The cadre at DSA™ consists of Municipal, State and Federal Law Enforcement personnel. We are competition shooters and have had the privilege of training some of the finest people in the country.
At DSA™ you will train with some of the most professional, knowledgeable, humble and courteous instructors in the industry.
We recognize the weight of responsibility we have to ensure our curriculum and methods serve you well and we shoulder that responsibility with honor and studious dedication to detail.
We believe that service is the lifeblood of any organization. As such, we’ve dedicated ourselves to serving you. The atmosphere that is created by this philosophy is what keeps our students coming back.
Many companies teach “the way” whereas we teach “a way”. This is because it is our goal to find the methods that work best for you in mastering the basics of life-saving techniques, developing useful skills and instinctive motor movements, and all while treating you with the utmost respect.
Our students have consisted of people from the US Secret Service, FBI, DEA, Force Recon Marines, US Army, Naval Special Warfare Center, Air Force SERE Instructors, Security Forces Outfits, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, numerous different law enforcement agencies, IDPA and USPSA competitors and firearms instructors from several different agencies. The amount of civilian students we have trained is literally innumerable.
We humbly thank you all for your continued patronage and the honor of serving you.
Marshall Luton
Lead Instructor & Director of Operations
marshall@dsaok.com
Marshall is a retired Tulsa Police Officer. He dedicated 27 years of his life in the service of others. He has owned and successfully operated Defensive Shooting Academy™ since 2000 and has assembled the finest instructor cadre in the industry. Together they are responsible for curriculum development and currently have 14 courses that are recognized by the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (“CLEET”). He is a CLEET certified rifle, shotgun and pistol instructor and has received thousands of hours of training through various organizations and instructors. Over the last two decades DSA™ has trained countless numbers of police officers, military personnel and civilians. Marshall is a life member of the National Rifle Association and a former NRA Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor for pistol and shotgun. He is an accomplished competition shooter in both IDPA and USPSA. He is an NRA Carry Guard Distinguished Graduate and holds an Advanced Certificate from Bill Rogers Shooting School. He is a Master class SSP shooter in IDPA and an A class Production Shooter in USPSA. He has won 5 State Championships, four Regional Championships and loves to train and produce top-notch shooters and teachers. He credits the success of DSA™ to his instructors and lives to serve God and country.
additional accolades
- Red Dot Instructor
- Graduate of Haley Strategic D5 Pistol Course
- NRA Carry Guard Distinguished Graduate
- National Tactical Officers Association’s (NTOA) Advanced Tactical Carbine (4 days)
- Three-day Firearms Instructor Development and Certification Course with Tom Givens
- CLEET Rifle Instructor certification since 2003
- Combative Pistol Level 2 with Tom Givens
- Trained US Federal Probation and Parole in Advanced Combat Pistol Techniques in St. Louis, MO
- 40 hour Tactical Training and Weapons Training Course thru Rogers Shooting School
- Advanced Pistol Certification
- Intermediate Certification in Close Quarter Battle with Carbine
- Urban Rifle/Tactical Pistol Course with Larry Vickers
- 2-day Competition Pistol Course with 5-time World Champion Eric Grauffel
- Assisted World Champion 3-gun Shooter, Kurt Miller, with 2 day Combat Shotgun Course
- Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) with Shivworks (3 days of force on force and edged weapons training)
- Instructed at US C-SOG (Corections Special Operations Group) Annual Convention in Virginia
- Hosted a TigerLight Training Seminar for Rhode Island State Police
- Co-Instructor with Major Shannon Jordan at CLEET’s Patrol Rifle Instructor Course in Ada, OK
- High Risk Search Warrants with NTOA Chair, Sgt. Jim Clark
- Train the Trainer Course for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. under the Direction of Commander Sid Heal
- Instructor at multi-jurisdictional Urban Rifle Course for FBI, DOE, DEA, OK Highway Patrol, Alabama State Police, TPD and Norman PD
- OK Dept. of Public Safety 3 day Urban Rifle Course (2004 and 2005)
- Two Man Team Tactics (3 day course with American Firearms Training and Tactics)
- 2009 Old Fort Shootout 1st place B shooter (production)
- Tulsa Police Firearms Instructor for Rifle, Shotgun and Pistol
- 2008 Badlands Regional Championships 2nd SSP Master
- 2008 Law Enforcement Champion Badlands Regional Championships
- 2008 Double Tap Challenge 3rd Production B class
- 2006 Urban Rifle Match Winner at OK State Championships
- 2005 1st place USPSA Old Fort Shootout (production/B)
- 2005 Badlands IDPA Regional Championship (2nd place ESP/Expert Level – 6th place overall)
- 2004 Badlands IDPA Regional Championship (1st place SSP/Expert – 3rd overall)
- 2004 IDPA Regional Championships High Law Enforcement Officer
- 2003 IDPA National Champion runner up (SSP/Expert)
- 2002 IDPA National Champion in Stock Service Pistol in Sharpshooter Division
- Attended a 5 day Urban Warfare School (Military Operations in Urban Terrain
- 2001 IDPA Badlands Regional Champion SSP/Marksman
- NRA Law Enforcement Handgun/Shotgun Instructor since 2002
- Officer Survival Training
- Ground Control Tactics for Law Enforcement
- Special Operations Equipment and Tactics
- Advanced Firearms Training
- Tactical Shooting with gas mask
- Pursuit Driving
- High Risk Traffic Stops and Tactical Shooting
Billy Smith
Instructor
Full-time US Department of Energy Instructor.
