About HDA:

Hernando Defense Academy LLC was founded by Joseph Bates who recently moved to Spring Hill. Joe started his firearms training in the U.S. Air Force as a security police officer and notably earned marksmanship awards several times over. As a 2A supporter and gun enthusiast, he has taught firearm safety and skills to many people throughout the years.  He has recently joined the USCCA as a certified instructor and is also a graduate of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Situational Awareness Firearms Education course .

We strongly support the fundamental idea that the best defense is to avoid putting yourself into a defensive situation in the first place. If that can not be avoided, then to use the minimum amount of force needed to end the threat. Though we teach the proper use of handguns, this option may not be the best solution for many people, so we take great pride in offering training in the use of, the often overlooked but very affective, non-lethal options.

Some woman may feel uncomfortable taking a self defense class with men. Many woman have physical limitations that may lesion weapon choice or require different strategies. We are proud to offer a full lineup of woman only courses that are customized for woman.