Defensive Firearms
Safe, confident handgun work, taught from zero if that's where you are. Safety and fundamentals first, then real accuracy, then how it holds up when your heart is pounding.
"Never would I have thought that I would be as confident as I am now in handling a firearm. I was one of those people who were afraid to even see a gun let alone pick up one. I signed up for a private session and went in there complety lost of course, but after training with Darryl, I am no longer afraid and who would've guessed that I also turned out to be a great shooter."Murlande C.
"After a few hours of being in the classroom I already felt more comfortable. At the gun range Darryl made me feel very comfortable and I was able to hit the target on my first shot!"Katherine Delgado
"I left feeling more confident in my ability to safely handle a firearm with a significant difference in my accuracy and proficiency."Stanislaw Sowinski
Most people who come to us are not gun people, and that's a fine place to start
A lot of our students arrive nervous. Some have never touched a firearm. Some own one that's been sitting in a closet for years because they were never taught properly and didn't want to embarrass themselves asking.
That's the most common starting point here, and there's nothing wrong with it. We begin with safety until it's automatic, then the handful of fundamentals that drive almost all of your accuracy, then we build from there. Nothing is rushed, and no question is too basic.
If you already shoot, we'll find the specific things costing you accuracy and fix those instead of running you through material you've heard five times.
By the time you've put the work in
Handle a firearm safely without thinkingSafe habits that hold even when you're tired or distracted.
Load, unload, and store it confidentlyThe everyday handling most people were never actually taught.
Hit what you're aiming atConsistent, repeatable accuracy you can measure session to session.
Perform with your heart rate upKeep the fundamentals together when it stops being calm.
Store it responsibly at homeEspecially with kids, guests, or teenagers in the house.
Understand the weight of itA clear head about what using it would actually mean.
Five things every session is built from
Safety, until it's boring
The rules, and the habits underneath them. Where the firearm points, where your finger lives, how you check whether it's loaded, how you hand it to someone. We drill this until it's automatic, because it's the only part with no margin.
The fundamentals that drive accuracy
There's a short list of things responsible for almost all of your accuracy, and most people have never had them explained properly. We work them one at a time, and you'll see the target change as each one clicks.
Real, measurable accuracy
We track it. You'll see where your shots were in session one and where they are by session four, so progress isn't a feeling, it's something you can look at.
Working with your heart rate up
Calm and slow is where you learn. Then we add movement, time pressure, and a little stress, because the version of you that matters is not the relaxed one at the bench.
Living with it: storage, carry, and the decision
Where it lives at home, how to store it around kids and guests, cleaning and maintenance so it works, and an honest conversation about the seriousness of ever using it.
Where this actually shows up
Owning a firearm is mostly the quiet, everyday parts. Those are the parts we cover.
From first call to steady progress
Book a session
Start with a single session or a package. A quick call sets it up.
Assessment
We talk through your experience, what you own if anything, what you're nervous about, and what you want to be able to do. That becomes your plan.
Your plan
A simple written plan: what we're building, in what order, and what you'll practice dry between sessions.
Train
90-minute one-on-one sessions, a mix of classroom and dry work with live fire at a partner range when you're ready for it.
Monthly readiness check
Once a month we check your accuracy and your handling against where you started, and adjust the plan.
Greeting, warmup, concepts
Settle in, run the safety check, review your dry practice, and walk through today's focus.
Drilling and practical application
The bulk of the session. Fundamentals built up slowly, then applied, then run again with pressure added.
Debrief
What the targets showed, what to fix, and the dry practice you'll take into the week.
What you won't get here
No big egos, no know-it-all attitude, no hyper-tactical operator act, and no jargon you have to translate.
We won't preach at you, and we won't make you feel small for not knowing something yet. Nervous is welcome here, and questions are part of the job. We'll build from where you are and take you as far as you want to go, with care and patience in every interaction. What we want is simple: you, walking around with earned confidence.
This comes from real protective work
ARDENT is a protection company that teaches. What's in this course comes out of executive protection work our Agents are doing right now.
We protect people for a living
ARDENT runs executive protection details for clients whose risk is real, and we are doing that work now rather than remembering it. That is where this material comes from, and it is why it stays current.
Darryl leads, with a team behind him
Darryl Johnson built ARDENT's training and the standard behind it. His background runs through the military, law enforcement, and executive protection, the same work he now teaches. Alongside him is a small team of experienced professional instructors.
One curriculum, one standard
Everything traces back to the curriculum we hold our own Agents to, so whoever you train with, you're getting the same standard, taught the same way.
We only teach what we can do ourselves
Nothing here is theory borrowed from somebody else's manual. If we teach it, we do it, and we'll tell you honestly where the edge of our experience is rather than pretend it isn't there.
People arrive afraid of it. They leave capable with it.
Verbatim from ARDENT's Google profile.
"Upon walking through the door at Ardent, I knew that they were different. Darryl did not treat me different for being a woman or a beginner. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and was never frustrated with my never ending string of questions."
"In the time frame that we have to get through this basic training he was doing everything to make me feel comfortable. I was not believe I would be able to do such thing, however with great guidance everything is possible."
"If I had known that by applying 5 basic principles my aim would improve 300% I would have taken this training a long time ago."
"He explained everything clearly, he helped go through all the motions of handling a pistol and gun safety."
"Darryl, our instructor, was incredibly knowledgeable, personable and very patient when teaching us and working with us at the range."
"They are big believers in first being able to do themselves what they teach and doing it well. They are humble with their knowledge, acknowledge there are multiple ways of doing things and help you with what works for you to get good results."
Commit more, pay less per session
Single sessions are always available. Packages give you a better rate and a plan that builds.
Every package includes your personal plan, dry practice between sessions, and a monthly readiness check. Range time and ammunition are billed at cost, separate from your sessions. Dry work carries no range fee.
Before your first session
I've never fired a gun. Is that okay?
Completely. It's the most common way people start with us, and several of the reviews on this page are from students who arrived genuinely afraid of firearms. We go at your pace and nothing about it is embarrassing.
Do I need my own firearm?
Plan to bring your own if you have one, since training on what you'll actually use is best. If you don't own one yet, tell us when you book and we'll help you figure out the best path, including what to look for before you buy.
What about safety? I'm nervous about that part.
Good, that's the right instinct. Safety is the first thing we build and the thing we're strictest about, and much of the early work is done with no live ammunition present at all.
Will you help me choose a firearm?
Yes. We'd rather you train first and buy second, so you're choosing based on what actually fits your hand and your life instead of what looked good in a display case.
Is this a concealed carry course?
No, this is skill training. Carry-focused instruction is a separate offering, so just ask us and we'll point you in the right direction. Florida's licensing requirements are handled through the state and can change, so confirm current requirements with them directly.
Can my spouse or teenager train too?
Often, yes. Tell us who you'd like to include and we'll shape it around them. If the whole household is involved, Family & Home Defense may be the better fit.
Where does the live fire happen?
At a partner range in South Florida. Classroom and dry work happen at our space or yours, whichever is easier for you.
Book your first session
Start with a single session and see how it fits. It begins with a short conversation, and no question is too basic.