What Is IDS—and Why It Matters at Sentinel Combatives

Real Training for Real Life

When it comes to personal defense, knowing how to shoot, strike, or grapple in isolation isn’t enough. Real-world violence doesn’t happen in neat, organized steps—it’s fast, messy, and pressure-filled. That’s why Sentinel Combatives has officially partnered with Integrative Defense Strategies (IDS) to take our Weapons Integration program to the next level.

What Is IDS?

Integrative Defense Strategies (IDS) is a nationally recognized training system founded by Todd Fossey, with a focus on:

• Firearms Integration in close quarters
• Counter-ambush response
• Combatives for the responsibly armed citizen
• Decision-making under extreme stress
• Force-on-force simulation that mirrors real-world encounters

IDS has become a leading program for civilians and professionals alike who want to prepare for the moment where empty-hand skills, weapon access, and tactical decision-making collide.

Why Sentinel Combatives Integrated IDS

At Sentinel, we believe in being practitioners of pressure-tested realism. Our combatives program already includes:

• IKI Krav Maga for instinctive self-defense
• Israeli Kickboxing for effective striking
• TRICOM & PTTA for knife and stick combatives
• Panantukan & Filipino flow drills for reflex development

But when it came to the firearms-based environment, we needed a system that:

• Trains students how to access, draw, and retain weapons in close contact
• Teaches survivability before shooting
• Bridges the gap between combatives and carry

IDS is that system.

What IDS Brings to Our Weapons Integration Program

Close-Quarters Firearms Tactics

Students learn how to:

• Draw from concealment in a clinch or fight
• Navigate entanglements while armed
• Retain or recover a weapon under stress

Force-on-Force Scenario Training

We simulate:

• Armed assaults
• Active threats
• Defensive use-of-force So you learn decision-making, de-escalation, and the ability to go hands-on if needed.

Weapons-Based Environment Combatives (WBEC)

Where Krav Maga may tell you to "disarm and strike," IDS trains you to:

• Recognize pre-assault cues
• Control limbs and angles
• Deploy a weapon when legally, tactically, and ethically sound

Improvised Weapons and Environment Awareness

Whether it’s a bag, belt, pen, or sidearm—IDS trains you to think:

“What do I have, where is it, and how do I bring it to bear under pressure?”

Why It Matters for You

IDS isn’t about being tactical for the sake of it. It’s about preparing real people for real violence—with the mindset, skillset, and toolset to win the fight.

At Sentinel Combatives, we’ve taken IDS and fused it directly into our Weapons Integration pillar. That means:

• More realism in your training
• Better context for your concealed carry
• Safer, more capable protectors in your home and community

“You don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to your level of training.”

IDS makes sure that level is high—and at Sentinel, we’re proud to bring it to you.

 Ready to Train?

If you carry a weapon for self-defense—or want to—this training is for you.

Sentinel Combatives is an IDS-affiliated school offering real-world readiness training in:

• Firearms-based Combatives
• Knife Defense & Retention
• Improvised Weapons
• Krav Maga & Israeli Kickboxing

Based in Young Harris, GA – serving Blairsville, Hiawassee, and Hayesville, NC
 www.sentinelcombatives.com

Train with purpose. Defend with clarity. Win the fight.
Sentinel Combatives | Reality-Driven | IDS Affiliated | Veteran-Owned