I'm so freaking excited!!!

GunNut

On Sunday I'll be headed out to Corp HQ to become certified as an INSTRUCTOR in Defensive Shooting Fundamentals by my company!  So far my training has been pretty much for my own consumption but it has allowed me to help others in small ways.

I've been teaching State CCW Classes and Basics Pistol safety and fundamental skills/marksmanship for a long time and I've always been very careful to not teach what I call "ahead of my headlights".  During a conversation with Zee not to long ago he once again reminded me how essential it is for a teacher to have knowledge well above their students.  And I'm a BIG believer in not making crap up, so I don't do tactical and run-n-gun stuff...

But hopefully this course will take my level of teaching to the next step.  It was designed by Robert Pincus for us and so far my pre-course instruction has been TOUGH!!!  Covering things such as psychology of shooting encounter etc.  Many of the gun handling skills that will be covered I already have.  The emphasis on this course in on how best to TEACH and Communicate them to others in a clear, concise and efficient manner, combined with a ****-ton of practical exercises and learning the skill of assessing students based on their abilities, fix their problems and help them progress to their individual potential.

THIS is the coolest pat of the job!  I just got the 3rd email from a recent student, 88 years old, who I just taught to shoot for basic SD a few weeks ago.  He is so thrilled that for the first time he is "sleeping well" knowing he now has a new tool to stay protected!  Damn that warms my heart...  He will never be a SF guy but he is now VERY comfortable handling his pistol and shooting accurately from reasonable distances for SD.

In any case I am, and, will be taking a LOT of notes, and I'm really looking forward to passing through anything of value I learn to the folks I teach.

I'm outright giddy!!!  I'm also quite entertained by having to fly with 800 rounds of ammo... 

GunNut

knitepoet said:

I know a lot of folks going to out of town classes, have the ammo drop-shipped. Might be easier and cheaper than flying with it??

that would have been the thing to do...  if it had occurred to me last week 🤣

pjames777

Congratulations.  Your students will be well served by your knowledge.

GunNut

pjames777 said:

Congratulations.  Your students will be well served by your knowledge.

Thanks!  I’ll work hard to make it so...

Big Al1

Very cool! I'd come out of retirement for a job like that!! 

GunNut

Big Al1 said:

Very cool! I'd come out of retirement for a job like that!! 

We might have to work on that 😉

Jayhawker

Well done...it's a great calling...

Diver43

Sounds like some solid training
Have fun

GunNut

Jayhawker said:

Well done...it's a great calling...

Thanks!  I’ve been waiting for the stars to align fir a loooooong time!

GunNut

Diver43 said:

Sounds like some solid training
Have fun

I will!  I guess it’s not really work if you love what your doing right? 😁

sakodude

So when are you teaching a class in the Denver area

zorba

I see you continuing to grow as a teacher - good on you!! {BOW HERE}

GunNut

sakodude said:

So when are you teaching a class in the Denver area

sakodude said:

So when are you teaching a class in the Denver area

I’ll probably be staying local.  There’s a huge market for honest instruction right here.  Gotta take care of my neighbors 😊

JerryBobCo

Congratulations, Enzo.  I'm proud of you, man.

GunNut

JerryBobCo said:

Congratulations, Enzo.  I'm proud of you, man.

Thanks brother, that means the world to me.  Abandoning a long career for basically an entry level position with a smaller growing company was a huge leap of faith.  When I told my wife she looked at me like I had lost my mind 🤣🤣🤣

But as usual when something is meant to be the dominoes fall right in a row because God opens the doors only when the time is right.  This training is a big step in the right direction, doing something I love and can do for many years to come!

GunNut

zorba said:

I see you continuing to grow as a teacher - good on you!! {BOW HERE}

Thanks!  The trick is an fully open mind and complete lack of pride 🤣

JerryBobCo

GunNut said:

JerryBobCo said:

Congratulations, Enzo.  I'm proud of you, man.

Thanks brother, that means the world to me.  Abandoning a long career for basically an entry level position with a smaller growing company was a huge leap of faith.  When I told my wife she looked at me like I had lost my mind 🤣🤣🤣

But as usual when something is meant to be the dominoes fall right in a row because God opens the doors only when the time is right.  This training is a big step in the right direction, doing something I love and can do for many years to come!

Without getting too sappy, just tell yourself it's His plan, not yours.

GunNut

JerryBobCo said:

GunNut said:

JerryBobCo said:

Congratulations, Enzo.  I'm proud of you, man.

Thanks brother, that means the world to me.  Abandoning a long career for basically an entry level position with a smaller growing company was a huge leap of faith.  When I told my wife she looked at me like I had lost my mind 🤣🤣🤣

But as usual when something is meant to be the dominoes fall right in a row because God opens the doors only when the time is right.  This training is a big step in the right direction, doing something I love and can do for many years to come!

Without getting too sappy, just tell yourself it's His plan, not yours.

Yes sir, it is!  Thanks for the reminder.

zorba

GunNut said:

zorba said:

I see you continuing to grow as a teacher - good on you!! {BOW HERE}

Thanks!  The trick is an fully open mind and complete lack of pride 🤣

That's it! Because as soon as you start to teach something, you realize how little you actually know, and you learn as much or more than the students! Especially teaching a skill like you are - it ain't easy! I'm just thinking back to my experiences teaching Greek folk dancing...

