JimConway
Instructor
Why Do We Train?
by Eric Dean Threat Solutions LLC
This question is generally asked, perhaps not so direct but always lingers out there when the topic of gun training is brought up. Firearms training is also (strangely to me) is sometimes met with a fair bit of hostility and a dash of ego. Now I am by no means making an assumption that I am the end all spot for firearms training, and it is my utmost desire not to ever assume that I am a "blowhard". I think after a few years in the field I have at least "gotten IT". Now of course the next logical question is, "what is "it"?. It is making the leap of faith that understanding the importance of the 4-safety rules of firearms safety is inherently the most important aspect of any training atmosphere. If you do not know what the 4-safety rules of firearms safety are please do a quick Google search for it and than come back and read the rest. (Use Jeff Cooper for the assist if you go look). There is no training out there that will be of any value to anyone if these rules are not part of any training curriculum.
Why do some people feel it necessary to point a firearm at you at say the gun show or gun shop and when you ask them to politely stop doing that, a response that is more prevalent than one would be comfortable with is "Oh, its not loaded"? I wonder how many people out there have been shot with an "unloaded" gun. Rarely are there "accidents" when handling firearms, generally it is negligence on 90% the holder and 10% on the person its pointing at. If you understand the 4-safety rules, you should always be the 10% and always be very loud when correcting the 90%. Be the 10%. There is actually a 5th rule of gun safety out there that I have come up with and it is this, "Rule 5- Do not point your gun at me and I will not point my gun at you.". Use this rule at your discretion.
Why do we attend firearms training? Well I think that it is the same reason that we take piano lessons; we want to learn how to play the darn thing. Seems pointless to spend big bucks on a new toy and then not know how to make it work up to what it was designed to do. As with any mechanical device there are many aspects of it that must be learned, and generally those things must be taught by a competent individual. To steal a line from a recent movie, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? You practice". Now Carnegie Hall may be a time that the entire show is on the line. Like, oh an altercation for your life. That is the big night at the show, its the Super bowl, its whatever that magical moment is that you have trained all your life for, and now its show time. For me, I assume that anyone that would accept the responsibility for owning and carrying a firearm in which may actually put you into a position that there may be a fight for your life, you would want to be on top of your game. Lets face it, we are not shooting free throws here, we are fighting for our LIVES! We are people who have realized that it is a dangerous world that we live in and we want to make that extra step to be prepared for that moment that we may (hopefully never) need to protect ourselves.
If you have a desire to go and get some training with your firearm, ask some questions of them. Ask them about how many rounds are in the class. If there is 1000 rounds in a day, that may be a bit much, somewhere from a hundred or so for an entry level course (which is always a good course for the new guy or gal or for a super refresher to get the basics back down) up to as many as 300+ for a more advanced day. Another question to ask is the curriculum of the course. Is there practice without the use of ammunition prior to new drills being covered. Is there going to be some type of handout that I can take home and work with and use to practice at home and at the range. (I'll let you make the decision of what type of training should be done at home and what type should be done on the range). How practical or real life relevant is the training? Is it a "hot" range compared to a "cold" range. Hot range and cold range is if the gun is loaded while not actually on the line firing, or do I have to clear my gun, open the slide and re-holster when going to the break room or whatever. Hot ranges are important. Hot ranges get you use to carrying a firearm that will kill you or someone else if you mess up, where as getting into a mindset that, "ah its not loaded it cannot hurt anything now." As you read on your google search, Rule #1 is quite clear about all guns are always loaded. If rule 1 says its already loaded, what's the point of walking around with it dry? Hot ranges are proven to be safer. Get some back ground on the instructors. Generally some real world experience in Law Enforcement, military or some other type of gun toting profession is a plus but not always mandatory to have a competent instructor. Also ask around, see how others have experienced when they attended. If the company meets all these criteria it may be worth the money.
We train to become competent with our firearms. When we use a firearm, imagine how your going to feel. If you think that your going to be like a frozen pickle (cool as a cucumber) than your a better person than I. Use a training program that fits you and it is always relevant to what your needs are.
