brownie0486
Member
The Integrated Threat Focused Training Systems course was held three weeks ago in Flagstaff. I didn't advertise this class on THR as it filled with students before I could announce it this time.
Here's a few reviews from that course posted elsewhere on forums.
Today we exist in a state of uncertainty. What will tomorrow bring? Between visions of the breakdown of the Soviet Union, and the more relevant evening news detailing the numerous ways innocent people are violated, one can be left weary. Not necessarily afraid, but aware... connected with reality in a way that most of civilization would prefer to hide from, denying it's mere existance.
My experience with people is that many, if not most, prefer to believe that bad things will not, or can not, happen to them. Kidnappings, rapes, murders -- these are the fates of other poor souls worlds apart from us. Right? Sorry, but no. All of the things that we read about in the news is real. It happens to everyday people just like you and me, and I don't intend to let myself, or my family, be an easy target. So what is my solution? Concealed Carry.
When I finally decided I was ready to purchase a handgun to carry on my person, I knew I was setting off on a quest for knowledge and training that would cost a lot of time and money. I just didn't quite realize how much it would take. First the gun, then the holsters, the belt, the ammo, the cleaning supplies, range fees, targets, ear protection, CCW classes and application fees, different sized firearms for different dress, the list is never-ending. For all of this expense, however, something was clearly lacking. Sure, I'd played paintball since 1987. I've put over 1000 rounds down range with my handgun and can rapid-fire COM with no misses using my sights in a controlled atmosphere. I'm light, have quick-reflexes, and my hand-eye coordination is top-notch. Still, that was just not enough to make me feel good about carrying this gun on my hip.
In comes Brownie. I came across a thread over on DC.com about the ITFTS in Flagstaff, AZ. The price was right. I live close. I read the reviews on this forum and was totally sold. Point-shooting will generate some much-heated arguments here and there between it's proponents and opponents. So, after a few months anticipation and with a semi-skeptical attitude after reading all the debate I showed up in Flagstaff with my wife. Within minutes we were on the firing line. Everything was set up and ready to go; there was not going to be any classroom BS in this course. We got to the training, and after the first day I had some incredible skills at the ready. These are real, down-on-the-streets survival skills. sure, maybe I could get a sharp-focus on the top edge of my front sight and hit a target at 200 yards with my handgun if I took some other training courses (no disrespect to those trainers intended), but that is not what I'm looking for.
These skills involved getting out of the holster and on target NOW. EU/ED and QK hip are about as fast and repeatably accurate a skill as you will ever need on the street. Forget about sight acquisition when a BG 15 feet away goes to pull a gun or knife. It's not gonna happen. I'm gonna get the gun out and fire from the hip with the confidence that I can hit multiple targets faster than I could get my sights in line on a single target with other methods. I won't get into all the skills taught, but they are all valuable. Brownie does a good job of teaching them with an upbeat and fun presentation. Through the entire course, those of us in attendance were having a blast. A single glance down the firing line at any time during the day would show a group of silly smiling shooters. We were standing in the wind and sun, all day long, shooting so much that our hands and bodies were hurting. But we wanted more.
Even my wife, who was about as inexperienced with firearms as they come, was quite impressive with her little Kahr MK9, almost immediately. Brownie was kind enough to devote some extra time and attention to her, and when he was done she was downright scary. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of her barrel any day. That is probably what impressed me the most. Regardless of your skill@arms, Brownie will do what it takes to make you competent with your gun.
After two days of sunburn and hard pounding from our guns, my wife and I returned home. Almost immediately, she was searching for the airsoft pistol. Right into the backyard, she is using QK to nail small key limes, rocks, dog toys, etc... amazing! These are not only life-saving skills, but they are fun to boot
I would recommend anyone carrying a firearm to take this class. Without this training you are giving up precious time when you are already behind the curve. Using these skills, along with your situational awareness and proper equipment, you will have the best chance of survival should you find yourself in such a situation. The price is more than reasonable. Brownie is awesome. Do it.
