Barry in IN
New member
I just took my first defensive pistol class this weekend.
I first looked into training by writing Gunsite for info in 1981.
Yes, it took me 23 years to get a two-day class.
If you want it, get it! Get it while you can. Don't wait for more of life's "things" to get in the way.
Every time I put it off, another issue would come along, making it harder to get. The more I needed it, the harder it was to get.
Some examples:
*I got job that paid decent. Great, I can afford to get some training now. Also, it was an airline job, so I had flight benefits. I can afford it, and I can go wherever I want. Problem solved!
Nope. Not enough time off. No seniority to take vacation when I needed it to go.
*In 1990, the back injuries began. Great. Starting to get some vacation time that would allow a trip to a training center, but now I'm nursing a sore back.
-As each year went by, the back injuries became more frequent, and more severe.
This did two things: It made my need for training greater, as it was harder for me to run OR fight; and it made it harder for me to go anywhere.
*1994. For the first time in 11 years of having a carry permit, I had to draw my gun. Everything turned out OK. Nobody got shot.
Although I still had not received any formal training, I had read a stack of books as high as my head. They were naturally of some help, but I still made a LOT of mistakes. I made a list of those mistakes later, and had 10 or 11 items.
No doubt about it- I'll be getting training now, and I won't be stopped.
Then my back got worse, much worse. It went from an annoyance that I had to be careful with, to a full-fledged "condition" that had a direct effect on everything I did (or couldn't do).
Training was delayed again. More books.
*Then came marriage, and a couple of years later, children. As I said earlier- The more reasons I had for getting training, the harder it was to get.
Now I had a wife, and especially, a little girl to watch out for in a world full of evil people. It was different from when it was just me, and I went around untrained. I wanted trained for their sake.
I was working less and staying home more as my back declined, so I dedicated more and more time to "being Dad". More books.
* 2001- Went on medical leave from work. Became full-fledged Stay-At-Home Dad. More responsibilities. Less income. Less physically capable of fending off attack. Due to my bent up posture, and cane, I looked like a "target". Less opportunities for training.
*2003- Second child born. More to look after. Promising item-Got back surgery.
So here we are. The surgery helped a lot. This summer, I realized that I might be able to get to, and make it through, a class.
I found out the neighboring county's Sheriff's Dept offered training to civilians. I looked into it, and found that the dept's Rangemaster was an adjunct instructor with Gunsite and with the Yavapai Firearms Academy operated by Louis Awerbuck. I signed up as quick as I could.
Over the years, I had shot a variety of competition disciplines as time and health allowed, including IPSC, IDPA, and Bowling pins. Although a good start, none really gave me what I was after. I continued to read everything I could get my hands on.
When practicing shooting pistols defensively, I knew what I was doing wrong for years, but didn't know how to correct it. Within 15 minutes of loading our guns, and after shooting five rounds, Captain Campbell and Lt. Wheat had my errors diagnosed, and we were on the way to getting me "fixed".
I could've spent a fortune in ammo and read another house full of books (already had), and still not got what I got in 15 minutes of real training.
Sorry for the rambling.
My point is- Don't let this happen to you.
If you don't have time for training, make time. If you think you can't find the time now, something will happen to make it even harder.
Forget that new gun, or case of ammo you "might" need, and spend the money on training. It's a better buy.
I first looked into training by writing Gunsite for info in 1981.
Yes, it took me 23 years to get a two-day class.
If you want it, get it! Get it while you can. Don't wait for more of life's "things" to get in the way.
Every time I put it off, another issue would come along, making it harder to get. The more I needed it, the harder it was to get.
Some examples:
*I got job that paid decent. Great, I can afford to get some training now. Also, it was an airline job, so I had flight benefits. I can afford it, and I can go wherever I want. Problem solved!
Nope. Not enough time off. No seniority to take vacation when I needed it to go.
*In 1990, the back injuries began. Great. Starting to get some vacation time that would allow a trip to a training center, but now I'm nursing a sore back.
-As each year went by, the back injuries became more frequent, and more severe.
This did two things: It made my need for training greater, as it was harder for me to run OR fight; and it made it harder for me to go anywhere.
*1994. For the first time in 11 years of having a carry permit, I had to draw my gun. Everything turned out OK. Nobody got shot.
Although I still had not received any formal training, I had read a stack of books as high as my head. They were naturally of some help, but I still made a LOT of mistakes. I made a list of those mistakes later, and had 10 or 11 items.
No doubt about it- I'll be getting training now, and I won't be stopped.
Then my back got worse, much worse. It went from an annoyance that I had to be careful with, to a full-fledged "condition" that had a direct effect on everything I did (or couldn't do).
Training was delayed again. More books.
*Then came marriage, and a couple of years later, children. As I said earlier- The more reasons I had for getting training, the harder it was to get.
Now I had a wife, and especially, a little girl to watch out for in a world full of evil people. It was different from when it was just me, and I went around untrained. I wanted trained for their sake.
I was working less and staying home more as my back declined, so I dedicated more and more time to "being Dad". More books.
* 2001- Went on medical leave from work. Became full-fledged Stay-At-Home Dad. More responsibilities. Less income. Less physically capable of fending off attack. Due to my bent up posture, and cane, I looked like a "target". Less opportunities for training.
*2003- Second child born. More to look after. Promising item-Got back surgery.
So here we are. The surgery helped a lot. This summer, I realized that I might be able to get to, and make it through, a class.
I found out the neighboring county's Sheriff's Dept offered training to civilians. I looked into it, and found that the dept's Rangemaster was an adjunct instructor with Gunsite and with the Yavapai Firearms Academy operated by Louis Awerbuck. I signed up as quick as I could.
Over the years, I had shot a variety of competition disciplines as time and health allowed, including IPSC, IDPA, and Bowling pins. Although a good start, none really gave me what I was after. I continued to read everything I could get my hands on.
When practicing shooting pistols defensively, I knew what I was doing wrong for years, but didn't know how to correct it. Within 15 minutes of loading our guns, and after shooting five rounds, Captain Campbell and Lt. Wheat had my errors diagnosed, and we were on the way to getting me "fixed".
I could've spent a fortune in ammo and read another house full of books (already had), and still not got what I got in 15 minutes of real training.
Sorry for the rambling.
My point is- Don't let this happen to you.
If you don't have time for training, make time. If you think you can't find the time now, something will happen to make it even harder.
Forget that new gun, or case of ammo you "might" need, and spend the money on training. It's a better buy.