Training "roundtable" (aka "tactical coffee klatsch")

[Average Guy]

Last weekend, while my jet pilot baby brother was in state, my buddy and I took him out to our secret desert shooting spot for some training. I'm former military; my buddy and I are F$ grads; and baby bro's training is limited to what he's read in Gabe Suarez's books and what I've showed him. We did some warm-up shooting, then progressed to multiple targets and then room-clearing scenarios (for fun...mostly).

Later, my buddy remarked that we'd spent as much time talking as we had shooting; frankly, I thought the "after action" analysis was the best part. I enjoyed working through the problems and then discussing pros and cons of the solutions based on not only what we'd been trained to do, but also based on common sense. (The classic "Does this work? What if we try this?" approach.)

We decided that it would be ideal to have someone knowledgeable come with us to teach and critique, and perhaps even expand his or her own knowledge. (I know a guy, but his schedule is not conducive to travel.) And that made me think of open training nights.

When I trained in kung fu San Soo years ago and also mixed martial arts more recently, the studio generally had an open training night (usu. Friday) when everyone (at any skill level) could get together and train in a less formal setting. It was an opportunity to ask questions of those with more skills, and work out solutions to problems you might have come up with (and maybe get your azz seriously kicked, too).

So to my question: Does anyone do anything like this as far as handgun training? I'm thinking red gun, CQB/H2H-type stuff in a studio/dojo or small warehouse. Set up scenarios and work through them, being open to all opinions. I know that trainers/instructors want to get paid for dispensing their wisdom, but I don't see this as a money-making deal--although if someone with the space wanted to do a low-cost rental, that might be feasible. (The only even remotely similar "program" I can think of is the "Martial Arms" program at Second Amendment Sports in Bakersfield, CA http://2ndamendmentsports.com/ --where you commit to, say, a course of 10 weekly classes--but I'm unaware of any open training.)

I don't know how many people would be interested enough to show up (monthly? biweekly?), but it seems to me that it could be a good (and valuable) time, as long as there was free coffee and maybe donuts. And provided, of course, that you could gather enough interested people in an area to even get started.

Thoughts?

 

[Preacherman]

It's a nice thought, but one big hairy problem immediately rears its head... who would be in charge? This isn't an ego thing, but a safety consideration. If you're using firearms, even non-lethal training weapons, and don't have ranges or rooms enough for everyone (not to mention backstops), the chances of a wild projectile striking someone are greatly increased. I can just see training team "SEEL Team Six" being neatly harvested by training team "Avenger Rangers" as the latter hose down a room, without stopping to check whether their Airsofts have the range to fly out of the window and into the next training area!

 

[Average Guy]

Ah. Let me just say...

NO PROJECTILE WEAPONS. They can AirSoft somewhere else.

 

[Jeff White]

I'm not sure that force on force training of any type lends it's self to a "coffee klatsch" type environment. At best you could discuss a tactical problem. To effectively train on resolving it, you'd need some set up and rehersal time.

First you want to identify the tactical problem you want to solve. This you could do at your "coffee clatch". In fact it would be great to sit and brainstorm how you would solve the problem.

The next step would be to set up the problem. This can entail all sorts of things depending on how complicated the problem was. You'd have to select and train/brief your OPFOR.

This would work if each week you first worked through the scenario you developed the week before, then had a good AAR and then a roundtable discussion of next weeks problem.

I realize there are some situations that are very basic and simple that won't take a lot of prep. But my experience the discussions lead into long drawn out what if talks. You could easily spend a couple months worth of "klatsches" working through different variations of the same problem.

Your first one would have to be strictly organizational. Lay out the rules, pick out the first tactical problem. Discuss the ways to solve it, decide which one you're going to use, then prepare the training. The next week you start with a short review of the problem and the proposed solution, execute the training, conduct an AAR, then pick next weeks topic, discuss,prepare and adjourn. Come in the next week and repeat the process.

You have to do this in a controlled way with a set standard for success. If you don't, you won't necessarily learn the right lesson. You may have survived by dumb luck and not tactical prowess (hey, it happens on the street all the time ) The people you select to be the bad guys need to know they are there to facilitate the learning of a specific skill, not to ambush their buddy and make him look bad.

It's a good idea....do some planning and learn.

Jeff