SCARS

What SCARS does

SCARS (Special Combat Aggressive Reactionary Systems) is a Wyoming-incorporated combat and self-defense training company founded by Jerry Peterson in 1988 under contract with US Naval Special Warfare Command. The firm developed and licenses a proprietary, science-based methodology integrating physics, psychology, and applied geometry to human function under stress, validated by a Naval Postgraduate School study showing 50% faster decision-making under stress. Its intellectual property is anchored by 35,000+ research hours, multiple registered trademarks (SCARS®, SCARS Offensive Mindset®, Autokinematics™), the first official US Department of Defense course designation for a combat fighting system (DOD Course K-431-0096), and POST approval for its PACT law enforcement program (#0005160).

The product portfolio spans live 3-day seminars in Knoxville, TN; an online Virtual Training Center with 1,000+ lessons on a $24/month subscription; the SCARS Elite annual membership at $5,000/year with quarterly events; DVD/CD training packages sold through an e-commerce storefront; private on-location training for corporate and VIP clients; and licensing of military and law enforcement programs. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and a freemium trial funnel, supplemented by high-touch private training and government/commercial consulting engagements. The company operates with 1-10 employees, with only Jerry and Blake Peterson licensed to teach SCARS publicly.

The business model combines subscription recurring revenue ($24-$199/month tiers), high-margin annual Elite memberships ($5,000/year), one-time DVD purchases, and professional services revenue from private training and government security consulting. Customer segments include US Military Special Operations (historically Navy SEALs), law enforcement departments, corporate executive protection teams, private security contractors, and civilian consumers of self-defense training. Operations have spanned the US, Iraq, and Pakistan, with global claims via the online platform.

Name

SCARS

Legal name

SCARS UNLIMITED L.L.C.

Website

https://scars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SCARS (Special Combat Aggressive Reactionary Systems) is a Wyoming-based, privately held combat and self-defense training company founded by Jerry Peterson in 1988 for the US Navy SEALs. It licenses a proprietary physics/psychology-based methodology to military, law enforcement, corporate security, and civilian customers via seminars, subscriptions, and DVDs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Combat & Self-Defense Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services (56161)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Reality-Based Self-Defense Programs (Krav Maga, Combatives) (HSADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Law Enforcement / Military / Security Defensive Tactics Training (HSADADAI), Firearms, Range Safety & Less-Lethal Weapons Training (EDAOAMAN), Security Risk Assessment, Auditing & Security Consulting Training (BPAKAOAH)

Keywords

• Combat fighting training
• Self-defense seminars
• Law enforcement tactics
• Military combat training
• Tactical defense programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Online Subscription / Virtual Training: Monthly subscription at $24/month providing 24/7 access to the SCARS training video library (1,000+ lessons) from any device. Cancel anytime with no obligation. Subscribers can select from recurring rate tiers ($24-$199/month) that determine daily video access limits (25-50 videos/day) and accumulate credits toward live seminar attendance.
2. SCARS Elite Annual Membership: $5,000/year membership offering 4 three-day training events per year, virtual training center access ($468/year value), free Elite training shirts, advanced training content, and direct access to founders Jerry and Blake Peterson. Includes prorated joining for qualified seminar attendees.
3. DVD/CD Training Packages: One-time purchase of physical or digital video training packages including the Extreme Starter Combat Fighting Series, Women's Survival Series, Knife & Club Elimination, Total Pro-Firearm Disarmament Pack, Counter Ground Fighting Series, and comprehensive bundles. Prices vary by package.
4. Live Seminars: 3-day in-person seminars hosted in Knoxville, Tennessee. Separate men's and women's events. Separate men's seminar listed with limited spots (8 remaining for October 2026 event). Original event rate was $5,000.
5. Private Training Services: Customized 1-on-1 and small-group training delivered at customer-specified locations. Programs include non-lethal/lethal hand-to-weapon, counter-carjacking, tactical pistol/rifle, counter-kidnapping, and personal security team training. Base daily rate for instructor plus training assistant.
6. Corporate/Government Security Consulting: Executive-level security oversight and force protection consulting services. Includes compliance consulting for physical security upgrades, security team training program development and implementation, and documentation system design. Delivered to government contractors and international corporations in high-risk areas.
7. Military/Law Enforcement Licensing: Licensing of proprietary SCARS training programs to US Military Special Operations branches (Air Force, Army, Navy) and Law Enforcement agencies. The original 600-hour program was licensed to the US Navy SEALs as a subject matter expert hand-to-weapon school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SCARS is a science-based combat fighting training company founded in 1987/1988 by Jerry Peterson that delivers 3-day live men's and women's seminars, an Elite Membership and Virtual Training Center online subscription, DVD/CD training packages, the Combat Target Chart, private 1-on-1 instruction, corporate training programs, and the specialized PACT (law enforcement) and Mil-SCARS-CFC (military) curricula. All training is built on the proprietary Autokinematics™ methodology and the SCARS Offensive Mindset combat psychology framework.

