Innovative Defensive Solutions, llc

11/08/2025

🔥 Registration Now Open – 2026 Doswell, VA ECQC! 🔥

We’re excited to announce that Innovative Defensive Solutions will once again be hosting the Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) course with Craig Douglas / ShivWorks in Doswell, VA on April 17–19, 2026!

This is ShivWorks’ flagship program — an intensive, 2.5-day, 24-hour training experience that bridges the gap between fi****ms, combatives, and decision-making under pressure.

📍 Location: Doswell, VA (exact range address will be provided closer to the course date)
📆 Dates: April 17–19, 2026
💰 Course Fee: $700 (paid through the registration link)
💵 Range Fee: $60 (cash due at class to host)

👉 Register Here: https://shivworks.corsizio.com/event/68efef95f752d54f34f10813

🔹 Course Overview

The ECQC course focuses on building functional handgun skills from zero to five feet — a range that demands an integrated understanding of verbal agility, physical skills, and weapons manipulation. Students will experience both live fire and non-consensual force-on-force scenarios using marking cartridges and protective gear.

🔹 Topics Include

The Criminal Assault Paradigm

Managing Unknown Contacts

In-Fight Weapon Access

Weapon Retention & Recovery (in/out of holster)

Grounded Weapon Fights

Full Spectrum Evolution drills

🔹 Equipment Required

Quality holster and handgun

220–275 rounds of ammunition

Eye & ear protection, mouthpiece, cup

Heavy/long sleeve sweatshirt or body armor

Seasonal gear and cleaning supplies

Good attitude & willingness to push limits

💡 Note: This is not a beginner course. You must be safe and competent in basic firearm handling prior to attending.

🏨 Local hotel options and range address will be shared as the course date approaches.

📣 Don’t wait — these spots fill fast every year. If you’ve been on the fence about taking ECQC, now’s your chance.

12/11/2024

🚨 Shivworks ECQC Course – April 25-27, 2025 🚨

Join us for the Shivworks Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) course, the ultimate training experience for handling life-threatening situations in real-world environments.

📅 Dates: April 25-27, 2025
📍 Location: Doswell, VA

What is ECQC?
Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) course is the flagship Shivworks Course and takes place over 2.5 days with a total of 24 training hours. Instruction is given on functional handgun skills from zero to five feet, a unique problem requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Provided is a template for what we feel are the best practices between verbal and physical skills to avoid, stabilize, and resolve a life-threatening situation within the context of the criminal assault paradigm while armed. After developing new skills, everyone validates the skills through an unscripted evolution. Evolutions are competitive, non-consensual force-on-force experiences using marking cartridges and protective equipment.

🎥 Check out this ECQC Overview Video: https://youtu.be/gtQC5vuDQQg?si=HGuXwoR-hv1_plzg

What You'll Learn:
🔹 Criminal Assault Paradigm: Understanding the reality of violent crimes
🔹 Managing Unknown Contacts: Navigating public spaces safely
🔹 Adapted Pistol Presentation: Real-world draw stroke functionality
🔹 Weapon Retention & Recovery: Effective solutions for close-quarters problems
🔹 Grounded Weapon Fights: Techniques to regain control and get to your feet
🔹 Full Spectrum Evolutions: Realistic, unscripted force-on-force scenarios

What to Bring:
Quality holster
Handgun and 220 rounds of ammunition
Safety glasses and ear protection
Comfortable training clothes
Mouthpiece and cup
Preferred carry knives and trainer knives (if available)
💵 Range Fee: $60 (cash only, payable on training day)

NOTE: This is NOT a pistol 101 course. You must be proficient in safely handling and operating your firearm. Lack of basic skills may result in removal from the firing line.

Registration:
Spots are limited, and this course fills quickly! Secure your spot now:
👉 https://shivworks.corsizio.com/event/6759b04f24e900dbe0d24ac9

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn life-saving skills in a high-intensity, expertly led environment. Share with your training partners and make sure to join us in April!

What is ECQC?. https://youtu.be/gtQC5vuDQQg?si=HGuXwoR-hv1_plzg.

