Making Good Humans Safer Since 1979
Become A SPEAR
SYSTEM® L1 Trainer
Join the Professional Instructor Network Making the World Safer.
A Personal Message
Why I Need You On This Mission
Since 1979 the focus, the path, and the mission have not wavered: we want to make the world safer. To do that, we need passionate, committed professionals. Not numbers — caliber.
Instructors who refuse to settle for theory. Coaches who pressure-test what they teach. Good humans serving their communities.
The Conversation Nobody Starts
The Blind Spot In Every Curriculum
If you've been training a long time, you already know the moment I'm talking about. It's the one your system doesn't have a name for. The half-second before technique exists — where surprise hijacks executive function and the body does something older and faster than anything you've drilled.
Nobody's questioning your skill. The question is quieter than that: are your people ready for the part of the fight that happens before the fight?
That question takes a certain kind of person to sit with. Rank makes it harder, not easier. The instructors who thrive here are the ones secure enough to look at their own curriculum honestly — because they care more about the student going home than about being right.
SPEAR isn't a replacement for your style. It's the missing link in front of it. We teach you how the body moves before your training kicks in — then hand the moment back to your system, safer and faster.
Standards Matter
Attendance does not guarantee certification. This is not a pay-to-play seminar. You must complete the pre-course study. You must demonstrate the standard. We fail those who do not meet the requirements — because if you care about safety, we care about standards.
The Origin
No Backers. No Blueprint. Just A Burning Desire.
Hello, if we haven't met yet — I'm Tony Blauer. I've spent over 40 years reimagining self-defense: the SPEAR System®, HIGH GEAR®, KNOW FEAR®. Since 1980, I've taught this work to over half a million people, including thousands of martial arts, self-defense, military combatives, and law enforcement defensive tactics instructors in over 40 countries.
I started teaching in the 70s. By 1979, I knew this would be my life's work — everyone from soccer moms to Tier One military teams, law enforcement agencies, and martial artists.
The feeling I get when I teach — knowing I'm really helping people overcome fear — can't be put into words. And I still get fired up to teach 47 years later. If you're here, something in you already feels that pull.
Age 12. Jumped by two 16-year-olds. Survived it — but the fear kept me out of high school hallways. My father signed me up for martial arts.
Started teaching self-defense. The world was chasing tradition. I was chasing what actually happens.
The Sucker Punch Drill. The startle response was faster than any trained motor skill. S.P.E.A.R. was born.
Navy Special Warfare adopts High Gear®. Force-on-force training changes forever.
After two years of testing every suit on the market, the US Army selects High Gear®. First order: $17 million.
Over 500,000 people trained. Nearly 200 active affiliates worldwide. Still fired up 47 years later.
Real-World Results
Four Hours A Year. Measurable Outcomes.
When the Dorset Police Department in the UK adopted SPEAR for their defensive tactics training, the injury data moved — because officers were instinctively protecting their heads using SPEAR's non-violent postures.
43%
Reduction in head trauma
41%
Increase in forearm trauma — the arms took the hits
4 hrs
Total SPEAR training per year
That's the power of a system built on neurobiology, kinesiology, and psychology. It can be learned fast — by anyone.
Who This Is For
A Few Good Men And Women
For Martial Artists, Self-Defense Instructors, CCW & Personal Safety Professionals
You have trained for years. You have the skills. But do you have the science? SPEAR addresses the moment when executive function is hijacked by sudden violence — the part of the timeline most curricula skip. It doesn't compete with your rank. It gives your rank a first chapter.
For The Natural Protector, Future Instructor & Self-Defense Entrepreneur
"No experience necessary" does not mean "no standards." It means we value capability over pedigree. We have certified pilots, teachers, and parents who simply possessed the will to protect their communities. Do the work, study the neuroscience, pass the evaluation — and we'll give you the skills.
Do Your Research
The Integration Call
We hosted a SPEAR System® integration call with Andy Privett. Great turnout — and the full replay is yours. It runs just over an hour and breaks down exactly how Level 1 Certification helps you:
- Seamlessly integrate SPEAR into any martial art, combatives, or self-defense program
- Differentiate your school with a science-backed, fear-management-based approach
- Grow your student base and create a safer, smarter training environment
See It For Yourself
The Work, Unedited
Don't take my word for it. Watch the system get pressure-tested, explained, and applied. Then ask yourself the only question that matters: could my people use this?
Brandon Smithers
The System In Motion
SPEAR mechanics shown the way we teach them — instinct first, technique second.
Andy Privett
Fear Management, Explained
The psychology behind the physical: why the startle-flinch beats trained motor skill.
Mark Gridley
Inside The Training
Force-on-force and scenario work — what the certification prepares you to run.
Chuck Zelek
From The Field
Practitioners and instructors on what changed once SPEAR entered their curriculum.
We have learned more about the psychology and physiology of combat in the last 50 years than in the previous 5,000 years put together… Tony Blauer will be remembered as one of the great pioneers who propelled us forward.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
U.S. Army (Ret.), author of On Combat
The Room You'd Be Joining
Read Our Private Newsletter
Every month our certified affiliates get a briefing that never goes public: new drills and coaching breakdowns, business strategy that's working in real schools, case studies from the field, research worth stealing, and the internal conversations that keep this network sharp.
We're opening the door so you can see the caliber of people you'd be standing next to. Read a few issues. Notice the tone — no ego, no gatekeeping, just professionals sharpening each other. That's the community. Certification is how you get the key.
Inside Each Issue
- Coaching breakdowns you can teach the same week
- Affiliate case studies — what worked, what didn't
- Business & marketing plays for self-defense entrepreneurs
- Research, gear notes, and new curriculum drops
- Direct answers from Coach Blauer and the team
What The Pros Say
Judge Us By The Company We Keep
"One man taught me more about the lead up to the fight — and most importantly the first few seconds of the fight — than all the others combined. That instructor is Tony Blauer."