Here are a couple videos to watch. One is Lonnie, aka SGT443, and the other is my wife and I. Remember, we are not looking at our guns at all and we are MOVING. Watch as I move from one steel plate to the other, then back again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px4y0GwEUMI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s5IiA2BaZA
______________________________________________________________
Threat Focused Training: Quick Kill Pistol AZ May 31-June 1 Review
I’d like to start with a little bit of history: I’ve known Brownie for a while and have wanted to take this class (along with others TFT offers) for quite some time. A couple of months ago an acquaintance of mine and I stopped by to see him and he showed me one of the basic principles of “point-shooting”, and I’ve been wondering/thinking about this technique ever since, even practicing “pointing” with my index/barrel every once in a while. When Brownie told me that he would be teaching a formal class on May31/June01 I told a couple of buddies and the aforementioned “acquaintance”. My buddies were busy/broke and the acquaintance told me he thought Brownie was “full of it/telling stories” and probably selling snake oil. Needless to say I still took the class.
One thing for certain: Brownie may be using “snake oil” to lubricate his firearms, but he wasn’t selling any. There wasn’t anything taught in the class that any of us couldn’t/didn’t pick up right away like it was second nature. The students ranged from those who had taken “formal” training, a sergeant (sheriff office), and a beginner. To tell the truth I was a little surprised by the round count the class called for, especially since I came to the class on a motorcycle (4-500 miles total) we shot less than originally called for but the high round count really helped in learning the different skill sets. I brought 9x 15rnd. mags and 1x 33rnd. mag so I didn’t have to reload as often, if you take this class bringing this many mags helps a lot.
My first obversation: almost no time was spent on reloads, tac reloads etc. this class was high speed and focused on shooting from the get-go. Brownie did stop and double check with everyone, making sure they understood the skills taught and asking if they had any questions. The firing line was kept very safe with no handling of firearms anywhere to the rear of it, and when moving/shooting was taught only one student went at a time with the remainder of the class watching from the rear.
I was amazed at both how much I shot and how the shots were placed, and especially at the fact that I hadn’t looked at my pistol or sights while shooting. I think everytime Brownie looked at me I had a smile on my face from learning new skillsets and having fun doing so. One thing Brownie pointed out in the beginning was that he would teach us some shooting techniques that all of us were already capable of, and I found this to be very true. To be honest I was concerned about the “repeatability” of these techniques, but when called upon to duplicate them I was able to do so on command.
Quick Kill Pistol is not a “competition” shooting class though the skills taught can be used in competition, it is a very direct “gunfighting” class. It’s really that simple, we were taught shooting from above the holster, from the hip, etc. and all of the students were able to draw/fire/make hits in one second or less. We were taught how to make multiple hits on target in the time that it takes most to draw and front sight press on an opponent. These are skills that will save your life in a “gunfight” and are skills that you can “own” once you are taught them, again because of the simplicity.
One subject/issue I want to cover is using sights: I’ve seen a lot of “debates” on the subject of point-shooting come down to people arguing the duller “points” of sights versus not using sights. Brownie does not teach people not to use sights*, he teaches them to stay alive long enough to “fight” to their sights (if needed), and not to use them as a crutch! In the class he even talked about following up with sights (headshots, etc.) once the gun is fully extended, and well after several c.o.m hits were already on target.
*Brownie actually does teach people how to shoot while not using sights and he has an impressive way of proving this. The “Green Dragon”! This is a military issue M1911 with a olive drab slide and frame which has no sights whatsoever, it doesn’t even have a dovetail cut for a sight (was filled in before refinishing). Brownie picked a target in the backstop about the size of a baseball and asked all of us to take turns shooting at it and I was amazed at how quickly and accurately we hit it (over and over again), the same goes for putting rapid shots on steel targets which we did plenty of.
