Michael Foster Concealed Carry Classes

Michael Foster teaches concealed carry and self-defense in Portland with one core belief: head knowledge alone won't save you. He's a former federal law enforcement officer and defensive tactics instructor who's trained other law enforcement agencies. That background shapes everything he does.

Foster draws a direct parallel to CPR training. CPR works because it combines three things:

• •Head knowledge (understanding the steps)
• •Physical practice (doing the movements repeatedly)
• •Stress inoculation (being tested, speaking out loud)

When you face a real threat, you don't rise to the occasion. You fall back to your level of training. That's not motivation-speak—that's documented from his real-world law enforcement experience.

"I have personally fell back to my level of training more than I have ever risen to the occasion. I cannot stress enough the value of good training when it comes to self-protection."

Foster learned this from his first martial arts instructor, Mr. Huh: "If you want to know if the teacher is any good, watch the students. If the students are good, then the teacher is good."

His classes focus on:

• •Skill-based instruction — Not just lectures, actual hands-on practice
• •Stress training — Learning to perform fine motor skills (drawing, accuracy) when your nervous system is activated
• •Spatial awareness — Foster studied Spatial Dynamics (movement education that teaches positioning and personal space)
• •Practical tactics — Real-world scenarios, not theory

• •Concealed Carry Classes — Oregon CCW certification with skill emphasis
• •Women's Self-Defense Workshop — Practical tactics taught by Foster and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor Andrew Marshall
• •Security Awareness Training — For Portland-area businesses
• •Self-Defense Instruction — Focused on decision-making and movement under pressure

Based at American Top Team Portland at 7200 SE 92nd Ave, Unit E, Portland, OR 97266

Foster also offers financial coaching through Dave Ramsey's system. He's a certified coach helping clients with the "7 Baby Steps" to financial independence. The first session is free—he believes financial stress and self-defense readiness are interconnected aspects of personal security.

Classes fill up. Visit the website to book or contact [email protected] or 503-908-2701 to reserve your spot.