We spoke with The Tactical Professor, Claude Werner, for the previous edition of Living Legends. Today we’re chatting with Dave Spaulding of Handgun Combatives to kick off our series in 2026!
I’ve been following Dave Spaulding for quite some time now. While I don’t have concrete numbers, Dave may be the number one person who I see other instructors reference in their classes and writing. I could wax poetic about his background, but we’ll let Dave put it in his own words:
Dave Spaulding was a professional firearms instructor with 35 years’ experience in Law Enforcement and Federal Security. The recipient of the 2010 Law Enforcement Trainer of the Year Award from the International Law Enforcement Training and Educators Association (ILEETA), Dave has graduated from many of the most prestigious LE and firearms training programs and has trained students from across the globe in realistic combat handgun techniques. He worked in all facets of law enforcement including communications, corrections, court security, patrol, evidence collection, training and investigations.
He was a founding member of his agency’s SWAT Team and acted as its training officer for 8 years. He spent a year in an undercover capacity and was the commander of a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that literally worked cases from Miami to Seattle. He has been an adjunct instructor at the former Heckler & Koch International Training Division and the Tactical Defense Institute. In addition to his many published articles (over 1,400), Dave is the author of two acclaimed books, Defensive Living and Handgun Combatives. He is also featured in a series of training videos from PANTEAO PRODUCTONS. He operated his own training company that focused exclusively on “the combative application of the handgun”. He recently closed it after 11 highly successful years of operation.
I grew up in the late 50’s/early 60’s, the age of the TV western… Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wanted Dead or Alive, Gunsmoke, etc. Playing with toy guns was mainstream. Everyone played cowboys and Indians. When the show “Combat!” became popular, the kids in my neighborhood all switched to playing WWII. But it was The Man from U.N.C.L.E, that actually got me interested in firearms. I was nine years old and that show featured a Walther P-38 with a short barrel with a flash hider attached. No practical use…it didn’t even have a front sight… but it looked very cool! The gun could also be made into a rifle by attaching an extended barrel, adding a scope and rear stock as well as an extended magazine. It would shoot down aircraft! What 9-year-old kid would not be fascinated by that?
The firearms enthusiasm went away as I went into Junior High, High School and College. I became more interested in girls and sports, in that order, so firearms were set aside. Towards the end of college, I became interested in law enforcement as a profession. With that, a renewed interest in firearms developed. As part of this new interest, I bought a book called THE LAW ENFORCEMENT HANDGUN DIGEST by Dean Grennell and I was hooked. I have been so ever since.
I would say I became “serious” about guns when I tried out for the SWAT Team in 1980. My agency, due to national events, felt it should have a special response capability and formed a team. I tried out and became a founding member. We were so lost! We had our initial training through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy but after that we started to rely on old military training manuals. Our firearms training was supplied by the agency’s Rangemaster, but his base of knowledge was PPC related. We shot a lot of stationary revolver stuff.
What saved us was a Prosecutor’s Investigator who was also a Vietnam era Green Beret. He came on as an advisor and got us going in the right direction. In 1982, we realized that we needed a firearms instructor with a knowledge base that was a bit “deeper”. The team commander decided it would be me since I was the youngest member of the team and likely to stay on the longest. That was when I feel I got “serious” about firearms and the skills required to teach them properly. After all, revolver certification was a week long. The same for pistol, carbine, sub-machine gun and shotgun. It was not a small undertaking.
During this process, I was named the team’s training officer so I started attending tactics and techniques related training. A lot of CQB and room clearing. I even attended an explosive breaching course, something my agency decided not to use. I also attended gunsmithing courses related to the weapons we issued. It was a lot of information over a few short years and I loved every minute of it!
I had graduated from college with a major in secondary education with a minor in sports physiology. I had originally wanted to be a Track and Field coach. Fortunately, the State of Ohio waved the adult education portion of the certification process, which saved me a bunch of time, but it still took years to get it all done. That said, I could not get enough training and sought out all I could. I would say a third of my training resume is agency purchased, a third is out of my own pocket and another third came through opportunities while I was writing for the gun magazines.
