Applied Defensive Handgun Skills at Dallas Pistol Club
September 21 and 22, 2024 – 8am to 5pm | held in the CPD Range at Dallas Pistol Club | Registration/Tuition required.
The objective of this class is to develop fighting skills. The specific focus is the application of those skills when using a handgun in self-defense.
Marksmanship and gun-handing are important foundational skills for armed self-defense. It is however, a common opinion among people with multiple exposures to lethal encounters that these skills are not the most significant predictor of successful outcomes. This class will focus on the rest of the story. Specifically, we will work to increase your abilities and effectiveness in the critical areas of mental preparation, decision making, tactics and the appropriate application of deadly force.
Skills trained include:
- Visual perception, cognition, and decision-making, resulting in rapid application of the correct level of force.
- Flash assessment of multiple-subjects and the environment, leading to informed movement to manage the background, foreground and multiple threats.
- Optimized movement off the X while drawing and engaging.
- Optimized movement to rapid assumption of cover/concealment while drawing and engaging.
- All of the above executed under realistic time constraints. Typically, 3-5 seconds.
During the course you will perform over 90 individually instructor-observed and critiqued drills using the “Building Shooters NURO System” to train both the neural circuitry and the physical actions relevant to self-defense situations. This will allow you to repetitively exercise your visual system, tactically relevant information processing system and physical skills in order to ingrain optimized patterns of performance for use-of-force encounters.
This is not an entry level class. All students must be able to reflexively present their firearm at speed, from a holster, without flagging themselves and re-holster with the same constraint. We will not have time in class to conduct remediation in this area. Observed safety issues will result in the student being given the option to continue training with a “Blue Gun” in place of their firearm or to withdraw from the class without a refund. If this causes you concern, please do not sign up for this class.
Equipment List:
Ammunition
Most drills do not have a specific number of rounds fired. Ammo usage will be dependent on the student’s speed of perception, reaction and firing. 500 rounds will be sufficient for the majority of shooters; but if you believe that you think and shoot faster than the average shooter, feel free to bring more.
Firearm and Support Gear
This class is oriented to self-defense related skills. You should use your every-day-carry firearm and equipment including concealment garments (You must however work from a holster positioned at or near your belt line.)
Law enforcement and military students may choose either on-duty firearm/equipment or off-duty/concealment firearm and equipment.
“Serpa” type holsters or any holster that requires use of the trigger finger to release the firearm are not allowed.
Holsters that do not retain their shape when the gun is withdrawn are not allowed.
If you have any doubt about your equipment, please contact me in advance to discuss it. Email to. [email protected]
Additional Equipment
- Clothing appropriate to the climate.
- Hydration and snacks.
- You may want to have a folding chair on the range.
Instructor – John Holschen
John has many years of service in the U.S. Special Operations community as an operator and a trainer. As a civilian trainer he has worked to convert his specialized skills in the areas of weapons and combative techniques into useful defensive curricula for private citizens. He is certified as a Firearms Instructor by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, the United States Department of State and the National Rifle Association.
The American Tactical Shooters Association has recognized John as a “Master Instructor” and “Master Tactician”. He is a multi-time winner of the “National Tactical Invitational” and placed in the top five finishers in that event each year that he participated (9 times.)
Class is limited to 12 students. Register here:
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