Do's and Don'ts When Teaching a Carry Class???

dispel the myths and falsehoods they bring to class.

Hammer the 4 rules .

Stress further study, taking classes and reading the likes of Ayoob, Farhnam and others

My first safety class for the CCW was held in the basement of a church, and no "real guns" were allowed. However, the instructors had pellet and BB pistols on hand and a makeshift ~7 yard range (with proper backstops) so they could verify your handling capabilities.

We were allowed to use our own pellet/BB pistols if desired.

So, just a suggestion if your state doesn't actually require live powder-actuated firing as a demonstration of competency.

I hope this doesn't turn into an argument over whether live firing should be required.

Terry

If you're a new instructor I'd recommend shadowing/assisting with some experienced instructors. It's not necessary but would help you build your network and get experience.

In general I find that women are better students (especially in beginner classes). Guys tend to think that they are endowed with the natural ability to drive, shoot, and fornicate (which we know are all learned/taught behaviors) and sometimes it's difficult to break through that thought process.



This became a lot longer than I initially thought it would be, but here are some ideas. There are lots of topics that are germane to carry that don't necessarily involve shooting a gun. Part of your job setting up an intro to CCW class should be exposing the students to important topics that they don't know, and giving them some idea of what type of info is out there. A lot of the stuff below is more advanced, but I think it deserves mention. It's up to you as the instructor how much time (if any) you want to spend lightly touching on more advanced topics. (And yes, I've had some of these mentioned in basic/intro carry classes).



Things of cover in a defensive class would probably be things like mindset of carrying (gun is not a talisman, they should get real combative type shooting training, avoidance is best but if you fight, fight HARD, etc). To steal a phrase from another instructor, the root word of gunfight is FIGHT, not "gun". Guns are just the best tool we have available right now.

Im not sure how much room you'll have, but the draw stroke is very important, especially incorporating movement while drawing, would be good to cover and have everyone practice if that's possible. Make sure you note that firing is possible from position 2 (i.e. Shooting from retention) and is preferable if you're really close to the target.

Something else to consider is actual terminal ballistics regarding how handguns actually stop people (blood loss or CNS destruction) which means for optimal effect your target is the heart and eye pro (for head shots). This should be a discussion about "this is where you shoot AND WHY", as well as how that target looks different at different angles like if the target is bladed to you as opposed to squared towards you. Explain that the target is not just "center of mass" - have them hold their fist over their heart and show them how small that target is and how difficult it might be to hit that while both they and the target are moving (this reinforces the "get more training" angle.

Some information about what to look for when someone may become violent (personal grooming, target glances, checking for witnesses, weight shift). There are some videos on YouTube that show these and might be good to show if you're in a classroom type setting. Also explain the OODA loop and how that applies to violent encounters. Some of the FBI stats on how many assaults are committed by multiple assailants could be good too.

And a final point about practice. Remind them that they don't get better by practicing just what they're good at. They get better by practicing what they are bad at. How many times do you go to the range and see everyone standing in a perfect stance, 2 hands on the gun, firing at a bullseye target? How often do you see a guy drawing, moving, shooting one handed (dominant or weak side), shooting strings of fire at multiple targets, or shooting from awkward positions? I guarantee you the second guy doesn't have nice, pretty groups to brag about, but who is better prepared to protect himself and his family?

(As a side note, practice shooting one handed for a while - especially weak hand - and then go back to shooting with a good 2 hand grip. When I do that, it almost feels like cheating how much easier it is to shoot and control recoil with a proper 2 handed grip )



This is a long list and would take more time than you have to fully cover, but it's just some general thoughts from some of the classes I've attended. Some of this is more advanced than a basic class and it'll be up to you to gauge your audience and what type of information they're looking for. A class full of guys on this forum would have different material covered (and in more depth) than a class pulled from random people in the community (which is more likely what you'll have). Have the students do a brief introduction at the beginning of the class so you can get a little bit of background on their experience level with guns in general and what type of training they have already had. If anything, you want them to leave knowing that there's a lot of information out there. You want them to know what they don't know.

Some of these may be hard to teach in a classroom without shooting, while others are hard to demonstrate but are easier to talk about (ever try to trick someone into target glances and pre assault indicators when they know what you're trying to get them to do? It's not easy)

Some of my favorite parts of classes I've attended were the stories told by the instructors (as part of the lesson). Don't go into just random stories, but use it if it helps get a message across. Real life examples are also good to use. Make the class interactive so it's not just you lecturing the students.

Also print out some articles for them to read (or email it to them as pre class "homework" and then have hard copies in the class and discuss them). One of the courses I took gave us a bound book with about 20 pages of articles on everything from mindset to terminal ballistics, to non-lethal options and I still occasionally take a look at it for a refresher.

bikerdoc said:

dispel the myths and falsehoods they bring to class.

Hammer the 4 rules .

Stress further study, taking classes and reading the likes of Ayoob, Farhnam and others

Click to expand...

+1

to add:

Do:
1. Be excited about your topic. Have energy in your voice.

2. Make it fun, but do not let them forget about the seriousness of what they may have to do someday should the unthinkable happen.

3. Be professional

Don'ts:
1. Tell a lot of stories.
Make absolutely sure that if you are going to tell a story that it is relevant and applies to the people in the class. (Sounds like common sense, but I have sat through countless stories that had NO relevance to students).

