Gabriel Suarez is a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy and owner of Suarez International, a company that provides training in weapons, tactics and combat.  Gabriel Suarez is the author of seven books on tactics and firearms: Tactical Pistol Marksmanship: How to Improve Your Combat Shooting Skills; Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics; The Combative Perspective: The Thinking Man's Guide to Self-Defense; Tactical Pistol: Advanced Gunfighting Concepts And Techniques; Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat; Tactical Rifle: The Precision Tool For Urban Police Operations; and, Force on Force Gunfight Training: The Interactive Reality-based Solution.

According to Gabriel Suarez, “Today the training I offer is a concepts-based, aggressive approach to gunfighting. I’ve taught this system all over the United States, as well as in Europe, Central America, and Africa. The training involves some range work, but it also incorporates hand-to-hand combat and a good bit of interactive training (force-on-force). This eclectic method of training makes some traditional shooting teachers very uncomfortable, but progress sometimes does that to people. I’m not so concerned with fitting into a certain methodology as I am with accomplishing the mission of winning the fight.”

According to the book description of The Combative Perspective: The Thinking Man's Guide to Self-Defense, “If you want to win, and not just survive, in a fight for your life, mind-set is at least as critical as tactics. Here Suarez shows how desire for victory, elimination of uncertainty, situational awareness and willingness to act can give you the mental edge. The perfect companion to Cooper's classic Principles of Personal Defense.”

One reader of The Combative Perspective: The Thinking Man's Guide to Self-Defense said, “Having been a small arms and tactics instructor for a number of years now and always a student to the martial arts, I highly recommend this book. It is truly a landmark book that is written with a hard hitting yet effective and efficient style that anyone can read and learn from. But more importantly than just learn from, but live by.

The more a student of personal protection learns and develops the more they realize that it is not the gun or the knife, etc but the mind that is the final weapon. Mindset is the most important element in a fight. Mr. Suarez explains this in terms that are most enlightening. I have personally lent my copy of this book to a number of soldiers who are deploying to Iraq, street cops, students of martial arts, and everyday house wives. All simply say, that this book is an important part of their development by letting them see their strength and weaknesses. They all agree that by reading this book they have a deeper understanding of what it takes to not only survive but to win. That is an important difference. This is one of the only books I own that I read on a regular basis to ensure I am "getting my mind right.”

One reader of The Combative Perspective: The Thinking Man's Guide to Self-Defense said, “Gabe Suarez, the author of this book is a renowned shooting and tactics instructor. In his former career as a SWAT team member, he has participated in numerous fights and several shooting incidents (I believe the exact number is four shootings).

This book is similar to Principles of personal defense by Jeff Cooper. In this book, Suarez handles the mental aspects of fighting, based on his personal experiences and those of his trainees. Rather than instructing how to use weapons the most efficient way, he tries to explain how the mind works in a life-threatening situation. Instead of tactics, you'll learn how the fear and stress change your performance, and how to prepare for a potentially lethal encounter.

Suarez advocates aggressive response to a threat, and man's right to defend himself even with lethal force, if necessary. The instruction he gives in the book fall into the same category, and his attitude is that unless you want to do things the way he instructs, it's the same as hiding your head into sand hoping the adversary does not attack you. As in other books by Suarez, his way is the only way to conduct business. I'm not arguing the facts, and he definitely has more combat experience than I do, but I dislike the way he forces his opinions to the readers. On the other hand, if man has proved his views correct in multiple gunfights, that may have a reinforcing effect on your outlook.

According to the book description of Tactical Pistol Marksmanship: How to Improve Your Combat Shooting Skills, “Best-selling author Gabe Suarez provides a graduate-level course in shooting with lightning speed and dead on target during the intensity of an actual gun battle. In Tactical Pistol Marksmanship, Suarez revisits some of the topics in the classic book The Tactical Pistol and presents even more gun-handling techniques, different twists on basic skills and unique tricks to help fine-tune how you aim and fire a gun under stress. Just some of the topics he covers are the primary requirements for the ideal service pistol according to combat vets; the rule of thumb for choosing a serious combat caliber; the 4 most important fundamentals of combat marksmanship; secrets to shooting in extremely low light situations when even tritium sights are of no use; the solutions to emergency failure-to-stop situations; and practical drills you can perform safely at home.”

