I am originally from Italy, but after a few years of wanderlust travels, living and working in different parts of the world, I relocated to the central coast of California. I have been practicing Martial Arts since I was a kid and I am still a student of Modern Farang Mu Sul. This passion and an honest quest for a better way to prepare specifically for self-defense brought me to Blauer Tactical System (B.T.S.) and I became a Personal Defense Readiness Instructor in 2007. Shortly after, I moved back to Italy where I worked as a Defensive Tactics instructor for Delta Firearms Academy. There I became a Firearm Instructor and helped run their combatives and firearms classes (Defensive Shooting/CQB/Executive Protection) until early 2010. I was exposed to Rob Pincus's research and Combat Focus Shooting, now renamed Intuitive Defensive Shooting (IDS) through B.T.S. and I soon began to realize the shortcomings of the traditional firearms training doctrine for personal protection. Forever on a quest to bring the most useful and efficient training to my students, I became a Combat Focus Shooting instructor in April of 2010. In September 2011 I took another step forward and became a Crossfit Level 1 Trainer, to integrate functional fitness in our defensive training and make my clients stronger, faster and safer. Shortly after, working with Matt Munson, Omari Broussard and Rob Pincus we developed the FitShot program to inspire a higher level of fitness in the shooting community. I started Safer Faster Defense, in 2011. The company’s mission: through education and training I want to provide my clients with the knowledge and tools to stay safe and prepare them to prevail in dangerous situations. In the same year, with Rob Pincus and Omari Broussard, we developed the School Attacker Response Course (S.A.R.C.) that we offer free of charge to teachers and school administrators. Since then, we expanded the scope of this program to include all active shooters events types and it became the Active Shooter Response Program. In 2012 I completed the development of Safer Faster Knife Defense to provide a simple and intuitive training program that will quickly make the student more efficient in deploying and using a knife in a modern defensive context. This program is designed to instill the proper mindset to empower the student to manage fear and apply the skills learned in the event of a lethal threat. A year later, the curriculum for Critical Incident Combatives, our un-armed defense program, was completed as well, to bring you the most progressive information and most efficient personal safety and Hand to Hand training program available. In 2015 I took a 5 days Instructor course with Ken Murray to get certified as a Training at the Speed of Life Reality Based Training Instructor. Later that year, with my colleagues at I.C.E. Training, we developed the first Reality Based Training Instructor Development program for civilians. This program has been developed to provide an opportunity for those currently teaching defensive shooting to their students to take their courses to the next level by integrating efficient force-on-force training scenarios to complement classroom and live-fire range sessions. The same passion for preparing my students to protect themselves, fueled my involvement and career development in the Executive Protection industry, where I have been working since 2015, both as a Protection Specialist and Defensive Tactics Instructor. Since 2016 I have had the opportunity to provide consulting services on product development to some of the most innovative industry leaders, bringing a few products to the market: https://saferfasterdefense.com/product/sfd-responder/ https://saferfasterdefense.com/product/barracuda-edc/ https://tat3dats.com/ In 2018 I became an Instructor and Rescue Operator for The Children’s Rescue Initiative (Thechildrensrescue.org). CRI actively rescues children from debt bondage, slavery, and prostitution and installs them in comprehensive and compassionate aftercare programs. In 2019 I accepted the position of Lead Instructor for The Liberal Gun Club, where I helped to create several training programs, including a Range Safety Course , Firearms Familiarization, Defensive Pistol, and are creating other formal safety and training programs to promote firearm safety, marksmanship and responsible ownership. Why I choose to teach the curricula and programs offered by my company. Some find comfort in tradition, and tradition gives us a common starting point. But, if left alone, it leads to stagnation. I find more value in thoughtful innovation because it leads to progress. For example, athletes today do not train like they did 10 or even 5 years ago. They use science and research to refine their training methods and they perform much better for it! So why not embrace a scientific, empirical approach to self-defense as well and train in the most realistic and efficient way possible? Intuitive Defensive Shooting, Critical Incident Combatives, Safer Faster Knife Defense are the most progressive defensive training systems in their respective arenas. They take into account the emotional and physiological aspects of confrontation and violence and represent an important paradigm shift and a long overdue refinement of training methodologies and priorities for personal protection. By understanding how the mind and body reacts to danger and fear, how stress affects performance and hoe to integrate this knowledge in the training protocols, they give us the best chance to prevail in a violent confrontation. CrossFit and functional fitness in general, share the same innovative principles and scientific approach and is one of the best way to prepare for a fight both physically and mentally.

Mike Lazarus holds 27 years of experience as a law enforcement officer, as well as 19 years SWAT including sniper, assaulter, team sergeant, FBI certified firearm instructor, MP5 and Sub Machine gun instructor, Defensive tactics instructor, Police Academy instructor, 13 years of experience in the US Army with multiple overseas deployments. Airborne, SOTIC, PSD, SRT, small arms armorer, various other military schools, Faculty member in California State University, Northridge and Ventura College. Hobbies include outdoor sports, hunting, competitive shooting.