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Dave Young

Dave Young is the Founder and Director of US Fighting Systems.

Dave is recognized as one of the nation’s leading personal safety and tactical-defense instructors. In his work with police, corrections and the military, he specializes in police survival training, ground fighting tactics, use-of-force intervention options, crowd management, non-lethal weaponry, chemical and specialty impact munitions, and water-based defensive tactics.

In his training programs, Dave combines a unique blend of physical expertise, teaching know-how and a hands-on approach. He his known for using anatomically correct techniques and gross-motor skill responses, which dramatically reduces learning time.

He leads the class from the front and demonstrates what he is teaching rather than just talking about it. Dave uses a true integrated use-of-force training approach that allows his students to learn how to smoothly transition up and down through their force options.

His background includes being a corrections and law enforcement officer in the state of Florida, gate sentry, patrol officer, watch commander, investigator, Special Reaction Team (SRT) Team member and commander in the United States Marine Corps. He has participated as a control system designer for both military and civilian authorities.

Dave’s ability to create real-world training programs is unmatched in the industry.  Utilizing the most advanced duty and protective training equipment, his students are able to test the techniques they learn in real-world situations. In his public safety training, correctional officers respond to disturbances in cellblocks, patrol officers respond to bar fights, tactical officers deal with high risk entries, and Disturbance Response Units respond to actual riots in progress. Dave brings this same real-world approach to his work with the general public.

Dave’s training allows participants to experience the stress of real-world confrontations in a safe learning format. This approach gives his students confidence in themselves, their tactics, and their equipment.

In addition to his training abilities, Dave is viewed as one of the foremost leaders in the research and testing of police equipment and non- lethal weaponry. He has personally conducted and supervised the evaluations for numerous manufacturers, police and correctional agencies, and branches of the armed forces — both domestically and internationally.

From 2005-2008 Dave hosted a special television series for National Geographic titled, Crash Test Human. This unique television show focused on Dave’s expertise with product testing and evaluation – and included Dave surviving a head on car collision, being trapped in submerged car, and spending time in a hyper baric chamber.

He has been featured in many police publications, Wall Street Journal, National Esquire and People Magazine for his innovation with defensive tactics and dedication to survival training.

In recent years Dave has taken his background and expertise and applied it to developing programs for the general public — including parents, students, educators, martial artists, and executives. These programs focus on personal safety awareness and how to respond when things go bad. To further his efforts in this area, Dave helped form the Vistelar in 2009 and US Fighting Systems in 2010.

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