handgun, Home, & self-defense training
We have the right,
so let’s do it right.
Equip yourself for security and peace of mind.
Take the first step towards greater safety, security, and confidence. The Northern Michigan Defense Academy offers courses to help you build practical skills and knowledge necessary to navigate potentially any situation and protect what matters most. Whether you’re interested in learning the fundamentals of handgun safety, life-applicable self-defense tactics, fortifying your home security, render aid in an emergency, or obtaining your concealed carry permit, we have a course built for your needs.
Explore training classes and find the one that’s right for you. With our experienced, qualified training instructor, comprehensive curricula, and a focus on practical application, the Northern Michigan Defense Academy and the US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) are trusted partners in personal and home defense training. Contact us today to learn more and enroll in an upcoming class. The goal of these courses is to create safe citizens and responsible handgun owners. When you leave these training experiences, you’ll feel confident knowing that you can protect yourself, your family, and those who can’t protect themselves.
About Our Team
Our commitment to excellence starts with our instructor. Northern Michigan Defense Academy courses are led by experienced, qualified, certified instructor John Rendell. We’re dedicated to providing you with the highest quality training. Benefit from their extensive knowledge and real-world experience as we guide you through essential skills and crucial safety protocols. You can trust that you are learning applicable skills taken from real-world experiences and decades of study, ensuring you gain the knowledge, abilities, and confidence needed to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Updates, Tips, & Tricks
Stay up to date on upcoming classes and events as well as handgun, self- and home-defense tips and trick from the Northern Michigan Defense Academy.
Contact Our Team
Send us an email if you have specific questions. We’ll be in touch as soon as we can.
Featured Course
Michigan Concealed Pistol License Training Course
125.00
9:00 AM
Saturdays starting May 31
Our Concealed Pistol License course is the first step towards legally carrying a concealed handgun in Michigan. Our comprehensive introductory level course is designed for individuals seeking to gain a strong foundation in semi-automatic and revolver handgun operation, shooting techniques, and firearms safety, while emphasizing the immense responsibility that comes with carrying a concealed weapon. At this class, you can expect to learn:
Handgun Basics
Shooting Fundamentals for Semi-Automatic Pistols & Revolvers
The Legal Use of Force
Michigan Carry Law
Personal Protection Plan
Knowledge to help keep you physically, legally, financially, and morally safe
Rental handguns for the purpose of certification will be available during the class for $50.00. Class books will be available for $30.00.
Classes & Events
Women’s Handgun & Self-Defence Fundamentals
$235
Empower yourself with confidence and learn essential skills in our women’s handgun and self-defense class. This course is all about sharing the basics — along with the fun, seriousness and importance of being a responsibly armed female.
The fundamentals of shooting will be introduced, reviewed and built upon, while also exploring universal safety rules, situational awareness, common types of handguns, ammunition types, marksmanship skills, advanced firearms handling, defensive pistol fundamentals and the use of deadly force.
Concealed Carry & Home-Defense Fundamentals
$235
This course is for anyone who is considering owning or carrying a firearm for self-defense. We cover crucial topics like understanding conflict avoidance and situational awareness, semi-automatic handgun and revolver basics, shooting fundamentals, the physiology of violent confrontations and the legal characteristics of using deadly force.
We’ll also cover gear you should wear, what gadgets you should use, and how you should train for self-defense situations.
Emergency First Aid Fundamentals
$235
Beyond performing CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, would you know how to save a life before the paramedics arrive? Or worse, when help isn’t accessible?
Become your family’s first responder by taking Emergency First Aid Fundamentals. From learning how to assess a patient’s condition, to delving into proper treatment of chest and spinal injuries, broken bones, shock, serious bleeding, and more, this book will prepare you to help others when only minutes remain between life and death.
Lead Instructor
Meet John,
USCCA & NRA Certified Instructor
John Rendell
Certified CPL Instructor
John founded The Northern Michigan Defense Academy and serves as our Lead Instructor. John is an Army Veteran, spent 7 years with a paramedic company, and worked for 16 years as a Law Enforcement Officer and Instructor at North Dakota’s Law Enforcement Academy. John owned and operated the NorthWest Handgun Training Academy in Washington and served as a License to Carry Instructor in Texas.
John is a certified United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) and National Rifle Association (NRA) instructor in several areas of handgun and self/home defense training and is a certified Range Safety Officer.
John’s breadth of experience matches his mission to help create responsible, trained, equipped handgun owners.