Course Description:

The best intervention by a close protection officer is the one that never has to happen. At Close Protection you will learn to plan a movement, choose a route and spot a threat in time. And if an attack does happen, you will be able to respond both on foot and in a vehicle.

Close Protection is a seven-day course in personal protection for the everyday environment of Europe, the USA and other stable countries. You will learn to protect a client as an individual, in a pair and in a small team: foot formations in urban areas and beyond, embussing and debussing vehicles, motorcade driving, mission planning, working with a map and a tracking system, and radio communication. Then come driver training, live fire and responding to an attack both at a static location and on the move, with an emphasis on de-escalation and self-defense right next to the client.

The last two days are devoted to scenarios in a realistic civilian environment, in clothing for concealed carry. In the tactical part you train with FX Simunition weapons, a force-on-force system with marking ammunition. FX training pistols and ammunition are included in the course fee, and you can rent a pistol for the live-fire part for your chosen date.

We never have more than 8 students per instructor, so we go through every scenario with you and break it down in detail.

Choose a date in the calendar below.

Who Is This Course For:

For those who want to work in close protection professionally or find out whether it's the right job for them, and for those who already work in protection and want to expand their knowledge and skills and test them in realistic scenarios. Dynamic Pistol 1 is required, because there is a lot of shooting and you need to have safe pistol handling mastered. Expect a week of demanding training.

What You Will Learn:

After a week you understand the fundamentals of close protection in a civilian environment and can move with a client in a protective foot formation in urban areas and beyond. You know how to safely get the client in and out of a vehicle, how to manage a motorcade movement and how to respond to an attack at a static location, during a foot movement and during a vehicle movement. You can handle crisis situations with an emphasis on de-escalation. You know the basic principles of self-defense right next to the client, you can plan a protective mission and communicate with your team by radio. You have completed driver training, and you have tested everything in FX Simunition scenarios, in live fire and in scenarios in a realistic civilian environment.

Contents:

Basic theory of close protection in a civilian environment, protective foot formations and movements in urban areas and beyond, embus and debus procedures, motorcade driving and managing client movements, responding to an attack at a static location and during foot or vehicle movement, handling crisis situations with an emphasis on de-escalation, self-defense techniques right next to the client, protective mission planning and working with a map, navigation and a tracking system, radio communication, scenarios using FX Simunition, driver training in an urban environment, live fire and scenarios focused on client protection in a realistic civilian environment.

Required Equipment:

Comfortable civilian or tactical clothing and solid outdoor or sports shoes (both suited to the current weather and outdoor temperatures), a belt, a high-quality and safe hard holster worn on the strong side and covering the trigger guard (preferably kydex) and spare magazine pouches, shooting glasses and hearing protection (earmuffs, earplugs, etc.). Above all, come to the course in clothing and gear that match your everyday carry or work as closely as possible. You will also need writing materials and a flash drive or external hard drive. For the last two days of the course (scenarios in a real environment), bring civilian clothing that allows concealed carry of a weapon and equipment and is as inconspicuous as possible in an ordinary civilian setting.

Nylon or similar soft holsters, whether inside or outside the waistband, as well as shoulder holsters, are very dangerous for the user both in training and in real-life carry. Please avoid wearing them on the course and in real life. We can rent you high-quality kydex holsters by RH Holsters for Glock 17/19/26/43, Walther PDP/PPQ/PPS/Creed, H&K SFP9 and S&W MP9 pistols, together with a magazine pouch, for a small fee. Just click on the course date of your choice and order the holster you need in the section below the weapon selection. Appendix carry holsters, worn at the front of the waistband, are allowed provided they meet the definition of a high-quality and safe hard holster, preferably kydex, worn on the strong side and covering the trigger guard.

