The lower round count is not necessarily a Bad Thing.  When it comes to round counts, every good firearms trainer tries to strike a balance between what the student wants (a lot of shooting) and what the student actually needs to begin to learn (a lot of quality dry practice).

This is an extremely competitive business and some compromise between what the student wants and what is good for the student is to be expected in order to survive.  Listen:  Just because you’re shooting a lot doesn’t mean you’re improving a lot.

Every time you perform a technique some type of motor skill learning is taking place.  The question is, are you learning to perform the technique correctly or incorrectly?

If you’re mentally or physically exhausted and not performing quality reps, one of two things is happening to your skill set, neither good:

1.  It’s remaining constant (no learning is taking place) because you’ve reverted to your level of comfort. You’re simply practicing what you already know.

2.  It’s degrading (faulty learning is taking place) because you’re performing the new technique incorrectly.  You’re going backwards.

Either way, you’re wasting your time, money and hard-to-replace ammunition.

The current situation actually provides us the opportunity to give you higher quality training.

Another result of the current ammunition shortage is that we’re getting more questions about the feasibility of attending just the first day of a two day defensive firearm class.   As stated above in the introduction, this is perfectly acceptable.

Class tuition will be 60% of the normal fee.

Any two day class to a new student:  $250

Day 1 only:  $150 ($250 x 60%)

Any two day class to a Paladin alum:  $200

Day 1 only:  $120 ($200 x 60%)

Any two day class to a full time LEO:  $125

Day 1 only:  $75

CWP classes are not affected.

Aimpoint Comp M4 for sale:  $450.  This comes with the box, mount and kill-flash.  It works fine and looks new.  Send an e-mail to steve@paladintraining.com if you’re interested.

I recently bought a Door Club (www.theclub.com) to study.  After seeing it and checking with Ronnie Summersett of Fludds-Summersett Security (843-206-5253) for his input, I’ve decided to install them at our front and back doors here at home.

The Door Club gives you the option of securing the door where it can’t be opened at all or, with a simple turn of the club, to where it can be opened a couple of inches to receive a package, etc.   Simple and sturdy.

The Door Club should be considered as a supplement to a heavy duty lock and strike plate, not a replacement.  Think layers.

The lock is not the solution.  YOU are the solution.

There are three ways that bullets influence behavior.  We call them ‘stopping mechanisms’.  They are:

1.  Psychological stop

2.  Central nervous system (CNS) stop

3.  Hypovolemic shock  (HVS) stop

A psychological stop occurs when you get the BG to  change his mind about attacking you.  Maybe you shot him; maybe you just convinced him you would shoot him if he persisted.

A CNS stop occurs when the bullet does something to the brain or spine that prevents the BG from using his hands.  The signals aren’t getting from the brain to the muscles.  The BG may be dead or he may be paralyzed or maybe the CNS is just stunned from a near miss to the spine.

Hypovolemic Shock occurs from a severe loss of blood volume.  In our context, we reduce blood volume by putting holes in people with bullets.  This is the mechanism we spend most of our time training toward and why our usual point of aim is the upper thoracic;  that’s where the heart and arteries leading to the brain are.

It should be obvious that blood flows faster out of large holes than small holes; from deep holes more than shallow holes; from many holes better than fewer.

It takes time for an HVS stop to occur.  The average body holds about 5 quarts of blood and it must lose about 1/5 of the total for shock to set in.  We could be talking about several minutes.  Considerations:  Did we hit an artery?  Did we damage an organ that bleeds a lot?

Question:

If you’re armed with a six shot revolver and dump all six rounds into the BG in 2 seconds, what do you intend to do while waiting for enough blood loss to occur that he finally passes out and stops hurting you?

Back in the mid 1980’s I was driving home from work in Charleston, SC.  Around 2 am or so I got stopped by a red light in a small town.  There were no other cars on the road, no one nearby.  Then I noticed a man approach the intersection from a group of houses nearby.  He began to cross in front of me and suddenly swerved toward my car.  I leaned over and opened the glove box door to retrieve the handgun there.  That movement, which he immediately recognized, was enough to make him change his mind, turn on his heels and walk back into the darkness.  I achieved a Psychological Stop without firing a shot.  That I didn’t have to shoot him was entirely up to him.

