If you've taken one, I've got some questions for you.

1.  What was your main reason for doing so?  

2.  What was the single most important lesson you took from the class?  

3.  How did you decide which class to go to?

4.  How much would you say it improved your "survivability" versus before you took the class?

I wanted to learn how to use my new AR 15.  



The basics of how to properly squeeze off a round.  



[url=http://www.tdiohio.com]TDI[/url] is only an hour and a half from my house, and it's one of the least expensive schools in the country.



I've already found out that it's improved my survivability. Don't ask me how, 'cuase I'm not yet at liberty to say.

Reason: I really enjoy shooting and wanted to learn to do it right. I had been shooting for many years before my first class, but I realized that there is a right way to do things and I had never been trained. I like to do things right, and since shooting has been my hobby since childhood I decided that it was time to advance my skills. I realized that most people like to vacation at the beach or on a ski trip or whatever. Why shouldn't I take my vacations doing what I enjoyed doing most ?
Most important lesson was in my last class, in fact, yesterday. This was my first experience with simunitions. I learned that when the targets shoot back, it is a whole different ballgame that is nothing like shooting paper.
Which Class: I had heard of Gunsite for years. I read a thread on-line about someone that recently took a class at Gunsite. Gunsite was reasonably close to where I live (300 miles), so I went to Gunsite.
Survivability: I suppose. I can shoot much better than before. I am much faster than I was before. I now have a very basic idea of how to clear rooms etc. In no way am I comfortable with the idea that I am any kind of a gunfighter dispite the training. If anything, it showed me just how easy it is to die in a gunfight.

hey robar was that the only course you took with tdi. my father and i took the 1-3 day defensive handgun class and now we want to go back for 4-5 and maybe the ar class. you said an hour and a hlaf away... in what direction? wilmington area for me.

thanks

trevor

Great.  Seven years in the Army already taught me all that.  Thought they might teach you 100 ways to kill a man with the chamber brush or something.

DaPhotoGuy,


         I have been carrying a M16 / AR15 professionally for the last 13 years.  4 years in the USMC and the rest of the time in Law Enforcement.

          I look at training from a good instructor (I'm talking about guys who have been around for a while and have a good reputation) as continuing education.  I have taken numerous classes with Yeager and Aultman (formerly with OPS, now with Tactical Response) [url]http://www.warriormindset.com/[/url].  

          Even though I did a lot of CQB work with a rifle while I was with the Security Forces Battalion in the Marine Corps and have had a lot of training with the SWAT team, I learn A LOT of new stuff from Yeager and Aultman.  Many instructors not only teach you how to shoot, but add things like legal issues, mindset, etc.  

          Good training is always worth the time and money, but remember these are parishable skills and must be practiced often.  Carbine courses are also a great place to see if you, your gun, and your gear work....If there is a weak link you will be able to identify it in a short period of time.

      Here is a review (with pics) that I wrote after taking a 2 day Tactical Pistol and a 2 day Tactical Carbine Course (back to back) from Yeager and Aultman:

[url]http://groups.msn.com/ColoradoAR15ShootersSite/opstacticalpistolandcarbinereviewpics.msnw[/url]

      And here is another good thread "Get more from your training"

[url]http://groups.msn.com/ColoradoAR15ShootersSite/getmorefromyourtraining.msnw[/url]

I'm in Hamilton County, and I've taken quite a few of TDI's courses, some several times (like the tac-rifle classes). I always learn something new with each class I take. They don't remain stagnant at TDI, their classes evolve. I like John, and his instructors. I shoot with Jerry Cashman on a fairly regular basis, and every year a bunch of us goes up to Camp Perry to do some "shopping". The tac-rifle classes are fun, but get your application in early next year. That class fills up super fast.  

Hey DumbPhotoGuy, go take a long walk off a short pier. The skills I learned at TDI have saved my life once already. The military doesn't know everything, and as USMC already pointed out [b]"Good training is always worth the time and money...Carbine courses are also a great place to see if you, your gun, and your gear work....If there is a weak link you will be able to identify it in a short period of time."[/b]

My experience is that privately conducted training with [b]good[/b] instructors tends to be better – and sometimes is MUCH better – than LE agency training.

There are actually some pretty logical reasons for this, but it still just doesn’t seem quite the way things should be!!

Excuse me!!  What the FUCK did I say to deserve this personal attack?  All I stated was that the reasons you took the course were taught to me by seven years of active duty Army.  The second part about the camber brush was a JOKE!  Damn some people on this forum are rude sons of bitches.

Tactical rifle courses i have gone twice.The reason is to always try and hone my skills with a firearm i enjoy to use and always know, there might be more than one way to do something,and to be in a environment with other people that take their skill and tactics with a assualt rifle equally as important as i do for the real world.The single most important thing was something i hadnt even thougt about, which was, how to defend against a gun grabber.The classes i chose were as long as i wanted to afford,and with someone with real world credentals(More than one day).I am not sure about your survivability question since i already have  failed one of the other important lessons which was to move to the side while engageing a threat directly in front of you.Atleast from the courses i know i made a mistake.

Your demeanor sounded more than a little condescending. If it was not meant to be, then I certainly do appologize.

To improve my skills/capability.


Darn that's a tough one, I learned so many.  I'd say that [b]THE[/b] biggest lesson learned was that Marksmanship is only 10% of the problem in a gunfight - Mindset is far more important.


Carbine 1 from PFDC came highly recommended, it was relatively close, it was VERY inexpensive, I had talked with the instructor online for a year or so, and it was required to take Carbine II.


It improved my marksmanship a little bit.

It improved my speed by 100% (or more).

It improved my mindest, skill set, confidence, and tactical ability greatly.

I'd say 'sruvivability' was enhanced by several orders of magnitude.

BTW the 3 day carbine course I took in Pittsburgh (http://groups.msn.com/TheMarylandAR15ShootersSite/carbine1p1.msnw) was FAR-FAR better than the rifle instruction I received while in the Army.  It was also much more relavant to my status as a citizen who might use arms to defend myself.

Unfortunately you are correct about this statement in most cases.  I have been lucky to get some good trigger time prior the the Tactical Carbine Course conducted by Yeager and Aultman.  The entire team was impressed with the level of training we received during the course.