Need Training? Found Excellent Instructors Sierra Element.com

[ShiningB]

Our societal needs have changed and we are all faced with protecting our constitutional rights and space more than ever.
What started out for me was simply seeking good basic handgun instruction. What I have found is a veteran owned company that has provided much more than ordinary, basic training. "Sierra Element.com" is a team of highly accomplished marksmen that have extensive training in current Law Enforcement, Real Life Combat Training and Survival Skills. Each team member has numerous years of relevant experience and training that when in comparison- NON- that I researched or attended had as many exciting courses to offer. I now have successfully taken over 13 different courses from Sierra Element in a two year time frame. They provided me with practical, usable, efficient yet extensive knowledge on proper firearm safety rules, phenomenal fundamentals and proper mind set. All of this training has also included Edged Weapon Courses, Special OPs Gun Fighting courses, Low Light Pistol, Leveled AR Courses, Urban Escape and Evasion, Tactical Shooting, Krav Maga Pistol, Hevoc Courses, Tactical Tracking, Armorer's Course and my favorite, Sniper Courses. Sierra Element has inspired and supported me to continue in competitive shooting such as IDPA, Bull's-eye and no joke has prepared me so well, I now work for one of the largest Entertainment Protection Agencies in the country-specializing in Personal and Executive Protection.
The class environment the instructors provide is that of which is conducive for learning and allows for individual success. The excellent skill set and expertise is immediately clear from the beginning of class. The SE team's knowledge comes together in such a unified manner that if has left me confident, comfortable and craving more. Each students level of skill is matched with the proper level of rigor. The student/teacher ratio is more than appropriate and allows for instruction to occur on all levels from basic shooter to practical tactics. I personally found the rigor challenging and it has left me wanting to continue and come back for more. The focus is always on safety first but they also teach the mentality to never be the prey. If this course was just pure marksmanship then yes, I could go to any range and work with numerous instructors, yet not receive this exciting most real time training. I highly recommend Sierra Element. They are worth every penny spent and every shot fired. Girl gone Tactical.

[teg33]

Hard to read, wall of text

[CSACANNONEER]

How are you connected with this business? I'm guessing either owner or shill.

[ShiningB]

@teg33 respectfully noted. Made simple Sierra Element has excellent training available.

@HopetonBrown- he is a she and
Yes I've posted twice. @CSACANNONEER I am not the . Owner nor "shill"..just a measly paying well educated customer

[ShiningB]

@teg33 respectfully noted. Made simple Sierra Element has excellent training available.

@HopetonBrown- he is a she and
Yes I've posted twice. @CSACANNONEER I am not the . Owner nor "shill"..just a measly paying well educated customer

[Ronin2]

. @CSACANNONEER ...well educated customer

With one big run-on paragraph, I would call this claim into question...

So where do you compete in IDPA ? What firm do you work for? If you are going to use them as examples of the result of your training you should also substantiate the claims appropriately.

Just looked at the instructor creds. All ex USMC sniper types (non spec ops) and current LAPD. Despite the suspicion the Op's shill like posting engenders, the school may be worth looking at... Hadn't heard of it before.

If there is enough people who don't know what they are doing for falcon ops to make a living ( ), these guys who based on the website, have for real experience, may do well and could be a welcome addition to the legitimate training operations here in so calif.

[Clee]

Wall of text. No quotes. Reading this post gives me a headache. If you want to shill and market for a company at least make it easy to read and follow.

[Jack's Smirking Revenge]

If there is enough people who don't know what they are doing for falcon ops to make a living ( ), these guys who based on the website, have for real experience, may do well and could be a welcome addition to the legitimate training operations here in so calif.

What issue do you have with Falcon Ops?

You have recommended TFTT and FTA on several threads. I have trained with Falcon, TFTT, and FTA. I thought Falcon was significantly better than both.

[heycorey]

A guy walks into his doctor's office and says, "Doc ..., it hurts when I go like this". The doctor looks at him and says, "So don't go like this ...."

If reading a passage gives you a headache ... stop reading and move on.

We each have our own style of writing/communicating. Calguns isn't a place for English Majors to critique each other's writing style. It's a place to share information and news about guns, especially as it pertains to California.

Personally, I appreciate hearing about new training opportunities ..., after which I do my own research to see if it's something worth pursuing.

Thanks for the input ShiningB ...

[uhlan1]

How are you connected with this business? I'm guessing either owner or shill.

No question. Really not a bright business tactic.

[Michael Ehline]

I trained under Vic, a Gunnery Sgt STA Platoon, USMC. He is good to go. Helped me dial in my Barrett 416. These guys are legit. They also do CQB stuff, but I have been training w a MARSOC dude lately out of state. I will hit them up when I get some time.

[Michael Ehline]

With one big run-on paragraph, I would call this claim into question...

