Ive been a member of Fortress since last fall and LOVE the womens strike fit classes and the jiujitsu training. The reality-based self-defense John Betancourt teaches is absolutely the best training I have ever received in years of taking classes. John instills instinctual defense reactions and builds your personal skill set along with physical fitness that no other discipline can match. I do yoga, hike and hunt, but the martial arts and boxing conditioning have taken my body to the next level. At age 56, I feel empowered and strong, with more confidence and more wisdom about what to do if the unthinkable happens to me or my family. Thank you, Fortress, for top-drawer professionalism and the best self-defense training possible.

Great lesson! John is a sharp, skilled instructor that made me a better shooter.I’m a competitive pistol shooter, yet John took the time to understand my background and made a customized lesson to teach me skills I hadn’t learned. Further, he broke the lessons into smaller skills to build on throughout the day.Well worth the investment, and looking forward to the next one.

We had a great day with John @ Fortress Combat in Bozeman. He really tailored the class to our needs, skills, carry laws, technical hardware and was incredibly well put together. Easy to relate to no matter what your skill level. I highly recommend him and we are looking forward to our next class in a few weeks!

Best CCW class I’ve ever taken. Thorough explanation of mindset and law. Information that I was really not able to find anywhere else.John knows his stuff inside and out. You won’t regret taking his class. Highly recommend!

Took a personal protection training course with John, some of the best techniques and knowledge I’ve been taught. Practical application of skills, put together class, and very enjoyable. Can’t wait to go back for another class. Highly recommend!

Fortress is unlike any other training facility you have probably ever been to. I took the Womens Personal Protection In The Home course which included a concealed carry course with classroom time, covering the basics of handgun safety and of course use, and then a range day complete with scenario training. Ive done additional hours at the range, too. Now I am working out in his womens StrikeFit class, which is a class that teaches self defense, striking, safety, and is also a great workout. Its similar to his Combatives class, but in an environment with women only. Is it the BEST workout? No, but its a GREAT workout and it will also teach you skills that you cant get if you go to any other training facility in town. Every time I go I know I am working on creating muscle memory that will serve me if God forbid I ever need to actually defend myself or my family against attackers.

John and the fortress team are all very professional and able to work with all levels of experience. As a psychologist myself I appreciate the integration of the psychological mindset in a fight situation along with the physical movements. John and the fortress team check both of those boxes. I highly recommend these trainings for people of all levels of experience.

I took the Women’s Personal Protection in the Home course and it was a fun, educational experience and John was knowledgeable and patient. The class was thorough but still doable and beneficial for someone with very little experience. It is tailored to women because it highlights situations that are common for women but, more importantly, it does not pigeonhole you or your educational experience BECAUSE you are a woman. John is a quality instructor and I recommend this class to anyone interested in learning about home protection and would bet his other classes are just as worthwhile.

I consider myself a novice in the realm of firearms. I took a class with John and my confidence soared. His attention to detail is outstanding. His knowledge, experience and expertise is evident in every aspect of the class. His ability to convey his knowledge to the students surpasses that of the most seasoned instructor. Looking forward to participating in more classes in the future!

Absolutely fantastic! John is unbelievably knowledgeable and gives you the REAL DEAL! I learned so much and would recommend his services to anyone looking to gain more confidence in self defense, gun safety, conceal carry course. I will for sure be coming back for more of his programs. Thank you John!

This is a first time experience for me in personal self defense and I am so happy that it was with John at Fortress Defense. He is a good teacher and not only teaches the how, but the why in simple easy to remember steps. Then the application of the process comes next to help ingrain the proper steps to follow. I not only would recommend him to anyone, but am planning on taking several more training sessions from him to continue to further my knowledge of self defense techniques. Thank you, John!

I have taken a variety of courses at Fortress: Personal Defense Solutions. Johns expertise & passion for teaching combine in a dynamic way that pushes students farther than their initial expectations hoped for. I continue to attend his K4 personal defense class, & I have taken several firearms courses with him.I approached my first firearms course apprehensively because I had taken courses from other instructors before, but I left those with a head full of laws & regulations yet lacking any useable knowledge of my firearm - let alone comfort in handling it! I still closed my eyes when pulling the trigger, had a weak grip, & flinched every time I fired my handgun. John quickly assessed both my skill & comfort levels, & he worked with me to develop confidence, knowledge, & abilities that I didnt know I could have. He took the time to build a strong, basic foundation before getting me on the line firing at targets. (And yes, in both his firearm and personal defense classes, he clearly articulates safety & our responsibility as citizens, & he provides resources for reading state/federal laws.)I appreciate that John has never limited me because I am a woman. Instead, he teaches me how much I can do & how to work with the tools that I have to compensate for areas in which I may not be as strong. He is always respectful while simultaneously pushing me to accomplish more than the limitations my own mind tries to dictate. Through his classes, my character & mind have grown along with my physical abilities.