Lead firearms instructor/senior instructor (Cont.) U.S. Department of Energy, TRACOM December 2003 – Present.
- (Former) Lead P.T.I.U.F. (Physical Training and Intermittent Use of Force) Instructor Responsibilities include daily training of Agent Candidates in use of force. Specifically in areas of grappling, striking skills, handcuffing, baton etc. Subsequent responsibilities include physical training with a mixture of old and new ideas as related to strength and conditioning, health and welfare.
- (Current) Senior Firearms Instructor for U.S. Federal agency specializing in counter terrorism operations.
- Basic / Advanced Firearms training for Federal Agents ensuring a high degree of proficiency and preparedness in the organization of several hundred agents.
- Instructed hundreds of Federal Agents and other law enforcement personnel in intermediate use of force receiving numerous accolades from students, peers, and supervisors.
- Developed and implemented training programs for advanced marksmanship for close quarter combat, squad live fire movement in urban terrain and shooting at and from moving vehicles.
- Participated in the development and implementation of Opposing Forces plans during numerous separate Operational Readiness Training Exercises, providing realistic training scenarios for Federal Agents engaged in National Security Operations.
- Trained 2nd Platoon US Marines from 3D FAST Company (Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team) in the use and tactical employment of various sniper systems.
additional accolades
Master Instructor for Defensive Shooting Academy™
Red Dot Instructor
FLETC Certified Instruction in multiple disciplines
- I have trained over 5000 officers, civilians and military personnel in the use of firearms in both basic and advanced pistol, shotgun and rifle courses.
- Assisted in development and implementation of the Police Urban Rifle Course that is taught by DSA™ and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Lead instructor for Multi-Jurisdictional Urban Rifle Course that catered to the following agencies:
- F.B.I., D.E.A., Tulsa Police SWAT team members, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Alabama State Police, Norman Police and Edmond Police.
- RDS Instructor Smith & Wesson Academy
- LARUE tactical precision rifle course
- SIMRAD Night Vision Optics Course at Rifles Only
- SR-25 (.308 Caliber Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle) Instructors Course at Rifles Only
- Instructor at Urban Rifle School (40 hour course) at Oklahoma Dept of Public Safety
- Explosive Handlers Course at T.E.E.S. in Memphis, Tenn.
- Explosive Breacher Course at T.E.E.S. in Memphis, Tenn.
- Precision Rifle I & II at Rifles Only
- S.P.E.A.R. System Instructor
- Dept of Energy Intermediate Use of Force Instructor
- Instructor Certification through the Dept of Energy
- Dept of Energy Ground Control Instructor
- Federal Firearms Instructor Certification
Personal Achievements and Awards
- Obtained Master class ranking in United States Practical Shooting Association’s (USPSA) Production Division.
- Best Instructor Award Graduating Class 2007 Bravo
- 2nd Place at USPSA National Championships “A” Class (ranked 24th overall in the Nation).
- 1st Place Area 4 Championship A Class Production Division
- High Overall Shooter at Old Fort Shootout Production Division
- Arkansas Section State Champion (Production Division)
- High Overall Shooter at Double Tap Championships Limited-10 Division
- 1st Place Double Tap Championships “A” Class Production Division 3rd Overall
- Best Instructor Award, U.S. Department of Energy Candidate Class 2006 Bravo
- Certificate of Appreciation from John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center from Special Forces Commanding Officer, Nestor A. Sadler Fort Bragg N.C.