Quick Kill Pistol was most impressive, I have to say that I was super-impressed with the “free” Quick Kill Rifle class that Brownie gave at the end of the first day of shooting, using a bb gun with no sights and a shotgun with skeet. Brownie was shooting with 2-4 other shooters, and while I was watching to see who got the hit on the skeet, I looked back at the group of shooters after the skeet was hit. To my surprise this is when Brownie lifted his rifle and “point-shot” a quarter to half dollar size chunk of skeet that had separated after the initial impact. This was done repeatedly when the “fragmented” pieces were 4-12 ft from the ground, and again no tracking, just point and shoot.
Another gem from the class was the disarms Brownie taught us at the end of day2, I’ve seen some pretty intricate disarms and have wondered whether they would actually work and known just from looking that others would never work. We were taught real “disarms” front the front and rear, with a few variables thrown in, and again I was quite impressed. I am confident that these will work in a real situation, and plan on practicing them quite a bit. No one was able to get a hit on Brownie while he was demonstrating these techniques, and we were shown how effective they were by using the same techniques on each other and Brownie.
I highly recommend this class and technique for any shooter, especially a beginner. Threat Focused Training will teach you to stay alive in a gunfight, it’s that simple! The technique is also very simple to perform once he teaches it to you, there was some serious "Zen" shooting going on at the class.
Godspeed!
I planned on writing this review a couple of weeks ago, and was reminded on Sunday when I took my kids to see a movie; afterwords we played some video game with a pistol control (paintball game) and after about a minute of using "FSP" I realized that I could use "Quick Kill".........I continued to mercilessly lay some serious hate on those poor suckers, I literally had to hand off my control to some kid to take over. And I was reminded that I needed to post an AAR.
This class had some great people in it, who I hope to train with again . One more note: in the video you saw of Tactical Compacts wife shooting= that isn't her gun, she just started shooting that Glock the same day (twice the grip of her own gun). And if there was ever a testament to how effective/learnable Quick Kill is it's how she shot after some training!
Brownie, thanks alot for the class (and all the "exters" you gave us)! Well done!
_______________________________________________________________
In the spirit of the Gunsite Blog, I'll give a brief rundown on what my experience was this weekend and my run through Robin "Brownie" Brown's Integrated Threat Focused Training / Quick Kill class. For a little reference, my experience may be largely different from others because myself, and a few others camped-out at the site with Brownie. So we got a little more of the experience. And that's NOT a bad thing.
Starting the Class:
Firearm: HK USP .40 Compact
Ammunition: 2050 rounds (Half were reloads)
Mags: Four Standard HK Ten-Round Magazines
--------------------------------------
Before going much further into this, I'll say it right now: This is *not* a class that's about lightning-quick tactical reloads, fancy breathing techniques or taught by the latest greatest shooter who can put every round through the same molecule at 200 yards with a .22 snubbie. This course is about different shooting positions and ideas as to how to survive a gunfight. This is a no-frills or fufu course that gets into the meat of streetable techniques. No classroom, minimum BS, you will learn by watching and then doing. Throughout the days, Brownie is enthusiastic and keeps the energy up so when you're about ready to keel over, you STILL want more.
Going through the first day, we started at 9am and except for a few small breaks and lunch - we were on the firing line all day. If we weren't shooting, we were discussing the different applications of one technique and talking the merits of using it versus a different one. It sounds bad to say this, but off the top of my head I cannot remember everything I was taught.
Is it because some of it was stupid and worth forgetting? Ha!! No way. I'm just tired and between bathes of aloe right now so things are hazy.
But getting back to it, it doesn't matter that I cannot remember all of the details right now. Brownie packs a LOT into two days. He teaches a lot of things that once you have the basics of, its all refining the art (and really - it is!) to what suits you best. You can go onto his forum and get a rundown of what was covered in the class and INSTANTLY everything comes back. These skillsets are things that he opens the doors to you on and its just up to you to step through and practice back home and on the range. Well... private range. Most ranges don't take kindly to rapid fire or half the stuff you learn.