Last January Paul Ali Slater decided to break into a home outside Atlanta.  It was about noon on a weekday.  He rang the doorbell and, not getting an answer, retrieved a crowbar from his car and used it to break into the home.  Inside was a mother and her two children.  She armed herself with a six shot revolver and ran into an attic crawl space with Slater in pursuit.  When he opened the door, she fired six times, emptying her revolver, getting five hits into his face and neck.  Good job!

Slater was blown backward by the bullets and landed in a heap across the room and never moved another muscle.  Wait… that’s not right.  That’s the Hollywood Version.  Actually, Slater’s response was to run from the house, climb into his Ford Explorer and drive away.  He eventually lost consciousness, wrecked and was discovered by LEO’s responding to the 911 call.   Last I heard he was in ICU.

Five hits in the face and neck, at close range and she achieved a Psychological Stop.  But, if Slater had the ability and energy to leave the house and drive away, he had the ability and energy to continue the attack.  That he didn’t was entirely up to him.  Our heroine certainly influenced him, but the decision was his.

Does caliber matter?

The numbers say ‘not much’.  But, I would suggest that’s true only because Psychological Stops are the overwhelmingly most likely stop of the three to occur.  Stats say 30:1.  And, as we’ve seen above Psychological Stops may occur with even zero rounds being fired.

So, how can we measure the success of one caliber or bullet over another when the primary stopping factor is psychological and determined solely by the BG’s mental state?  We can’t.  We can simply rely on logic and physics and play the odds.

Our thought process should be something like this:

“A Psychological Stop is likely to occur, but I can’t depend on it.  My best chance of winning comes from inducing Hypovolemic Shock as quickly as possible, and bigger bullets make bigger holes, heavier bullets go deeper and track straighter, and more bullets are better than fewer.”

Here’s the problem from the perspective of magazine capacity:  We place ourselves in a greater likelihood of getting hurt when we leave decisions about our welfare to the people that have already demonstrated an intent to hurt us.  We should arm ourselves with tools that allow us to control the action as much as possible.

Think about that mother in Atlanta.  What if Slater hadn’t changed his mind?  She was out of ammunition and Slater was again potentially in control.  What if he’d brought a partner?  Or two?  The results for that family could have been tragic.  If 15 rounds in a magazine is a GOOD IDEA for an LEO who is often not alone or who might have backup a few blocks away, then it’s a good idea for you who ARE likely alone and your backup (911) doesn’t even know you’ve got a problem.

Lastly, if there’s one overwhelming piece of evidence in favor of you owning a standard capacity semi-auto (whether Glock of AR-15), it’s that the government doesn’t want you to own one.  That alone should be enough to make every reasonable person go out and buy just as many as they can afford.   By this time, anyone still trusting the government to do the right thing is delusional and probably shouldn’t own a firearm anyway.

Please forward this to anyone that might be interested.

Craig Bellmon beat an intruder to death with a baseball bat in his Dillon home last month.  39 year old James McLellan came to Bellmon’s home uninvited, Bellmon told him to leave, and McLellan ‘began fighting’ him.  Bellmon has been arrested and charged with murder.

My opinion:  Assuming Bellmon could legally possess a firearm, he wouldn’t have been charged had he shot McLellan.

Problem 1:  Prejudice

Not racial, but weapon related.  Deadly force is deadly force whether it’s delivered with a gun or a knife or a baseball bat.  But, people just look at the user of a knife or blunt instrument differently than the user of a gun.  It’s as if shooting Charles Manson with a handgun is clean and acceptable but caving his head in with a rock is brutal and wrong.

I think it’s wrong, but there it is.

Lesson:  Perception can be more important than reality. If you use a primitive weapon, be prepared to deal with ignorance and prejudice.

Problem 2:  Physics

One account indicated Bellmon continued to hit McLellan even after the latter had gone to his knees.  That can be a problem for Bellmon if the state can make it appear he ruthlessly killed a man who was no longer capable of attacking, in other words, he hit him after it was no longer necessary for self-defense.

