Helping Hundreds of Happy Customers and Students
312+


VERIFIED REVIEWS




I took my CCL Renewal Class here. My instructors, John and Fred, were awesome. Both are very knowledgeable and taught the class very well, both in the classroom and in the range. I highly recommend LDA!!


Michelle

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John is one of those people that is just meant to be an instructor. Highly knowledgeable and experienced, but relays the information in an interesting and down to earth fashion.


Sean Madrid

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Great class, very knowledgeable and experienced instructor.


Mateo Herrera

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The class is conducted by a man who is dedicated and passionate about what is teaching.


John Denker

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Great instructors and great classes! Made shooting for the first time easy and safe. A++


Jacob Wandel

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Highly recommend for all skill levels. I took John's conceal and carry class with minimal gun experience. He was professional, knowledgeable and so thorough. Definitely an expert in his field and look forward to taking other classes with Lightning Defense Academy.


Amy Borchart

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Just completed my renewal for my CCL with Erin at LDA. Erin is a great instructor and one that works great with women who might not want to take a class in a male dominated environment. On the range for the live firing qualification, Erin was clear and ready for any issue that might have arisen, which in this case included one of our classmates having a issue with the firearm not working correctly. A top notch educational experience from a top notch facility. When my wife is looking to get back into shooting, I will be sending her to take one of Erin's classes at LDA.


Evan Breyn

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John was patient, informative, and a great deal of fun as a teacher! The course was interactive, and he had many stories and analogies to bring the information to life.


Samuel W.

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This was a great class and I'm. looking forward to taking part 2. Our instructor [Erin] went above and beyond the class helping us online with the FOID application.


Libby Schnitzler

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John and Erin from Lightning Defense Academy are great instructors. My son loved the course and got so much valuable information. He especially loved going to the range to shoot for the first time ever. John was very patient and encouraging while teaching and Erin was a perfect fit to work with our children. Overall our experience with the USCCA and Lightning Defense Academy was a great success. We left very satisfied and will definitely return in the future.


Jim N.

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Awesome teacher very knowledgeable definitely will recommend him.


Edgar H.

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John and Ian were absolutely great instructors and loved taking their course! Would recommend these guys to anyone. I know a lot of people that have taken concealed carry courses elsewhere and after talking to them, Lightning Defense’s class was way more informative and covered everything


Alex LaBelle

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I got to know a lot of shooters in my 52 years and I have to say that John “the owner and instructor” is bona fide!


Surviving Chicago

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Awesome job, great training, can’t wait to come back.


Richard

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Very knowledgeable. Won’t steer you wrong. Great class and great selection of stuff in the store.


Kenny Bremer

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John was absolutely fantastic. Very knowledgeable. This class should be taken by everyone, CCL or not!!


Jillian Zimmerman

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Me, my wife and brother took a conceal class with John and I’m speechless on how great the class was. Let me start with saying my wife has only shot a gun once in her life. She out shot me and our brother with John’s directions.


Crowned Barber & Co

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Both John and Mili were excellent teachers. Very patient and wealth of information they gave you.


Stella Y.

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John is a very good educator that goes above and beyond to keep the class engaging and informative. I learned so much in the 16 hours and whenever I was unsure of something, John went above and beyond to make sure I understood and was able to utilize the information. The shop side contains ammo, accessories, and clothing that is more than reasonably priced. I will recommend Lightening Academy to anyone I know looking for this line of business.


Melissa V.

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Not only was this class very informative, but it was literally a blast! Erin is an excellent teacher. I will definitely take more classes with her in the future.


Kat K.

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Great place, excellent staff. Everyone is very knowledgeable and ready to help. Concealed carry class is great and awesome that the class times are flexible. Highly recommended! Would give 10 stars if I could.


Jason Glasby

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I highly recommend taking any/all classes here as well as accessorizing any firearms. John is a top tier instructor with more knowledge than most and will have you feeling confident in yourself and your firearm when you leave.


Christian Nolan
