Has anyone done the TDI Level I-III?

[Terry Barker]

My son and I are wanting to take this training....just interested to know if anyone has taken it and what you thought? Any other class suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[CoyoteCreekGuns]

I have a good friend that has taken all of the following courses from TDI there in Ohio:

• Level I-III Handgun
• Tactical Shotgun
• Tactical Rifle I & Sub. Gun

He has only good things to say about all of these training modules and is planning to head back for the Tactical Rifle II and Defensive Knife courses after funds allow for it.

 

[NIFT]

Likewise, I, personally have not take Handgun I-III; however, I did host a TDI ECQ class, last year, in Fort Wayne, and it was superb.

Additionally, a female student of mine did attend TDI I-III last year and her AAR was very positive.
Two other (male) students went to TDI in 2010 and same result.

I have heard nothing but positives about TDI, John Benner, and his staff. If you attend, you will, likely, have between 4 and 6 instructors--all excellent. TDI is where I recommend my students go for advanced training--very high quality, fairly close, and reasonably priced. Hard to beat!

 

[David Rose]

TDI is excellent. Make sure you bring enough ammo. There will be times when you can run a drill again if you want. You don't want to be one of the people sitting at picnic tables watching instead of shooting.

 

[Terry Barker]

Thanks for the info....I'm going to call and see what openings he has. Looks pretty full but maybe a cancelation.

 

[Paul Gomez]

While I've never done Level 1-3, I have done Levels 4 & 5 as well as the second Extreme Close Quarters course they did. TDI is a wonderful training resource. John Benner & his cadre are great guys and very talented instructors.

TDI does some things that you will not see at many other schools but John has a well defined thought process behind everything he teaches.

 

[shooter521]

TDI does some things that you will not see at many other schools

Such as?

 

[Paul Gomez]

Such as?

Techniques such as the 'Drop Out', for taking the hard corner when working structures or an Extended Muzzle Depressed position for muzzle aversion at extension.

Also, they use unloaded and triple checked guns for some drills in classes.

 

[Shay]

Techniques such as the 'Drop Out', for taking the hard corner when working structures or an Extended Muzzle Depressed position for muzzle aversion at extension.

Also, they use unloaded and triple checked guns for some drills in classes.

Handgun 1-3 is a good, solid block of instruction. The goose neck dropout was unique. It's an interesting take on a narrow corner solution.

I was not a fan of the use of "empty" live guns for pointing at other students and instructors.

 

[Fenway]

Why not blue guns, airsoft, simunition etc. What is the training benefit in having a "real" gun pointed at you.

It would make me feel very uncomfortable and maybe that's the point.? Just curious.

 

[shooter521]

I was not a fan of the use of "empty" live guns for pointing at other students and instructors.

Some of the first professional handgun training courses I ever took had students using their own guns (patdowns for live ammo before entering the training area, guns triple checked) for retention and counter-retention drills. Of course, this was in the days before blue guns and airsoft were readily available, and we really didn't think anything of it.

IMO, the psychological element of staring down the barrel of a real gun was secondary to matters of practicality, but it was certainly there.

I don't regret having done it, but it's hard to see why a school would continue such a practice in this day and age.

 

[Shay]

I don't regret having done it, but it's hard to see why a school would continue such a practice in this day and age.

That's my take as well.

We used to do a lot of things for lack of better options, but some actions should definitely fall by the wayside as tactics and technology improve.

My concern (which I voiced to John at the time) was that students were taught the 4 cardinal firearm safety rules and then we violated at least one of them. In the class there was the watchful eye of the instructors, but students learn things in classes that they just can't wait to take home and show their wife or friends. The use of live guns has the potential to cause harm in that class, but to me the real danger is after class ends. Students learned that it's OK to violate one of the 4 safety rules.

The rest of the weekend had a lot of value. TDI is on my list of recommended schools.

 

[LongRangeBushy]

Just take it..... Tdi is an awesome School. The level 1-3 class is very well designed from start to finish .. Instruction is top notch .

 

[LongRangeBushy]

Thats exactly the Point --- They use your weapon with a corded off -- no magazine and no possibility of being loaded. Their research and posiion is that " normal " people from all walks of life --- leo to civilian and even some military carry and hopefully will never experience being shot at.. Their philospy is a certain percentage of people when faced with the actual stress of a threat or the reality of having a gun pointed at them --- either freeze or cant and wont actually fire the weapon at a Human being -- it goes against nature and they have several case studies and videos to the effect.. Actual law enforcement that were killed without even responding in time of crisis.

 

[NIFT]

I was not a fan of the use of "empty" live guns for pointing at other students and instructors.

I hear you, as I shared that concern, too. I am assuming John had everyone "rope" their guns. Going back and forth from live fire to "roping" the same gun does seem to playing it a bit dicey, but John seems to have been okay....so far.

The flip side of that coin is the rule of always pointing the muzzle in the "safest" direction. Well, if ever in a fight, the safest direction is at the attacker, another person! I am, still, obsessed with muzzle awareness, but FOF and ECQ classes helped with practicing the key exception to never sweeping or pointing a gun at anyone at all.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Thats exactly the Point --- They use your weapon with a corded off -- no magazine and no possibility of being loaded.

This is a nice change. I'd like to think that feedback from Shay and others lead to this. Back in the day, that was not the case.

Their research and posiion is that " normal " people from all walks of life --- leo to civilian and even some military carry and hopefully will never experience being shot at.. Their philospy is a certain percentage of people when faced with the actual stress of a threat or the reality of having a gun pointed at them --- either freeze or cant and wont actually fire the weapon at a Human being -- it goes against nature and they have several case studies and videos to the effect.. Actual law enforcement that were killed without even responding in time of crisis.

And this is what I referenced in my earlier post. Everything that John has incorporated into the TDI curricula has a reasoned thought process behind it.

 

[bwframe]

I've been in class where carry guns were unloaded and used for training. I wouldn't do it again.

 

[Shay]

Thats exactly the Point --- They use your weapon with a corded off -- no magazine and no possibility of being loaded. Their research and position is that " normal " people from all walks of life --- leo to civilian and even some military carry and hopefully will never experience being shot at.. Their philosophy is a certain percentage of people when faced with the actual stress of a threat or the reality of having a gun pointed at them --- either freeze or cant and wont actually fire the weapon at a Human being -- it goes against nature and they have several case studies and videos to the effect.. Actual law enforcement that were killed without even responding in time of crisis.

Force on Force is a better and safer tool for this training.

When I took 1-3 they did not alter the students' guns in any way before using them for the exercises. While I still don't agree with the use of live guns, I'm glad to hear that they have at least added another safety procedure.

 

[Jackson]

I do not have the training background and resume of some of the other endorsements posted here. However, I will add mine anyway. I have not taken levels 1 through 3, but I did take their Partner Tactics course and I would definitely recommend the school in general. The instructors are knowledgable and easy to work with, the program is consistent and well thought out, and the facility is very nice. As Paul said, you will be introduced to ideas and concepts you will not find in most other courses. The "drop-out" he mentioned is a very specific example. More generally, the opportunity to go through live fire shoot houses and force-on-force drills is not something most 3 day pistol courses offer. Those are things that TDI seems to incorporate in to most of their courses.

 

[Terry Barker]

Thanks for all the good info.