2. Read any PowerPoint slides (with rare exceptions).
Your students can read themselves for the most part. Use the slides to remind yourself what you wanted to talk about.

There may be more as I think about it.

Good advice above. 4 hrs is a LONG time, and its over in minutes. I would suggest you leave them with "This is not enough training" suggest other classes...

Claude Werner made an incredibly astute observation a year or two back that has guided me in rethinking training priorities:

The person most likely to shoot you or your loved ones is you.

Click to expand...

As Bikerdoc mentioned, hammering the four rules and (IMHO) getting folks used to manipulating the firearm (blue guns help, but a broken BB gun works) while observing said rules is pretty high on my list.

leadaddict:

If you have recently become a Certified NRA Pistol Instructor, you must have completed the basic pistol class online and then the Phase II live fire exercise and qualified at the instructor level. Do you not think your students would also benefit from the same training? You could then schedule a "Phase II" life fire exercise and also know that your students could at least, load and unload, cock and de-cock their handguns in a safe manner. There level of life-fire qualification should convince then they need more and better training.

Iowa, like my State Florida have minimum training standards for a CCW application. I am not an advocate of stricter "standards", but what's wrong with making better training easily available? The NRA online class is a real eye-opener for many people who think they know everything important about pistol shooting. At $60 bucks it is a good investment for the beginner.

My wife and took a couple of gun safety three hour classes, then I took a CPL class (4 hours)to satisfy the requirements for a out of state CPL. The latter class was very similar to the first two classes that I took. After that I took an 8 hour defensive handgun class; which gave me a good understanding for concealed carry. In the defensive handgun class they stressed how much that you need to practice; which most of can be completed in your living room, including draw and dry fire.

drec said:

My wife and took a couple of gun safety three hour classes, then I took a CPL class (4 hours)to satisfy the requirements for a out of state CPL. The latter class was very similar to the first two classes that I took. After that I took an 8 hour defensive handgun class; which gave me a good understanding for concealed carry. In the defensive handgun class they stressed how much that you need to practice; which most of can be completed in your living room, including draw and dry fire.

Click to expand...

I usually provide drills for home too and how to practice safely.

One of the biggest things I stress for CCW is preventing a dangerous encounter all together.

We talk a lot about awareness, de-escalation, etc.

Stress that 4 hours is not enough. Its like playing golf, soccer, or any other sport: you can function, but not at a high level.

Make a handout with some of the recommended big names we all talk about. Not everyone gets on the forums and is as enthusiastic as most of us. I'd suggest Keith, Cooper, Sweeney, Whelen and Jordan for starters.

Network and see if there are experienced shooters who may be willing to take a novice under their wing a few times at the range.

Hook the students up with further suggestions like IPSC, USPSA, Cowboy Action and other competitions. Show videos of what competitors can do. Let them know everyone does it for fun, so there is no pressure to be the best, just safe.

My only complaint on the CCW class I took is that the instructor didn't leave enough time for questions. My questions were mostly around what to do when pulled over and where could I Not carry.

An instructor whom shall remain nameless that I came in contact with, in their resume indicated instructing military personnel at Bragg and Lejeune. That was a falsehood although that individual is a competitive shooter of certain notoriety.

I've always thought that it was a good thing to provide handouts, something in the form of a brochure, that summarizes your state's current laws regarding firearms, carry of firearms and the use of firearms in self-defense (and defense of another). It's very difficult to effectively cover all this in a half-day course, and as others have noted, it's good to provide printed material listing all the resources out there for gun-owners and gun-carriers.

Don't ever try to come across in a class, particularly with civilians, as a master gunfighter who knows it all. Might be good to mention that in the firearms world, tactics and doctrine are constantly evolving, don't get stuck thinking that you can reach a point where you know everything and there's nothing left to learn.

Also, many respected trainers have areas in which they don't agree with other trainers -- be open to new concepts and understand that sometimes, there's no one way to do things (e.g., I know a guy who teaches that the Weaver stance is out-dated and the Isoceles is the the only way one should ever shoot -- he's also a guy who tries to make everyone use a thumbs-forward grip for semi-autos and insists that's the only proper way to shoot).

And never, ever lie about your background and experience. It's okay to note that you've never been in combat or in a gunfight.

Bump.

I have a CCW Class coming up on Thursday.

Replies have been interesting.

Nothing specific to a CCW class, but:

- Have your lesson plan completed well in advance and be very familiar with it.

- If you've never done a training class with this lesson plan, sequester yourself in a room with the training equipment you'll be using, stand in front of the room, and go completely through your lesson plan as if you have a class in front of you. Have a friend or three sit there, acting as students if possible.

- If you've never stood in front of people at all to give training, then work as an assistant to someone else who has for a while.

- Set the basic classroom rules out in plain language first thing so people know how to act and what to expect.

- Plan on a short break (about 10 minutes) each hour.

Stick to facts not your opinion.

If you're going to talk about the law put the actual statute on the wall and read it to them.

Bringing both statements together

If they ask what to do if pulled over while carrying tell them exactly what your state law says. If your state has no duty to inform tell them that, then go over how you would inform if they choose to do so.

Do NOT ever have a gun in your hand.

Most of my instructors both civilian and military didn't have a gun on them.

AFS