Everyone needs continuing education in the evolving concept of Gunfighting. Problem is half of our instructors are, well, not so great! Pretty easy for a new shooter to get entry level instruction as there are a plethora of entry level qualified instructors available. A one or two day course however simply does not cut it; Gunsite 250 pistol course is a 5 day course and is awesome for the new or semi-experienced shooter. And, um, hey.. if you shoot 20 rounds at the range every other week you can call yourself “semi-experienced”. Maybe. The problem arises for the intermediate to advanced shooter to get an experienced educated instructor. The majority of these instructors seem to believe we are in Afghanistan and train as such; crawling over and under, jumping hither and yon, running for cover. No. My fight is at Walmart not Afghanistan. Was at the “highest level” pistol training course offered (supposedly) where one of the instructors keeps yapping about how he was a Green Beret Medic. No such thing. There are Special Forces Aidman (300F1) trained to the level of ER Doctors in the longest (and hardest) Special Forces Course in existence. Yeah I oughta know and yes it’s on my DD214. He is also a “pilot”, Hollywood stunt man, business expert, the list just does not stop and nor does his mouth. So anyhoo he has us at 25 yards, 75′, long way. Ok I get it. We DO need to be able to whack at 25 yards.. scenario is no cover, no retreat, we are in a fight to the death. So his instruction is to fire one round, skimmy hoople two steps right (using the special skimmy hoople technique), fire another round, skimmy hoople two steps left, fire another round. Gotta keep moving so we are harder to hit! Yeah. No. In the above scenario I’m not moving left right nowhere. In fact I am going to move toward my opponent in a fast and efficient manner while constantly pulling the trigger; let him him hoople skim left and right and I’ll simply ventilate him. Alot. Point being after you gain enough experience you need to evaluate and sift through information provided to you, keep what you can use and makes sense, and discard the rest. This same instructor was one whom said you do not need to ever look behind you AFTER your threat is down. Huh? What? Soon as my threat is not a threat I am checking my six FAST and if clear reloading with a full mag. I can do bad instructor stories all day long.. just do some checking and get some bona fides or talk to the guy and feel em out. Another “instructor” promoted himself as a hot shit Marine Force Recon (Mustang) and fooled everyone for a decade. Took one of his courses with my wife, sat in the car after, called bullshit. Chicken shit AR course of no value. Turns out he was a fraud. No one in the community ever asked to see his bona fides or DD214. And hey you don’t need a veteran to be your instructor either. Colonel Cooper used to only allow and hire instructor’s whom “have been shot at”. Sorry but that’s just dumb. What about the ex navy SEAL whom is now an instructor and has you skinny up a telephone pole and engage targets with your pistol? Say what? There’s an “instructor” whom hangs out at our local coffee shop. Calls himself “Reaper”. Really. Apparently was in the Army 3 years and claims his platoon gave him the nickname. The Reaper. My ass. Anyone having you call them the “Reaper” or “Terminator” or “Killer” is a wannabe. Stay away from em.
There is some serious talent out there to learn from and one of the better ones is Ernest Langdon. Look him up and take a couple of his courses. And no I don’t agree with everything he teaches but he is an awesome instructor regardless!