Practical Armed Response Academy LLC was formed to efficiently  increase our students ability to be a safer, more accurate, faster and better prepared to handle the weapon in life threatening situations or on the competitive range. Our philosophy is a higher standard of use of our weapons in any scenario. From our basic pistol to our advance classes we will build a foundation in accuracy and continue to test your ability to deliver the shot you need make under stress.  We know training can be pricey and ammo can be hard to come by so we provide valuable training classes which can be tailored for you time and budget.
P.A.R.A’s Instructor and Owner is Tom Nelson. Tom is a  Master class shooter, Safety Officer, Massad Ayoob Group Staff Instructor and has been a host on the Gundudes podcast and now the PARAcast’s host which has given him unique experiences and training opportunities. He is well known for the ability to recall details from his vast experience on everything gun and training related which will benefit his students.
Tom is a avid shooter, reloader and competitor. He has been instructing students since 2013 and has taught numerous classes and one on one training sessions over the past few years.
“Tom Nelson has gone from new student to skilled competitor and instructor, on a fast track. He’s a high-achieving graduate of the Massad Ayoob Group Instructor Course. When I taught in his bailiwick I often had him run the firing line so I’d be free to critique individual students, and he consistently did an excellent job. I’ve observed Tom as a coach, and found him to be patient, compassionate, and an excellent diagnostician…and, of course, scrupulously safe.”