About This Episode
In this episode of the Tactical Business Podcast, host Wade Skalsky sits down with Nick Delgado. Tactical strength expert Nick Delgado break down the warrior mindset – how barbell training, combat sports, and firearms proficiency create a complete self-defense system. Learn why strength is your first line of defense, how jiu-jitsu develops combat instincts, and proper firearms integration for real-world threats. Nick shares hard-won lessons from coaching elite operators and civilians.
Insights In This Episode
- Age is no barrier – Proper training keeps you capable at 40, 50, or beyond.
- Skill beats gear – A trained shooter with a basic gun beats an amateur with fancy gear.
- Train for tolerance – Strength allows margin for error in fights or firearms use.
- Integrated training – Isolated drills create false confidence; blend strength, fighting, and weapons.
Today’s Guest
Nick Delgadillo | Lift. Fight. Win.
Nick Delgadillo is a consultant and coach, integral to Starting Strength and Starting Strength Gyms. With a robust background in self-defense, firearms, and strength coaching, he has spent two decades refining his skills. As overseer of media, brand standards, coach development, and seminars, he contributed to the global growth of Starting Strength. A BJJ brown belt, head coach at Iowa Park Jiu Jitsu Club, and a Starting Strength Coach since 2011, he excels in barbell training for performance improvement. Additionally, he holds expertise in self-defense, with qualifications from Rangemaster courses and extensive private security experience.
Featured on the Show
About Tactical Business
Tactical Business is the weekly business show for the firearms industry. The podcast features in-depth interviews with the entrepreneurs, professionals and technologists who are enabling the next generation of firearms businesses to innovate and grow.
Episode Summary
Episode Summary: Nick Delgado on Building Tactical Excellence
In this episode of the Tactical Business Podcast, host Wade Skalski sits down with Nick Delgado—CEO of Starting Strength Gyms, BJJ black belt, and firearms instructor—to discuss the integration of strength training, combat sports, and firearms proficiency for real-world self-defense.
1. The Warrior Mindset: Strength as the Foundation
Nick emphasizes that barbell training is the cornerstone of self-defense, improving:
- Grip strength (critical for firearms control)
- Durability (reducing injury risk in combat sports)
- Confidence (mental resilience under stress)
He shares how even modest strength gains (e.g., a 315 lb squat) place individuals in the top 1% for their age group, making them harder targets in confrontations.
2. Jiu-Jitsu: The Ultimate Pressure Test
Unlike striking arts, BJJ allows 100% resistance training from day one, teaching:
- Control under adrenaline (simulating real fights)
- Humility (ego dissolution through live rolling)
- Tactical grappling (bridging gaps to weapon access)
Nick argues that grappling is the most accessible way to develop fight instincts, especially for older practitioners.
3. Firearms Proficiency: Beyond the Range
Firearms aren’t standalone tools—athleticism enhances shooting:
- Stronger grip = better recoil management
- Mobility = faster draws under duress
- Stress inoculation (grappling/fitness prepares for gunfight stress)
Nick critiques the “buy a gun and call it done” mentality, stressing integrated training (e.g., fighting to access your weapon).
4. Live Events vs. Isolated Training
Nick’s Combative Summit (Oct 24–26, Mississippi) brings together elite instructors to teach:
- Firearms integration (Rangemaster-certified tactics)
- Medical readiness (Lone Star Medics)
- Soft skills (verbal de-escalation by Craig Douglas)
The value? Cross-disciplinary principles reinforced in one weekend, versus piecing together fragmented online training.
5. The Human Element
In an AI-driven world, in-person training fosters:
- Accountability (pushing limits with peers)
- Immediate feedback (correcting technique live)
- Community (networking with like-minded defenders)
Key Takeaway: True self-defense blends strength, skill, and mindset—Nick’s systems (Starting Strength Gyms, BJJ, and firearms coaching) provide a roadmap.