Johns classes are completely different than anything I have ever experienced. I attend both his womens kickboxing classes and his Street Combatives class. My level of fitness and physical awareness have increased dramatically. In every class there is a focus on development of physical fitness combined with defense tactics that include martial arts, boxing and understandable, hands-on self- defense techniques. His Street Combative classes are incredibly practical. One of the things that I most appreciate is the truth in how he teaches. His classes are not a once and you are done. That approach has always seemed so unrealistic to me. I have tried those classes. (I would not attempt those lessons out on the street). Every class at Fortress reinforces the last class, while still adding new or connecting techniques. The classes are in no way intimidating. Just the opposite. Im not real fond of the word empowering, but that is exactly what they are. I met John through a Concealed Carry class that he was teaching. He then began working with me on firearm skills. John is extremely adept at taking an individual, at any level, and teaching in an understandable and encouraging way. I knew nothing about firearms. Johns depth of experience has enabled me to learn to handle a firearm in a safe and responsible manner. I particularly appreciate his ability to articulate his reasons for the way he teaches a skill. That has really helped me to develop a strong foundation of my skill set. I only wish that I had met John earlier in my life. But I can truly say that it is never too late, at any age, to see yourself in a whole new way!

I attended the Active Shooter / On Scene Responder class that John just recently taught and I loved it. It was a great mix of classroom teaching and then going and practicing everything he just discussed. I left the class feeling more confident, aware, and prepared. I would recommend taking classes at Fortress: Personal Defense Solutions to everyone I know. I am thankful to have this resource so close by.

I have trained with Fortress Personal Defense on many different occasions. I would recommend it to anyone. John is a great no nosense teacher. I have recommended him to friends that were very pleased taking classes from them and my wife has also taken numerous classes from him. Do it. you wont regret it. It is well worth every penny spent

Recently attended a range safety officer class led by John and he did a remarkable job. i have been around guns my entire life but he was able to teach me a lot of things i didnt know and never would have considered. he is a true knowledgeable professional and i would highly recommend him for any of his classes

Fortress Defense is THE place to go for firearm training and much much more. John is a solid honest no nonsense no ego dude. Their prices are also very reasonable. I Strongly recommend you check them out!

I have taken many self defense classes over the last 28 years. BY FAR John at Fortress Personal Defense has shown me new ideas and techniques that work in the real world. I would highly recommend them for basic, intermediate and advance training. From basic concealed carry classes to advanced survival techniques with self defense. John keeps up with what really works in real life scenarios.Add this to Johns easy going, learn at your own pace classes his teaching and skill builders are perfect for beginners! My Fiancé will be taking a beginner class soon as will our younger two sons. I cannot emphasize enough how much I have enjoyed both his one on one classes and the group classes!

I wanted to get my concealed carry permit and decided to go through fortress to get it. It turned out to be the best experience ever. John was more than helpful and had plenty of patience. Thanks again Fortress, I will recommend you to everyone.AAAAAA++++++ all the way!

Took the CCW class, and I cant get over how great John is. Top notch, great, honest guy. Highly recommended! Thank you John!

Great environment to learn!I had visited Bozeman in Jan 2016, Fortress Gym was home away gym. Great community! The coaches are welcoming and knowledgable!The gym offers variety of training: Striking, submission and grappling. I mostly worked on striking and sparred with the guys. Weight classes start from 110lb youth to 200+ :)The coaches are great! Know their traits and are passionate about their work.Overall i would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Great community

I have participated in a vast array of training over 20 years. My experiences have ranged from formal SERE school (Im only including relevant training here), practical control, immediate threat elimination (practical domination), competition shooting, unarmed combat, PPCT, silent take downs, long range shooting, carbine, pistols, various martial arts and technique systems to general physical fitness. Much of my training has been formal military and formal law enforcement. Other times, I have trained with civilians. The quality of the training has varied greatly, as well. I have been to actual training that I can say without a doubt will get you killed in the real world. Hands down, this is the most PRACTICAL training I have encountered. John Betancourt is the only man I trust to bring into my home and train my children and my wife to defend themselves. He has integrity and passion for his trade. I can promise you one thing: His training wont get you killed or make you less able to handle real world threats as they exist today. I cant recommend Fortress strongly enough for all levels of training experience. They also offer the full package from unarmed all the way up to technical carbine or pistol training! Check it out. You WONT be disappointed.