Much as I scribbled in the Gunsite Blog, I'm not going to give away any details or try and describe how to do that. If Brownie wants to post it up on his forum, he can do it. But I wouldn't be able to do it justice anyway. Really, and to be dead honest, this stuff needs to be seen to be fully appreciated (if not believed). When I got there Friday night, him and Mike were telling me I'd be able to rapid-fire every round into a torso from +21' in under 2 seconds by Saturday afternoon. I chuckled. What do you say to that??? I still didn't know the next afternoon when I did it on my second try! But I'll tell you, I was grinning like an idiot.
Sunday rolls around and we cover a lot of review from the previous day. Basic stuff to the class and Core skills. Once thats loaded into our minds we moved off into running drills/sprints. I'll be dead honest, I have NEVER seen or heard of a more stable or accurate firing technique for shooting on the move. Some of the other skills he shows, and we even got some demo and practice on handgun disarms, are nuts.
After the shooting was done today, we sat down and had a discussion about what was learned. It was pointed-out that Quick Kill, while is a GREAT technique, it is not the end-all be-all for every situation. It was an honest talk that reinforced the idea that every shooter needs to learn what works best for them and think about what will work best for whatever situation they might be placed in. It was never directly said, but that was the topic. And while that seems like a trivial thing to mention - it speaks volumes to the quality of the instruction. Some may disagree and live by a certain mantra that says there is only one correct way for each person. Fine. No problem. Stay over there. In a community with flashed names and big name schools, Brownie's course is refreshing.
Really, I would say that this course is an absolute must-take for anyone serious about self defense. You will blow yourself away with what you learn and how easy some of it is. For the skillset Brownie teaches, for the cost that he charges, it is hands-down worth it. Better than Gunsite? I'd say yes. But its two different set-ups and comparing them gets tough. Both teach good skillsets but I would say that QK and the associated techniques are much more likely to be used. No joke, one of the guys who came (forum member - TacticalCompact) brought his wife. From what I understand, she's not an experienced shooter by any stretch. She came in and just.. WOW!! I was totally impressed but not 100% shocked. Its so intuitive. Really... the gun becomes an extension of your hand.
Oh.. by the way.. did I mention that I saw my gun in focus exactly once while on the line ALL weekend. Once. Sights? Yeah, right. And no, I'm not joking. I'm being quite literal! Once. That was it.
Brownie, guys: I stand by what I said at the roundtable afterwards. 9 out of 10. I will be taking this course again and more of your offerings before I consider heading back to Gunsite or ANY other big name school.
--------------------------------------
Total Rounds Fired: 1150
Number of Cleaning Sessions: 0
The HK ran flawlessly. This gun never complains or gripes or hiccups when its shoved through the most intensive firing sessions. It was cleaned beforehand and all I did was lube slightly Sunday morning. I *highly* recommend bringing a serious gun to this class. If your firearm has very tight tolerances and may not stand-up to sustained high temps, you should probably bring something else. Or if they have a rep of breaking a certain part - bring spares.
I brought 2050 rounds. Why didn't I shoot much more than half? Damndest thing... I kept having to reload. Four mags, while it might get you through the class, is NOT enough. One guy, Eli, had a bunch of hi-caps for his Glock and he was havin' a good ol' time. You need a minimum of five 10-rounders. I'd suggest six or seven hi-caps. Just me, though.
My suggestions to those thinking of taking this class:
-Bring gloves or tape for your fingers. Especially if you shoot something larger than 9mm. Bring it for the 9mm if you have soft hands.
-Bring your shotgun, lots of ammo, and plenty of clays. Seeing Brownie hit the bits 'n pieces of what you thought you decimated will make you cry. And like it.
-Take the class ASAP.
Hopefully the other guys who took this can chime in and voice their thoughts. Maybe help me organize mine. This was a little scattered.
Sgt443, TacComp, Daddy (when you join)... VERY fine shooting. Especially you, Sgt. Very impressive all weekend. Even through your slide. It truly was a pleasure to take that class with you all.
________________________________________________________
We're planning another course in Flagstaff in early Oct 08 [ dates to be announced ]. If anyone is interested in this course, please contact me via email or pm here, as I'm only taking 12 students and we have 7 signed up again at this time.
