About us

OUR MISSION

EQUIP PEOPLE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS

HOW WE MEET OUR MISSION

We’re here to make our community a safer place. We do this by offering high quality training from certified instructors while remaining affordable and beginner friendly. Once trained, we help our students get the essential supplies they need for self-defense. This includes holsters, ammo, gun cleaning kits, emergency first-aid kits, pepper spray, and at-home training systems. We offer the best classes and products at the best prices to help you protect what matters most.

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Meet The Team

John Hernandez

OWNER / INSTRUCTOR

Hello, I’m John. I originally grew up with my parents in communist Cuba. I later moved to the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago quickly becoming interested in martial arts around the age of 10. Falling in love with self-defense as a young man, I achieved the rank of black belt and competed in the United States Karate Association ranking top 10 for three consecutive years. Later in life I moved to South Florida to pursue my passion for martial arts and open multiple karate schools to train students competing nationally. ?During adulthood, I gained a passion for firearms. After taking classes and undergoing training, I decided it was time to become a USCCA Certified Instructor so I could teach students about firearms and self-defense. I quickly outgrew the classroom in my home and in June of 2022, we opened our storefront in Crystal Lake, IL. 

MILI HADZIC

INSTRUCTOR / STORE MANAGER

U.S. Navy Veteran/Maritime Security Specialist With over 16 years of experience in Global Security and Crisis Management, Mili has extensive experience operating in hostile environments around the globe with a specialization in maritime security/anti-piracy operations.

Order From A Company You Can Trust

Our team is dedicated to providing quality products through a quality ordering experience. Run with Lightning Defense Academy today and never look back.