Class: Instructor Development
Lead Instructor: Marty Hayes, Firearms Academy of Seattle; Director
Assistant Instructor: Nick Bolton, Firearms Academy of Seattle; Senior Staff Instructor
I'll start by saying it's good to be home! A week away is about all this old home body (not to be mistaken for home boy) has in him any more. For those of you who missed hearing where I disappeared to after the PM meeting at Oly II I was attending the week long Instructor Development class at the Firearms Academy Seattle. The purpose of the class we defined in our first class room session by breaking down the problems our students face. For civilian or law enforcement the problems really are no different the only disparity is the rules of engagement. The civilian is obligated to flee a gun battle when ever possible and the LEO is duty bound to prevent the criminal ( and lets face it if you shoot someone other than a current or about to be criminal there are serious problems in the way you live your life civilian or LEO). We as a class found the problem to be two fold further described as proactive and reactive. An alarm call for the LEO is proactive. They must search that building to find the cause of that alarm, similar for the civ. who has a choice to remain barricaded (reactive) and wait for help or if they have children etc. who are not in their direct control to gather them which would then transition the problem to being proactive. An LEO being attacked at a traffic stop is strictly reactive like the civ. caught in an armed robbery. We examined the problems in detail and then defined the skills necessary to solve them. For instance a 1.4 second draw stroke and the ability to get well centered hits while rapidly moving off the line of attack is a very useful skill for the LEO who expects to get license and registration and instead is faced with a meth heads stolen revolver. Likewise the civ. who finds themselves face to face with an offender willing to carve their heart out just to prevent an ID after a car jacking. Let's face it people you don't gun fight to save your car so you are most likely not going to being ahead of the curve. Your going to quietly hand over your keys and start to leave. So when he/ she suddenly realises you know what they look like and grabs that big, ugly knife and says "now you gonna get cut foo" your going to need to turn up the afterburners. 1.4 secs. is going to feel like a decade in that situation. How about the unlucky LEO who is on scene when an active shooter situation breaks out. Picture a crowded mall or school hallway with a madman and a gun. Yes training doctrine probably says to wait for the cavalry. They don't have SWAT just because they look good in black, however not many people LEO or otherwise could stand by and wait. Looking at the problem what skills might the responder need? How about the ability to make precision hits to the cranial ocular cavity (eye box) to sever the body, brain connection and shut down the threat? In these situations a miss is unacceptable as the result will most assuredly be the loss of innocent lives. So these shots might have to be taken from outside the standard 21 feet that most gunfights occur in. Hostage situation? Same concerns. What else do we know about gunfights? They occur in low light involve multiple assailants and everybody will be on the move. Skills needed to deal with this? Shooting while moving, engaging multiple threats, engaging moving threats, and doing it all at times with out the benefit of seeing your sights and at times with out seeing your weapon at at all.
Having spent the time to examine the problem we moved to the range to first ascertain that we had the skills to deal with these problems and then to see how we had learned them so we could teach them to those in need.
First we examined the foundations of combat marksmanship;
1) A good strong fighting stance (think fist fight then insert gun)
2) A solid real world grip on the gun (not a puny bulls eye grip folks)
3) A clear precise sight picture
4) A smooth steady trigger pull with good follow through
This was inculcated by the use of one shot drills intended to produce very tight groups at distances out to 25 yds. To teach these skills we learned about default stance, blending the Weaver and the Isosceles stances and the thumbs forward or thumbs locked down grips to match the gun to the shooter in such a way that even without sights the results would be acceptable within the recognized gun fight parameters.
Next we focused on the draw stroke which needed to be smooth, have very economical motion and put the gun into a firing position as quickly as possible.
People run out of bullets in gunfights. Fact. They get a huge adrenalin dump, they squeeze the trigger until the it quits going BANG and they don't know what to do. We learned to reload a gun. FAST. A thorough examination of the techniques necessary to change magazines in our auto pistols or to purge empty brass and stoke a double action revolver ensued until we all learned the pitfalls of these skills and how to correct them in the student.
A trip to the dark house followed to verify what we learned about the "default stance".
Backing up briefly, the "Default stance" came from the saying that "under extreme stress you will not rise to the occasion but rather default to your training." To understand this we watched a video of a shooter in competition who had just had three days training in the use of the strict Weaver stance. At the end of the three days she entered a man on man (you get the point) shoot off and under the stress of competition went right back to the near Isosceles stance she had used previously.
