Cruel Hand Luke

JUST A FEW DAYS TO GO !!!!! We do still have a few spots available if anyone else is interested ! And I have loaner guns if someone does not have a red dot equipped gun but would still like to take the class.

If you are anywhere in the Chattanooga area you can always come and check out the TN/GA/AL Training Group. We hold events that are open to all levels of skill and it is normally $80 for a 6 hour training session. Plus you will get to meet other folks who are interested in the same stuff and some of whom have more experience and are willing to share that experience and answer questions. The next one coming up is May 7 at our Alabama location 35 minutes from Chattanooga and the next one after that is May 14 at Windrock Shooting Range in Oliver Springs TN.

This one is coming up in just a couple of weeks !!

One week to go !!!!!!!!!!

Well, so much for openly displayed guns being a deterrent.....

Harris Combative TN/GA/AL Training Group May 7th Pocket Pistols On Saturday May 7th we will be holding the next training group meeting. The subject will be "Pocket Pistols" so bring your semi auto backup guns and get some work with them solving realistic problems and shooting some of the drills we normally shoot with our full size guns and then we will finish up with the man on man duel . Subject : Small But Deadly - Subcompact Pistols Instructor: Randy Harris (2022 IDPA TN State Backup Gun Champion) Date: Saturday May 7 Time : 9 AM - 3 PM CENTRAL TIME Location: Phillips/Edwards Farm 763 County Rd 332 Pisgah AL 35765 (40 minutes SW of Downtown Chattanooga) Price: $80 Pay at class cash or check (or if you need to pay with Credit Card I can handle that too now) Equipment required: A semi auto pocket pistol ( back up gun, belly gun, sub compact whatever you prefer to call it) and at least 1 spare mag for it. Holster and way of carrying the mag. 150 rounds of ammo. If you are still having trouble getting ammo let me know and I'll bring some for you.

And upon further review it looks like I’m the ONLY division winner from the TN State IDPA Match that is actually from Tennessee. So does that mean I am THE Tennessee IDPA champion?

This one was supposed to happen this past weekend (April 9) but first it snowed then it rained and the folks who showed up for class said they’d be ok if we waited until the weather was more favorable so we are moving it to May 14 . Hope to see you there! And remember the backup gun match at Windrock starts at 9am and normally finishes about 11:30 if you want to shoot it before the class. It is a small 5 stage match that normally runs about 25 rounds.

We are going to extend the discount price past April 1 so the price on this class is STILL $400. So if you were still on the fence about signing up then go ahead and get signed up and use that $50 in savings toward ammo...or gasoline. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-dot-pistol-skills-tickets-315535113017 See you in class!

Thanks AJ but it wasn’t quite THAT simple. Back Up Gun is one of the more difficult guns to run at speed especially when there are a lot of tight shots on moving targets and on targets surrounded by non threats. plus that whole 6 round capacity adds an extra reload on just about every stage. That short sight radius also magnifies every tiny little mistake and a small misalignment of the sights equals a big misalignment on the target past 10 yards. I am really fortunate to do as well as I did in the first major match I have shot since 2019.I have to think Mike Fielden and Ronnie Dodd are looking down and smiling.

On Saturday May 14 we will hold our next meeting for the Harris Combative TN/GA/AL Regional Training Group for 2022 ! Subject : Getting shot sucks...so get off the X !!! Instructor: Randy Harris Randy's BIO Location: Windrock Shooting Range 720 Windrock Rd, Oliver Springs, TN 37840 Windrock Website Time: 1PM EASTERN time - 5PM EASTERN time Price: $80 - pay at class cash or check. What you need to bring: Pistol, at least 2 pistol magazines and at least 150 rounds of ammo. Revolvers are welcome if you want to party like it is 1899. We will work on our pistol skills specifically getting off the X in reactive situations, retaking the initiative and counter attacking. Standing still in the open while people shoot at you is normally not a good strategy for long term health. If your skills you learned in Close Range Gunfighting have gotten a little rusty this is the tune up you need! We will also run some "man on man" drills to test skills and add a little motivation. Most ranges don't allow you to just show up and shoot while moving so don't miss out on this opportunity ! Training will take place after lunch after the morning Back Up Gun match at the Windrock Range so if you want to come out to shoot the backup gun match you'll need at least 25 (yes 25) rounds of ammo for that. Looking forward to seeing you there!

