At the age of 14, Jim Wagner began
to his life long pursuit of self-defense by beginning his study of the marital arts.
Four years later he joined the United States Army. In 1991 Jim Wagner, sponsored by the Costa Mesa Police Department,
entered the police academy (Orange County Sheriff’s Department Training Academy Class 104). Like his military training
before, Jim Wagner was deeply influenced by the police academy’s realistic conflict scenarios.
During his career with the Costa
Mesa Police Department, Jim Wagner earned a place on the SWAT team. It was through this conduit that Jim learned about logistics,
command post operations, hostage negotiations, entry team tactics, and sniping. On the job training included courses with
LAPD SWAT, the U.S. Army Special Forces, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Tactical Training Center, and from U.S.
Marines Division Schools Camp Pendleton (Advanced Sniper Course, Military Operations Urban Terrain, Helicopter Rope Suspension
Training, and Range Safety Officer).
While conducting a myriad of courses
at Camp Pendleton, both military units and other law enforcement agencies using the base for their own training discovered
Jim Wagner’s unique approach to training and his seamless blending of defensive tactics with edged weapons and firearms
skills. Before long he was getting offers from the United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group, Department
of Defense Police, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections, San Diego Sheriff’s Department,
Los Angeles Probation Department, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration & Naturalization Service, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines
Provost Marshal Office, Drug Enforcement Administration. By 1996 Jim found himself being invited by foreign unit to train
in their own countries: GermanGSG9, Brazilian G.A.T.E., Argentinean G.O.E., Royal Canadian Mounted Police, London Metropolitan
Police, Helsinki Police Department, and various units in Spain, Mexico, and Israel.
The demand on Jim Wagner’s
time was overwhelming and in 1999 he decided to resign from the Costa Mesa Police Department and started teaching full time.
Not wanting to fully give up his law enforcement career Jim applied as a Reserve Deputy at the Orange County Sheriff’s
Department. Jim Wagner is the author of Reality
Based Personal Protection.
Designed as a companion book to
Jim Wagner’s best-selling instructional DVD series, Reality-Based Personal Protection provides eight detailed chapters. According to the book description, “Reality-Based
Personal Protection system covers the complete tactical spectrum of pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict techniques and
training methods for a wide variety of worst-case scenarios. Mastering these tactics will educate you on the dangers of the
modern world and how to survive them. This must-have manual covers: knowledge domain and conflict rehearsal; defensive tactics
using strikes, threat zones and stopping power; using the ground to your advantage; surviving a knife attack and countering
effectively; military techniques and training methods for handgun proficiency; how to protect yourself and others in criminal-assault
scenarios; preparing for and surviving terrorist attacks; a special section for women’s self-defense tactics. In this highly-anticipated book, Jim Wagner shares more than three decades of martial
arts, police, military and special-agent training through highly detailed conceptual explanations, charts and captioned photo
sequences. Coupled with his personal experience in the field and at some of the world’s most prestigious training facilities,
the techniques and tactics of Reality-Based Personal Protection form the basis for the ultimate modern self-defense system.”
During his career with the
Costa Mesa Police Department, Jim Wagner earned a place on the SWAT team. It was through this conduit that Jim learned about
logistics, command post operations, hostage negotiations, entry team tactics, and sniping. On the job training included courses
with LAPD SWAT, the U.S. Army Special Forces, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Tactical Training Center, and from
U.S. Marines Division Schools Camp Pendleton (Advanced Sniper Course, Military Operations Urban Terrain, Helicopter Rope Suspension
Training, and Range Safety Officer). Jim Wagner’s second book, Defensive Tactics for Special Operations, was recently released.
According
to the book description of Defensive Tactics
for Special Operations, “The techniques and methods that form the basis of military and combat defensive training
are detailed in this insightful guide from a personal protection expert. Chapters provide instruction on knife defense, unarmed
fighting, weapon retention, and arrest and control techniques. Police and military personnel as well as self-defense instructors
and students at all levels will benefit from simple instructions and step-by-step exercises.”
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