Extreme Close Quarter Gunfighting Instructor Development

Extreme Close Quarter Gunfighting Instructor Development

This two-day class not only covers the skills needed to prevail in a close-range gunfight, but also the philosophy behind the skill acquisition and how to optimally teach these skills to others.

Greg Ellifritz has instructed these techniques to thousands of students since he first developed the curriculum in 2002. He has presented the skill set to law enforcement agencies (including the US Marshals), military groups, and numerous SWAT teams. He’s shared this curriculum at the national and international level, teaching seminars for the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, The International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, and The Rangemaster Tactical Conference.


In March of 2024, Greg was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic cancer. He created this class to share his instructional methodology with as many students and instructors as possible before he is unable to physically teach the material any longer.

This dynamic coursework will focus on the following subject material.

- Retention Shooting Positions

- Body positioning and shooting stances for the close quarters fight

- In-fight weapons access and drawing skills

- Stopping and opponent’s draw

- Making contact shots without creating malfunctions

- Close quarters gun disarms

- One handed close quarters malfunction drills

- Using the firearm as an impact weapon

- Drawing and shooting from unconventional positions

- Weapons access and gunfighting from the ground

- Weapons retention, (in holster and in hand)

- Shooting from unconventional positions

-Dealing with charging attackers armed with contact weapons

-Fighting multiple attackers

-Defeating life threatening empty hand attacks

This is not the class for the beginning shooter. Proper gun handling skills and prior formal training is a prerequisite for the course. Students will practice the material as well as learn how to coach others for optimal performance. Prior certification as a firearms instructor (state police certification, Rangemaster, USCAA, NRA, etc.) is not mandatory, but would be preferred.

In order to be accepted into the course, you must have an open mind, be willing to cooperate with and coach others, and be able to competently handle your handgun. Students must be able to:

- Safely, load, unload, and fire a handgun without instruction

- Draw safely from a holster

- Shoot one-handed

- Clear handgun malfunctions without instruction

If students do not possess these basic skills at the start of the course, they will be barred from further live fire participation. The class will be moderately physically intense with very little down time. Students will be expected to be able to stand for most of the class and to perform physical drills with resisting partners for several hours a day. If you have questions about your physical ability to perform these tasks, please contact the instructor before registering.

Required Equipment:

- Handgun (no ported weapons)

- Sturdy belt- mounted holster (OWB or IWB, appendix OK) that will allow reholstering with one hand. No Serpa-style holsters unless you are issued the holster by your employer.

- Spare reloading devices and holder (you will need to be able to carry at least 20 rounds on your person)

- Eye and Ear protection

- 300 Rounds of ammunition

- A pair of gloves that will allow you to pull the trigger on your firearm

- A pen and paper notepad. Notes on phones and computers will not be acceptable in this course.




The class will take place at a private outdoor range. Please bring your lunch and water to drink. Please dress for the weather. The address listed (a 7-11 gas station) is our meeting point. We will meet the first day at 0830 hrs and caravan approximately five miles from the meeting site to the range.

Class tuition includes all range fees and Eventbrite charges.

Instructor Bio:

Greg Ellifritz is Active Response Training's President and Primary Instructor.

Greg recently retired after serving 25 years as a police officer. During his tenure, Greg spent 13 years as the full-time tactical training officer for a central Ohio police department. In that training position, he was responsible for developing and instructing all the in-service training for his 55-officer agency. In addition to the training position, he also served as patrol officer, rangemaster, weapons armorer, bike patrol officer, bike patrol coordinator, sniper, and field training officer during the course of his career.

He instructed classes at the Tactical Defense Institute for 17 years and served as a lead instructor for TDI’s ground fighting, knife fighting, active shooter, impact weapons, and extreme close quarters shooting classes.

Greg holds instructor, master instructor, or armorer certifications in more than 85 different weapons systems, defensive tactics programs, and law enforcement specialty topics. In addition to these instructor certifications, Greg has successfully completed more than 4,500 hours of documented formal training with the leading firearms, empty hand fighting, and edged weapons instructors in the country.

Greg additionally served as an adjunct instructor for the Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Academy, teaching firearms, defensive tactics, bike patrol, knife defense, and physical fitness topics. He has taught firearms and self-defense classes at the national and international level through The American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, The International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, Rangemaster Tactical Conference, Gunsite, and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

He has a master’s degree in public policy and management with a focus on criminal justice policy issues and has written for several publications and websites including: ‘The Firearms Instructor,” “Ohio Police Chief,” “Combat Handguns,” Survivalblog.com, “Concealed Carry Magazine,” Primedia's "Personal & Home Defense Annual," "Recoil Magazine," and “American Handgunner.”

Greg can be reached through his website at www.activeresponsetraining.net

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