Defensive Concepts North Carolina
Defensive Handgun - Shooting on the Move
I’m not affiliated with Defensive Concepts NC other than now being a student. While this is a glowing review, it is true to form and indeed accurate. Enjoy the AAR and if you’re in NC, come to a class!
AAR:
I attended this course on Saturday, Apr 14, 2012.
The topics included:
Trigger control
Muzzle control
Effective target zones
Sight picture while moving
Forward movement
Rearward movement
Lateral movement
Diagonal movement
Dynamic movement
Safety in each of the above scenarios
I won’t go into detail about each topic listed. You need to attend the class if you want to learn these skills! What I will do is expand upon my experience and overall impressions of the course.
I took the course to enhance my skill set for shooting in USPSA. I certainly got what I signed up for but, I also received a unique perspective about defensive shooting and a reality check about just how hard it is to get effective hits with a handgun (even when not on the move). The class stressed accuracy and safety. Movement introduces a whole new set of problems that affect sight alignment and the instructors were very clear that effective hits are all that matter and when moving, the margin for error is increased substantially. Worth mentioning is that it was my first proper firearms training class (beyond NRA basic pistol, NC Concealed Carry, and lots of self-guided study). At no time did I feel out of place. Our class was very diverse and the instructors were inviting and made everyone feel welcome. Steve and Chris are true professionals and it was apparent by their attitudes and quality of instruction.
The instructors covered most, if not all, modern techniques for shooting handguns while on the move. They briefly touched on each subject, then further expanded on the techniques that they felt were the most effective. I had no prior knowledge of the techniques but the reasoning behind their methods was apparent once we put them into practice. In other words, Steve and Chris are very grounded in reality and were great at providing the tools needed to further practice and sharpen our skills. At the beginning of the class, during the first few forward movement drills, it felt like I was wearing clown shoes. After a few hours under the guidance of the instructors, I really became smooth and my targets told the story. By the end of the day, my confidence and ability to shoot a handgun while moving had increased immeasurably. I left knowing that I had the tools and knowledge to continue practicing these methods on my own.
The course had a very small number of students. Shooting on the move is not a popular subject since it is quite difficult if not impossible to master. This was to the benefit of all students though as it provided the opportunity for more individual attention. One thing that I appreciated is the instructors really talked with each student and discussed how the topics at hand related to each of our personal situations. Steve and Chris both took the time to discuss with me how the techniques could affect or hinder my match performance as well as how that compared or contrasted to a defensive situation.
The course stayed true to the listed round count. It started on-time and ended on-time. They had first-aid kits on both corners of the range and briefed the students at the beginning of the course about the plan of action if an accident were to occur. These topics and preparations are expected when dealing with firearms but with the number of classes popping up everywhere, this level of professionalism, unfortunately, may not be the norm.
I plan to take this class again when the opportunity arises and I also plan to attend many other courses offered by Defensive Concepts NC as my schedule allows. Thanks to Steve and Chris for a excellent experience!