11/20/2024

🚨 Open Enrollment: Edged Weapons Overview (EWO) – Virginia Beach, Dec 7th & 8th 🚨

Join us at Katalyst Krav Maga in Virginia Beach for the highly sought-after Edged Weapons Overview (EWO) course on December 7th and 8th!

Edged Weapons Overview introduces the fundamental realities of knife fights (offense and defense) and consists of 16 training hours over two days. Real-world criminal assaults are used to contextualize the presented material and provide the participant with practical skills to avoid, stabilize, and resolve an edge weapon-related incident. The program is simplistic and congruent, allowing anyone to retain and immediately use the technics. Each day ends with an evolution to validate the content of the day. The experience reinforces the newly acquired skillset and allows the participant to apply techniques without the consequence of a real-life incident.

📖 Course Highlights:
✅ Criminal Assault Paradigm: the reality of violent crimes against people and the trends commonly observed
✅ Managing Unknown Contacts: a template to improving social literacy and navigate public space
✅ Edged Weapons: a display and history of the most commonly carried knives (pocket, push dagger, clinch pick, unconventional)
✅ Knife defense: minimizing damage to get in, get out, or get to something better
✅ Knife offense: effective targeting, legal theory/justification

🎥 Watch This Preview of EWO:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD7Wv6qqFM8

💼 What to Bring:
Comfortable clothes
Mouthpiece & cup
Preferred carry knives
Trainer knives (if you have them)

📅 Dates: December 7th & 8th
📍 Location: Katalyst Krav Maga, Virginia Beach, VA
💻 Register Now:
Seats fill up fast, so secure your spot today: https://shivworks.corsizio.com/register/66f1ba065521c285fd3755dc

👉 Don’t miss this chance to learn life-saving skills in a controlled, expert-led environment. Tag your training partners and make sure to join us! 💪

All times are local for the training location.

07/12/2024

ECQC (Extreme Close Quarters Concepts) in Doswell with Shivworks is coming to you 2 times per year now, the 2nd one for this year will be in November. Course listing is now live and you can signup at the link below.

Extreme Close Quarter Concepts (ECQC) course is the flagship Shivworks Course and takes place over 2.5 days with a total of 24 training hours. Instruction is given on functional handgun skills from zero to five feet, a unique problem requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Provided is a template fo...

04/22/2024

What an amazing weekend, hosted Craig Douglas/Brian Frias, Scott O, and Shivworks for the 10th straight year in a row in Doswell for ECQC, this was my 12th ECQC and my 14th Shivworks course. Starting later this year we will increase to 2 ECQC’s per year in Doswell.

Glad Hunt Er could make it down for this one, he’s hooked now and I’m glad to have another training partner to get in reps in with.

04/05/2020

Wrestling Hook and Ties from Shivworks and Shivworks Alumni and ShivWorks Media!

"Craig Douglas discusses limb control for grappling in a weapons-based environment. Underhook, Overhook, Bicep tie, and Wrist tie. The strategy for grappling in the WBE is also covered."

04/04/2020

Overview of wrestling in a weapons based environment, for those that have worked with Craig Douglas of Shivworks this will be familiar, for those that haven’t, but carry a firearm for personal defense, check out his content and videos, it will make you safer and more dangerous when the need for violence arises! This will force you to see your personal faults in regard to your potentially bad orthodox/square range/ target shooting mentalities or even the long list of fun with gun courses you may or may not have taken. (once you’ve taken ECQC and partaken in the Thunder dome festivities you will understand!)

Craig Douglas encapsulates the standing fight ‘operating system’ in this short video. Based on Greco-Roman wrestling, the ‘Op System’ is minimal in technique...

03/27/2020

One of the toughest thing for an orthodox paper/square range shooter when starting to grapple with a gun and
Shooting in extreme close quarters is appropriate extension or compression of the gun based on the proximity of the threat. It was for me 6+ years ago when is started training with Craig/Shivworks ! Check out this video from Craig specifically on that topic!

Shivworks and Shivworks Alumni