Principles of Ambush 19APR2025

Welcome to 2025 Small Unit Tactics series!

Principles of Ambush is the 4th installment of Monarch Defense’s small unit tactics series offered spring 2025. This curriculum was previously offered only to military students and in Special Purpose Rifle School, and after gathering customer feedback for several years, this year we aim to break up the curriculum into recurring once-a-month classes that will allow you more flexibility in scheduling.

This class will introduce students to modern tactical theory, field movement, leadership, teamwork, and the unique American fighting doctrine which was born of a hybrid of Native American and European fighting methods, and despite being codified by Robert Rogers in 1757, is still used and taught to this day.

Case in point, this highly condensed and efficient introductory class is exactly what our team of seasoned instructors compiled for and taught to the all-volunteer 47th Separate Battalion during the summer of 2022, which later became the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukraine Armed Forces who spearheaded the counteroffensive against Russian occupation during the summer of 2023. These were regular people just like you who made the decision to learn how to fight.

Those who study history find that there are cycles and patterns which repeat themselves, so if you understand history, you are able to predict and prepare for the future.

In 1775, the young United States was losing a war against the Great Britain, most powerful military in the world at the time, and turned to an expert military instructor from Prussia named Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben for help. The rag tag colonial militiamen had the heart to fight, but needed to learn teamwork and tactics. This training is what eventually lead to the defeat of Great Britain in 1783.

In 1937 China found itself invaded by a superior imperial Japanese army. The Chinese Communist Party Liberation Army managed to survive WW2 by the skin of it’s teeth, then went on to fight and win a civil war from 1945-1949, then fought the United States in direct combat in Korea in the 1950-1953, so by the time Ho Chi Minh, leader of North Vietnam turned to China for military aid during the Vietnam War from 1955-1975, Chinese advisors were well qualified to teach the north Vietnamese commoner how to fight and win against a technologically superior professional adversary. Leading to the defeat of the United States in 1975.

The Soviet Union, the largest country in the world, invaded and occupied Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, and for 10 years despite having an overwhelming advantage in technology and military might, were defeated by essentially peasants with some old rifles and the occasional shoulder fired anti aircraft missile. What was the secret to their success? American funded guerrilla training and tactics. So successful was this proxy war for the Americans, that it lead to the literal collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War.

Fast forward to 2001 and the United states made the same mistake as the USSR, attempting a military occupation of Afghanistan. Those same Afghans who defeated the USSR refused to be subjugated by the United States, the most powerful military in the world, and after 20 years of occupation, yet again in 2021, the bigger, more technologically advanced aggressor withdrew, admitted defeat. Do you see the pattern?

In each of these cases the underdog, a ragtag collection of laymen, is able to defeat a numerically and technologically superior adversary through discipline, tactics, simple weapons, and an understanding of combat theory.

If you understand that history repeats itself, then when will it be your turn to fight for your freedom, your sovereignty, your family, or your life against a superior adversary? When that time comes, would you rather find yourself scrambling to survive, or would you rather learn how to fight now, such that when the time comes you become the proverbial warrior in a garden, rather than the gardener in a war?

Following the theory lesson we will go out into the field to train and practice these skills in simulated stress with blank fire weapons, a real life human opposing force, and be able to debrief and do better.

The Small Unit Tactics Series consists of five 10 hour immersive classes that will give you a broad introduction to modern fighting tactics. This includes basic tactical theory, hand signals, casualty evacuation, leadership, mission planning, attack, defense, ambush, raid, night operations, and more! 

You can sign up for classes individually or purchase the entire package of 5 classes for an awesome deal. Each class is technical, detailed, and action packed. We offer a both a primary and an auxiliary date for Basic Tactical Fieldcraft, as this information is critical for safe and smooth advanced training later in the series.  If you can’t make a class you signed up for, simply email Brian at info@monarchdefense.org and we can credit you or reschedule you for a future date. 

2025 Small Unit Tactics Series dates:

Basic Tactical Fieldcraft, Saturday 18th of January, 2025.
Principles of Patrol, Saturday 15th of February, 2025.
Basic Tactical Fieldcraft, Sunday 9th of March, 2025.
Care Under Fire, Saturday 15th of March, 2025.
Principles of Ambush, Saturday 19th of April, 2025.
Principles of Raid, Saturday 17th of May, 2025.

Prerequisite:

You must have prior safe weapons handling experience. 

Location:

Our facility is in the mountains 1 hour east of San Jose, 1 hour south from Livermore. Detailed directions will be emailed to those who sign up.

Packing List:

Notebook and writing utensil, highly recommend Rite in the Rain 4″x6″ and a short wood pencil
1 gallon of water
Lunch and snacks
Boots
Wool socks
Extra socks wrapped in plastic bag
Backpack
Canteens or water bottles
Combat uniform such as US Army surplus Flame Resistant Army Combat Uniform (FRACU) which can be purchased on eBay for about $45 top and bottom
Boonie hat with foliage band
Gloves
5.56x45mm caliber rifle equipped with Boland FX Hollywood full load blank fire adapter (Email Brian to coordinate setting up your own weapon for blanks, or to borrow from the school)
Muzzle on blank adapted weapons must be painted bright yellow (school can provide you with a blank adapter and painted muzzle device)
5+ 30 round Magpul Pmags or STANAG magazines that are upgraded to Magpul yellow anti-tilt follower (email Brian to coordinate upgrading your magazines or borrowing from the school)
$80 for ammunition, or bring 200 rounds of live ammunition to trade for blanks and training grenades. Email Brian if you have questions and to coordinate. 
Tourniquet and IFAK (individual first aid kit) highly recommended
Night Vision if you have it
Helmet if you have it
Rifle rated body armor if you have it
Rifle cleaning kit with barrel cleaning rod, oil, rag, toothbrush, and star chamber brush

How can I contact the organizer with my questions?

Brian Wang is the event organizer. He can be reached at 408-892-5460 or info@monarchdefense.org

What is the refund policy? We do not issue refunds. Instead, we offer an open reschedule policy. Notify us by email to info@monarchdefense.org within 1 hour before class starts, and we will happily apply your full tuition credit towards a future event or class. You must use your tuition credit within 1 calendar year.