Training for strength

I met a nice lady recently, she will be a student of mine soon.  She is a cancer survivor and still getting her strength back following her treatment.  I offered to work with her one on one over as many days as it took for her to complete a class at her level of strength and comfort. 

I've never endured the rigors of serious cancer treatment, my bout with C was relatively minor and caught very early, requiring surgery only.  I spoke with a friend of mine who is a cancer survivor and she explained to me the vulnerability she felt, physically weakened by chemo; thin, frail and bald...she felt like a walking target.  Hearing that really made me think.  I haven't walked in those shoes, but I've been on crutches, my ability to respond compromised.  I tried to imagine that feeling times 10, or more likely, 100.  It was frightening and offered me a partial insight into the challenges of recovering from a serious illness.

Instructors need to give these people the gift of patience, time and caring...working at their pace to help them not only learn to shoot, but to gain comfort, confidence and empowerment.

Those who are recovering, please don't be afraid to let us know that we may need to spread the training out over a longer period of time, let us work with you, help you, and show you the respect you have earned for you have survived your fight and now are facing a new fight, the fight to regain your confidence, your strength and your empowerment.

Be safe, be strong and be patient.

Thoughts on the Defensive Firearms Coach Training from I.C.E. Training

Science tells us that a diamond is a crystal structure formed through exposure to great heat and pressure. 

Many of you know, I just completed the Defense Firearms Coach Certification training.  It was developed by the same company who brings us Combat Focus Shooting.  Innovative Defensive Solutions, LLC hosted two instructors to come to our area to present the training. 

The class finished Sunday, late afternoon with a written exam.  It is now Tuesday and I’m beginning to gain some perspective.  This was the most difficult course I’ve ever taken, and it was designed that way.  The pressure was intense.  One of my fellow students described it as “Drinking from the Fire Hose”.  I went in to Day 1 thinking, despite the warnings, how bad can it be?  Granted, and I’m not making excuses, I was not 100% on my game.  I am still getting over a sinus infection, hobbling on a broken toe, was tired from scrambling to get final edits on my book back to the publisher…generally my stress level, on a 1 - 10 scale was about 8.  By the end of the day, I had redefined my scale. 

I left Day 1 feeling demoralized, like an idiot, and thinking I really don’t want to do this.  There are almost no handouts, you need to take notes almost at the rate of speech, some of the information was known but presented in a different way and some was completely new.  Then, you would have a few minutes to prepare and have to stand and present a small section back to the class and instructors.  To throw in a curve, you might be asked to present something you hadn’t prepared.  I tend to like my presentations to be thoughtful, polished, clean…I do not like to grab and go…winging it was NEVER an option.  I went home seriously wondering if I should return the next day or quit and forfeit the money.  I did the homework that night and reviewed for day 2 since I was still waffling. 

Day 2, the alarm went off and I dragged my sleepy self out of bed, still not sure if I would actually walk out the door or crawl back in to bed.  I went to class.  Pride won out, I did not want to give up in front of my peers.  Day 2 was better, although still tough.  I felt a little less like an idiot when I delivered a teach back that was acceptable, but I was still very stressed by the methodology.  It helped to see some of my peers, who I consider very intelligent, stumble, too.  I felt less alone.  There was also a sense of mutual support forming, we were in this together, and we were going to pull each other through.

Day 3…the range.  Outdoors, 20 some degrees, snow on the ground…my skills completely fell apart.  I had errors I’ve never experienced before (and will be practicing intently very soon).  I seemed to have trouble understanding simple instructions, which frustrated me immensely.  I would be told to do something, I would have to look at the person providing the instruction while they restated it a couple times, no comprehension.  Finally it would be said in a different way and I got it and was able to do it.  That was humbling, but also valuable as it reminded me what it feels like for one of my students to give me a blank look and me to try to find new words to explain it.  The range portion was over and we all left to regroup at a restaurant for a late lunch, final teach backs and written exam.  Driving there, I had a mini-melt down.  But, I was pretty much back together by the time I got to the restaurant.  We ate, we taught, we got our exams…36 questions, not multiple choice or T/F, but write out the answer, and we had to get 90%.  Not a lot of room for error there.  I finished the test, started going back over it and stopped myself.  I’ve learned through the years, I tend to change right answers to wrong when I do that.  We did our debrief and wished our instructors safe travels back to Ohio.

