El Tejon
Member
The young samauri saw him leaning up against the railing, while staring out into the harbor. It was him the greatest swordsman in all Japan. The young man rushed up to him and shouted a challenge match. If he could win, he would be famous and could marry any woman he desired.
The old master looked about, and said that they could not fight here as there was no room. He proposed an island in the harbor. The young upstart quickly agreed. The old man manned the rowboat and rowed them both to the island. Upon reaching the island, the young man bolted off the rowboat and ran onto the shore. The old man rowed the boat away.
Stunned, the young man asked what school of swordsmanship this act represented. The old man shouted back "this is the school of the sword of no sword."
During the week of June 14th to June 18th I had the opportunity to attend Defensive Handgun I at Thunder Ranch, Inc. in Mountain Home, Texas. For me this was a repeat, but worth every second there. In any martial art one cannot do the basics enough. Square range work in firearms is comparable to the line drills and forms done in other disciplines.
THE Pat Rogers says one must "crawl, walk, run". Well, unless one is me, then I "crawl, walk, stumble, crawl, lose my bearings, crawl, walk, trip over my feet, stumble forward and then maybe jog." Essential to have one down before moving on to the other.
Flying out of Indianapolis I usually encounter no hassles flying with firearms even after 9/11. However, this time I had loaded magazines in my range bag (my carry ammo when I got to Tejas, so I could make ready in the restroom or wherever was handy). The TSA unloaded it and put it in my Black Hills ammo box. He smiled and said to not let that happen in Tejas as they will "yell" at me down there. I nodded, rolled my eyes and got on the plane.
Stayed a few days in Austin to detoxify and became partly human again (my training suffers coming straight from the steel drum to school, I get a little edgy). Thus, if you noticed a shortage of sushi and Fat Tire beer in Austin during mid-June, not to worry, it was just El Tejon. [Hey, what's the deal with you guys down there in Austin not wearing eyes when shooting. Hokey smokes, Batman, not many had eye protection while shooting there at Red's--what's the story?]
No one hassled me about carrying there in the least. I was "made" once by an Austin city cop (I carry IWB with a yuppie shirt untucked over the rig in my khakis) who yawned and pointed to the coffee shop I was looking for. Things in Tejas have come a long, long way since '95. In fact, in Kerrville I "concealed" with a tightish baja shirt over my range wear, a t-shirt with BDU pants or jeans. Even though I ran into a bunch of cops in the gun shoppes on Thursday (some Chief Deputy Sheriff's convention at the Inn of the Hills on 27), they all looked at me (my hip I'm sure), listened to how I spoke, asked where I was from, yawned and asked me about deer hunting in Indiana.
Get this: I saw not a single .30-'06 (no carry zone) sign while in Texas (Austin, Kerrville, Saint Tony's), not a one. The only no carry zone I saw was the bar at the Y.O. Ranch Inn in Kerrville and I decided I could live without a before dinner beer and went to Mamacita's instead.
Class started Monday with Clint's brilliant lecture as per usual. Clint's speech is labeled "machine gun speed" by gun writers from California who have been as far East as Vegas and as far North as Lake Tahoe who should be writing about beach volleyball or hot rods, or whatever fluff that publishing group writes about. To me, it's just like home.
"El Tejon, why do you talk so fast? Mmmm, why do you listen so slow?"
After 30 years Clint has this down. It is purposely shocking in places, designed to grab your attention and make you think about things that most people do not think about. Grab you and shake you, because he cares about you. As well, it is designed to counter the gun shoppe commando silliness of treating gunfights with a blase attitude. The goal is to teach one not to fight. As Clint likes to say, "the best indicia of good training is never using it." Call me an anti-Walter Mitty or just call me No Fun Kirk, but the pistol of no pistol sounds great to me
The lecture is worth the cost of the tuition alone as Clint gives one a graduate school education in four hours. However, you just don't get the lecture. The school is not the hardware/the facilities (as I've seen in those worthless, vapid gun rags--"Disneyland", how can people so involved with the gun culture be so clueless?); it is the software, the teachers. Pieces of concrete, steel and wood have nothing to say or relate to you, it is the men that are important. For this class, Clint had an excellent staff: I was delighted to see Uncle Ray (from the DOE/CTA), Jack (from Gunsite), Tiger (from Shootrite), Bill (from Saint Tony's PD/FTU) and Scott (from Oreygun, TR's new home).