- 1st Place USPSA Arkansas Section Hillbilly Classic (A-Class)
- 1st Place Ozark Indoor Classic USPSA Championship (A-Class)
- 1st Place Arkansas Section Steel Challenge (Stock Service Pistol Division)
- Area 3, 1st “A” Class Production Div. and 4th Overall
- Old Fort Shootout 1st “A” Class Production Division
- U.S. DOE Award of Excellence “Stewardship Program”
- Certificate of Appreciation JTX “Desert Mirage”
- Badlands Oklahoma State I.D.P.A Championship 1st Place Expert SSP
- Arkansas Section USPSA State Championship 1st B-class Production
- Old Fort Shootout High Overall Production Division
- Old Fort Shootout A-Class Champion Limited Division
- Arkansas Section 3-Gun Champion A-class Limited Division
- Arkansas Section 3-Gun Champion Limited Overall
- Arkansas State Champion A-class Limited Division
Eric Fuson
Instructor
IDPA Distinguished Master
In the last 15 years IDPA has watched the talent and skill level involved in the shooting sports steadily increase. Because of this continued trend and at the request of the membership IDPA has decided to add a new classification above our existing Master class. This new classification will be known as Distinguished Master.
The new Distinguished Master class will highlight those members that have made a great personal commitment to reaching the very highest levels of skill and proficiency with a handgun. To reach this level a competitor must have spent considerable time and effort at refining their abilities. As such, the requirements for being inducted into this classification will be very stringent. The initial inductees to the Distinguished Master class have already proven themselves by their placement at one of the two IDPA National Championship events in the last five years. These members have placed as Division Champion or been within 3 percent of the Division Champions final time.
Additional accolades
Custom Defensive Pistol: Eric Fusion
- IDPA 3 Gun Distinguished Master
- IDPA ESP MASTER
- IDPA SSP MASTER
- IDPA ESR MASTER
- IDPA SSR MASTER
- IDPA CDP MASTER
- USPSA Master class shooter in PRODUCTION Division
- Sponsored by Wilson Combat
- Tom Givens 3-day Instructor Development Course
2018:
- 2018 Back Up Gun National Champion
2012:
- High Overall Badlands IDPA
- High Overall Nighthawk IDPA Challenge
- ESP Div Champ Wilson S/S Classic
- 1st Master ESP IDPA National Championship, 2nd Most accurate for all divisions combined
2011:
- High Overall Badlands IDPA
- High Overall Nighthawk IDPA challenge
- High Overall MVSA Regional IDPA and Most accurate for all divisions
- Top 10 USPSA S/S Nationals
- 6th Place ESP at First Ever IDPA World Championship
2010:
- CDP Div Champion Badlands IDPA
- 1st Master Arkansas State IDPA CDP Div.
- 2nd Master CDP IDPA Nationals
Travis foster
Instructor
- Retired Law Enforcement Officer, 22 years of service, Lead Criminal Investigator for the District 10 District Attorney’s Office
- U.S. Air Force – 9 years
- Certified C.L.E.E.T. Instructor for State of Oklahoma, Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun Instructor
- Advanced Firearms Instructor for Pistol and Shotgun
- Tactical Firearms Instructor certification from Strategos International
- Glock Armorer
IDPA Rankings:
- SSP – Master
- ESP – Expert
- SSR – Expert
Additional accolades
- Top Gun Award from CLEET Firearms Instructor School.
- Tom Givens Class
- Matt Meek Class
- Vickers Class.
- First Place 2006 AR state match SSP Sharpshooter, High LE and High Industry.
- 2nd place 2006 IDPA Nationals, SSP Sharpshooter.
- 4th place, 2006 OK state IDPA, SSP Sharpshooter.
- June 2007 Top Gun Award for CLEET Firearms Instructor School
- 2nd place, 2008 OK state IDPA, ESP Expert.
- 2nd place, 2009 IDPA Nationals, SSP Expert
- 3rd place, 2009 IDPA OK state IDPA, SSP Expert
- 2nd Place 2009 OK Badlands, SSP Expert.
- 7th place 2010 IDPA Nationals, ESP Expert
Jeremy Snow
Instructor
Jeremy has been training with DSA™ since 2007. He earned his instructor certification with DSA™ in 2010 after demonstrating his devotion and dedication to excellence.
