walt_c
06-13-2007, 08:54 PM
My love of the sport of shooting started while attending Boy Scout summer camp. When most of the campers spent their money at the canteen buying candies and soda, I spent the major amount at the .22 cal rifle range. I began with the completion of my Rifle & Shotgun merit badge and eventually qualifed for the Sharp Shooter Medal at the end of the following summer camp. As I got older, I gravitated toward the more challenging handguns. As a handgun owner, I practiced at outdoor and indoor shooting ranges punching holes in little round targets. However, once I became a gun carry permit holder, I felt it was my duty to learn as much gun safety, handling and shooting skills as I could. One day while practicing at the range, I realized that I was ill prepared to shoot in a real-life self-defense crisis. My practice didn’t mirror any threat situations. How often would your attacker stand still and have little round dots painted on them for you to shoot at?
That began my association with the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). I have been competing in “Practical” matches on and off for the past 20 years. For the novice, “Practical Shooting” competition is comprised of 5 shooting scenarios or stages. Each shooter competes against others for time and accuracy. Think of each scenario like the way a S.W.A.T team might train in a “shoot house”. Each scenario/stage is built like a movie set with walls and necessary furniture to emulate the actual scene. Real life shooting scenarios can be as creative and elaborate as the members and money and material available to that hosting club. One memorable match scenario still sticks in my mind. The story goes; you are sleeping and startled by sounds in your bedroom. A notorious gang picked your house by mistake for a revenge killing. Gang members are in your house and have taken your kids outside so the gang’s kingpin can deal with you alone with some of his top henchmen. So the stage begins, you are in the bedroom lying in bed. When the buzzer sounds, the clock starts. You had to roll out of bed, grab your gun from the night stand (always mindful of all range safety rules: keeping finger off the trigger, keep gun from breaking the 180° plane) and engage multiple targets in the bedroom. You then run to the window and engage multiple targets outside, then run to another window and engage two hostile targets holding hostages. In the meantime, you must control your adrenaline rush and pounding heart and still engage the target with a head-shot to finish the course.
Having competed in this type of “practical shooting” match on and off for the last 20 years, I felt confident in engaging in future self-defense gunfights. I felt my gun handling skills had improved 500% since my days of just standing in an indoor range shooting at little round targets. Well, I would have been WRONG! (thank goodness I had not needed to put my “practical” gun skills to the test because I think I might not have passed muster.)
A buddy of mine and a friend had signed up for a private “gun training” class and his friend dropped out at the last minute. My buddy knew since I had competed in pistol matches that I might be interested in attending. It was a one-day course and I could easily take a day off from work. I thought the class tuition was a bit high. But after all, I would be getting a private lesson from an expert. Besides, my buddy was able to “shoot holes” in some of my practical shooting techniques for real world application.
What can you learn in 6 or 7 hours? I shot over 1,200 rounds! “Quick Kill”™ master, Robin “Brownie” Brown of Threat Focused Training taught me 4 new life-saving skills that I had never even thought about. The concise, focused training is meant to teach automatic survival skills for the street. His techniques are all based on natural forms that enable your body to acquire fast-muscle memory of the techniques. Brownie gave me several live demonstrations where I would have been killed on the street if I had depended on my “practical shooting” skills alone. Brownie brings to his lessons his real life experiences from the streets of Boston. Brownie’s “Quick Kill”™ training lets you have a positive outcome from any life-threading situation. Brownie was able to neutralize me in less than 4 seconds using “Quick Kill”™ techniques. I am absolutely sure that with this technique I will survive and win the first 4 seconds of an armed conflict and survive to utilize my other “practical shooting” skills. He has so many more skills in his training arsenal to keep me coming back for further training. What a great teacher! I highly recommend this training for all law enforcement officers who put their life on the line everyday dealing with armed threats in our society. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions regarding my experience with “Quick Kill”™ at my e-mail address: pakmail_557@netzero.net
My eternal gratitude to Master Brownie.
Walt C. – East Tennessee
That began my association with the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). I have been competing in “Practical” matches on and off for the past 20 years. For the novice, “Practical Shooting” competition is comprised of 5 shooting scenarios or stages. Each shooter competes against others for time and accuracy. Think of each scenario like the way a S.W.A.T team might train in a “shoot house”. Each scenario/stage is built like a movie set with walls and necessary furniture to emulate the actual scene. Real life shooting scenarios can be as creative and elaborate as the members and money and material available to that hosting club. One memorable match scenario still sticks in my mind. The story goes; you are sleeping and startled by sounds in your bedroom. A notorious gang picked your house by mistake for a revenge killing. Gang members are in your house and have taken your kids outside so the gang’s kingpin can deal with you alone with some of his top henchmen. So the stage begins, you are in the bedroom lying in bed. When the buzzer sounds, the clock starts. You had to roll out of bed, grab your gun from the night stand (always mindful of all range safety rules: keeping finger off the trigger, keep gun from breaking the 180° plane) and engage multiple targets in the bedroom. You then run to the window and engage multiple targets outside, then run to another window and engage two hostile targets holding hostages. In the meantime, you must control your adrenaline rush and pounding heart and still engage the target with a head-shot to finish the course.
Having competed in this type of “practical shooting” match on and off for the last 20 years, I felt confident in engaging in future self-defense gunfights. I felt my gun handling skills had improved 500% since my days of just standing in an indoor range shooting at little round targets. Well, I would have been WRONG! (thank goodness I had not needed to put my “practical” gun skills to the test because I think I might not have passed muster.)
A buddy of mine and a friend had signed up for a private “gun training” class and his friend dropped out at the last minute. My buddy knew since I had competed in pistol matches that I might be interested in attending. It was a one-day course and I could easily take a day off from work. I thought the class tuition was a bit high. But after all, I would be getting a private lesson from an expert. Besides, my buddy was able to “shoot holes” in some of my practical shooting techniques for real world application.
What can you learn in 6 or 7 hours? I shot over 1,200 rounds! “Quick Kill”™ master, Robin “Brownie” Brown of Threat Focused Training taught me 4 new life-saving skills that I had never even thought about. The concise, focused training is meant to teach automatic survival skills for the street. His techniques are all based on natural forms that enable your body to acquire fast-muscle memory of the techniques. Brownie gave me several live demonstrations where I would have been killed on the street if I had depended on my “practical shooting” skills alone. Brownie brings to his lessons his real life experiences from the streets of Boston. Brownie’s “Quick Kill”™ training lets you have a positive outcome from any life-threading situation. Brownie was able to neutralize me in less than 4 seconds using “Quick Kill”™ techniques. I am absolutely sure that with this technique I will survive and win the first 4 seconds of an armed conflict and survive to utilize my other “practical shooting” skills. He has so many more skills in his training arsenal to keep me coming back for further training. What a great teacher! I highly recommend this training for all law enforcement officers who put their life on the line everyday dealing with armed threats in our society. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions regarding my experience with “Quick Kill”™ at my e-mail address: pakmail_557@netzero.net
My eternal gratitude to Master Brownie.
Walt C. – East Tennessee