Weapon:

A handgun (pistol) and optionally a long gun (semi-automatic rifle, carbine or submachine gun). Ammunition: 350 rounds for the handgun and, if you bring one, 50 rounds for the long gun. If you do not own a gun or would like to try a different one, we can provide a pistol with holsters, ammunition and other accessories for your chosen course date. Just click on the course date and you will see a full list of weapons available for that date. In the first section you will find complete packages, which always include a pistol with two magazines, kydex pistol and magazine holsters, eye and ear protection and the number of rounds needed for the course.

If you bring your own factory ammunition, you can choose to rent the gun only. The full list of rental guns, along with the option to order ammunition, holsters or protective equipment separately, can be found in the sections below.

For the tactical part of the course, we will provide you free of charge with our FX Simunition force-on-force training weapons, Glock 17 Gen4 or Gen5 pistols, including a kydex holster. FX Simunition ammunition is included in the course fee.

Tactical Courses and the Law:

Czech law does not regulate participation in tactical courses in any way. You don't need a firearms license or any other permit, and it doesn't matter whether you are a citizen of the Czech Republic, another EU country or a country outside the EU. Czech law sets no fixed minimum age, but a minor participant must be reasonably mature, both mentally and physically. We do not recommend registering children under 15 for a course this intensive.

Firearms and the Law:

You do not need a firearms license, background check or criminal record extract to attend this course. Our instructor will hand you the weapon and you will train with it under his constant supervision. Czech law sets no fixed minimum age, but a minor participant must be reasonably mature, both mentally and physically. We do not recommend registering children under 15 for a course this intensive.

There is no restriction on the barrel length of semi-automatic rifles, and high-capacity magazines are allowed. Suppressors and weapon-mounted lasers and lights are legal in the Czech Republic.

If you hold a European Firearms Pass (EFP) with your firearm listed in it, you may temporarily bring it to the Czech Republic and use it for training. Under Czech law it is enough to prove the purpose of your visit, for example with your course booking or another document confirming the reason for your trip. An official invitation is not required by law. The EFP also covers carrying an amount of ammunition that matches the purpose of the trip, for example for a competition or training. Please note that transit countries or your airline may apply their own limits or requirements. If you plan to travel through several countries or by air, contact us and we will help you prepare any documents you may need, such as an invitation.

Timing:

Class starts at 9:00 am. Please arrive at the training site no later than 8:30–8:45 am. The course usually ends around 6:00 pm, with a 30-minute lunch break during the day.

Venue:

We run our courses at various locations across the Czech Republic. You will find the exact venue for each date in the calendar, just click on the date. For multi-day courses that use more than one location, all venues are listed there.

Please check the venue carefully before booking. The same course often runs at different locations on different dates. Every now and then a student books a date expecting it to be at our home base, the Oleško shooting range, only to find out on the day that the course is taking place in Moravia, some 300 km away. To avoid this, always click on the date before booking and check where that particular date takes place.

Language:

Czech with English translation available.

Accommodation and Food:

Accommodation is not included in the course fee, each participant arranges and pays for it themselves. There is a 30-minute lunch break, so bring food that doesn't need cooking or ordering, such as an Adventure Menu type ration, an MRE or food from home, and enough to drink for the whole day.

Where to Go Next:

A close protection operator needs more than one skill set, so we recommend continuing your training in several directions. Tactical Driving and Tactical Driving Advanced will take you further behind the wheel, adding evasive maneuvers, 180-degree turns, breaking out of a vehicle block and the PIT maneuver. For treating an injured client or colleague there are our medical courses Combat LifeSaver and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, followed by Combat LifeSaver Advanced and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Advanced. For working right next to the client, Hand to Hand Combat and Gun Retention and Expandable Baton are a good fit, and you can develop your shooting at Dynamic Pistol 2, Dynamic Rifle 1 and the higher levels of both series. If you want to work in high-risk areas, continue with Personal Security Detail.

Have a Question?

You will find answers to the most common questions in our Questions and Answers section. Didn't find what you were looking for? Write or call us using any of our contacts, we will be happy to help.

Got everything you need? Choose a date below and don't forget to check where your chosen date takes place.