The only thing that I noticed that was different was a separte sheet of paper warning the class NOT to dry practice after class. It was explained that the hotels were tired of the bullet holes, but I had reason to suspect it was because of the tragedy in Arizona, but I do not know this. I respected Clint's instruction and refrained from dry practice (when in Rome).
The first day on the range was after lunch. We started shooting right away to do what people had come to do (get the jitters out I suspect). I was partnered with a tall computer consultant from Michigan (who was a lefty with a USP and nailed me evey drill with brass--oh, well, more roads for my neck and back which is a roadmap of Europe after this many years) and found a gig as the class "hand man" so others knew where to line up. After shooting some concentration drills, we did some dry practice on the range and then began shooting.
I shot 1500 rounds during the 5 day course. Used Federal Eagle, and S&B for the night shoot on Thursday. Contrary to gun rags, a large flash is not a good thing, especially at night.
Over the course of the week, we covered shooting while moving (laterally, retreating, moving to cover), shooting while moving at a moving target, malfunction drills, the drawstroke, groundfighting and working with a partner. Footwork is stressed so as to provide a stablish platform. All this form work was put to "test" on Thursday and Friday when the class got the opportunity to shoot the "chargers". Targets that move up and back.
We then moved onto the "Terminator". TR's "fun house", "shoot house", "tactical simulator", etc. We made four runs. I had solid runs excepting one that I relate so others may learn from my stupidity.
The scenario was that you were in a restuarant when shooting erupts. You must work your way out of Luby's via a backdoor. Well, I got scope locked on leaving and did a cursory job of checking a window to my 6.
Tiger rightly chewed on me a bit. "Ya shouldn't be doin' that, Kiiirrrk." Foolishly I attempted to explain/rationalize my choice, then stopped myself when I realized he was right. Got to check your back, see the mouse in the corner, then move on. Fighting stinks.
Everyone had fun, everyone improved, and the ranges were super clean.
The guns: I used a pair of Les Baer TRSs with LB 7 round mags. Both ran without fail until I had shot 650 rounds through one and it would not lock back on an empty mag (it was piggish, at lunch I just threw more lube on it--I know, I know, should have cleaned it, I know). I switched to the clean one and no more problems. I took my newest TRS, one that I had a problem and posted about on THR. The %$#@@* gun would not go back together after cleaning.
Thanks to Ray I know why. There was a "spur" of metal on the barrel leg thingie than prevented the link thingie from aligning. As I was saying "Gee, I'll take it to a gunsmith" Ray had his leatherman in action filing down the spur in 30 seconds and snapping the gun together while I blinked (he's put just a few 1911s together). At least I know why it would not. Learn all kinds of stuff in skul.
The class used primarily Glocks and 1911s (no revolvers in this class). My partner had a USP that ran like a scalded ape. A skin doc brought P7s which are notorious in skul as they accumulate fouling. She switched back and forth and stayed up cleaning and seemed to be O.K. A copper from Long Island brought his duty S&W auto. A Glock blew a recoil spring, but a new one went in under a minute. Fairly gun defect free class.
Support gear: I like holsters by Milt Sparks. Many good makes. I used the #60TK, with a double mag pouch and a 1.75 belt, all horse, all dyed black for enhanced ninjaesqueness. I used Surefire E2e flashlights.
Progress in Oreygun: At the cook out Thursday (oops, sorry, y'all, bar-bee-que) I talked to Heidi for a while and she related that the house in Oreygun was getting the floors installed that day. The Oreygun operation will be on time with no lag ("seamless" is how Heidi described it). Classes are already filling up and the tutorials are booking up as well.
The new school sounds like a much better logistic arrangement. No more out in the middle of where Hayzeus left his sandals. We'll be 10 mnutes from Lakeview. Apparently we can fly into Portland or Reno and get a regional jet to Klamath (sp?) Falls. Earlier I was told Medford, but before that a few years ago I was told Reno, so don't take that as gospel. I'm going to wait and see what get sorted out.
Clint's book: I asked Clint about his first book (hat in had, not trying to be pushy). It's on Urban Rifle, should be out soon. I hope the new arrangements allow Clint the time to write it all down. 30 years of wisdom deserves its codification!
As per usual, had a great time in Texas, but, hey, any time out of the office is great. Learned a lot at Thunder Ranch. The more I learn the more I realize how very little I know.
