Advanced shooter

[JimConway]

"Advanced is being able to do the basics despite everything else going on."

Or Bill Jean's version..

"Advanced is being able to do the basics while your leg is on fire"

"Faster" isn't really it, either.

 

[Chris]

'Advanced' is when OTHER people claim you are.

I don't have the exact Quote, but one of the things I heard at Gunsite that was supposed to be by Col. Cooper is:

"An expert is the person who can do the deed at the moment. Once the moment is passed, you were an expert until the time you are called upon again."

I'm a good shooter. I will always strive to be a good shooter. Anything beyond 'good' is for others to judge.

 

[Rob Pincus]

I get asked a few times a month about an "Advanced" Combat Focus Shooting Course..... I honestly believe that only about 20% of the people "get it" when I explain that "advanced" would defeat the whole purpose of trying to make shooting as easy and intuitive as possible. We do "advanced" courses for specific skillsets (weapons handling, EP tactics, Concealed Carry, etc) becuase there is a ton of info that can be covered under those topics and you only need to add the more extreme bits after you've become comfortable with the more commonly needed bits.... but I think that defensive shooters should always be striving to have the Shooting itself be the EASY part.....

-RJP

 

[JimConway]

Advanced

Rob
That was very well stated and clear. The reason that I started this thread was because of the number of time that I have heard prospective students state " I have taken a basic course and now I am ready for an advanced course". I believe that this opinion is the caused by of our public education system where we expect to go through the process one grade after another and if we have to repeat a grade it is "shame on us"
I am proud to state that I have taken over 25 basic courses and have even repeated the same basic course many times. I have never had a basic course that I have not learned from or had a basic course that did not help me shoot better.

 

[Rob Pincus]

Yes, the business model in this industry has also perpetuated the "advanced" concept for 30 years: Pistol 1, Pistol 2, Pistol 2567, etc...

Yellow Belt, Blue Belt, Brown Belt with guns.....

I could make people feel warm & fuzzy with that course list, but there is more integrity (for me & them) to reiterate the reasons that they should take a course like Combat Focus Shooting from me or another instructor once a year along with seeking additional specific skill sets. Many of them do just that. I'd say that 10% of our students this year at VTC will be repeats in the same courses, which is a huge percentage.

 

[JimConway]

Advanced

There is an old cartoon strip (Pogo?? that stated " I have met the enemy and it is us"
As trainers, we have to communicate to the students that we have discussed and demonstrated and asked the students to try some new skill. We have to be sure that they understand that there is no way that they can become fully proficient in any skill in just one class.
In all of our classes we encourage the students to dry fire and to keep practicing. Further, we tell them that any practice must be "perfect practice" to be of any real value. Anything less than perfect practice will only create bad habits that can be tough to correct.
A number of our students have figured out (smart folks that they are) that we shoot almost every Sunday afternoon. Some of them go there to shoot with us, ask questions, and have us critique their progress. These folks (You know who you are) are progressing quite well because they are working at their skills.

 

[n1zfg]

Advanced instruction are courses that build on prior knowledge (and therefore have prerequisites).
Advanced skills are ones that depend on prior proficiency in other skills to be usable.

One example of this is math.
Counting is basic (or is it).
Addition and subtraction build on counting and are, in comparison, advanced.
Multiplication and division build on addition and subtraction and are, in comparison, advanced.
Algebra builds on multiplication and division and is, in comparison, advanced.

Yet, algebra is considered one of the basics for more advanced subjects involving the understanding of a wide range of subjects, including finance, business administration, all the engineering disciplines, and even the physics of ballistic flight.

I'm not even going to start talking about trigonometry, calculus, etc. etc.