This weekend I spent the day at the West Shore Sportmans Association shooting range, in Harrisburg PA, and participated in ATSAs monthly study group.
ATSA (American Tactical Shooters Association) holds a study group on the third Saturday of every month.
Here is their web-site:
http://www.teddytactical.com/
The group also sponsors what is called the National Tactical Invitational once every year. People from all over the world come to test at the NTI. I've met people from the Secret Service, FBI, Military, Doctors, Lawyers, Salesmen, Mechanics, Prison Guards, Business owners, Students, LEOs from all over the states and LEO trainers from Australia, Europe and even Bahamas. Some of them are loud and obnoxious, some are quiet and reserved, some are very approachable, some are not. There are a lot of different characters you will meet at the NTI and study groups, and all are good people but the one, glarinly evident, common factor that is found in them all is that they realize that "Their" safety relies on "THEM" and "THEM" alone.
In the study groups they discuss everything from tactics, history, equipment, legal ramifications, alternate weapons, environmental weapons, mindset, training drills, other study groups, other training facilities and what they offer, care and cleaning of defensive tools etc., etc., etc.... If it deals with self-defense and self-preservation it gets talked about in depth.
The day is broken in half with a lecture the first half and then drills to help hone peoples abilities to defend themselves in a crappy situation.
This study group discussed what might have happened during the attacks on the US last week and ways that it could have been prevented or ways that may have helped the passengers regain control of the plane. Knowing hind sight is always 20/20 and not taking away from the heroes in the plane that went down in Somerset PA, which may have been destined for the Whitehouse, the discussion wasn't "They should have done this -or- They shouldn't have done that...", it was more like what could have been done?". What could have been used knowing what information the passengers might have known at the time?"
It was a good and long discussion. What really was a point that hit home was when the fellow, on the plane that wrecked in PA, made a phone call to his wife and told her that, "They might die doing what they are going to do but they have to do it..." He accepted his fate and still fought on, him and a few others on the plane.
A review on John Farnams long gun course was brought up by a few that attended the class. They reviewed what the curriculum was and what they noted about the training, equipment and testing of the class. It was a highly recommend course by the several students that attended it.
I took some photos of the drills we worked on outside and the force-on-force scenario. Unfortunately I didn't get to take photos of the house clearing drill because of safety reasons, of course.
The photos aren't of great quality. I couldn't get Ichiro Nagata to break away from his busy schedule to take the photos and unfortunately this Asian doesn't have top quality photo equipment OR skill to do the photos justice.
These are photos that were taken on Range 3. It was a basic knife drill. At the ROs command you block the dummies arm closest to you and from concealment draw and slash and continue to slash. It was done with both drawing from dominant side and non-dominant side. People who carry two knives had a definite advantage over those who carried one. Those that carried two knives and practice had a far definite advantage over those that just carried two
Notes were taken on anyone who had a knife that couldn't cut through the duct tape and cut into the foam underneath. A couple months ago at one of the study group Jim Garthwaite showed us how to keep a good edge on a knife.
Yes, the world-renowned pistolsmith Jim Garthwaite. He doesn't just know how to build a great pistol, he knows how and when to use them too. He attends the study groups also.
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Continued in next post.....
ATSA (American Tactical Shooters Association) holds a study group on the third Saturday of every month.
Here is their web-site:
http://www.teddytactical.com/
The group also sponsors what is called the National Tactical Invitational once every year. People from all over the world come to test at the NTI. I've met people from the Secret Service, FBI, Military, Doctors, Lawyers, Salesmen, Mechanics, Prison Guards, Business owners, Students, LEOs from all over the states and LEO trainers from Australia, Europe and even Bahamas. Some of them are loud and obnoxious, some are quiet and reserved, some are very approachable, some are not. There are a lot of different characters you will meet at the NTI and study groups, and all are good people but the one, glarinly evident, common factor that is found in them all is that they realize that "Their" safety relies on "THEM" and "THEM" alone.
In the study groups they discuss everything from tactics, history, equipment, legal ramifications, alternate weapons, environmental weapons, mindset, training drills, other study groups, other training facilities and what they offer, care and cleaning of defensive tools etc., etc., etc.... If it deals with self-defense and self-preservation it gets talked about in depth.
The day is broken in half with a lecture the first half and then drills to help hone peoples abilities to defend themselves in a crappy situation.
This study group discussed what might have happened during the attacks on the US last week and ways that it could have been prevented or ways that may have helped the passengers regain control of the plane. Knowing hind sight is always 20/20 and not taking away from the heroes in the plane that went down in Somerset PA, which may have been destined for the Whitehouse, the discussion wasn't "They should have done this -or- They shouldn't have done that...", it was more like what could have been done?". What could have been used knowing what information the passengers might have known at the time?"
It was a good and long discussion. What really was a point that hit home was when the fellow, on the plane that wrecked in PA, made a phone call to his wife and told her that, "They might die doing what they are going to do but they have to do it..." He accepted his fate and still fought on, him and a few others on the plane.
A review on John Farnams long gun course was brought up by a few that attended the class. They reviewed what the curriculum was and what they noted about the training, equipment and testing of the class. It was a highly recommend course by the several students that attended it.
I took some photos of the drills we worked on outside and the force-on-force scenario. Unfortunately I didn't get to take photos of the house clearing drill because of safety reasons, of course.
The photos aren't of great quality. I couldn't get Ichiro Nagata to break away from his busy schedule to take the photos and unfortunately this Asian doesn't have top quality photo equipment OR skill to do the photos justice.
These are photos that were taken on Range 3. It was a basic knife drill. At the ROs command you block the dummies arm closest to you and from concealment draw and slash and continue to slash. It was done with both drawing from dominant side and non-dominant side. People who carry two knives had a definite advantage over those who carried one. Those that carried two knives and practice had a far definite advantage over those that just carried two

Notes were taken on anyone who had a knife that couldn't cut through the duct tape and cut into the foam underneath. A couple months ago at one of the study group Jim Garthwaite showed us how to keep a good edge on a knife.
Yes, the world-renowned pistolsmith Jim Garthwaite. He doesn't just know how to build a great pistol, he knows how and when to use them too. He attends the study groups also.
--------------------
Continued in next post.....