Paladin Training, Inc.

I. Change of Venue

DC1 on 25 – 26 FEB will NOT be held at Lake Darpo.  The class will be held at a private range located at 3288 Ramblewood, Timmonsville, SC.  All other details on the course page are correct.

Questions or concerns, let me know ASAP!

II. SOMETHING NEW

I’m sure you’re aware of our Urban Break Contact (UBC) class, but a little refresher will provide some perspective on a new class we’re introducing Fall ‘23.

From the website:  https://paladintraining.com/courses/urban-break-contact/

The purpose of UBC is to help the student develop the mindset, gun handling skills and tactics needed to successfully disengage from a numerically superior force in an urban environment.  Think something between World War Z and the Kyle Rittenhouse scenario.

So, your car is disabled, you’re in the process of being surrounded by Hostiles, and you need to get to safety, without shooting anyone if they’ll let you. You can read the curriculum on the same course page.

DO SOMETHING!

So, what’s the likelihood of this kind of event in the USA?  100%!  It did happen in 2020 in Kenosha, WI and it almost happened in 2012 in Riverside, CA where individuals later convicted of a 2015 Christmas party attack were also convicted of planning to block traffic on a local Freeway and shoot the trapped occupants as they sat in their cars.

And, it might be worth pointing out that Paladin ran the first UBC class in 2010, years before the details of the planned Freeway attack were made known.  So, UBC was not developed in response to an event, but in anticipation of an event.

TOO LATE!

We run the UBC scenario first as individuals and then as two-person teams.  As two-person teams, we run the scenario first as two trained individuals (fire-team) and then as one trained and one untrained individual (Protector / Protectee).

A Problem

In the past, we’ve had one of the two team-members play the part of the unarmed Protectee.  The problem with this is that, by the time we get to this variation of the scenario, everyone has been thru it several times.  Everyone knows the drill and there are usually no surprises.  In real life, surprises are the norm.  In training, surprises reveal potential problems.  That’s good.  Potential problems can be prepared for.

Our Solution

The obvious solution is to run the scenario with an actual untrained person as the Protectee.  By ‘untrained’ I mean someone who has never been thru a team tactics class.  They would benefit from being exposed to that situation and learning what to expect from their Protector and what might be expected of them.  We would benefit from being able to observe the untrained / inexperienced mindset in action and so mitigate future surprises.

The plan is to open the first class to spouses and children of people that have already completed a UBC.  Subsequent classes will be open to anyone who’s taken a class with us.

One of Paladin’s Assistant Instructors (AI) will be the Protector in every scenario..

Picture this:

The scenario starts in the car with the AI / Protector as driver, your family member / Protectee in the front passenger seat, you as a passive observer in the back-passenger seat.

The three of you work your way to the rear in steps, making use of cover and concealment as appropriate, dealing with problems as they come, the AI taking time to explain the fundamentals behind his actions, until we reach safety and ENDEX.

Scenarios would be run three times at Crawl / Walk / Run speeds.  Crawl at reduced speed to allow for on-the-spot discussion and teaching (25%):

“What do you think we should you do here?”

‘Here’s what I want you to do.”  And why.

“There’s where I want you to look.”  And why.

“Here’s what I’m going to do next,” And why.

Etc.

Walk at slightly reduced speed (50%); and Run at 75%.

I haven’t decided yet on the entry age limit for the Protectee, but am leaning toward 12 YOA.

I don’t plan to charge for the class.  You and your family member get training and experience, we get training and experience… a wash.

AT NO TIME WOULD YOUR FAMILY MEMBER BE PUT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

This will be an effective but safe way to hammer home some lessons on Situational Awareness and the value of decisive action to your family members.  If you see yourself urgently telling a family member to do something time-sensitive and receiving ‘Why?’ as a response, consider letting us work with them.

If you’re still reading at this point, I’ll ask a favor:  Name the class. What’s a three-letter acronym that descibes this new class?

Let me know if you’re interested and what questions / concerns you have.

Stay focused and continue to work on your Team!

Steve