AAR: Mindset Laboratory Low-Light Force-on-Force Scenarios 4-22-12

[esrice]

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Mindset Lab | Real Training + Real Testing​

What:
Mindset Laboratory's Low-Light Force-on-Force Scenarios
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When:
Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
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Where:
"Pleasantville" Mock Town (I-70 & Harding, Indianapolis)
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Who:
Shay VanVlymen (Shay) - Owner/Instructor
Andy - roleplayer
James - roleplayer
Joe - roleplayer
Nathan (TheAutomator) - roleplayer​

Students:
esrice, OneBadV8, Westside
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Why:
Having been a 4-time student of Mindset Lab, I wanted to get the chance to further explore force-on-force through more scenario work.

​

Once again I found myself back with Mindset Laboratory for yet another round of force-on-force scenarios. This time, however, they were presented under the cover of darkness, and in Mindset Lab's brand new training facility, code-named "Pleasantville".

You can read my AARs from past courses here:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...boratory_flashlight_combatives_12_4_11_a.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...d_dynamic_fof_scenarios_feb_18_19_2012_a.html

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...mbatives_and_retention_march_18th_2012_a.html

The new facility is conveniently located off I-70 at Harding Street, just west of downtown Indianapolis. For me its a quick 15-20 minute drive. "Pleasantville" is a mock town that occupies a 10k sqft corner of an enormous warehouse. The space is essentially two roads coming together in an 'L' shape. On one side there is a hardware store, complete with stocked merchandise, a "Scarbucks" coffee shop with outdoor seating, a "Badwill" clothing store, and several mock storefronts with ATM access. The other side of the street includes "Lead Bath and Beyond". A unique feature of the inside walls is that they are on rolling casters and can be arranged and moved as necessary, making for some very challenging setups, often creating dark alley ways and corners. On the street you'll even find a couple real cars.

Here are a few pictures of the facility as the main construction was wrapping up.

I arrived at Pleasantville about 10 minutes til 9 am. Inside the classroom I was greeted by fellow INGOers OneBadV8 and Westside. They had attended yesterday's Intro to Force-on-Force, and I could tell they were ready to get into some more scenario work.

After complimenting Shay on his choice of tablecloths, we got started with class.

We started with a safety briefing, and also covered the FoF-specific rules for this course. Shay outlined the medical action plan, and assigned a primary and secondary responder. Because these scenarios were to be conducted in darkness, we marked the medic bag with a red glow stick.

Shay loves when I take pictures during class.

As always, bagels and water were provided to the students and roleplayers. This helps keeps people's energy and hydration levels up.

Force-on-force lecture or some sadistic kid's birthday party? You decide. . .

We were then introduced (or re-introduced) to the Mindset Lab AAR Worksheets. These are VERY helpful for collecting your thoughts and putting them down on paper after each scenario. They allow students to go through each scenario step-by-step and break down the "things I did well" and the "things I did not do well".

At this point we were given blue baskets and asked to remove any guns/knives/weapons and put them in the baskets. We took the baskets and locked them in a separate room. We took turns patting each other down, and then we were wanded one-by-one. Shay is very serious about not allowing any live weapons into the training environment.

We started with a short skills block on shooting with a light. No one in the class utilized weapon-mounted lights, as we all preferred handhelds. Surefires were the order of the day.

We each took turns being the shooter and the "bad guy". As the shooter we were able to try various light techniques and positioning while putting rounds on a live human being. Shay teaches the "jaw index" as the most optimal technique, and this was proven throughout the day. I had personally latched onto the jaw index technique a couple years ago during an ACT live-fire low-light course, and its served me well in both Flashlight Combatives and Low-light FoF Scenarios.

After the skills block we moved right into our first scenario. In order to maintain the integrity of the course, I will not divulge the specifics of the scenarios. Suffice to say that each one is thoroughly thought out and executed by Shay and his roleplayers. They have a knack for immersing you into their world and then flipping everything upside down. Just when you think you've got things figured out, Shay throws in a twist that again takes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to make the right decisions.

Once we got the first scenario under our belts we broke for lunch. After lunch we ran the next 3 scenarios back-to-back. Here was the basic routine:

Student 1 runs the scenario while Students 2 and 3 wait in the visually and acoustically isolated classroom.

When Student 1 returns he puts on his poker face and begins working on his AAR worksheet.

Student 2 then runs the scenario, followed by Student 3.

Once all students have run through the scenario, we do a group debrief and share our learned lessons and "lightbult moments".

Student 2 then kicks off the next scenario, etc.

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Here is OneBadV8 all geared up as he passes by the classroom headed to a scenario in total darkness.

