Shooting Classes/school/instruction

[boo radley]

I just got back late last night from a 2-day course with Frank Garcia at his range in Frostproof.

Excellent, excellent stuff -- at least for me. I don't have a basis for comparison because this was my first "formal" instruction, and I've only been shooting IPSC since the Spring of this year.

[spook]

Saul Kirsch. Saul is an excellent teacher and he knows so much about this game. Of course he teaches in Europe mostly, but he goes to the US Nationals every year.

I can highly recommend him.

[uscbigdawg]

My first class was a group class with Matt Burkett. It was great! I took it before our section championships and immediately paid off. About a year later, I decided to switch to Open and in doing so, called Matt for a private 2-day before going to four matches in a month. I had never shot an Open gun, for more than just plinking until that weekend. It was awesome! Area 6 - Won my class. Silver Bullet (I think was next) - Won my class. Area 4 - Shot like crap! West Coast Championships - 2nd in Class (I should have one first but there was a ringer in the mix who took 11th overall in 'C' Class).

Since, I've taken 1-2 more classes with Matt, but have added some additional training to the toolbox. It started with a 3-Gun class with Mike Voigt. That was a great weekend and Mike's a great, great instructor. That guy can flat out shoot. I enjoyed it so much that I took a 1-day private pistol only class with him, and the following day we shot a club match at Norco. Mike's philosophy and teaching methods really work well with where I am at in my shooting. I highly recommend taking a class or four with him. Frankly a class with Matt & Mike would be perfect for shortening the learning curve.

Most recently I took a class with Bennie Cooley. It was a 3-day (I think), 3 Gun class. Great stuff. Bennie is THE consumate professional. He has a great sense of humor, but even better a great instinct for knowing what motivates his students (particularly me with push-ups). He bends over backwards in getting the class set up right and without a doubt is a must for anyone that wants to shoot better. I thank him and Mike for getting me ready for the '04 SMM3G and they are why I did as well as I did in my first 3-Gun match.

That's my two cents. When I get back to the US, I'm looking to get back into "normal" shooting mode again and will contact all the above for training as well as Max & Travis and maybe add Tactical Response for a rifle class or two. They sound solid (TR) and as I've not taken a non-competition class in a very long time (outside of the Army), it'll be a nice class.

SPC Richard A. White, Senior Medic

249th MP Detachment (EACF)

Camp Humphreys, ROK

[Liota]

Three camps with Athena, Julie, Kay and Lisa (BWB). Great camps, all of them.

One 3-gun class with Jerry Miculek. Wow! Learned a lot in one day. Still trying to assimilate it all.

Class with Chuck Taylor. Class was fun. Fairly basic. Very informative at the time. Loads of fun shooting with the SEALs.

Liota

[Tokarev]

I took a class with Louie Awerbuck. It wasn't for competition though. It focused on L.E. work. He was unbelievably good though.

I recently attended Gabe's Suarez's "Extreme Close Range Gunfighting" class. Is was pretty good stuff. Nothing new or revolutionary but it was refreshing to see somebody trying to move away from the square range format.

And there were no flagrant safety violations despite what "SWAT" magazine would have us believe.

[Leozinho]

a one-day group class with Scott Warren, who impressed this inexperienced shooter.

I learned a lot, but it was kind of a big group, and one day just isn't enough. I'd like to do a private/semi-private (or at least a small group) next time. And I think that a two day class is worth the extra cost.

(Frank Garcia's format sounds ideal from what I've read here.)

[OpnBlstr]

I have taken classes from Frank Garcia and Eric Grauffel. I highly recommend both. I'm getting ready to take another class from Eric in a couple of months.

[Rocket35]

I took two of Matt Burkett's classes, top notch instruction! Before the classes I was classified Sharpshooter in CDP division. After the class I made Master in SSP division and am currently A Class in Limited and Limited 10 divisions. B Class in Production. I directly attribute a large portion of the success to what I learned in Matt's classes. Thanks Matt!!!!

[gotcha]

I have taken classes from Frank Garcia and Eric Grauffel. I highly recommend both. I'm getting ready to take another class from Eric in a couple of months.

Are you taking the course at the Florida Open??

