Practical Defense Systems' 16-hour CCW course is hands down one of the best classes you can spend your hard-earned money on, especially in this economy. I would 10/10 recommend it to all my family members before they begin carrying. I have been carrying a firearm overtly for over 16 years and concealed for nearly nine years. During that time, I've taken numerous tactical shooting courses ranging from low to medium speed and drag. Going into this class, I initially thought a 16-hour California CCW course would be a waste of my time and money. However, Joel and Dave's expert knowledge, experience, and the overall flow of the course quickly changed my perspective. The material was well presented, practical, and highly relevant. The significant amount of simulator time was especially valuable and helped reinforce real-world decision-making. I'm very glad I took their course and definitely feel better equipped to carry concealed in the Wild West that is California. Thanks, gentlemen -- I look forward to taking more courses in the future. read more

This review is a few months late. But I took the 16 hour CCW training course that is required for your CCW California permit. This was by far the best course I could recommend. Joe made sure we weren't sitting in a classroom being bored with reading and presentations. We got hands on practical training and situational training. I was intimated being the only woman in a room of men, but Joe continued to help me feel comfortable in my own abilities despite anyone else in the room. He has other courses and training which are valuable to anyone that own a firearm or looking to own one. read more

Practical Defense Systems - Firearm Training Near Me - San Diego, California

Very professional and knowledgeable! Joel Persinger incorporates his real- world experiences and training into the class. Makes the course more palatable as he teaches the subject matter with clarity and ease by adding personal experiences and "out the box thinking". To add to the experience, Joel works side by side with David Weiner (Secure Measures). David allows students to engage in "possible real-life" scenario in a fun and safe learning environment. Overall, I highly recommend Practical Defense Systems for future firearms training. I look forward to future training with Joel and David. read more

I was very fortunate to have chosen Practical Self Defense Systems for my CCW training. I knew the requirement had doubled from 8 hours to 16, but didn't know what to expect from the curriculum. Dave and Joel are great guys and top notch instructors. The information passed on was detailed, relevant, and taught by instructors with a wealth of experience. Not only did I walk away with new skills and knowledge, but I had a ton of fun in the process! The class is part lecture, part police level simulator. This combo was perfect for the law abiding citizen like me who wants to know self defense and the laws surrounding it. 100% recommend Practical Self Defense Systems! read more

I highly recommend Joel Persinger for anyone who has to take the courses he teaches. With real-world experience, he's very knowledgeable. Add a great personality and an easy way to teach the subject matte, he can make the time fly by without cutting corners or material. I know that I've found a new training instructor for all future required courses. Actually had fun! read more

Practical Defense Systems - PDS for all your security and first needs. - Firearm Training Near Me - San Diego, California

Do to the nature of the courses I did not take any pictures but I will do my best to leave a review anwyays. Joel is a great person to learn any practical defense class from. They offer many courses depending on what your interest or needs are. Lots of real life senarios and examples are discussed including his own real world experiences and questions are welcomed. He is a great teacher and instructor and kept the courses interesting and the students engauged the entire time. I would highly recommend taking any courses you requre with him. read more

I recently attended a class and can only say it was Great Joel Instructor made me feel at ease and explained everything in simple terms. I will be do other classes soon with this company, thank you Joel for teaching me the foundation I look forward to learning more and growing . read more

Joel Persinger, from Practical Defense System is one of the best firearms and defense intructors I've come across. Experienced, knowledgeable and personable, he makes a very serious subject fun to learn which helps students retain the information taught. Located in Mission Valley, he's centrally located to those who live on the San Diego area. I recommend Practical Defense System for all of your firearms and personal defense needs. read more

Completed my CCW safety course and range certification today. The owner and instructor Joel made the classroom very informative while adding some humor and life experiences to make it go fast. I am grateful I picked PDS for this course and will use them again for future firearm training. Highly recommended. read more

Practical Defense Systems provides excellent course instruction for CCW's, Home Defense, Active Shooter scenarios and much more. The instructors provide important knowledge on the laws and practical techniques as they relate to specific use of firearms for both home defense and CCW scenarios. I highly recommend you enroll in Practical Defense Systems courses for all your firearms training needs. read more

Practical Defense Systems - Firearm Training Near Me - San Diego, California

Joel was fantastic. You can tell he is very passionate about teaching and no doubt a true patriot. He made the CCW class simple, engaging and enjoyable. I would highly recommend anyone sign up for any of the courses he offers. No doubt I'll be returning for additional training and knowledge. read more

Using their MILO system, we are taking our Security Team through PDS's Scenario Based Training curriculum. They have scenarios unique to Church/School Security needs that address Active Shooter, Church Service disruptions, De-Escalation, Domestic Disturbance, Active/Passive Public Demonstrations, and dealing with homeless individuals on campus. PDS offers blocks of scenarios that address significant categories every church or school security team needs to be prepared for. You don't know what you don't know. It's an eye-opener and will reveal training deficiencies you did not know you had. Thanks, Joel and Dave. read more

