Healing Through Strength: Why Trauma-Informed Self-Defense Is for Everyone in the Room

At Weapon Brand, trauma-informed training isn’t a trendy label—it’s a foundational part of how and why we teach.

Most of our instructors come from military or law enforcement backgrounds. That means they don’t just understand high-stress situations—they’ve lived through them. And many carry the weight of those experiences, whether you see it or not.

Brian, our co-founder, served in the military, got out, and re-enlisted after 9/11. He doesn’t often speak about what he went through overseas—because those are the kinds of memories you don’t casually share. But during our Firearm Safety and Fundamentals classes, he does tell one story.

He shares it because too many people think, “If someone comes at me, I’ll just shoot them.”

And the truth is—it's not that simple.

Brian talks about the moment he had to put rounds downrange into a human being. There was no dramatic fall. No instant stop. Just the fabric of their clothing shifting where the bullet entered… and the person kept coming. They didn’t even know they’d been shot.

That’s what real violence looks like. And it’s one of the reasons Brian, who lives with PTSD, trains others today. Teaching gives him a way to turn pain into purpose. It’s how he finds peace—one class, one student, one breakthrough at a time.

Another one of our instructors, Alexi, told a story during an active shooter response training at a domestic violence shelter. He was at Tampa’s Gasparilla Night Parade—thousands of people celebrating under the lights—when shots rang out.

Picture that.

Crowds. Music. Laughter. Suddenly, panic. Screams. People running in every direction. What would you do in that moment? Freeze? Duck? Run?

We say this often: “The body can’t go where the mind has never been.”

Alexi didn’t freeze. He ran toward the danger to help Tampa Police. That choice changes you. It stays with you.

Our instructors carry that reality with them. That’s why Weapon Brand trains differently. We understand that behind every tough exterior is a nervous system that’s been pushed to the edge. We understand that trauma—whether from violence, fear, or survival—reshapes how people move, trust, and respond.

That’s why every single class we teach is trauma-informed.

As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes in The Body Keeps the Score, trauma doesn’t just live in your mind—it lives in your body. It affects your breath, your confidence, your reactions. And self-defense, when taught with awareness and empathy, can help people begin to reclaim those things.

Whether you're a survivor, a protector, or just tired of feeling unprepared—these classes are for you.

You don’t have to share your story. You don’t need any experience. You just have to show up.

We’ll meet you where you are.

You don’t have to fight alone. Come learn to Be Your OWN Weapon.
👉 View upcoming classes and register here