Rob has been a competitive USPSA and IPDA shooter since 2005. Early on he learned respect and admiration for firearms which has grown even stronger since the day he purchased his first handgun. Like many other avid enthusiasts he watched action pistol matches on television but he knew someday he was destined to be more than a spectator, he wanted to be an active participant if not a leader in the sport. He reflects, “I believe I found what I would enjoy most in life since watching it for the first time.”
On the first day of safety orientation at the local gun club he had a sense that this is what he wanted to do with all his spare time. And from that day forward, with hard work and unwavering dedication, he started to see major significant improvements in his skills and performance.
Rob set major milestone goals for himself which were realized in just a little over 2 years - receiving Grandmaster classification in USPSA and Master in IDPA. Since then he has become very active in Multi-Gun and 3-Gun competitions and continues to be a top competitor at major matches throughout the country.
Tod became a serious student of the gun in early 2001 although he recalls his interest in firearms first surfaced from a fascination all the way back to his childhood. It became even more of a reality after being a victim of an armed robbery in the late 90’s, resulting in a commitment to self defense and fighting with a handgun. He enrolled in his first defensive handgun class with renowned instructor Ken Hackathorn and that was the beginning of his official firearms training.
He has since attended some 30 classes for over 450 cumulative hours of firearms training - his first steps toward competitive shooting. Tod started shooting IDPA in late 2004 and was then introduced to USPSA in 2006. He found competition to be a way to keep the axe sharp while at the same time having a lot of fun.
Since starting his competitive career, Tod has moved quickly to the highest classification (Master and Grandmaster) in both shooting organizations. He continues to be a top level competitor in IDPA, USPSA, and 3-Gun competitions and still believes heavily in training for self defense with a firearm. Seeking to share his remarkable skills and experiences, in 2007 he began instructing others in the use of firearms for self defense and competition. He remarks, “I base my instruction on what I have learned and continue to learn in this evolutionary doctrine.”