Massad F. Ayoob (born July 20, 1948) is an American firearms, self-defense instructor and security advisor. He has taught police techniques and civilian

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...

to both law enforcement officers and private citizens since 1974. He was the director of the Lethal Force Institute in

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 43,976, making it the List of municipalities ...

, from 1981 to 2009, and now operates his own company. Ayoob has appeared as an

expert witness An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...

in several trials. He served as a part-time police officer in New Hampshire since 1972 and retired in 2017 with the rank of captain from the

Grantham Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...

police department in New Hampshire. On September 30, 2020, Ayoob was named president of the Second Amendment Foundation.

Career

Ayoob has authored several books and more than 1,000 articles on firearms, combat techniques, self-defense, and legal issues, and has served in an editorial capacity for ''

Guns Magazine ''Guns'' is a magazine dedicated to firearms, hunting, competition shooting, reloading, and other shooting-related activities in the United States. First published in 1955, it is one of the oldest periodicals about firearms in continuous public ...

'', '' American Handgunner'', ''Gun Week'', ''

Guns & Ammo ''Guns & Ammo'' is a magazine dedicated to firearms, hunting, competitive shooting, reloading, and other shooting-related activities in the United States. Content and Circulation The magazine offers reviews on firearms, ammunition, optics an ...

'' and ''Combat Handguns''. Since 1995, he has written self-defense and firearms related articles for '' Backwoods Home Magazine''. He has a featured segment on the television show ''Personal Defense TV'', which is broadcast on the Sportsman Channel in the US. Ayoob has appeared in the courtroom as a testifying police officer, expert witness, and police prosecutor. Ayoob is believed to be the only non-attorney to serve as Vice Chairman of the Forensic Evidence Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), a position he formerly held. His course for attorneys, titled "The Management of the Lethal Force/Deadly Weapons Case", was, according to Jeffrey Weiner: "the best course for everything you need to know but are never taught in law school." Ayoob has designed two tactical knives; in 1998 a sheath knife for ''Master of Defense'' (currently Blackhawk), and in 2001 a folding knife for

Spyderco Spyderco is an American cutlery company based in Golden, Colorado, producing knives and knife sharpeners. Spyderco pioneered many features that are now common in folding knives, including the pocket clip, serrations, and the opening hole. Spyder ...

Personal life

Ayoob is of

Syrian Syrians () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

descent. His grandparents emigrated to North America in the latter part of the 19th century.Reflections on the Immediate Past Presidency
. February 20, 2009. "Being the grandson of Arab-Americans who emigrated to this country more than 110 years ago..."

Publications

Books

Videos

Podcasts

Ayoob hosts the ProArms Podcast.

References

External links

Massad Ayoob Group

Personal Defense TV Season V
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayoob, Massad 1948 births American columnists American magazine staff writers American municipal police officers American male non-fiction writers American people of Syrian descent Firearm training Gun writers Living people Law enforcement officials from New Hampshire People from Grantham, New Hampshire Writers from New Hampshire 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers