About
Harris Combative Strategies
Welcome to Harris Combative Strategies. We offer a diverse curriculum of personal defense training with basic to advanced-level instruction on several firearm platforms, edged weapons, empty-hand skills, and emergency first aid. Based in the Chattanooga area, Harris Combative locally serves all of middle and east Tennessee as well as northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Founder and lead trainer Randy Harris is a longtime serious student and teacher of defensive pistolcraft and integrated combative techniques. His pedigree includes extensive study with renowned trainers like Gabe Suarez (Suarez International), Tom Givens (Rangemaster), Craig Douglas (Shivworks) and Tom Sotis (AMOK) and attending specialized shooting schools like the Rogers Shooting School and Gabe White’s Pistol Shooting Solutions class. He now shares this expertise with broader communities through Harris Combative Strategies.
Founder, Randy Harris
Randy Harris is a highly-accomplished civilian firearms trainer with over 20 years’ experience in the field. He holds instructor certifications from Rangemaster, Suarez International, the National Rifle Association, and the State of Tennessee. He began his career teaching Handgun Carry Permit classes for the state of TN in 1999. From 2005 to 2020 he served as a Tier 1 Staff Instructor for Suarez International travelling all over the United States teaching everything from their basic to most advanced level classes.
He has spent the majority of his adult life training in various martial pursuits seeking out subject matter experts to train with and apprentice under. He has participated in the National Tactical Invitational and is a multi-time presenter at the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. Randy is an IDPA Master Class shooter in six divisions, competing in State, National and World level matches using the gear he carries on the street. He is one of only four people to hold both the Red Pin from the Rogers Shooting School and a Turbo Pin from Gabe White’s Pistol Shooting Solutions class.
Randy is able to share his extensive knowledge and experience from over 2 decades of carrying concealed weapons in public and an extensive training and teaching resume. Not only is he able to teach students how to win the fight, but when to fight and how to avoid it if possible. He spent several years in college working the door at a night club where he gained practical experience and insight into not only how to end fights quickly, but how to use verbal skills and body language to diffuse situations and avoid them. He now offers classes under the Harris Combative banner.
“I combine real world civilian experience in interpersonal conflict, 20+ years of experience in teaching people to shoot, fight and THINK combined with Master class shooting skills and a verifiable resume of continuing education and high-level shooting performance. If you are looking for a class to put you on the path to mastery of the martial skills or simply to take a class that actually teaches you how to employ your pistol against the likely threats you would really face on the street this class is what you are looking for.”
– Randy Harris