So where do you compete in IDPA ? What firm do you work for? If you are going to use them as examples of the result of your training you should also substantiate the claims appropriately.

Just looked at the instructor creds. All ex USMC sniper types (non spec ops)

^^ FYI. All Btn Level Marines are special operations capable.

[leok20]

^^ FYI. All Btn Level Marines are special operations capable.

LOL

Been in enough sandy places, wet places and hot places with them to tell you they are not.

They have a good marketing team to convince many people of this.

[Ronin2]

What issue do you have with Falcon Ops?

A.) A total lack of credentials by a group out there using silly made up names, playing "operator dress up" and pandering to all the operator wannabe's. TACTI-COOL.....

Here is all Falcon has to say about their instructors:http://www.falconops.net/index.php?route=about-fog
All of FALCON’s instructors carry one or more of the following credentials:
N.R.A. Law Enforcement Division Certified
CA P.O.S.T. Certified Instructors
Insured for both Law Enforcement & Civilian Training Courses
Thats it??? Any Professional in the business will tell you that "one of those two credentials means Jack crap. As for the insurance ..ANYONE can buy that through the NRA which is where I bet their policy comes from.

Oh and this useless little blurb too;
Registered:
Central Contracting Office of the DoD
Company profile/instructor bios are available upon formal
request from law enforcement/governmental agencies

ANYONE can register for that, you and I can too! Here is the salient info from the DOD website:
The Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system is a central repository of all contractors wanting to do business with the Department of Defense (DoD).

http://tasa.dodmedia.osd.mil/dc/ccr.htm

B.) Several first hand reports of unsafe weapons handing and an apparent tolerance for negligent discharges.

C.) The lack of verifiable resumes and creds makes them POSERS IMHO.

You have recommended TFTT and FTA on several threads. I have trained with Falcon, TFTT, and FTA. I thought Falcon was significantly better than both.

Really? Which classes and when? I have trained with both schools. I have known Bill Murphy and Max Joseph personally and professionally for twenty years. Their resumes and creds:

Bill Murphy owner /founder to Firearms Training Associates (FTF); http://www.surefireinstitute.com/instructors-and-staff
Bill has been a police officer for over 31 years, currently working as a Reserve Deputy with Los Angeles County Sheriff Department. Bill was also a Senior Police Officer assigned to Patrol /SWAT with the Huntington Beach PD in California, where he was also a Firearms Instructor/Armorer, Use of Force Instructor, and a member of the Range Advisory Committee, Gunsite Training Center Rangemaster, a Police Academy Instructor, an NRA, FBI, and an Adjunct Instructor for the U.S. Air Force Pararescue Advanced Weapons School. Bill serves as Lead Instructor for low-light and firearms courses at the SureFire Institute.

Max Joseph owner/ founder of Tactical Firearms Training Team /Direct Action Group:http://tftt.com/cadre/
Max is the founder and training director of TFTT Direct Action Group. Max has been involved in Special Operations and training non-stop for the last 27 years. He has trained and worked with Counter-Terrorist officers and troops from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America. In addition to running TFTT/Direct Action Group full time, Max also proudly served as the Senior Instructor for the Tactical Explosive Entry School from 1993-2005 both in the United States and Brazil. He is recognized as a subject matter expert in explosives for Tactical Breaching and other Special Operations. He also has extensive experience in Executive Protection and has worked details in Central America, South America, Eastern Europe and Afghanistan. He is currently still operational in several capacities both in and out of CONUS. His qualifications include:

Founder/Director Tactical Firearms Training Team
Founder/Director Direct Action Group
Senior Instructor – Tactical Explosive Entry School
Senior Instructor – TEES Brazil
Instructor U.S. Dept. of State Anti-Terrorism Program
Seven Years Marine Corps Reconnaissance Companies (SGT.)
Graduate USMC Scout Sniper Instructor School
US Army Ranger / Airborne
USN Survival / Evasion / Resistance / Escape School
BSR Anti – Terrorist Driving School
SPIE / Rappel Master Instructor
Reconnaissance Indoctrination Program Instructor
Diplomatic Security Consultant
Diversionary Device Instructor
Writer for several Military / Police Publications


Here is TFTT's Tim Scarrott's resume/creds;

Tim has been with DAG for 13 years and tasked with implementing training programs as a primary instructor in advanced weapons and tactical skills. Tim has worked with hundreds of military and law enforcement personnel throughout the US and has served as a guest instructor and guest speaker at several conferences. He served as a full time police officer for 13 years with experience in patrol, investigations, Special Victims Unit, violence suppression and various other assignments. He also spent 6 years in the 1-184 Nightstalker Battalion with a combat tour to Iraq in 2005, conducting counter insurgent operations. Tim is also responsible for development of instructor curriculum and course material, research, marketing, sales, logistics and public relations.
US Army CIB / SDM / CLS
US Army PMI / BRM Instructor
Explosive Handler certified
Explosive Breacher certified
MOUT / CQB Instructor
Protective Services Agent
Advanced Officer School
Edged Weapons
Defensive Tactics
Officer Survival

