Ryan Hoover is the owner and lead instructor at Fit to Fight®, a self-defense training organization based out of Charlotte, NC. After training in Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, Balintawak Arnis, and traditional marital arts for 15+ years, Ryan founded Fit to Fight® in 2008.

Driven by a mission to prevail against violence in the modern world, Ryan has created many programs designed to teach people the skills they need to save their lives and protect their loved ones. Ryan has taught classes all over the world and created the Fit to Fight® affiliate organization to spread his innovative teaching style across the United States.  

Ryan prides himself on finding new ways to effectively and efficiently teach self-defense, for everyone. He has gained experience from training competitors and cornering fights in the UFC, RFA, and other MMA promotions, and has taken what he learned from sport fighting training methodologies and adapted it to reality-based self-defense sensibilities.

Ryan has written curriculum on handgun defense and retention for NC BLET and co-authored three books on Krav Maga. He has also trained many LEOs, military personnel, NFL coaches and athletes, and NASCAR pit crews. Through his Hard Ready® brand, Ryan has designed knives optimized for teaching close-quarters self-defense.

Ryan designed his studio and curriculum to teach people skills grounded in reality, preparing people for any violent scenario they may find themselves in to ensure they get home safely at the end of the day.