Exploring Life & Business with Daniel Miller of Tactical Defense

I was pleased to be interviewed by Voyage Tampa Magazine recently. Here’s the original post.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Miller.

Hi Daniel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.


I’ve been studying martial arts since I was a kid. I primarily trained in Taekwondo, achieving a 2nd Degree Black Belt and also an instructor certification. About five years ago, I started to evaluate how well or not well I would be able to defend myself in a violent street attack. I concluded that, for all my training, I probably wouldn’t do very well.

You see most martial arts have a sport aspect to them. There are rules. But on the street, in a violent attack, there are no rules. That led me to begin research to find a system that I could apply to self-defense in a real-life attack. My research led me to Tony Blauer and his SPEAR system methodology. The SPEAR system is a scientifically-based system that leverages our Startle-Flinch response into a tactical position.

The logic of this system connected all the dots for me and I pursued and attained a certification to teach the program and methods. Over the past 5 years, I’ve probably trained more than 500 people in the system, making all of them safer humans. Other aspects of the SPEAR include Self and Situational Awareness, and fear management techniques.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has generally been a smooth road. The main struggle is that most people don’t think they need to learn how to defend themselves or a loved one until they do. Therefore, too many are unwilling to make that investment until something bad happens.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Tactical Defense was started due to the lack of knowledge and realistic training in today’s self-defense and martial arts schools. The foundation of our personal safety program is based on Blauer Tactical’s SPEAR Defense System and what the body will do prior to any training; making it the fastest, most natural way to move the human body.

This process cuts muscle-memory training by about 80%, allowing anyone to improve quickly and with greater confidence. Retention of the material and mechanics is vastly superior, as the tactics taught are based on the body’s natural movements.

The ability to protect yourself or a loved one is the single greatest skill you could possess. What if learning how to protect yourself was much easier than you thought? That was the inspiration Coach Blauer had over thirty years ago. He noticed that no one really used technical martial arts in real confrontations.

Coach Blauer’s focus, mission, and path have not wavered since he began teaching real-world self-defense in 1979. He has been on the cutting edge of reality-based training for the self-defense world ever since. His goal has always been to make the world safer. We provide public “Safer in a Day” workshops every month or every other month at Burg Fitness in downtown St. Pete. In addition, we offer private groups and 1-1 training.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?

As the world continues to become more and more dangerous with random attacks, mass shootings, and political divisions, people will have growing a need to feel more secure, more safe and more able to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Contact Info:

Daniel Miller