Had a great time. John was nice, encouraging, professional, knowledgeable and fun to hang out with.Could not recommend enough!

Growing up in Montana I have been around guns since I was a child. I started out shooting BB guns, pellet guns and have since shot nearly everything under the sun. Watching John teach the subtles of how to handle anything from pistols to semi-automatic weapons was very impressive. Not only does he teach you how to handle them safely but also how to handle them effectively. The small nuances that make big differences can only be learned from a guy like John, who has a real passion for it. If youre serious about using your gun, let John show you the way.

I took a private shooting lesson with John,Great instructor and information I highly recommend him.

Coach Betancourt has over 20 years of experience in combatatives and martial arts. Aside from his experience that makes him and his academy stand out is his passion to share knowledge with his students. Great place to be for any individual and family unit for your self defense needs!

I came here for a drop in Jiu Jitsu session and had a great experience. John was very welcoming and the instruction was top level.I learned a lot of positional control techniques that were missing from my previous instruction.I highly recommend this gym and I will definitely be back on my next work trip.Thanks,Chuck

Took the CCW class, he’s a great instructor. Highly recommend him.

Training Course:Presentation was concise, comprehensive and informative. Well done John Betancourt!

Went to one of Johns defensive handgun courses and it was amzing.. so much knowledge and a great instructor. I recommend Fortress combat for anyone that want REAL tactical firearms traing.

Just awesome. Ive been taking the Jiu Jitsu, combatives and weapons classes at Fortress and really appreciate Johns honest and down-to-earth teaching style. Ive trained at other dojos, and what sets Fortress apart is the breadth of training available, and the way it all integrates together. Its all highly practical and useful stuff! Highly recommended!

John tailored the instruction to skill level and to comfort level. Great experience!

Excellent day today was. Many of my questions were answered during the first responder class at Fortress: Personal Defense Solutions in Bozeman. Meat and potatoes subject matter. Bullshit free. Learned a lot. Looking forward to more training with Fortress this year

A fantastic coach for youth Jiu-Jitsu!

John worked with my husband and I shooting a variety of times and are still taking classes. I learned so much and feel very comfortable shooting a semi-auto pistol, safety protocol, and in different situations.

Two epic days of great practical training!! Will be back for more... seriously lost 6 lbs the first day!! Going back and bringing more people with me!!

Wonderful handgun training taught in a clear and fun way! John really boosted my confidence in the way I can defend myself.

Excellent facility, great people to work with. I really enjoyed seeing all the faces there. Whats more is that this is not a McDojo. If you really want to learn personal defense solutions dont trust a system with a name but trust in who is teaching and how they are teaching it. Fortress is a great spot in the BZ arean

Had a great experience, looking forward to my next training session!

This is one of the best places to get gain some knowledge and training in real world self defense. The atmosphere is great!! If you are looking to engage in some serious conflict and hit hard and go home alive then this is your new home for self defense solutions. We practice mercy and respect but also how to deal with situations that karate itself couldnt cover. A little bit of everything rolled into one (or many classes depending on your needs) you will leave wanting more. By the end of the week you will want to go everyday. It isnt for the faint of heart though. If you are not wiling to get a little angry and tolerate getting yelled at (like in a conflict onthe street would imitate)then this isnt the place for you. But if you have a little bit of lion in your heart or you are tired of being the victim then you ARE in the right place. Ladies who are tired of being pushed around or need that extra insurance to know you can take care of yourself SIGN UP! I loved training here and miss it immensely.Knife enthusiasts.....This is a home for you too. blade work was my favorite and you will not go home disappointed.Gun enthusiasts.......We have a spot for you as well.From personal defense to knife training to gun works this place has it all.But most of all i enjoyed the teaching which is really why we all go. Learning begins with the instructor and you couldnt find a better one. To the point and brutally honest about what goes on real fights theres no sugar coating it with him. Learn it. Practice it. Perfect it.John does an excellent job explaining that real world defense isnt pretty nor is it nice. Hit hard hit fast. Go home alive. Learn to survive.I got to learn an insane amount of defense techniques in the time i was here. See what my family has to offer and you wont go home disappointed. We laugh. We learn. We fight. We show mercy when its due. But most importantly we never give up.Thank you for all you taught and are still teaching me.