In September 1999 I attended a level II class held at Classic Pistol. The Level II class was a three day event with time spent both at the range and in the classroom. Shooters were expected to have good gunhandling skills, safety know-how, and know the basics of marksmanship.
The first day was spent exclusively in the classroom. Lessons began by reviewing basic firearm safety rules and terminology. Students then took the Level I test as a measure of their prerequisite knowledge. Lectures were given on combat mindset, legal use of deadly force, tactical procedures, and the instructor's combat philosophy. This last item was most interesting and useful. We were told various medical statistics on surviving physical trauma, which show your chances of surviving gunshot wounds and other injuries can be quite high. This percentage increases with the application of basic first aid and the ironclad use of this mantra; I'm not going to fu##ing die. (you may fill in the blanks if you wish) Having a positive attitude about your survival and recovery is a key factor in surviving a deadly encounter.
After these lectures we were given hands on lessons in handgun retention, (stopping someone from grabbing your gun) basic holds and defensive grabs, knife defense tactics and methods, disarming attackers (knife AND gun) and how to handle a would-be attacker once he surrendered. This was a pretty full day full of very useful skills and information.
The second day alternated between range and a small amount of class time. At the range we went over the basics; draw, reloading, tac reloading, shooting. We went on to shoot many skill exercises. The instructor Steve Silverman uses an interesting shooting curriculum. Rather than shoot only exercises of his own design we instead shot many different Law Enforcement Agency's qualification tests. One major benefit of this is that I now have a measured standard of how I shoot compared to the FBI, Baltimore Md Sheriffs Dept, Georgia State Police, and others. Is this for bragging rights? No. But it may be highly useful in a court of law if a question of my shooting ability is ever raised. What sounds better; Mr Murphy scored XX on the FBI qualification or, Mr. Murphy scored XX on the (insert school here) combat test?
We also had discussion on tactical movement, when to reload, what to do after a shooting, and night shooting. Then we got to put this to practice when the range was darkened and we got to shoot in the dark. One of the points the instructor wanted to put across is how in the dimmest of light, one can still make hits without fancy nite sights (though he advocates their use) or a flashlight. We were shown to illuminate the target to verify a threat, IMMEADiATELY extinguish the light and move, then engage or assess as necessary.
One of the most interesting and useful techniques taught was the four point draw. Instead of coming out of the holster and pivoting the pistol at waist level, the gun is brought up to the armpit. This gives excellent retention for Close Quarters Confrontations and also gives natural body indexing for close in shots. This new technique initially slowed down my draws but I had better and faster hits on the target. With practice this has become a viable and streetwise technique.
Day three brought on more classroom lectures, a video on surviving edged weapons (disgusting but sobering and informative) and more range time. We got to implement what we learned the day before and add it to movement. We got to shoot while moving in all directions, shoot from all sorts of weird positions, and have a heck of a fun time. It ended with a short but comprehensive test of handgun skills. All-in-all, it was a valuable experience.
The Level II class required 800 rounds of ammunition and at just about $300.00, was quite a deal. I had a unique opportunity to learn these subjects and also to hear many amusing anecdotes and real life lessons. I had a very fun time and am looking forward to his Level III class, just as soon as he comes back to Philly.
Firearms Research and Instruction can be reached via their internet page at :http://www.f-r-i.com