Looking for opinions on Sayoc Tactical (for firearms training)

[Pup town]

Anyone taken a pistol or carbine class from Sayoc Tactical?

I'll be honest, I'm a little skeptical based on what I've read - they don't name specific instructors. There's no mention of mil or LE experience, and really there's no real info on the unnamed instructors background. They are really, really into knives, started off in Filipino martial arts and then started teaching firearm classes. Not normally a group I'd look twice at.

However, they have links to Kyle Defoor and Northern Red, so maybe I shouldn't dismiss them. (Though now that I think about it, I don't know if Defoor endorsed their firearms instruction. I do think he like their combatives and "mindset".)

I have a very limited window of time that I can take a class this summer, and they are offering a course during that time frame. They wouldn't be my first choice for a class, but my options are limited. Trying to get options on whether to consider them.

[BJJ]

I think one of their guys says he has been in 300 street fights and never lost... That sounds weird for a number of reasons to me. Other than that and the Defoor connection, I don't know anything about them.

[Pup town]

I think one of their guys says he has been in 300 street fights and never lost... That sounds weird for a number of reasons to me. Other than that and the Defoor connection, I don't know anything about them.

Yeah, that's Tom Kier. And it's 500 street fights. http://www.tomfurman.com/tuhon-tom-k...-conditioning/

[DocGKR]

Be like Nancy and just say NO.

[Artemas]

If you have been in that many "fights" I think you are doing something wrong.

[Hizzie]

I went to a local edged weapons seminar with Guro Haley Elmore. It was my worst training experience ever.

[Eyesquared]

I went to a local edged weapons seminar with Guro Haley Elmore. It was my worst training experience ever.

Do you mind elaborating? Not questioning you, just trying to understand what they teach.

Edit: Apologies to OP for the derail. For what it's worth I think your doubts are totally valid. The weirdness surrounding Tom Kier is enough of a turn off for me.

[Cheap Shot]

I went to a local edged weapons seminar with Guro Haley Elmore. It was my worst training experience ever.

Mind elaborating specifically?

I'm neutral other than, I have an interest in knife training, Elmore appears to be mfg and selling the "rat" knife which I'm a fan of (but not at $500), and Kyle DeFoor (who I'm a big fan of) endorses Sayoc. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Apologies to OP for drift

[TCinVA]

I think one of their guys says he has been in 300 street fights and never lost... That sounds weird for a number of reasons to me. Other than that and the Defoor connection, I don't know anything about them.

I saw a claim of 500 "sport" fights plus over 1,000 "street fights". No losses.

That would be a pretty impressive record for a number of reasons...not least of which is how you utterly destroy people on 1,000 separate occasions without ever facing criminal and civil liability for having done so.

As for firearms instruction, I have no idea who they have teaching or what their background is. I do know what, say, SouthNarc's background is. And Tom Givens. And Ernie Langdon....etc. With so many good known quantities out there teaching firearms I don't see a reason to take a risk on something I don't know.

[markp]

I'll just leave this here:
https://youtu.be/x3UfEa_QFBo
and Tom Kier talks about his background in this vid;
https://youtu.be/FE3B2mZXxx4