Empower Yourself
Discover Your Path to Responsible Firearm Use and Defense
Who We Are
Critical Defense Institute: Excellence in Firearm Training and Safety
At CDI, we foster confidence and expertise in personal defense, empowering our clients to handle firearms safely and responsibly, resulting in a safer community for everyone.
With a commitment to excellence, Critical Defense Institute has successfully trained countless individuals in responsible firearm use and personal safety. Our expert instructors have transformed novices into skilled defenders, building confidence and competence that extend beyond our training programs into everyday life, contributing to community safety and individual empowerment.
CDI was founded in response to frustration at the lack of efficient and progressive self-defense training available to the general shooting community. While other excellent organizations exist that allow training of self-defense pistol craft – the founders of CDI felt the limitations of those organizations did not allow for the advancement of more proficient members or the integration of non-shooting defensive skills.
CDI was founded in response to frustration at the lack of efficient and progressive self-defense training available to the general shooting community. While other excellent organizations exist that allow training of self-defense pistol craft – the founders of CDI felt the limitations of those organizations did not allow for the advancement of more proficient members or the integration of non-shooting defensive skills.
CDI is focused on the education, training, practice and assessment of lawful self defense skills. These skills are taught and evaluated by learned Instructors, under the safety supervision of qualified Safety Officers within the group of other qualified and engaged participants. The goal of CDI is to create an environment for advanced defensive training.
CDI was founded to improve the quality of self-defense training available and provide a broader range of defensive topics. CDI does this with the utmost safety, concern for relevant legal and moral issues, and the individual goals of its members. Its goal is to provide advanced self-defense for those members who strive for it, and encourage and challenge those who excel in pistol craft, the shooting arts, and force-on-force self-defense.
CDI believes that only through proper training, diligent practice, careful instruction, informed forethought, and prudent, lawful and judicious execution of said knowledge and learned skills, can one prepare for the defense of oneself and the innocent from harm.
CDI focuses on a diverse and cohesive set of training disciplines. It is only through a layered approach to self-defense can one be prepared for the worst.
CDI Instructors are certified by the National Rifle Association (NRA) , United States Conceal Carry Association (USCCA), General Dynamics OTS (Simunition) as well as many other accredited organizations.
- Believe in the right and practice of self defense
- Believe in the right and necessity to defend those who cannot defend themselves
- Understand the law of self-defense and how to abide by those laws
- Understand and execute self control, rules of safety, and CDI guidelines at all times
- Manage, administer, and handle firearms, weapons, and their persons at all times with the highest regard to the safety of themselves, those around them, and to the innocent
- Expand their knowledge of the effective and legal methods to defend oneself and the innocent
- Proficiently train in the effective and lawful use of firearm and weapon based self defense
- Practice extensively in the efficient, precise, judicious, and appropriate execution of those skills
- Consider and prudently implement the lifestyle changes that result from the legal, moral and social ramifications of their training, instruction, actions and abilities
- Promote intelligent, fair, conscientious, common-sense, and lawful self-defense practices in the community
- Inform and encourage others to learn, train, practice and engage in their own lawful and effective self-protection
- Increase the membership, patronage, visibility, and reputation of ranges that host CDI events
- We promote the strictest adherence to all laws, legal guidelines and statutes
- We do not train in violence, offensive tactics, aggression, attacks, engagement, or assault
- We will not assist you in learning skills to break the law or engage in violence towards others
- We do not condone, promote, teach, or tolerate violence, aggression, or any form of illegal activities, extremism, or violent rhetoric
- We do not illegally sell, trade, distribute, or manufacture firearms, devices, or other gear
