What kind of training would you like to have?

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Gary Brommeland

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Hi Folks!

We've moved to just outside the Smokey Mts in East TN and are now located smack dab in the middle of nowhere. I have a range out back behind the holster shop and the idea of sponsoring a trainer or two has come to mind. I've contacted John Farnam, Dave Blinder, Randy Cain and Chuck Taylor as potential instructors. Facilities are somewhat limited at the moment, but we are going to build a classroom, chow hall and lodging if there is sufficient interest. So, I've got a few questions for ya'll:

First, Who would you like to take a class from, and what type of course would you be interested in?

Secondly, Would you be ok with tent camping onsite (with shower facilities and meals prepared for you)? Or, would you rather wait until full facilities (bunk house/cottages) are available? Please keep in mind that the housing facilities will add $175-$400 to the tuition per weekend - including all meals and snacks(depending upon whether you choose the bunkhouse or a private cottage), so while camping will be somewhat less comfortable, it will be a bit more affordable ($100 for the campsite, showers and all meals prepared for you).

A very humble hotel is also available about 30 minutes away, but by staying onsite you'll be able to maximize training time.

A lot of business folks make the mistake of giving their customers what THEY think their customers would want. I'd rather hear from you and provide exactly what YOU want, so please take a moment and make a post. Thanks for your time.
 
I would like defensive golf cart driving, NEF speed assembly and tactics, throwing star marksmanship and of course ninja boot wall walking.:) :)

Sorry Gary I couldn't resist. I think you have a good plan and hope it works out look at what works and get some input from the potential instructors. I live in the Rockies so its to far for me to attend. Do you think you might be to far from the malls?
 
"too far from malls"?

Yeah, that's sorta the idea. We want to create a world class training facility that is a bit more affordable than some of the existing schools, but at the same time still providing serious, professional instruction. Mall Ninjas need not apply.
 
sounds like you eastern TNer's could have a really good opprotunity here.

Have you talked to James Yeager as well, he's over in Camden, TN. There are a lot of TNer's over at getoffthex.com too.
 
Thanks for the response. In answer to your question, no sir, I have not contacted Mr Yeager. I don't know much about his training methodology or doctrine.
I contacted the folks that I did because I have either met them or know someone who has taken their courses. I'm pretty reluctant to recommend someone whom I know nothing about. That's not to say anything negative at all about Mr Yeager, I just don't know anything about him.
Thanks again.
 
Gary, how about space for trailers and campers? I stayed at Thunder Ranch in Texas using a pop-up camper, and it was great. If you could provide half-a-dozen camper sites, and perhaps a couple for travel trailers, with water and sewer connections (septic tank would be OK), that would be great! (I don't think electricity would be essential, but it's easy enough to provide a low-power connection. If the trailers want to run AC in summer, you'd need a high-power line, and that could get expensive.)
 
I'm not an outdoorsman, camping isn't my thing. If I was traveling a distance to take a class I'd want a clean hotel not too far off to go back to and relax in at the end of the day. Realstically how many hours a day can people be shooting and still be productively learning? I'd think an 8 hour day is going to have most people ready for dinner and a nap but who knows.
 
Hi Preacherman,

That is an outstanding idea. However, the property in question is all mountain, and the only way in is a one lane dirt road going almost straight up. You cannot even get here without a 4X4. For students who do not have such a vehicle, we have a place for them to park about a mile and a half away, just off of pavement. We can ferry them up in my Blazer as they arrive on Friday night,and back down again when the class ends on Sunday. There is no way an RV could possibly get here. (I guess that is one advantage to Texas over East TN:)
 
Soybomb,

There are no decent motel/hotel facilities nearby. Would you then want a bunk in the bunk house, or would you be more of a candidate for a private cottage? Thanks for the input.
 
VARifleman,

I understand - I worked 2, sometimes three jobs while in college. It's not a lot of fun.
I would like to share something with you regarding the value of training: I had fired hundreds of thousands of rounds by the time I finally took a professional pistolcraft class. I was state certified to carry a firearm on duty, (One of those three college jobs was private security work) and was also teaching a martial art. I was not 30 minutes into that first class before the cold, stark reality hit me - for all that I knew, for all that I THOUGHT that I knew, I would have been killed for sure had I ever faced an armed attack.
The moral of the story for broke college students (as well as for everyone else) is that you are way better off only owning one gun that you are fully and competently trained to use, than to have a thousand of them and have no training.
In closing, that training has saved my life twice for sure, and maybe a couple of other times as well. My reason for doing this course is that I truly believe that training, above anything else, is what will save you in an emergency. Conversely, the lack of such training can get you killed as well.
Get in touch with me if you are SERIOUS about learning street survival. I'll do what I can to make it affordable.
 
I'd be content with a bunkhouse. I know a fella out in OK that provides a bunkhouse, and seems to get good comments on it from the students.

Gary, contact me by PM, and I'll let you know how to get in touch with me. We can discuss it in more detail on the phone.
 
I am pretty confident in my actually handling of the gun and making sure my shots land on target. What I would like to train on is some force on force stuff where we cover actual scenarios where the bg might be shooting back at me. All the targets I shoot at never shoot back.
 