REMINDER !!!! THIS ONE IS COMING UP THIS SATURDAY MARCH 26 . BRING YOUR RIFLE, YOUR PISTOL AND COME ON OUT AND GET SOME TRAINING AT A VERY REASONABLE PRICE !

Now that we see exactly what we are dealing with as far as the ice and snow goes we are going to have to postpone this one for safety reasons. Sorry for any inconvenience but from a safety standpoint we really could not go on with it today. Hope to see you next weekend! THIS HS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY MARCH 26 !!!!

The mind hates novelty so it is better to have experienced it in training than to experience it the first time when it is "for real". But yes ...it is going to be a little chilly but we can use the classroom to take breaks and warm up .

OK guys and gals it is time for the first meeting of the TN/GA/AL training group for 2022 ! We will be meeting on Saturday March 26 at THE RIDGE in DAYTON TN . The subject will be rifle and pistol. Bring about 100 rounds of pistol and 100 rifle. You will need at least 1 spare mag for the rifle and at least 1 spare mag for the pistol. We will shoot a couple of warm up drills and then work on some precision shooting with the pistol (think dealing with opponents with visible body armor!) and work on rifle from 50 to 150 yards. Hope to see you there! Date: Saturday March 26 Subject: Modern problem solving with pistol and rifle. Location: The Ridge Dayton TN Instructor: Randy Harris Price: $80 Time: 9am-3pm EASTERN

Just a quick reminder that this one is coming up soon. We are about half full in this class so far. The discount for early signup runs through April 1 so don't miss out on the discount! Hope to see you in class!

JUST A LAST MINUTE REMINDER ...THIS IS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND!

I just now saw this and I know it is super short notice but you might be interested in this upcoming event in Cleveland TN this weekend.... On Friday and Saturday, February 25 and 26, 2022, Westwood Baptist Church is hosting a Church Security Seminar – “A Gathering of The Guardians.” Westwood is located 4001 Georgetown Rd, NW, in Cleveland, TN. We will begin at 9:00AM, and conclude about 4:00PM. The Seminar is the same each day, and we are repeating it to accommodate the schedule of those who are still working or may have other conflicts. We have called it “MAGEN2022”, “magen” being a Hebrew word for guardian, protector, or shield. This is a follow on to our seminar MAGEN2020, which had over 725 attendees from 135 Churches. We have an outstanding speaker for this event. He is Dr. Tim Rupp. Dr. Rupp is a 25 year veteran of Law Enforcement, and, after completing his Doctorate of Ministry from Western Seminary, he Pastored Churches in Idaho. Currently, he is full time serving a Ministry dedicated to Law Enforcement personnel, a Ministry that he created. He is also the author of several books, including “Winning A Gunfight” and “Pistol in the Pulpit”. “Pistol in the Pulpit” is the focus of the material for this seminar. Additional information is shown in the attached Flyer. Registration will open December 6, 2021. Advance registration and payment are required. Cost for the seminar is $15 per person, which also includes lunch. To register, go to www.westwoodlife.org and follow prompts to “REGISTER”. Additionally, any Church wishing to be a “Co-sponsor” may make alternative arrangements. For any additional information or to discuss “Co-sponsoring”, please contact Westwood Baptist Director of Security Operations (DSO) Joe Gilbert at 423/584-3969, or by email at jmgilbert98@gmail.com. 2022FLYERV4-PRI DIST (1).pptx

