Cruel Hand Luke

This one is coming up in just over a month. This is not the kind of class you can get just anywhere. Most ranges would not allow you to stand still and shoot in low light (or no light) much less doing it while drawing from a holster. Don't miss this chance to get realistic training for realistic problems in low light environments.

Just some random thoughts..... Everyone wants to do something...until they actually have to DO something. That is just how it is in life no matter whether we are talking about shooting, or getting in better shape or cleaning out the garage. It is hard to get a group together to do any kind of "tactical " training on a regular basis. If you have a group that will meet for more than 3 or 4 times you have something special going and when it ends don't cry because it is over, but smile because it even happened in the first place. Seriously.... training groups tend to be short lived. People will tell you they are interested until they actually have to do something. The number of people actually willing to do the work is small. One reason that gun clubs don't already offer this type thing is because of liability. My local club (Chattanooga Rifle Club) will not allow you to draw a gun from a holster unless it is in a match. I then ask "how are we supposed to practice for the match here if we can't draw from the holster?" and the answer is "that is not our problem". The real reason is that ANY one with zero training can join and use the club facilities. We have guys who are occasional recreational shooters who shoot once or twice a year and we have guys who are highly accomplished shooters who have shot in IDPA World Championship matches...and every level in between. So to keep the likelihood of accidental shootings to a minimum the range simply functions as a place to do recreational shooting , not realistic competitive or self defense shooting. They offer HCP classes through the club ,but again, the HCP class is NOT really training...it is the bare minimum legal and gun safety info the state feels you should know before they will approve you to carry a gun on your person in public.....kind of like comparing the drivers test to get your license to a tactical driving school....they are not at all the same thing. For that matter, Prag and I have talked about doing a Tac Med class in the Knoxville area , possible at ORSA, with NO LIVE FIRE, only airsoft interactive training for context in where and how people suffer traumatic injury in self defense situations and the training in wound care but so far they seem to be deathly afraid of liability.... even though I am an NRA certified instructor, heavily insured and have been teaching professionally since 1999....... And the same applies for many people with private property....many people just do not want to risk an accident on their property. Another reason that folks don't do this is because of too many responsibilities pulling them in other directions. Again, everyone wants to do it until life gets in the way. Nothing wrong with that, and we all have to make choices and take care of responsibilities, but it makes keeping a training group going very difficult. A couple of years ago I ran a local combatives group that sounds kind of similar to what the OP mentions that met ONE night a month and the cost was $20.....it went fine in the winter months , but once the weather got warmer and sun was out longer folks started getting pressure from their wives to spend those evenings with them. The training group pretty much faded away.....and these were guys serious enough to go to multiple gun classes, and come work on empty hand defensive skills and transitioning to weapons (all done dry with blue guns) but they ended up not being able to set aside even ONE night a month once "outside forces" started competing for their time. The other thing is who is going to be "leading" the groups? Someone working for the club (or property owner?) will have to make the time to come out and actually run the sessions. That in and of itself might be an issue getting someone from the range or club to commit to coming out and doing it regularly if they are not getting paid anything extra to do it (see that section about other priorities competing for time). And then who is actually running the sessions? Depending on their level of experience and training that might be good...or it might not. Remember...practice does not make perfect...it makes permanent . Only perfect practice makes perfection permanent. MAybe the "range instructor"? OK. That might be good ....but ...you can get an NRA teaching certification pretty easily...it is essentially a "safety monitor" certification. I have had NRA certified instructors who thought they knew a lot (and they did compared to folks with no previous experience) come to our BASIC class and be almost overwhelmed by how much there was to know that they did not learn in their NRA classes. Again the NRA does not teach "Gunfighting" they teach gun safety. And then there is that pesky profit motive....the range would have to be making enough money to make the "nuisance" of having to have someone run the group or at least monitor the group worthwhile....and at that point it would probably start to get more expensive than people would want. Ranges are businesses and exist to make $$$ . We forget that a lot of times. So unless you find a range owner that wants to get the training and is willing to forego payment for knowledge you might have a hard time selling this to a range .....assuming they don't already think that because they have "been around guns their whole life" they don't need to learn anything else anyway.... And finally the location....are there even enough members of the particular club that would be interested in coming out and doing it? If you have a small club with small membership then you are looking at an exponentially small pool of participants because we pretty much have settled on the numbers of 10% of people get a permit , 1/10 of that number take another class after thier HCP class and 1/10th of that take a second.....it is truly a small pool you are fishing in at that point.... I wish you the best of luck. I just want you to know what you are up against.

