I'll second what Sierra said: Gunsite has a few good videos out -- but "Concealed Carry" isn't one of them! It was so bad in my opinion that I mailed it back to Gunsite with a letter of complaint. To their credit, even though I had bought it from a local retailer, Gunsite replied with a note ("thanks for your feedback") and exchanged it, as I had requested, for their excellent "CQC" video. That video focuses mainly on pistol and long arm retention and disarming, by the way.
Anyhow, I own a small stack of such videos, and have, as a private citizen, attended a few defensive schools. My two cents...
"Tactical Pistol" is an excellent primer based on Gunsite's handgun doctrine. "Tactical Pistol 2," as Sierra mentioned, should have followed in that tradition. Unfortunately, I, too, found it lacking. That video covers some of the other shooting positions, wounded drills, movement and retention, but does so very quickly and without much step-by-step explanation. (I did, in fairness, find Gunsite's "Carbine," "Shotgun" and "Knife 1 & 2" all to be pretty instructive and well-produced.)
You might also want to check out Lenny Magill Productions/Gun Video's "Concealed Carry" and "Advanced Concealed Carry." Useful information, well-presented and with glitzy production values. You may not agree with everything Magill says, but he articulates his reasoning and demonstrates things very clearly. Worth the money, in my opinion.
By far the best defensive handgun training videos I've found so far are by Wilson Combat/Lenny Magill Productions, their "Advanced Self-Defense Shooting" series. This is a five-part set. Ken Hackathorn is quite an impressive instructor. I'd also recommend their associated titles: "Nightmaster" (low-light shooting); "House Clearing & Cornering" (comes with the wise warning to not do it if you can avoid it!); and "Combat Ready" (IDPA-style training drills).
I recently noticed that Clint Smith/Thunder Ranch has three defensive training videos now for sale. I intend to check 'em out, and would enjoy hearing from anyone who has viewed them
As far as schools -- besides about 25 hours of defensive handgun training at the local level -- I can vouch for two of the nationally recognized ones I've attended: Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute, based in New Hampshire; and Greg Hamilton's InSights Training Center, based near Seattle. Both of these outstanding schools also take their classes on the road nationwide; you can check their websites for schedules.
InSights' doctrine has its roots in Special Forces techniques, modified for civilian and law enforcement application. Hamilton and many of his instructors were members of the Special Forces. There is a common thread of simplicity and redundancy that runs through a lot of what they teach (for instance, certain unarmed defensive moves are similar to the handgun retention/disarming techniques, etc.). I found this "system of simplicity" appealing; too hard to remember some of this stuff otherwise! InSights instructors' consistent winning performances at the National Tactical Invitational over the years are pretty good indications they know their stuff. In my experience, they also know how to teach it.
As for Lethal Force Institute ... I just completed LFI-1, and I'd strongly recommend this as simply the best information and training for defensive-minded citizens who carry concealed, or who plan to. Twenty hours of classroom work deal with the legal and moral responsibilities and implications of citizen self defense. The other 20 hours are spent on the range learning and practicing Ayoob's "StressFire" techniques with the handgun, as well as shooting a documented qualification course. Ayoob is an utterly engaging instructor, eminently qualified and experienced. He backs up everything he teaches with thorough documentation (such as in the courts; incidents on the street and in police encounters; or by medical research). Safe to say I came out of this training feeling "transformed," mainly with a newly broadened understanding; stronger determination about my safety and that of my family; and a few new shooting tricks and tools in the bag. And I intend to take LFI-2 with Ayoob when it's offered in my area next year. If, as a private citizen, you can only attend one "shooting school" -- and LFI is much more than that -- this is it, in my opinion, so do what I'm doing and save your pennies.
All the schools and production companies I've mentioned have websites. Just run the keywords through a search engine like Yahoo.
I think your intent of going to a training school prepared is a smart move. Training videos and drilling yourself at the range can help you there. Seeking some local training from a qualified instructor would be a good thing, too. I hooked up with my defensive handgun teacher at the local indoor range. There may be a similar situation in your area. All these things, I feel, gave me a leg up on other students when I attended the "national" schools. This allowed me to have a quality learning experience, instead of spending my class time stressing out or fumbling with the gun on the range.
YMMV and all that. Hope this helps,
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mib61
