Instagram story viewer> @toddfossey> Posts
Todd Fossey(@toddfossey)'s profile avatar HD Profile

Todd Fossey

@toddfossey

2.9K
followers
3049
following
Founder & Chief Instructor | IDS
Evidence-based firearms & combatives
• Human Performance • Force-Science
Challenging myths of the firearms industry.
POSTS STORIES REELS
Beyond the Gun isn't another collection of drills, gear recommendations, or shooting tips. It's a challenge to rethink how human beings actually learn, adapt, and perform when violence becomes dynamically unpredictable. Drawing from motor learning, ecological dynamics, neuroscience, Force Science, sports science, and real-world crime data, this book argues that representative learning environments—not rote repetition alone—produce adaptable defenders. The goal isn't to become better at predictable drills. It's to become more effective at solving unpredictable problems. If you've wondered why square-range performance doesn't transfer to reality... Or if you're ready to follow the science wherever it leads... This book was written for you. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #1 New Release on Amazon. The conversation is changing. The question is... Does the industry have the integrity to change with it? 👇 Link in the comments. by @toddfossey
KNIFE vs. GUN | When Your Handgun Isn't Enough When protecting a third party against an armed aggressor, your ability to integrate combatives with your concealed firearm can become the deciding factor. Context Dictates Strategy. In this excerpt from the IDS APEX Level 4 Instructor Certification Course, hosted by Black Mountain Defense in Detroit, Michigan, IDS Founder Todd Fossey demonstrates the Head-Hook Dump—one of many options for disrupting an armed aggressor, taking the fight to the ground, and transitioning to higher levels of force when necessary and justified. But the technique isn't the lesson. The lesson is ADAPTABILITY. Real violence is unpredictable. Choreography fails when the variables change. Effective concealed carry and self-defense training must develop the perception, decision-making, and adaptable fighting skills necessary to solve problems under pressure. That's why IDS APEX integrates evidence-based motor learning, Force Science, close-quarters combatives, and firearms training into one unified personal protection system. Just 55 seconds from approximately 35 hours of advanced instructor training focused on high-probability aggravated assaults and armed third-party close protection. Special thanks to my longtime coach and mentor, Greg Nelson, for teaching me the Head-Hook Dump and helping shape my understanding of integrated fighting systems. Don't Be a Gun Fighter. Be A Fighter with a Gun. ALL SIGNAL. NO NOISE. #IDSAPEX #FightIQ #ConcealedCarry #KnifeVsGun #Combatives #SelfDefense #CloseProtection #ArmedCombatives #MotorLearning #ForceScience #FirearmsTraining #InstructorCertification #BlackMountainDefense by @toddfossey
DS APEX Level 5 -Representative Live Fire Instructor Certification Course by @toddfossey
CONSTRAINTS-LED TRAINING | WE DON'T JUST MAKE TRAINING HARDER. WE MAKE IT MORE RELEVANT. One training task. More than 50 iterations. Over SIX YEARS of development. Why? Because effective concealed carry and personal protection training isn't about memorizing techniques. It's about developing the ability to adapt when the variables change. In this instructional excerpt from the IDS APEX Level 4 Instructor Certification Course, IDS Founder and Chief Instructor Todd Fossey discusses a fundamental principle of effective concealed carry instruction and personal protection training hosted by Black Mountain Defense in Detroit, Michigan. CONSTRAINTS-LED TRAINING & SCALABLE TRAINING TASKS. Can we increase complexity? Change the environment? Introduce uncertainty? Increase physical exertion? Absolutely. But here's the distinction: We don't manipulate variables simply to make training harder. We manipulate them to create the learning conditions our students NEED. What does this student need right now? What does this class need right now? How can we manipulate constraints to encourage exploration, problem-solving, adaptation, and skill acquisition? We've developed more than 50 iterations of just ONE training task. And spent more than SIX YEARS developing it—as part of 14 YEARS of ongoing research, development, and refinement at IDS LABWORX. It's just one of hundreds within the IDS APEX Training System. The objective isn't to reproduce choreography. It's to develop adaptable human performance that transfers beyond the training environment. ALL SIGNAL. NO NOISE. #IDSAPEX #ConstraintsLedApproach #MotorLearning #SkillAcquisition #ConcealedCarryTraining #FirearmsTraining #SelfDefenseTraining #EcologicalDynamics #TrainingForTransfer #BeyondTheGun by @toddfossey