Brownie
Here's a few reviews from that course posted elsewhere on forums.
Today we exist in a state of uncertainty. What will tomorrow bring? Between visions of the breakdown of the Soviet Union, and the more relevant evening news detailing the numerous ways innocent people are violated, one can be left weary. Not necessarily afraid, but aware... connected with reality in a way that most of civilization would prefer to hide from, denying it's mere existance.
My experience with people is that many, if not most, prefer to believe that bad things will not, or can not, happen to them. Kidnappings, rapes, murders -- these are the fates of other poor souls worlds apart from us. Right? Sorry, but no. All of the things that we read about in the news is real. It happens to everyday people just like you and me, and I don't intend to let myself, or my family, be an easy target. So what is my solution? Concealed Carry.
When I finally decided I was ready to purchase a handgun to carry on my person, I knew I was setting off on a quest for knowledge and training that would cost a lot of time and money. I just didn't quite realize how much it would take. First the gun, then the holsters, the belt, the ammo, the cleaning supplies, range fees, targets, ear protection, CCW classes and application fees, different sized firearms for different dress, the list is never-ending. For all of this expense, however, something was clearly lacking. Sure, I'd played paintball since 1987. I've put over 1000 rounds down range with my handgun and can rapid-fire COM with no misses using my sights in a controlled atmosphere. I'm light, have quick-reflexes, and my hand-eye coordination is top-notch. Still, that was just not enough to make me feel good about carrying this gun on my hip.
In comes Brownie. I came across a thread over on DC.com about the ITFTS in Flagstaff, AZ. The price was right. I live close. I read the reviews on this forum and was totally sold. Point-shooting will generate some much-heated arguments here and there between it's proponents and opponents. So, after a few months anticipation and with a semi-skeptical attitude after reading all the debate I showed up in Flagstaff with my wife. Within minutes we were on the firing line. Everything was set up and ready to go; there was not going to be any classroom BS in this course. We got to the training, and after the first day I had some incredible skills at the ready. These are real, down-on-the-streets survival skills. sure, maybe I could get a sharp-focus on the top edge of my front sight and hit a target at 200 yards with my handgun if I took some other training courses (no disrespect to those trainers intended), but that is not what I'm looking for.
These skills involved getting out of the holster and on target NOW. EU/ED and QK hip are about as fast and repeatably accurate a skill as you will ever need on the street. Forget about sight acquisition when a BG 15 feet away goes to pull a gun or knife. It's not gonna happen. I'm gonna get the gun out and fire from the hip with the confidence that I can hit multiple targets faster than I could get my sights in line on a single target with other methods. I won't get into all the skills taught, but they are all valuable. Brownie does a good job of teaching them with an upbeat and fun presentation. Through the entire course, those of us in attendance were having a blast. A single glance down the firing line at any time during the day would show a group of silly smiling shooters. We were standing in the wind and sun, all day long, shooting so much that our hands and bodies were hurting. But we wanted more.
Even my wife, who was about as inexperienced with firearms as they come, was quite impressive with her little Kahr MK9, almost immediately. Brownie was kind enough to devote some extra time and attention to her, and when he was done she was downright scary. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of her barrel any day. That is probably what impressed me the most. Regardless of your skill@arms, Brownie will do what it takes to make you competent with your gun.
After two days of sunburn and hard pounding from our guns, my wife and I returned home. Almost immediately, she was searching for the airsoft pistol. Right into the backyard, she is using QK to nail small key limes, rocks, dog toys, etc... amazing! These are not only life-saving skills, but they are fun to boot
I would recommend anyone carrying a firearm to take this class. Without this training you are giving up precious time when you are already behind the curve. Using these skills, along with your situational awareness and proper equipment, you will have the best chance of survival should you find yourself in such a situation. The price is more than reasonable. Brownie is awesome. Do it.