SturmRuger,

Dave Blinder does a Force on Force class. If I understood him correctly, it is a one day add on to his basic pistolcraft class. I intend to get him here to do just that sometime in Spring of '08. Thanks for the input.
 
Camping would be fine for me, but I usually use my spare time to do that anyway. Any good mountain bike trails nearby? It'd be great to ride before or after class--there's only so many vacation days in a year, you have to maximize their usage!

--usp_fan
 
I would like to have the option to camp or stay in a bunkhouse. The private cottage would be nice, but would drive the cost out of my league.

Having the option to camp or stay in a bunkhouse would be appealing b/c you would have more options during the dead of summer or winter versus the milder spring and fall seasons. Also being able to camp would allow me to use more funds for training as opposed to lodging.

W
 
USP_fan,

'Plently of logging trails to mountain bike on - but trust me, after one of these classes you aren't gonna feel much up to it!

WTurner,

Thank you for the input. Duly noted.
 
You might want to consider an invitation to Robin Brown when you're all set up. I don't think it could get any more real than that.:)
 
my wish list

gary,

i'd love to:

1) take a course that would get me very comfortable with using my handgun & AR-15 in varying conditions; night, inclement weather, stressful situations, etc.

2) how about a good basic disaster preparedness class, emphasizing personal gun use, planning, practice, etc.? many women i speak with say they should take one, but have'nt a clue where to go or what to do. being female myself, i wish i'd been able to take one myself, instead of learning the hard way...:banghead:

3) the basics of ballistics & ammunition would be welcomed by such not-so-informed users like me. nosler's is pretty dry without the demonstrations & field trips, lol...

i'm not looking for a quasi-military bootcamp, complete with 'hardcores' yelling at me because I don't know everything already. (sorry, prior bad experience, gary) i am looking for some reasonable folks to help me get the basics down to a reflex & help upgrade me to a competent user level. post the address & classes when you figure them out, and i promise a reply.
 
vasilia zheitseva,

You are EXACTLY the potential student that I am trying to reach. We don't do "boot camp", "macho man ego trips" or any such crap. We want to create an environment in which our students do not feel intimidated, condescended to, or used as an audience for some guy with a problem to be the center of attention. (I've seen way too much of that with local level instructors, and a couple of nationally known folks as well). We DO want to you feel challenged, sometimes pressured (stress simulation) and have your interest stimulated. However, we also want you to feel respected (regardless of gender).

Women are an often overlooked student base, and that is something we intend to correct. My email corrospondence with John Farnam included the discussion of bringing his wife, Vicki, in to do a women's only class. (She is a superb instructor in her own right, and is obviously better equipped than any man is to address areas of self defense that are unique to women.)

Ballistics and ammo selection is something that will be translated into plain English in all of our courses, and we will endeavour not to bore you to death as well. :)

Disaster preparedness is something that I have already taught on more than one occasion, and if you can get together a few friends, I feel fully confident that we can put together a really dynamite program for you. Perhaps a tactical pistolcraft class can be done in conjunction with it to provide a basic skill set for newbies. We can do this as soon as the weather breaks a bit - maybe April? We will not need to have finished construction of facilities for that course, since a big part of it will involve emergency shelter - we can do it outside! :) Please discuss it with friends and get back to me.

Another weak area in many Pistolcraft classes is the subject of concealment. Most trainers cover it to some degree, but they have so much material to cover in such a short time that they are usually unable to go into a lot of depth. This is what I've done for the past 20+ years (design and make high performance concealment gear), so I feel qualified to delve into that subject matter to a much greater degree. That material will be incorporated into all courses involving handguns.

Thank you for your post. It has helped a bunch. Please feel free to post again with anything new that may come to mind.
 
Randy Cain, besides being a great all round trainer of impeccable reputation, gives the best "practical Rifle" class there is-anywhere!:)
 
Awesome ideas so far. I think Vasilia Zheitseva said it well. I personnally am mainly interested in combat handgunnery. A course that would enhance my ability to shoot well in general, under stress, and give me some tacti'cool' know-how would be useful.

As far as lodging goes, I'd rather spend my money on ammo than on nice ammenities. However, I think having availble housing would generate more interest for you. If you gave me the option of brining a trailer, that'd be my best scenario. Basically a plot of ground, electrical outlet, and water supply would suit me. I'd want an option of brining my own food too, to cut costs and stui my personal tastes.

-thunder
 
Mauser guy,

Nope! NO generators allowed!!! We're here to train, not party all night!

Gordon,

I've yet to ever hear a negative comment about Randy Cain. He's among the best - that's for sure. I have been corrosponding with him as well. I'll let you know if/when we nail something down.

Thunder,

This is serious boondocks - straight up the side of a mountain on a one lane dirt road. If you have a 4X4, you might get a small pop-up camper up here, but that is about it. For that reason, we have no plans for RV hook-ups.
Our reason for preparing meals for our students is because trainers are EXPENSIVE, and we don't want you waisting valuable training time cooking. We are trying to maximize your contact with the trainers, so you get you money's worth out of the class.
Having said that, if you wanna bring your own food, nobody is gonna take it away from you (I'm assuming that you'd also have a gun):D
 
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