KNIFE VS. GUN | IF–THEN READS | FIGHT IQ FOR CCW Real violence doesn't follow a script. So why are so many people still being taught to defend themselves against knife attacks using choreographed techniques with predetermined outcomes? The variables are unpredictable, unrepeatable, and constantly changing. Distance. Timing. Position. Resistance. Weapon access. The actions and reactions of an actively resisting opponent. You cannot choreograph your way through chaos. At Integrative Defense Strategies (IDS), we reject dependency on memorized techniques in favor of adaptable, principle-based algorithms. The objective? Develop the Fight IQ necessary to recognize changing variables, make IF–THEN decisions, and solve complex defensive problems in real time. In this instructional excerpt, IDS Founder and Chief Instructor Todd Fossey demonstrates several IF–THEN options from the 2-on-1 Russian Tie while addressing a knife threat in the context of concealed carry and close-quarters combat. This isn't about memorizing what to do. It's about developing the ability to recognize WHEN, WHY, and HOW to adapt when the variables change. STOP MEMORIZING ANSWERS. START LEARNING HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. Filmed during our Saturday morning Close Quarters Concealed Carry class, hosted by Tensei BJJ in Richfield, Minnesota. DM FOR CLASS DETAILS. #IntegrativeDefenseStrategies #IDSAPEX #KnifeVsGun #KnifeDefense #ConcealedCarry #CCWTraining #CloseQuartersCombat #FightIQ #SelfDefenseTraining #Combatives #RussianTie #WeaponRetention #AdaptiveTraining #MotorLearning #SkillAcquisition #PersonalProtection #ToddFossey by @toddfossey
IDS APEX LEVEL 5 | DYNAMIC FLANK DRILL LIVE FIRE SHOULD BE MORE THAN MARKSMANSHIP. Shooting accurately is one thing. Shooting accurately while moving, processing rapidly changing information, making decisions, and adapting to unpredictable conditions is something entirely different. And THAT distinction matters. At Integrative Defense Strategies, we don't train shooting skills in isolation. We integrate them into the larger human performance demands of personal protection and armed self-defense. This excerpt from the IDS APEX Level 5 Live Fire Instructor Certification Course showcases another evolution of our Dynamic Flank Drill. Instructor candidates must continuously perceive, decide, and act while managing: • Randomized moving no-shoot targets • Near/far target discrimination • Dynamic flanking movements • Slide-lock reloads • Muzzle management • Depth perception and spatial awareness • Continuous information processing Nothing exists in isolation. Every movement changes the problem. Every changing variable demands adaptation. Every decision has consequences. This isn't about executing a rehearsed collection of shooting techniques. It's about developing adaptable performers capable of solving problems they've never encountered before. That's where motor learning, skill acquisition, representative task design, and the science of human performance become critical. Because looking impressive on a shooting range and developing functional defensive capabilities are NOT necessarily the same thing. The objective isn't simply performance during training. It's TRANSFER OF TRAINING. This is just a glimpse into the integrated, science-backed training methodology behind IDS APEX. Interested in becoming an IDS APEX Certified Instructor? DM me. Don't be a gunfighter. Be a fighter with a gun. #IDSAPEX #ToddFossey #IntegrativeDefenseStrategies #LiveFireTraining #FirearmsInstructor #ConcealedCarry #SelfDefense #PersonalProtection #HumanPerformance #MotorLearning #SkillAcquisition #ForceScience #DecisionMaking #RepresentativeTaskDesign #RealityBasedTraining #PerformanceUnderPressure #AdaptivePerformance #InstructorDevelopment #BeyondTheGun #AllS by @toddfossey
