Combatives at the Lake

📅 Date: 12PM Friday, January 23 - 5PM Sunday, January 25, 2026

📍 Location: 1332 Glades Rd. Double Springs, Alabama — Lakeside Resort on Lewis Smith Reservoir

What is Combatives at the Lake?

Enjoy a fully immersive, all-inclusive 3-day training retreat combining armed and unarmed combatives, firearms-based defensive work, survival skills, and tactical medicine — while staying in a private lakeside resort environment. 

Expect a complete experience: training, communal living, a high instructor-student ratio, shared meals & sleep quarters, and camaraderie, and real-world readiness — with the right balance of professionalism, grit, and community. 

This event is a first-of-its-kind continuation of our two prior “Jay Martin Combatives Camping Weekend” events. If you are an alumni, imagine a bougie setting where we can spend more time together, while not being burdened with setting up & breaking down camp, food prep, porta-potties and the whims of mother nature.

🧠 Training Tracks & Curriculum

• Armed & Unarmed Combatives — closing the gap, limb control, dominating weapon access, etc. 
• Defensive Use of Firearms — safety, retention shooting, and the fundamentals of performance pistolcraft 
• Urban & Wilderness Survival — situational awareness, environmental adaptation, escape & evasion mindset.
• Control Massive Hemorrhage — Learn to apply tourniquets, pressure dressings, and pack wounds

Whether you’re primarily a firearms guy, a martial artist, a developing combatives practitioner, or just preparing for worst-case scenarios — this event offers cross-discipline exposure tailored for serious defensive-minded students.

👥 Coaches / Instructors

You’ll learn under a diverse cadre of experienced professionals: 

• Jay Martin — retired U.S. Army Ranger, Combatives University Black Belt, BJJ Black Belt 
• Chris Magyar — Owner, The Firearms Concierge; BJJ Purple Belt, Combatives University Green Belt, USPSA Production A-Class 
• Jeff Thornton — retired Coast Guard; Combatives Grey Belt; Search & Rescue / Survival expert; martial-arts instructor across multiple disciplines 
• Kim Dees — active-duty U.S. Army; BJJ Black Belt; Combatives University Black Belt; Co-Owner, Modern Martial Arts Family and Fitness Center 
• Aaron “AJ” Jamison — retired U.S. Army; NREMT-P; tactical medicine specialist; Owner, Valkyries Austere Medical Solutions 
• Chris Mize — Owner, Heroes Martial Arts Academy; 3rd-Degree BJJ Black Belt; Civilian Tactical (C-Tac) Instructor; Combat Submission Wrestling Coach 
• Chris Bowlin — Coach at Heroes Martial Arts Academy; BJJ Black Belt; Combatives University Green Belt; MMA Coach 
• Don Bowen — Owner, Bowen Combative Arts; retired U.S. Army Green Beret; Combatives Black Belt; BJJ (3rd degree) & Judo (2nd degree) Black Belt 
• Chris Beasley — Owner, Sidthlaw Muay Thai; Muay Thai / JKD / Kali Instructor; Level II Boxing Coach; Combatives University Grey Belt 

This cross-discipline instructor group ensures you’ll get real depth — from striking, grappling, weapons work, to medical and survival skills.

🛏️ What’s Included

• On-site sleeping accommodations — Assume bedrooms or living rooms or a mat room shared with your coaches & training partners. We have 6 bedrooms with various combinations of kinq, queen and twin beds, plus inflatable queen mattresses, folding cots and couches. Make friends, share a room and a large bed and make your buddy smile (just kidding) or bring your own sleep setup.
• Meals prepared in a full kitchen on site. Let us know if you have any special dietary requirements and we will attempt to accommodate you - or bring your own. We multiple kitchens and an outdoor cook house available.
• Time for downtime, camaraderie, and real-life bonding: train together, relax together, connect with like-minded individuals. 
• Option to responsibly enjoy adult beverages (BYOB) in the evenings — opportunity for informal conversation, networking, and community building. 

Whether you arrive as a solo student or bring a friend — you’ll leave with new contacts, new skills, and a renewed mindset for real-world readiness.

🎯 Who Should Attend

• Those serious about lawful, responsible self-defense whether unarmed, less-lethal, edged-weapons aware, or firearm-centric.
• Martial artists or firearms competitors who want to balance the ‘sport’ aspect of their training with real-world self defense.
• Folks who value a holistic approach — combining combatives, firearms, survival mindset, and medical skills under one roof.
• Practitioners eager to train among motivated peers and coaches in a supportive, immersive environment.
• Anyone seeking an honest, no-frills training atmosphere — learn hard, bond stronger, build lasting skills and relationships. It all about the deeds, not the words.
• Anyone interested in obtaining rank with the Combatives University
• Members of the Combatives Association - check out their FaceBook Page

What should I bring?

• We will be working on mats in a conditioned space. Comfortable street clothes, bare feet or dedicated mat shoes are all acceptable. Usual BJJ studio rules - no street shoes on the mats, no bare feet in the bathrooms.
• Hygiene - Trim and file your fingernails and toenails, bathe (showers available on site), use deodorant, and bring changes of clothes as we will be getting sweaty.
• Range gear: Handgun, holster (AIWB, IWB or OWB), eye and ear protection and appropriate clothing,. The private range is about 7 minutes away by car, has no bathroom. Expect graveled surfaces, picnic table, no shelter in Alabama in January - literally *anything* is possible weather wise.
• Beds and inflatable beds will have covers, sheet sets, pillows and comforters. If you prefer being solo on a cot or a couch or otherwise - bring your own sleep setup or borrow something (we have spares).
• Optional: BJJ Gi or no-Gi if you want to talk someone into getting in some friendly rolls on the side
• If you have special food, snack, drink requirements - bring it. We will try to accommodate as best we can.

Requirements

• Safety First - if you cannot be safe, you will not be allowed to participate. Period.
• Expect to sign liability waiver(s) before you will be allowed to participate
• Take care of your training partners’ health and they will do their best to take care of yours.
• Don’t attempt to do anything beyond your level of training and physical ability.
• Suppress your urges to wind each other up with politics and religion - this isn’t the time or place.
• No recreational drugs and alcohol in moderation, We are here to train, not be out of control or hungover.
• Have a good attitude and be ready and willing to TRAIN

🔗 Contact

Combatives at the Lake 2026 — Official Page 

If you have questions about accommodations, gear requirements, training prerequisites, or payment options — don’t hesitate to reach out.

Chris Magyar, chrismagyar@myfirearmsconcierge.com, 1 (205) 202-0325