Awesome class! Joel is an awesome instructor! Just finished my 2nd renewal after my initial ccw class with him and he's always a pleasure to work with. read more

I'm new to CCW. Joel and Nick are clearly not only very knowledgeable on the topic, they're also genuinely nice people. It was clear to me that they were not there to drone through some State-required presentation, but rather to actually impart knowledge and skills to the trainees. Joel took many opportunities to share knowledge that was actually part of advanced training, to help trainees understand better. I was pleasantly surprised. I learnt a lot, it felt natural, the trainers were engaging, the technology they used to train is impressive and zero-risk. I'm going to recommend Practical Defense Systems to anyone who asks. read more

Highly Recommend Practical Defense Systems From beginning to end, my experience with Practical Defense Systems was just excellent. I attended there to obtain my CCW. The office and classroom are immaculate, a very comfortable environment to learn in. I can't sit still for 80 minutes, let alone 8 hrs, but this class flew by. The class was completely interactive and Joel is an excellent teacher. Things in class that we discussed concerning CCW were all real world situations, not just text book stuff. Joel took the time to answer every question anyone in the class had. During class, we not only learned about safety and legal things, but Joel worked with each of us on our shooting. I have to say, as a result, my accuracy and confidence in shooting has absolutely improved. If anyone is wondering, our class was about half men and half women and just really great people. For range qualifications and the classroom, Joel had everything run like clockwork. There was no wasted time. I will definitely be signing up for more classes here. If you are looking for top-notch firearms instruction, professionalism and a great learning environment, do not hesitate. This is the place to go. read more

I've taken several CCL courses from these guys, and they're the best. You can do almost all of it online, and Jeremy is very accessible whenever you need help. I won't go anywhere else! read more

Joel is practical efficient effective and a nice guy. I would highly recommend any of his courses.

Folks, if you are looking for CCW class, this is the one I highly recommend in all aspects. The instructor is GURU. The 8-hour class was awesome with lots of useful information and some practice with a fake plastic gun in the classroom. The practice lesson taken at the shooting range was very good as well. Tons of interesting information on how to handle the gun safely and shoot accurately. In 2 years I will have to renew my California CCW and guess what. I will go to to Practical Defence Systems. read more

This is the best place to get your Guard Card....Joel goes out of his way to make sure that your going to get your Guard Card...very professional and and easy to understand classes makes this company this company the BEST PLACE. read more

Practical Defense Systems - Owner of Practical Defense Systems - Firearm Training Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

The range day class was supposed to end at 2:30, and Joel didn't even begin grading the range tests until 3:30. He wasted literally *hours* of everyone's time with endless and pointless jokes, stories, anecdotes, and information about his personal life. The instruction was very high quality - and if he'd stuck to instructing instead of talking the entire time, the course would have been fine. But when everyone has a day to get to and you just talk for hours about nothing, it ruins everybody's day for no reason. The last people weren't out of the room until after 4:30, more than two hours after the class was supposed to end. Would be a really great class if the instructor was more efficient with time and stuck to relevant topics. read more

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. read more

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. read more

I took the class online for the 40hr Guard Card & it was a fast, simple & very pleasurable experience. I also obtained my CPR card from here & it too was fast and easy. I received my guard card Yesterday and i have an interview next Thursday. I will most definitely recommend this company, they're truly the best. read more

Joel is awesome. I highly recommend PDS. I did my initial firearms qualification there.

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 1st 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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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 read more

PDS Classes runs the best CCW class in the area! Informative, entertaining & practical! They even have some of their classes online!Two thumbs up!! read more

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

I took the in-class CA BSIS Security Guard course from Joel and Mike at the El Cajon P2K Shooting Range training facility. The basic handbook for the Security Guard training is the Powers to Arrest Manual and can be found on the PDS website (http://pdsclasses.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Guard-Card-Student-Manual.pdf) and the CA BSIS website (www.bsis.ca.gov). Joel and Mike have the experience to help bring this material to life and to provide you with valuable examples from their personal experience in the security industry. At the end of the class, students have the opportunity to have their LIVESCAN fingerprinting done. Note, for those people desiring to get a exposed firearms permit in addition to the Guard Card, LIVESCAN can be done after Exposed Firearms training class, also offered by PDS. read more

Excellent job especially by Joel. Small family business. They return your calls if you have any issues with the online courses. Very informative. read more

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! read more

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

Took the UTAH CCW class a couple of years ago and it was very helpful. I needed to update my retired LEO CCW permit and met Joel at the P2K range for a very informative session. Joel even dialed in the laser sights on one of the guns. Joel is a first class instructor who I highly recommend. I plan to go back for a six month tune up. read more

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. read more

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 read more