goalie wrote:macphisto wrote:gtc wrote:its alright, its those children who come to my course>>>
Not even if it was free. Hell, not even if you paid me.
Really?
I'm personally of the belief that you can always learn something from everyone. Maybe not what they are trying to teach you, but definitely SOMETHING.
To put it another way, I don't really agree with Mas Ayoob on a whole lot regarding reloads etc...., but I'm still glad I took his advanced stressfire course. If it were free, you could go, take it all in, and keep what you want for your toolbox.
To say you wouldn't go if you were paid indicates a pretty fixed mindset and an unwillingness to be exposed to something different.I would never carry a 1911, but I damn sure would go to Gunsite and take a pistol course with one if it was free......
Really.
Andrew Rothman let me sit in on his carry course earlier this year free-of-charge. I was there to see how his training differed from the course I had taken, brush up on my knowledge, and offer suggestions. Most of the material was review for me, but it was a worthwhile experience because Andrew is a very competent instructor and a nice guy. Andrew spends a lot of time in his class going over the carry law itself and the legal implications of carrying a firearm for self-defense and less time on practical matters such as calibers and carry methods. I sat in on another course taught by a Tactical Tommy who spent the majority of the class on matters such as getting a good draw and where to shoot and very little time on the law. The course I took before getting my permit was a blend of both. While I feel all three were good classes, a class that deals more in the law of carrying is probably best. The rest of the stuff can be picked up as you go or in supplemental training.
Comparing an unknown MN PTC instructor with Mas Ayoob or Gunsite is not apples-to-apples. The latter are proven experts and, despite not agreeing with all the finer points of their philosophies, you're almost guaranteed to gain something of value.
I'm not unwilling to learn something new or different, quite the contrary. What I AM unwilling to do is waste my time taking a self-defense/firearm class from a twenty-four-year-old with a MySpace page, a bad attitude, a demonstrated lack of good judgment, and poor spelling.
...
The reason I harshly scrutinize unknown and unproven instructors is due, in part, to what we've seen here and on the other board many times. A new member joins, excited to have just taken her carry class, and introduces herself:
"Hey, I just took my conceal carry class from Tactical Ninja Training (TNT) and it was great! Anyone know how long it will take my CCW to arrive? I've been convicted of domestic violence, do you think that will be a problem? Will my CCW be valid anywhere outside Minnesota? What if my shirt blows up and someone sees my piece, would I go to jail for brandishing? I'm never going to carry with a round chambered because my instructor said it's dangerous. Also, anyone know where I can get a conceal carry badge? The instructor said it's a good idea that could save your life."Bad instructors create bad permit-holders...and we don't need any more of those. I'm not calling Aron a bad instructor, but I'm skeptical.
I changed my mind. I will take Aron's GOTCHA carry class, if compensated, and provide a full, well-written critique. When I do private consulting work, my standard rate is $50/hour. Let me know.