Eric Dean
"Practice does not make perfect; but instead a good practitioner. Only perfect practice makes perfect."
by Eric Dean Threat Solutions LLC
This question is generally asked, perhaps not so direct but always lingers out there when the topic of gun training is brought up. Firearms training is also (strangely to me) is sometimes met with a fair bit of hostility and a dash of ego. Now I am by no means making an assumption that I am the end all spot for firearms training, and it is my utmost desire not to ever assume that I am a "blowhard". I think after a few years in the field I have at least "gotten IT". Now of course the next logical question is, "what is "it"?. It is making the leap of faith that understanding the importance of the 4-safety rules of firearms safety is inherently the most important aspect of any training atmosphere. If you do not know what the 4-safety rules of firearms safety are please do a quick Google search for it and than come back and read the rest. (Use Jeff Cooper for the assist if you go look). There is no training out there that will be of any value to anyone if these rules are not part of any training curriculum.
Why do some people feel it necessary to point a firearm at you at say the gun show or gun shop and when you ask them to politely stop doing that, a response that is more prevalent than one would be comfortable with is "Oh, its not loaded"? I wonder how many people out there have been shot with an "unloaded" gun. Rarely are there "accidents" when handling firearms, generally it is negligence on 90% the holder and 10% on the person its pointing at. If you understand the 4-safety rules, you should always be the 10% and always be very loud when correcting the 90%. Be the 10%. There is actually a 5th rule of gun safety out there that I have come up with and it is this, "Rule 5- Do not point your gun at me and I will not point my gun at you.". Use this rule at your discretion.
Why do we attend firearms training? Well I think that it is the same reason that we take piano lessons; we want to learn how to play the darn thing. Seems pointless to spend big bucks on a new toy and then not know how to make it work up to what it was designed to do. As with any mechanical device there are many aspects of it that must be learned, and generally those things must be taught by a competent individual. To steal a line from a recent movie, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? You practice". Now Carnegie Hall may be a time that the entire show is on the line. Like, oh an altercation for your life. That is the big night at the show, its the Super bowl, its whatever that magical moment is that you have trained all your life for, and now its show time. For me, I assume that anyone that would accept the responsibility for owning and carrying a firearm in which may actually put you into a position that there may be a fight for your life, you would want to be on top of your game. Lets face it, we are not shooting free throws here, we are fighting for our LIVES! We are people who have realized that it is a dangerous world that we live in and we want to make that extra step to be prepared for that moment that we may (hopefully never) need to protect ourselves.
If you have a desire to go and get some training with your firearm, ask some questions of them. Ask them about how many rounds are in the class. If there is 1000 rounds in a day, that may be a bit much, somewhere from a hundred or so for an entry level course (which is always a good course for the new guy or gal or for a super refresher to get the basics back down) up to as many as 300+ for a more advanced day. Another question to ask is the curriculum of the course. Is there practice without the use of ammunition prior to new drills being covered. Is there going to be some type of handout that I can take home and work with and use to practice at home and at the range. (I'll let you make the decision of what type of training should be done at home and what type should be done on the range). How practical or real life relevant is the training? Is it a "hot" range compared to a "cold" range. Hot range and cold range is if the gun is loaded while not actually on the line firing, or do I have to clear my gun, open the slide and re-holster when going to the break room or whatever. Hot ranges are important. Hot ranges get you use to carrying a firearm that will kill you or someone else if you mess up, where as getting into a mindset that, "ah its not loaded it cannot hurt anything now." As you read on your google search, Rule #1 is quite clear about all guns are always loaded. If rule 1 says its already loaded, what's the point of walking around with it dry? Hot ranges are proven to be safer. Get some back ground on the instructors. Generally some real world experience in Law Enforcement, military or some other type of gun toting profession is a plus but not always mandatory to have a competent instructor. Also ask around, see how others have experienced when they attended. If the company meets all these criteria it may be worth the money.
We train to become competent with our firearms. When we use a firearm, imagine how your going to feel. If you think that your going to be like a frozen pickle (cool as a cucumber) than your a better person than I. Use a training program that fits you and it is always relevant to what your needs are.
Eric Dean
"Practice does not make perfect; but instead a good practitioner. Only perfect practice makes perfect."