The things discussed in the book are not new, as almost every book devoted to self defense shooting has at least a chapter on mental issues. However, this book gives the most complete treatment of the subject I have read. It's sad that Suarez has such one-sided approach to the subject. However, with it's flaws, this book is definitely recommended reading to anyone who is interested in self defense.”

One reader of Tactical Pistol Marksmanship: How to Improve Your Combat Shooting Skills, “This is a very good and useful book. It really is. If you are a pistol shooter and you are not shooting to your potential and you can tell yourself, though painful as it may be (we are guys after all) that you need to improve, and that you believe the fundamentals of shooting are the foundation of advancing your skill then this book will help you. If you're like the average guy I see at the gun range who "knows it all" and is just interested in piling a lot of brass on the range floor then this book will not help you at all.

If police academies taught the fundamentals of tactical marksmanship the way Gabe presents it in his book then they are getting some really good initial training that could very well save their life. The problem with this book is that it concentrates on the basics of not only marksmanship but practical tactics that can make you a really good and effective shooter but people don't want to do the leg work any more, they want to skip right to advanced techniques that couldn't be executed without having a strong foundation anyway. Then what they ultimately miss out is what this book really does well. It takes you from the basics of marksman ship and fundamental tactics and molds you to a practitioner of a useful skill. It's not the end of your training but part of it. There are so many books and videos out there that promise you what Suarez delivers for a few dollars.

My shooting was frustrating me. I reached a plateau and wasn't improving. I wasn't able to attend a shooting school and I seemed to have more empty casings than holes in my targets. I have had pistol training in the past but it was forgotten and I was just relearning bad habits. The book takes you through the necessary steps you need to make you better and more effective. It is that simple. It is concise, well written, it teaches concepts that are easy to grasp and no matter how good you shoot I would bet that you would be even better after reading and practicing what is taught. I was able to make the jump from practicing a lot to practicing more perfectly a lot. There is a huge difference. My shooting has improved immensely from this study. When I feel I am starting to slip I either re-read it or review the appropriate chapters. I am a better shooter because of it. It is that simple. I still need to learn, I still need to continue to dry fire and then go to the range and validate my practice but I am a better shooter. This book has really motivated me to improve even more. That's what you will get from this book.”

One reader of Tactical Pistol Marksmanship: How to Improve Your Combat Shooting Skills, “Gabriel Suarez is one of the best known authors on tactics and shooting, and for a reason. As with other books by Suarez, this book is written in clear and easy to read style, and the book is filled with photographs to add to the clarity of the text. Sadly, most of the photos are a bit too dark, or the lighting is bad (strong light coming directly from the side, for example). However, the pictures are clear enough to see what they are depicting.

Suarez starts with a brief history of combat handguns and combat handgunning. Then he proceeds to weapon and ammo selection, and he also touches the subjects of accessories. These chapters are short however, and you just can't make a selection on proper defensive ammunition, for example, by just reading three pages. Suarez gives a few valuable pointers on what to take into consideration when choosing proper gear, however.

Next Suarez addresses the basics of handgun shooting: the grip, stance, loading and unloading the gun, proper sight picture, and safety rules. After the basics he advances to ready positions, tactical and speed reloads and so on. Interestingly, he is not as strict in his opinions as he used to be. These chapters contain some ideas that are very interesting and were new to me.

The next few chapters are what sets this book apart from most: Suarez gives detailed training program to improve your accuracy and speed. He also advises that you don't have to spend vast amount of money on training ammo, as majority of training can be conducted as dry practice. Besides, quality beats quantity anyway. This section is worth the price of the book alone. At the end Suarez tells "the truth about point shooting", and answers to some frequently asked questions. The question of point shooting seems to be a hard one, as Suarez defends aimed fire by giving what seems to be almost the same rationale as point shooters use when defending their point of view.”

