Suarez Extreme Close Range Gunfighting In Chattanooga - 11/22

[Guest Chuck McDaniel]

As usual, Randy Harris put on a great class. After circumnavigating the greater part of northern Alabama, I finally arrived, and our small class started with force-on-force. I'm sure everyone was grateful for this because it was 25 degrees, and the extra clothing was good for repelling the weather as well as the airsoft bbs. Anyway, the class went something like this:

Day 1

Morning - Airsoft Force-on-force

• Safety briefing
  
• Discovery learning with stand-and-deliver vs. various movement techniques at differing distances
  
• Discussion on what we learned (i.e., most effective techniques and strategies under differing conditions and circumstances)
  
• Introduction of Pekiti take-off, alternate sighting and indexing with force-on-force exercises
  
• Movement along the lines of the clock with force-on-force exercises
  
• OODA lag time presentation and demonstration - as related to the movement matrix
  
• Lecture and force-on-force exercises with distance dependent sighting techniques/the sighting index continuum
  
• More force-on-force incorporating the Pekiti take-off with emphasis on forward angular movement
  

Afternoon - Range time

• Safety briefing
  
• Drills incorporating shooting along the full range of the sighting/index continuum (close contact to full extension) with movement
  
• Shooting while moving along all lines of the clock and incorporating the Pekiti take-off
  
• Implementing the after-action assessment with various shoot/move drills
  

Day 2

Morning - Airsoft Force-on-force

• Safety briefing
  
• Force-on-force exercises - using the Pekiti take-off with single and multiple assailants
  
• Analysis of best angles of movement with various distances
  
• Stacking assailants through movement and using adversaries as uncooperative cover
  
• Quick review on weapon malfunctions
  
• Lecture on managing contacts
  
• Force-on-force weapon retention with basic combatives
  
• Force-on-force with in quartata movement and scenarios
  
• Lecture and demo of moving and shooting from and around vehicles/dealing with contacts around vehicles
  

Afternoon - Range Time

• Safety Briefing
  
• Drills - shooting from seated positions at all angles
  
• Drills - shooting from and around vehicles
  
• Drills - Team move and cover exercises from vehicles
  
• Distance shooting drills
  
• Reinforcement drills - shooting with Pekiti take-off and movement along all lines of the clock with after action assessment
  

This isn't a complete review of the course structure, but it is fairly comprehensive. There were many short mini-lessons at various points, and Randy did a great job of covering all the questions and possibilities. Also, wanted to mention that at no time did I feel unsafe with the live-fire movement drills. Everyone in attendance was professional, and a good time was had by all.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

Hey Chuck! Thanks for the kind words .

I really enjoy teaching this class. It is the perfect mix of FOF, square range and vehicle work. You get to see just how big a deal movement is and how much you get shot standing still trying to outdraw folks ...especially when you are dealing with multiples.

You also get to see immediately how the range work and the moving and shooting applies when facing live thinking adversaries and not just cardboard. You also get to work a little on weapon retention in the "Defending SUL" module. That seems to be the one thing that I constantly hear from students is that they want MORE work on retention after they are exposed to people trying to disarm them. When they realize just how quickly they can end up in a wrestling match over their gun the "I don't need to know this, I'll just draw and shoot" nonsense goes right out the window. You have to seek doinant position before injecting the ballistic solution. And the vehicle gunfighting module is something few people ever get to do. When was the last time most folks shot from inside their vehicles ?

Glad you enjoyed the class. I'll probably be offering it again sometime in 2009.

By the way Chuck, we are doing a "Small Unit Tactics" class in Februaury if you can make it. Later!

[Guest Chuck McDaniel]

Randy, again, great class! "Small Unit Tactics" sounds like a good opportunity for me. I'll see what the budget will allow and contact you about what gear would be best to bring.

[10Kilr]

Sound good, hope to do some training with SI in the future.

[Guest KentuckyRifle]

Is this "Small Unit Tactics" class still being planned for Feb? I would LOVE to see some details if so.

[Guest tedbo]

I too,would like some details on that. I will need qiute a bit of save up money time. This would be very valuable info.

[BigPoppa]

tedbo and KentuckyRifle,

I think that course is this weekend !!

[Oh Shoot]

http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=665

[Guest tedbo]

http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=665

Thanks! It is too soon and too poor for me at this time.

I will try this at a later date.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

Sorry I did not see this before now. Yes the class is this weekend. There actually is room for another 1 or 2 people in class if anyone is interested.

We will TRY to offer this again later, but no promises, due to the sensitive and unpredictable nature of the guest instructor's day job and the availability of a place big enough and rural enough to do this class.