Product overview

SCARS (Special Combat Aggressive Reactionary Systems) is a science-based combat and survival training system developed from over 35,000 hours of research in physics, psychology, and applied geometry. The company offers a multi-format training portfolio consisting of: live seminars (3-Day Men's and Women's Seminars); digital/video training packages (Extreme Starter Series, Women's Survival Series, Firearm Disarmament, Knife & Club Elimination, Ground Fighting Counter Series, Lethal Hand to Hand, Extreme Travel Safety); specialized programs (PACT for law enforcement, Mil-SCARS-CFC for military, Corporate Training, Private Training); membership programs (SCARS Elite with quarterly events, Virtual Training Center with 24/7 online access); and audio programs (Building Blocks of a Fearless Life, Peterson's Dominant Process System). Training is delivered via DVDs, online streaming, live events in Knoxville TN, and private instruction. The system was originally licensed to US Navy SEALs and focuses on threat elimination rather than traditional self-defense, using an offensive mindset to achieve 50% faster decision-making under stress.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PACT (Positive Assertive Control Tactics): Law enforcement training program approved by POST (#0005160) dealing with both lethal and non-lethal application.

Products and services

• Men's 3-Day SCARS Seminar A live, 3-day intensive combat fighting seminar priced at $1,295 per attendee, built on the proprietary Autokinematics™ science-based methodology, designed for individual civilian men seeking personal self-defense capability.
• Women's 3-Day SCARS Seminar A live, 3-day intensive combat fighting seminar priced at $1,295 per attendee, built on Autokinematics™ and tailored for individual civilian women seeking personal self-defense capability.
• SCARS Elite Membership A subscription-based membership ($59/month or $599/year) that provides ongoing access to SCARS training content and updates for individual members seeking continuous combatives development.
• SCARS Virtual Training Center An online streaming/subscription portal priced at $24.95/month that delivers ongoing SCARS combatives training content to individual subscribers for at-home practice and skill development.
• SCARS Combat Target Chart A physical Combat Target Chart training aid sold for $24.95 that allows individual trainees to practice SCARS combatives techniques and target identification at home.
• SCARS DVD/CD Training Packages A line of DVD/CD home-study training packages that deliver SCARS combatives instruction to individual consumers who prefer physical media for at-home learning.
• Private Training On-site 1-on-1 SCARS combatives instruction delivered privately to individuals or small groups seeking personalized combat training.
• Corporate Training Programs Customized on-site group SCARS combatives training programs sold to corporate clients, including corporate security teams and executive protection personnel.
• PACT (Positive Assertive Control Tactics) A dedicated law enforcement training program (priced from $295) covering defensive tactics, officer safety, and Positive Assertive Control Tactics, sold to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and police academies.
• Mil-SCARS-CFC (Military Combat Fighting Course) A SCARS military combat fighting course delivered under contract to US military units (including Navy special operations), providing close-quarters combatives training grounded in Autokinematics™.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% faster at making correct decisions under stress — proven by Naval Postgraduate School scientific study
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and flagship/foundational.

