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Originally Posted by Jay  .....that student should decide ahead of time, exactly what knowledge or skills they want to learn. THEN, decide who's training regimen fits their objectives. Most instruction follows a syllabus that may not be as flexible as the student needs it to be.
Communicate with a potential instructor, and make sure the goals of both parties will be met........  |
That was kind of the idea of this thread, actually. I don't know exactly what knowledge or skills there is to learn. I'm trying to think of a good analogy...
You know you need to get to the supermarket, but you are at your house. You could walk. But did you know that bicycles exist? You'd get there faster. What about motorcycles? Or cars? trucks? They all have different advantages and disadvantages, but the fundamental purpose is still the same: to get you from point A to point B. I only know how to walk, but my friend has a bike, and that's the coolest thing ever. But if I spend all my time and energy only researching bikes and the differences in the different types, will I ever notice that incredibly sexy Z06 that could also get me there and would probably enjoy much more?
It's an odd analogy, but it works. When Lars and I first started
really talking guns, the only thing I knew was that guns are for self-defense. When we learned that classes were offered, the only thing we thought about was safe handling of our new guns. Clearly, there's a lot more on the buffet than safety classes. Fundamentally, trainings are to teach you how to use your gun more effectively. This thread was meant to be a discussion starter on viewing the smorgasboard of what "effectively" means.
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Originally Posted by obijohn tinman take on this subject, in my opinion, is spot on. the question to ask now is "what are my training goals?". once you are realistic about that question, then you can see if you need 100 level or are ready for 200 or 300 level training. most of us won't even need any 400 level stuff. |
I agree 100%. But what are my goal options?
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Originally Posted by rhino Another thing is that training/instruction is not always about defense or interpersonal conflict of some kind. Some is geared toward different kinds of competitions, some of which have greater or lesser martial roots, but they're still games and as you progress further, the goals and techniques necessary for success may diverge significantly from those of other sports or more serious applications of firearms.
Given that, in my mind, shooting is shooting. The differences arise when you consider the application, both in terms of the difficulty of the shot (and required precision) and the nature of the scenario. |
This is the nature of what I was hoping this thread would explore.
I admit it started from my own selfish desire to "view the catalog," but I thought it might help other readers, too, which is why I brought it up instead of tackling the couple of people I know are training junkies. More than once from the few classes I have taken, I have heard, "I've been shooting for twenty years and never took a formal training." At the end of the class it was, "I've been shooting for twenty years, and today there were a few things I never thought about, such as what happens if my strong hand can't shoot for some reason?" I doubt I'm the only one who is relatively uninformed as to what kinds of trainings are available, so I was offering this thread as a reference, but also as a jumping point to discuss different options as well.
Maybe I was hoping for too much? That happens sometimes.