After the 9/11 terror attack and the Iraqi war, the self-defense industry have justifiably gained momentum and advocated towards responsible gun ownership and self protection. This momentum provided opportunities for firearms instructors to grow their exposure and enjoy everlasting demand. With the growing numbers of instructors flooding the market, the quality in delivery of practical training sessions have unfortunately declined. One of the reasons for that are the forgiving prerequisites that are associated with becoming a certified firearms instructor. The right instructor should be able to demonstrate knowledge and safety. The list below will guide you through finding the right firearms instructor.
Background
Getting a firearms instructor title is unfortunately fairly easy. An instructor must know more than just shooting a firearm, he or she must know how to observe for safety issues and shooting patterns that prevents you from hitting that bulls-eye. It is also essential that your instructor has practical experience out of the shooting range. The more tangible experience your instructor has, the more realistic you training session will be. Ask to see his/hers background credentials and his/hers website.
Connection and Trust
Your instructor should be someone that understands your needs, not his or hers. Have a conversation before stepping into the range and understand the objectives for that particular session. Talking inside the range can be challenging sometimes due to the noise. Make sure to view one of their videos online to make sure their style matches your expectations. Also a successful instructor should be an individual you trust. Try to share your personal story with him or her and make sure you know enough about them.
Insurance
This is essential. Every instructor must work under a proper business entity and obtain proper insurance coverage. It is self-explanatory why would one need to show a proof of insurance in this area of training. Make sure you ask all the questions ahead of time.
Price
I have spent a great amount of time in firearms classes, and I can say that the majority of the instructors I visited did a great job. You are probably asking what kept my experience good? Well, I never moved forward with the cheapest instructor I came across. You will notice that the average priced instructors are the decent ones because they posses great confidence in their ability to attract enough students by delivering high quality sessions. Stay away from a low cost sessions.
Curriculum
The content of the training session is crucially important to selecting the right instructor. Make sure you have access to the course outline before the class. A course list with a detailed description on the Instructor’s website should do it. Also, be honest about your skill level. The particular course should match your abilities to handle firearms. There is nothing wrong to be considered a beginner in defensive shooting so try not to skip essential basic classes. The prerequisite for each course should be carefully outlined in the instructor’s website.
Tools
There are many teaching techniques associated with firearms. Most firearms classes should include a classroom session as well as a live firing sessions at the range, but some can offer much more. You see, there are certain safety limitations with both classrooms and live shooting ranges. A classroom can rarely provide the environment needed to absorb the information while performing hands-on drills, and most live ranges can only offer static shooting which we all know it is not very realistic. If you are a beginner student, a classroom and a live range session should be more than enough, but if you want to explore more practical sessions, like defensive shooting and home protection, you will need the environment that will provide the most realistic outcome. Force of force training is one method that can significantly improve one's abilities to defend himself and his family while creating a similar adrenaline rush and stress that a real scenario brings.
Choosing the right firearms instructor can help you achieve the necessary skill and build your confidence towards firearms. The sole fact you are reading this article only shows that you are not going to settle on mediocrity when it comes to your defensive skills. I hope this list provided you more clarity in your mission to find the right instructor for you.
For any questions, please feel free to email arafael@jerichotactical.com
Author:
Adir Rafael - Former Israeli Special Agent and Owner of Jericho Defensive Shooting Academy & Krav Maga - - Charlotte, NC.
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