See everyone in skul, maybe I'll see you in Oreygun!
The old master looked about, and said that they could not fight here as there was no room. He proposed an island in the harbor. The young upstart quickly agreed. The old man manned the rowboat and rowed them both to the island. Upon reaching the island, the young man bolted off the rowboat and ran onto the shore. The old man rowed the boat away.
Stunned, the young man asked what school of swordsmanship this act represented. The old man shouted back "this is the school of the sword of no sword."
During the week of June 14th to June 18th I had the opportunity to attend Defensive Handgun I at Thunder Ranch, Inc. in Mountain Home, Texas. For me this was a repeat, but worth every second there. In any martial art one cannot do the basics enough. Square range work in firearms is comparable to the line drills and forms done in other disciplines.
THE Pat Rogers says one must "crawl, walk, run". Well, unless one is me, then I "crawl, walk, stumble, crawl, lose my bearings, crawl, walk, trip over my feet, stumble forward and then maybe jog." Essential to have one down before moving on to the other.
Flying out of Indianapolis I usually encounter no hassles flying with firearms even after 9/11. However, this time I had loaded magazines in my range bag (my carry ammo when I got to Tejas, so I could make ready in the restroom or wherever was handy). The TSA unloaded it and put it in my Black Hills ammo box. He smiled and said to not let that happen in Tejas as they will "yell" at me down there. I nodded, rolled my eyes and got on the plane.
Stayed a few days in Austin to detoxify and became partly human again (my training suffers coming straight from the steel drum to school, I get a little edgy). Thus, if you noticed a shortage of sushi and Fat Tire beer in Austin during mid-June, not to worry, it was just El Tejon. [Hey, what's the deal with you guys down there in Austin not wearing eyes when shooting. Hokey smokes, Batman, not many had eye protection while shooting there at Red's--what's the story?]
No one hassled me about carrying there in the least. I was "made" once by an Austin city cop (I carry IWB with a yuppie shirt untucked over the rig in my khakis) who yawned and pointed to the coffee shop I was looking for. Things in Tejas have come a long, long way since '95. In fact, in Kerrville I "concealed" with a tightish baja shirt over my range wear, a t-shirt with BDU pants or jeans. Even though I ran into a bunch of cops in the gun shoppes on Thursday (some Chief Deputy Sheriff's convention at the Inn of the Hills on 27), they all looked at me (my hip I'm sure), listened to how I spoke, asked where I was from, yawned and asked me about deer hunting in Indiana.
Get this: I saw not a single .30-'06 (no carry zone) sign while in Texas (Austin, Kerrville, Saint Tony's), not a one. The only no carry zone I saw was the bar at the Y.O. Ranch Inn in Kerrville and I decided I could live without a before dinner beer and went to Mamacita's instead.
Class started Monday with Clint's brilliant lecture as per usual. Clint's speech is labeled "machine gun speed" by gun writers from California who have been as far East as Vegas and as far North as Lake Tahoe who should be writing about beach volleyball or hot rods, or whatever fluff that publishing group writes about. To me, it's just like home.
"El Tejon, why do you talk so fast? Mmmm, why do you listen so slow?" After 30 years Clint has this down. It is purposely shocking in places, designed to grab your attention and make you think about things that most people do not think about. Grab you and shake you, because he cares about you. As well, it is designed to counter the gun shoppe commando silliness of treating gunfights with a blase attitude. The goal is to teach one not to fight. As Clint likes to say, "the best indicia of good training is never using it." Call me an anti-Walter Mitty or just call me No Fun Kirk, but the pistol of no pistol sounds great to me
The lecture is worth the cost of the tuition alone as Clint gives one a graduate school education in four hours. However, you just don't get the lecture. The school is not the hardware/the facilities (as I've seen in those worthless, vapid gun rags--"Disneyland", how can people so involved with the gun culture be so clueless?); it is the software, the teachers. Pieces of concrete, steel and wood have nothing to say or relate to you, it is the men that are important. For this class, Clint had an excellent staff: I was delighted to see Uncle Ray (from the DOE/CTA), Jack (from Gunsite), Tiger (from Shootrite), Bill (from Saint Tony's PD/FTU) and Scott (from Oreygun, TR's new home).