A word about Jamie and Paul.  When I first saw them I wondered.  They were very casual, and I’m used to a “uniform”, so to speak, of tactical pants and a logo shirt.  Then they started to speak and I quickly realized these were two articulate, intelligent, and I later came to realize sincere and caring, men.  I have immense respect and appreciation for both of them.  More than they know…at least until they read this. J 

I learned more than I thought possible in 3 short days, or long days, depending on your perspective.  I haven’t gone back and sorted out my notes yet, but I will in a few days, I’m still decompressing.  I like to think my words are not influenced by the end result, passing or failing, and I really believe that.  We didn’t know when we left what our status was.  By Monday evening, I was fairly confident I would need to re-do something in order to pass, but I had already formed most of the opinions above.  Then I got the email telling me I passed.  I was not as relieved as I would have thought, by that point I had begun to realize I had learned an amazing amount of information.  I was miserable while I was doing it, but I had survived, no one was injured, I was less cocky and much more appreciative of my peers who were incredibly supportive.  I’m still a little embarrassed by my melt down, but that is on me.  As we heard many times we needed to own our mistakes and fix them.  Part of that is admitting it here.

I started out with a reference to the creation of a diamond.  I made it through the pressure and heat, and truly believe I’m a better instructor than I was last Thursday.  I’m certainly more humble.  I still have a few rough edges, but am maybe a little shinier than I was last week.  I’m not sure I ever want to repeat an experience like that, but…it was valuable and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity.  Amazing how perspective shifts once the pressure is off and you can look back.

Stay Safe!

Review of Fundamentals of Combat Focus Shooting Course

Fundamentals of CFS is a one day course, offered in Northern Virginia by Innovative Defensive Solutions, LLC.  If you don’t know me I’m female, over 50, and an experienced shooter / instructor.  I was excited to get to take this class.  There were 10 students ranging from a young woman who had never drawn from a holster to very experienced shooters.  I had never taken a defensive firearms class before.  My first reaction was WOW!  My second reaction, at the end of the day, was OW!

This was a great class. The instructors were patient, helpful and extremely knowledgeable (and no, I didn’t know all of them, LOL).  The class started with fundamental skills and quickly built on those, mastering one new aspect at a time and building up to the final drills.  I learned so much that it wasn’t until the very end that I realized how much I had learned. 

The instructors focused on something that was a new concept to me.  We didn’t all have the same “performance goals”, they recognized that we are all starting in different places.  Some were amazing shooters, some were more tentative, not quite as accurate.  We were building skills to help us defend ourselves, not trying to hit a 10 ring.  This was a great approach because if allowed all of us to be successful without being measured against each other.  The instructors were constantly walking up and down the line, sharing advice, offering tips, making minor corrections and offering the occasional encouragement, as well as pointing out errors.  Safety was a constant, every new skill included an explanation of how to perform it incorporate it safely. 

When I first starting looking into the class I was put off by the word “Combat”.  Then I realized, combat is a fight for your life, and if I’ve drawn my gun, I’m fighting for my life.  Also, I thought, this would be a great class for an experienced shooter to take their skills to the next level.  I was half wrong.  This is a great class for ANY shooter to enhance their defensive skills.  I watched a relatively new shooter blossom and grow more confident as the day went on, getting accurate hits on target and moving and drawing smoothly.  I, personally, saw my accuracy improving, my drawing getting faster, my reloads getting smoother….and my threat recognition, which I had never worked on, went from zero to sixty!

This class covers so much it is difficult to describe it all.  But at the end of the day I was tired, sore, and thinking to myself…I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!!!  I think of all I learned in one class, wow, if I take it again, how much more will I get out of it?  There was so much, and it is structured to your individual level, that now that I (I think) have moved up a notch, taking it again will offer new challenges and a chance to get even better.

I also know that I will incorporate some of the skills into my teaching, tips on lateral movement, threat recognition, drawing and firing, scanning and assessing slowly enough to actually see what is behind me but fast enough not to lose track of what is in front of me. 

Ladies, this is an especially great class for women because it will build confidence in a way I didn’t think was possible in one day.  I’ve been shooting, and carrying a long time.  This class taught me things I had never thought about.  I was pushed past my comfort zone, by caring instructors who wanted me, and everyone else to excel to the best of my ability.  I was encouraged by these same instructors.  I felt I held my own with the guys, even the young ones.  I might not have moved quite as fast, but I was drawing, and getting hits on target right next to them. 

Bottom line, if you use a gun for personal defense, either in your home or carry out in the real world, I strongly encourage you to find and take a CFS class.  You will be amazed.  The inexpereinced shooters came away with a new appreciation of their skills.  The experienced shooters, one of whom was Law Enforcement, admitted that the drills were new to him and he learned a lot.  EVERYONE can benefit from this.