Taking James Yeagers Fighting Handgun course this week

[Blue Thunder]

Took the course last March (2011) in a Mobile Class near Atlanta for 2 days. First Class training, lots of info you do need a real good ball point pen to take notes with and shot more than 700 rounds at "The Castle" where the 12 of us trained with the 1 instructor and 2 assistance folks. All First Class Training, with the photographer. The next time I take this class will be up in Tenn where James is located.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[threefeathers]

God willing my retina will be completely healed soon and I will take it.

[QKShooter]

You are wise not taking even the slightest risk with an eye.

[threefeathers]

You are wise not taking even the slightest risk with an eye.

I know, when I walked into Retna Associates in Tucson they put me in the operating room within ten minutes of my initial exam.

[Toorop]

Don't agree to be the camera man either.....

I couldn't stop laughing when I read this because of this article.

[RonCo]

I couldn't stop laughing when I read this because of this article.

Whoa!

[tacman605]

This video caused quite a stir in the area of firearms training. One instructor in particular slammed them pretty hard until a video of one of his classes in a shoot house led to pages upon pages of comments and arguments and led to him being removed as a certified instructor for Larry Vickers.

Again I have no ties to Tactical Response or Yeager but I would like to give an opinion.

I have trained in many different scenarios and instructors. I have trained with specialized military and police units worldwide. Part of that training was firing with persons beside, behind, below and in front of me. In many circles just as he stated in the video was the cardinal sin, but as also stated if you cant do it on a square range how can you be expected to do it in real life.

I am not saying that next time you go shoot have your partner stand downrange it is not for everyone. Nowadays in many classes instructors use remote cameras instead of live folks pushing the shutter buttons but to each his own. It all comes down to your comfort level and the professionalism of the instructor and his staff.

Personally don't have a problem with it but again to each his own.

[Harryball]

This video caused quite a stir in the area of firearms training. One instructor in particular slammed them pretty hard until a video of one of his classes in a shoot house led to pages upon pages of comments and arguments and led to him being removed as a certified instructor for Larry Vickers.

Again I have no ties to Tactical Response or Yeager but I would like to give an opinion.

I have trained in many different scenarios and instructors. I have trained with specialized military and police units worldwide. Part of that training was firing with persons beside, behind, below and in front of me. In many circles just as he stated in the video was the cardinal sin, but as also stated if you cant do it on a square range how can you be expected to do it in real life.

I am not saying that next time you go shoot have your partner stand downrange it is not for everyone. Nowadays in many classes instructors use remote cameras instead of live folks pushing the shutter buttons but to each his own. It all comes down to your comfort level and the professionalism of the instructor and his staff.

Personally don't have a problem with it but again to each his own.

I have done the bold part as well, but IMO this guy takes the cake. I take no absolutes as it pertains to firearms training. Training with someone else that goes low and you go high, or side by side, etc, is different than sending a camera man to sit in front of shooters that may not have a lot of training.

I understand exactly what you are saying. I will avoid his training like the plague, I would respect him more if his training was more like what you and I have been thru. JMO.....

[suntzu]

I have trained in many different scenarios and instructors. I have trained with specialized military and police units worldwide. Part of that training was firing with persons beside, behind, below and in front of me. In many circles just as he stated in the video was the cardinal sin, but as also stated if you cant do it on a square range how can you be expected to do it in real life.

I have done the bold part as well, but IMO this guy takes the cake. I take no absolutes as it pertains to firearms training. Training with someone else that goes low and you go high, or side by side, etc, is different than sending a camera man to sit in front of shooters that may not have a lot of training.

I understand exactly what you are saying. I will avoid his training like the plague, I would respect him more if his training was more like what you and I have been thru. JMO.....

I disagree with this training because there is no training value added that can not be done with a remote camera. Like you said, some of us have this experience with live fire but that is done with professionals and is needed for training. The camera man who is the one in danger is not being trained. Whoever taught this guy risk assesment needs to go back to the drawing board. Whenever we did live fire we had body armor on also. Another thing that is lacking in this video. (At least non I could see.)

[First Sgt]

This video caused quite a stir in the area of firearms training. One instructor in particular slammed them pretty hard until a video of one of his classes in a shoot house led to pages upon pages of comments and arguments and led to him being removed as a certified instructor for Larry Vickers.