12 spots available as of now.

SPECIAL 3 DAY CLASS EVENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUAREZ INTERNATIONAL RED DOT COMBAT PISTOL SCHOOL NOVEMBER 4-6, 2016 DAYTON, TENNESSEE Price $500 INSTRUCTOR: RANDY HARRISA few years ago, Suarez began experimenting with the addition of a mini-red dot sight on a Glock 17 slide. That research culminated in the current system which opened a new door to combat shooting skills. These pistols are in the holsters of Special Forces operators, of SWAT and Hostage Rescue Teams, and of discerning performance-seeking private citizens. They have all benefited from the real and tangible skill enhancing characteristics of this systemIn this class you will learn not only the theory and concept of the red dot system on handguns, but you will experience firsthand the improved shooting ability and speed. Head shots at 25 yards, body shots out into rifle distances and an increased speed and surgical accuracy at room distances are just a few of the benefits. You will learn all the shortcuts and training, skill-development tips we have developed through our research into this exciting new realm of pistol fighting. CLASS AND RANGE DETAILS DURATION: 3 days TIME: 8:30AM to 4:30PM AMMUNITION: Approx. 500-1000 rounds (we will shoot as much as you want to shoot), and the usual stuff you bring to a high speed low drag "bitchin guy" class.) RANGE & GEAR REQUIREMENTS: Bring your red dot pistol and appropriate belt, holster, spare mags, ear/eye protection etc. If you do not have a red dot pistol we have a limited number of red dot pistols available for rent. The rental cost will be $50, please call in advance to arrange rental. 423 827 9133 Also Helpful Bring spare clothing appropriate for the weather, including a hat, sunscreen, and bug repellent. Plan to bring lunch, snacks, and water (min 1 gallon per person) for the entire day unless driving to lunch is a viable option from the range location. Bring allergy medication (if needed), a chair (if you prefer), note taking supplies, and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape). You may wish to bring pads such as knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves if the class lends itself to that. RANGE: The Ridge 11534 Rhea County Hwy, Hwy 27 Dayton, TN 37321 423-605-4242 http://www.theridgeshooting.com/ For more info and to register for this class.........http://www.suarezinternationalstore....x#.V8StPvkrKow

If you are concerned with what might happen if you find yourself at arms length when a physical attack starts then this class is for you. Your gun is great, but if you get sucker punched and knocked out your gun will be irrelevant. If you are concerned with how to deal with a REAL WORLD knife attack when the bad guy is just a step or 2 away then this class is for you. Again a gun is great to have but trading shots for stabs at arms length is not a winning hand either....assuming you can even get your gun into play. If you are concerned about what might happen if you find yourself the victim of a "ground and pound " type attack like the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin situation then this class is for you. (If Zimmerman had better ground skills he might not have had to shoot.....) If you want a class where you will learn simple yet effective gross motor skill techniques to solve common touching distance problems and then access your gun, knife, etc then this class is for you. You don't have to be a ninja to make these techniques work and you don't have to study them for 15 years to get them right. It will give you structure and concepts for WHY this stuff works instead of just a a hodgepodge of random techniques and will increase your likelihood of surviving (and winning!) if you find yourself in these dangerous situations. Hope to see you there!

ONE DAY TO GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a quick reminder that Oct 22 will be here before you know it. Last time this class sold out (and then some) so don't wait too long to get on the list.....

