Posted: 10/7/2011 6:42:54 PM EDT
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I was recently in a carbine class with 6 other people. Everyone there (to my knowledge) were non-LEO, non-mil, regular guys and gals. Thinking about it, I don't know if "regular" may be the best word to use. I use the word regular in the context of they were all of various ages(from early 30's to late 40's), various background, various jobs, and geographic locations, and all of good character. Regular incomes, responsibilities, and families. However, would we be considered "regular" by society in general? What were these people, most of whom had never met each other before, doing there? Well, we all wanted good training. We all felt that it was important enough to get off the couch and static firing line at the range and do the course. But why? Now wanting good training, reading about it, doing research and watching videos is one thing. Actually getting out to a class is another thing entirely. I have been researching various training offered around the country for the past 2 years, deciding on which class or classes to attend. I can only afford to attend 1 or 2 classes a year, so I really want to get the most out of it. While researching classes offered, I kept seeing the classes offered fill up time and time again. I see new classes offered as well, with no shortage of students wanting to attend. But why? Has something specifically happened for people to start taking classes, or is it a cumulative build up that has just reached "that" point? As for myself, I know I want to have the ability to use my carbine, and teach others to do the same if need be, in an efficient and consistent way, heaven forbid, conditions warrant it. I have to wonder about the underlying conditions that exist today that warrant the attendance of a carbine class, for us regular Joe's and Janes. We all should be out chasing little white balls around the fairways, or smacking little yellow ones back and forth to each other over a net. Instead we are learning and practicing the most efficient and consistent way to reload a carbine, clear malfunctions, and shoot on the move. Learning what gear works for us, and what does not. Finding out what our abilities currently are, and what we want them to be. So, my question is to all my fellow Joe's and Jane's who go to classes, why do you do it? What was it that motivated you to take that first class? Cheers, CT |
| I think its a big push of just not buying a gun but learning how to use it. Like the saying says, "Having a gun and thinking your armed is like having piano and thinking you are a musician." People are starting to realize that classes will broaden their abilities and self reliance. |
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For me it was simple. I want to live to watch my kids grow up. I want to be with my wife 25 years from now, and even looking at it as just me, I really don't feel like dying. So I wanted to make sure that I'm better, faster, and more aggressive than anyone that may start a fight with me. It's why I was in the class with you last month, and why I'm in the TUSC next month.
A small part of it too, is padding my resume since I'm now actively trying to get on at my wife's agency. |
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For me it was to back up my husband. He previously took a few courses and saw the flaws in our home defense plan. He taught me what he learned but felt I would benefit from actually going through the course myself.
As a stay at home mother I also needed peace of mind that I could take care of myself and my child while home alone. it's all about peace of mind. The social/political/economical decline is a slight motivator. |
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Quoted:
For me it was simple. I want to live to watch my kids grow up. I want to be with my wife 25 years from now, and even looking at it as just me, I really don't feel like dying. So I wanted to make sure that I'm better, faster, and more aggressive than anyone that may start a fight with me. It's why I was in the class with you last month, and why I'm in the TUSC next month. A small part of it too, is padding my resume since I'm now actively trying to get on at my wife's agency. I remember the conversations in the class well, which has contributed to my overall curiousness in why others do it. I think you wil do well when you get on board the agency, no doubt. |
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Quoted:
For me it was to back up my husband. He previously took a few courses and saw the flaws in our home defense plan. He taught me what he learned but felt I would benefit from actually going through the course myself. As a stay at home mother I also needed peace of mind that I could take care of myself and my child while home alone. it's all about peace of mind. The social/political/economical decline is a slight motivator. That's very cool, you both are lucky people. No doubt, any evil dooers will get righteously served @ casa de Cowboy. |
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I just want to point out that its all what you do with it that counts. I know plenty of classhoppers who are not very active unless they are at a class, where as me and my shooting partner can't often afford to take a bunch of classes but shoot more then most folks. Often one of us will go and learn something and then come back and teach the other folks we know that are willing to play with us. I know a common joke is that I dry fire every night and is often an excuse for not practicing yet spouting opinion on how to do something. There are some of us that while we lack the time and resource to take a weekend and drive to a school, we have the resource and location to shoot once a week or so. I have a jungle walk set up from my back door extending about 100 yards, up on the hill we can get out to about 500 yards, we never just shoot its always timed and with some sort of goal in mind. sure we run a lot of drills that we learned from vids or clips and from reading on the internet, its a valueble resource, the point is we are very serious about learning and training, practicing.
