http://www.fpftraining.com/index.html
Culpeper, VA
This class was small, due primarily to the weather forecast. It was supposed to be sub freezing with a 100% chance of suck, so a number of prospective students bowed out prior to attendance. What a mistake on their part. Considering the time of year, the weather was absolutely perfect for a range day. The sun was out (I actually got sunburnt) and wind was almost nonexistent. I don’t remember what the temperature peaked at but I was comfortable all day without throwing a hard shell over my fleeces. I was planning on running some light work gloves for the class but as it turned out I didn’t need them.
Weapons used were two Smith & Wesson M&Ps, one in 9mm and one in .45, and two Glocks, one of which was a 17, and I don’t recall which model the other was. I was running the M&P9, which has become my go-to pistol since I finally embraced reality and realized that I could afford to shoot twice as much 9mm for what I was paying for .45 through my 1911. I recall two stoppages total for all participants throughout the day, and they were ammo-related.
This was a one-day course, what John calls a “skill building seminar.” It’s intended to be a more advanced course for prior students of his, or those who already have a basic fighting handgun course under their belt from a vetted instructor. I’m seriously starting to like one-day courses. Two, or three, or five day courses are great; they get you in the training zone and keep you there for an extended period of time, however, not everyone has a consecutive 3 days to spare, or the money right then to pay for that much range time and ammo. This becomes especially true when times get lean and budgets get tight. This “skill building seminar” was priced just right at $125 and 400 rounds of the centerfire pistol caliber of your choosing. If I counted correctly, my round count ended up at +/- 300 total shots fired, which is spot on in my experience for a day of training if you’re making all hits count and not just burning ammo.
All class attendees had trained with John before, so we all knew how he expected things to go from a safety and procedural standpoint. From the get-go, it is understood that the range is hot. The students were to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice and at no time should a weapon leave the line “dry.”
We started out with a few basic bullseye drills on paper at various distances to confirm ability level and to diagnose any mechanical zero issues. One class participant had recently had new sights installed and it became apparent here that they would need to be drifted at a later date. Other issues were addressed, recommendations were made, and the classed rolled on.
The class really began with a refresher on drawing the handgun, shooting, and doing a scan and assess. Once again, we were all prior FPF students, so this was familiar territory. For many shooters however, the scan and assess portion of the drill is often done in a cursory manner and the tendency is to get lazy. Sweep the handgun side to side, look left look right, jam the weapon back in the holster and wait for the next command. John reminded the class that this was a no-go, and that in training we were to actively scan for the next threat. The idea is to look for someone else that needs to be shot or re-shot, and that thought needs to be going through your head while scanning every time. Be slow to take the weapon out of the fight, and don’t just go through the motions.
John places a heavier emphasis than other instructors I’ve trained with on lateral movement during lulls in engagement, such as during the drawstroke as well as while performing reloads. It stands to reason that this would be an effective technique to further interrupt the bad guy’s loop, being the only proactive thing a shooter is able to do while their gun is not in firing condition (assuming one is not in contact range!) I often forget to do this, and it’s something I need to work on.
I’m personally a big fan of competition, when conducted in the right frame of mind, used as a teaching tool. It’s a great way to not only sharpen certain shooting-specific skillsets but also to help identify weaknesses in your own personal training program. Also, the usefulness of adding the self-imposed stress of losing and looking like an idiot in front of your classmates and instructor is important. John Murphy knows this and used it to great effect in this class. The class was small but the shooters were all pretty close in terms of experience and ability with a handgun. One shooter commented that he had not done much shooting outside of 25m and realized after doing the walkback competition for the first time that he should find a way to train it more often. The point being that maybe you’re up against a guy with a rifle and all you have is a pistol. It would behoove you to have practiced some stand-off shooting, as closing with the hypothetical active shooter may not necessarily end well for you.
A significant portion of the class was devoted to close range gunfighting and all that comes along with it. We worked on utilizing different strikes in conjunction with firing from retention, and then added rearward movement to the mix. John also worked in the J-Hook maneuver as a means of getting out of the line of travel of someone who is charging you with a knife or impact weapon.
John also likes to take students out of their comfort zone by having them “talk to the target” in an effort to simulate a real-life CCW engagement. Some situations call for the shooter to engage, some not. John can be an intense guy, and the scenarios he puts shooters in are effective in inducing stress and forcing them to make a decision, and possibly drawing and firing on the target.
