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SPEAR System®

Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification

Luling, LA — October 19 - 23, 2026

Validated by medical professionals on three continents. Trusted by law enforcement and military worldwide for over 40 years.

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THE MOST ESSENTIAL TRAINING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS

In today's operational environment, officers need a proven system to respond to sudden violence and manage volatile encounters without escalating them. The SPEAR System® (Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response) is a behaviorally-inspired, medically-vetted defensive tactics program.

It harnesses an officer's instinctive startle-flinch response—what the body already does in the first half-second of an ambush—and converts it into a legally defensible tactical response, before any trained technique can engage.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS

The SPEAR System® has been operationalized worldwide. In a five-year independent study conducted by the Dorset Police (U.K.)—where SPEAR-certified instructors delivered approximately four hours of SPEAR content inside an annual one-day officer survival course—the results were:

41% reduction in head-trauma injuries

29% reduction in use-of-force complaints

These outcomes are documented, sustained, and measured against the force's own prior baseline. This was achieved on a sustainment dose of just four hours per officer per year.

WE DO NOT REPLACE YOUR DT PROGRAM. WE ENHANCE IT.

A common concern is the cost and time of adopting a new system. The SPEAR System® does not replace your current defensive tactics investment. It protects it.

  • Scenario-Based: SPEAR is the behavioral and neurological layer underneath every scenario your instructors run.
  • De-Escalation-First: SPEAR is rooted in verbal defusing, risk mitigation, and reducing aggression. It results in shorter contact time and faster resolution.
  • Evidence-Led: It is medically vetted by physicians in the US and UK and based on human physiology.

A certified SPEAR Coach delivering scenarios is not a different instructor. They are the same instructor with a sharper lens—one that sees what is happening to an officer's body in the first half-second of contact.

WHY THE DT TRAINER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE DEPARTMENT

When a confrontation devolves into a mano-a-mano fight, everything matters. It is the only confrontation where an officer's mindset and physical skill can directly influence the outcome of sudden violence. The defensive tactics trainer is the architect of that survival.

This course is not just a psychomotor skills class. It is a comprehensive instructor development program. We make better trainers. We help you polish and train current and future instructors so they are better communicators and better coaches.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & LIABILITY REDUCTION

The SPEAR System® provides more than just physical tactics; it offers robust program management tools. We help your agency:

  • Vet and Analyze: Evaluate what is working and what isn't working in your current curriculum.
  • Write Better Lesson Plans: Develop training that aligns with how humans actually move and process information under stress.
  • Enhance After-Action Reports & Expert Witness Testimony: The deep understanding of human performance and the timeline of violence gained in this course will significantly enhance your ability to articulate both the suspect's actions and your own.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This course is designed for public safety professionals who work within the reactionary gap. While it is an instructor certification, any active-duty professional can attend to enhance their survivability:

  • Defensive Tactics Trainers
  • Street Patrol
  • SWAT & Special Operations
  • Undercover Agents
  • Corrections & Custody Staff
  • Court Services

If you work within arm's reach of a subject, the SPEAR System® enhances your survivability and your agency's legal and operational standing.

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KEY BENEFITS

Operational

  • Safer, evidence-led de-escalation
  • Shorter contact time and faster resolution
  • Enhanced officer safety during ambushes and sudden violence
  • Reduced use-of-force complaints

Training

  • Faster time-to-competence—built on reflexes officers already have
  • Fewer training injuries (lower worker's comp exposure)
  • Seamless integration with existing DT programs
  • Easier to sustain year over year

Medical & Legal

  • 41% reduction in head-trauma injuries (Dorset Police 5-year study)
  • Enhanced court defensibility in a video-rich environment
  • Reduced civil, personal, and agency liability exposure
  • Behaviorally documented and medically peer-reviewed

Instructor Development

  • Better communicators and coaches in the training room
  • Stronger lesson plans aligned to how humans move under stress
  • Enhanced after-action reporting and documentation
  • Expert witness capability for officers and trainers

BATTLE BUDDY OFFER

“You can’t get in a fight by yourself.”

