Tuesday, May 3, 2011

USSA Close Quarters Training (CQT) After Action Report

CQT – AAR

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):  The course was awesome (watch the video); we did everything in the video and more.  I went expecting to be placed in uncomfortable situations where someone was punching me in the face to see how I would react and receive guidance on what I could have done better.  USSA DELIVERED!

The instructors,  Michael Brown and Brandon Bennett were fantastic.  They knew the material; they practice the material and were able to deliver the information so each person could understand it.  The class demographic was very diverse with the oldest over 60 and the youngest around 13, yet they were able to tweak the course to meet the need of each individual.  Meaning it doesn’t matter if you were a high speed Green Beret or my Grandma, you’ll enjoy the class and Michael and Brandon will push you accordingly.

I can tell when someone is faking it i.e. not practicing what they preach (hundreds of hours of powerpoint by people who just read slides qualifies me).  Brandon and Michael don’t fake it, they don’t offer theories or tell you what you want to hear; they offer you real world strategies and the truth.  When asked about defending against a much stronger person Brandon said “It’s a fight and fighting is hard”;  He brought a realistic approach to the class (sobering, I’m sure for fans of movies or self defense classes where the instructor teaches 100lb females how to kick a 250lb male’s hind parts with punches to the face).  “There are no magic holds, no ninja death grips or secret moves to win; you have to work harder than the bad guy.”  Brandon Bennett.

The best part of the class was receiving a real understanding about what hand guns can and cannot do, and what happens if you introduce a tool (handgun or knife) into the fight at the wrong time. 

#1 you cannot extend the gun towards the person.  It is probably a natural reaction from hundreds of hours of shooting paper targets because everyone did it the first time.  The gun is going to jam and you are not going to tap and rack when someone is punching you in the face. 

#2 if you immediately go for your gun or try and hurry the draw, the gun is going to get taken or AGAIN it will jam and become useless.  

Seeing the following paragraph transpire was well worth the price of the class; you won’t believe it until you experience it, personally I didn’t which is why the first time I pushed the gun out just like I was shooting a cardboard target and of course it Jammed.

Overall the class was great, the material flowed smoothly I never felt over burdened or overwhelmed by too much material, it was just right.  The pace was good, I am in good shape and I went home extremely sore.  After every situation the instructors took the time to critique each student, they went over what you did that was good and gave you ideas to improve on based on your skill level body type etc.  The class environment was fantastic; Michael and Brandon did a great job fostering a positive and open learning environment, you can tell they love teaching and both have a knack for it. 

If you carry a gun, you need this course.

Break Your Plateau!
JT

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