Author: HeloMaster

This intermediate level live fire class was for previous Defensive Handgun students who had already been through didactic and close-quarters retention training in a classroom. Topics included 720 degree safety, movement in response to ambush, dealing with unknown street contacts, revolvers, Lumberjack drills, manipulations, impeded slide movement, lateral peels, shooting while moving laterally, Center Axis Relock, one handed fire, trading up to long guns or downed partner’s pistol in CQB, panning doors (clearing rooms from the outside), taking thresholds, clearing the fatal funnel, and biceps indexed retention shooting.

Although taking cover may save you from a sniper, it won’t stop his murderous rampage. If you are fortunate enough to have an accurate scoped rifle nearby, and more importantly YOUR ABILITY TO USE IT APPROACHES YOUR RIFLE’S CAPABLITY, you may be able to save lives. This after action fleshes out several counter-sniper concepts we touched upon in this range session.

This intro to defensive use of the handgun was more than just didactic. We practiced a great many skills (“dry” but hands-on), using barrel inserts. Subjects included solving line of fire problems (what to do about bystanders); grip, hold, and stance; weapons theory; Jennifer Fulford drills; Adam Miller drills; panning thresholds; switching hands; off lines and disarms; supine and standing weapon retention; Riding and Killing the Dragon; jamming the opponent’s draw; and situational awareness. This report explains what we covered and why.

Pistol Fudnamentals students:  Here is a summary of the training you attended on 08 August 2020.  Thanks for braving the heat with us!   Training Summary Warlizard Pistol Fundamentals clinic, NBGs (Not-beginner Group) North range, Pinal Airpark, AZ, 08 Aug 2020 …

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Students:  This document summarizes the training we conducted in your level 1 Defensive Shotgun class.  It’s here for you to use as a reference for future training and practice, as well as to document what was done and how we …

Protected: Basics of Defensive Shotgun, 15 Aug 2020 Read more →

Nick & Sarah:  Thank you for all your attentiveness during our didactic Revolver and AR coaching session.  This is my lesson plan (“training outline”) for that day, annotated with additional notes you may find useful.  I’m already looking forward to …

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This session was for less experienced shooters in a Pistol Fundamentals class. Although it’s often considered “advanced,” we started teaching them to shoot from retention positions, as they are more likely to be in a close range fight than a long range one. We also covered stoppage reduction and other aspects of manipulation. This course was followed by a Use of Force lecture for CCW students.

This course took place the evening after an afternoon Managing Multiple Assailants class. After introducing various hand-held flashlight search techniques, we talked about when and when NOT to use them in practical application. We followed up with several threat identification (decision shooting), use of cover, and movement drills. Importantly, we practiced verbalization and resisting sympathetic fire.

MMA is one of the offerings that set Heloderm apart from other training organizations from the start. Many practice IPSC-style “target transition” drills like the El Presidente. But few understand that the bad guys aren’t just going to stand there and let you shoot them, no matter how fast you are. This course was based on actual multiple assailant events, and addressed real-world concerns like flanking, and what to do if you’re surrounded.

This Annotated Training Outline documents an in-home class for a single mom and her young adult son.

This course had two main goals and a few tertiary ones. Primarily, we aimed to develop safe “real world” gun handling skills the Army Explorers could take with them as they transition to adulthood, in or out of the military. Secondly, actually handling lethal instruments–whether it’s a rifle, a car, or a fork lift, develops personal responsibility in ways they can’t get from computer-based training. Tertiary goals included familiarization and just having fun.

This in-home class was for a family of four.

This course included didactic, in-home dry practice manipulations during the early afternoon, and an afternoon / evening live-fire component, for a father / daughter pair. It included hooded (blind) stoppage reduction drills, low light shooting (with and without flashlights), ground-fighting / downed operator drills, impeded slide movement, oblique / lateral movement, retention with and without a flashlight, RMR familiarization, and target discrimination (“shoot / don’t shoot”) drills.

This three-part course started in a home, with discussion of the Arizona state law regarding Use of Force, as well as more universal self defense principles. It also included scenario-based decision shooting drills and rape / abduction prevention in and around cars. Part II was a live fire qualification component from 1.5 to 25 yards. Part III was back at home and included off lines, disarms, retention, defensive tactics, and the use of pepper spray.

These clinics took place in three phases. The daylight and low light pistol phases focused on speed and accuracy while managing competitive stress, matching participant against participant in live-fire steel plate “dueling tree” force on force. The shotgun phase was more scenario driven, but covered a wide range of shotgun manipulations and techniques. The main goal of the shotgun clinic was for each operator to gain an intimate knowledge and feel for what their scattergun will and will not do at different distances and under various operational conditions.

This state licensed armed security guard was trained and qualified by his agency on a Glock auto pistol. Then they issued him a revolver. There is so much more to mastering a wheel gun than “point, pull and pray”–especially if, like this security professional, you might need to bet your life on it. Fortunately, there are still a few of us “Sgt Roger Murtaughs” around.