Training review....Larry Vicker's 3 day class

Hi everyone, just finished up with a 3 day intense training program that was provided by Mr. Larry Vicker's (Aztec Training Services) and his assistant Mr. Raymond Pescatore, (Sub MOA).  The purpose of this post is to give you a little insight regarding the benefits that are obtained from excellent trainers! With the exception of an hour break each day for lunch, these were three days full of action packed, petal to the metal non-stop drills.  If you think that you are a good shooter, this training will definitely make you realize that you might not be as good as you think you are!  The fact that the only day that was what one might consider to be perfect for outdoor training was the first day, the second and third day because of the weather made it a lot more challenging and demanding. In plain English IT SUCKED!  Especially day two which was one of the most nasty days we have had this winter.  

The three day class was comprised of the following:
1 day handgun
1 day rifle
1 day CQB, utilizing a shoot house

I have taken a lot of training classes from a lot of the top trainers that are in the field of training law enforcement personnel.  The training that Larry and Ray provided will greatly enhance your skill ability whether you are are in law enforcement, military, or a civilian.  Larry's background, experience and knowledge enables him to provide a top shelf training program.  He is straight forward and does not pull punches.  That meaning, he tells it like it is!  If you are thin skinned than this might not be the class for you.  

I won't  talk too much about the various drills and venues of the class, but I will tell that most of the handgun drills were shot using an NRA B-8 target which has a 5.5" bulls eye.  Yes, you guessed it, that's what your going for from 2 to 20 yards and that includes strong hand and weak hand only drills.
The drills were shot slow deliberate and times.

Also, there were some handgun drills using a steel silhouette from 25 to 60 yards and that also incorporated the use of strong and weak hand shooting.   

The rifle course was shot from the 50 yard line and in to about the 5 yard line.  
Both the handgun and rifle drills were shot using precise and rapid fire timed drills.  The time drills will really get your heart rate pumping and your adrenaline flowing!

The CQB drills were shot with either your handgun or rifle.  Your choice.

To say that we shot a lot of rounds would be an understatement, and was evident by the amount of brass that had to be cleaned up the last day.

This class was a blast and more importantly, a beneficial learning experience. To rate it on a scale from 1 to 10, I give it a 10+.  If Larry has a class scheduled somewhere near you I would suggest that you try your best to attend it.

Thank you Larry and Ray for a great class and good time!  

From left to right, Ray, Larry, & Dom

  

Words of Wisdom

Handgun Combatives

On Deliberation...

Deliberation [dih-lib-uh-rey-shuh n] noun
1. Careful consideration before decision.
2. Formal consultation or discussion.
3. Deliberate quality; leisureliness of movement or action; slowness.

Like most shooters in their youth, every action I undertook on the training range was about speed…fast on the draw, fast trigger action, fast reloads, fast manipulations…sound familiar? Yes, it probably does, as most of us could not help ourselves when we are/were young we want to go FAST…it seems to be the natural order of things, but is it wise?  After all, is not the goal of shooting to hit?  Not hope we hit?

Bat Masterson was once quoted as saying the three priorities of gunfighting were (in this order) 1. Deliberation 2. Accuracy 3. Speed.  His good friend and fellow Dodge City Deputy Marshal Wyatt Earp was quoted as saying “the secret to winning a gun fight is taking your time in a hurry” and “the most important lesson I learned from those proficient gunfighters was the winner of gun play usually was the man who took his time.” Could not “taking your time” be viewed as a deliberate act? Something one has to make happen? Earp went on to clarify his statement, saying “Perhaps I can best describe such taking time as going into action with the greatest speed of which a man’s muscles are capable, but mentally unflustered by an urge to hurry or the need for complicated nervous muscular actions which trick-shooting involves. Mentally deliberate, but muscularly faster tan thought is what I mean”.