Practially speaking, this illustrates another problem for the person using a contact weapon for self-defense.  It’s easy to press the trigger on a firearm.  It can take just a few pounds of pressure and can be accomplished in about a quarter of a second.  Recent research using time-motion studies can justify a late shot or two as  unavoidable.  It’s much harder to claim that your late hits or cuts on your adversary couldn’t be avoided because of the speed at which you were operating.

Lesson:  Use whatever you’ve got at hand, but control your aggression.

I hope Bellmon gets a good lawyer and beats this.

Last edition I wrote about studying under Paul Howe ofCSAT and noted we’d probably be making some mods to the BDC curriculum.  Last weekend we conducted a Basic Defensive Carbine class that included some of those changes and the feedback was universally  positive.  Consequently I’ve decided to go ahead with plans to introduce a brand new carbine training class in 2013:  Basic Carbine Operator (BCO).

A little history

The BDC curriculum was designed to meet the needs of the average student.  Most people who buy a carbine (any gun) for protection never get any formal training at all.  Of the small segment that decide to get trained by a professional, most who attend a basic class never go beyond that by attending an intermediate level class.  Interestingly, of those that do go beyond basic, the percentages are higher that they will go on to advanced training.

Fact:  The more training you get, the more you want.

Still, most stop at the beginner’s level, not appreciating  that ‘training’ is a never ending, ever advancing PROCESS.

With the realization that, training-wise, this was probably going to be my only opportunity to equip this person, the intention of BDC was to give that typical student enough training to keep the carbine running against the most common stoppages, hit a man sized target inside the average self-defense distance, and have a basic understanding of defensive tactics.  BDC is as much of the mix of gun-handling, marksmanship and tactics that we could fit into a two-day class.

The same rationale applies to the curriculum of our Basic Defensive Handgun class.

Enter BCO

The new class, Basic Carbine Operator, is designed for the person who wants to gain the most familiarity with the carbine and be the best shooter he can be in two day’s training.  While BDC is a mix of technical and tactical, BCO is almost entirely technical.   The intent of BCO is to thoroughly train the student how to operate the gun, keep it running, and hit a target out to 100 yards using the standard positions; prone, kneeling and standing.

A comparison of BCO & BDC

Envelope

BDC:  1 to 25 yards

BCO:  7 to 100 yards

Low-light considerations

BDC:  Threat recognition, decision making, movement and clearing malfunctions

BCO:  Marksmanship and clearing malfunctions

Standard firing positions

BDC:  Primarily standing with much emphasis on movement

BCO:  Standing, kneeling and prone

Use of cover

BDC:  Yes, plus unconventional firing positions

BCO:  Yes, as it relates to the standard firing positions

Transition to handgun

BDC:  Yes

BCO:  No

Optics / Red Dot Sights

BDC:  Yes

BCO:  Day 2 only (irons on D1)

Weapon lube and maintenance

BDC:  No

BCO:  Yes

Still undecided is whether or not to make BCO a prerequisite for BDC.   There are many good reasons to do so.

There’s enough good material in this class to make attendance worthwhile for even graduates of our higher level carbine classes.  It never hurts to revisit the basics.

I’ll keep you posted.

Last Saturday we conducted a ‘UBC Standards’ Day.  The DSCO range at Lake Darpo was set up as for an Urban Break-contact Carbine class and several two person teams comprised of past UBC students made multiple runs to help us establish a standard time.

Why a standard?

First, determining a standard is NOT to create a PASS v. FAIL situation for the student.  A standard simply allows you to compare your performance against others so that you can decide what areas you need to concentrate on in your personal training program.

Team effort

The COF required a two person team to alternately engage targets:  Team member B couldn’t begin to engage his target until team member A had gotten the required number of hits on his.  Some teams attempted to use verbal signals to facilitate movement and target engagement.

The COF also required two engagements per shooter at each yard line; 25, 50, 75 and 100.  One target was shot from left side of cover and the other from the right side of cover.

Multiple firing positions

The COF dictated which of the standard firing positions the shooter would use at each position or yard line:  Standing at the 25 and 50, kneeling at the 75 and prone at the 100.

