Selecting an Instructor

[Tinman]

Ok, I've stewed over starting this thread long enough. We've kind of danced around the issue in a number of threads recently, but what do you look for in your instructors and why? It's very easy to get distracted by a flashy website, or cool course title but what really matters, and how do you find that information?

I'll start it off.

I will admit that early in my training career, I was not terribly selective, and as such got burned once or twice. Thankfully, I also stumbled into some rather excellent trainers. Now a days, I am pretty selective about whom I repeatedly frequent, but I try to sample at least 1 new instructor or school every year. It makes for a tall order. When I’m looking for something new, I usually look first to the instructor’s background. I’m looking for who he/she has trained with, and what their level of training is. It has been my experience, that the best teachers are often continual students. It also shows an interest in learning things he/she doesn’t already know. The instructor’s operational background usually comes next. It’s all well and good that they have a great training pedigree but if they have no experience actually using this stuff you really have to question the validity of what they are teaching. This is probably the most subjective category, mainly because it is class specific. Someone teaching a CCW class to civilians will have a much different background than say someone teaching counter ambush tactics to a group of contractors spinning up for a deployment. Not every instructor has been or needs to be some kind of ex military, former SWAT something or another to be valid, it just depends on what they are trying to teach me. The next thing I look at is the material itself. This is where it’s helpful if the guy has videos or books out. You can get a sample of their work, and the instructor before heading off to class. Check out the course syllabus, if he doesn’t have one, drop him a note see if you can get one. What I’m looking for is that the material is relevant to the course description, and it fits with my training goals for that class. Next on my list is the instructor himself. Here, I try to poke around websites, look for posts and comments made by that person. Really, I’m looking for someone I can stand to be on the range with for the next 1, 3, or 5 days. I don’t have to like him, I just need to value the information, and tolerate the personality. Luckily, I have liked most of the folks I have had the privilege of training with. Generally, down near the bottom of the list is the facility. Nice facilities, and cool ranges are great to play on, but if the information or instructor suck, I’d rather just go to the nice range for a day spend a whole lot less money and effort.

Well, that’s a start, what do you all look for?

Tinman….

[W9ZEB]

Being fairly new to the whole Firearms thing, but a converted Training Junkie in the making.....

I've been reading lots of reviews of classes from various instructors and schools near by. I've also been highly critical of those reviews..... "If this class is the best thing since sliced bread...." reviews are written by people with only LE or .Mil training to me that reads as ".... but prior to sliced bread I'd only ever eaten maggots with a side of seagul droppings."

I do take into account the opinions of people who I respect. Kirk Freeman's suggestions, Your (Tinman) suggestions, and Shay VanVlymen's suggestions all carry a lot more weight than something I have read written by someone I don't know.

Right now, I'm looking to take classes at many of the same places currently listed in a few of the training resumes here on this website.

[Annie]

Right from the starting line, I took the only game in town. Hindsight being 20/20, I realize the more I learn the less I know I was taught.
This last time, I sort of fell into a training situation but it turns out to be exactly what I think everyone in my family needs. An established instructor, good with both genders and all ages, and has a real life experience vs the "suburb commandos" out there.

[shooter521]

Originally Posted by W9ZEB

I do take into account the opinions of people who I respect.

This is probably #1 on my list. I value the opinions and experience of a trusted few over just about anything else. The internet is full of "yeah that class was great" reviews, but most of the time we get ZERO feel for what if anything else the reviewer has to compare that class to.

I also look for instructors who are NOT heavily into self-promotion or advertising. Reason being if they are really that good, they shouldn't have to tell me so. None of the instructors I have trained with, or would like to train with, have flashy websites or full-page ads in Tactical Blasters Monthly, yet their courses are perpetually full. "In police work, we call that a clue."

[obijohn]

my criteria is much like tinman's, and others, in that i'm looking at course relevance, instructor integrity and value per dollar. for my "fun" training, i might look at that counter ambush class, if for no other reason to see what's current and to have some fun. i'll also look at classes where the content or the instructor can help me professionally and to refine the product i'm offering. it should be pointed out, that no one is really reinventing the wheel, no matter what they "say", maybe just adding a spoke. i'm no longer in need of "tactical" training in the same manner as i was years ago, i just want to have some fun. the instructors that are teaching content relevant to civilian use are higher on my list than the "fun" courses.

bottom line, those i've trained beside and with are my first line of data on a new instructor. there are quite a few training junkies out there that can share relevant data.