Here are a couple videos to watch. One is Lonnie, aka SGT443, and the other is my wife and I. Remember, we are not looking at our guns at all and we are MOVING. Watch as I move from one steel plate to the other, then back again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px4y0GwEUMI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s5IiA2BaZA
______________________________________________________________
Threat Focused Training: Quick Kill Pistol AZ May 31-June 1 Review
I’d like to start with a little bit of history: I’ve known Brownie for a while and have wanted to take this class (along with others TFT offers) for quite some time. A couple of months ago an acquaintance of mine and I stopped by to see him and he showed me one of the basic principles of “point-shooting”, and I’ve been wondering/thinking about this technique ever since, even practicing “pointing” with my index/barrel every once in a while. When Brownie told me that he would be teaching a formal class on May31/June01 I told a couple of buddies and the aforementioned “acquaintance”. My buddies were busy/broke and the acquaintance told me he thought Brownie was “full of it/telling stories” and probably selling snake oil. Needless to say I still took the class.
One thing for certain: Brownie may be using “snake oil” to lubricate his firearms, but he wasn’t selling any. There wasn’t anything taught in the class that any of us couldn’t/didn’t pick up right away like it was second nature. The students ranged from those who had taken “formal” training, a sergeant (sheriff office), and a beginner. To tell the truth I was a little surprised by the round count the class called for, especially since I came to the class on a motorcycle (4-500 miles total) we shot less than originally called for but the high round count really helped in learning the different skill sets. I brought 9x 15rnd. mags and 1x 33rnd. mag so I didn’t have to reload as often, if you take this class bringing this many mags helps a lot.
My first obversation: almost no time was spent on reloads, tac reloads etc. this class was high speed and focused on shooting from the get-go. Brownie did stop and double check with everyone, making sure they understood the skills taught and asking if they had any questions. The firing line was kept very safe with no handling of firearms anywhere to the rear of it, and when moving/shooting was taught only one student went at a time with the remainder of the class watching from the rear.
I was amazed at both how much I shot and how the shots were placed, and especially at the fact that I hadn’t looked at my pistol or sights while shooting. I think everytime Brownie looked at me I had a smile on my face from learning new skillsets and having fun doing so. One thing Brownie pointed out in the beginning was that he would teach us some shooting techniques that all of us were already capable of, and I found this to be very true. To be honest I was concerned about the “repeatability” of these techniques, but when called upon to duplicate them I was able to do so on command.
Quick Kill Pistol is not a “competition” shooting class though the skills taught can be used in competition, it is a very direct “gunfighting” class. It’s really that simple, we were taught shooting from above the holster, from the hip, etc. and all of the students were able to draw/fire/make hits in one second or less. We were taught how to make multiple hits on target in the time that it takes most to draw and front sight press on an opponent. These are skills that will save your life in a “gunfight” and are skills that you can “own” once you are taught them, again because of the simplicity.
One subject/issue I want to cover is using sights: I’ve seen a lot of “debates” on the subject of point-shooting come down to people arguing the duller “points” of sights versus not using sights. Brownie does not teach people not to use sights*, he teaches them to stay alive long enough to “fight” to their sights (if needed), and not to use them as a crutch! In the class he even talked about following up with sights (headshots, etc.) once the gun is fully extended, and well after several c.o.m hits were already on target.
*Brownie actually does teach people how to shoot while not using sights and he has an impressive way of proving this. The “Green Dragon”! This is a military issue M1911 with a olive drab slide and frame which has no sights whatsoever, it doesn’t even have a dovetail cut for a sight (was filled in before refinishing). Brownie picked a target in the backstop about the size of a baseball and asked all of us to take turns shooting at it and I was amazed at how quickly and accurately we hit it (over and over again), the same goes for putting rapid shots on steel targets which we did plenty of.