• US Law Enforcement (via PACT program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006After completing the SCARS project with the Navy, Jerry and Blake Peterson developed P.A.C.T. (Positive Assertive Control Tactics) in the mid-1990s, a POST-approved (#0005160) law enforcement training program covering both lethal and non-lethal application. The program has been implemented across law enforcement departments seeking certification as PACT trainers.
• Homeland Intelligence Technologies, Inc. (HITI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006From 2006-2015, Blake Peterson and Jerry Peterson provided force protection subject matter expertise and executive-level security oversight services to HITI for F-16 program security at Balad AFB (Iraq) and Shahbaz AFB (Pakistan). Services included physical security compliance consulting, complete Iraqi Air Force security team training program development, F-16 technology security documentation systems, and NDPC standards compliance. R.S. Trela, CEO of HITI, provided a formal letter of recommendation for SCARS Unlimited, LLC.
• Iraqi Air Force (IAF)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Complete IAF F-16 technical security team training program development and implementation. This included establishing divisions for planning, recruiting, NDPC-compliant security drill and training centers, equipment procurement, security operations, quality control, and personnel graduations. Training covered weapons storage areas, avionics, COMSEC, flight-line, F-16 hangers, and missile storage.
• Balad AFB, Iraq and Shahbaz AFB, PakistanmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Security compliance consulting for physical security upgrades including perimeter fencing, Entry Control Points, vehicle barriers, t-walls, perimeter lighting, biometrics, fencing upgrades, bomb detectors, canine operations, backup generators, cameras, motion sensors, truck scanners, metal detectors, and personnel screening to meet National Disclosure Policy Committee standards for F-16 technology protection.
• US Naval Postgraduate SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006LCDR conducted an empirical scientific study of the SCARS Offensive Mindset at the Naval Postgraduate School. The study provided data-driven validation of the mental command process, proving through scientific methodology that SCARS makes practitioners 50% faster at making correct decisions under stress.
• US Military Special Operations Forces (Army, Air Force, Navy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002The SCARS 300-hour Train the Trainer Program was open to all US Military special operations branches — Air Force, Army, and Navy. Marines were excluded under the US Army Special Forces Act. The program produced approximately 300 in-house experts across these branches. SCARS was also developed for Special Boat Units (SBU). By 2012, active duty soldiers deployed overseas were still being taught SCARS by Navy SEALs attached to their units.
• US Department of Defense / US Naval Special Warfare Commandflagship/foundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Jerry Peterson was tasked by the US Navy SEALs to develop SCARS as a complete hand-to-weapon combat system. The 600-hour program was licensed to the DOD as a subject matter expert school. SCARS underwent 5 years of scientific validation by a team of scientists and doctors before becoming the first combat fighting system officially approved by US Naval Special Warfare Command, receiving official DOD course number K-431-0096. 300 in-house experts (approx. 1 in 10 Navy SEALs) were trained through the 300-hour Train the Trainer program. Letters from Navy Rear Admirals confirm SCARS was still officially taught within the Navy SEALs up until 2002.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• BlackBeltMagazine.com / Active Interest Media (self-defense vertical): Black Belt Magazine is the leading editorial channel for martial arts and reality-based self-defense training and has covered SCARS directly. Included as an ecosystem participant and content-marketing channel rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• ShivWorks (Craig Douglas): ShivWorks develops the "ECQC" and "Extreme Close Quarter Concepts" reality-based combatives curriculum widely used by law enforcement and armed citizens. A direct peer to SCARS in offering EDW-focused, science-influenced combatives training with strong LE credibility.
• Krav Maga Worldwide: Krav Maga Worldwide is the leading reality-based self-defense system with global instructor certification and consumer/DT/LE programs. Directly comparable to SCARS as a flagship reality-based combatives brand competing for the same civilian, law enforcement, and military training budgets.
• Suarez International: Suarez International provides firearms, combatives, and force-on-force training for civilians, law enforcement, and military personnel with a strong emphasis on warrior science. Comparable to SCARS in offering integrated self-defense/firearms curricula and instructor-led live events to armed-citizen and LE markets.
• Tony Blauer Tactical Systems: Tony Blauer Tactical Systems pioneered the "Blauer Tactical Systems" approach to combatives and fear-based encounter training, with documented law enforcement and military adoption. Comparable to SCARS in combining fear-response science, combatives instruction, and institutional (LE/military) training programs.
• Centrifuge Training (Centrifuge Self-Defense): Centrifuge Training delivers live reality-based self-defense seminars and workshops (often in partnership with other combatives schools) to civilian and LE audiences. Comparable to SCARS in relying primarily on live, immersion-style seminars to convert and retain students.
• Fit to Fight: Fit to Fight delivers reality-based self-defense seminars and instructor certification built on applied combatives principles. Comparable to SCARS as a small, founder-led reality-based self-defense brand monetizing live seminars, online content, and instructor programs.
• Academy of Combative Arts (Combative Arts): Combative Arts offers modern combatives training systems (including ground defense and weapon defense) for civilians and professionals. Comparable to SCARS as a niche reality-based self-defense brand focused on full-spectrum threat response.
• Systema (Russian Martial Art): Systema is a Russian-origin martial art emphasizing natural movement, breathing, and relaxation under stress, with global seminars and online training. A direct competitor in the premium reality-based self-defense seminar market targeting civilians, military, and LE personnel.
• ALIVE Program / Modern Combatives: ALIVE Program teaches an integrated combatives curriculum covering stand-up, ground, and weapons defense, with strong law enforcement adoption. Comparable to SCARS as a structured, multi-threat self-defense system with documented LE use.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SCARSInstitute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SCARS