This lesson being fresh in our minds we tested the default stance we had worked out in daylight in the dark. Very educational. For some there was a lot of work to be done to the "default stance" once the lights went out, for others it was very gratifying to find that our accuracy was not hindered when we could only vaguely see the targets and couldn't see our sights at all.
To me this is the essential skill of the combat marksman. Quickly put the weapon in play and with a hard focus on the threats engage successfully without the use of sighted fire. Prefacing all that with the disclaimer that we should rely on this primarily inside the 21 feet in which most gunfights occur.
For the core of the class we dealt with these basic skills using ourselves as students diagnosing and fixing problems in our own execution with tips and techniques handed down from Marty and Nick when we got stuck. We turned in to new shooters or less experienced shooters by learning all the skills with our revolvers, by learning them left handed and by learning them with different guns.
Finally on the last day we had a chance to validate our own skills under pressure with a man on man competition. With a blast of gunfire and the lovely sound of ringing steel a double elimination tournament kicked off. Round after round the matrix progressed until one shooter took possession of the coveted Silver Bullet Trophy! What's this in my pocket?! Why it's a SILVER BULLET! Yes folks that's right and I will say that this one I'm proud of. Only myself and one other individual in the class had not garnered the Master rating as hand gunners so I feel like I received some validation of my skills against such a diverse and capable group of shooters.
The end game was a quick rendition of the Masters test which ended up being a diagnostic for me to show which skills yet lacked. I missed my Master rating this time by only the slightest margin through deficiencies in the execution of my strong hand only stance, by being less then perfect in my high speed default stance. The opportunity was given to clean up these tests and garner the rating but I feel at this time like I want to work on those skills so I own the test not just pass it.
In summation,
Marty Hayes is one of the greatest instructors I have ever met. His passion and skill are evident and the honest look he is willing to take at both FAS doctrine and outside ideas is unmatched in this industry of balloon heads.
Nick Bolton is a superb English gentleman and his effort to bestow every shred of knowledge he can conjure on his students is absolute.
No opportunity to train with these artisans of the trade should be missed.
To my friends who shared the firing line this week should any of you happen across this page, I wish you all the best in your personal endeavours, be safe, be vigilant, and don't forget to take the tape off your guns!!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
You knew this would happen...
When I armed myself with a public forum you had to know is was just a matter of time until something irritated me while I was near a keyboard and the famous Dan'l rant lit off. SO if your easily offended better sign off right NOW!!
Personal responsibility in America is near death if not already rotting in the ditch. Run down by lazy, dishonest people who lack the moral and intestinal fortitude to face the consequences of their own actions. Oh I know your going to call me out for that but pack your lunch buddy 'cuz I'm well able to put up. For instance our current housing crisis. According to major news outlets and the talking head democrats it is due entirely to the "predatory" lending practices of the mortgage companies. They apparently went out and tracked down destitute folks and forced them to sign loans they couldn't afford probably at gun point. Do you really believe this garbage? There are two kinds of people and yes I am over simplifying, who are in trouble through this. One is the speculator who grabbed every cent he could sign for and tried to double his borrowed money. The other is the dreamer who talked himself into believing that despite what the calculator says he can afford a payment that in a year or two will be three quarters of the highest monthly income in his entire earning history. No no you say it was that evil mortgage broker who talked him into it told him he could refi in a year and use the equity for his down and get a fixed rate. That of course is because his house will be worth half again what it is now so the rest of that lovely equity will be a perfect place to borrow some money for a cruise, a new ski boat and a $60,000 truck to pull it with. Did the mortgage broker do the right thing? No of course he didn't but since when do we get our education from people who are trying to sell us stuff! When was the last time you strolled into one of those used car tent sales and sidled up to a car only to have the salesman come up and say... Hey there BUB you really shouldn't buy any of these wholesale wrecks of questionable background rather you should bump off down the road to those other fellows where you'll get a ride what has not been soaked in a hurricane but actually is offered with fair profit and in good order. Mortgage broker is just trying to sell you money and most likely not at a wholesale rate no different than a car salesman. So YOU must be the educated wary consumer who knows what he can afford and is basically out to find out who can take care of him the best and at a profit he finds acceptable.
What about the speculator? Simple if he got his rear handed to him over a craps table we say he had a gambling problem and send him to a state run program funded by tax dollars to help him recover from his addiction. The correct answer of course is for him to stand in front of the mirror every morning and say "Today I will not play craps, craps is bad!" and then stay out of the casino! OR stand in front of the mirror and say "I will not take out a second mortgage on my primary residence and buy another because that would be dumb." That way our tax dollars get spent fixing the road, paying for schools and all the other things we for some reason think we need government to do for us. That's another subject by the way and one we simply do not have time for this evening.