"This course was a true eye-opener. It filled in the gaps that traditional self-defense systems often miss — especially the behavioral and psychological components that determine how people actually react under real stress."
"I have studied the efficacy of use of force tactics for well over a decade and have concluded that the SPEAR System® is the most comprehensive combatives program currently available."
The Certification
Three Phases. One Standard.
Phase 01
Apply & On-Ramp
Every application is personally reviewed. Accepted candidates begin the self-paced online On-Ramp — 2 to 4 weeks mastering the theory, the neuroscience, and the vocabulary before you hit the mats.
Phase 02
Live Weekend Certification
100% live online. Real-time, interactive coaching with breakout rooms — training, teaching, and observing. You learn the pedagogy of being a professional presenter. You are graded on your ability to coach, perform, and articulate.
Phase 03
Continuing Education
Certification is the starting line, not the finish. Recertify every 24 months so the Blauer Standard stays the highest in the industry, with ongoing access to me and my team.
The Investment
$1,000 USD. Full certification, 10 new manuals, downloadable training tools, business coaching, monthly professional development, and one month of Tactical Garage Gym combatives with me. No flights. No hotels. No lost travel days.
Interest-free financing is available through Affirm for SPEAR System® courses and High Gear®.
Optional Affiliation
Certification gives you permission to teach. Affiliation gives you the support to grow.
- Be Your Own Bodyguard® License
- $999+
- Business MasterClass
- $1,500
- Monthly Train-the-Trainer Calls
- $3,000/yr
- High Gear® Discounts & Commissions
- $1,000/yr
- Brand License
- $500+
- Private Trainer Forum & Global Network
- Priceless
- Total Value
- Over $7,000/yr
The Ledger
What You Actually Walk Away With
Not a weekend and a handshake. Here is the complete list of what lands in your hands, your curriculum, and your business.
The Credential
- SPEAR System® Level 1 Certified Instructor status, recognized worldwide since 1988
- Personalized certificate and digital credential for your wall, site, and bio
- Permission to teach the SPEAR System® inside your existing classes and programs
- Listing consideration in the global instructor network
- Recertification pathway every 24 months so your standard never goes stale
The Curriculum
- The self-paced On-Ramp: theory, neuroscience, and the vocabulary of fear management
- 10 new manuals covering the system, the drills, and the teaching progressions
- Downloadable coaching tools, lesson frameworks, and drill libraries you can run Monday
- The Sucker Punch Drill and scenario methodology — how to run it safely and honestly
- One month of Tactical Garage Gym combatives training with me
The Coaching
- Live, interactive weekend certification with breakout rooms — you coach, we correct
- Graded on your ability to perform, coach, and articulate — not on attendance
- Monthly train-the-trainer calls with me and the team
- Direct access for questions after you're back in your own school
- The presentation pedagogy: how to teach this so it actually lands
The Business
- Business MasterClass for self-defense entrepreneurs
- Marketing language and positioning that differentiates you in your region
- High Gear® discounts and commission opportunities
- The private trainer forum and the Level 1 newsletter — the room, not just the rank
- A global network of nearly 200 affiliates who share what's working
The Business MasterClass, brand license, and commission program are part of Affiliate status — an optional annual license on top of certification. Details on the application page.
Know The Difference
Certified. Affiliate. Ambassador.
Three different relationships with this work. People confuse them all the time, so here is the plain-language version.
Step One
Certified Instructor
You earned the qualification. You can teach the SPEAR System® in your classes.
- Complete the On-Ramp and the live weekend
- Graded on coaching, performance, and articulation
- Teach SPEAR inside your existing curriculum
- Recertify every 24 months
Step Two
Affiliate
You license the brand and build a business on it — the deepest working relationship with our organization, and the highest standard, because you carry it commercially.
- Brand license and Be Your Own Bodyguard® license
- Business MasterClass and monthly train-the-trainer calls
- Teach commercial SPEAR seminars beyond your own school
- High Gear® discounts and commissions
- Private trainer forum and global network access
Affiliation is a separate annual license. Full details on the application page.
By Invitation
Ambassador
You represent the mission publicly. Not purchased — earned, over time, through conduct and contribution.
- Invited based on standard, character, and contribution
- Represents Blauer Tactical in your region and community
- Hosts and supports events, seminars, and other instructors
- Teaches what they've learned to their own students, at their own location
Everyone starts in the same place: Level 1 Certification. What you do after that is your call — some instructors quietly fold SPEAR into their existing curriculum, others build an entire business on it. Both are respected here.
Upcoming Dates
100% Live Online
This course requires an application. It isn't open enrollment. Every application is read personally — usually within 3 business days — and not everyone is accepted.
Because the certification is live on Zoom, we can run it for seven people or thirty people without compromising the coaching. The room expands to fit the right candidates.
An Invitation
Bring My System
To Your City
If this page made you think about the fear your students, clients, team, or family aren't saying out loud — whether they'll actually be ready when it matters — here's what else you can do as a conscientious professional.
Getting qualified to incorporate the SPEAR System® so you can teach it professionally is real continuing education, and it differentiates you from other instructors in your region. You get direct access to me and my team, and real help growing your business — monthly coaching calls, and much more.
If you're a self-defense entrepreneur who wants to make a difference — this is for you.
Our method has one single objective: preparing someone for the worst day of their life — and giving them the tools and mindset to help them get home.
Coach Tony Blauer
Founder · SPEAR System® · High Gear® · Know Fear®
"We make good humans safer."™