This is a message to anyone with plans to undermine our American way of life. Americans are on to you. You've miscalculated. by @toddfossey
In this excerpt from the Firearm Trainer's Podcast, IDS Founder and Chief Instructor Todd Fossey discusses how Integrative Defense Strategies approaches the challenge of assessing real-world defensive capability. Effective firearms instruction isn't simply about producing successful repetitions in a controlled training environment. It's about developing adaptable skills that can be expressed under the complex, dynamic, and unpredictable conditions of interpersonal violence. Demonstrating proficiency in training is not the same as demonstrating transfer. For firearms instructors, concealed carriers, and serious defensive practitioners, that distinction should matter. Are you developing capabilities that transfer beyond the training environment? Or are you simply getting better at the exercises? TRAIN FOR TRANSFER. NOT JUST PERFORMANCE. Watch the excerpt. Todd Fossey is the founder of Integrative Defense Strategies, creator of the IDS APEX Training System, and author of Beyond the Gun: The Science-Backed Revolution in Firearms & Self-Defense Training. #IntegrativeDefenseStrategies #IDSAPEX #ToddFossey #BeyondTheGun #FirearmsTrainersPodcast #FirearmsTraining #FirearmsInstructor #InstructorDevelopment #ConcealedCarry #DefensiveFirearms #SelfDefenseTraining #PersonalProtection #MotorLearning #SkillAcquisition #SkillTransfer #TrainingTransfer #RepresentativeLearningDesign #EcologicalDynamics #ForceScience #DefensiveTraining by @toddfossey
THE KEYMAKER PRINCIPLE | TEACH ARMED STUDENTS HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM Are we teaching concealed carriers how to solve unpredictable, complex problems under pressure? Or simply giving them collections of techniques and hoping they'll remember which one to use when their life is on the line? Real-world violence isn't choreographed. And the problem may look NOTHING like what they rehearsed on the shooting range or training floor. That's why HOW we teach concealed carry matters just as much as WHAT we teach. At Integrative Defense Strategies (IDS), our APEX Training System emphasizes principle-based instruction, adaptive problem-solving, and transferable fighting skills. Techniques have their place. But principles provide the foundation for adapting to circumstances that cannot be predicted or rehearsed. We don't want armed Citizen Defenders searching through a mental keychain of memorized techniques. WE WANT TO TEACH THEM HOW TO MAKE THE KEY. To recognize the problem, adapt, and develop effective solutions in real time. In this instructional excerpt from the IDS APEX Level 4 Instructor Certification Course, IDS Founder and Chief Instructor Todd Fossey discusses a fundamental principle of effective concealed carry instruction and personal protection training hosted by Black Mountain Defense in Detroit, Michigan. The objective isn't instructor dependence. It's developing armed Citizen Defenders capable of solving problems they've never encountered before. Because carrying a gun and knowing how to fight with one are NOT the same thing. Don't be a gunfighter. Be a fighter with a gun. #IDSAPEX #IntegrativeDefenseStrategies #BeyondTheGun #ToddFossey #ConcealedCarry #ConcealedCarryTraining #CCW #PersonalProtection #CitizenDefender #ArmedSelfDefense #FirearmsInstructor #DefensiveFirearmsTraining #SelfDefenseTraining #PrincipleBasedTraining #MotorLearning #SkillAcquisition #AdaptiveTraining #DefensiveTactics #Combatives #InstructorDevelopment #BlackMountainDefense by @toddfossey