Quick Kill Pistol was most impressive, I have to say that I was super-impressed with the “free” Quick Kill Rifle class that Brownie gave at the end of the first day of shooting, using a bb gun with no sights and a shotgun with skeet. Brownie was shooting with 2-4 other shooters, and while I was watching to see who got the hit on the skeet, I looked back at the group of shooters after the skeet was hit. To my surprise this is when Brownie lifted his rifle and “point-shot” a quarter to half dollar size chunk of skeet that had separated after the initial impact. This was done repeatedly when the “fragmented” pieces were 4-12 ft from the ground, and again no tracking, just point and shoot.
Another gem from the class was the disarms Brownie taught us at the end of day2, I’ve seen some pretty intricate disarms and have wondered whether they would actually work and known just from looking that others would never work. We were taught real “disarms” front the front and rear, with a few variables thrown in, and again I was quite impressed. I am confident that these will work in a real situation, and plan on practicing them quite a bit. No one was able to get a hit on Brownie while he was demonstrating these techniques, and we were shown how effective they were by using the same techniques on each other and Brownie.
I highly recommend this class and technique for any shooter, especially a beginner. Threat Focused Training will teach you to stay alive in a gunfight, it’s that simple! The technique is also very simple to perform once he teaches it to you, there was some serious "Zen" shooting going on at the class.
Godspeed!
I planned on writing this review a couple of weeks ago, and was reminded on Sunday when I took my kids to see a movie; afterwords we played some video game with a pistol control (paintball game) and after about a minute of using "FSP" I realized that I could use "Quick Kill".........I continued to mercilessly lay some serious hate on those poor suckers, I literally had to hand off my control to some kid to take over. And I was reminded that I needed to post an AAR.
This class had some great people in it, who I hope to train with again . One more note: in the video you saw of Tactical Compacts wife shooting= that isn't her gun, she just started shooting that Glock the same day (twice the grip of her own gun). And if there was ever a testament to how effective/learnable Quick Kill is it's how she shot after some training!
Brownie, thanks alot for the class (and all the "exters" you gave us)! Well done!
_______________________________________________________________
In the spirit of the Gunsite Blog, I'll give a brief rundown on what my experience was this weekend and my run through Robin "Brownie" Brown's Integrated Threat Focused Training / Quick Kill class. For a little reference, my experience may be largely different from others because myself, and a few others camped-out at the site with Brownie. So we got a little more of the experience. And that's NOT a bad thing.
Starting the Class:
Firearm: HK USP .40 Compact
Ammunition: 2050 rounds (Half were reloads)
Mags: Four Standard HK Ten-Round Magazines
--------------------------------------
Before going much further into this, I'll say it right now: This is *not* a class that's about lightning-quick tactical reloads, fancy breathing techniques or taught by the latest greatest shooter who can put every round through the same molecule at 200 yards with a .22 snubbie. This course is about different shooting positions and ideas as to how to survive a gunfight. This is a no-frills or fufu course that gets into the meat of streetable techniques. No classroom, minimum BS, you will learn by watching and then doing. Throughout the days, Brownie is enthusiastic and keeps the energy up so when you're about ready to keel over, you STILL want more.
Going through the first day, we started at 9am and except for a few small breaks and lunch - we were on the firing line all day. If we weren't shooting, we were discussing the different applications of one technique and talking the merits of using it versus a different one. It sounds bad to say this, but off the top of my head I cannot remember everything I was taught.
Is it because some of it was stupid and worth forgetting? Ha!! No way. I'm just tired and between bathes of aloe right now so things are hazy.
But getting back to it, it doesn't matter that I cannot remember all of the details right now. Brownie packs a LOT into two days. He teaches a lot of things that once you have the basics of, its all refining the art (and really - it is!) to what suits you best. You can go onto his forum and get a rundown of what was covered in the class and INSTANTLY everything comes back. These skillsets are things that he opens the doors to you on and its just up to you to step through and practice back home and on the range. Well... private range. Most ranges don't take kindly to rapid fire or half the stuff you learn.