Is speed important? Sure! But we should not let the electronic timer become our “master”, something I have seen continually over the decades. The history…over several centuries…has shown combative pistolcraft occurs close and fast, a few seconds in most cases, but at the same time it is accurate fire that ends the fight! (Unless, of course, the attacker just gives up which does happen…if only we could create a methodology to ensure this!) What is accurate? In my mind, after many years of research, its multiple hits in a short time frame to vital areas of the body, areas defined as the high chest (approximately a 6” x 10” rectangle just below the neck to include the heart, aorta, major blood vessels and spinal column), neck and head. I discussed the pelvic girdle in a previous blog which resulted in some “lively” debate, so I will let that dog lie…you may certainly believe what you wish on this topic. Fast AND combat accurate shots are necessary to end a close pistol fight, something that is often times difficult to achieve. After all, its easy to be either accurate or fast but not both at the same time and we have known for a long time the key to successful combative pistolcraft is the balance…blending actually…of speed and accuracy.  Which brings us to deliberation…

As you can from the above definition, deliberation can mean different things; consideration, consultation, leisureliness of action, even slowness…slowness?! We’ve already stated that speed is important when fighting for your life so how can we possibly be slow? Remember what Wyatt Earp said? “The secret to winning a gunfight is taking your time in a hurry!”  WTF??!!

Speed and accuracy…blending and balance…which and when…”slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” Smooth is fast, slow is just slow…

Deliberation occurs long before the fight is undertaken in that we must all decide what is worth fighting and dying for? What is our “line in the sand”? Oftentimes we do not get time to ponder as situations are thrust upon us with little opportunity to “observe, orient, decide and act”, we must “see and do” or we perish. In such cases, deliberation comes in the form of a combative mindset. In my old, worn out version of the Webster’s Dictionary, mindset is defined as “a previous decision to act based on reason and intellect” while combative is defined as “ready and willing to fight”. Thus, a combative mindset could reasonably be defined as “a previous decision to be ready and willing to fight”. Not eager to fight mind you, as we always run the risk of loosing, but willing to do so with great enthusiasm, if required. Doesn’t this sound like the first definition listed above… “careful consideration before decision”? A deliberate act to be sure…

Ok, the fight has begun…isn’t speed critical? Only if it does not lead to panic, via fear, which is oftentimes the result of an unexpected attack. Hell, any attack but certainly one we are not ready for. We have all seen or heard of examples of “panic fire”, where a large volley of rounds is fired in the direction of a threat with little affect. As Dennis Tueller (the Tueller Drill creator) once stated, “If you don’t think you have time to aim you certainly don’t have time to miss!” Only accurate and effective fire will stop a determined attack, which requires self-control when on the verge of panic…a deliberate act…or as Wyatt Earp described, “taking you time in a hurry”. After all, speed is not herky, jerky, spastic muscle manipulation, it is lack of unnecessary motion (smooth is fast!), something that must be trained in through a deliberate training activity and repeated, meaningful practice. It takes time, effort, energy, ammo and commitment to incorporate such self-control into our being and most will not know if they have it until they are in the fight. That said it is still worth the effort required to try and build in (anchor) such a response. Prepared will always be better than not prepared. Yes, luck is a factor but the harder I have worked, the luckier I seem to be and having faced such tests in my life, I know deliberate training and preparation works.

Fear is the single biggest factor in why people fail in armed conflict, yet we have known since the days of The Spartans that the single biggest factor in overcoming fear is confidence in our skills. Controlling fear through training, education and preparation is a deliberate act…


Formal consultation or discussion should also come before any attack occurs. Consultation through solid, effective training and quality information that has little to do with the flash and panache seen on You Tube or other so called “training” videos. Those who are serious, knowledgeable trainers already know what will work, is effective and what can be “trained in” or anchored. Rebranding, non-sensical, scientific sounding terminology or fancy titles does not change effectiveness…there are only so many ways to shoot a gun and they have all been invented. It all comes down to the application of the proven techniques and we know that simplicity and lack of unnecessary motion/action works best. When choosing a training course, choose wisely. After all, such a selection is a deliberate act. Discussion? Do so with family members, partners and those who may be involved in conflict with you before it happens so there are no surprises or complications in the fight. These things seldom “go to script” so try to eliminate as many unknowns as possible through discussion.

