CAPE GUN WORKS: Intuitive Defensive Shooting (1-DAY)
Date: March 12, 2019
Instructor: Toby Leary, CAPE GUN WORKS, 96 Airport Rd. Hyannis, MA 02601 (508) 771-3600
Location: Indoor range onsite. 96 Airport Rd. Hyannis, MA
Heated/cooled indoor 25-yard range. Perfect temp inside the range
Time: 0900-1700
Number of students: (including myself) 3
Number of instructors: 1
Rounds shot: 450-475
Cost: $250
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Intuitive Defensive Shooting
This is the next logical step in training after the Basic Handgun class. The Defensive Shooting Fundamentals is a one-day course that will expose the student to all the core principles and fundamentals of the Combat Focus® Shooting Program. This course will cover the basics of intuitive defensive shooting, Combat Accuracy, The Balance of Speed & Precision, an introduction to the understanding the Body’s Natural Reactions during a Dynamic Critical Incident, understanding the integration of lateral motion and additional concepts as time allows.
This course will provide the student with an understanding of true Counter Ambush training with a defensive firearm, base level defensive shooting skills and a training methodology for continuing to develop those skills.
This 1-day course runs from 9AM to 5PM and requires a minimum of 400 rounds of ammunition.
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CLOTHING:
Jeans, sneakers and a T-shirt
GEAR:
M&P2.0 compact w/rmr, apex duty trigger
PHLSTER AIWB
G-code OWB mag carrier
The Beltman leather gun belt
3 standard capacity magazines
2 10 round magazines
9mm 115gr. Federal
The gun and ammo ran awesomely boring.
My first time on location in Cape Gun Works in Hyannis. REALLY… REALLY NICE! Top shelf shooting range, with rental guns, a large classroom, and a great retail store. The restrooms were super clean, the ranges were modern, clean, well lit, well marked. The whole place gave me a Wyoming lodge feel. Lots of granite/quartz, woods, and expired wildlife. The staff was all in uniform, all polite and really helpful. Good job Cape Gun Works! Very impressed!
Introduction
- Overview of the concept and history of the Defensive focus shooting.
- Taught from a counter-ambush surprise attack 2-3 arm’s length away.
- learned responses for when the human body is reacting to extreme stress during a dynamic critical incident
- Instinctive/intuitive actions
- Shooting is the easy part. Fundamentals
- Combat effective shots, more bullets in body = more blood loss
- Perceived risk, risk/benefit
- Student’s responsibility, push yourself to get better skill
- Physical comfort/intellectual comfort
- Started off at high ready, push out, fire one shot at extension. Not using sights.
- Stance, knees bent, shoulders rolled forward
- Lock arms out for stability and recoil reduction.
- Extend, touch press multiple shots
- Fire 1 to ___ shots on target.
- Finding the balance between speed and precision.
- Shot from mostly 9’ some at 12’ and a few 18’
- Added lateral movement. Move then shot
- Reloads: Close to body. Move, head up on the threat, gun still pointing at threat while mag comes out and the new one goes in. No standing still!
- When moving while doing mag changes. Turn hips. Don’t do the sideways shuffle.
- As we added distance/a new instruction/different task before we shoot, we would have to find a new balance of speed and precision.
- Startled effect, your hands are going to shoulder high in front of the face. Start your draw from that position.
- Search and assess, tunnel vision
- Drills increased in complexity. Move off line, Draw from holster, think about which target needs to be shot, reload if necessary MOVE. Speed vs precision.
- After shooting bring the gun back into high ready while searching for additional threats. Extend out to lock before pressing the trigger
Drills
7 hours of various drills of complexity, stress with each one building on the last.
Only ones I remember:
- Speed and Precision: The meat of the course, from all types of distances, size targets, additional tasks, brain thinking (adding or subtracting target numbers)
- Lap two-inch circles: Various shooting on command numbers and in numbered order.
- Wind Sprint: 9’ 15’ 20’ marked line. Toby yells front, middle, back. Shooter moves to the indicated line. On the UP command shoot combat accurate shots.
- Running away: Shoulder against the target. Toby hand on our back. On command move fast away from the target while drawing, point the gun at target fire two shots while moving away.
- Figure Eight: Shooter walks figure 8, Toby shouts out a random target number, color, symbol or multiple targets.
- HEADSHOT add on: In the middle of any drill, Toby breaks the pattern of the drill and yells “headshot/or a number”. No mulligans
Toby was an enjoyable, knowledgeable, easy-going instructor and a great teaching style. The class was super small so it was basically a full day private lesson. We got a lot of reps in, showing us where we needed improvement. Absolutely the nicest indoor range/classroom I have been in.
According to Toby, we were the FIRST class to listen and follow all safety instructions and got NOTHING.... not even a lousy T-shirt.