Marksmanship v Speed

There were a couple of perfect runs (meaning no more than 28 rifle rounds and 5 pistol rounds were necessary to get the required number of hits), but at the expense of time.

Average time:  154.8 seconds.

Best time of the day:  125 seconds.

I’ve got two Yugo AK-47’s  for sale.  One has a stamped receiver and the other milled.  Call me for details:  843-618-1381

ARMS #59M SIR free floating rail and handguards for AR-15 (carbine-length gas system):  $250 firm

For a pic:

#59MSIR

ARMS #40 rear BUIS.  This is a ‘same plane’ stand alone sight but can be used in conjunction with the #59 rail system above:  $50 firm

ARMS #40

“First of all, Mxxxx and I really enjoyed your class the other night.  Neither one of us had a clue about what to consider in purchasing a firearm.  I had done some online research, but that only goes so far.  In fact, were it not for your class, I would have purchased the wrong gun for Mxxxx.  Your class definitely saved us a lot of money!  Also, thank you for the manner in which you lead the class.  I have been taught by many “experts” in various fields of study.  Many of them have a disconnect with an audience of a novice.  Mxxxx and I appreciated your patience and manner of instruction that allowed us the freedom to ask the questions that we had.” 

We really appreciate it when a student takes the time to give us feedback, good or bad.  Thank you, K&M!

The IDH is usually scheduled the Tuesday evening before every CWP class.   In fact, we’re having one tonight!

Time:  6pm to 10 pm

Location:  Varies (call 843-618-1381)

Cost:  $50 (taking the IDH qualifies the student to take $25 off their CWP tuition)

Starting about two years ago, we began to print a synopsis of our curriculum on the back of the SC CWP certificate that is issued to students who successfully complete the class. I sign the form and provide my NRA Law Enforcement instructor number. This enables a student to use that certificate as proof he or she has met FL’s training standards and obtain a FL non-resident CWP.

From www.handgunlaw.us, www.nraila.org, and certain state websites (notably MS, NM, NV):

Right now (21 OCT 2012), 27 states recognize SC’s permit. They are:

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

34 states recognize UT’s permit.

35 states recognize FL’s permit.

Some states recognize the permits of ALL other states and some recognize only those permits from states that meet their standards. Also, some states honor non-resident permits and some states require that you be a resident of the state you have the permit from.

After checking the information on EVERY state provided by the two websites above, it looks like obtaining a UT non-resident CWP (NRCWP) will gain you two states that do not recognize FL’s non-resident CWP: Minnesota and Wisconsin. On the other hand, a FL NRCWP will get you New Mexico, whereas the UT NRCWP will not.

Bottom line: If you intend to travel to MN or WI, take the class and get a UT NRCWP. If you intend to travel to NM, get a FL NRCWP using the certificate you already have from Paladin Training. Other than that, the two NRCWP’s provide identical benefits.

I’ve created a spreadsheet w/ the details. Let me know if you’d like me to send it to you.

Before acting on the above, I urge you to do your own checking on those states you’re interested in. Check out the two pages referenced above. You’ll find a few discrepancies between the two so do your homework and be careful!

New Mexico’s page has links to the other states here:

New Mexico

If you’d like to get a FL NRCWP:

Florida

If you have additional or contrary information, I’d appreciate hearing from you.

Please forward this to anyone that might be interested.

I recently traveled to Nacogdoches, TX to attend a six day Tactical Rifle Instructor course offered by Paul Howe at CSAT.  Paul is a former special operations soldier and is best known for his work in Somalia during the Battle of Mogadishu.  See Blackhawk Down.

As a result of the training, we’ll be making some additions to our carbine curriculums.  One of the most notable changes involves the addition of carbine ‘standards’.   Still working on the details, but we’ll probably be using a slightly  modified version of the CSAT standards.  You can find the Tac Rifle Instructor standards here:  Standards

The standards are not intended to create a PASS / FAIL situation.  They’re intended to provide you with benchmarks to test yourself against and give you a quantifiable goal to work toward.

It was an honor to train under Paul and get certified as a TacRifle Instructor by him.

