Posted: 9/22/2009 3:54:18 PM EDT
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Big boy rules are in effect: Close Contact Shooting with MDFI
When you enter a Michigan Defensive Firearms Institute class taught by Steve Fisher and his cadre of professional instructors, you know right away that you have come to the wrong place if you don’t take the responsibility of carrying a firearm seriously. I recently had the opportunity to attend the MDFI Close Contact Shooting class and was not too sure as what to expect from Steve in this training evolution. Fisher started the class by addressing the 10 students who varied in life experience from career military to ‘professional citizen’ that had fulfilled the MDFI prerequisites for this course. (Contact MDFI for prerequisite details) Fisher was quick to point out that it is the student’s responsibility to adhere to the four basic firearms rules, as well as to pay close attention to the instructions of the MDFI cadre. After the initial safety briefings were over, Fisher took great care in establishing the necessity for the training that was about to follow. Using real-life examples and detailed demonstration, Fisher reinforced the importance of the “warrior mindset” which makes all other action moot if the shooter cannot maintain the will to be victorious prior to any life-threatening situation. With the students psyched-up and ready to get hands on, the “Samurai Gorilla” moved us to the firing line to start the initial stages of gun-fighting at contact distance. The old saying: “Those who can’t do, teach” couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to Fisher. Before any student took to the line engaging our “hostiles,” we were walked through the maneuvers first with a demonstration, then “dry,” and finally with live ammunition. Any time throughout the class, if a student asked a question, Fisher or a member of his staff made sure that it was answered in full. Students began the day’s course of fire defending themselves from simulated attackers at under an arm’s length. They used striking techniques while breaking contact to create a reactionary gap between the student and attacker, allowing proper draw and lethal engagement if the situation dictated. After running through a few modifications of that drill, Fisher escalated the training. He constantly added new challenges that pushed the students out of their comfort zones, and forced them to realize that sights weren’t necessary when their enemies were on top of them. A large part of the course encompassed literal contact shooting of an assailant, which some may say would be the easiest way to ensure a hit. Fisher was quick to show that this is not the case. He demonstrated how forcing a pistol into an opponent can quickly render an automatic useless by shoving the action out of battery, along with countermeasures to ensure a critical, life-saving hit on target when needed. During this lesson, Fisher also demonstrated certain pros and cons of many popular makes of carry guns, and how to counteract any deficiencies. After a lunch break, the techniques we learned previously were incorporated into more advanced lessons. These involved protection from a lethal, close-in attack while engaging an attacker and maintaining weapon retention. Students quickly realized that combat with firearms at this distance is a very unpleasant and violent detraction from days spent shooting paper at the static range. I quickly found myself with bloodied knuckles, engulfed in powder residue and fabric bits from our targets; all the while smiling and looking forward to the next moment my body would feel the thump of the muzzle blast from my tightly-held Glock 26. By the time the seventh hour of class had come and gone, students who thought their handgun was only suitable on a semi-distant target voiced their realization that Fisher had closed the effective range to mere millimeters. He taught us how to incorporate our body, mind, and firearm into a weapon capable of making an attacker regret closing the distance on its mark from any angle. If you are an individual who just owns and carries a gun, this probably isn’t the class for you. If you are a person who wants to hone and maximize defensive and survival skills with a firearm for some of the worst-case scenarios you may encounter, give MDFI a call. -SSgt , USAF Military Police Patrolman/ Military Instructor |
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Thanks for the compliment and thanks- I have enjoyed my 8+ years of service immensely.
This course is by priceless for those who carry every day and want skills to survive when the threat happens well under the generally taught 5-7 yard engagement zone. You wont be dissapointed. Take care! -Trek |
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Below are my short comments on this class from another forum.
I do not pay for training unless I am quite certain going in that it will be worth my time and money. I was not disappointed with this class. There was definitely new material for me. The techniques for keeping the gun in battery (specific to my handgun) when BG(s) are on you like a second skin could save my a** some day. I do not know jack about any type of fighting but pulling a trigger, so covering basic defensive positions, footwork, and hand positions was fantastic for me. This is also the first time using 3D targets, which adds a new dimension. Some of this stuff I have tried to do at my range by myself, but I now realize I was doing some of it wrong. Hopefully, going forward, when I train by myself I will be reinforcing proper techniques. That is what these classes are all about for me. Learning new techniques and making corrections based on feedback from Steve, his AI’s, and Frank gives me a basis for more effective training when I am out at the range by myself.
Being proficient with a handgun does you no good if you cannot get a handgun into play. This class was a good first step in addressing that issue. |