Today we ran 2x2x2 drills and elpres after doing a 200 yard run to get our heart rate bumping, most of the drills we run start with the shooter doing jumping jacks until the timer beeps. If I had the money and resource I would take a class every weekend, but I don't so hopefully the effort and resource I do devote to it are enough to keep pushing my skill level, after all its just a fun hobby for me. |
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I wrote this in an email to Dan Sanderford owner of VXMarksmanship about two weeks ago. It was after a conversation we had during one of our training sessions about why people don't train. I think that the the majority of people out there are more comfortable thinking they will know what to do if they are ever put to the test rather than actually preparing themselves.
"The nature of most men is to reach a state of homeostasis and remain there. It is a very comfortable thing to remain in this state, unchallenged and untested. This relaxed and complacent atmosphere is exactly where most men have lived and died. Wanting to be great and being great are very different things indeed. In our comfort zone we can convince ourselves of most anything, up to, and including, a gross overestimation of our abilities. It is easy to believe we are great and quite another to prove it. Be thankful you have not fallen prey to those who would have us believe that thinking and being are one in the same. No man ever achieved greatness without knowing this, that the doing is most important. You can sit at home and think that your safe full of guns makes you a marksman, or you can sit at home and believe that you have the necessary skills to protect yourself and others, but if you want to know these things to be true, then do something to prepare yourself. You might find you have some work to do." Forgive the poetic tone, but I had some bad Italian that night. 
It is good to hear about your experiences, and to know that there are more and more people DOING something. |
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Quoted:
I wrote this in an email to Dan Sanderford owner of VXMarksmanship about two weeks ago. It was after a conversation we had during one of our training sessions about why people don't train. I think that the the majority of people out there are more comfortable thinking they will know what to do if they are ever put to the test rather than actually preparing themselves. "The nature of most men is to reach a state of homeostasis and remain there. It is a very comfortable thing to remain in this state, unchallenged and untested. This relaxed and complacent atmosphere is exactly where most men have lived and died. Wanting to be great and being great are very different things indeed. In our comfort zone we can convince ourselves of most anything, up to, and including, a gross overestimation of our abilities. It is easy to believe we are great and quite another to prove it. Be thankful you have not fallen prey to those who would have us believe that thinking and being are one in the same. No man ever achieved greatness without knowing this, that the doing is most important. You can sit at home and think that your safe full of guns makes you a marksman, or you can sit at home and believe that you have the necessary skills to protect yourself and others, but if you want to know these things to be true, then do something to prepare yourself. You might find you have some work to do." Forgive the poetic tone, but I had some bad Italian that night.
It is good to hear about your experiences, and to know that there are more and more people DOING something. Thanks for the post. It was interesting to read your response. I agree about the comfort zone that we all have. For most people, it is a great place to be. While I also agree there are not a lot of people taking training classes, the numbers of atendee sthat do get out and take one are ever increasing. I have been shooting pretty much all my life, but only recently started to include carbine training as well. I guess that comfort zone became not so comfortable........ 
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I wanted to expand my shooting abilites. I believe that the square range is great for teaching/learning/maintaing your fundamentals but it has severe limitations especially since 90+ percent of the square ranges in this area limit how fast you can shoot, you can't really practice reloads, and you can pretty much forget practicing drawing from a holster. Most of the reloading and drawing practice I do at home.
The class environment really allows you to expand on your fundamentals and move around a bit. It's great that some people have land where they can practice with live fire but a lot of us don't. I'm working on getting a range membership at a local private club where during slow times of the week I should be able to get down from the benches and so some moving and shooting and practicing what I've learned. I think at least a basic defensive handgun class should be taken by everyone who has firearms for self defense purposes. |