Yep, Bat Masterson had it right; deliberation, accuracy and speed…but is one more important than the others? It sounds to me that deliberation occurs throughout the combative process…before, during and after… and being deliberately accurate and fast in a gunfight is not the same as bulls eye shooting or just throwing rounds quickly.  Deliberation is a process…a lifestyle commitment, really…as it occurs constantly and must be continually nurtured. Something to consider…

Thanks for checking in…

Posted by Dave Spaulding at 6:44 AM 

Gun Modifications, Yes or No!

Skill Set: Ayoob MAG 20

A couple weeks ago Shootrite hosted Mas Ayoob for his MAG 20 class, and as always it was great. We often get so caught up in our skills and gear that we tend to forget the legal aspects concerning the use of lethal force. Training and practicing, developing your skills and learning how to operate your gear is important. Equally important – if not more so - is understanding the legal aspects of using force, for example when you can use lethal force, and what happens after the confrontation.

This was my third time attending the MAG 20 – Armed Citizen's Rules Of Engagement class. It's twenty hours in the classroom, listening and taking notes. There were several people taking the class for the second time. All of the repeat students, including me, commented on how it's important to take this class more than once in order to get a real understanding of the material being presented.

Each time you take a class it's being filtered in your mind. As you learn and experience new or different things the filters in the brain change and shift. You're maturing; as time passes your knowledge increases. This new knowledge changes the way you process future information, even if it's the same material being presented. This is why it's important to re-read books, or attend the same class multiple times. With each repetition you'll get a better, deeper understanding of the material.

One of the topics I really appreciate in MAG 20 is Ayoob's advice on modifying your firearms. His thoughts and examples on modifying triggers are incredibly important. For example, the majority of our students have firearms with "modified" triggers, meaning the trigger has be lightened up so it takes less pressure to fire the shot. For target shooting or competition this may be fine. Using this type trigger in a defensive shooting can get you into trouble, quickly.

The key is the manufacturer's specifications and what's know as "common custom and practice." This means the people who design and build the firearm say the trigger should be "A," and no lighter. The NRA is an example of "custom and practice." For a specific competition their rules say the trigger can be no lighter than "B" pounds. Once you cross the line – manufacturer specifications or custom and practice – you're saying you know better than the company that designed and built the firearm and the "standards" set through years of use. Legally you're in trouble. In one case Ayoob discussed it cost the good guy $250,000 to justify his weapon modifications, and this was before the case ever went to court.

Having a trigger that's too light can also lead to negligent discharges. Under stress you lose dexterity in your fingers; they start to feel like clown hands. A three-pound trigger is going to feel like three ounces. If you have to shot a threat in order to stop an attack you're likely looking at a lot of legal proceedings to prove what you did was justified. A negligent shot that injures or kills is going to lead to big legal troubles, and it's going to be hard to prove that it wasn't your fault.

When you modify your weapon it's up to you to prove that these changes made it easier to shoot more accurately under stress, reducing your chances of making a "wild" or dangerous shot. This won't play with a trigger that's too light. The same thing applies to removing any safety devices – in the "old" days it was common to pin the grip safety on the 1911 so you didn't have to worry about it if you didn't have a perfect grip.

After class was over several of the repeat students, who have all attended classes at Shootrite, came over to discuss the "trigger" issue. We discuss trigger modifications in every class. They had heard this same information before from Ayoob. Now, after hearing it several times from multiple sources, the importance was starting to sink it. "I guess it's time to change triggers," they said. "Yes it is," I replied.

Sometimes we have to hear or experienced something more than once for it to sink it. If it starts getting old you're probably not approaching it with the proper attitude. With the right mindset every time we hear or do again there will be different things that "stick." Re-read those books; attend the same class again. You'll be amazed at how much you'll learn the second or third time.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama. He is the author of "The Book of Two Guns"