STAY IN YOUR LANE
The firearms training industry is absolutely brimming with
personalities of all types, and as a student it can be very difficult to filter
through the noise and find quality instruction and guidance which pertains to
one’s specific needs.
So many people in the industry seem desperate to spread themselves
into areas where they have no business venturing. The flip side to that
is that we have plenty of folks in the industry with great resumes in their
respective lanes, and if you seek what they have to offer, then absolutely go
to them.
In my travels, I find that there are a few cookie cutter formats
of folks who are getting way out of their lanes, and consumers should be wary
of these personalities. Here are a few which seem to be quite prolific:
The “Bro, my ops were so black…”
Ninja Guy: Part of smart shopping is the instructor vetting
process. I would offer that instructors are vague about their operational
backgrounds for several reasons: 1) still active duty and limited on disclosure
or 2) there is nothing relevant to disclose so subterfuge rules the day. It can
be hard to discern between the two….so buyers need to dig around a bit.
Why is the background so important? If your SWAT team is looking
for some specialized tactical instruction, you may want your instructor to have
done what you do, so that you are getting relevant information from someone
with experience. If your team gets involved in a shooting, the ensuing
court case(s) will surely dig up this instructor’s background, so it may be
best to get any uncomfortable discoveries out of the way before hiring that
person.
The “Wow look the interwebz lets
me have fans who care what I have to say even though they wouldn’t if they saw
me shoot in person” pundit: Anyone with
internet access now has (theoretically) equal footing with industry professionals
who have been at this for years. There are a plethora of personalities
who spread their gospel, yet have nothing truly of value to offer, yet either
through the miracle of glossy Youtube videos, tight shirts and a nice smile
(applies to either gender), they gather a legion of fans. Just because
someone has those amusing videos or a lot of followers, don’t let that be the
end of your vetting process. If the individual truly has something of
value to offer, it will be evident beyond their promotional materials. If
you want sound advice, go to an experienced shooter/instructor, not someone who
throws themselves out for attention and free wares.
“I took a few classes, so I am
now as ninja as the dudes teaching that class!” I encourage everyone to get out and take as much training as
they can afford, it grows the industry and it is a good thing to do as
responsible firearms owners. However, just because you have had a few
classes, do not mistake what you have learned about as having done the same.
“Wow I am an A class shooter and
I took a tactical class, why do all these tactical guys suck?!” This could be a whole other series, but suffice to say that
while the average cop would not do very well at an IDPA or USPSA match, the
necessary skill sets to succeed in each discipline diverge after you leave the
firing line. Know the difference as both a student and as an instructor,
but don’t let one side sell you the line that the other side is of no value.
There are plenty of tactical instructors who are high level technical
shooters, if you want a one stop shop.
“I watched all the episodes of
Miami Vice and sent away for a badge, let me teach your team how to do cop
stuff!” If you
are representing yourself has having LE creds, please have real LE creds and
experience. If I told you I had trained Gracie Juijitsu for only 2 yrs
part time, you would not hire me to train you to fight in the UFC. Enough
said.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Here are some
thoughts for shopping for industry professionals, and also serves for a bit of
introspection for budding industry personalities.
If you are in need of relevant training for LE applications,
look for someone with a true depth of experience in your field. For LE,
everything you do could eventually become a matter of court record, so be smart
and train with instructors who are experienced with policy constraints and use
of force as applicable. That instructor who was only in for 1-2 years in
a small PD may lack the depth to really understand all the issues at hand if
you are bringing them in to teach arrest tactics. This does not mean you
have to only train with LE or former LE, but be prepared to reframe your new
learning into the context of your employment.
If you are a CCW or home defense minded shooter, consider that
getting kitted up with a plate carrier, chest rig, and battle belt might not
apply so well to your applications. If you want to go to adventure camp,
then enjoy. But don’t let someone sell you a bill of goods that won’t be
relevant if you are seeking specific defensive skills.
If you want technical skills, find someone with excellent
technical skills who is able to pass them on to shooters of all skill levels.
Anyone who tells you that you don’t need technical skills because you are
being “tactical” and “skills” will get you killed…..is telling you to shop
elsewhere because they have no technical skills to teach you. If you do
not see your instructor shoot one round during the class, begin to question
what you are being taught.
I will offer an important caveat to all of this. As
industry professionals, we all need to start somewhere. If you are
becoming an instructor, internet personality, blogger, etc., be up front with
who you are and what you have to offer. Are you an avid competition
shooter? Then teach competition classes or offer skills classes
commensurate with your experience level. Are you a hobby shooter who has
a great passion for the industry and want to share it? Then embrace that,
be that, and people will respect your honesty. You don’t have to be a
ninja or world champion, and you will go farther in the industry being
yourself.
As a consumer, recognize who has what to offer, and go to the
correct people for it. Know exactly what you are looking to receive, and
be a smart shopper. If you were offended by this article, then perhaps
you need to do some introspection.
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