Firearms Training

This is the first article in a series of 15 or so in which I will give you a peek into the world of handgun training at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute. Front Sight covers all of the firearms training bases with a wide array of courses in handgun, shotgun, rifle, long-distance precision rifle, submachine gun, armorer’s courses, Martial Arts, edged weapons, rope and rappelling, child and youth, custom private and group training, corporate team development, Instructor Development, etc. However, the vast majority of our students start their Front Sight experience with a handgun course. Thus, I will focus this series of articles on our handgun training and they will highlight some of the state-of-the-art techniques we deliver at Front Sight. These articles are not a curriculum, per se, but rather a glimpse at the philosophy and techniques that we impart at Front Sight. If you have not already taken a course at Front Sight, I am quite certain that you will want to after reading the Handgun Training Series articles.

Defensive handgun training has come a long way in the past 30 years. We now have far better weapons, more effective ammunition, more appropriate accessories, and numerous time-tested techniques to stop the bad guys. To create Front Sight’s curriculum, I personally trained at every well-known school and with every respected firearms instructor I possibly could for over a decade. I experienced firsthand the techniques which work and those which are merely “filler.” I compiled the “best of the best” techniques to create Front Sight’s handgun curriculum. As such, Front Sight has the greatest blend of techniques ever assembled under one roof.

At Front Sight, we realize that your time is precious and we know how to use it wisely. There is never a wasted minute at Front Sight. We seamlessly blend thought-provoking classroom lectures with range activities. You will experience a very comfortable and effective balance of lectures, dry practice, live fire, and tactical simulations. Front Sight’s seasoned instructors will make sure that you are safe and happy every step of the way. Yes, you could train somewhere else, but why would you?

At Front Sight, we regularly see students who have been shooting for years and they are using techniques which are different from ours. All we ask is that they try it our way and then they can make an informed decision about which techniques are right for them. If they still want to stick to their current techniques, no problem. Even though we feel our techniques are superior, we are not necessarily trying to “reinvent the wheel.” The Front Sight staff is dedicated to working with every student in a respectful and supportive manner, regardless of the particular technique involved.

At Front Sight, our instructors demonstrate all of the techniques we teach. In other words, we show the students what each and every technique should look like when performed flawlessly. I know that demonstrations sound like a basic part of any curriculum, but demonstrations are not the norm in the firearms training world. There are numerous schools out there where the instructors never fire a single shot in front of the students. Many instructors never take their weapon out of the holster because they don’t want to make a mistake in front of their students. I understand that logic. We don’t want to make a mistake in front of our students either. However, as Front Sight instructors, we believe that we should be able to perform cold, and on demand, exactly what we are teaching our students. The old adage of “Those who can’t do, teach” doesn’t cut it at Front Sight. The second reason we shoot demonstrations is to give you a perspective on the skills that YOU will have at the end of your course. Demonstrations are a critical part of learning.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, we deliver each new technique in a very organized, prescribed manner. The process is essentially:

• Lecture
• Demonstrate
• Dry Practice
• Live Fire
• Live Fire Under Stress

This process ensures that you will learn all of the techniques in a safe and lasting way.

We at Front Sight use a teaching format known as “Student-Coach.” Essentially that means you will alternately be up on the firing line functioning as a student and then functioning as a coach. Learning new material is greatly enhanced when you assist other students in assimilating that same material. If you are a brand new student, you may be wondering how you could possibly help anyone learn material that you are just now learning for the first time. That’s a reasonable question and we will teach you how to be an effective coach. When we opened Front Sight in 1996, we did not use the “student-coach format.” We started using it a decade ago in late-2005. If I could go back in time and change one thing in the early days, I would have implemented “student-coach” from the very beginning. It’s that effective.

At the conclusion of a four day handgun course, you will be able to:

• Guarantee safe handling of your weapon. Safety is paramount at Front Sight.
• Present your handgun from a concealed holster and deliver an accurate controlled pair (two shots) to the thoracic cavity of an adversary at conversational distances (perhaps 5-7 yards) in 1.5 seconds.
• Keep your gun running by performing malfunction clearances and reloads under time pressure.
• Have a firm grasp of tactical movement. In other words, you will understand the basics of what it takes to clear your home or place of business.
• Understand the basics of the classroom lecture material including the Color Code of Mental Awareness, the Combat Mindset, the Moral and Ethical Decisions Associated with the Use of Deadly Force, and what to expect from the Criminal and Civil Liabilities which may well emanate from a gunfight.

The above list are the skills generally acquired by our handgun students after four days of training. However, what we expect from our students is very basic. We simply ask that you arrive on time, apply yourself to the degree that you are comfortable, and always adhere to the Four Universal Firearms Safety Rules. That’s it. That’s all we expect. Front Sight is NOT a boot camp. If you follow this advice you will be safe, have fun, and acquire skills which may well save your loved ones someday.

So concludes the preamble to the “Handgun Training Series.” In the next chapter I will dive right in with specific techniques. Stay tuned…