Our Philosophy for Successful Firearms Training
If you own a firearm, you have to respect itIncorporate these Fundamentals in Your Firearms Training
1. A Winning Mindset
Whenever possible, we train on the range the way we desire to act during an actual life-threatening situation. We will not arrive at the range with the mindset that this is just another day of motor skills training. Each and every drill will have some practical value relating to a well-defined threat scenario. Our mindset is that we are teaching this to better prepare you to act effectively while under duress. This “Winning Mindset” will increase your chances to successfully defend yourself and/or someone else if required.
2. Honing Your Fundamentals
As proven over and over again in shooting incidents, the sound tactics and shooting fundamentals you incorporate in your training will be the first reactions your body and mind will take upon entering an extreme situation. Whenever possible, we do not deviate from the basic fundamental tactics or techniques that we wish to employ. We feel that these fundamentals develop the baseline of your operational ability and will carry you successfully through a threatening or high stress situation.
3. Consistency
Once we have developed your fundamentals, we will ensure that you perform them consistently each and every time you complete a task. Whenever possible, we transfer our consistent fundamentals from firearm to firearm. For example, if we go from shooting a pistol to shooting a shoulder-fired weapon, we only change the movements necessary to shoot that particular firearm. This will assist in rapidly developing proficiency with all firearms.
The way we conduct your training with a firearm on the range will not change when one of our instructors goes from instruction, then out into the field to operate in a real life Hostage Rescue or Executive Protection detail. We will only change what applies to that particular application. Our primary goal is proficiency with your firearms and tactics in a variety of environments such as indoors, outdoors, different positions, shooting on the move, shooting moving targets, low light and so on.
4. Smooth Transitions and Economy of Motion
Smooth is fast, and the shortest distance from point A to point B is a straight line. When we are training you with firearms and various tactics, we will not allow you to do every step of your drill as fast as you can, only to be successful about half of the time. We emphasize smoothness and economy of motion for each step of your drill. With this you will find that speed will become a given and your success rate for the drill will be improved. Remember the fewer moving parts you have in a particular drill, the easier it will be to reproduce under stress, whether it is drawing a pistol from a holster, moving a Tactical Team through a building, or escorting a VIP in a Protective Detail.
5. Never Sacrificing Accuracy and/or Ability for Speed
When it comes to firearms, we do not develop our drills to become so accuracy dependent that it takes forever to make a necessary shot. We also do not develop our drills to be shot so quickly that your accuracy plummets below an acceptable level. As for Tactical Movement, we do not believe that the ability to get to the objective quickly should override the ability to do so without getting half of your team injured or killed. We will make each drill a realistic balance between speed and accuracy and/or ability within your own capabilities. We feel that shooting and tactics should not be so difficult that you have to be a seasoned veteran or a champion shooter to achieve a realistic goal, but not so simple that it defeats sound judgment and practical application.
6. Repetition
To ensure your body reacts the way you want it to under duress, you must repetitively rehearse your actions. There is no other way! Most of your sustainment training with a firearm can be accomplished without shooting any live rounds. The draw, reload, and malfunction drills can be safely practiced almost anywhere. However, you must soon move this repetition to live fire with a firearm fully loaded and in its standard carrying or storage position in order to give you realistic feedback for controlling the weapon throughout the drill.