TFTT's Tony Cortina's resume/creds
Tony Cortina has been a sworn law enforcement officer for the past 14 years. He has extensive knowledge and expertise in firearms, tactics, use of force and hand to hand combat. He has been an operator with his department’s SWAT team for over 10 years. He has also been assigned as a canine handler, gang and narcotics investigator, defensive tactics instructor and field training officer. Additionally, he has over 26 years of various martial arts experience and has been training military, law enforcement and civilians in close quarters combat for over 14 years. His qualifications include:
14 years law enforcement experience
10 years experience as SWAT Operator
5 years as patrol/SWAT canine handler
CA POST Firearms/Sub-Gun Instructor
CA POST Defensive Tactics Instructor
NTOA Diversionary Device Instructor
Use of Force Subject Matter Expert
Inducted into martial arts “Masters Hall of Fame”
Published author of several martial arts/tactics articles
Creator of several POST certified arrest and control courses
Combat Conditioning Instructor
Founder of Cortina’s Combatives & Conditioning

TFTT's Joel Batmann's resume and creds;
Joel is a U.S. Navy veteran and currently a full-time law enforcement officer in the State of Wisconsin. Joel has over 16 years law enforcement experience ranging from patrol operations to investigations; as well as 14 years assigned to SWAT, serving in the capacity as team leader for the past 6 years. Joel is a certified use of force instructor with the State of Wisconsin holding over 30 instructor certifications in various use of force disciplines. His qualifications and training include:
United States Navy-Surface Rescue Swimmer, shipboard Security Alert Team
TEES- multiple course graduate
TFTT/DAG- multiple course graduate
Weapons of Mass Destruction Tactical Operations graduate- LSU Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education
Blauer Tactical Systems- multiple course graduate
Certified State of Wisconsin Use of Force Instructor- Defense and Arrest Tactics, Firearms, Vehicle Contacts, and Tactical Response
Officer Survival, Advanced Patrol Techniques, and Patrol Response to Violent School Incidents instructor
Certified Explosive Handler and Explosive Breacher
Martial Arts and Combatives Experience- CQB/Simulations Instructor, Ground Combatives, Tactical Weapon Control, and Edged Weapon Defense



So again...what FTF and TFTT classes have you taken and when? What were those Falcon Operations Groups "Operator" resumes and credentials? Oh yeah, here they are;
N.R.A. Law Enforcement Division Certified
CA P.O.S.T. Certified Instructors
Insured for both Law Enforcement & Civilian Training Courses


Kinda reminds me of a line from The Dirty Dozen"

"They're very pretty colonel, very pretty but can they fight?"

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bJJHSsLhE24

[Jack's Smirking Revenge]

Thank you for posting all of those bios but I have seen them already. You obviously don't know much about Falcon if you aren't aware of their real world experience as contractors overseas. If you have read any of my posts on the topic you would know that I prefer Alias Training and ITTS to Falcon, TFTT, or FTA. I am not interested in a credential/bio contest but the instructors at Alias and ITTS have more impressive/extensive backgrounds than those that you posted.

I choose Falcon over TFTT and FTA because I learned more while training with Falcon. The instructors (Voodoo and Hollywood) were better teachers and and I liked their teaching styles better. It is not a personal attack on your beloved TFTT and FTA. If you have seen any of my posts about TFTT and FTA you would see that I gave them favorable reviews and did not recommend against them. They are just not my first choice in training, but neither is Falcon.

One of my complaints about FTA is that Bill Murphy is barely involved in the training. He has a cadre of unknowns with unknown backgrounds. They do an ok job but they are not my favorite. I also feel weird being taught a topic by someone (unknown instructors cadre) who has less real world experience in that topic than I do, especially when they give some questionable advice. I have also seen range mishaps at FTA. An inexperienced shooter in an "Advanced" shotgun class shot 00 buck at 100 yards when we were supposed to be shooting slugs. It's only our vehicles parked parallel to the shooting lane, no big deal huh. Someone also shot the hell out of a port a potty at 100 or 200 yards in the "Advanced" carbine class. Using your standards, should I never train there again? I trained at FTA in 2012/13-Advanced Pistol Low-Light, Advanced Carbine, and Advanced Shotgun.


My complaint about TFTT is that Max Joseph has his own set of safety rules and looks at some industry standard LE/Mil special operations techniques as safety violations. The Navy SEALS and Air Marshals are not the only ones who conduct reloads in the shooters box/work space/whatever you want to call it-high ready and it is not a safety violation to do so. I trained at TFTT in 2012-Tactical Pistol 1 and 2 (passed both quals on first try).