Dakota Adelphia

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About Dakota Adelphia

I’m passionate about helping everyday people build confidence, competence, and excellence through professional firearms training and education.

I am a San Diego County Sheriff-approved CCW vendor, and teach initial and renewal concealed carry courses. My approach to teaching focuses on safety, concealment, defensive handgun skills, practical skill development, and real-world personal protection education – things like situational awareness, appropriate escalation of force, and shot accountability.

In addition to my work as an instructor, I serve as the San Diego Chapter Facilitator for A Girl & A Gun, the largest women’s shooting league in the country. Under my leadership, the San Diego chapter has grown into the largest chapter nationwide, introducing hundreds of women to the shooting sports through 4+ monthly events, training clinics, competitions, and community-building experiences. I’m especially passionate about creating opportunities for women to train in an encouraging, supportive, and safety-focused environment.

I am also a co-host on Gun Owners Radio, where I discuss Second Amendment issues, firearms training, self-defense, industry news, and responsible gun ownership with experts, instructors, and community leaders from across the country.

If you’re interested in hiring me as a writer, consultant, or for a group class that isn’t offered on my website, please fill out a contact form.

Certifications & Qualifications

My training background includes nationally recognized certifications and instructor development programs, including:

NRA

  • Certified Pistol Instructor
  • Personal protection inside the home
  • Personal protection outside the home
  • Range safety officer
  • Chief range safety officer

 

A Girl & A Gun

  • Intro To Handgun Instructor
  • Intro To Holster Instructor

 

Rangemaster Certified Instructor

  • Basic instructor
  • Advanced instructor

 

Massad Ayoob Group

  • Deadly Force Instructor

 

California Department of Justice Instructor

Agile Training and Consulting

  • OC Spray Instructor

 

The Complete Combatant

  • Image-Based Decisional Drill Instructor
  • Deliberate Coaching

 

Glock, Inc.

  • Certified Armorer
  • Certified Operator

 

Other Instructor Experience

  • Event coordinator and match director for large-scale shooting events and training programs

Additional Training I’ve Taken (non-instructor course material)

  • Citizens Defense Research: Armed Guardian
  • Citizens Safety Academy: How To Be An Effective Assistant Instructor
  • Ed Monk: Active Shooter Response, Considerations for Armed Responders to Active Shooter Attacks
  • Defenders USA: Unwanted But Necessary; Vehicle Defense; Fighting Handgun Concepts
  • LouAnn Hamblin: Barriers and Barricades; Responding to the Active Killer
  • John Hearne: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why; Crime and Criminals
  • Justin Dyal: The Million Dollar Shot
  • Riley Bowman: Pistol IQ; 3-Day Practical Pistol Workshop
  • AJ Zito: 3-Day Practical Pistol Workshop; The Quest
  • Tim Herron: 3-Day Practical Pistol Workshop
  • Scott Oates: Grounded Weapons Fighting
  • Erick Gelhaus: Non-Dominant Hand Shooting
  • Scotty Stuart and William Carmichael: Diagnosis and Remediation of Marksmanship Errors
  • Agile Training and Consulting: Close Quarters Handgun; Pocket Rockets; OC spray; MUC; Grip, Sights, Trigger;
  • Gabe White: Under-Trained Concealed Carry Tactics
  • The Complete Combatant: Image Based Decision Drills, The Quest, The Mingle, Deliberate Coaching
  • Phill Groff: Not Your Dad’s Qual Course; Get Moving
  • Karl Rehn: Hardest State Carry Quals
  • John Farnam: Retention & Disarms
  • Stephanie Weidner: Par Time Performance
  • Scott Jedlinski: The Quest
  • Tim Kelly: Teaching Elements of the Concealed Draw
  • Rhett Neumayer: Intro to Deep Concealment; Imperceptible Carry
  • Dark Angel Medical: Direct Action Response Training
  • Nick Young: Target Transitions
  • Jim Shanahan: Process Vs Outcome
  • John Holschen: Integrating the Perception – Cognition – Decision cycle in Handgun Training
  • Claude Werner: Off-Duty Shootings of the LAPD
  • Jason Paletta: Contact Threat Mitigation
  • Willie Parent: Pushing Your Speed to the next Level
  • Josh White: Par Time Performance
  • Tyler Tharp: AR-15 Performance
  • Jeremy Horn: Grappling for Self-Defense
  • Cindy Coker & Tennille Chidester: Shotgun Focused MultiGun Skills
  • Art Aplan: Precision Diagnostic
  • Dianna Muller & Ryan Muller: Competition Rifle
  • Simon Golob: Cold Performance
  • Lee Weems: Skills More Relevant than a Bill Drill
  • Tatiana Whitlock: Take A Seat
  • Cecil Burch: Just Enough Jitsu

Training Philosophy

I believe firearms training should be approachable, professional, and rooted in real-world application. Whether I’m teaching a first-time shooter, coaching an experienced concealed carrier, or training competitive shooters, my goal is always the same:

To help students leave more confident, more capable, and more prepared than when they arrived.

I Emphasize

Safe and responsible firearms handling
Practical defensive shooting skills
Situational awareness and decision-making
Understanding the legal and ethical aspects of self-defense
Building long-term confidence through continued education and training

Beyond the Range

Outside of instruction, I have a full time job in the civil engineering sector, I’m deeply involved in the 2A advocacy space, and I enjoy playing keyboard and singing in a local band.

When I’m not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and dogs, traveling, hiking, and pursuing adventures both on and off the range.