Just wanted to put up a quick review of the handgun class I attended this weekend.
For those of you who don't know Chris Fry or have not heard of MDTS, you are missing out. For more info on Fry and MDTS go
HERE
The class- Combative Pistol Skills 1+2. We were hosted at New Paltz Rod and Gun, by Mike. There were a few other members of the range there as well. It was an amazing day to be outside shooting with good company. It was HOT. I give everyone credit for sticking out the day and not dropping dead from heat stroke. Chris packs a lot of info in his classes. I agree with Chris in the fact that it gives the students a chance to rise to the occasion, and take in such a large amount of info. These classes, as with any class you get out what you put in. I encourage everyone to attend any type of training, and keep an open mind and absorb as much info as you can.
Overview- We started out in a classroom setting, and went over range safety as well as handgun safety, then quickly rolled into a discussion of NYS Article 35. For me, the discussion on article 35 was awesome, and just as important as range/live fire time. Being a armed citizen is a major responsibility, as well as a lifestyle choice. This is not everyone's cup of tea, but the proper knowledge of the law and the skills to defend you and your loved ones are priceless to have.
We then quickly moved out to the range, and began live fire drills. We started off slow with fundamental marksmanship, and gun handling drills, then quickly moved on to combative marksmanship and movement. We finished off the first half of the day with a malfunction block. While this malfunction block was not as intense as the Carbine class ones (You guys know what I'm talking about) it did offer a great degree of difficulty trying to clear malfunctions and just operate guns that you are not familiar with. We broke for a quick lunch and started right in with CPS 2
With CPS 2, we started in with more complex drills, with Chris continuing to add more and more elements to each drill. We then worked on bilateral weapon operation, draw stroke techniques, concealed carry techniques and the my other favorite part of the class, reality based drills and working the barricades. The reality based drills were awesome. Chris got into character as a bad guy and we worked through many shoot/no-shoot scenarios. What impacted me the most was how much of this is mindset. That is why training is crucial, for the body and most importantly mind.
Overall, another great training opportunity with MDTS. I highly recommend to anyone with a handgun to take this class.