Alternative training methods?

[kamagong]

“Owning a handgun does not make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.”
- Col. Jeff Cooper

I understand the importance of training and I agree that if you want to learn how to use your weapons well you should go to a class and receive quality instruction. Here’s my problem though. I recently got married and my wife is expecting our first child. As you would expect, free time is at a premium and the possibility of me getting away to take a class is not very good.

This problem applies more to carbine training than handgun training. I can take a course on defensive pistolcraft with Louis Awerbuck at a place that is an hour away. I plan on doing just that, and learning to use a pistol is my number one priority as I am a civilian and my primary weapon is my 1911.

I also want to learn to use my AR though. What can a person in my situation do? There are no good carbine classes nearby. I don’t mind traveling to a class, but as I mentioned earlier my personal circumstances preclude that option for the foreseeable future. At this point I have three choices –
1. Pick up some good books and training videos.
2. Participate in the matches at my gun club, that should at least teach me how to shoot.
3. Get some personal instruction if at all possible. This is probably the best option as I have three cousins that are combat Marines and have all done recent tours in Iraq. The only problem I can foresee is that I’m not sure how good they are as teachers.

What other options do I have? I really want to learn to use my guns, but I refuse to believe that until I take a course that I am only a dilettante.

 

[hammerklavier]

Sounds good, I'd go with all those options.

 

[CWL]

You live in San Jose, right?
Plenty of opportunities for you to sling lead downrange and get to meet other black rifle enthusiasts while you improve your skills, were a friendly crowd. There will always be someone willing to help you with starting-out basics to expert class advice. I'm not up on local training, but they exist and someone will be able to point you in the right direction.

Look into IDPA 3-gun events held at the Richmond Rod & Gun Club.
http://www.richmondrodandgun.com/
http://www.california-idpa.com/ -Contact Jim Griffiths for more info on the next meet.

 

[kamagong]

Close, I live in Pittsburg, roughly an hour north. I'm gonna sign up for one of the YFA pistol classes that Louis Awerbuck occassionally offers in Santa Clara, but Reed's hasn't released the 2010 schedule yet.

Thanks for the tips. My friends have been trying to get me to Richmond Rod & Gun for a while, it looks like I finally have a good reason to go.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Louis teaches an excellent carbine class also, but I don't know if they offer it on the indoor range at Santa Clara. YFA is beginning to fill in the 2010 schedule - see http://www.yfainc.com/schedule.html . Try getting in touch with Tommy Gong in San Jose at [email protected] and see if there are any possibilities for the carbine class there...

Also see http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=4964246&postcount=3 for other California possibilities...

It's entirely possible to learn a lot on your own, but the tutelage of a good instructor will steepen your learning curve a lot and help you avoid bad habits in the process. Most of the videos put out by reputable instructors will cover the sort of things they teach in person, and you can get a good head start with them if you are an apt pupil.

Competition (3-gun etc) can be good, but don't get overly caught up in the gamesmanship that too often takes over such venues.

Give your gyrene friends a shot at teaching you, if they are willing. But most of the grunt level military training with firearms GIs get is less than impressive- cold ranges, little flexibility, that sort of thing. If they've been trained by Pat Rogers, John Farnam etc, things might be a little different though 8^).

Once you finish your first formal class, I'd like to know what you think about the usefulness of professional training then.

Good luck and happy training!

lpl

 

[kamagong]

Once you finish your first formal class, I'd like to know what you think about the usefulness of professional training then.

I'll tell you right now that I know that there is nothing as good as professional training. I love learning and going to school. Combine that with shooting guns and I can't think of anything I'd rather do on vacation than take a carbine course from Magpul Dynamics or EAG Tactical. The biggest problem as I mentioned is time, I just can't get away for three or four days, not with a baby on the way. Guess I need to get creative.

 

[Frank Ettin]

AFAIK, Louis will be teaching his carbine class at Reed's. I go to Reed's regularly and have taken classes there, including one when the Walt Marshal folks were teaching there as well as one from Louis.

There's a very active competition program at Richmond Rod & Gun Club. They have IDPA, IPSC and IPSC three gun. Check out the link that CWL provided. Also check out http://www.richmondhotshots.com/.

I think Walt Marshal (Advanced Weapons and Tactics) used to teach occasional classes at Richmond Rod & Gun. I don't know if he's still doing it.

 

[possum]

if you are looking for carbine videos, get the MagPul Art of the Tactical Carbine volumes 1 and 2. they are great values, and a wealth of info, of course they are not a substitute for a course with them, but they are a great start.

 

[PandaBearBG]

Never been to a shooting school or class, but if your looking for something free and what I think of as pretty effective is stress shooting. Not like a 3gun match or a course. Literally run a mile (with weapons, if your local allows it, and run means run not jog), complete a few simple exercise, pushup, jumping jacks, squat thrust and immediate engage your targets with some of the practice drills that are sticky to this thread under a very short timed limit enforced by your motivated cousins. The need to complete the run in a speedy manner as well as engage targets with your adrenaline pumping, sweating, heart thumbing, hands sometimes a bit shaky, breathing irradict, vision maybe slower to focus, no prep time. Fatigue and mental stress are your biggest opponents in quick accurate target aquisition, IMO shooting during with your body in less than ideal conditions in an accurate and timed manner is the best and hardest.

Classes may be better at rifle/pistol handling and maybe training drills, I don't know never took them. But my freebie way is well free, and makes shooting extremely difficult but after a while you can and do adjust and during controlled optimal stable conditions, you are rock solid and calm and controlled. Besides actually running with your gear hastily speeds up your desire to shed unwanted and unneeded kit, gets you fit, prepares you if things ever get hairy, does wonders for your ability to control your breathing and body postioning. Just $.02 from a salty (well maybe sandy grunt.