Looking back, I would say my favorite course was a counter-terrorist driving class I took on an air strip down in Florida. It was real spy stuff. We learned how to ram cars and get out of ambushes. We performed J turns, Y turns and other maneuvers. I never really used any of it, the Y turn a few times, but it was a lot of fun! Needless to say, I’ve had a bit of training.
I see a mentor as someone who guided my journey and I really didn’t have anyone like that. It would have helped, but I had to “stumble” through and find my own way. I did have people who taught me things that sent me in the right direction. Bill Groce was my first real firearms instructor. He was the lead instructor at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and he showed me there was more to handgun training than just practicing for the PPC. The first writer I followed regularly was Ken Hackathorn. His “combat weapon craft” column in SOLDIER OF FORTUNE magazine got me thinking about how things were commonly taught and that they were probably all wrong. It made me realize we did a lot of things out of tradition and not necessarily to improve our skills. We are still friends and I still talk to him about this same stuff. Mas Ayoob, Evan Marshall and John Farnam also helped broaden my thought process through their writings. John was actually the first open enrollment instructor I ever attended and I made friends with all three.
Of course, there was Jeff Cooper. Its popular these days to try and down play him, to say he was never that relevant, but that is just a load of crap. I remember one temporarily famous instructor saying he did nothing like Cooper. Wrong! If you teach stance, grip, use of sights, drawing from the holster, manipulations, etc., you are using Cooper’s original lesson plan. Many folks do not realize he made the transition from point shooting to sighted fire himself. Through his research, he established the best method to go about teaching pistol craft and I, for one, appreciate what he did. Everyone uses some variation of it. He, no doubt, set all of us on the right path. I was fortunate to spend some time with him, even had dinner in The Sconce. He was certainly opinionated, but also very knowledgeable. Like many others, I would just sit and let him talk about whatever as he was always interesting.
As I continued my training journey, I questioned A LOT of what I was seeing. As I previously stated, I had a minor in Sports Physiology so I had a pretty good understanding of how the human body works best. This made me question the efficiency of what we were commonly teaching. The thing is, I was just a young cop from Ohio…who was I to question traditions?! So, I kept my mouth shut and went along. It was Kelly McCann who made me realize that it was OK to question the status quo and even go so far as to create my own techniques and methods. In my mind, there is a difference between an instructor and a teacher. An instructor just recycles what they have heard elsewhere. A teacher is someone who understands the problem well enough that they can create their own solutions and articulate WHY they are of benefit.
There is way too much “espionage”, taking other people’s stuff and using it, in the firearms training community and not enough innovation. There is also little attribution. In my opinion, using big words and making firearms training sound “scientific” doesn’t really help. Most students will benefit more from simplicity, not complexity. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.” I have also heard it as “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Who knows? Maybe he said it both ways. Regardless, the sentiment he expressed is very true and should be understood by anyone teaching anything.
As an instructor, it was meeting and working with all of the fantastic students I had the pleasure to interact with. I travelled to 49 states, Canada and Mexico for classes. I could have gone to Europe, Asia and Africa, but my dislike of flying, and all that it entails, is pretty legendary. For example, a flight to South Africa is over 17 hours. Me, trapped inside the “metallic tube of death” that long, would have resulted in my going to jail by the end of the flight. So, I turned down most all of the overseas requests. In addition, I like to use my own weapons and gear, not something I am supplied. Also, I had taught through interpreters at some of the big law enforcement training conferences and did not like the way that worked out. Staying in the U.S. was the right move for me.
Yeah, the best memory was the terrific people. Oh, there were certainly turds as well, but they were far less than those who were a joy to work with.
