First Person Defender

[muddywings]

Only watched the intro video 1 and then the second (below). With my wife who purse carries, I'll send this and the others for her to watch. I thought the methodology was pretty good and a great learning environment. Hope to get both of us to take a course like this someday.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS4svHr7DLE&feature=share&list=PLscB-49EdZcuKOrDogPOGkeTde5OqGTT3

Thoughts?

[Mick-Boy]

I have it on excellent authority that Greg, Destin, Louie and Benny are real deal guys with solid backgrounds in using and teaching firearms. I'd look them up if all their classes weren't down in the dirty south.

http://www.vatatrainingcenter.com/index.html

[Danimal]

I would love the opportunity to do some training like that. It is the final connection that you need to calm down actually be effective in a situation like that. Everyone has delusions of grandeur until they are actually in the situation then the mind goes blank. I would like to think that I would act appropriately and neutralize the situation, but I have never had to draw a gun on anyone.

[stoner01]

I would like to do more of it also. We were lucky when we got to do it in the .Mil. It really drove home certain point. One was not to stand in doorways (Took a round to the hand from the second story) I also did some active shooter response with it. Its fun.

[Mick-Boy]

Force on force scenario training is the logical next step for people that have learned effective marksmanship safe gun handling, then learned to move safely and efficiently in a house. It will teach some of the most humbling and memorable lessons you'll learn (far more so than the flat rage). Each evolution should be conducted with a purpose/emphasis. A learning point for the student to take away. It shouldn't be "hey lets grab these airsoft pistols and blast each other until one of us cries 'uncle'."

The training is available and I think we're going to see this type of thing offered more often. People are starting to realize that effective self defense goes a whole lot deeper than standing at the 7yd line and blazing away. As always, vet the company and instructors offering training. The money to be made has motivated some people to run courses they have no business teaching.

[Bailey Guns]

We'd love to be able to offer FonF training but we don't have the facility nor quite the expertise we need. It's not nearly as simple as it might seem to put something like that together! Even with our laser simulator students get a small taste of what "the real thing" is like and I think good FonF would be even better.

It's amazing how many people walk away from even a sim session with a racing heartbeat, heavy breathing and a "WTF just happened" look on their faces. I've done the simunition thing once and it was a real eye-opener.

[hghclsswhitetrsh]

Thanks for sharing - Just really shows how little I truly know. But where does me start? How do I know if some is legit with their training.

[stoner01]

I look at where that person came from. What is his past and how does s/he display it.
I know its vague, but look at it this way. Would you rather take a class by someone who says "This is the way to do it because I say so" or by the guy who says, this is how I did in when I was in. It might not work for you but it is something to think about.
And I compare them to buck yeager...;)

[Mick-Boy]

There was a write up on selecting and attending training that I had done a bit ago and (I thought) posted in the training section. It seems to have disappeared. I'll grab it off another board and repost it with a link here.

More to follow.

[Mick-Boy]

Thread's back up in the training area. (http://www.ar-15.co/threads/112503-Being-a-Good-Student-Selecting-and-attending-training?p=1271933#post1271933)

[Mick-Boy]

As far as picking training to attend and vetting an instructor/company:

In that other thread I started by saying you need to figure out what you want/need to work on. For this lets say the objective is "get better at using my CCW for self defense".

There should be a natural progression. Make sure you can handle your gun safely, then make sure you can hit your target, then make sure you can use your pistol at close range and from unconventional positions, then learn how to safely move through a structure with your gun, and finally participate in FoF training that may encompass any or all of those skills.

That would be the progression I'd try to follow. As long as your safety and marksmanship are there you can absolutely skip around depending on what's available. For instance, if I felt pretty solid on the flat range and the opportunity for well run FoF was available I'd jump on it. I might not get as much out of it but it certainly wouldn't be wasted time.

For vetting an instructor:

They should be willing and able to provide a bio. Some instructors have them posted publicly. Some will provide them on request. If it's not available, ask. If they won't provide it, move along.


My belief is that a person teaching a physical skill should have a solid background effectively performing that skill. Bonus points if they've got time teaching that physical skill to adult humans.

I'm not going to seek combatives training from someone who spent a weekend at a seminar with a Gracie. Just because someone spent some time with Mario Andretti doesn't mean that's the guy to teach you racing. Their experience should stand on its own merit.

Research the person, the company and their classes. See what professionals say about them.

It might save you from watching someone shoot their AI in the guts.