The day will probably come for you, when you have "that student", the one that may very well be the next Jerry Miculek - it'll all be worth it at that point (without implying that it isn't "worth it" with all students)!

Yea, without getting all mushy on ya, like JerryBobCo says, I'm proud of you too. {BOW HERE}

GunNut

zorba said:

GunNut said:

zorba said:

I see you continuing to grow as a teacher - good on you!! {BOW HERE}

Thanks!  The trick is an fully open mind and complete lack of pride 🤣

That's it! Because as soon as you start to teach something, you realize how little you actually know, and you learn as much or more than the students! Especially teaching a skill like you are - it ain't easy! I'm just thinking back to my experiences teaching Greek folk dancing...

The day will probably come for you, when you have "that student", the one that may very well be the next Jerry Miculek - it'll all be worth it at that point (without implying that it isn't "worth it" with all students)!

Yea, without getting all mushy on ya, like JerryBobCo says, I'm proud of you too. {BOW HERE}

Thanks so much, words like those do mean a lot to me.  This is really a labor of love...  I just want to make sure I can help as many folks as I can to be able to take care of themselves a little better and maybe have a little fun while we’re at it.

GunNut

So interesting development.  Apparently there is a limit of how much ammo you can check in and it’s 11 lbs.  I never had to bring this much ammo with me anywhere so I never looked into it before.  The 1911s are staying home and I will be training with my 43X FrankenGlock!  I can only take 450 rounds with me so I will have to scrounge up the last 250 when I get there.  Thankfully I have a few hundred gun loving coworkers at Corp HQ and I’m sure I will find some hoarder that will hook me up with what I need.

If I had stayed with the .45 I’d be looking at getting about 500+ rounds when I got there... 

zorba

I never figured out what the 11 lbs limit was all about. Why not 10 or 12? Where did *that* number come from? *shrug*

GunNut

zorba said:

I never figured out what the 11 lbs limit was all about. Why not 10 or 12? Where did *that* number come from? *shrug*

I asked, apparently pulled out of someone’s ass...

zorba

GunNut said:

zorba said:

I never figured out what the 11 lbs limit was all about. Why not 10 or 12? Where did *that* number come from? *shrug*

I asked, apparently pulled out of someone’s ass...

That would be my take on it as well...

Diver43

The 11 lb rule has been in effect for many years, long before 9/11.
It began as 5 kilograms.  Over in the UK, they have a thing called NEQ.  When we moved Military ammo you could only have X kilos of this explosive and y of that.  Each port has a different limit.
On airplanes carrying people there is a limit, it is based on the company figuring what percentage of people would have ammo on their person, luggage, and in cargo.  Large amounts of explosives are moved on Cargo Aircraft only.  Only a certain amount of SuperCargo (people) are allowed.
Some of the pilot types can probably add more detail.  But its an OLD rule and makes little sense today 

GunNut

Diver43 said:

The 11 lb rule has been in effect for many years, long before 9/11.
It began as 5 kilograms.  Over in the UK, they have a thing called NEQ.  When we moved Military ammo you could only have X kilos of this explosive and y of that.  Each port has a different limit.
On airplanes carrying people there is a limit, it is based on the company figuring what percentage of people would have ammo on their person, luggage, and in cargo.  Large amounts of explosives are moved on Cargo Aircraft only.  Only a certain amount of SuperCargo (people) are allowed.
Some of the pilot types can probably add more detail.  But its an OLD rule and makes little sense today 

I assumed there was an actual reason sometime in the past.  But as you just mentioned, it makes no sense today.  Oh, well.  I have a loaded Glock on my nightstand tonight.  Zee is secretly smiling.  All is well with the world 😁

GunNut

450 rounds today.  8:00am-6:00pm spent at the range going through the full course of fire at a full speed pace.   We were either loading mags discussing the next drill or shooting drills and debriefing/fixing stuff!!!  Holly crap!  

Tomorrow we deconstruct the drills and learn how and more important, WHY we teach them and the order in which they build on upon one another.

But I can seriously say, even thou I thought I was Ok before, I’m a better and more confident SD shooter tonight than I was this morning....  and I have a loooong way to go 🤣

GunNut

Day two starts the transition from shooter to instructor, deconstructing the drills an learning to teach them.  Tomorrow we actually have assigned segments to teach.  The pass rate is about 50% so there are no freebies here...  I’ll be studying til late tonight 😬

GunNut

Last update... got home from the airport just a few minutes ago.  Left my hotel at 4:00am and I’m exhausted BUT,

I JUST got this email tonight...

“Good Evening!  I would like to be the first to say.... Congratulations on achieving your USCCA DSF L1 Instructor Certification!“

Woooohooooooooo!!!!!  I MADE IT!!!!!

The total class was 40 people, many of them already seasoned instructors, broken into 3 groups with two senior level instructors counselors each.  They said our group of 13 was the first time in a loooooong time no one dropped out during class.  Unfortunately no everyone that stayed passed.  The attrition rate is high, but that makes it sweeter even if I feel bad for the folks that won’t make it.  Some will have to do remedial work before they are certified but we are very protective of our reputation.

Anyway I’m celebrating by going to bed early 🤣🤣🤣

Yes Zee, I ran the FrankenGlock!  

zorba

Congratulations indeed! An accomplishment of which you can be proud.

GunNut

zorba said:

Congratulations indeed! An accomplishment of which you can be proud.

Thanks!!!  I’ve been waiting for this for a long time!  God opens the doors at the right time...