Welcome to Riddle Self Defense Field Notes

After 28 years on the West Palm Beach Police Department — 16 of those on SWAT — and a few decades coaching civilians, I’ve decided to start writing some of it down.

This blog isn’t going to be product reviews, hot takes on the news, or fear-content. There’s plenty of that already, and most of it is wrong.

What you’ll find here

A few kinds of posts, mostly:

Range and mat notes. Patterns I see across private lessons — what habits show up under stress, what tends to clean up quickly, and the small adjustments that make the biggest difference.
Awareness skills. The same situational awareness drills I teach in person, written down for people who don’t have me in the room.
Honest answers. Questions I get asked all the time — usually after a class, often by someone working through a specific concern — that deserve real answers, not marketing copy.

What you won’t find here

I’m not selling gear. I don’t take commissions on holsters, optics, lights, or training mats. So you won’t see “best concealed carry pistol of 2026” lists. If something needs to change in your setup, I’ll tell you. What you do with that information is your business.

I also won’t be publishing student details, photos of homes I’ve assessed, or anything that could identify the people I work with. Privacy is the whole point.

How to use this

If a post sparks a question about your own situation — a class you’re considering, a firearm you’re carrying, a family member you’re trying to bring along — that’s exactly the kind of conversation I want to have privately. Get in touch and we’ll figure out the right next step. The blog is the public version. The real work is one-on-one.