Tweet
Completed the Close Quarter Pistol class, and here is the review.
It is always good to go to Gunsite, and this class was no different on that level. Where it was different was that this course was not fun. It was a lot of work, and it was probably the most useful class I have ever attended. It just wasn't very enjoyable.
What I learned first is that I was not prepared to fight. I was good with a gun, but at really close range the gun is easily defeated, and I did not have the skills necessary to fight in other ways.
We spent the first morning going through the 250 pistol course to make sure everyone was safe and competent with their guns. After lunch we were in the classroom learning balance and footwork. This is actually more difficult than it seems. We learned that the footwork and stance we learned at Gunsite or Frontsight are great for target shooting, but inadequate for fighting for your life. It took all 9 of us at least 4 days to unlearn the Weaver stance/blade that we have been using for so long.
The second morning was spent on the range practicing shooting on the move, while using the newly learned square hipped stance. We were all impressed that we were able to shoot with either foot forward and the other used as a drive leg. The afternoon was back in class learning how to apply the different strikes and shield position. It is not that easy to hit while maintaining a stable base that is totally different than what we are used to doing.
The other days were similar, but the classroom sessions ended after Wednesday. Thursday and Friday had us on the range practicing all of the moving, shooting, shielding, and striking skills we had learned. It is really hard to maintain trigger control after spending 5 seconds striking a punching dummy. We had to be able to move, draw, and make 2 hits on steel targets in 4 seconds. If we missed the time or the shot, we had to start over hitting "Bob", then moving and shooting. Two guys took 11 tries to get through the drill. They were almost dead on the last attempt, but they powered through. We finished up in a shoot house where all techniques were put to use.
I would recommend this class to anyone who carries a gun and believes it will solve all problems, because like me, your eyes need to be opened. Just expect to be sore and tied at the end of each day.
It is always good to go to Gunsite, and this class was no different on that level. Where it was different was that this course was not fun. It was a lot of work, and it was probably the most useful class I have ever attended. It just wasn't very enjoyable.
What I learned first is that I was not prepared to fight. I was good with a gun, but at really close range the gun is easily defeated, and I did not have the skills necessary to fight in other ways.
We spent the first morning going through the 250 pistol course to make sure everyone was safe and competent with their guns. After lunch we were in the classroom learning balance and footwork. This is actually more difficult than it seems. We learned that the footwork and stance we learned at Gunsite or Frontsight are great for target shooting, but inadequate for fighting for your life. It took all 9 of us at least 4 days to unlearn the Weaver stance/blade that we have been using for so long.
The second morning was spent on the range practicing shooting on the move, while using the newly learned square hipped stance. We were all impressed that we were able to shoot with either foot forward and the other used as a drive leg. The afternoon was back in class learning how to apply the different strikes and shield position. It is not that easy to hit while maintaining a stable base that is totally different than what we are used to doing.
The other days were similar, but the classroom sessions ended after Wednesday. Thursday and Friday had us on the range practicing all of the moving, shooting, shielding, and striking skills we had learned. It is really hard to maintain trigger control after spending 5 seconds striking a punching dummy. We had to be able to move, draw, and make 2 hits on steel targets in 4 seconds. If we missed the time or the shot, we had to start over hitting "Bob", then moving and shooting. Two guys took 11 tries to get through the drill. They were almost dead on the last attempt, but they powered through. We finished up in a shoot house where all techniques were put to use.
I would recommend this class to anyone who carries a gun and believes it will solve all problems, because like me, your eyes need to be opened. Just expect to be sore and tied at the end of each day.
Comment