Hi! I’m Theron,

For nearly two decades I have worked in corporate retail, learning from great people and helping grow others. For a long time I thought working for a title and a paycheck was the way to go. I built a family, bought a house and kept the bills paid. It wasn’t until my daughter received a difficult diagnosis that I realized I wanted more than that for myself and for my kids to look up to.

So, I reinvented my needs and wants list. I started looking for jobs that would support my home life and care about my priorities. I found that at LEGO, yes like the bricks. That is until last year (2025) when my wife also experienced a medical scare. I stayed home, took time off and did everything I could to support her through two surgeries and a long recovery. It made me realize at any point the places we work and the things we do with our time could be reduced to nothing. You either work to further someone else’s goals or you work to build your own legacy.

See, since I was a kid I chased skills and purpose; martial arts, survival skills, weapons training, lock picking, EMT training, I am always learning. I joined the Navy at 17, faced setbacks from injuries, left, and had to completely reimagine my life. Spending time and energy to build a new set of skills that “fit in” with normal society so I could function as a husband and father. However, the reality is that I was pressing myself into a mold that was never meant for me. I lost sight of my previous passions and what I was truly good at. What I was meant to do. I gained weight, felt terrible, and ended up depressed but I kept working. My family has always brought me joy and I was doing the right thing by prioritizing them but I wasn’t setting the example I wanted my kids to have. I wasn’t being true to myself and it was both mentally and physically exhausting.

Then one night my youngest daughter had a fever that wouldn’t break. It was not long after she had been born and it meant we needed to go to the hospital. Just the night before I had read a story about a man who was assaulted by four men just outside the same hospital we were told to go to. I couldn’t help think about that as we drove with my daughter in the back seat. What if four men tried to attack us I thought. I’m trained in martial arts and fairly capable but my wife is with me and so is my sick newborn… Could I actually defend myself and them from four attackers?

I remember being so stressed out my hands were shaking, not because my daughter was sick and we were going to the ER but because I didn’t know what would happen on the way in, or out. I felt helpless and afraid. We finally made it home safely but something changed in me that night. I never wanted to feel that way again, I wanted to feel capable and confident, I wanted to know that I could handle a situation like that if it ever came down it and at a minimum get my family to safety. So I got my pistol permit and started training as often as I could again. I sparred with a friend thinking it would be a good ice breaker to get me back into self defense and ended up completely gassed after just a few minutes.

So there I was waiting for my pistol permit, trying to develop my self defense skills and I just couldn’t seem to get it right. I started exercising again, lost weight and began doing much better but when I did finally get my pistol permit I felt like I was starting from zero again. Not only was it a months-long process but I had to find a place to exercise, a place to train self defense skills AND a place to learn more shooting skills. Which in NY makes the ladder very difficult. I trained everywhere I could and as often as I could. I became both an NRA and USCCA certified firearms instructor. I tried to find local places where I could learn home defense skills, movement, clearing corners and things of the CQB nature. I found that there really wasn’t a solution for that available to regular citizens here in NY. So, I had to look to other states for training. Even then it was expensive and incredibly difficult to convince instructors to let me join them since I am not Law Enforcement or Military.

Now that I am trained, capable and confident I’ve decided that I want to share those skills with as many people as I can. I want to make it easier for the everyday citizen to truly feel ready. I want a place where anyone who feels afraid and helpless to come and learn what they need to feel confident and capable. I want one solution for fitness transformations, self defense skill building and somewhere that people can train shooting skills, even if they are still waiting for their permit to come.

EDC isn’t just about fitness, self defense and learning how to safely be a concealed carrier. It’s a return to what I am meant to be and a place where others can be themselves too. I came back from zero so I know what it’s like trying to get into a lifestyle like this. What I’m building now isn’t about macho posturing, cliches, or empty slogans. It’s about building a community without judgment or ego. A place where people come to get stronger, more capable, and more confident physically, mentally, and practically; all while being supported by others who are on the same journey.

My goal is to redefine readiness with a single, all encompassing solution for the everyday citizen. That means giving you real skills, honest training, and the confidence to handle challenges without glorifying danger. It’s about learning together, asking questions without feeling judged, and growing at your own pace.

When you join me at EDC, you’re joining a family, a tribe that shows up, supports one another, and does the work. If this sounds like you then check out the memberships I am offering for those who join us this summer. I want to help you feel strong, confident and capable. I want to help you feel ready.

So if you’re done waiting, click the button below, place your deposit and join me this summer.

Or shoot me a message; Theron.Genaux@EDCRochester.com, Call or Text 585-285-4137.

— Theron