In this episode of Defenders LIVE, Lora Thorson sits down with Lee Weems—career peace officer, trainer, and adjunct professor—to talk about what most people miss when they judge high-stakes incidents from a single camera angle. Lee breaks down why “objectively reasonable” is the legal standard (even when it’s emotionally unpopular), how media narratives form, and why good tactics don’t always look good on video.

They also go deeper into what makes training actually work: adult learning, asking better questions, and coaching the individual instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all method. Lee shares the moment bureaucracy rerouted his path, why he still can’t walk away from the profession, and how cognitive load exposes the gaps in our “square range” confidence. This is a conversation about truth, accountability, and becoming the kind of protector who can think clearly under pressure.

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In this Defenders LIVE conversation with Lee Weems, we go deep on what really matters when pressure is high:

Why video clips can distort the truth (and inflame the public)

What “objectively reasonable” actually means in use-of-force decisions

How bureaucracy reshaped his life—and pushed him toward purpose

Why coaching beats commanding when you’re training adults

The difference between technical skill… and real-world application

Learn more about Lee at: www.thatweemsguy.com and www.firstpersonsafety.com

Thanks for reading Defenders LIVE! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Tyler Tharp doesn’t just teach shooting. He coaches people through pressure, plateaus, and the fear that keeps them stuck. In this episode of Defenders LIVE, Tyler shares how early experiences with being graded can shape a lifelong fear of failure, and why identity work and process-driven training can unlock real performance, both on the range and in everyday life.

Tyler is the lead instructor at Synergy Training Group, a competitive shooter across USPSA and IDPA at the Master level, and a mentor with a background in tutoring, leadership, and church security. We talk about building a make-ready process, learning to live in the moment, and how personal loss reshaped his faith, purpose, and mission to serve. We also get practical, covering how to evaluate training and gear marketing, what makes a quality holster, and why live fire combined with pressure testing matters if you want real growth.

Defenders LIVE is supported by you. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this Defenders LIVE episode, you’ll learn:• Why fear-based ceilings form and how to dismantle them• How identity and mission clarity unlock performance under pressure• What actually builds skill versus what just feels productive• How to spot bad training and gear marketing before it costs you time or money• Why living in the moment changes both shooting and life performance• How faith, loss, and purpose shape resilience and growth

This isn’t just about shooting better. It’s about thinking clearer, training smarter, and showing up stronger when it matters most.

More about Tyler at www.synergyshooting.com.

Watch more at Defenders-LIVE.com or subscribe for future conversations.

Thanks for reading Defenders LIVE! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Lately, I have been sitting with the idea that we do not really stay the same.

Even when nothing looks like it is changing on the outside, something is always happening underneath. Sometimes that movement feels like momentum. Other times it feels like uncertainty, quiet, or doubt.

That tension between shrinking and growing is what this video touches on.

It is not a lesson or a breakdown. Just a real check-in and a bit of perspective on stepping into what comes next before you feel fully ready.

Defenders LIVE is supported by you. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

A few quick updates I share at the end of the video:

* Defenders LIVE has some excellent guests coming up over the next couple of months, starting next week

* I have been invited to speak at an online summit at the end of January and will share more details soon

* Paid subscribers will be receiving an email about an upcoming reflection and goal-setting group call

That is it. The rest is in the video.

Thanks for being here and for walking into this year with me.

Lora

The hardest fight isn’t out there… it’s in your mind.

In this episode of Defenders LIVE, Steve Friskup joins Lora Thorson for a no-fluff conversation about protecting what matters most—your faith, your family, and your future.

What you’ll take away:

* Why guarding your mind and heart is harder than protecting your home

* Steve’s life-changing moment: Jesus met him in a pickup truck off I-40

* How culture wins when we lose discernment and absolute truth

* Why the kitchen table is still America’s strongest defense

* What real strength looks like: conviction, discipline, love, and leadership

Defenders LIVE is supported by you. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Most people think they know what a self-defense encounter looks like… until it actually happens.In this conversation, Force Science Specialist Kaery Dudenhofer breaks open the truth about human performance, legal realities, and the hidden cost of defending life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why attacks unfold faster than your brain can process• How memory actually functions under stress• Why even justified defenders often face years of legal devastation• The role faith and humility play when everything is on the line• The practical tools every protector must carry every day

If you carry — or love someone who does — this conversation matters.

Defenders LIVE is supported by you. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Tonight on Defenders LIVE, we’re diving deep into the truth about self-defense — not the Hollywood version, not the social-media soundbites, but the real human, legal, and spiritual weight of what it means to protect innocent life. I’m joined by Kaery Dudenhofer, a respected firearms and self-defense instructor, longtime member of the Active Self-Protection teaching team, and a recent graduate of the Force Science Institute’s Advanced Specialist program.

