John Swenson
Year of Birth:
1954
Occupation:
- Certified Martial Arts instructor
- Certified Firearms Instructor
Position with Triad Defense
- Certified Concealed Carry Instructor
- Certified Tactical Urban Pistol Course Instructor
Martial Arts Ranking: (48 Years Continuous)
- 5th degree Black Belt, Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu Karate Do
- International Okinawan Karate Kobudo Association Certified Instructor
Firearms Instructor Certifications
- NRA Certified Pistol Instructor (#14305748)
- NRA Certified Range Safety Officer
- Certified NM DPS Concealed Carry Instructor # 1026
Synopsis of Formal Firearms Training/Experience
- Active participant in Triad Defense Firearms Apprenticeship Program, 2016 to MARCH OF 2019
- Accumulated 475 hours as a volunteer Firearms Apprentice for classroom and live-fire firearms range operations
- Areas of Instructor Apprenticeship study: Concealed Carry; Tactical Urban Pistol; Urban AR15; AR15 to Sidearm Transition Course
Perspective:
As of 2020, John has devoted 48 years of his life to the study and perpetuation of the martial arts. The epitome of his dedication is his single-hearted commitment to the study of a single traditional martial art beginning in 1978, that of Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu Karate Do. His passion for the arts encompasses every aspect of his professional and personal endeavors. As a professional advertising photographer of 27 years, he developed a unique personal perspective on the assimilation of martial philosophy into any professional discipline – the embodiment of honor into every spoken word and human endeavor. John became involved in Triad Defense’s Firearms Instructor Apprenticeship Program in March of 2016. As of March 2019, he had accumulated a total of 475 hours of classroom and range apprenticeship. John is now a New Mexico state-licensed firearms instructor, an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor, and an NRA Certified Range Safety Officer. He assists David Brown as an adjunct instructor in all of Triad Defense’s training courses. John’s approach to firearms training is influenced by his decades as a martial arts practitioner and teacher. He has been around firearms his entire life, and he believes all elements of firearms training require the utmost discipline, absolute attention to detail, a strong sense of responsibility, and the unending desire to learn. These characteristics are paramount in any endeavor and especially in the martial disciplines.
John specializes in blending old-world and new world hand-to-hand fighting technique with the use of a modern firearm. His teaching style is characterized by the statement: Honor and humility must permeate all practices - patience overcomes petulance.