Much as I scribbled in the Gunsite Blog, I'm not going to give away any details or try and describe how to do that. If Brownie wants to post it up on his forum, he can do it. But I wouldn't be able to do it justice anyway. Really, and to be dead honest, this stuff needs to be seen to be fully appreciated (if not believed). When I got there Friday night, him and Mike were telling me I'd be able to rapid-fire every round into a torso from +21' in under 2 seconds by Saturday afternoon. I chuckled. What do you say to that??? I still didn't know the next afternoon when I did it on my second try! But I'll tell you, I was grinning like an idiot.
Sunday rolls around and we cover a lot of review from the previous day. Basic stuff to the class and Core skills. Once thats loaded into our minds we moved off into running drills/sprints. I'll be dead honest, I have NEVER seen or heard of a more stable or accurate firing technique for shooting on the move. Some of the other skills he shows, and we even got some demo and practice on handgun disarms, are nuts.
After the shooting was done today, we sat down and had a discussion about what was learned. It was pointed-out that Quick Kill, while is a GREAT technique, it is not the end-all be-all for every situation. It was an honest talk that reinforced the idea that every shooter needs to learn what works best for them and think about what will work best for whatever situation they might be placed in. It was never directly said, but that was the topic. And while that seems like a trivial thing to mention - it speaks volumes to the quality of the instruction. Some may disagree and live by a certain mantra that says there is only one correct way for each person. Fine. No problem. Stay over there. In a community with flashed names and big name schools, Brownie's course is refreshing.
Really, I would say that this course is an absolute must-take for anyone serious about self defense. You will blow yourself away with what you learn and how easy some of it is. For the skillset Brownie teaches, for the cost that he charges, it is hands-down worth it. Better than Gunsite? I'd say yes. But its two different set-ups and comparing them gets tough. Both teach good skillsets but I would say that QK and the associated techniques are much more likely to be used. No joke, one of the guys who came (forum member - TacticalCompact) brought his wife. From what I understand, she's not an experienced shooter by any stretch. She came in and just.. WOW!! I was totally impressed but not 100% shocked. Its so intuitive. Really... the gun becomes an extension of your hand.
Oh.. by the way.. did I mention that I saw my gun in focus exactly once while on the line ALL weekend. Once. Sights? Yeah, right. And no, I'm not joking. I'm being quite literal! Once. That was it.
Brownie, guys: I stand by what I said at the roundtable afterwards. 9 out of 10. I will be taking this course again and more of your offerings before I consider heading back to Gunsite or ANY other big name school.
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Total Rounds Fired: 1150
Number of Cleaning Sessions: 0
The HK ran flawlessly. This gun never complains or gripes or hiccups when its shoved through the most intensive firing sessions. It was cleaned beforehand and all I did was lube slightly Sunday morning. I *highly* recommend bringing a serious gun to this class. If your firearm has very tight tolerances and may not stand-up to sustained high temps, you should probably bring something else. Or if they have a rep of breaking a certain part - bring spares.
I brought 2050 rounds. Why didn't I shoot much more than half? Damndest thing... I kept having to reload. Four mags, while it might get you through the class, is NOT enough. One guy, Eli, had a bunch of hi-caps for his Glock and he was havin' a good ol' time. You need a minimum of five 10-rounders. I'd suggest six or seven hi-caps. Just me, though.
My suggestions to those thinking of taking this class:
-Bring gloves or tape for your fingers. Especially if you shoot something larger than 9mm. Bring it for the 9mm if you have soft hands.
-Bring your shotgun, lots of ammo, and plenty of clays. Seeing Brownie hit the bits 'n pieces of what you thought you decimated will make you cry. And like it.
-Take the class ASAP.
Hopefully the other guys who took this can chime in and voice their thoughts. Maybe help me organize mine. This was a little scattered.
Sgt443, TacComp, Daddy (when you join)... VERY fine shooting. Especially you, Sgt. Very impressive all weekend. Even through your slide. It truly was a pleasure to take that class with you all.
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We're planning another course in Flagstaff in early Oct 08 [ dates to be announced ]. If anyone is interested in this course, please contact me via email or pm here, as I'm only taking 12 students and we have 7 signed up again at this time.
Brownie