We’re introducing STANDARDS to the UBC curriculum.  A COF has been developed that will challenge a two person team to engage designated targets from standing, kneeling and prone, left side and right side around cover, at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards, hitting the target with the required number of rounds in order to advance.  If done perfectly, it will take no more than 10 pistol rounds and 29 carbine rounds to complete the course.  Obviously, the quicker you get the required number of hits, the faster your time will be.

We’re also considering running a UBC STANDARDS DAY periodically.  This will not be a training day.  Instead, we’ll set the range up and students who have already taken the UBC class will have an opportunity to come test themselves against the standard.  Working on cost, final details of COF, etc.

I am really looking forward to this.

1.  EoTech 552 holographic sight (takes two AA batts, NV compatible).  Used, in excellent shape, never any trouble.  $375

2. S&W Model 10 .38 Special (blue, 4″ heavy barrel, early pre-lock gun.  Excellent condition.  SCDL required.  $300

I recently got an e-mail from a couple that had attended one of our ‘Introduction to Defensive Handgun’ classes.  The IDH is one of our favorite classes and everyone that attends gives it great reviews, but we don’t get many takers for it.  It’s a shame, because a ton of information is put out and you’ll be able to make a more informed decision when you decide to purchase a defensive handgun.  The class can save you a lot of money, time and frustration.  I completely agree with the conclusion found in the last sentence below.

Here’s the e-mail:

T and I had the privilege of attending your Introduction to Defensive handgun class.  Overall this class surpassed our expectations.  As a fairly experienced shooter I did not expect to come away with much from the class and to my surprise, I found the class to be very informative and I walked away much more knowledgeable about handguns.   T, having minimal experience with firearms and specifically handguns, felt this course gave  her valuable information in an unintimidating way.  The pace of the course was such that allowed for questions and individual attention.  T and I both feel this would be a very valuable course for any person interested in handguns and really should be a prerequisite for a CWP course. 

KM

We really appreciate it when a student takes the time to give us feedback on their experience with us, good or bad.  Thank you, K&T!

The IDH is usually scheduled the Tuesday evening before every CWP class.

Time:  6pm to 10 pm

Location:  Varies

Cost:  $50 (taking the IDH qualifies the student to take $25 off their CWP tuition)

I have a couple of personal guns for sale:

1.  S&W Model 10 .38 Special revolver.  4″ heavy barrel, blue finish in excellent condition:  $325

2.  S&W Model 64 .38 Special revolver.  4″ heavy barrel, stainless steel, also in excellent condition:  $350

Contact me if you’re interested in seeing them.   Either gun would make a fine house or car gun.  You must provide proof of SC residency to purchase.

Last personal note:  We’ll be at the Mike Kent gunshow on 22 & 23 SEP.  Also, I’ll be speaking at the Tea Party rally upstairs at the Civic Center on 22 SEP.  Hope to see you there!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4GuFXwNMG8

Situational awareness, efficient presentation, movement, use of cover… all here.  We’ll be using this video in future classes as an example of the right way to do it.

The police officer commenting on the Security Officer’s performance mentions his mindset.  Good!  Had he not had the correct mindset, he wouldn’t have been  maintaining his situational awareness.  Had he not had the correct mindset, he wouldn’t have taken the fight to the BG’s.  Had he not had the right mindset, he wouldn’t have trained up to his obvious skill level.  Mindset is the foundation our skills rest on.

We stress movement and incorporate it into a large percentage of our drills.  Even our entry level defensive handgun course (BDH) has students moving off the ‘X’ and engaging Threats to the rear by mid-afternoon of Day 1.  Unless a covert presentation is called for or you’re behind cover, explosive movement during the drawstroke should be the default.

I’ve been hearing recently from a lot of students who are spending more time ‘shooting’. A word of caution…

Be careful spending too much time shooting your defensive handgun when you should be practicing or training on it.  By that I mean, are you simply going through the mechanical motions, or are you consciously working on improving your skills?  We all have limited time on the range and we should make the most of it.  Also, you should be serious on the gun because you can actually degrade your skills through careless application of the fundamentals.

We practice to maintain a skill.  We train to achieve greater skill or add another skill.

