Courses of ActionEst. 2016
Courses of ActionJohnny Primo

Courses of Action / Johnny Primo

COURSESOF ACTION.

The book. The training.
The apparel. The COA Method.

Explore COA
Think clearly. Act deliberately.Meet Johnny Primo

Our story

Johnny Primo, black-and-white portrait

Johnny Primo
Courses of Action

Our story.

I started Courses of Action in 2016 with one goal: make people better.

My time in Army Special Forces helped shape that approach. Through COA, I’ve trained military units, law enforcement teams, and civilians in shooting, movement, and making decisions under pressure. But the goal has always gone beyond technical skills. It’s about recognizing your weaknesses, building confidence through preparation, and holding yourself accountable. Whatever your experience level, I want you to leave better than you arrived.

Those lessons apply far beyond the range. The apparel carries that message further, and my book gives me another way to share it.

I’ve made mistakes, had to rebuild, and I’m still learning. But I believe you can come from negativity and build something positive.

Hope and faith are the catalyst for action. Then you have to do the work.

Choose your course.

Four ways into COA

03 / REPRESENT

The apparel.

Hats, shirts, hoodies, and socks. Explore the COA collection.

Explore apparel ↗
04 / GROW · Coming soon

The COA Method.

Find your people. Set your standards. Do the work.

Explore the method ↗
Hope Is Not a Course of Action by Johnny Primo, black hardcover book

01 / The book

Hope Is Not a
Course of Action.

By Johnny Primo

A Manifesto of Standards, Strength, and Purpose.

View the cover Read a samplePurchasing details coming soon

02 / Training

Back to work.

Training is back. Course dates are coming soon.

03 / Apparel

Wear COA.

Hats, shirts, hoodies, and socks carrying the COA marks.

Explore the collection ↗

COA / Apparel

The collection.

Coming soon

Fourteen pieces. Two marks. One standard. Explore the collection and open any item for a closer look.

Coming soon

14 pieces

04 / The COA Method

THE COA METHOD

Coming soon

Find your people. Set your standards. Do the work.

The COA Method brings together like-minded individuals who have the drive to grow and are willing to put in the work to reach their desired end state, whatever that may look like for them.

This is a place for open, honest, and vulnerable conversation about life, the challenges we face, and the goals we’re working toward. We’ll support each other, hold ourselves accountable to our personal standards, and focus on stacking daily wins.

You don’t have to have everything figured out. You just need to be willing to show up, be honest, and keep moving forward.

Hope is not a course of action. Let’s get to work.

Courses of Action monogramJOHNNY PRIMO
COURSES OF ACTION

Courses of Action / Johnny Primo

THE NEXT
MOVE IS YOURS.

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Circle-logo cap

Black / circular COA mark

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Two-tone monogram cap

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Monogram quarter socks

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PISTOL / COURSE DETAILSClose details ×

COA Two-Day Pistol Course

Course details:

Two days, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day; $750 total for both days, paid in full at registration; some drills involve physical exertion and an elevated heart rate.

Waivers will be signed at each course.

This two-day course is built for shooters of any experience level who already have safe gun-handling skills. We’ll cover the fundamentals and build on them with a focus on accuracy, movement, speed, and shooting under stress. If you’re unsure whether the course is right for you, email us at primo@coamethod.com.

What we’ll cover:

Mindset, combatives, weapon setup, safety, fundamentals, accuracy, movement, speed, magazine changes, multiple threats, and shooting under stress.

What to bring:

Eye and ear protection; pen and paper or a phone for notes; tourniquet; 700 rounds of ammunition; a serviceable pistol and at least three magazines; a Kydex or plastic holster that covers the trigger guard, no SERPA holsters (concealed carry preferred; gun belts welcome); lunch and water for each day.

At least one magazine pouch, or your usual method of carrying a spare magazine concealed.

Cancellation:

Cancellations within 45 days of the course are non-refundable. Payment may be applied toward another class in the same calendar year if space is available.

