“This is the way we’ve always done it.”
“Because _____ said so.”
“I’m a black belt.”
“I just know.”
“It’s traditional.”
“My uncle’s cousin’s hamster’s roommate told me and he was a space shuttle door gunner in the Delta MARSOC SEAL Rangers.”
We owe students better answers.
Jeff Gonzales of Trident Concepts:
Every instructor will run into this student at some part in their career, it is only a question of when and how often. It’s unfortunate, but it is also nothing more than triage in a classroom.
An unteachable student is someone who is unable to make changes, improve or adapt due to mental obstacles. Examples of these obstacles are ego, dogma and my favorite ignorance. Ego is the most common I see in our classes and one of the easier ones to remedy…
Continue reading at Trident Concepts
Note: I think he’s using the word “ignorance” to describe a fixed mindset that refuses to grow into safety or competence. That kind of ignorance is a huge problem. Literal ignorance, a lack of knowledge, is in my opinion not only ok in students but is the point of training. We go to class to turn areas of ignorance into areas of knowledge, through learning. That does require a growth mindset, though.
The legendary Master Ken asked people about their worst experiences training in a dojo. This time, read the comments.
#pooponthemat #kickanappleoffaliveblade #fartkicks
h/t Kathy Jackson of Cornered Cat
John Farnam of Defense Training International:
See John Farnam’s full 17-minute lecture on the Use of Deadly Force, and when it is justifiable. We highly recommend this video as a refresher for all who train and go armed. We especially hope you’ll share this with anyone you know who has a state-issued CCW permit, as there are many permit holders who have misconceptions about what rights they are or are not granted by such a permit.
This topic is so important, we cover it in every class – even advanced classes, where students have heard it numerous times.
This video is part of the DTI Operator series.
Ralph Mroz of The Street Standards:
Read this excellent post today (referred to me by by Greg Ellifritz, talking about a point from Tom Givins’ instructor development course). It addresses the question of what credednials a proper instructor should have, other than being certified by some organization and/or having been behind a gun for X years. Hard to disagree with anything in it. But it raises the question: What constitutes “experience” in a civilian context? I posed the question to both Tom and Greg. Here’s our exchange…
Omari Broussard of 10X Defense:
“‘This is the way we’ve always done it’ or ‘this is the way the curriculum does it’ is not enough for the student. We have more educated students now. With the internet and the information that’s out there, students are coming to classes asking the ‘why’ question. And just giving them ‘you know, well, this is the way we’ve always done it’, to me, just ends up being a cop-out.”
From 1:00 – 3:50.
Marc MacYoung of No Nonsense Self Defense:
I am often asked that question. Can someone who hasn’t spent years fighting teach you anything about self-defense?
Well aside from the first glaring error that fighting is not self-defense, the answer is “It depends.” It depends on something very specific. Below is my answer to someone who asked this very question.
The answer lies in the information, not necessarily the teacher…
Continue reading Can you teach self-defense if you ‘haven’t been there?’ at Conflict Resource Group International (highly recommended)
Roundtable of Combat Focus Shooting and Defensive Firearm Coach instructors discuss how they got started teaching, instructor insurance, continuing education, getting hired as a staff instructor, filling classes, and balancing another full-time job with teaching.
Instructors
Rob Pincus of I.C.E. Training Company and the Personal Defense Network
Jamie Onion, Program Director for I.C.E. Training Company‘s Defensive Firearm Coach program
Michael McElmeel of EighteenZulu
Elka Summers King of Training at Barren Creek
Ben Turner of Innovative Defensive Solutions
Jay Hawkins of Reno Guns & Range
Instructy stuff starts at 32:00.
Please accept no advice or references with regard to personal protection without vetting it directly from the source. That includes anything I say. I try to cite where I get my information but anyone can be mistaken. There is no shortage of misinformation floating around and not all of it comes from gunshop commandos.
Already this morning, not one but two examples of why this is important have been brought to my attention. Another was made apparent last night.
In the first example this morning, a friend and client of mine shared some utterly incorrect advice that was given to her by a local law enforcement officer…
A single bullet causing multiple gunshot wounds in a range accident seemed plausible, so I checked to see if it ever actually happens. Turns out it does:
One bullet hurts two men in Bridgeport shooting range accident
Two men injured in Casselberry gun range accident
Man shot in both arms at Bellevue gun range sues
As a result, I doubled up my minimum range trauma kit to treat two different wounds. Quadrupled up on gloves in case two different people get injured and I have to switch off between them.