He is a reserve Drumright police officer and is on their SWAT team. He studies Sayoc Kali, Jujitsu, hand to hand tactics and trains religiously on his rifle, shotgun and pistol platforms.
Additional accolades
Some of his certifications include:
- Red Dot Instructor
- Hand to hand instructor
- Edged weapons instructor
- Ground fighting (grappling) instructor
- Impact weapons instructor
He is a member of the International Defensive Pistol Association and is currently ranked Expert in Stock Service Pistol.
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- 2009 IDPA OK State Championships 5th place SSP Expert
- 2009 IDPA Badlands Regional Championships 3rd place SSP Expert
Kai Mitchell
Instructor
Kai has been training with DSA™ since 2009. He earned his instructor certification with DSA™ in 2012 after demonstrating his professionalism, dedication to excellence, and loyalty.
Additional training:
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- Tom Givens 3-Day Instructor Development and Certification Class
- Top Gun Award
- Komondor
- Protective Services
- Counter Assault Team
- Medical
- Tom Givens 3-Day Instructor Development and Certification Class
ADDITONAL ACCOlades
- Sonny Puzikas
- AK-47
- Pistol
- Edged Weapons
- Intro Systema
- NRA Carry Guard
- Highest Distinction Award
Continual training in several disciplines/arts including ancient and modern weapons/self-defense tools.
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- Black Belt in Kyokushin-kai Karate
- By way of the American Bushido-kai Karate Association (ABKA)
- Black Belt in Kyokushin-kai Karate
- Member of the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) and is currently ranked Expert in all divisions except revolver.
- 1st Place ESP Sharpshooter – Stars & Stripes 2016 IDPA Regional
- Earning a match bump to ESP Expert
- 1st Place ESP Sharpshooter – Stars & Stripes 2016 IDPA Regional
Lance jensen
Instructor
Lance has been training with DSA™ since 2007. He earned his instructor certification with DSA™ in 2010 after demonstrating his devotion and dedication to excellence.
- Red Dot Instructor
- Law Enforcement 1998 – Present
- Advanced CLEET Certification
- Field Training Officer
- CLEET Certified Firearms Instructor – Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun
- Less Lethal Instructor
- ALERRT – Certified Active Shooter Instructor
- SWAT Certification
- Glock & AR-15 Armorer
- 2008 USPSA Handgun Nationals – High Law Enforcement
- 2009 NRA 3 Gun Law Enforcement Champion – San Antonio, Texas
- 2019 Oklahoma USPSA Handgun State Champion – Production Division
Garrett Grover
INSTRUCTOR | Owner at Black Fire Forge™
Garrett Grover started shooting early in his childhood as he hunted the mountains where he grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He took these skills into the Marine Corps where he quickly established himself as a marksman earning top honors in shooting during training and at his unit. He was selected to attend the Marine Corps Marksmanship Instructor Course where he earned his certification as a Marine Corps rifle and pistol instructor in 1995.
Garrett eventually ended up in the Army National Guard where he graduated from The US Army Sniper School and deployed to Afghanistan as a senior sniper. Garrett also earned his Governor’s Twenty awards in both rifle and pistol and the Gus Hadwigger Award for Excellence in Military Marksmanship in 2010. Garrett also attended the SWAT Academy in 2010 and earned his place on the tactical team for the police dept at which he served.
Garrett started shooting competitively upon his return from Afghanistan and quickly established himself as a top national competitor in the sport of 3-Gun. Garrett has many podium finishes at national level multi-gun, long range and single-gun matches to include: 2018 Vortex Extreme-1st , 2019 Vortex Extreme- 2 nd , 2019 3 Gun Nation National Championship-2nd , 2019 USPSA Oklahoma Sectional-Limited Division State Champ, 2021 Tactical Games National Championship-5th , 2019 UML National Championship-9th , 2022 Tactical Games Iowa Regional-2 nd , 2020 Missouri 3-Gun Championship-3rd , 2019 Wisconsin 3-Gun Championship-3rd and many others. Garrett is currently sponsored by some of the biggest names in the shooting industry like: Vortex Optics, Atlas Gunworks, Defensive Shooting Academy, Triggertech, Weber Tactical, Tactical Kinetics, Timber Creek Outdoors and Black Fire Forge.
Garrett retired from the Army in 2018 and currently owns Black Fire Forge, a rifle manufacturing
company and continues to compete nationally.