“Problems”

19789999“One of the problems that we see…”  – Anonymous Firearms Instructor.

I’ve heard that phrase a lot by different Instructors.  (I’m not going to name names)  What follows this is an explanation as to how everyone else in the world is wrong because they do something slightly different than the way this instructor teaches.  It’s not a “Problem”.  It’s just different from your Kung-Fu.  There’s nothing wrong.  Nothing dangerous.  Nothing inherently slower.  Different isn’t a Problem.

Some instructors seem to think that students are paying money to learn to be just like them, to learn their Trade Mark Visual Style. Yet they never seem to be able to explain why they are doing something a certain way or how their technique is an improvement over what you are already doing.

A good instructor should be able to Teach the Technique and Explain it from start to finish with their reasons and rational behind it.  That’s the mark of a good instructor.  Or at least one of them.

I’m going to throw out a couple names here.  I could name a bunch, but I’ll pick just two.   Travis Haley.  Rob Pincus.  These two guys are pushing the bleeding edge of Firearms Training, and both are very excellent at explaining a technique and the reasons for it.   Now, both of these guys come from different backgrounds and have different techniques for doing things.  So which one is right?  They are both right, because neither one of them are wrong.  Both offer exceptional training and education.  Both are well worth listening to.  And Both are who I consider the the best Trainers in the industry.  Because they both look at problem from different perspectives, think them through based on experiences, and have come up with their own solutions for them.  Neither have watched other people’s training videos and ape them like they are reciting ritual without understanding the reasons for the technique.

2 thoughts on ““Problems””

  1. Back in the 70’s, I used to try to teach friends photography. One of the hardest concepts to get across was that there was no one perfect way or camera to shoot, develop or print. If something worked for you, go with it. Ansel Adams taught what worked for him, not what or the way that worked for me. Kids justwanted the secret to success without working for it. As for guns I say the only secret is range time. Shoot as many different range situations as possible. Back when I had to qualify for security police, I loved nightime or dark range shoots…

  2. You nailed it. Neither is wrong. A simple concept often misunderstood or purposely ignored in the quest for “the best” either for the sake of achievement or monetary gain.

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