Kaery brings decades of training, thousands of hours of research, and a heart for protecting everyday people. In this conversation, she breaks down how attacks actually unfold, why human performance matters in court, what most concealed carriers don’t understand about memory, perception, and reaction time, and why even a righteous defense can lead to years of devastating legal fallout. Her real-world case examples — including defenders attacked in their own homes — reveal truths every everyday carrier needs to understand before they ever carry a gun.

Thanks for reading Defenders LIVE! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Tonight’s Defenders LIVE conversation with Lex Reilly, a former soldier, wilderness guide, and a man who rebuilt his life from rock bottom — is one of the most honest we’ve had on Defenders LIVE. Lex opens up about:• Walking through PTSD, violence, addiction, and losing his children• Choosing between ending his life… or fighting for it• Experiencing emotional safety for the first time• Why men fear vulnerability — and why true masculinity requires it• How faith, wilderness, and brutal honesty brought him home

This one shook me.

Defenders LIVE is a supported by you. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Tonight, we go deep. Former Australian soldier Lex Reilly—known as The Australian Viking—opens up about the battles he didn’t fight overseas, but within his own home, his mind, and his heart. After Afghanistan, Lex spiraled into violence, addiction, emotional numbness, and the eventual loss of his children. But rather than ending his life, he stepped into the wilderness… literally. From the mountains of New Zealand to the Arctic Circle to the Montana backcountry, Lex walked straight into the unknown in search of healing, hope, and God.

In this raw and powerful conversation, Lex shares how radical honesty, wilderness immersion, emotional surrender, and a growing faith in God brought him back from the brink. We talk about healthy masculinity, the truth about emotional safety, the courage required for transformation, and what it takes for a man to face himself without self-loathing or shame.

Lex now guides men through some of the harshest environments on earth to help them confront the chaos inside, reclaim their identity, and rediscover purpose. His story is a testament to the freedom that comes when you stop running from yourself and start walking with truth.

Thanks for reading Defenders LIVE! This post is public so feel free to share it.

If you’ve ever walked through something that felt too heavy to carry, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Heidi Tyner gets real about grief, fear, and the quiet strength it takes to rebuild your life with intention — and she shares practical wisdom anyone can apply.

You’ll walk away with:• A fresh perspective on grief — and why healing isn’t about “getting over it”• Simple everyday safety habits every woman should know• How to turn fear into awareness and personal confidence• Why community matters when you’re carrying heavy things• The mindset shift that helped Heidi reclaim her health and purpose

If you need courage, clarity, or just someone who gets it, this one matters.

Defenders LIVE is supported by you. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Tonight I’m sitting down with longtime educator, mom, and everyday protector Heidi Tyner from Michigan. A drunk, angry parent at school and a dark walk to her car were the wake-up calls that pushed Heidi and her husband to get their CPLs and start training together. That “date night at the range” season turned into a lifelong commitment to learning, leading other women, and refusing to live in fear.

Heidi has walked through divorce, single parenthood, raising a medically complex son, and the sudden loss of her husband at just 52 years old. In this conversation we talk about grief that doesn’t magically go away, what it means to honor someone you love with how you live, practical ways to be safer before you ever touch a firearm, and why awareness is the first line of defense. Heidi shares her journey into A Girl & A Gun, becoming a Refuse To Be A Victim instructor, rebuilding her health through Made Mom Coaching, and choosing gratitude even on the hardest anniversaries.

Thanks for reading Defenders LIVE! This post is public so feel free to share it.

If you’ve been craving a conversation that actually goes deeper than the headlines, this is it.Michael Ware doesn’t tiptoe around anything — faith, firearms, politics, fatherhood, adoption, character, ego, all of it. And he brings a level of honesty that is refreshing.

Here’s why you should watch ⤵️

If you’ve ever wondered:• How to reconcile faith with self-defense• Why our culture is terrified of real conversations• What adoption looks like through the lens of sacrifice and grace• How to stay grounded in a chaotic, divided world• What character really means in a time of outrage and noise

…this episode will hit home.

Michael’s story is raw, humbling, and full of wisdom.

Defenders LIVE is supported by you. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with Michael Ware—craftsman, advocate, theologian at heart, and the man behind Controlled Chaos Arms and Iowa Firearms Coalition. What starts as a discussion about firearms and advocacy quickly becomes something deeper: a look at faith, calling, adoption, hardship, and what it really means to live what you teach.

Michael shares openly about his upbringing, the gritty parts of his early adulthood, the long and painful road to adoption, and the way God reshaped his identity through fatherhood and service. We explore how he balances faith with responsibility, why he refuses to shy away from hard conversations, and why he believes courage, character, and conviction matter now more than ever.

We also talk about the mission of the Iowa Firearms Coalition, the heart behind his men’s ministry, and the spiritual maturity required to navigate a chaotic and divided world with clarity and compassion.

If you value authenticity, truth, and living life with purpose—you’re going to love this one.

Watch more at Defenders-LIVE.com or subscribe for future conversations that challenge, encourage, and strengthen your walk.Learn more at:

www.IowaFC.org

www.ControlledChaosArms.com

www.CBFNewton.org