TRAIN UGLY! | REAL RESISTANCE. REAL ADAPTATION. REAL DISCOVERY FOR CONCEALED CARRY What happens when you stop rehearsing predetermined solutions and start exploring problems against highly skilled, resisting opponents? Things get ugly. And that's the point. Every Friday at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, we hold FIREARMS FRIDAYS, exploring the intersection of firearms, grappling, combatives, personal protection, Force Science and human performance. This reel features training rounds with Canon Swanson (Professional MMA Fighter) and Nat McIntyre (Retired, 50+ Fights). IMPORTANT DISTINCTION: These are NOT scenarios. They're training exercises and R&D. NOT A SCRIPT. NOT A CHOREOGRAPHED OUTCOME. We're testing assumptions, exploring options, investigating problems, and discovering limitations through dynamic, adaptive resistance. The objective isn't to make everything look perfect or demonstrate choreographed techniques. It's to LEARN. To discover how skills interact under pressure. What works, what doesn't, and what needs further development. Highly skilled opponents who actively resist, adapt, and solve problems provide invaluable feedback. REAL RESISTANCE. REAL ADAPTATION. REAL DISCOVERY. This philosophy drives Integrative Defense Strategies and the IDS APEX Training System: integrating firearms, martial arts, grappling, motor learning, skill acquisition, Force Science, and human performance into a comprehensive approach to personal protection. HUGE THANKS to Canon Swanson, Nat McIntyre, and the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy for the training, collaboration, and willingness to explore. Iron sharpens iron. TRAIN UGLY! Todd Fossey Founder & Chief Instructor Integrative Defense Strategies #IntegrativeDefenseStrategies #IDSAPEX #TrainUgly #FirearmsFridays #MinnesotaMartialArtsAcademy #MMA #Grappling #Combatives #DefensiveTraining #FirearmsTraining #ConcealedCarry #PersonalProtection #SelfDefense #MotorLearning #SkillAcquisition #HumanPerformance #PressureTesting #ResistanceTraining #EcologicalDynamics #RepresentativeLearningDesign #CombatSports #CitizenDefender by @toddfossey
Be like this guy. by @toddfossey
What if one of the greatest obstacles to better firearms training isn't a lack of knowledge, research, or technology? What if it's something far more uncomfortable? For decades, the firearms training industry has developed deeply entrenched traditions, methodologies, and beliefs about preparing people to survive violence. But here's the question: HOW MUCH OF WHAT WE TEACH IS SUPPORTED BY SCIENCE, AND HOW MUCH IS SIMPLY REPEATED BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE? We have decades of research in Force Science, neuroscience, motor learning, skill acquisition, perception-action coupling, decision-making, and human performance under stress. Research challenging conventional assumptions about how humans develop adaptable motor skills and transfer training into unpredictable real-world environments. Yet tradition, economics, ego, confirmation bias, and status quo bias can create powerful resistance to examining established practices. When we're preparing people to survive violence, the consequences of ineffective training extend far beyond the classroom or shooting range. In this Beyond the Gun Walking Reel, I use a simple analogy to expose an uncomfortable contradiction within the firearms training industry. Every firearms instructor, martial arts instructor, defensive tactics trainer, and armed Citizen Defender should consider the implications. Is the industry genuinely preparing people for the realities of violence—or perpetuating a familiar training paradigm? DON'T JUST DEFEND WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TAUGHT. CHALLENGE WHY YOU BELIEVE IT. I'm Todd Fossey, Founder of Integrative Defense Strategies (IDS), creator of the IDS APEX Training System, and author of Beyond the Gun: The Science-Backed Revolution in Firearms & Self-Defense Training. #BeyondTheGun #IntegrativeDefenseStrategies #IDSAPEX #FirearmsTraining #FirearmsInstructor #ConcealedCarry #CitizenDefender #SelfDefenseTraining #ForceScience #MotorLearning #SkillAcquisition #HumanPerformance #Neuroscience #PerceptionActionCoupling #DecisionMaking #TrainingTransfer #EvidenceBasedTraining #EcologicalDynamics #RepresentativeLearningDesign #AdaptiveTraining #Combatives #MartialArts #DefensiveTactics #ConfirmationBia by @toddfossey

Download All

Save the photos and videos currently loaded on this page.

0Photos
0Videos
Ready to download 0 / 0

Keep this tab open until your download is ready.
back to up