^ Thread from the AK Forum - a very brief AAR on a AK class taught at TDSA in TX....
http://soldiersystems.net/2012/11/08/cq ... out-there/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I came to "The Gun World" completely fresh about two years ago - right around now, actually.Soldier Systems wrote: CQB Training – Let’s Be Careful Out There
Close Quarters Battle training has become the latest rage for the ‘new golf’. While some might argue whether this skill is justified for civilians, I feel it is a valuable skill considering most of us own weapons to defend our homes. Employing a firearm in such ‘close quarters’ requires a new set of skills rarely learned on the flat range. Oftentimes, this form of training for those who are not military or LE is referred to by another name such as house clearing or home defense. No matter the name, the principles remain the same.
By now many of you know that there was an accidental, non-fatal shooting last weekend during a CQB-style course in Texas. Details have begun to emerge and the instructor has manned up and accepted responsibility. This is not the first time this has happened and unfortunately, won’t be the last. So, I thought this would be a good opportunity to point out some common issues encountered by prospective students....[more]
Those who know me from this community know that I love to train. Yes, I think it's fun, and yes, I do like to pretend I'm a Force-Level-5-Ninja-Assassin sometimes. But in all seriousness, I sought training because I'm a nerdy pencil-neck'ed soft-living geek who has never had military or law-enforcement training. The responsibility of armed self-defense weighs heavy on my shoulders, and I realized early on that if I didn't seek instruction so that I can at least say to myself that "I tried to do it right," then I might one day not be able to look myself in the mirror.
Over the past two years, I've been really lucky. There's a great group of well-qualified instructors and schools right here in NE-Ohio (Bill Holcomb at Three Tango Firearms Academy, the Campbells at Commence FireARMs Academy, and Chris Cerino at Cerino Training Group; and it is also my hope that Ron Lauinger of LMI Inc. will re-start the firearms side of his house, too) and I've also been fortunate enough to study with some household names in the industry as well. As I continue along this path - adding both depth and breadth to my currently shallow and small pool-of-knowledge - I've come to realize just how lucky I've been to find such quality instruction, by having done nothing more than pulled up a few Google searches on my computers.
The old saying of "Is gun, is not safe," holds inherent truth. We need to realize that when we're out there on the range, it's not like we're playing tennis or even a game of touch-football. The golden Firearms Safety Rules is the only thing that splits the difference between you and your family/friends having a great day shooting versus absolute tragedy.
I urge everyone here to read the Soldier Systems blog post as well as the discussion thread that follows (which includes valuable input from many recognized authorities in the industry [and sadly, also some idiotic trolls, but you can figure out pretty quickly who's who, even if you don't hang around the "training circle" much).
Two things to keep in-mind:
Know who you're training with. Ask yourself - or someone who knows better than you - whether if this instructor's experiences qualifis him/her to teach the course you are enrolled in.
Look at this recent AAR of a Redback One (Jason Falla) 3-day "Home Defense" class. http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=114326" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Look at the safety measures incorporated into their curriculum (they *supplied* students with the proper armor and safety gear, went through the exercises using a dry/Sims/live progression, emphasized safety/accountability and punished speed/inconsitency, etc.).
Know yourself. And be brutally honest here, in your evaluation of your skill. It's much better to be the "Gray Man" at a training class than to be "that person." Similarly, remember that as we "advance," the inherent dangers of our training ramps up - and that also includes the ever-deadly complacency when it comes to those golden Firearms Safety Rules. We have to remember to gut-check ourselves.
Here's a good thread that recently popped up on the M4Carbine.net Forums, where the OP asked the question of "where/how do I start getting training" - it's also worth a read.
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=116013" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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I did not post this here to judge either those trainers or that school.
As much as the Soldier Systems blog's purpose was not to call-out that school/instructor- but rather, to use this unfortunate episode to call our attention to this critical issue - this is also the purpose of my post.
Have I studied under instructors who have experienced safety breaches in their past? Yes. And I will tell you that they are now the safer and even more safety-conscious for it.