Built for the
Real World.
WOFT — Where Our Families Train — was founded on a single belief: the people who need self-defense training most are everyday people, not operators. We exist to close the gap between knowing and doing when it matters most.
Why WOFT
Exists.
WOFT was born from a frustration. After years in law enforcement, our founder Mike Johnson watched the same pattern repeat: everyday people — teachers, parents, healthcare workers — faced real threats with zero preparation. Not because they didn't care about their safety, but because the training available to them was either too theoretical, too expensive, or designed for a different audience.
He built WOFT to change that. Every program is designed around one question: "What does a real person actually need to survive a real threat?" The answer is scenario-based, live-fire training that puts you under controlled stress before the real thing does.
Today, WOFT has trained over 5,000 students — from first-time gun owners to corporate security teams, from veterans to mothers of three. The mission hasn't changed: real training, for real people, for real threats.

Meet Your
Instructors.
Every WOFT instructor brings real-world experience — law enforcement, military, or specialized tactical backgrounds. These aren't range officers. They're practitioners.
Philip Toppino
Founder
Courtney Woliver
WOFT's Swiss Army Knife
Brent 'Rooster' Buss
Director of Training
Al 'Gator' Matos
Firearms, Combatives & Scenario Instructor
Ben Zaharias
Combatives & Scenario Instructor
Buck Lawler
Firearms Instructor
Craig Reuter
Firearms & Scenario Instructor
Dani Jobin
Scenario Instructor
Danny Roman
Combatives & Scenario Instructor
Dave Ellis
Scenario Instructor
Erik Gianini
Combatives & Scenario Instructor
Heather Madden
Scenario Instructor
Jacob Metroke
Scenario Instructor
Jason Santos
Scenario Instructor
Joe Farewell
Scenario Instructor
Josh Baker
Medical & Scenario Instructor
Kat Oramas
Firearms, Combatives & Scenario Instructor
Keith Davis
Scenario Instructor
Kyle Barr
Scenario Instructor
Lanny Oakley
Scenario Instructor
Les Kismartoni
Scenario Instructor
Mary Forgues
Scenario Instructor
Melanie Villeneuve
Scenario Instructor
Michael Lazarus
Scenario Instructor
Pat Madden
Scenario Instructor
Peyton Madden
Scenario Instructor
Rebecca Santos
Scenario Instructor
Robert Dell'Aquila
Scenario Instructor
Santiago Lopez
Firearms Instructor
Scott 'Gazelle' Humbert
Firearms, Combatives & Scenario Instructor
Tony 'Ebin' Espera
Firearms, Combatives & Scenario Instructor
Brett Nettleton
Guest Firearms Instructor
David Ezell
Guest Instructor
Dianna Muller
Guest Instructor
Jeremy Lightner
Guest Firearms Instructor
Krystal Dunn
Guest Firearms Instructor
Marcin (Martin) Podsiad
Guest Instructor
Max Mortellaro
Guest Instructor
Robert Brantley
Guest Firearms Instructor
Ryan Muller
Guest Firearms Instructor
Trey McCasland
Guest Instructor
Yates Crawford
Guest Instructor
Kim Treat
Administrative, Logistics & FFL Support
Mike Gould
Maintenance & Facilities
Ready to train with the best?
View Training ProgramsEverything You
Need to Know.
Still have questions?
Our team responds to all inquiries within 24 hours.