Yes. Just come on out. ONE WEEK TO GO!!!!!!

Funny how that works out....people who want to learn to play the guitar well normally take guitar lessons . People who want to play golf well take golf lessons.....shooting is one of the things that for some reason people think they are born knowing how to do yet cannot for the life of themselves figure out why they are not getting any better at it.....

I typically see people shoot worse with small .40 cal pistols than with anything else. Quick snappy recoil in light weight guns does not help people do their best work. In fact I have had people come to class with SW Shield in .40 and after class trade it in for a 9mm.

TWO WEEKS!!!

There was a one posted here..........http://www.warriortalk.com/showthread.php?130800-AAR-ARG3-with-Randy-Harris-Lewisburg-TN-July-2016

Many departments do not want people who know anything about guns....they want social workers. As such they arm the disinterested and apathetic and turn them loose with predictable results..... The issue here is one of control by whoever was running this exercise. In the end SOMEONE has to be responsible for there being NO live ammo on scene and be responsible to make SURE that every single person with a firearm only has blanks in their mags. (Which goes back to no live ammo on scene). But it is not like this does not happen in the military too.... http://kitup.military.com/2011/09/why-we-spot-check-our-magazines-before-during-and-after-blank-fire-training.html http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/795506/posts http://www.safety.marines.mil/Portals/92/Lessons%20Learned/Blank%20Fire%20LL_20140211.pdf

Thanks for the plug GTG. As to the "basics" of hard skills (as opposed to soft skills like paying attention to what is happening around you, quick decision making, verbal engagement/disengagement, positioning, etc) once the fight has commenced is.... To quickly access your gun without getting killed or crippled in the process Hit what you are aiming at Be able to clear malfunctions if they occur Be able to reload the weapon as necessary. I think everyone can agree that being able to quickly access your weapon is important. And we can all agree that doing it while not getting shot stabbed or bludgeoned to death makes sense. We all agree that being able to clear a malfunction is good to be able to do and we all agree that being able to keep the gun fed if it runs out of ammo is a good thing. Where things get cloudy is on the "hit what you aim at". There are different thoughts, theories, methodologies on what is the best way to do this. Also the "don't get hit" could include shooting while moving or moving to cover first. Unfortunately there are no bumper sticker sized answers that cover all contingencies. But I agree....the advanced stuff is just applying those basics under more chaotic , and complex situations.

ONE week to go on these! We still have spots available in both the Friday Rifle class and the Sat-Sun Advanced Pistol Class.

Just over three weeks to go!!!

And yet there are some who are ostensibly on our side (or at least claim to be) who would rather see her win than Trump......

SUAREZ INTERNATIONAL CRG-5: ZERO TO FIVE FEET GUNFIGHTING SEPTEMBER 17-18, 2016 PRICE: $350 CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE INSTRUCTOR: RANDY HARRIS This revolutionary class focuses on integrating the pistol into the fight at zero to five feet. This is what some trainers call "The Hole" and their entire perspective is to "Get Out Of The Hole". We don't worry about "getting out of the hole" because the reality of it is that you won't. Instead, we get comfortable in there...we set up a nice cozy camp there and learn to thrive where other men fear to walk. We make the other guy want to get out of the hole he finds himself in as we start to rip his head right off his shoulders. This will be a very thorough study on how to prevail and not get killed at this distance interval. We will do a great deal of technical work to ingrain the correct skills and then work them extensively via force on force exercises. You have never sen training and information like this before. While I do want to make sure guys are in reasonable condition to handle this, you don't need to be a hard core athlete to do this. We will play hard. . . . but within reason for the attendees we normally have in class. SOME TOPICS: Dealing against the drawn gun. What are all the options? We will look at everything from running away, to drawing and killing him, stabbing him with a knife, to disarming him and shooting him with his own gun. Dealing against the drawn knife. Both from "hold up" type situations to actual attacks. You will deal with them with the gun in hand (this one is really cool), and with empty hands, leading into a draw and shots as part of the fight. Dealing with a fight in hallways, elevators, phone booths and cars. All empty handed, and with one leading to the other. Dealing with more than one bad guy. How to position and maneuver to deny them the advantage, as well as how to immediately escalate and take them out. The combined use of various tools such as knife and gun, knife and light, light and gun, gun and stick. Not only the how, but the why as well. These and other topics will make this one of the hottest classes available to civilian operators. This course requires prior attendance at an intermediate level Suarez International Pistol class or by instructor approval. Contact me if you have questions . For more info and to register for this class......http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/160917-zero-five-pistol-gunfighting-chattanooga-tn.aspx#.V6ChuvkrKow

