John Correia

President, Founder

John founded Active Self Protection in 2011 to teach people in all walks of life to develop the attitude, skills, and plan to defend themselves and their families from harm.

John is a nationally-recognized subject matter expert in private citizen defensive encounters and law enforcement use of force, a master firearms instructor, martial artist, court-admitted expert witness, and teacher of teachers whose passion is to help people from all walks of life better protect themselves and their loved ones from criminal violence.

Use of Force Analysis qualifications:
  • Force Science Institute Certified Force Science Analyst
  • Massad Ayoob Group certified Deadly Force Instructor
  • Law of Self Defense verified instructor graduate
  • Massad Ayoob Group MAG40 graduate and $5 Bill awardee
  • Force Science Institute Realistic De-Escalation Strategies Instructor
  • Crisis Intervention Team Training with Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (40 hours)
Empty-handed qualifications:
  • 13-year earned 2nd degree black belt in a derivative of Kenpo known as UMAS, studying under Professor Lawrence Robinson at Attitude First Martial Arts Academy. Continuous training since 2006, with goal to be under instruction at least 100 hours a year annually. Currently studying BJJ weekly and enjoying the journey.
  • Presenter at national martial arts gatherings specializing in empty-handed skills for firearms carriers and firearms skills for martial artists
Firearms-related qualifications:
  • Admitted as Expert Witness in Firearms
  • Rangemaster Certified Pistol Instructor, Certified Advanced Pistol Instructor, and plank owner Certified Master Firearms Instructor
  • Perfect shooting qualification scores on both FBI and Rangemaster qualification in basic; 99.6% on Advanced Qualification Test and 127.8 Score on the Core Skills Test in Advanced; 99.3% on Master Firearms Instructor Qualification Course and 96.8% on MFI Revolver Qualification Course.
  • AZPOST (Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training) certified Specialist Instructor in the areas of Firearms and Defensive Tactics
  • Sig Sauer Academy Semi-Auto Pistol Instructor graduate and patch holder with perfect qualification score
  • NRA Certified Instructor:
    • Basic Pistol
    • Range Safety Officer
    • Home Firearm Safety
    • Personal Protection in the Home
    • Defensive Pistol
    • Personal Protection Outside the Home
    • Refuse to Be A Victim
  • Shooting-performance.com (Mike Seeklander) Firearms Instructor Development graduate
  • Rangemaster Certified Shotgun Instructor, including perfect score on shooting qualification and written test
  • Deliberate Coaching Graduate and Blue Belt patch holder, The Complete Combatant
  • Extreme Close Quarters Gunfighting Instructor Development graduate, Active Response Training
  • State of Arizona certified Armed Guard instructor
  • UTM Professional Training Organization certified
  • Certified Civilian TASER Trainer
  • Certified OC Spray Instructor through Agile Training and Consulting
  • Certified Armorer for Remington 870 shotgun, HK VP9, and HK SP5
  • Daily CCW carrier since 2006
  • National speaker on real-life defensive encounters; in 2017 and 2018, was invited to speak at the NRA Carry Guard Expo as well as the USCCA Expo, and was keynote speaker at the Rangemaster Instructor Reunion. 2019 Speaker at USCCA Expo and NRA Personal Protection Expo. 2020 speaker at SHOT Show and was scheduled at USCCA Expo, NRA Annual Meetings, and NRA Personal Protection Expo before all were canceled in the global pandemic shutdown due to COVID-19.
  • Langdon Tactical Technology Hat Pin awardee on the FAST Test.
  • Gabe White Pistol Shooting Solutions Light Pin awardee
  • Over 1,300 hours under professional instruction as a student in firearms use and application
  • Multiple Published author; latest shooting-related article published in Concealment Magazine #18 “You Never Forget Your First Time”
Social Media:
  • YouTube channel is among the most-viewed self-defense and firearms channels in the world on YouTube, routinely surpassing 40-60 million monthly views with over 1 billion lifetime channel views. Currently over 2.74 Million subscribers on the larger channel, and 150,000+ on the smaller channel, teaching self-defense and firearms use to good, sane, sober, moral, prudent citizens.
  • Known for narrating defensive encounters caught on surveillance video for lessons learned for self-defenders of all kinds
  • Facebook page reaches 1+ million per week with content to help self-defenders better protect their families.
Related education and qualifications:
  • 96-credit-hour Masters Degree in a Communications field (MDiv, Phoenix Seminary, 2006)
  • 9 years classroom experience teaching both undergraduate and graduate students at accredited institutions.
  • Honorable Discharge, United States Navy (Electronics Technician [Nuclear], First Class {E-6}) with 7+ years of honorable service
  • Narrated Defensive Encounters used by multiple LE Agencies and Academies, MIL LE posts, state POST boards, national POST boards, and hundreds of firearms and martial arts/combatives trainers around the world.
Notable instructors*:
  • Aqil Qadir
  • Bill Blowers
  • Bill Rapier
  • Brian Hill
  • Caleb Causey
  • Cecil Burch
  • Chuck Haggard
  • Chuck Pressburg
  • Doug Marcaida
  • Dr. Alexis Artwohl
  • Dr. Bill Lewinski
  • Dr. William Aprill
  • Ernest Langdon
  • Gabe White
  • Greg Ellifritz
  • Jeff Gonzales
  • John Chapman
  • John Farnam
  • John Hearne
  • John Johnston
  • John Lovell
  • John Spears
  • Josh Stockman
  • Larry Lindenman
  • Lawrence Robinson
  • Lee Weems
  • Massad Ayoob
  • Matt Haught
  • Melody Lauer
  • Mike Abramovich
  • Mike Green
  • Mike Seeklander
  • Scott Jedlinski
  • Skip Hancock
  • Spencer Keepers
  • Steve Fisher
  • Tatiana Whitlock
  • Tiffany Johnson
  • Tim Herron
  • Tom Givens
  • Wayne Dobbs

*This list is not exhaustive or ordered in any significant way.