Meet Lora
I'm Lora Thorson, a wife, mom, firearms instructor, and host of the Defenders LIVE podcast.
I'm an instructor with Defenders USA and a Brand Ambassador for Heckler & Koch and PHLster. I've spent years training, teaching, and learning from people who have challenged me to become better at what I do.
I started Defenders LIVE in 2022 because I wanted to have conversations with people I could learn from and share those conversations with others. Over time, those conversations have expanded into so many areas of life that I'm passionate about, including faith, fitness, relationships, mindset, and personal growth.
I'm also the creator of Fully Armed, a five-phase course that brings together much of what I've learned about becoming more confident, capable, and intentional in how we live and carry.
I love learning, asking questions, challenging myself, and sharing what I discover along the way. And I hope that something I share encourages you to discover what you're capable of, too.
My Story
When I first started firearms training a decade ago, I was motivated by fear. Fear of what could happen and whether I'd be capable of handling myself if something went wrong.
Training gave me a way to do something about that fear. I wanted to develop the skills and confidence to protect myself and the people I love.
But over time, I began to understand that my ability to handle myself wasn't tied solely to the firearm I carried. It had just as much to do with who I was as a person.
That understanding didn't come from one big breakthrough. It happened slowly, piece by piece.
Through the instructors and peers I learned from, the experiences that challenged me, and a willingness to take a cold, honest look at myself, I began recognizing both my strengths and weaknesses. I started questioning things I'd believed about myself for years and intentionally moving toward things that scared me rather than staying comfortable.
The more I learned, the more I realized how much there was left to discover.
Today, I believe readiness and preparedness are built through many disciplines working together. Firearms training and practical defensive skills are incredibly important, but so are emotional control, physical capability, faith, decision-making, and personal responsibility.
And sometimes, the greatest discipline is developed in the smallest, most personal choices we make when nobody is watching. Those choices reveal our character and shape who we become.
That understanding eventually inspired me to create Fully Armed, a course built around the belief that preparedness develops from the inside out.
I'm still learning, questioning, and challenging myself. I don't believe growth happens overnight or that we ever reach a point where there's nothing left to improve. But I do believe that with time, curiosity, and intentional effort, we can become far more capable than we once thought possible.
Training & Experience
I've invested more than 800 hours in formal training, learning from instructors across the country in firearms, defensive tactics, decision-making, and related disciplines.
I'm an instructor with Defenders USA, where I have the opportunity to help students develop practical skills and become more confident in their abilities. I take that responsibility seriously, and I continue investing in my own education because I believe there's always more to learn.
Certified Credentials
• NRA Handgun Instructor
• NRA Range Safety Officer
• The Complete Combatant – Deliberate Coaching
• ASP (Active Self Protection) Instructor
• Former USCCA Instructor
Medical Training
• Stop the Bleed
• CPR
• Mass Casualty Emergency Medical Training
Trainers I’ve Learned From…
Defenders USA – Adam Winch
Fighting Handgun Concepts · Fighting Rifle Applications · Low Light/No Light Training · Single & Multiple Operator · Small Unit Tactics · Defenders University · Structure Clearing, Hostage Rescue, OPFOR, Active Killer Response, VCQB, Home & Group Defense
Montana Tactical – Sal Navarro
Advanced Concealed Carry · Room Clearing · CQB & Weapon Retention · STARS Self-Defense (x3) · Carbine I & II · Intro to IDPA Competition
Gunsite Academy – Lew Gosnell
5-Day Defensive Pistol (Marksman 1 Status – Jeff Cooper Legacy Scholarship Recipient)
Steve Tarani
Edge Weapons CQB, Protective Services Handgun
The Complete Combatant – Brian Hill
Deliberate Coaching · Inner Game of Shooting (Blue Belt Certified)
Citizen's Defense Research – Chris Cypert
Mental Agility & Situational Awareness for Self-Defense
West Coast Armory – John Holschen (U.S. Special Forces)
Perception-Cognition-Decision Training · Aligning Training with Reality
Langdon Tactical – Aimee Langdon
Shooting on the Move Under Elevated Heart Rate
Elite Performance – Jeremy Horn
Hand-to-Hand Combatives
Additional Trainers & Topics Include:
• Chuck Haggard – Pre-Attack Indicators, MUC, OC Spray
• Mike Ox – Visual & Performance Neurology
• Jasmine Vanderpool – Open-hand, Knife, and Palm Stick Defense
• Tim Kelly – Range Commands & Briefing Mastery
• Dan Brady – Inner Instructor Self-Assessment
• Darryl Bolke – Chaotic Pistol Problem Solving
• James Fleming · Dave Jenkins · Riley Bowman · and many more