Thoughts on Training
I just finished a book for the second time this year called “Handgun Combatives”by Dave Spaulding, and was impressed by his thoughts and concepts. I have found that I continually look for a different perspective on training and techniques. Being a trainer as well as student I found it a welcomed surprise to open my current Feb/March 2007 issue of Handguns Magazine to find an article by Dave Spaulding in the “ON Patrol Department” section titled “Are you Training or Entertaining”. This was a great follow up to the book. Not to saying that Dave’s other articles were not memorable. I found that the article as it was titled was easy to assimilate too, being a trainer/instructor and constant student of the Art of the Pistol. I find that every trainer that I have trained with has a certain presence and personality that precedes them. I mean after reading there articles and books you get a perception of who they are and how you perceive them based on there writing style. They begin to become a personality, and you are sum what drawn into there persona. Each of the trainers I have trained with from Jim Crews, Tom Givens, Gabe Suarez, Jeff Gonzalez, Louis Awerbuck, Front Sight Staff etc. bring a certain amount of entertainment to the class with them through there knowledge and professionalism. They all have stories and antidotes that break the smoke in the air at the right time in the training day. This is because this is there life’s work, chosen profession and it bears there unique and individual trade marks. They tell us there stories of life on the road, military life, student error etc. although entertaining it usually has a poignant message directly associated with the moment at hand. As I read the three page assessment of his observance of the course of instruction and the trainers, I became aware that I needed to work with my NEShooter training partners on perfecting our perception of ourselves, our curriculum and presentation so that our students received the best training we could offer. Because we strive to assess ourselves and our curriculm. And we in turn will receive the appreciation of our students for the knowledge that they received. We need to be ever aware of our expectations, expressions, demeanor and voices. All students deserve the best that a trainer can offer if that means a little entertainment with a professional touch so be it. The best courses I participated in as a student usually had a abuudant exchange of course materials, enthusiastic students and entertainment from the instructor by way of his personality.
As training goes Dave Spaulding stated it best in this article “Advanced Skills are nothing more than the Basics Mastered”. Every trainer seems to bring a new twist to the basics, because the more that the basics are refined the more advanced that they get, they become instinctive. I’m not talking about Swat Tactics etc. I’m talking about cleaner and faster draws from the holster, crisp clean reloads and textbook type 1, 2 & 3 malfunction drills, trigger reset drills, getting the correct sight picture & the front sight where it needs to be without thought, just naturally. Reading about training & techniques just gives more food for thought and ways to practice when the time is available, and to implement when taking a class.
Mike Nastek 12/29/06
Suarez Staff Instructor
I just finished a book for the second time this year called “Handgun Combatives”by Dave Spaulding, and was impressed by his thoughts and concepts. I have found that I continually look for a different perspective on training and techniques. Being a trainer as well as student I found it a welcomed surprise to open my current Feb/March 2007 issue of Handguns Magazine to find an article by Dave Spaulding in the “ON Patrol Department” section titled “Are you Training or Entertaining”. This was a great follow up to the book. Not to saying that Dave’s other articles were not memorable. I found that the article as it was titled was easy to assimilate too, being a trainer/instructor and constant student of the Art of the Pistol. I find that every trainer that I have trained with has a certain presence and personality that precedes them. I mean after reading there articles and books you get a perception of who they are and how you perceive them based on there writing style. They begin to become a personality, and you are sum what drawn into there persona. Each of the trainers I have trained with from Jim Crews, Tom Givens, Gabe Suarez, Jeff Gonzalez, Louis Awerbuck, Front Sight Staff etc. bring a certain amount of entertainment to the class with them through there knowledge and professionalism. They all have stories and antidotes that break the smoke in the air at the right time in the training day. This is because this is there life’s work, chosen profession and it bears there unique and individual trade marks. They tell us there stories of life on the road, military life, student error etc. although entertaining it usually has a poignant message directly associated with the moment at hand. As I read the three page assessment of his observance of the course of instruction and the trainers, I became aware that I needed to work with my NEShooter training partners on perfecting our perception of ourselves, our curriculum and presentation so that our students received the best training we could offer. Because we strive to assess ourselves and our curriculm. And we in turn will receive the appreciation of our students for the knowledge that they received. We need to be ever aware of our expectations, expressions, demeanor and voices. All students deserve the best that a trainer can offer if that means a little entertainment with a professional touch so be it. The best courses I participated in as a student usually had a abuudant exchange of course materials, enthusiastic students and entertainment from the instructor by way of his personality.
As training goes Dave Spaulding stated it best in this article “Advanced Skills are nothing more than the Basics Mastered”. Every trainer seems to bring a new twist to the basics, because the more that the basics are refined the more advanced that they get, they become instinctive. I’m not talking about Swat Tactics etc. I’m talking about cleaner and faster draws from the holster, crisp clean reloads and textbook type 1, 2 & 3 malfunction drills, trigger reset drills, getting the correct sight picture & the front sight where it needs to be without thought, just naturally. Reading about training & techniques just gives more food for thought and ways to practice when the time is available, and to implement when taking a class.
Mike Nastek 12/29/06
Suarez Staff Instructor
