NRA Basic Instructor Training classes in South Carolina

Paladin Services LLC has operated since 1992 as a firearms training organization based in Columbia, South Carolina, but with a national reputation. Joseph Katz and Janet Katz are among the small number of NRA-appointed Training Counselors in the United States—a distinction that means they select, instruct, and certify other instructors to teach certified firearms classes.

"Joe Katz told us that he hoped we never had to fire a gun in self-defense. He said we should never try and be a hero. But if the day ever came when our world broke apart...then we would remember Joe's voice and exactly what he told us to do." — Corey Hutchins, Free Times magazine (June 2009)

Both Joseph and Janet Katz hold the following:

• •SLED-Certified CWP Instructors (South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit)
• •NRA-Certified Pistol Instructors
• •NRA-Certified Rifle Instructors
• •NRA-Certified Shotgun Instructors
• •NRA-Certified Advanced Pistol Instructors (among the first cadre selected)
• •NRA-Certified Chief Range Safety Officers
• •NRA-Certified Personal Protection Instructors (home and outside the home)
• •NRA-Certified Home Firearm Safety Instructors
• •NRA-Certified Refuse To Be A Victim Instructors

Joseph Katz is also certified for Youth Protection Training by the Boy Scouts of America.

Janet Katz was named "one of our most outstanding trainers" by the NRA Women's Programs in June 2010 and was featured in Women and Guns magazine (July/August 2005) for her participation in advanced handgun workshops with renowned experts including Massad Ayoob, Chuck Taylor, and Frank Cornwall. In 2012, industry professionals sought her evaluation of chest rigs for AK-47 magazines; her top choice (BCS Low Profile chest rig) was featured on the Beez Combat Systems blog.

Joseph Katz holds a Certificate of Recognition from the Secretary of Defense for his service to the United States during the Cold War.

Both instructors have completed extensive training from nationally recognized experts:

• •Massad Ayoob — Stressfire and judicious use of deadly force training (pistol and shotgun)
• •Louis Awerbuck — Yavapai Firearms Academy defensive handgun and shotgun instruction
• •Randy Cain — Cumberland Tactics instruction
• •Chuck Taylor — American Small Arms Academy (including speed rock technique)
• •Frank Cornwall — Defense Associates training
• •Andrew Branca — Self-defense law in South Carolina and North Carolina

Both are certified Safariland/Defense Technology OC (pepper spray) instructors and members of the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network.

• •South Carolina CWP Classes — Meets all SLED requirements
• •Florida CWP Classes — Qualifies for Florida concealed carry permits
• •Combined CWP/Basic Pistol Classes — Earn both SC and FL permits plus NRA Basic Pistol Certificate in one course
• •NRA Basic Pistol Instruction
• •NRA Instructor Training — Pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructor certification courses
• •Defensive Handgun Training
• •Defensive Shotgun Training
• •Home Defense Instruction
• •Range Safety Officer Training — Certifying range safety personnel
• •Personal Protection Instruction — Both home and outside the home
• •Advanced Tactical Handgun and Long Gun Training
• •Gun Safety Education — Including online resources for adults and children

Paladin Services doesn't charge extra for the depth of instruction they provide. Their CWP classes exceed South Carolina's minimum requirements and teach students to:

• •Understand firearms safety thoroughly
• •Learn South Carolina and federal gun laws to stay out of legal trouble
• •Avoid or evade potentially deadly confrontations
• •Prevail in inescapable defensive situations
• •Understand the legal and ethical aspects of the judicious use of deadly force

They teach real people real skills for the real world—not fantasy warrior training. Students of all experience levels, from complete beginners to military and law enforcement, take their classes.

• •Sustaining Members of the South Carolina Police Chiefs Association (since 2006)
• •Assist the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program (SLED, SC Department of Public Safety, SC Department of Natural Resources, and SC Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services)
• •Founding member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Chaplaincy for Law Enforcement (Janet Katz)
• •Benefactor Life Members of the National Rifle Association
• •Life Members and Defenders Club members of the Second Amendment Foundation
• •Members of GrassRoots South Carolina, Gun Owners of South Carolina, and Mid-Carolina Rifle Club

Joseph and Janet Katz have combined decades of professional experience as educators at many levels. They've won national awards and honors as instructors and teachers. They raised their own children safely around firearms and teach home firearm safety from real-world experience, not theory. The Paladin Services website has been online since June 2, 1997, and remains current.