One of the best pieces of advice that Ken Hackathorn gave me was, “treat a good host like you would a bar of gold.” I wasn’t sure what he meant originally, but I do now! A host that did everything he said he would do was as valuable as a bar of gold. Trust me, there were plenty of hosts that weren’t worth a sheet of toilet paper. They did nothing to prepare for the class and the quality of the instruction suffered because of it. Those people were probably the worst memory.
I spent 35 years in law enforcement, beyond my teaching career and the memories from that are more extensive than we have time for here. I dispatched patrol cars, worked the floors of the county jail, patrol, evidence collection, investigations, undercover operations, SWAT, training and administration. It was a great career, but I really don’t miss law enforcement…there was a lot of politics and back stabbing.
I was hoping for a cadre of people who would keep the doctrine alive. I feel it offers a lot to those who are concerned about their personal security. At the same time, I wasn’t interested in teaching another instructor certification course. There are plenty of those and I didn’t need to add my two cents to that arena. I had about 50 people apply and I selected 20 who I thought showed the most promise. I remembered them from the classes they took and how they conducted themselves. Prior to the course, I had one fellow drop out due to a family emergency, so 19 went through the week long, 50-hour course.
It consisted of adult learning theory, instructional skills, presentation ability, coaching skills, ability to make corrections, shooting ability and anything I felt was related to the end goal. Each student had to give a lecture on a topic that was not firearms related. There were some excellent presentations. For example, one student gave a lecture on the history of the Erie Canal while another on the process his state went through to execute a prisoner. One fellow installed a water heater.
I was looking for originality. Teaching is about both preparation and presentation…being interesting! Communicating ideas! The student should enjoy the experience, not feel like they are being tortured. Can you remember teachers in your past that just droned on and that hour class took forever?! People should not have to pay for that.
If I were to do this program again, I would include a section on how to deal with the host who has done nothing in preparation for the class. The scenario would be: You have arrived on Friday evening only to discover your host has done nothing but supply a dirt berm and some target uprights. Go to a store that is open all night…drug store, grocery, etc… and purchase the supplies you need to conduct a worthwhile class. Buy just enough for one student, but explain how you would use these items to instruct a class of sixteen. Be prepared to explain how the items will be used and how they will make your program worthwhile and help get your points across. I had to do that three times during the Handgun Combatives days so it is relevant. I think this would be a VERY educational segment. I wish I had thought of it back then.
The final exercise was each student had to pass the Handgun Combatives basic pistol standards. While they are not the most difficult standards I have ever seen, I have had plenty of people fail them including SWAT cops and military personnel. No one was guaranteed to pass the program and if they failed, there was no refund. Fortunately, everyone passed. A couple just barely, but they did meet all the requirements set by Bucky Buchanan and I. Oh yeah, since Bucky helped me teach the course, I awarded him instructor certification as well, so there were 20 total.
In truth, I felt like I didn’t have enough time to cover everything I wanted to, so I had a three day follow up course the following year. About half of the original group showed up for that. It consisted of a review from the following year, more pistol skills and a deep dive into extreme close quarter shooting. Rich Nance has one of the best programs I have ever seen on this topic, so I had him conduct this instruction. I offered a class I called “Critical Space Pistol” which covered this topic, but I thought Rich’s was better, so I discontinued my class and referred students to him when they wanted this type of training.
To be perfectly honest with you, what I did not foresee when I offered this program was the “cult of personality” that is part of firearms training at the national level. I did not realize that people took a Dave Spaulding class and not a Handgun Combatives class. I think that is too bad because I think the doctrine is worth the time regardless of who teaches it. Several of the certified instructors have tried to offer HC courses, but it has not gone as I would have liked. In truth, no one makes it to the national level teaching other people’s stuff. I guess I should have realized that.