According to the book description of Tactical Rifle: The Precision Tool For Urban Police Operations, “In a highly publicized February 1997 shootout, two rifle-wielding thugs managed to outgun LAPD officers armed only with handguns after a botched North Hollywood bank robbery. It was not until responding SWAT officers armed with rifles arrived on the scene that the suspects were finally neutralized, but not without police casualties. Though not the first incidence of police officers being outmatched by criminals' superior firepower, this one was pivotal in bringing about a serious re-examination of the use of the rifle for urban law enforcement. In this book, Gabriel Suarez, founder and senior tactical instructor of his department's Tactical Rifle Team, exposes the myths that have long kept the rifle from being considered for use in urban policing. In addition, he details the many advantages the rifle affords the inner city police officer or SWAT operator in a wide range of deployment situations and presents innovative techniques that are replacing the "traditional" ones among agencies that have adopted the rifle. As we progress into the 21st century, the rifle is likely to become an increasingly integral part of the police officer's tool bag. This book will serve as a valuable guide to police tactical riflemen, making their jobs easier and safer as they make the criminal's job more difficult and hazardous.”

One reader of Tactical Rifle: The Precision Tool For Urban Police Operations said, “As a new owner of an AR15 rifle I was looking for a book that gave me the needed training necessary to be a responsible owner. I've purchased four books on the topic, this is by far the best. His easy to understand writing style and illustrated pictures are very clear. It's the next best thing to a hands-on course. Get this book first, you may not need anymore.”

One reader of Tactical Rifle: The Precision Tool For Urban Police Operations said, “I am state certified as an assault weapons instructor and have been tasked with building a patrol rifle team. We utilize semi-auto .223 rifles in selected patrol vehicles. I have used the book in many training exercises. It is easy to read and addresses police tactics rather that military combat tactics which are different. It covers many unusual shooting positions and carry positions. An absolute must read for any Police rifle instructor. Everything is demonstrated with numerous photos. Buy the book, its well worth the money.”

Tactical Rifle The Precision Tool For Urban Police Gabriel Suarez  More Info The Combative Perspective: The Thinking Man's Guide to Self-Defense Gabriel Suarez  More Info Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat Gabriel Suarez  More Info Force-On-Force Gunfight Training: The Interactive, Reality-Based Solution Gabriel Suarez  More Info Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics Gabriel Suarez  More Info Tactical Pistol Marksmanship: How to Improve Your Combat Shooting Skills Gabriel Suarez  More Info Tactical Pistol: Advanced Gunfighting Concepts And Techniques Gabriel Suarez  More Info

According to the book description of Force on Force Gunfight Training: The Interactive Reality-based Solution, “Move beyond the static square range and into the world of intense interactive training with replica firearms against live human adversaries under real-world conditions. This type of training not only accustoms you to what a human being (as opposed to a paper target) looks like in your gun sights, it gets you used to maneuvering around an adversary and lends a powerful sense of reality to what has previously been a technical exercise. Internationally acclaimed combat shooting instructor Gabriel Suarez shows why such training is essential to the complete development of the gunfighter. In addition, he tells you how to implement it, presenting specific drills and scenarios and addressing role-playing, levels of simulation, ranges of conflict, use of cover, the angular search, hostile-contact procedures and low-light considerations, as well as safety issues and equipment concerns.”

One reader of Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat said, “This is the second book in Gabriel Suarez's tactical series and like his others it is very readable and flows nicely. He is one of the few gun scribes who knows how to write logically and more importantly succinctly. His paragraphs flow together well and his composition works. This is rare with gun writers who seem to drone on endlessly introducing material. I have never met the author but I noticed how much my pistol shooting improved after reading his first book and how much it helped me when I attended a shooting school (not Suarez's program) last year so I purchased this book since my knowledge of the shotgun is limited.

