Instructor Certifications and Continuing Education
David Rawlings has spent decades pursuing safety, knowledge, and skill. No tricks, just hard work. And his journey never ends.
He believes continual education is vital, and he brings that safety and knowledge to each of his clients!
2003 Alabama Legal Defense Academy (Greg Hopkins, Attorney at Law)
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, Greg Hopkins)
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 (Executive Protection)
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 OC Spray Instructor Certification (Chuck Haggard, Agile Training & Consulting)
2021 Close Quarters Pistol Class (Chuck Haggard, Agile Training & Consulting)
2021 Street Encounters Skills and Tactics Course (John Murphy, FPF Training)
2022 Ghostfoot Executive and Close Protection Course (Big Bison Logistics)
2022 Pocket Pistols and Snub Revolvers Skills Course (Chuck Haggard, Agile Training and Consulting)
2022 Handgun Combatives, Training Legacy/Complete Package 5-Day Course (Dave Spaulding)
2022 NRA, Chief Range Safety Officer Course (Instructor)
2023 Shivworks, Edged Weapon Overview (Craig Douglas)
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, formerly Handgun Combatives))
2023 Agile Tactical Pistol (Chuck Haggard, Agile Training and Consulting)
2023 Red Dot Pistol: Fundamentals & Performance Instructor Course (Scott Jedlinski, Modern Samurai Project )
2023 Crime and Criminals: Risks and Mitigation (John Hearne, Two Pillars Training)
2024 Rangemaster, Master Firearm Instructor Certification (Tom Givens)
2024 Rangemaster, Tactical Conference
2024 Tactical First Aid and System Collapse Medicine (Greg Ellifritz, Active Response Training)
2024 Extreme Close Quarters Gunfighting (Greg Ellifritz, Active Response Training)
2024 Pistol Shooting Solutions , awarded the Dark Pin (Gabe White, Gabe White Training)
2024 Performance Shotgun (Ashton Ray and Tim Chandler, 360 Performance Shooting)
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 (Basic) Instructor, then on to Advanced Instructor, and finally Master 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. Finally, we take a deeper dive into the history of concealed carry, methods and materials, ballistics, as well as key historical figures and gun battles, both from the criminal and law enforcement perspective. 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.