Avoid ‘plinking’ or casual shooting. Every casual round sent downrange has, at best, a neutral effect on your skill. In other words, you’re not gaining any ground. In reality, casual shooting often has a negative effect. For best effect, every training and practice round should be fired thoughtfully and with a purpose.

Incorporate movement into your presentation. Realize that every presentation made standing still is a rehearsal to do it that way in real life. Don’t practice getting killed.

Accept the truth that marksmanship skills often play a minor part in deciding who wins, coming behind tactics and mindset.

Decide now: Did you buy that gun to play with or are you preparing for the future, as in ensuring you have one? So, is it a toy or a tool? We don’t call it ‘working’ on the fundamentals for nothing!

Read Hebrews 5:12 – 14. Sometimes I feel like the writer. When a student comes back to me I can quickly tell whether or not they’ve been working on their skills or just playing with the gun. Unfortunately, discouragingly, most are still drinking milk. A very few have become meat eaters. Which are you?

Assuming a quality firearm and ammunition, most guns are capable of greater accuracy than their owners.  Seldom do we see a student who can shoot to his / her gun’s potential.  We demonstrate this in every class when an instructor takes a student’s handgun — which in almost all instances he’s never touched before, much less fired — and shoots better with it than the owner / student can.

Neither the CWP or BDH classes delve into the finer points of the marksmanship for a reason:  It’s not necessary and there are other important things we need to be spending our limited time on.  It doesn’t take a master class marksman to defeat the most common Threat.  Your most likely target is a hand sized area about five feet to contact distance away.  You don’t have to be Wild Bill Hickok or Annie Oakley to hit that.  Students who have attended our BDH know we spend far more  time on gun handling, tactics, and developing the proper mindset than we do on acccuracy skills.

But, for that tactical problem that falls outside the most likely scenario, or for that person that’s just not satisfied with being able to shoot ‘good enough’ in most situations, we’re now offering a class that’s totally devoted to shooting a defensive handgun as accurately as possible:  Defensive Handgun Accuracy (DHA).

Of course, our baseline is always combat shooting so we won’t be spending time on those subjects that apply only to target shooting.  An example:  ‘Natural point of aim’ is a very important concept to a target shooter and an understanding of it is essential to shooting the best score, but since it has no relevance to combat hand-gunning, we won’t waste a second on it.

What we will spend most of our time on in this clinic is developing the ability to properly control the trigger so as to properly send the shot where you want and also  get ready for the next shot efficiently.  Trigger control is by far the most important marksmanship fundamental, and the lack of it is the usual culprit behind a shot not going where intended.  We’ll cover all seven fundamentals, but expect to spend most of your time working on your trigger control skills.

We’ll also spend some time on developing good dry practice habits.

I’m still working on a few details of the curriculum and trying to find a place for it in the calendar, but expect DHA to be around four hours in length, about half class-room, half range, require no more than 100 rounds and cost around $100.

Steve,

I would like to share a personal experience that you, whether you know it or not, were a big part of.  I became interested in handguns for personal defense about a year and a half ago.  I bought one or two and began teaching myself how to shoot.

As I began to research the techniques of shooting, I also became interested in the practical shooting sports, ie. IDPA and USPSA.  IDPA really caught my attention because of the self defense similarities and the relative ease to understand the equipment rules, etc.

As my journey continued I knew I needed some professional instruction and that’s when I researched locally and found Paladin Training.  Having known you through my business, I felt comfortable stepping into a prefessional training atmosphere, although I must admit I was quite nervous.

After taking your class last October, I felt I was ready to jump into competition.  I picked IDPA and set goals for myself.  In IDPA you shoot in your skill range based on a classification that is attained either through a standard-ized classifier match or a placement in a nationally sanctioned match that “bumps” you up in classification. From low to high, classifications are Novice, Marksman, Sharpshooter, Expert, and Master.  My goal was to make Marksman as my initial classification.

My first IDPA match was a classifier in November of last year.  I made Sharpshooter.  Immediately, I set my next goal to make Expert in a year.  I began shooting local IDPA matches in Columbia, Charleston, Rock Hill.  With each match I improved until I was winning my divisions and placing in the top 5 in the whole match.