I got a lot out of this book. I subscribe to the school that books on tactics should have more information on the basics of techniques and espouse the merits of repetition through "perfect practice" than promising you some ultimate "response" techniques that will never come to fruition. This is why I like Suarez's books. He adroitly knows how to give a thorough definition of the techniques with some reasonable example of why they work. There is no "high speed low drag" with his text, though to be honest, I don't even know what that statement means but I get nauseated every time I hear it.

The chapters are broken down into small, right-to-the-point paragraphs and are presented in a logical order: Intro, Safety, Ammo, Carry methods, etc. There are plenty of B&W photos and my only criticism is that I would have preferred more sequential photos showing the techniques in more detail than what is presented. Gabe's Tactical Pistol book does a better job of doing that, especially on the draw or carry techniques.

In my opinion this book is excellent for someone who needs a good, tactical introduction to the shotgun and good as a refresher to someone already trained in the shotgun. Some of the reviews I have read here are repeated synopsis of Mr. Suarez's other books and to be honest, not much thought to the actual text seems to be reported.

The bottom line is that there a lot of good, basic information you can learn from this book and that is what I liked. Suarez never promises you that you will become a super stealth operator from reading his books. What he does promise is that by learning the fundamentals and by practicing them until they are engrained in your muscle memory, it will increase your chance of surviving a gunfight. That is good enough for me. I recommend this book.”

According to the book description of Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat, “In his second book on tactical weapons, Suarez sets the record straight on the true role of the shotgun in combat. He shows you what you need to know to defend your home, family or business, including multiple hostiles, low-light situations, moving targets and more.”

One reader of Tactical Shotgun: The Best Techniques And Tactics For Employing The Shotgun In Personal Combat said, “As a Federal LEO, I can safely say that I have seen a lot of firearms training and Gabe is in the league of Master Trainers. He tells it like it is in this book and doesn't paint gunfighting with the rose colored glasses that cloud this sometimes PC topic. Gabe's techniques work and they work in the real world. I have used them on duty and they are far better than what is being taught at many of the so called high speed low drag schools.

Gabe teaches Gunfighting, not shooting. real gunfights are violent and while violence seems to offend some of the more timid readers, it is reality and anyone that is carrying a gun has a responsibility to be trained in its use. This book is a big step toward that training. Unlike many of his detractors, Gabe has actually been in gunfights and won. He knows what happens when it is time to sling lead and he knows how to win. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in using a firearm for self defense.”

According to the book description of Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics, “Read this book and learn the combat-proven techniques big-city cops use to stay alive and effective when the bullets start flying. Maintain the tactical advantage in any situation by knowing how to search buildings for armed intruders, use cover and concealment, maintain proper distance intervals and much more.”

One reader of Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics said, “Gabriel Suarez is a big city copy who trained under the famous Jeff Cooper.  As such, you will see a lot of Cooper in this book, but it is a great book for the advanced student.   Beginners can get a preview of the skills that are going to be required to become truly competent with your firearm for self-defense.  Lots of coverage on building searches with good sections on tactical movement, reduced lighting situations and weapons retention techniques.”

One reader of Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics said, “Gabe Suarez was awarded the Medal of Honor as a police officer, has studied under Jeff Cooper and is an accomplished instructor in his own right. Better still, for us --the shooter trying to better himself-- Gabe is a good author. This book is *information* from beginning to end. You will have difficulty finding another book that graphically illustrates the methods used by professionals when "clearing" a home or apartment. This book does just that and that information, alone, would make it a "best buy." Also covered are the proper use of cover and concealment and operating in reduced light among other topics. Gabe Suarez, however, goes further and explains various methods of controlling your firearm in a struggle and its effective use in close-quarter defense. This book is one of the few that describes how to handle those situations where you do NOT have to shoot, which make up a majority of home encounters. The individual who carries a firearm as a part of his profession or for personal defense will find enough of value in this book to warrant its purchase. In addition, Gabe explains and illustrates proper tactics for teams that, even if you do not use them in your profession, will be informative -- and entertaining when you see it done so poorly in the movies and on TV. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to "The Gun Guy" readers.”