As I do in every Mindset Lab course, I learned quite a bit about myself. In no particular order:

• When you need a free hand, put your tools back where you got them. Gun goes in holster, light goes in pocket, etc.
• I only have two hands, so I had to prioritize what items I had in them at any given moment. It sucks when you need a gun, light, spare mag, and a cell phone all at the same time.
• If you start a fight with something in your hands, it is likely that you will hold onto it throughout the fight. Prepping by getting rid of non-essential items is good.
• Keeping a light in your hand when walking in a dark or dim area is a great practice. Its non-threatening and can be used combatively if necessary.
• Many of the lessons I learned in Dynamic Force-on-Force Scenarios were applied in today's scenarios to great effect. I was able to capitalize on my past failures and mistakes. I sure made some new mistakes, but not making the same ones from the past really boosted my confidence level.
• I was really pleased with my marksmanship today, especially given that most shooting was done single-handedly with a flashlight. I was getting to the point that I actually saw my sights a couple of times.

• Being on the receiving end of a bright light sucks. You can't see the person on the other side AT ALL. It made me feel very uncomfortable and agitated.
• I really need to get some trauma medical training.
• Being my second round of scenarios, I find that I'm refining my decision-making process, and things are beginning to "slow down" for me a bit, rather than experiencing sensory overload every time.
• Just like last time, I had to urinate after every scenario. Reading Grossman's On Combat opened my eyes as to why that happens.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate.

By the end of the day I was lucky enough to take home a couple of souvenirs.

At the end of the day we were all happily exhausted.

Front: OneBadV8, esrice, Westside
Back: James, Shay, Joe, TheAutomator, Andy

See you guys next month for Vehicle Force-on-Force Scenarios!

 

[DaKruiser]

Nice AAR as always, looks like a great class.

 

[OneBadV8]

As esrice stated, Shay does a very good job with these scenarios. Really makes you think and do a lot under stress. I learned a ton in this class. I always want to take more FoF scenarios classes.

Some things I've learned over the two classes:

• Always make your own 911 call. You don't know what someone else might say or what they saw and how they interpreted it.
• Slow down the decision making process. Take a deep breath. Make a decision, and then do it. Don't just make them on the fly as you go, stop and think.
• Stress affects a lot of things. And differently, deep breaths will help clear your mind.
• Condition Yellow is hard to get back to after doing a few scenarios. During these classes I just wanted to be in Orange the whole time. (Cooper's color codes)
• Put things back where you got them. If you set your flashlight on a counter and things begin to happen where you have to move and you need a light later, your first thought will be to grab where you normally carry it. So it shouldn't be on a table, but in your pocket.
• Prioritize what is in your hands. If you don't need to use it right now, you should probably store it somewhere else.
• Scan, Scan, and Scan again.
• Situational Awareness. Its good to know were all possible exits are.

There are a ton more things I could list, but most of the things learned in this class will be different for everyone. Its more about how you process things and make decisions under stress. Its VERY valuable information to know how you react so you can learn to do things better the next time.

Excellent Class, I highly recommend this one.

 

[smccabe17]

Force-on-force lecture or some sadistic kid's birthday party? You decide. . .

I wish this was my birthday party!

 

[ATM]

Another great AAR and review!

Mindset Lab is on my short list of classes I [STRIKE]wish to[/STRIKE] ...[STRIKE]need to[/STRIKE] ...will attend.

...and several mock storefronts with ATM access.

They see me accessin'

...they mockin'

 

[Shay]

Force-on-force lecture or some sadistic kid's birthday party?

Why can't it be both?

 

[Clay]

Good AAR guys, thanks!

I really need to take a force on force class! (or 5)

 

[Westside]

Great Write up esrice, as usual.
Great class shay. you learn a ton about yourself in your classes. Mindset is the perfect name for the company. that is exactly what all the scenarios are about your mindset.

I will post a brief take away from the classes this evening when I have time and am not at work.


oh, and sorry about the neck shot esrice.

Edit:

Ok so I am home from work and what are some general things I learned in the classes.

• Don't stand in the open ever!!! Even though the Bad Guy is down take cover he most likely wont be dead and can still shoot you in the head while you dial 911.
• How you use your light can be a show of force and can send a message you don't want to send.
• Know when to get involved or just stay back and be a good witness.
• Everything you do be it post on a forum or what you write in a training log could come back to haunt you in a court of law.
• going to Walmart with the wife after a Force on force class with your wife is not a good idea. You brain might still have you on the edge of condition orange and you could be looking for the "flighty movement" to react too.

I can not give enough recommendation for Shay's classes. I will be taking all of them in near to mid future.

 

[MangoTango]

Sounds like an awesome class, so bummed I had to work but of course working allows ,e to pay for future training. Pleasantville looks awesome.

 

[Shay]

Pleasantville looks awesome.

Yes, yes it does.