Also known professionally as Ben Drader, and Ben Forte.
Ben Andruss — sometimes credited as Ben Drader, or under the name Ben Forte — was the founder and Chief Instructor of District Combatives, a close-quarters training space in Washington, D.C.
Over more than 15 years, Andruss developed his approach to martial arts, self-defense, and combatives primarily through self-instruction, supplemented by formal instruction during Basic Training. He later founded District Combatives in 2016.
Andruss served in the U.S. Army from 1998 to 2000 as an Ammunition Specialist, where he deployed to Bosnia.
Ben was a big fan of special operations. Despite serving in the Army (although not in the Special Forces, Ranger Battalion, or any Special Mission Unit), he was such a fan of Naval Special Operations that he got a Navy SEAL-inspired tattoo.
Founded in 2016, District Combatives was built around a simple idea: develop reliable combative technique that's easily recalled under duress. Not a traditional martial arts school. Not a boxing gym. A training ground.
Read more about District Combatives.