Two officers from the same agency. One shared investment.

$1,600 — Battle Buddy Rate ($800 per officer)

SPEAR embeds more effectively when two certified instructors come from the same agency—they train each other after the course, support each other's delivery, and the investment compounds inside your department rather than sitting in one person's head.

One certified instructor is a training asset. Two becomes a team.

To claim the Battle Buddy rate, REGISTER NOW (below), select “Fundamentals Level Candidate,” and register as a group of 2.

RESOURCES FOR ATTENDEES & ADMINISTRATORS

The following resources are available for prospective attendees and agency leadership who want to go deeper on the science, the data, and the real-world results behind the SPEAR System®.

  1. SPEAR System® Law Enforcement Executive Briefing — For chiefs, sheriffs, and training commanders. Start here.
    A leadership-level overview covering the threat landscape, the science, the data, and the ROI for your agency. Download the Briefing
  2. Hick's Law Isn't Irrelevant. It's Misunderstood. — For trainers and anyone who has heard this debate.
    Tony Blauer's definitive take on one of the most contested topics in law enforcement training. Why the debate misses the point, what the neuroscience actually says, and why fewer choices mean faster action when milliseconds count. Read the Article
  3. The Emotional Use of Force — Tony Blauer's foundational article on why officers react the way they do under sudden violence, and why traditional training often fails in the critical first seconds of an ambush. Required reading for any trainer or supervisor responsible for use-of-force policy. Read the Article
  4. The Dorset Police 5-Year Independent Study — The full report documenting a 41% reduction in head-trauma injuries and a 29% reduction in use-of-force complaints following SPEAR implementation. Email [email protected] from your government email address and we will send you the study directly.
  5. Medical Reviews of the SPEAR System® — Peer-reviewed evaluations from physicians in the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom. View Medical Reviews
  6. Testimonials from Law Enforcement & Military — First-hand accounts from officers, trainers, and commanders who have integrated the SPEAR System® into their agencies. Read Testimonials
  7. New to SPEAR? — Start here for an overview of the system, the philosophy, and what makes it different from every other defensive tactics program. Learn More

COURSE DETAILS & LOGISTICS

HOSTED BY

St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office

LOCATION

St. Charles Parish Training Center
220 Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway, Luling, LA 70070

Directions: Google  |  Bing  |  MapQuest

SCHEDULE

Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

FEES

Single Officer$950
Battle Buddy (2 officers, same agency)$1,600 ($800 per officer)
Re-certification$750 — For returning SPEAR Coaches attending for re-certification only. Active status required.

WHAT TO BRING

  • Printed copy of your registration receipt or Photo ID
  • Notebook and pen
  • High Gear® if you own a suit
  • Suitable clothes for training
  • Snack and fluids, or a meal if you do not plan on going off-site during the lunch break

TESTING & CERTIFICATION

  • Attendees will be required to teach a practical drill from the Syllabus, which will be assessed.
  • Attendees will complete either a written or oral assessment on the Theory from the Syllabus.
  • Certificates will be emailed to attendees in PDF format within 1 week of course completion.

LOCAL HOTELS

Holiday Inn Express
110 James Drive East Saint Rose, LA 70087  •  504-466-1355

Comfort Inn New Orleans
10151 Airline Highway, Saint Rose, LA, 70087  •  833-320-3666

LOCAL AIRPORTS

Louis Armstrong Airport New Orleans (MSY) — 8.3 miles from Training center to airport

This course is open to all law enforcement, military, corrections, and first responders. Verification is required. If you are NOT active duty, you will not be able to attend.

If you are paying with a purchase order, please submit your PO to [email protected].

Purchase Protection now available. Get a 100% refund if a qualifying unforeseen circumstance prevents you from attending — covers illness, injury, transportation problems, emergencies, and more. Available as an add-on at checkout.

If Purchase Protection is NOT added, you will only receive a credit towards future training. No refunds will be given.
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