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About Us

Our Mission

At Acumen Tactical, our mission is to provide our students with the highest quality training, consistent with industry standards in the use of force, firearms training, and all aspects of self defense. We aim to equip responsibly and legally armed citizens with the skills and tactics to effectively defend themselves, their families, and communities against threats and acts of violence, and to empower them to act as their own first responders, with the ultimate goal of protecting innocent human life.

Years of family owned firearm instruction

“A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined”
-George Washington

Meet the Owner

Jon Plyler

Owner

Jon Plyler is the Owner & Head Firearms Instructor for Acumen Tactical. Jon is a military veteran, and a former full time law enforcement officer & trainer, having served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for over 15 years, before leaving the department to run his own business.

During most of his time with CMPD, he worked as an adjunct instructor, specializing in defensive tactics/subject control, firearms training, and use of force. He spent his last 5 years with the department as a full-time member of the training staff at the CMPD training academy, conducting training for both in-service officers as well as new recruits.

He was certified through the NC Justice Academy as a Specialized Firearms Instructor, Subject Control & Arrest Techniques Instructor. He is currently a certified firearms instructor through both the USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).

As a lifelong martial artist, Jon also has a strong background in unarmed combatives. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and works full-time as the owner & head instructor of Royce Gracie Academy of Lake Norman, where he teaches Jiu-jitsu to kids & adults alike, as well as teaching unarmed self defense classes to members of the community and defensive tactics for law enforcement officers & first responders.

Jon has a vast amount of teaching experience working with students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. He is always excited to share his passion for developing a warrior mindset, and enjoys watching students gain confidence as they learn to become a hard target, through their self defense skills, both armed and unarmed.

Years of family owned firearm instruction

Family Legacy

Acumen Tactical is a continuation of a family training legacy started by Jon’s father, Bob Plyler. Bob was a Vietnam veteran, and an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He was also a very accomplished firearms instructor. He was a Training Counselor with the NRA, earning instructors certifications in every course offered by the NRA at the time, and held the distinction of having earned the NRA’s Triple Distinguished Expert award, a commendation recognizing a high level of proficiency in pistol, rifle, & shotgun.

He founded his company, Acumen Arms in the mid-2000’s to help others achieve their goals in defensive, sport, & recreational shooting. Jon had the honor of assisting and co-teaching in several of his father’s classes, incorporating his background in law enforcement training and specialized skills in unarmed combatives. Several years after Bobs passing, Jon made the decision to start his own firearms training company, and as a tribute to his father’s legacy, he named it Acumen Tactical.

The name and concept “Acumen”, has several important meanings relevant to the responsible use and carry of firearms, and self defense. Synonyms for Acumen include-decisiveness, accuracy, judgement, insight, awareness, and discernment. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, it is “the ability to make good judgements and quick decisions”.

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About

Core Values

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We respect the value of all innocent human life, and believe in every individual’s right to be free from the unlawful and unjustified use or threat of force.

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We believe that every individual has, not only an inherent right to self defense, but also a responsibility to keep themselves and their loved ones free from harm.

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We take personal responsibility for our own safety, and that of our loved ones, with an understanding that we are our own first responders.

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We believe in every individual’s right to use reasonable force, when it necessary and prudent, to protect themselves or another person from the use or imminent use of force.

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We understand the value and necessity of training in all aspects of self defense, including both armed and unarmed self defense techniques and encounters.

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We understand that self defense and firearms skills are perishable, and that in order to develop the confidence and competence to use them effectively in a dynamic and stressful situation, they must be constantly reviewed and enhanced through regular, consistent, and realistic training.

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We vigorously support the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution, and respect the rights of all law abiding citizens of legal age and mental competence to arm themselves for protection as they best see fit.

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Understanding that violent encounters are unpredictable, we strongly encourage all individuals who choose to carry a weapon for self defense to carry it with them in a readily accessible manner at all times, whenever they are legally allowed to do so.

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We acknowledge that being armed and trained in self defense carries with it great responsibility; to that end, we understand the importance of maintaining a high degree of alertness and situational awareness at all times when in public, and maintaining a high level of readiness and physical fitness, should the need arise to defend ourselves or ourselves or our loved ones.

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Understanding that using force in self defense involved inherent physical, psychological, emotional, and legal risks, we believe that it is incumbent upon every responsibly armed citizen to make every possible effort to avoid confrontations and potentially dangerous situations, and to only use physical force when there are no other reasonable means available to safely avoid it, and to always use prudent judgment and good decision making to the best of their ability when encountering a potentially violent conflict.

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In both our daily life and in training, we will always maintain and prioritize safety, particularly when handling weapons, and will make every reasonable effort necessary to prevent minors, or others who are not legally allowed, or mentally competent to possess firearms or other dangerous weapons, from accessing them.

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Training

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