In June of this year I shot my first sanctioned match at the SC IDPA Championship. 160 plus shooters, 11 stages, a big deal for me.  I placed 7th out of 34 in Sharpshooter.

This past weekend I shot the NC IDPA State Champion-ship.  Another 160 plus shooters, 10 stages, etc. I placed 2nd in my division classification, beating more than 20 others in both my classification and the classification above me.  I got bumped to Expert thus reaching my goal in 9 months.

There’s not a training session I go through, whether it be live fire or dry fire, that I don’t use the things you taught me in that first Basic Defensive Handgun class.  Not only do I use them, but I think about the 2 days I took that class, how you were able to start with the basics of safety, trigger control, group shooting, reloads, movement and then tying them all together in self defense scenarios.  Thanks to you I have the confidence to handle a firearm safely, defend myself and family, and be competitive in the shooting sports. It all started with you and Paladin Training!

Please call or e-mail me if you intend to come so I’ll have an idea about hiring help.

Hope to see you out there.  In the meantime, have a great Independence Day.  Be sure to give thanks to the One who made it possible!

Format Change!

Independence Day

A gentle reminder that the name of the holiday is ‘Independence Day’ not ‘the fourth of July’. The first term refers to a holiday memorializing a momentous history making event, the second a date on the calendar.  One is about shed blood, sacrifice and righteous violence, the other about hot dogs and fireworks.  Please don’t trivialize the meaning of Independence Day by calling it ‘the 4th of July’.  There are forces loose in this country that want us to forget our heritage.  Let’s not help.

I think it’s also important to remember one event in particular that immediately preceded open, armed hostilities between the colonists and British and ultimately led to the declaration of  independence:  The Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Think about why the British marched, what they were after, and then watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FTPy_JM9Lc

If you’re not part of a team, I would strongly encourage you to work on that deficiency and I wouldn’t put it off.  Winston Churchill was asked what he would name WW-II and he replied, ‘The Avoidable War’.  All the signs of what he called ‘the gathering storm’ were there and no one took the decisive steps, the hard action necessary to prevent it.  But, at some point, history’s most avoidable war became unavoidable.

Now, what many people are calling history’s most avoidable economic collapse appears imminent.  Like in 1930’s Europe, all the signs are there and no one is taking the decisive, hard, unpopular actions necessary to prevent it.  Have we reached the stage where it’s unavoidable?   Many people believe so.  I’m one of them.  If I’m right, YOU DO NOT WANT TO TACKLE WHAT’S COMING BY YOURSELF.

For a team to be successful, the team members need to have a certain mindset.  This does NOT come naturally for Americans who are raised to value the individual over all else.  Those of you who have been part of the armed forces, primarily in a combat arms MOS, know what I’m talking about.

Listen, we’re not choosing sides for a street basketball game where failure means injured pride or loss of bragging rights.  No, we’re talking about learning the steps of an intricate dance where a miss-step can get our partner hurt or killed… maybe by our own hands!

Really, for most of us, we’re talking about developing the people we’re already tied to (or stuck with) into a unit.  Unit means ‘one’.  Your team should think and act like one body.  A ‘team’, in the correct sense of the word, takes shared experiences and training to develop.

This doesn’t happen overnight.  

Team-mates are a necessity.  They take time to find and develop.  Start now.

Train hard, put God first!

Steve

DVC/I H S

We have openings in the Basic Defensive Handgun class scheduled for this weekend.  The full details on what  you need to bring and what to expect can be found on our Course Schedule.

Click on the date and open the file ‘BDHJUN2012’.

FAQ:  Can I attend just the first day?

A:  Yes!

We cover all the critical, fundamental stuff on Day 1, including the so very important low-light training that evening.  Day 2 is primarily spent on drills that incorporate the techniques covered on D1.

A deal…

Day 1 is about 12 hours long in the summer and Day 2 only 8, but the fee for attending just the Saturday session is half the fee for attending both days.

If your training or personal practice sessions to date have never included movement or engaging threats to the sides and rear, you should seriously consider attending this class.

TAC:  What’s a TAC and why should I care?