Again I have no ties to Tactical Response or Yeager but I would like to give an opinion.

I have trained in many different scenarios and instructors. I have trained with specialized military and police units worldwide. Part of that training was firing with persons beside, behind, below and in front of me. In many circles just as he stated in the video was the cardinal sin, but as also stated if you cant do it on a square range how can you be expected to do it in real life.

I am not saying that next time you go shoot have your partner stand downrange it is not for everyone. Nowadays in many classes instructors use remote cameras instead of live folks pushing the shutter buttons but to each his own. It all comes down to your comfort level and the professionalism of the instructor and his staff.

Personally don't have a problem with it but again to each his own.

Probably one of the easiest things in the world, is to sit back and critique something that you have only seen on film, read about, or have not personally experienced, but you are offering an opinion based on just that.."OPINION".... I have to agree with "tacman605". I have to agree with "stress" training as stated in Yeagers response as well as "seeing the front site under stress"... I've trained with Tactical Response, and have personally trained with both James Yeager and Jay Gibson (the photographer)...Many folks don't like Yeager...Well, I can only say, if you haven't trained with him or Jay Gibson, if you haven't experienced their knowledge which they gladly and readily impart to their students, if you haven't had the opportunity to stand in front of the training class at the end and express your displeasure with the training you've received and get a full refund on your costs, then I encourage you to approach these videos and training at Tactical Response with an open mind...I don't work for TR nor am I personal friends with Yeager or Gibson, other than to have trained under them, but I would certainly be willing to have them with me ANYTIME in a SHTF situation. They've forgotten more than many of us will ever have the opportunity to experience or learn...JMO

[ISR MATRIX]

I have trained with JY before he started Tactical Response when he was assisting Andy Stanford. Very knowledgeable guy, charismatic and enthusiastic instructor.

The cameraman thing was straight up dumb. Even if the guns were never intentionally pointed at him, they were conducting immediate action drills with certainly less muzzle discipline and must have lasered him repeatedly at one time or another. Just so unnecessary.

[Elk Hunter]

This video caused quite a stir in the area of firearms training. One instructor in particular slammed them pretty hard until a video of one of his classes in a shoot house led to pages upon pages of comments and arguments and led to him being removed as a certified instructor for Larry Vickers.

Again I have no ties to Tactical Response or Yeager but I would like to give an opinion.

I have trained in many different scenarios and instructors. I have trained with specialized military and police units worldwide. Part of that training was firing with persons beside, behind, below and in front of me. In many circles just as he stated in the video was the cardinal sin, but as also stated if you cant do it on a square range how can you be expected to do it in real life.

I am not saying that next time you go shoot have your partner stand downrange it is not for everyone. Nowadays in many classes instructors use remote cameras instead of live folks pushing the shutter buttons but to each his own. It all comes down to your comfort level and the professionalism of the instructor and his staff.

Personally don't have a problem with it but again to each his own.

There is a very big difference when training with "specialized military and police units", I suspect all involved were highly trained.
I watched a youtube video with Cory & Erika taking training with Yeager, you can see the camera man down the line from then between the targets. I assume it is the same guy, maybe a different cameraman, the first one is still in recovery.

My point is Erika says it was great training with people of variying skill levels. There is a big diference between doing that with a bunch of skilled experienced shooters and shooters of variying skill levels

[tacman605]

Again to each his own. What I consider safe, practical or real world training others would have a heart attack over.

Yeager and crew know their business and teach in a certain way some like it some don't.

[dukalmighty]

Yeager and crew know their business and teach in a certain way some like it some don't.

I believe they may know their stuff,but there is a difference between highly skilled shooters,and a class of shooters that were everything from Novice to experienced.
When I was an LEO,there were certain Officers that the Smart LEO's knew to never get in front of during a possible deadly force situation,with most of that knowledge coming from actual Snafu's at the Gun Range,or during building clearings when you look behind you and your backup is sweeping you with his 357 magnum.

[tacman605]

Absolutely Duke and there still are people I am cautious around. I am betting though the photographer evaluates things and people before he does this and it is probably not on the first day.