I took the Combative Weapon Solutions two day low light/night time/active shooter class this past weekend in Hempstead. I've taken a couple pistol classes in the past but this was a definite step up for me. My feeling from listening to the other students was that the class was one of the highest quality classes they've ever taken as well. I believe we had 11 students and 2 instructors so there was good individual attention for each student during the class. The course goes back and forth between some lecture/Q&A to shooting/training. The instructors were very patient with questions and took the time to explain anything that anyone was unsure about. They were also very engaging so it was a lot more of a back and forth than someone just dictating information to you. Safety was also a big emphasis throughout the class which was reassuring.
Day one we start off with some basic target shooting, emphasizing the fundamentals. We moved from there to some lecture on how to clear a room in the low light/dark using a flashlight and your weapon. They go through the different methods for the use of the flashlight with your weapon and the different types of room entries along with the pros and cons of each method. Then we went through drills for clearing rooms that contain multiple targets and later we did it with a partner. To end the first evening we went through a room clearing drill with physical and psychological stress piled on. That was pretty awesome. It's amazing how much stress and pressure alter your state and your performance. That was a great experience.
Day two we started with some more stress related drills. Running back and forth to targets with time limits at different distances and trying to shoot accurately. Then we did some lecture on identifying threats as well as information on handling an active shooter event. We did a lot more shooting the second day. Timed shooting drills drawing from a holster, shooting from the ground, on your back and on your sides. Shooting from a seated position behind a table. Shooting with contact from other people, I guess simulating shooting accurately with people around you jostling you. We did shooting drills on the move, using a shooting cadence matching your footwork. We ended the second day by putting everythinig together in a final stress drill, clearing two rooms, and shooting accurately after running an obstacle course.
I'm sure I'm leaving out some stuff we went over but overall I was very happy with the course. I learned a lot that I can use to train on my own in the future and I could see a lot of improvement in my tactics/shooting as the class progressed. It was a great experience, totally exceeded my expectations.
Day one we start off with some basic target shooting, emphasizing the fundamentals. We moved from there to some lecture on how to clear a room in the low light/dark using a flashlight and your weapon. They go through the different methods for the use of the flashlight with your weapon and the different types of room entries along with the pros and cons of each method. Then we went through drills for clearing rooms that contain multiple targets and later we did it with a partner. To end the first evening we went through a room clearing drill with physical and psychological stress piled on. That was pretty awesome. It's amazing how much stress and pressure alter your state and your performance. That was a great experience.
Day two we started with some more stress related drills. Running back and forth to targets with time limits at different distances and trying to shoot accurately. Then we did some lecture on identifying threats as well as information on handling an active shooter event. We did a lot more shooting the second day. Timed shooting drills drawing from a holster, shooting from the ground, on your back and on your sides. Shooting from a seated position behind a table. Shooting with contact from other people, I guess simulating shooting accurately with people around you jostling you. We did shooting drills on the move, using a shooting cadence matching your footwork. We ended the second day by putting everythinig together in a final stress drill, clearing two rooms, and shooting accurately after running an obstacle course.
I'm sure I'm leaving out some stuff we went over but overall I was very happy with the course. I learned a lot that I can use to train on my own in the future and I could see a lot of improvement in my tactics/shooting as the class progressed. It was a great experience, totally exceeded my expectations.
