Staying Alive Survival

“Staying Alive Survival is in the preparedness business. Our field manuals and training resources are available as instant digital downloads under our Tactical Blueprints™ line.” 

ABOUT TODD MEDINA

My name is Todd Medina. I have been competing professionally for nearly 3 decades winning multiple World titles while holding many world records. Since retiring from competition I have been coaching both professional and amateur athletes

I have known Marisa Schaffer for the last 10 years. We both share a common goal to empower and educate others to become confident through training in self-defense. Marisa is an impassioned voice for change on domestic and criminal violence and teaches others survival techniques which will greatly increase a victim’s odds of surviving an attacker.

Psalms 144:1 “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacher my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.”

Todd Medina

DEFEND & EMPOWER

Self Defense, Situational Awareness, Pepper Spray Certification Training and Customized Emergency Action Plans for Homes and Businesses.

After attending the Staying Alive Survival’s

“Pepper Spray Certification Course” I feel significantly more confident and informed on the precautions and proper safety and efficacy techniques of using my pepper spray for self-defense. Situational awareness was emphasized along with the target practice of a proposed assailant. Practicing various
real-life scenarios were very impactful and I highly recommend this course!

Alisa L.

Keeping Colleges, Schools, Churches & Businesses Safe!

Train to Survive.

Our Founder

Hello — I’m Marisa Schaffer, Founder of Staying Alive Survival.

Family-owned. Field-tested. Based in Orange County, California.

I started back in 2014 at local gun shows — one booth, one conversation at a time — helping people build out their everyday carry (EDC) setups and think through their personal security. But for every person I reached across that counter, I knew there were ten more out there who felt unequipped and unprepared.

So, we built Staying Alive Survival with one objective: save as many lives as possible through practical self-defense training, tools, and preparedness resources — reaching far beyond what a single booth ever could.

My commitment to service runs deep. My father served in WWII, and those roots instilled in me a lifelong duty to protect, serve, and prepare. With 20+ years of experience spanning real estate, risk management, human resources, and office and safety management — backed by a 20-year commissioned Notary Public license, licensed CCW holder status, and active CERT member, practical preparedness is second nature to me. Combined with 28 years of martial arts training, I’ve learned one truth above all: skill must be sharpened intentionally, it doesn’t stay sharp on its own. As a certified pepper spray instructor and self-defense coach, I built this company to help everyone unleash their inner warrior.

Today, that same personalized guidance lives on in Tactical Blueprints™ — our line of field manuals built from real-world training experience, available as instant digital downloads on Etsy.

There is nothing more dangerous than an opponent you don’t know.