I'm not at all professionally connected to SKD in any way, but they appear to be running a good deal on armor right now. It apparently involves a group buy through AR15.com (yes I know......there's not a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.......) . It is for a Paraclete SOHPC plate carrier (http://www.skdtac.com/Paraclete-SOHPC-SKD-Spec-p/par.106.htm) and 2 stand alone level IV 10x12 plates (http://www.skdtac.com/SKD-Armor-10-x-12-Level-IV-Stand-Alone-Plate-p/amr.905.htm). The package is selling for $399 ! Here is the link to their ad.....SKD ARMOR GROUP BUY.

Rubber bands also work. Take the thicker ones like the post office uses and cut it so that you have a piece maybe 2 inches long and fold it over. That will give you a length just big enough to insert into the ejection port and double the thickness of the standard rubber band. That will hold the slide just slightly out of battery so you can work the trigger multiple times on striker fired guns. Also because it is soft and malleable it will not prevent you from holstering so you can do multi shot dry fire work from the holster.

ONE MONTH TO GO ON THIS ! Mark your calendars!

A good test of CCW skills is the 3M Drill. Tom Givens uses this and it is actually a variation on the original "DTI Dance" from John Farnam. You will need.... IDPA target 5 yards away. Electronic timer. 9 live rounds and a dummy round. 1 spare mag. Pistol is loaded with 6 live rounds and 1 dummy round (1 live round in chamber and 5 live and 1 dummy in magazine. Dummy is not the 1st or last round in the mag.) Spare mag on belt (or however you carry it) loaded with 3 live rounds. Shooter starts holstered with hands up in front of chest . At the buzzer you will sidestep, draw and shoot until gun malfunctions. Sidestep as you clear the malfunction (tap/rack) and keep shooting until slide lock. At slide lock sidestep , emergency reload, and fire 3 rounds. The side steps are so you are not standing still in the same spot clearing or reloading while the bad guy is theoretically shooting at you. Scoring is Pass/Fail. Any round outside the -0 zone (8" circle in the chest of IDPA target) = Fail. Failure to move on the draw, on the malfunction clearance or on the reload = Fail. Failure to tap before racking the slide on the malfunction clearance = Fail The "par time" is 15 seconds for students, 12 seconds for instructors. Of course the faster the better, but those are the "official" par times. Instead of pass/fail you can also score it with the Comstock method counting hits in the -0 as 5pts, hits in the -1 as 3pts and hits in the -3 as 0pts. Also subtract a 10pt penalty for any miss . This will generate an actual score vs simply passing or failing. So you would add up your points and then divide by time and then multiply that number x 30 . So a perfect 45 points (9x5=45) shot in 12 seconds (45/12 = 3.75 x 30 ) would give a score of 112.5 . According to Tom Givens a 100 is "very good work" and a 125 or higher is "extremely high skill".

Yes, this is the least gear intensive long gun class we teach. You literally can show up with a shotgun, a sling, ammo and no other gear for it. You don't need a chest rig, don't need a battle belt, don't need anything other than pockets to hold some extra shells to reload. Now if you already have a dedicated shotgun chest rig or bag you use then obviously you are welcome to use it, but it is not required.

Just 2 weeks to go!

Still at 13.