Training on the next level with Tim Kennedy, Sheepdog Response (VIDEO)

In March 2018, Guns.com was invited by Sheepdog Response to film a two-day course in Phoenix. The course was given to a group of 30 of the state’s finest law enforcement officers. Sheepdog takes training to a whole new level and our feature video above highlights what’s involved.

Sheepdog Response was founded in 2015 by special forces soldier and UFC fighter Tim Kennedy. He wanted to address the gray area between hand-to-hand combat and gunfighting. Being highly proficient in both, he offered everything that he learned during his illustrious career to the courses. Those who enroll are pushed to their limits and learn how to become stronger, faster and harder to kill.

Sheepdog offers a variety of courses to law enforcement and civilians alike. It enlists the help of a highly experienced and dedicated group of instructors from a wide range of backgrounds

The first part of the course Guns.com filmed was spent in a padded gym learning how to grapple with adversaries. The second part was spent at a range learning how to win when the guns come out.

We followed Officer Patrick Nelson as he completed his second Sheepdog course. Nelson experienced an officer involved shooting in 2015. He thought he was prepared for such an event, but the adrenaline rush and decompression afterwards left him exhausted. He realized that he needed much more training. That’s why he sought out Sheepdog Response.

We also followed Miley Merritt, a young EMT who has encountered violence while doing her job. Being a female of smaller stature who cannot carry a firearm on the job, she sought out Sheepdog to help her overcome potential threats. As the only female at the course, she was up against some very challenging adversaries.

Merrit was able to attend this training with help from Sheepdog Survival Fund, a 501c3 dedicated to supporting LEO’s and First Responders who cannot afford training such as this.

Sheepdog Response courses are not for the lighthearted. They are intense and emulate life or death scenarios.