So I have exhausted this example now for a couple of shorties...
How about those nice folks near who after moving next to an airport find the airplane noise unacceptable, or their buddies who can't handle the smell of the dairy next door? It was built in the early 1900's but now that they've moved there those awful dairymen need to fix the smell!
Spill hot coffee on yourself pulling away from the MCD's because you where on the phone eating breakfast while navigating a left turn over a double yellow into heavy traffic? Clearly those vicious restaurateurs owe you millions of dollars!
Now at this point your probably asking WOW what this brought this one on?!
Well I'll tell you. Instead of being off work burning a tire track in a back road, getting my work out with my .45 at the range or simply enjoying dinner with my wife at home, I'm parked on a job babysitting wet concrete so the kid that damaged half the stuff our sub poured yesterday doesn't get the stuff they poured today. WHEW! (Few people can match me in a run on sentence contest!) Later.
Personal responsibility in America is near death if not already rotting in the ditch. Run down by lazy, dishonest people who lack the moral and intestinal fortitude to face the consequences of their own actions. Oh I know your going to call me out for that but pack your lunch buddy 'cuz I'm well able to put up. For instance our current housing crisis. According to major news outlets and the talking head democrats it is due entirely to the "predatory" lending practices of the mortgage companies. They apparently went out and tracked down destitute folks and forced them to sign loans they couldn't afford probably at gun point. Do you really believe this garbage? There are two kinds of people and yes I am over simplifying, who are in trouble through this. One is the speculator who grabbed every cent he could sign for and tried to double his borrowed money. The other is the dreamer who talked himself into believing that despite what the calculator says he can afford a payment that in a year or two will be three quarters of the highest monthly income in his entire earning history. No no you say it was that evil mortgage broker who talked him into it told him he could refi in a year and use the equity for his down and get a fixed rate. That of course is because his house will be worth half again what it is now so the rest of that lovely equity will be a perfect place to borrow some money for a cruise, a new ski boat and a $60,000 truck to pull it with. Did the mortgage broker do the right thing? No of course he didn't but since when do we get our education from people who are trying to sell us stuff! When was the last time you strolled into one of those used car tent sales and sidled up to a car only to have the salesman come up and say... Hey there BUB you really shouldn't buy any of these wholesale wrecks of questionable background rather you should bump off down the road to those other fellows where you'll get a ride what has not been soaked in a hurricane but actually is offered with fair profit and in good order. Mortgage broker is just trying to sell you money and most likely not at a wholesale rate no different than a car salesman. So YOU must be the educated wary consumer who knows what he can afford and is basically out to find out who can take care of him the best and at a profit he finds acceptable.
What about the speculator? Simple if he got his rear handed to him over a craps table we say he had a gambling problem and send him to a state run program funded by tax dollars to help him recover from his addiction. The correct answer of course is for him to stand in front of the mirror every morning and say "Today I will not play craps, craps is bad!" and then stay out of the casino! OR stand in front of the mirror and say "I will not take out a second mortgage on my primary residence and buy another because that would be dumb." That way our tax dollars get spent fixing the road, paying for schools and all the other things we for some reason think we need government to do for us. That's another subject by the way and one we simply do not have time for this evening.
So I have exhausted this example now for a couple of shorties...
How about those nice folks near who after moving next to an airport find the airplane noise unacceptable, or their buddies who can't handle the smell of the dairy next door? It was built in the early 1900's but now that they've moved there those awful dairymen need to fix the smell!
Spill hot coffee on yourself pulling away from the MCD's because you where on the phone eating breakfast while navigating a left turn over a double yellow into heavy traffic? Clearly those vicious restaurateurs owe you millions of dollars!
Now at this point your probably asking WOW what this brought this one on?!
Well I'll tell you. Instead of being off work burning a tire track in a back road, getting my work out with my .45 at the range or simply enjoying dinner with my wife at home, I'm parked on a job babysitting wet concrete so the kid that damaged half the stuff our sub poured yesterday doesn't get the stuff they poured today. WHEW! (Few people can match me in a run on sentence contest!) Later.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Dyna Bagger
Ronald this ones for you...Just a few quick pics for those who care about the truly important things in life like motorcycle upgrades. The Dyna got bags last week and while it looks a little more mundane I think the detraction from appearance is more than offset by the utility of the situation. Must justify... must justify... must justify...
