Posted: 1/14/2008 7:39:42 AM EDT
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I just spent the weekend with the fine folks at Tactical Response. What a weekend! James Yeager was the lead instructor assisted by Allen Webb and Dr. House. The class was an eclectic mix of personalities including college students, law enforcement, doctors, professionals and even Tactical Response instructor Tase Strurgill. (who is an excellent instructor having taught a fighting rifle class I took a few years ago.) We started the class with a lectures on the mechanics of shooting a pistol then went to the range. The weather was brisk but warmed over in the afternoon. We started out shooting dots working on draw, trigger control, sight picture, scanning, etc. in no time the instructors had ever one up to speed. Then we worked on different shooting positions, kneeling supine, etc. We finished the day with a series of drills on moving front, back, left and right. I particularly enjoyed a drill where you moved in a figure 8 pattern around two barrels while putting shots on target. Day 2 Started with more lectures on mindset, when to use lethal force, legal implications, since the temperature had dropped the spending the morning inside was a positive. We went to the range and worked on trigger control again this time with 1 inch dots. Then we worked on different shooting position around cover. We finished the day with drills on moving and shooting. James let me borrow one of his guns with big dot sights. They are really easy to pick up when you are moving fast. The weather was definitely a factor on the second day; cold and spitting snow. However, gunfights can’t be scheduled for sunny warm days, predators strike when they have the opportunity. Also, if shooting while shivering and your fingers are cold and stiff may help simulate some of the physical issues you might face from an adrenaline dump of the real thing. At the end of the day some of the things that I learned were: (1) Avoid trouble which James sums up as don’t hang out with stupid people, don’t go to stupid places and don’t do stupid things; (2) When you are required to act, act decisively; (3) Move when you draw, move when you reload, and when your pistol misfires move while tap- rack-bang. James calls this motionless operators ventilate easy, i.e. MOVE!; (4) Trigger control is paramount; (4) When moving the speed you are moving your feet does not necessarily dictate the speed you pull the trigger by this I mean you may be running quickly but make sure you sights are on target so you get hits and big dots help with that a lot. (5) Don’t stop fighting if something bad happens to you, like getting shot, gun malfunctions, somebody else is hit criminals are without mercy. (5) If you see a little of the BG like and arm or foot shoot what you see and you will get a better shot latter. There is so much more that I would be typing all day if I tried to tell you everything. I have taken several classes from different instructors and schools and Tactical Response is top notch and should be on everyone’s short list of places to train. The comradery between staff and student is great. The instructors eat with you, talk with you, you can even stay at James house in the team room if you want. Where else can you get that dedication to the students? |