Module #13:

Guidance for
Instructors
Presented by Attorney Andrew F. Branca
(Working document v. 151230)
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 1

Applying LOSD IP Expertise

Completion of the Law of Self Defense Instructor Program
means youve made the disciplined effort to acquire a worldclass expert knowledge of US self-defense law and legal
principles.
Now its time to put that expertise to work by sharing that
knowledge with your students.
This module is intended to provide guidance on how best to
do so, consistent with the intellectual property of both your
creation as well as that created by Law of Self Defense.

Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 2

What can I call myself?

One question that has come up is, Can I call myself a Law
of Self Defense Instructor?
The answer is No. The Law of Self Defense does not
currently certify or make use of instructors to teach Law of
Self Defense content (except, of course, myself).
This is the same as if one had graduated from, say, law school:
doing so does not make one an instructor for the law school.
We DO envision certifying instructors to teach Law of Self
Defense content in the future, and those opportunities will be
offered exclusively to graduates of the Law of Self Defense
Instructor Program.
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 3

What can I call myself?

Law of Self Defense Instructor Program Graduate.
Graduate of the Law of Self Defense Instructor Program.
The key is that you will be promoting yourself as teaching
your own content, based in part on expertise acquired in
the Law of Self Defense Instructor Program.
You may not promote yourself as teaching Law of Self
Defense content, as Law of Self Defense is our protected
trademark.

Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 4

Can I Use LOSD Content in My Classes?

Over the course of the Instructor Program you have all been
given access to online, on-demand video lectures, PDFs of
the slide presentations in various formats, supporting
materials, etc.
These materials are the intellectual property of Law of Self
Defense and for your personal use only.
PDF materials may not be copied or reproduced for distribution
to your own students.
Video lectures may not be played or displayed for purposes
other than your personal usefor example, they may no be
projected for viewing by others.
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 5

State-specific Content?
As you know, the Instructor Program itself is not state-specific,
as it instructs on the general laws and legal principles of selfdefense law in such as way as to prepare an instructor to
teach the subject anywhere.
You yourselves, however, almost certainly will be teaching selfdefense law courses on a state-specific basis.
If LOSD has previously run our own seminar in your state, we
will provide you with a list of the statutes, jury instructions, and
court decisions that we used for that seminar, and you are free
to leverage that for your own courses.
If we have not done so in your state, we will try to prepare those
same types of materials for your use.
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 6

What Content CAN I Use?

Having acquired an expert-level of knowledge of self-defense
law, it now falls to each of you to develop your OWN content,
using that expertise.
One reason for this is that in the process of creating your own
content you will inevitably identify areas where your knowledge
may not be as strong as youd thought.
The very best way to ensure mastery of a subject is to build
your own educational materials for that subject.
In addition, once you create your own content then only you
will own that intellectual property.

Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 7

What Content CAN I Use?

Note that creating your own content means more than simply
reproducing the exact wording of the LOSD Instructor Program
materialsyou wont learn/confirm doing that.
On the basic fundamentals, of course, there are for example
only the five elements of self-defense law, and I expect
everyone will be making use of those.
Immediately after setting out the framework of the
fundamentals, however, the content of your materials should be
in your own words and in your own voice.
I suggest that you set aside the LOSD IP materials, and just
imagine you are teaching that content in classwhat would you
say in your own words?
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 8

Official LOSD Course Materials

We do envision at some point making available official LOSD
Course Materials for any graduates of the LOSD Instructor
Program who would prefer to use our materials rather than
build their own.
Whether we do so really demands on the degree of interest
from all of you.
I repeat, however, that the best way for you to ensure the quality
of your gained knowledge is to develop your own materials which
you can use without any constraint or cost imposed by LOSD.

Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 9

Must I Use a Seminar Format?

Another question thats come up is whether graduates of the
program are restricted to teaching their newly acquired
knowledge in full-blown, multi-hour, self-defense law specific
seminars as we do here at Law of Self Defense.
YOU ARE NOT CONSTRAINED TO A SEMINAR FORMAT.
So long as you are using your own content, you are fee to teach
the subject matter however you like, with no constraint whatever
imposed by LOSD.
Full-day seminar? Fine. One portion of a more generalized selfdefense class? Fine. As a component in a live-fire class? Fine.
The KNOWLEDGE is YOURS to use as you think best.
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 10

End of Relationship with LOSD?

We certainly hope not.
All of you plank-owners will continue to have access to all
online materials, including updated and revised materials now
being prepared for 2016, through at least March 31, 2016.
All PDF materials provided to you over the course of the Program
are yours to keep, solely for your personal use.
We also encourage you to continue contacting us with
questions, suggestions, constructive criticisms at our IPdedicated email: instructors@lawofselfdefense.com.
Also, if you find yourself stymied in trying to develop some portion
of your own content, contact us and well try to help you find your
own words to express that content.
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 11

Access to Ongoing IP Development?

We envision a great deal of ongoing developments in the
Instructor Program.
Part of that will be regular incremental expansion and
improvement of already prepared modules.
We also plan to develop new additional Myth Buster modules,
stored in a separate thread from the IP itself.
These newly added modules will be accessible solely to
graduates of the LOSD Instructor Program.
These additional modules will be added incrementally, perhaps
one every week or two, and provide a means of providing fresh
new knowledge and insight to graduates of the program.
Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 12

Access to Ongoing IP Development?

We also envision a forum-type of environment in which
instructors can communicate directly with each other on an
ongoing basis.
Like the added modules, this will be a CLOSED forum,
accessible SOLELY to graduates of the Instructor Program.
Undoubtedly additional, as yet unimagined, components will be
envisioned for the ongoing development of the Instructor
Program.
Of course, if you have your own suggestions wed love to hear
them.

Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 13

More To Come
Well end this guidance module here for now, but Im sure well
be adding additional guidance as we receive inquiries from all of
you.

Law of Self Defense Instructors Course: Module #13

www.lawofselfdefense.com 2015 MAY NOT BE DUPLICATED BY ANY MEANS

Slide 14