Certifications and
Continuing Education
David Rawlings has spent decades pursuing safety and knowledge.
He believes continuous education is vital, and he brings that knowledge to his clients!
2003 Alabama Legal Defense Academy
2004 International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) Competitor
2012 NRA Certified Basic Pistol Marksmanship Instructor
2017 USCCA Certified Instructor
2017 NRA Range Officer Safety Course
2017 Established At Arms Reach, LLC
2017 Alabama Legal Defense Academy (Recertification)
2018 GoRuck Counter Ambush Response Advanced Pistol
2018 GoRuck Active Shooter Intervention
2018 GoRuck FIGHT Course (Combatives Training)
2018 Sabre Personal Safety Academy Instructor (OC Spray Instructor)
2018 Suarez International Pistol Gunfighting Course
2018 Suarez International Defensive Knife Course
2018 GoRuck Counter Terror Rifle
2018 GoRuck Advanced Rifle
2018 GoRuck Personal Security Detail
2019 United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Steel Challenge Competitor
2019 Rangemaster Defensive Shotgun Course (Tom Givens)
2019 Rangemaster Instructor Development and Certification (Tom Givens)
2019 Rangemaster Advanced Firearm Instructor Certification (Tom Givens)
2019 NAEMT Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC)
2020 GoRuck Active Shooter Intervention
2020 GoRuck Personal Security Detail
2020 GoRuck FIGHT Course (Combatives Training)
2021 Rangemaster Defensive Shotgun Course (Tom Givens)
2021 GoRuck Counter Ambush Response Advanced Pistol
2021 GoRuck FIGHT Course (Combatives Training)
2021 Agile Training & Consulting OC Spray Instructor Certification (Chuck Haggard)
2021 Agile Training & Consulting Close Quarters Pistol Class (Chuck Haggard)
2021 FPF Training Street Encounters Skills and Tactics Course (John Murphy)
2022 Ghostfoot Executive and Close Protection Course
2022 Agile Training and Consulting Pocket Pistols and Snub Revolvers Skills Course (Chuck Haggard)
2022 Handgun Combatives Training Legacy/Complete Package 5-Day Course (Dave Spaulding)
2022 NRA Chief Range Safety Officer Course
2023 Citizens Defense Academy How To Be An Effective Assistant Instructor
2023 Image Based Decisional Drills (The Complete Combatant)
2023 Rangemaster Combative Pistol Skills
2023 Carry Optics Pistol Course (Dave Spaulding)
2023 Agile Tactical Pistol (Chuck Haggard)
2023 Modern Samurai Project Red Dot Pistol: Fundamentals & Performance Instructor Course (Scott Jedlinski)
2023 Crime and Criminals: Risks and Mitigation (John Hearne, Two Pillars Training)
2024 Rangemaster Master Firearm Instructor Certification (Tom Givens)
A little about me, my certifications, what they mean to me, and why they’re important to you!
Rangemaster Master Instructor
The industry is saturated with NRA and USCCA instructors. Rangemaster Instructor Training is set apart by being one of the most widely known and coveted among firearms instructors, as well as my most accomplished instructor achievements. Nationally known trainer, Tom Givens, takes his Rangemaster Instructors to levels that soar above most programs. He sets the highest standards and offers several levels of training. Before becoming Rangemaster Master Certified, instructor candidates must complete written exams and shooting qualifications at every level and first pass through both (Basic) Instructor and Advanced Instructor courses. In total, it amounts to 64 hours of formal instructor training and countless hours of continuing education. Instructors learn modern, effective gun-handling techniques, proper handling and operation of a variety of handgun types designed to work under stress. They learn effective, efficient combat marksmanship techniques, adult learning theory, scoring methods, target design, course of fire design, and many of the psychological issues involved in teaching people how to fight for their lives. Additionally, Rangemaster Instructors learn coaching methodologies and how to diagnose and correct shooters’ errors. It’s a uniquely comprehensive program and one that I am very proud to have completed. I wouldn’t say I’m finished, or that “I’ve arrived” by taking Tom’s courses. Quite the contrary. If instructor certification has taught me anything, it’s that training and instructing is really a labor of love — love of the topic, love of the process, and love of learning. And it’s learning that never stops! Above, you’ll see both instructor classes/certifications; but I take as many or more of the courses as a student because my quest for knowledge never stops, and I wish to bring the latest and most relevant material to my clients.
USCCA Instructor
Once becoming a certified NRA Pistol Instructor (below), I wanted to expand my knowledge and my instructor baseline. I knew from experience that many NRA Instructors are indeed very good, but they’re still “a dime a dozen.” Quite frankly, their reputation is mostly that of basic marksmanship and, while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, I wanted to bring my clients to a higher level of training as well as be able to speak with more credibility and authority from a “concealed carry” perspective. The instructor certification I obtained from The United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) was helpful in my ongoing learning but I soon realized how commercialized it had become, and I wanted to provide my clients with a more expansive and personalized experience when they train.
NRA Instructor and NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
Becoming an NRA Instructor was my first step in professional development. Upon becoming certified, I quickly learned that this would be an ongoing journey of instructor development. I found the NRA’s programs to be limited, but necessary, in gaining the trust of the general public. Over the years, I have added other certifications from them, such as becoming a Range Safety Officer and then a Chief Range Safety Officer, enabling me to train and certify Range Safety Officers. There is nothing more important than making my clients feel safe and welcome, and delivering on that promise.