The only thing that I noticed that was different was a separte sheet of paper warning the class NOT to dry practice after class. It was explained that the hotels were tired of the bullet holes, but I had reason to suspect it was because of the tragedy in Arizona, but I do not know this. I respected Clint's instruction and refrained from dry practice (when in Rome).
The first day on the range was after lunch. We started shooting right away to do what people had come to do (get the jitters out I suspect). I was partnered with a tall computer consultant from Michigan (who was a lefty with a USP and nailed me evey drill with brass--oh, well, more roads for my neck and back which is a roadmap of Europe after this many years) and found a gig as the class "hand man" so others knew where to line up. After shooting some concentration drills, we did some dry practice on the range and then began shooting.
I shot 1500 rounds during the 5 day course. Used Federal Eagle, and S&B for the night shoot on Thursday. Contrary to gun rags, a large flash is not a good thing, especially at night.
Over the course of the week, we covered shooting while moving (laterally, retreating, moving to cover), shooting while moving at a moving target, malfunction drills, the drawstroke, groundfighting and working with a partner. Footwork is stressed so as to provide a stablish platform. All this form work was put to "test" on Thursday and Friday when the class got the opportunity to shoot the "chargers". Targets that move up and back.
We then moved onto the "Terminator". TR's "fun house", "shoot house", "tactical simulator", etc. We made four runs. I had solid runs excepting one that I relate so others may learn from my stupidity.
The scenario was that you were in a restuarant when shooting erupts. You must work your way out of Luby's via a backdoor. Well, I got scope locked on leaving and did a cursory job of checking a window to my 6.
Tiger rightly chewed on me a bit. "Ya shouldn't be doin' that, Kiiirrrk." Foolishly I attempted to explain/rationalize my choice, then stopped myself when I realized he was right. Got to check your back, see the mouse in the corner, then move on. Fighting stinks.
Everyone had fun, everyone improved, and the ranges were super clean.
The guns: I used a pair of Les Baer TRSs with LB 7 round mags. Both ran without fail until I had shot 650 rounds through one and it would not lock back on an empty mag (it was piggish, at lunch I just threw more lube on it--I know, I know, should have cleaned it, I know). I switched to the clean one and no more problems. I took my newest TRS, one that I had a problem and posted about on THR. The %$#@@* gun would not go back together after cleaning.
Thanks to Ray I know why. There was a "spur" of metal on the barrel leg thingie than prevented the link thingie from aligning. As I was saying "Gee, I'll take it to a gunsmith" Ray had his leatherman in action filing down the spur in 30 seconds and snapping the gun together while I blinked (he's put just a few 1911s together). At least I know why it would not. Learn all kinds of stuff in skul.
The class used primarily Glocks and 1911s (no revolvers in this class). My partner had a USP that ran like a scalded ape. A skin doc brought P7s which are notorious in skul as they accumulate fouling. She switched back and forth and stayed up cleaning and seemed to be O.K. A copper from Long Island brought his duty S&W auto. A Glock blew a recoil spring, but a new one went in under a minute. Fairly gun defect free class.
Support gear: I like holsters by Milt Sparks. Many good makes. I used the #60TK, with a double mag pouch and a 1.75 belt, all horse, all dyed black for enhanced ninjaesqueness. I used Surefire E2e flashlights.
Progress in Oreygun: At the cook out Thursday (oops, sorry, y'all, bar-bee-que) I talked to Heidi for a while and she related that the house in Oreygun was getting the floors installed that day. The Oreygun operation will be on time with no lag ("seamless" is how Heidi described it). Classes are already filling up and the tutorials are booking up as well.
The new school sounds like a much better logistic arrangement. No more out in the middle of where Hayzeus left his sandals. We'll be 10 mnutes from Lakeview. Apparently we can fly into Portland or Reno and get a regional jet to Klamath (sp?) Falls. Earlier I was told Medford, but before that a few years ago I was told Reno, so don't take that as gospel. I'm going to wait and see what get sorted out.
Clint's book: I asked Clint about his first book (hat in had, not trying to be pushy). It's on Urban Rifle, should be out soon. I hope the new arrangements allow Clint the time to write it all down. 30 years of wisdom deserves its codification!
As per usual, had a great time in Texas, but, hey, any time out of the office is great. Learned a lot at Thunder Ranch. The more I learn the more I realize how very little I know.
See everyone in skul, maybe I'll see you in Oreygun!