In recent years, I have certified three additional students to be HC instructors which angered some of the original group. All three of these folks attended EVERY course I offered and at great expense and time. One of these guys drove from Georgia to Michigan to attend a class. They didn’t take a week-long overview, they attended each and every course, every subject offered, one at a time. In reality, they got a much better emersion into the doctrine than did the instructor group. Before I gave them the certification, I attended training they taught so I could see them teach. You see, teaching is about an exceptional ability to communicate! Thus, there is now 23 people I have certified to teach Handgun Combatives courses.
Well thank you. I appreciate that you noticed that. I wanted to go at a time when I would be remembered for what I had done, not for being a broken-down old wreck. In truth, it was all of the travel that finally led to my stepping away from teaching. When I started Handgun Combatives, I was hoping for a class a month. I was just as surprised as many others as to how fast it took off. Within the first year, I was teaching 20 plus classes. It peaked at 40 for my busiest year and that was just open enrollment classes. That didn’t include law enforcement or contract programs.
When I started, I promised my wife that I would not go out for weeks at a time, I would come over after every class. She told me at the end she was starting to feel like a widow. Thus, there were many weeks of getting on a plane (or a day’s drive) on Friday, getting back on the plane on Monday and then spending Tuesday thru Thursday doing home stuff.
While exciting initially, it became a grind pretty fast. I was doing that 30 weeks a year. Add to it living in hotels, eating junk food, camping out in airports when flights were cancelled and all of the other “fun” things that come with air travel. I was pretty worn out by year nine. I realized that I did not want to just quit, I needed to wind it down so I started doing that during year ten. Year eleven was really just two-week long Legacy courses and a few contract classes that I needed to wrap up. I found I liked the slower pace, so I knew I was doing the right thing. After I shut HC down and dissolved the LLC, I taught a few classes at the request of some good friends who were former hosts. I also taught a few classes with my good buddy Rich Nance. Doing this helped “soften the blow” of quitting teaching.
I taught my final class last October. I can’t say I will never teach again, but I have no intention of doing so right now. I’m 70 years old and that seems like the right time to stop. I have arthritis in my hands, shoulders and lower back…the stupidity of my youth, I guess…so my shooting is not what it once was. To my way of thinking, if I can’t pass my own standards, I should not be teaching them. My wife got seriously ill last Spring…I almost lost her… so just spending time with her and my kids and grandkids seems like the right path to follow. It’s kind of nice that if we just want to take off on a road trip, we can. One famous firearms instructor told me about his retiring, “Why quit? What am I going to do, teach firearm classes?” I would like to think I have more options than that. The truth is, I’m still learning how to be retired.
I have had many moments of great satisfaction. In that I am blessed. If I had to drill down to one thing, it would be all of the people I have trained that got back to me and said something like, “What you taught me saved my life.” Since I spent a larger amount of time training law enforcement versus armed citizens, the majority of those people have been cops. I have no idea how many law enforcement officers I trained. Between in-service for my agency, contract in-service for outside agencies and basic police academy cadets, it is a substantial amount. I also taught at all of the major LE training conventions. When you have worked with so many people, whose job it is to go in harm’s way, it doesn’t take long for those officers to start getting back to you with some pretty scary stories. In several later cases, they were able to supply video of their confrontation. These victories have made me realize I have done this right.
When I moved to the public sector, I trained armed citizens the same way I trained cops. Over the decade I ran Handgun Combatives, I had a few of these folks get with me and relate experiences. In truth, the dynamics of the confrontation did not vary as much as some would think. The biggest difference was the cops sought out the situation they faced, while the armed citizens could not get away from theirs. Once the guns came out though, there were many similarities but also some differences. There is no such thing as an “average” gunfight.
It has been a great run. I am very grateful that I have come to the end of this with no regrets. I did it my way and I went out on my terms. Not many get to do that.
Yes…BAD GUYS DON’T THINK LIKE YOU DO! The biggest mistake a person can make when trying to save their life is to apply how they think about a particular situation to the person attacking them. Most people are reasonable and don’t want trouble. Thinking the person who is attacking you feels the same way has probably gotten more folks killed than anything else. They probably did not grow up the same way you did, their life experience is probably quite different. Why would they think like you?
