I recently returned from the 2016 Rangemaster Tactical Conference. I had the privilege of attending a number of seminars where I learned techniques for instruction as well as practical tactics and skills I plan to add to One Defense courses.
The Conference is comprised of a variety of different seminars that cover a wide range of topics. The following are some of the great things I learned along the way.
The first day started with a class entitled “Managing the Don’t Shoot” with Larry Lindenman of Point Driven Training. There we learned the basics of techniques we can use to remain safe and control a VCA (Violent Criminal Actor) to de-escalate a situation that otherwise might force us to shoot. In most training courses, we spend virtually all of our time engaging threats and putting rounds into the targets. In real life, the stats show that in a vast majority of cases in which a weapon is drawn, the weapon is not fired. We need to have the correct mindset and a plan in place to deal with these situations. Knowing when NOT to shoot is just as important!
The last session of the day was a course by Tiffany Johnson called Optimizing Classroom Instruction. She is a lawyer by day and is a Rangemaster Staff Instructor. I have been through a number of different training sessions about how to give good presentations and I can say hers was the best. She showed us how to design and lay out your presentation, how to compose meaningful handouts, and what to say and how to say it to your audience. My presentations will definitely improve as a result.
The next day a highlight was Tom Given’s “Defining the Threat”. He explained the realities of the threats that private citizens face in our country. They’re not as benign as we are led to believe. He cited a multitude of statistics from the Bureau of Justice and Statistics, State Crime Reports (TBI), FBI/DEA agent involved shootings, and Rangemaster Student involved shootings. Some highlights are as follows: Every year 5.6M people are victims of Aggravated Assault (formerly referred to as Attempted Murder). That’s one in every 54 people! Only one in ten homicides are gang-related. A very small percentage of assaults are in the home. Did you know that every day, someone is assaulted in a Walmart parking lot somewhere in the US? Most of these assaults fall into the following categories: Robbery, Rape, Road Rage, and Respect. There is much more to this subject and there are many take-aways for us. The Most Important? We need to be prepared and equipped to defend ourselves whenever we leave our homes. When it’s least expected, you’re elected!
The final day I attended John Farnam’s “Let’s not shoot ourselves: Common errors in safety and training”. We all “know” that “the gun is always loaded”. Do we always handle them this way? We all need to remember that gun handling is not safe, therefore we need to handle them carefully. We are reminded that as instructors, we teach our students to manage risk. We must understand that with firearms we cannot eliminate risk. One more important point: Whether handling a gun or just being out on the range, wear safety glasses!!
Another important session with Tom Givens covered “Active Shooters: An Overview”. Some important points include: In an active shooter incident, victims are most often killed within 2-15 minutes after the shooting starts. People are killed resisting, running and hiding. The shooters hunt for their victims. It happens fast! The unfortunate reality is that the average response time for police is 11 minutes. In addition, most department protocols prevent them from entering an active shooting until the appropriate response team arrives. By then most of the killing is over! In 95% of all active shooter incidents going back to 1949, the bad guy took his own life when he encountered armed resistance. The sooner an armed individual can confront the shooter, the quicker the incident will be resolved. The average deaths when police stop the shooter is 14.3. The average deaths when stopped by an armed civilian is 2.3! This shows us that an armed citizen on site is the best defense against an active shooter. What should we do if we encounter this situation? Our primary goal is to stop the killing. We must be armed, be alert, and be committed.
Tiffany Johnson posted a short video compilation of the conference you might enjoy:
To see more more, there are quite a few videos posted on the Rangemaster web site. Click to watch: Tactical Conference Videos
Once known as the Polite Society conference (An armed society is a polite society), it is now known as the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. I was fortunate to meet and befriend a number of great people that I look forward to working with in the future. There were many more excellent sessions than I was able to attend. I look forward to returning next year to learn more. Anyone who is serious about personal defense training should make this conference a priority on their schedule. Contact Tom Givens at rangemaster.com and make arrangements to join us next year!
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Be Safe. Be Prepared. Get Trained. – You are the One.
2016 Schedule
Click on an Event to view the course description or to Register:
April 2015
– 4/09 Defensive Handgun I
– 4/23 Defensive Rifle I
May 2015
– 5/07 Defensive Handgun II
– 5/21 Defensive Rifle II
June 2015
– 6/04 ALUMNI DAY
– 6/18 Defensive Shotgun
July 2015 – with John Farnam of Defense Training International
– 7/22 Tactical Treatment of Gunshot Wounds
– 7/23-24 Armed Response to a Terrorist Attack
September 2015
– 9/10 Defensive Handgun I
– 9/24 Defensive Rifle I
October 2015
– 10/08 Defensive Handgun II
– 10/22 Defensive Rifle II
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