Would you pay $600 for defensive firearm training?!?

[Blackeagle]

I said no here about three weeks ago.

Now I've changed that to yes.

Just curious, what led you to change your mind?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[threefeathers]

D-Grins, are you the fellow from Chicago who has been e-mailing me about attending Mas'Ayoobs MAG40 course in Arizona?

[cammo]

Just curious, what led you to change your mind?

Quite simply, the notion of using a firearm to shoot aggressive people that want to kill you is a relatively new mindset for me. Although I have contemplated this in the past, I never had a permit, the correct equipment, carry rigs, or any specific training.

As I am more realistically looking at self defense with a firearm, I am struck by what a completely different endeavor it is than other shooting sports - equipment, training, mindset, even some aspects of safety (you don't carry around a loaded gun when shooting trap for instance).

A downhill skier moving to snowboard halfpipe needs to pretty much start over.

This forum has helped point me to some of the many areas that I need to work on to be a better informed, educated, and trained self defense firearms user. Throwing money at this effort can't do the job for you, but it sure can help.

[JerryM]

You will like Mas. My husband (Benthic) and I took LFI-1 with him about 18 months ago. Great class, and all of the instructors were top notch. Mas is a character and a very nice guy- not to mention uber knowledgeable and skilled.

I once saw a video of Mas, and his language was so vulgar that I did not finish it.
Has he changed or does he still use gutter language in his training?

Regards,
Jerry

[MitchellCT]

I just came back from Tactical Response's Fighting Rifle class.

2 days/$400/1,500 rounds of .223 & 250 rounds of 9mm.

Plus travel cost from CT to TN and back.

Worth the money, had a great time, but the 24 hour drive sucked...

Next time I'll take someone with me for company.

[Marty Hayes]

Late to the party here, but from an instructors standpoint, (Director, Firearms Academy of Seattle) I believe one of the great and little understood benefits of attending professional firearms training is the confidence it gives you to handle whatever situation you are up against.

That confidence will likely be sufficient to a calculating predator to make him decide to go elsewhere to find his prey. Can't prove this theory, but I believe it to be true.

While good training may be expensive, ignorance can be life threatening!

[MitchellCT]

In addition to confidence, training will also open your eyes to all the other perils you didn't think of before.

You will learn just how dangerous things are, and knowing that, you will be MORE likely to avoid potential problems, deescalate a situation or say "Hell with it...my car is insured and I'm not getting in a gunfight over CD's..."

If you have to go, go.

If you don't have to...Good bye...

[C Bennett]

It would depend on how long the class was, who was teaching it(they better have at least my experience level or better) and what it included..in other words am i learning anything new...or is this just like a extended range session where its something that ive done or know...im willing to pay for new and good training...I can run through drills I already know from the Military,SRT school, police academy,SMG training,Sniper course and our semi improvised door gunner school :)...that said if its new or good I want it and would pay..if its not I can just do it on my own in drills I set up for a fraction of the cost(basically just ammo)

[Marty Hayes]

C Bennett, you are right. The more advanced training one has, the more difficult it is to take training to learn new stuff. In the past, I have taken classes left handed because the curriculum would be boring right handed. Also have used sub-compact guns to challenge myself. At some point, one is just participating in maintenance training, instead of learning new stuff. For example, I have taken Chuck Taylor's Handgun Master Prep Course, which is 4 days of skill development training with pistols. I ended up passing the Master test, but the point is, I would take that class again in a heartbeat, to bring myself back up to that level, as I am sure I have lost a step or two since 2003.

In fact, Chuck will be at my range in May for a 2-day class, and if there are any spots available, I will likely take one, just to sharpen the edge of the blade.

[Orive 8]

Hello Marty,

A request from your friends in Pittsburgh, if you could possibly find a way to arraign to have Scott Reitz from ITTS up at FAS for a handgun class, I would definitely be interested in flying out for that class.

Otto Orive
P.S. Say hello to Gila from DeAnne and me

And so as not to derail this thread, I agree with what was said about the fact that when one has a lot of classes under his/her belt, what you look to get out of a new/or retake class is something else. I personally try to find instructors whose background really interests me; I also use the class as a refresher and for ongoing training certification.

And remember, even if you take a class and find things that you didn't like or won't use, you have learned something useful.

[C Bennett]

C Bennett, you are right. The more advanced training one has, the more difficult it is to take training to learn new stuff. In the past, I have taken classes left handed because the curriculum would be boring right handed. Also have used sub-compact guns to challenge myself. At some point, one is just participating in maintenance training, instead of learning new stuff. For example, I have taken Chuck Taylor's Handgun Master Prep Course, which is 4 days of skill development training with pistols. I ended up passing the Master test, but the point is, I would take that class again in a heartbeat, to bring myself back up to that level, as I am sure I have lost a step or two since 2003.

In fact, Chuck will be at my range in May for a 2-day class, and if there are any spots available, I will likely take one, just to sharpen the edge of the blade.

thats actually not a bad idea...every now and then they run a few courses locally at the indoor range. but are quite basic..even their advanced is built twords the civilian market and pretty much the same deals you have learned(if you have been to one) in any police academy, Swat/srt/sort school, or advanced handgun course...nothing excitingly new but I guess using a different gun like a Sub Compact or even a Snubnose revolver may freshen it up a bit to "challenge" yourself.

[GM]

It depends of what it is.

[DIXIETWISTER]

Nope...Im cheap and broke..I teach myself down here in the woods..........Im learning everything i need to know here on this board