This is a review originally posted on Glocktalk by one of the students in the Feb 4-5 Saving Your Life with a Pistol---What matters, what doesn't. Hi to all my GT buds: This is a comprehensive review of a recent training class I attended---so, if you don't have 5 minutes to spare please feel free to surf another post instead. This past weekend, I was fortunate to be able to attend a 2 day class in Tennessee, entitled; Saving Your Life with a Pistol---What matters, what doesn't. Instructed by Randy Harris, of Harris Combative Strategies and John Hearne, of Two Pillars Training. The class consisted of 9 participants, of which I was the eldest actual class member ( the range owner beat me by 5 years, but he was attending in conjunction with his ownership of the range) The class included ex-military, active and retired LE and also included several current and former firearms instructors. The skill-level was intermediate-to-advanced. Before I dive in, I want to preface the review with a little background: As many of you are probably aware, I am retired LE, with years as a member of my agency's firearm training section. In addition, after retirement to NM, I operated a very successful CHL training school from 2005 to 2015, This was during the surge in shall-issue permits in NM where a minimum of 15 hrs of combined classroom and range training is required and where the license is caliber and platform type specific---revolver shooters can't carry self-loaders and vice versa unless qualified with both. Since leaving NM and settling in GA, I try to maintain my age-diminishing skill-set by attending training classes--[ like the one being reviewed ] as often as they are offered within a few hours drive of my location. Mr Harris and Mr Hearne, are both highly skilled shooters and experienced instructors, each having trained with and by the great instructors of the present and past generation, to include the “Colonel” among many others. Their instructing “style” is not to denigrate or belittle performance, as some top-tier instructors often do, but to actually help the student self-diagnose problems, offering practical solutions for correction. In addition to their extensive skill-sets, each is a professional. I must define what this term means to me; Professionalism in my experience, is demonstrated by showing up and working when you are suffering from an Upper Respiratory Infection, like Mr Harris was---it is dressing out for extended range sessions in 19 to 30 degree weather, like it was the entire weekend, and finally, professionalism is demonstrated by not skimping on the training because of these limiting factors. Now, as to the course content: I have been blessed throughout my 50 yr shooting career; having been taught and mentored by extremely patient and knowledgeable instructors; ranging from my early agency peers to the great instructors during my IALEFI years, and finally with advanced classes taught by messirs Harris and Hearne. Eight hours of this class was devoted to the classroom for the sole purpose of understanding; Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why Instructors such as myself, have long repeated the sage advice of the “Colonel”, the witticisms of Clint Smith, Tom Givens, Massad Ayoob, and other highly skilled instructors, while never knowing the origins and actual science behind the core tenets of the handgun instruction we received.. This class, taught by a Masters educated historian and trainer explained how we are wired as humans, why we react the way we do in extremis, as well as presenting practical methods for learning essential gun-fight survival skills. The content was personally satisfying to me, as it affirmed the beliefs and dictums I have passed on to my CHL students, while divulging the “Science” behind those beliefs to back them up. This portion of the class was very extensive---debunking statements and beliefs widely held by myself and other trainers...such as; the belief that the victims of the Newhall massacre had empty 38 casings in their trouser pockets...just one of many examples where actual research and science has revealed the “True” story of events many believed otherwise. The range portion of the class was predictable; There is only so much you can do on a traditional square range....and, the field of handgun training has expanded about as much as the science allows---The core disciplines have been developed and are widely taught---this is a finite discipline---there really are not any new dynamic discoveries being made....[We] know what works---we know what core skills a handgun shooter must develop in order to manipulate the platform correctly and efficiently...we know the value of dry-fire practice, confirmed by purposeful live-fire. We know that being able to draw to a center-mass hit from concealment in less than 2 seconds, is vital to prevailing in an armed encounter...We know the value of force-on-force training. These facts are universally known, or “should” be known by any serious student of the discipline, and certainly by Any person.who carries a handgun daily for personal protection. So, there were few surprises for us on the range. That being said, I believe Any professionally directed handgun practice is valid for anchoring a skill-set or reinforcing existing skills. And something we ALL learned, is just how uncomfortable and difficult it is to smoothly manipulate your handgun in 19 degree temperatures---how 3 layers of clothing can snag and or slow your draw.---how frozen fingers can easily fumble a reload...how difficult it can be to manipulate your platform while also holding a flashlight...but, Bad Actors operate in all kinds of weather, and to survive,we must be able also. Several hours of the program were conducted in near-total darkness...while we practiced the various methods for operating our handguns with both weapon mounted and mostly hand-held flashlights. Spoiler alert...firing with a flashlight in your hand is one thing...performing a tactical magazine exchange, with frozen fingers AND a flashlight in your hand is a different matter entirely. Fortunately, the stats are on our side, in that very rarely will an armed citizen need to reload their platform...the reality being that you will live or die with what is in the handgun at the time hostilities commence, whether it be 5 rounds in your trusty J-frame or 17 rounds in your wonder-nine. In conclusion; I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and there was very little down-time---we were either actively engaged in vigorous classroom discussions/debates or on the firing line...and in the final analysis...that's exactly what we paid our monies to do... I hope to meet some of my GT buds at another class, contact the instructors at their web sites; Harriscombative.com or Jhearne.com and remember “Firearm safety is Everyone's responsibility” LT. Donn