Dates coming soon

RIFLE / COURSE DETAILSClose details ×

COA Two-Day Rifle Course

Course details:

Two days, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day; $750 total for both days, paid in full at registration; some drills involve physical exertion and an elevated heart rate.

Waivers will be signed at each course.

This two-day course is built for shooters of any experience level who already have safe gun-handling skills. We’ll cover the fundamentals and build on them with a focus on accuracy, movement, speed, and shooting under stress. If you’re unsure whether the course is right for you, email us at primo@coamethod.com.

What we’ll cover:

Mindset, combatives, weapon setup, safety, fundamentals, accuracy, movement, speed, magazine changes, multiple threats, and shooting under stress.

What to bring:

Eye and ear protection; pen and paper or a phone for notes; tourniquet; 700 rounds of ammunition; a serviceable rifle and at least three magazines; a sling; an optic (red dot or variable-power optic; no iron sights); lunch and water for each day.

At least one magazine pouch, or your usual method of carrying a spare magazine concealed.

Cancellation:

Cancellations within 45 days of the course are non-refundable. Payment may be applied toward another class in the same calendar year if space is available.

Dates coming soon

COMBATIVES / COURSE DETAILSClose details ×

COA Two-Day Combatives Course

Course details:

$600 total for both days, paid in full at registration; two days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Waivers will be signed at each course.

This two-day course brings together Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, combative striking, and fighting with a fixed blade. Instruction will be led by BJJ black belts, Muay Thai instructors, collegiate-level wrestlers, and Special Operations veterans.

What to bring:

Comfortable clothing; mouthpiece; pen and paper or a phone for notes; lunch and water for each day; optional: your own trainer blade with a concealable sheath. A trainer similar to the real blade you carry is preferred.

Trainer blades, sheaths, and all protective equipment will be provided.

Cancellation:

Cancellations within 45 days of the course are non-refundable. Payment may be applied toward another class in the same calendar year if space is available.

Dates coming soon

HOPE IS NOT A COURSE OF ACTIONClose sample ×
Chapter 16 — PACE: Always Have Another Course of Action One plan is no plan. I can’t remember who said it first, but that line followed me through my military career and into civilian life. We knew better than to build one plan and hope for the best. Equipment fails. Communications go down. People make mistakes. The enemy gets a vote. When that happened, standing around wondering what to do next wasn’t an option. That’s why we built a PACE plan. Primary. Alternate. Contingency. Emergency. Four ways to keep moving toward the objective. The idea was simple. If the primary plan failed, we had an alternate. If that didn’t work, we had a contingency. And if everything went completely sideways, we still had an emergency plan. The desired end state didn’t change just because the original plan fell apart. We adjusted our Course of Action. I wish more people approached life that way. Your plan is going to change I’ve learned that life doesn’t give a damn about the plans you make. You can map out your career, finances, relationships, and future down to the last detail. And then life happens. You lose a job. A relationship ends. Someone you love dies. Or you make a decision that changes everything. Now what? That’s the question that matters. Because it’s easy to have a plan when everything is going your way. It’s easy to talk about discipline, standards, and perseverance when life is comfortable. But what happens when the primary plan fails? Do you quit? Do you sit around feeling sorry for yourself? Do you blame everybody else? Or do you figure out your next Course of Action? Primary, alternate, contingency, emergency I look at PACE as more than a military planning tool. It’s a way to approach just about anything in life. Primary: This is what I want to accomplish, and this is how I intend to get there. Alternate: If my original approach doesn’t work, what’s another way to accomplish the same objective? Contingency: If circumstances change significantly, what resources, relationships, or decisions can I use to keep moving toward my desired end state? Emergency: If everything falls apart, what’s the minimum I need to do to protect what’s important, regain control, and start moving forward again? Here’s what matters. You don’t necessarily need four completely different goals. You need different ways to reach the same goal. There’s a big difference. Too many people confuse changing the plan with giving up on the mission. They’re not the same thing. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is recognize that the route you’re taking isn’t working. That doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re paying attention.