BIO

Chief Instructor & Owner:

John Betancourt

US Coast Guard veteran: Boarding Team Member, Rescue Swimmer
Honorable discharge with medical separation.

Commandant's Letter of Commendation Ribbon
Marksman Rifle Shot Ribbon
Sharpshooter Pistol Shot Ribbon
National Defense Service Ribbon


National Rifle Association Certifications:

Basic Pistol Instructor
Personal Protection In the Home
Personal Protection Outside the Home
Chief Range Safety Officer


Martial Arts and Combative accomplishments:

Black Belt in various martial arts with instructor experience and youth program development:
Okinawan GoJu Ryu 
Okinawan Kobujitsu
Shotokan 
Extensive pistol, firearms, and weapons training.
Coast Guard Interdiction and Boat Boarding Team Member.

Training and Shooting Experience:

Defensive Pistol Competitions
Front Sight - Multiple Classes
Sonny Puzinkas - CQB and Systema Seminars
Suarez International - Multiple Classes
Roger Phillips' Advanced Point Shooting 
CQB Carbine & Pistol
Small Team Patrol & Team Tactics
Guerrilla Sniper Tactics
Combat Shotgun
Force on Force
Low Light / No Light Tactics
CQB Fighting in Structures
Fighting in/out of Vehicles
Weapon Retention
Close Combat Pistol

Bio: 

John grew up in a rural region of upstate New York. Enrolled into a Shotokan Karate academy as a young child. Later participated in multiple discipline training and focus on Okinawan GoJu under Sensei Bradford Nelson. At 17 started to compete in tournaments and by 19 had taken 3 international titles and numerous victories on the sport karate circuit. During this time he began to assist in teaching and coaching duties as well as developing a Stranger Danger curriculum and taking charge of the dojo's (training hall) youth program. In 1999, at the age of 21, he was promoted and given permission to award rank as a black belt by Sensei Nelson in GoJu as well as the weapon art of Kobujitsu.

While traveling 1998 thought Corpus Christi, he took some time to train at a Kung-fu and Kickboxing academy, Weapons at Hand (http://www.weaponsathand.com/). Here he was introduced by Sifu Stacy Jorgensen and a rowdy group of new comrades to the realities of full contact martial arts. This was an eye opening experience and an awakening. After this experience John drifted away from sport karate forgoing the pursuit of sport karate in favor of seeking training in Tai Boxing and more agressive combat systems.

A break came in training after enrolling into the United States Coast Guard one week prior to the events of 9-11. John was in Queens, NY during this tragic event in our nation's history. His sense of patriotism and desire to serve the country had never been so impassioned as at this time. Stationed on the USCGC Morgenthau (WHEC 722) in Alameda, CA, he trained in search and seizure, and team boarding procedures in preparation for counter narcotics operations, weapons of mass destruction response, and certified as a rescue swimmer. 

After honorable discharge he perused some new avenues of training, but discovered a new passion; the work of the Church. There he submerged himself in study and religious pursuits. He spent 2005 as the assistant youth pastor of Christian Neighborhood Fellowship in Clearlake, CA and then enrolled in an internship with Metro Ministries in NYC (www.metroministries.org), and in 2006 spent over a year of service as a counselor and interim agricultural director at His Mansion Ministries (www.hismansion.com), north of Concord, NH.

2007 took John out to the foreign mission field as he went to his family's homeland of Colombia, South America and ministered at the local level as well as to members of the national police and soldiers during outreach programs aimed at major military bases and outposts around the capital city of Bogota.

In 2008 he moved to Hutchinson, KS where he helped develop a disaster relief team and organize a chainsaw crew for the North American Mission Board and Southern Baptist Convention (http://www.namb.net/dr/). During his time there the team was dispatched to disasters that struck Springfield, AR and southern Illinois.

Early in 2009 he was sent to Juarez, Mexico for two weeks with the purpose of interviewing and investigating the progress and legitimacy of a missionary group who was to be entrusted with funds to build and oversee an orphanage. Later in 2009, he traveled to Tallinn, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland for ministering and teaching at local churches and at recovery centers on the Russian boarder.

In 2009, John realized a life long goal by moving to Montana. Currently, he is attending Montana Bible College of Bozeman, MT with a core focus on Christian Culture & Ethics (theology & philosopy) (http://www.montanabiblecollege.edu/).

 

"I developed Fortress to bring hard hitting reality-based self-defense to people who understand that people are not inherently good. It's not a nice world and I'm not interested in making nice people. There's already enough "nice people" and they're the reason things are out of control. We need people equipped to stand up and say; Enough is enough! I provide hardcore training for hardcore reality! Come and see for yourself."