P.S. They come off in two seconds flat and give it back that sleek hot rod appearance. Yummm cake.. OH and I get to eat it too!
HA HA HA HA HA HAHHHHHH
Friday, July 4, 2008
Training Review
Back in May my "twin brother" Lyle and I attended a carbine class in Pueblo West, CO. The course was a three day clinic on gunfighting with the automatic carbine, put on by EAG Tactical with the legendary Patrick A. Rodgers instructing. Covered in the curriculum where the subjects of gear selection, weapon maintenance, reloads both tactical and speed, and of course shooting the carbine. Shooting the carbine standing, shooting the carbine kneeling, shooting the carbine prone, shooting the carbine while moving, shooting the carbine fast, shooting the carbine accurately shooting the carbine at one target, shooting the carbine at multiple targets. Did I mention we did some shooting?! Pat has a whole library of drills he likes to use and we got to practice a few for instance turning to engage;Turning:
Engaging:
Engaging:Also a multiple position drill which consisted of five rounds standing, reload, five rounds kneeling, reload, five rounds prone. Take all the time you need but get it done in under 25 seconds and DO NOT MISS!
We also learned to deal with primary weapon failures by either fixing the primary or at close range transitioning to our sidearms which looked like this:
Training with Pat is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I intend to repeat. For anybody who has an interest in learning to run an AR carbine like the pros Pat's class is a great choice.
PS For a look at the static turn in action check out the video at the bottom of my blog
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The HOG is landed II
So if your reading this I can only assume that your hoping to see a runway with bacon in full taxi mode. Now that I think about it I would definitely post pictures of that nature if I had them however I do not. What you instead find before you is the culmination of thirteen years of rumination regarding the desire to own an American legend. I'm not a motorcycle guy I'm a Harley guy. For me motorcycles began to exist when I was introduced to HD. Roaring about on two wheels is not something I gravitated to by nature as I am very timid and like to be kept safe and sound at all times. OOPS did that slip out?! At any rate I have harbored an intent to own an American big twin since I first got aquainted with them in college. Alas events transpired to keep me from paying much attention until recently when Mrs. Dan'l and I moved to Stanwood. Here there are roads that wind around lakes, through tulip fields and over mountains all just waiting for a rider to discover. There's also a next door neighbor who rolls his Road King out on sunny days and motors off into the distance looking very pleased with things in general. This has been a source of much consternation as the closest thing I had to roll out on a nice sunny day was my 20hp Craftsman mower. NO LONGER shall I endure this torture! Besides it was a great deal...
For those who care tech follows:
2001 Harley Davidson FXDWG (Dyna Wide Glide)
88" twin cam (1450cc) V Twin
five speed HD trans
jet kit
Vance Hines pipes
Immiediate plans call for crash bars, saddle bags and a detachable windshield as well as the gear for Mrs Dan'l and I so we can safely enjoy our time in the saddle.
Advanced plans call for a new Mikuni carb as I have already grown tired of the popping on deceleration. So if you hear the unmistakable rumble of a big twin in your drive not to worry! It's just me (or maybe Ron Snow).
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Lets get this party started!
So I gave this a little thought before diving in... Wasn't to sure about introducing myself to everybody on the net you see. I'm a member of several forums but there I hide behind a screen name and up until recently there weren't any pictures. However if finding your way here is as difficult as it seems to be nobodies gonna see it anyhow! However I digress. My understanding is that this a place for you to mount your own soap box and spew forth opinions, embarrass your friends with compromising pictures and so forth. Rest assured I will no doubt do all of the above when opportunities arise BUT, I also think maybe people who care to do so can get a little better acquainted with me than might otherwise be possible. You see I'm not real talkative preferring to remain out of the limelight, in the shadows if you will and sometimes I get the feeling people just don't know what to think. Here's a clue think SIMPLE. No pretense, no ulterior motives, what you see/ hear is what you get. I like to make other people happy but when they refuse to be I don't let it bother me. I have two speeds; ALL/NOTHING. I try to modulate but it's like trying to coast a dragster thru the Safeway parking lot. Frustrating, loud, a little dangerous (for everybody else). For instance here is a picture of my recent relaxing weekend in Pueblo West CO
Get the picture? Three days, 1000 plus rounds, 15 gals of gatorade and water, two minor elbow dings, crazy sunburn patterns and one broken gun... GOOD TIMES!!
More on this later...
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