Everyone knows what a black belt means. This is ours.
Seven ranks. A published standard at every level. An attainable finish line.
How rank works
Read this before you pick a rank. It is the whole integrity of the Path.
Track A – Access (sold)
Membership and courses are products. Money buys curriculum, community, equipment use, and instruction time.
Track B – Rank (earned)
Rank is never sold, never rushed, and never awarded on attendance. It is earned against a published standard, scored by an instructor, and the scoring sheeting is public.
Every page states both tracks. If a page sells membership without stating what membership cannot buy, that page is incomplete. When you wear a Yellow Rose rank, it means something, because it cost you something.
The seven ranks
Each card links to its own rank page. Identity first, course second – because that is what you are actually buying.
What it takes to earn each rank
Published in full, on purpose. You get the scoring sheet before you shoot, and nobody has discretion over the safety clause.
| Rank | What you must demonstrate | NRA MQP benchmark | The award you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Steps | Attend Foundations (4 hrs) · written safety exam ≥90% · safe-handling demonstration · 25 rounds on paper at 5–7 yards | Pro-Marksman | Step-Up Kit 1 |
| Home Ready | Home Defense module (3 hrs) · signed safe-storage plan · 14 days logged dry fire (10 min/day) · 50-round qualification at 7 yards | Marksman — Defensive Pistol discipline | Step-Up Kit 2 + medal bar |
| Carry Ready | Texas LTC course (DPS requirements verified) · draw-stroke assessment · 60 rounds from the holster · holster and garment check | Marksman First Class | Step-Up Kit 3 + “CARRY READY” rocker |
| Family Protector | Family Defense module (4 hrs) · one family member trained alongside · home walkthrough drill · 75-round qualification at 10 yards | Sharpshooter | Step-Up Kit 4 + family certificate set |
| Home Defender | Low-light and movement module (4 hrs) · malfunction clearance under time · 100-round graded qualification | Expert | Step-Up Kit 5 + medal |
| Steward | Scenario-based force-on-target assessment · legal module exam · 200 rounds across three graded drills · assist at one YRT event | Distinguished Expert (course of fire completed; award applied for) | Step-Up Kit 6 + pin |
| Master Protector | Board review by two instructors · score at or above the published Distinguished standard · teach one 60-minute block · complete the capstone | Distinguished Expert + YRT board review | Public graduation + Master medal, framed certificate, engraved coin |
The live-fire scoring sheets
| Rank | Live-fire qualification | Pass threshold & what fails you |
|---|---|---|
| First Steps | 25 rounds, 5 yards, B-27 target, 5 minutes total, two-handed standing, no time pressure | 18 of 25 inside the 8-ring and 25 of 25 on paper. Any safety violation fails the rank outright, regardless of score. |
| Home Ready | 50 rounds, 7 yards, 60 seconds per 5-round string, from low ready | 40 of 50 inside the 8-ring. Two or more safety violations fail. Dry-fire log must be complete. |
| Carry Ready | 60 rounds from the holster: 20 at 3 yards, 20 at 5 yards, 20 at 7 yards; draw and fire in under 2.5 seconds | 48 of 60 inside the 8-ring and 90% of draws under 2.5 seconds. A dropped firearm or a flagged draw fails. |
| Family Protector | 75 rounds, 10 yards, includes two reloads and one movement string | 60 of 75 inside the 8-ring. Both family members must pass their own written check. |
| Home Defender | 100 rounds, low light, includes two induced malfunctions and one movement string | 80 of 100 inside the 8-ring and both malfunctions cleared in under 5 seconds each. |
| Steward | 200 rounds across three graded drills plus the scenario assessment | 160 of 200 inside the 8-ring; legal exam ≥90%; scenario assessment scored by two instructors. |
| Master Protector | Board-designed course of fire at or above the Distinguished standard | Two-instructor unanimous board decision. Teaching block observed and scored. |
Non-negotiable: the scoring sheet above is printed, handed to you before you shoot, and posted on this website. There is no discretion in the safety clause and no discretion in the published score. Instructors may fail a student. That is what makes the rank worth having.
NRA disclaimer: The Yellow Rose Tactical Protector Path is an independent training program. It is not an official NRA program, and Yellow Rose Tactical is not sponsored or endorsed by the NRA. Where noted, YRT qualification standards are benchmarked to published NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program courses of fire. NRA awards are purchased separately from the NRA Program Materials Center.
Who this is for
Three different people walk in here. All three leave with rank. None of them had to start from the wrong place.
The total beginner
You have never held a firearm, or the one time you did, somebody handed you something too big and laughed when it knocked you back. You start at First Steps, with a gun that fits your hands, at a pace you set. You do not need to own anything before you arrive, and you will not be the only person in the room who has never done this.
The experienced shooter, never assessed
You have been shooting for years. You own more than one. What you have never had is an independent assessment of what you can actually do under a published standard — because training you were never held to is just repetition. Take a Private Skills Check and enter at the rank you have honestly earned, not at rank one.
The woman who wants a cohort of her own
You are tired of being sold pink merchandise instead of competence, and tired of being the only woman on a line with people watching. The Rose Corps runs the same ranks with female instructors leading the cohort, in a private bay, with an etiquette guide emailed to you before you arrive so you know exactly what to expect.
What each rank actually costs you – in time and money
No ranges hidden. The award is included in the price; the ammunition is not.
| Rank | Typical time to earn | Range sessions | Projected training cost | Award included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Steps | 4 hours · one Saturday | 1 | $179 | Step-Up Kit 1 — patch, rocker, certificate on linen stock, coin |
| Home Ready | 3 hours + a 14-day dry-fire log | 2 | $349 | Step-Up Kit 2 + medal bar |
| Carry Ready | 6–8 hours (one full LTC day) | 2 | $499 | Step-Up Kit 3 + “CARRY READY” rocker |
| Family Protector | 4 hours × two people, one Saturday | 2 | $749 | Step-Up Kit 4 + a family certificate set |
| Home Defender | 4 hours, low-light, one evening | 2 | $549 | Step-Up Kit 5 + medal |
| Steward | Three sessions, spaced over a month | 3 | $899 | Step-Up Kit 6 + pin |
| Master Protector | Board review + a teach block | Board assessment | $1,297 | Public graduation, Master medal, framed certificate, engraved numbered coin |
Not included: ammunition, holster if you are not supplying your own, and any Texas DPS fees where applicable. Projected figures: costs shown are planning prices; confirm your own local range fees before publishing. Members of The Alliance receive 10% off training and a 48-hour priority booking window.
Not sure where you’d start?
Answer three questions and we’ll tell you the rank you should actually begin at – no sales call required, and no pressure to book anything.