[rhino]

Some thoughts in no particular order . . .

Teaching and communication ability are a lot more important to me than "been there, done that." I'm more interested in what someone can teach me than I am in whether or not they are a sEEkRIt sQUIrreL or super soldier cop man.

I place little value on reviews from people who have no basis for comparison to other instructors/schools.

I place little value on recommendations from people who are clearly brainwashed into believing their pet school or instructor is "the best," so anything they do has to be good.

I won't patronize an instructor or school that perpetuates a caste system where military and/or police officers are somehow superior to "regular people."

I won't patronize a**holes, regardless of whether or not all of the k00l kIDz think they're "the best" (especially when they aren't really the best).

I seek instructors whose methods and abilities will help me maximize my skills as an individual (or perhaps as part of a small team of buddies) rather than those whose products are clearly more geared toward getting a group of people all doing exactly the same thing the exact same way.

I seek instructors who can effectively articulate why their chosen methods and techniques are what they consider to be the best way to do things. Sometimes "it works in the street" is more than adequate as an explanation, and sometimes it's either a cop-out or a euphemism for "I don't know."

I avoid instructors and schools whose advertsing focuses too much on round counts and gear. In all too many cases, the number of rounds fired seems to be some kind of status symbol. I've only been in one such class, and the disappointments outnumbered and outweighed the good points by far. I much prefer classes where every shot fired serves some educational purpose. I can practice and blast ammo on my own time.


I typically discount and rarely completely read reviews from students that focus almost exclusively on gear and how many rounds they fired. Guess what ... I don't care what kind of guns and gear you had or what the others in the class had! I want to know what you did, how you did it, and how it worked for you.

[Fenway]

Very interesting discussion. I was hoping for this forum to become the "go to" place for training discussion in the State of Indiana and I think it is becoming that... Anyway

I'm a fairly new shooter and I don't think I have many "standards" just yet. If a one day class were to come through town with a reasonable price and round count I would take it in a minute. I don't really care who is teaching it because maybe I would come away with something. I'm going to need to feel 100% safe but otherwise the chance to get out on the range and learn something appeals to me. I've been around the gun boards enough to form some opinions on things but if a one day class came through INDY and it was affordable I'd take it.

I have been lucky so far because I hooked up with Shay early on and I think he set me up with some great fundamentals. From there I have taken a class from a big school. Several hours of private instruction. A class with Matt in New Castle and the INGO Training day.

I think someone would do very well around here if they could come up with a

-One day class around the $150 price range
-Reasonable round count
-Different levels (a very basic class with no live fire, intro pistol, and then one or two more advanced classes that build on that)

I realize $150 is dirt cheap but a lot of people just can't afford the big 2 day classes. With the price of ammo, gas, etc for me I probably won't be taking a 2 day class anytime soon. I'm sorry to say that but it's the truth and I'm someone who is fairly interested in training.

Maybe I will figure out some standards down the road once I get more training under my belt.

[Scutter01]

Originally Posted by Fenway

If a one day class were to come through town with a reasonable price and round count I would take it in a minute.

I think someone would do very well around here if they could come up with a

-One day class around the $150 price range
-Reasonable round count
-Different levels (a very basic class with no live fire, intro pistol, and then one or two more advanced classes that build on that)

As I've said in other threads, between work and kids, Spasmo and I just can't afford $500 each and 2-3 days for a training class. Anyone with kids will tell you that a weekend without them is so rare that it's worth its weight in gold (metaphysically speaking).

[bwframe]

Originally Posted by Scutter01

As I've said in other threads, between work and kids, Spasmo and I just can't afford $500 each and 2-3 days for a training class. Anyone with kids will tell you that a weekend without them is so rare that it's worth its weight in gold (metaphysically speaking).

So true.

[Fenway]

BTW: When I say I need to feel 100% safe I realize that training with live guns is not like going to play a game of wiffel ball. But safe gun handling is going to have to be a must from the instructor(s) and really enforced with the students. I think this is especially important with beginner students. I don't feel like getting shot.