I highly recommend PDS and I can’t wait to take the advanced courses so I can figure out which pistol to purchase for myself. Thank you!

We purchased the basic pistol course. The class began with a very informative lesson on safety. After the engaging and entertaining class instruction, we went to the range and got to shoot several rounds at targets. Both Joel and Mike take their jobs very seriously and still manage to make the class very fun and entertaining. I would recommend this class to anyone, especially if you are scared of handling a gun. These guys have a sensible and comforting way of teaching 1^st time shooters the safety needed to handle a gun. My partner and I lefty class with a wealth of knowledge that we have continued to use every time we go to the shooting range.

My pistol shooting class was a great experience! Joel was a wonderful teacher who made you feel at ease with his great sense of humor. We were able to have a laugh and learn the important safety measures to take when using a pistol. This was my first time shooting and I plan to return for additional classes in the future!

Had an awesome time at my pistol training course! GREAT instruction and information, I will be coming back!