Harris Combative Strategies RED DOT PISTOL SKILLS Oliver Springs TN April 30 - May 1 2022 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/red-dot-pistol-skills-tickets-315535113017 The Red Dot equipped pistol is becoming more common in the holsters of law enforcement, military and private citizens and this class is designed to quickly develop confidence and proficiency with the platform. Unlike iron sighted pistols Red Dot equipped pistols have a few quirks and idiosyncrasies that need to be accounted for and trained for. The most high tech weapon is worthless without solid skills to operate it to the full potential. This class will help you develop those skills. Some topics include: Grip, Draw, Finding the Dot Faster, Acceptable vs perfect sight picture, Target Focus vs Sight Focus, Trigger control, Tracking the dot in recoil, Target transitions, Shooting on the move, Malfunctions (both with pistol and the optic) , Alternative indexing methods and much more. Required Equipment: Reliable Red Dot Pistol and at least 3 magazines, carry gear, Eye and Ear Protection. We have a few loaners if you do not have a Red Dot pistol and want to attend the class. Ammo Count is 600 Rounds. For safety reasons holster must fit the belt you use and must not collapse when the gun is removed. Holster must cover trigger guard. Serpa Holsters strongly discouraged unless that is your issued duty rig . A rain coat/wet weather gear is also a good idea in case of rain. Instructor: Randy Harris Instructor Bio Price: $400 (discount price has been extended) THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTED RATE OF $400 (+tax and the Eventbrite processing Fee) THROUGH APRIL 1 . AFTER THAT (Apr 2 - Apr 29 ) IT WILL BE $450 (+tax and the Eventbrite processing Fee). PARTICIPANTS CAN ALSO CONTACT RANDY (randy@harriscombative.com) TO PAY BY CHECK OR CASH OR CREDIT CARD DIRECTLY TO AVOID THE EVENTBRITE FEES AND TAX. Location: Windrock Shooting Range & Training Center ( https://windrockshootingrange.com/ ) 720 Windrock Road, Oliver Springs, TN, 37840 CLASS TIMES : Saturday April 30 (8:30AM-4:30PM ) Sunday May 1 (8:30AM - 4:30PM) Weather Policy: If weather is such that it jeopardizes the students' safety, the class will be postponed or delayed as appropriate as determined by the instructor. Otherwise, the class will continue as scheduled rain or shine. Randy Harris is a highly-accomplished civilian firearms trainer with over 20 years experience in the field . He holds instructor certifications from Rangemaster, Suarez International, the National Rifle Association, and the State of Tennessee. He has participated in the National Tactical Invitational and is a multi-time presenter at the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. Randy is an IDPA Master Class shooter in six divisions, placing in the top 20 in the Stock Service Pistol Division at the 2015 IDPA World Championship, and he is one of only four people to hold both the Red Pin from the Rogers Shooting School (with an Advanced Ranking while shooting from concealment) and a Turbo Pin from Gabe White's Pistol Shooting Solutions class, and is the only person so far to earn the Turbo Pin using a strong side IWB holster.