They don’t.
I also think a lot about the concern many have for legalities. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying, folks need to understand what constitutes a legitimate use of force. They also need to understand what they can expect from the legal system. And, of course, local politics will also play a roll. Its good to know if your local prosecutor is anti-gun and likes to make examples out of folks who defend themselves. That said, concern over what will happen AFTER the fight cannot interfere with how to respond DURING the fight.
Your attacker will go at you 100%! It’s not personal, they just want to complete whatever action they started and get away clean. This means their attack will be launched with full force of action…extreme violence! If your response is 80% because you are concerned with the legal aftermath, there is a good chance you will never see the aftermath. I believe there are a number of people out there scaring the shit out of folks about legalities and making good money doing so. Its not helpful.
Remember, it’s not surviving that is important. That just means to remain in existence. It’s PREVAILING! To be victorious. To go home the same way both physically and mentally as you started. Yes, you have to win the legal battle, but each battle is fought one at a time in their proper order.
Be good citizens. Be good parents, grandparents, neighbors. Lead a good, honorable life. Be honest and straight forward. Don’t lie about who you are. Be you! Throughout my LE and instructional career, there were a number of folks who thought I was a jerk or uncaring. Nothing could be further from the truth. I cared a lot! I just wasn’t willing to pat people on the behind and tell them how “awesome” they were. They probably weren’t. I think folks could use some honesty these days. Your parents were wrong, you’re not special.
Unfortunately, I fell out with people while running my business that started out good friends. It was usually over money or jealousy. I was initially a brand ambassador for several well-known companies and I appreciated the support. I left when they felt like they could order me to do and say things that I didn’t truly believe. I gave all of them up. It cost me tens of thousands of dollars a year, but my integrity wasn’t worth it. Money really is the root of all evil.
There were others that wanted to be doing what I was doing at the level I was doing it at. They wanted me to “elevate” them or their business, but I don’t believe in shortcuts. Many, after taking a class, thought they could do what I was doing. After all, it looked simple enough. I spent decades getting where I was at. Creating doctrine, learning, making contacts, teaching classes, writing articles, filming videos, conducting research, building knowledge, being a street cop… doing the things that got me where I was. I didn’t have You Tube, Facebook, Instagram and Google to “build” my knowledge base. Such shortcuts weren’t available. Today, people gain notoriety by being on the internet. The old standards of background, training and experience have disappeared. It’s been replaced by social media “presence” and I think that is too bad. Folks will call me a “Fudd” but I would not replace that “journey of discovery” for anything.
I am done. At least I don’t plan on teaching any more. My buddy Rich Nance has a way of drawing me into his projects so who knows? As far at the Handgun Combatives doctrine goes, the book is still for sale. It has been selling for over twenty years and I still get royalty checks. Yes, I have changed how I do things, but the book is still about 90%. My son in law has kept the HC Facebook page active. He has expanded it to include timely topics and politics. Every once in a while, I will log on and post something. He has also kept the HC YouTube channel alive.
As far as taking a class, Andrew Brattain out in Colorado is offering a few of the courses in 2026. He has a Facebook page called Combative Pistolcraft that has all of the information. Back East, David Jenkins of Rochester Personal Defense offers the classes a couple of times a year. I kid David about being the “Wal-Mart of firearms training” as he offers a wide variety of programs…Handgun Combatives, Rangemaster, NRA, USCCA, NY CCW courses and, of course, classes of his own design. Both of these guys are hard workers and great communicators. They teach the courses as I would, not some weird knock off of a class. Both are highly recommended.
Thank you to Dave Spaulding, this is an awesome addition to Living Legends, with stellar responses! While training opportunities with Dave are few and far between now, we still have plenty of legacy to draw from. Be sure to support those continuing the Handgun Combatives doctrine as well!
Don’t forget to check out our other entries in this series:
Interview with Bruce Cartwright
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