[Cjblackmon]

I'm trying to reach Frank Garcia's school now but cannot get an answer. I'd like to attend a few of his classes and it would be fairly simple for me to attend his classes often to get me where I'd like to be (skillwise) since I live in Tampa. Anyways, I shot him an email since I couldn't leave a message.

[diehli]

I'm trying to reach Frank Garcia's school now but cannot get an answer. I'd like to attend a few of his classes and it would be fairly simple for me to attend his classes often to get me where I'd like to be (skillwise) since I live in Tampa. Anyways, I shot him an email since I couldn't leave a message.

He's probably a little busy at the moment: http://www.frankgarciausa.com/flaopen/main.html

Give him a day or two or try at a different time of day.

[John Baier]

Training with my pal Jake Devita

[DrawandDuck]

I will be attending Eric Grauffel's class in Feb at the Florida Open...I will post how it went when I get back..

[Chuck Anderson]

I've taken a number of classes and learned from every one. Some were better than others though. some of the best: Frank Garcia (methods of practice), Travis Thomasie (Course Analysis and how to speed transitions), Insights Training Academy, H&K, Firearms Academy of Seattle. Some of the ones that were good but didn't apply that much to IPSC: Thunder Ranch, John Farnam, Massad Ayoob and Louis Awerbuck. One I did not enjoy was MISS. Although I understand they have some new staff since I was there last which might solve the problems I had.

I'm looking forward to my next class at the Florida Open with Eric Grauffel

[Cjblackmon]

I spoke with Frank Garcia yesterday and I'm going to spend a few days with him the first weekend of February. I'm pumped! If everything works out, I'm going to (because I live in Tampa) going to try to revist him every other month to hone in my skills.

[schoonie]

Chad,

That's just not right! Didn't anyone tell you that practice is cheating!

[Kevin Kline]

Tell me about it schoonie, but since everyone else is going to, me too!

[Cjblackmon]

Chad,

That's just not right! Didn't anyone tell you that practice is cheating!

Jim, (I'm pretty sure it's you) you're the one that told me about going down there. I'm just trying to keep up with you and Kevin!

By the way, thanks for letting me borrow your 20 rounder last Friday.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Cjblackmon

[PJONES5]

Chad,

That's just not right! Didn't anyone tell you that practice is cheating!

I wouldn't talk if I was you Big Guy

pat

[schoonie]

Chad,

Any time.

You will definately get a lot out of Frank's class, especially if you practice the drills he generates for you. Knowing how and what to practice is the key to rapid improvement.

[Cjblackmon]

Chad,

Any time.

You will definately get a lot out of Frank's class, especially if you practice the drills he generates for you. Knowing how and what to practice is the key to rapid improvement.

I'm also taking your advice and buying a mag loader, I ordered two just in case one breaks!

Where were you tonight? We missed you at the Single Stack.

[schoonie]

Where were you tonight? We missed you at the Single Stack.

That nasty thing called a "job" got in the way.

[reneet]

Other than a couple of Babes with Bullets camps with Kay, Lisa, Julie & Athena (1st camp only), I've never taken a class. I have however received some coaching / constructive criticism over the last decade + from Kay, Jerry & Jim.

[syme71]

I just got back late last night from a 2-day course with Frank Garcia at his range in Frostproof.

Excellent, excellent stuff -- at least for me. I don't have a basis for comparison because this was my first "formal" instruction, and I've only been shooting IPSC since the Spring of this year.

Glad to hear you had a great experience. I'll be going down to attend Frank's class next Thursday/Friday. Any advice you can give before I attend the class? How many rounds did you end up shooting each day?

[boo radley]

I just got back late last night from a 2-day course with Frank Garcia at his range in Frostproof.

Excellent, excellent stuff -- at least for me. I don't have a basis for comparison because this was my first "formal" instruction, and I've only been shooting IPSC since the Spring of this year.

Glad to hear you had a great experience. I'll be going down to attend Frank's class next Thursday/Friday. Any advice you can give before I attend the class? How many rounds did you end up shooting each day?

Hi Syme71 --

We shot about 800 rounds each day, for the two days. Frank had said bring "2500", and I brought about 2300, and ended up giving away lots of boxes of 9mm to fellow students, since I flew....

Only advice I can really give is to bring lots of magazines and a mag loader, depending. If your grip is funky, correct it now -- it wasn't fun going through the whole class with a grip that felt odd. Have fun!