In our previous article Patriot Defense Training (PDT) part 1 we started to discuss the types of classes and atmosphere that Brad has developed at PDT. Even in a multi part article we will not be able to give you more then a small glimpse of what you get in the full 10 hour class. Reading about guns, watching Youtube videos and training along with a Travis Haley or Chris Costa DVD will only get you so far. Getting in the dirt and creating the muscle memory from a stressful environment is necessary to a successful training plan.
Brad does what he can to make you feel comfortable but make no mistake about it. When the timer starts beeping at you and a group of 10 highly trained peers are standing around watching you move (yes I said move, cause shooting on the move is how you need to train) there is no doubt you start to feel the stress. This stress is nothing compared to the adrenaline and overflow of emotion that you experience in a real life or death situation. However seeing how you perform under this limited stress will give you a better indication of how prepared you are for a real world encounter.
Let’s explore a typical type of gun owner. Recently our traffic has grown due to the influx of new gun owners in the state of Michigan. With the re-election of Obama, the fear of gun ownership being taken away after the school shooting in December and the rising crime rate in Detroit, Flint, Inkster and other cities it makes sense that more people are legally buying guns then ever before.
New gun owners flocked to gun stores and online resources and bought what they were told to buy or what they thought looked the coolest. Some of these new gun owners went out and took a CPL class as you can see by the state police filing http://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/ccw_county_report_273948_7.pdf we now have 511,971 CPL holders in the state. That is over 1/2 a million registered gun owners who have the ability to carry a concealed pistol, which is more then ever before. However the 511,971 CPL holders only represent a fraction of those who purchased a gun. What did the other hundreds of thousands of new legally purchased gun owners do?
Well the sad news is that most of these other users locked the gun up responsibly and put it under the bed, in a closet, near a door or other place to work as a magical talisman to keep them and their family safe. If you are a Christian then you know the warning left to us by Jesus about putting faith in false gods, idols and talismans, If you are an atheist then you probably think talismans don’t work. Either way you would agree that using a gun as a talisman is not a safe bet.
Gun’s are a tool. They allow a well-trained user an advantage or equal footing with those who intend to do us harm. Just as a super expensive hammer will not make me a carpenter or a top of the line computer will not make my mom an internet guru a gun no matter how good or expensive does not make you any safer. Gun’s are not Nikon camera’s, there is no magical auto targeting point and shoot option. It requires regular training and practice to become a proficient shooter and many hours of practice to create muscle memory.
When you hear the sliding glass door get shattered or those footsteps coming up the stairs in the middle of the night you only have seconds to protect yourself and family. As you walk to your car in that Detroit parking lot you may only have a moment to identify a carjacker or mugger. You need to asses so many details in those crucial seconds that you do not have the ability to be focusing on sight alignment, finding the grip of your concealed weapon, working the safety, drawing your weapon properly and safely while shielding your child or family members. In these moments it is the hours of training and honed muscle memory that gives you the edge you need to protect those whom you care about. In these cases it is not the gun that protects them it is your training.
For these reasons and so many more it becomes vital to train. When I say train I mean really train. Going to a rage standing in 1 spot lining up your sites waiting 3 seconds between shots and making a really tight group of holes in piece of paper is fun but it is not training. You wont have a table or ledge to keep your gear spread out on in a self-defense situation. You wont have a perfectly still target and if you do it is shooting at you so you better be moving or crouching or taking cover. If you want to train and get to learn what it is like to shoot on the move, shoot from behind cover and concealment, more importantly learn the difference between cover and concealment so you can learn to find what you need as well as the fundamentals on reloading and stress management then you need to take a class like what Brad teaches at Patriot Defense Training.
The investment that you make in money and time is minimal compared to the lessons you learn. Instead of buying a crimson trace laser or some super expensive leather holster or the newest upgrade for your weapon you could get 10 hours of specialized real world training that will improve your skills and shooting more then any gadget ever could. Not to mention the comradery with other students and the ability to actually run around on a range is a ton of fun. Of all the money I have spent on guns and gear the best use of my money has been in taking training classes like Brads at PDT.
Check out his website to learn more or follow him on Facebook. If you are interested in taking a class with PDT and my article did not convince you that it is worth the money then come over to our Facebook page. Later this month we will be doing a joint promotion with PDT of Jackson MI to offer one lucky fan a free trip to the class of their choice with Patriot Defense Training.