‘TAC’ is the abbreviation for our Tactical Carbine class which we do about once a year.  While our Basic Defensive Carbine class introduces the student to the fundamentals of hitting the target and keeping the gun running, TAC builds on that by adding team tactics, use of cover, unconventional fighting positions, etc.  In other words, BDC is about keeping the gun running and hitting the target (technical stuff) and TAC is about fighting with the gun (tactical stuff).

A lot of time is spent helping partners develop the team skills and mindset.

Of course we’ll spend some time revisiting the fundamentals on Day 1.  We never stray far from the basics.  Students can expect to come away from the two days with not only a better understanding of the ways with which to fight with the carbine, but the ability to shoot more accurately and faster as well.

The next TAC is scheduled for 23 & 24 June at Lake Darpo.  We still have room.  Because this is an instructor heavy class fees start at $300.  The usual discount scheme is in effect:  LEO get a 50% discount and active duty military and SCARNG pay nothing.

Contact me if you have any questions or would like to sign up.

Other stuff:  We’ve been extremely busy so far this year.  To date in 2012, Paladin has conducted more CWP classes, and trained more students, than we did in all of 2011.  Thank you!  I just wish it weren’t necessary.  This is truly a business I wish we could work ourselves out of of.

The limiting factor in training students is now range availability.  If you know of land available that would be suitable for a training facility, please let me know.

I returned to the doctor today for a follow-up visit about my right shoulder.  There is a lot of improvement in both range of motion and pain, so perhaps the rotator cuff isn’t completely torn.  I’m to continue the NSAIDs and let pain be my guide in how much I should use the shoulder.  What this means is that the UBC originally scheduled for earlier this month is still on hold until we give the shoulder time to heal. We’re possibly looking at JULY or AUGUST for the UBC now.  I’m sorry.  Anyone wanting their deposits back for that class, please let me know!

Train hard, put God first!

Steve

DVC/I H S

CWP this Saturday and Sunday – Seats available!

For the ladies (and the men who love them):

Lost and Found

To the Editor

I need a teenager to come program my outgoing phone message to let you know when I’m out of pocket.

Despite unprecendented demand for our CWP training, we’re still keeping CWP classes to 14 people.  The limiting factor is the range size and the number of people we can fire at one time.  We tried classes in the past with two relays and the day was just too long for everyone, students and instructors alike.

The weekday CWP classes are more successful then we figured.  We’ll continue to periodically offer them as long as the demand remains.

If you’re already part of the family, continue to practice those fundamentals.  Keep those perishable skills fresh.  Remember, a CWP class is just the beginning.   Come to a defensive firearm class at the earliest opportunity and learn to fight.

Train hard!

Steve

DVC/I H S

BDC tomorrow – Slots available!

Host a class and get a discount

New one-day / weekday CWP added!

 

New class:  Legals / Legal updates

If you’ve taken a CWP class from us and have never completed our online survey, please take a few moments and let us know your thoughts on the CWP training you received from us.  The link to the survey is found below.  Thank you!

This issue also contains the second installment of an AAR on the NOV UBC class.

Christmas is almost here!  Still not too late to purchase a gift certificate to one of our classes for someone you care about.  PayPal buttons are below.

Gift certificates are good for one year.

Speaking of the end of the year, don’t forget that Paladin Training is now a tax exempt public charity under IRS code 501(c)(3).   All donations are tax-deductible.

Help us fulfill our mission of providing low / no-cost training to individual law enforcement officers and small departments in SC by making a tax deductible gift to Paladin Training, Inc.

May you and those you love have a safe and blessed Christmas!
Remember to stay sharp… Evil takes no Holidays!

Steve

DVC/I H S

One-day, weekday CWP this month

For safety and quality of training we cut off enrollment at twelve students.  Contact me ASAP if you wish to reserve a spot in this class.

Rule 4 – The sky is not a safe backstop

This concern is one reason we recommend a carbine in .223 for a home defense firearm – a projectile launched from a .223 is much more likely to stay in the house if it misses the Bad Guy than is one fired from a 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 pistol.

Rule 4, like each of the Four General Firearm Safety Rules, is always in effect.

To see the article, click here:  Rule 4 violation

First UBC class; Part 2