AAR for: The Complete Combatant
Steve Havey
Attended January 13-14, 2018
Course Summary
This course provides a complete overview of a self-defense encounter from the unknown /unwanted contact, the legal requirements that must be met for use of deadly force by a civilian, the post event call to 911, interaction with police and initial discussion with your lawyer. Through role playing, dry fire firearms manipulations and hands on physical activity you are introduced to the verbal, physical and emotional challenges of dealing with varying levels of unwanted communication and physical assault, both lethal and non-lethal. It also provides basic instruction in the use and application of tourniquets to stop major bleeding. Brian and Shelley are great people with a passion for passing on their knowledge. You can tell for the outset that your well-being is what motivates them and drives their efforts.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR:
This course is for anyone who owns a gun that might be used in a self-defense scenario. While the firearms training is focused on the concealed carry firearm many of the concepts apply to anyone who is interested in self-defense. The instructors do a great job of individually making the physical effort challenging yet achievable for each student. We had three ladies and five gentlemen in this class covering a wide variety of age and physical conditioning. I know each felt challenged without being overwhelmed.
SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION:
Anyone who carries a firearm should take this course, especially if, like most of us, your training to date has primarily been in the application of the firearm rather than knowing when to use it, how to minimize the need to use it and what to do after a self-defense encounter of any type.
DETAILED REVIEW AND OBSERVATIONS:
This class had the ambitious goal of covering a list of subjects that would normally take at least three classes to cover, usually more. I know because I had already attended several classes totaling 8 or more days to get exposed to all the material covered in this class. Naturally with the time constraints of a 1.5-day class you will not get immersive training in each of the subjects but you do get enough exposure to understand the basic application, to be able to practice them on your own and most importantly just how critical each of them are to you. Some of the specific things you will do in this class include:
• Learn the 5 requirements needed for the use of force to qualify as self-defense.
• Role paly as both the aggressor and the innocent party.
• Practice deselection, avoidance and retreat.
• Learn to issue verbal challenges and use physical fences to keep an attacker at distance.
• Creating distance from your attacker, including from a grounded position.
• The difference between non-lethal and lethal force and when to apply each.
• Presenting your firearm from a variety of positions including close quarters both standing and on the ground.
• Expose strength and weaknesses related to your personal choice in firearms, holster, carry position etc. Especially if you think you do not have any!
• Applying a tourniquet to yourself or someone else, including doing it without prior warning and under a time constraint.
• Simulated calls to the 911, and interaction with responding police officers.
• Watch video of actual gun fights and 911 calls to drive home aspects of the training.
• Towards the end of class, you will have an individual scenario where you are the victim of an attack and must defend yourself. It is both physically and mentally challenging and a great eye opener on how stress affects your actions including communications with authorities afterwards. You will be surprised by what you say when you are a little winded and stresses, even when you know it is not “real”.
A UNIQUE ASPECT OF THIS CLASS:
Through the use of Train Safe barrel inserts and Rogers Tap Rack Trainers (TRT) magazine inserts this class allows you to use your own firearm in not only dry fire drills but also to point your firearm at your “attacker”. This also means you will have their disabled weapon pointed at you. While this allows you to test your own firearm and holster in close quarters contact I had a lot of trepidation about it even though I knew the guns were rendered safe. I read their safety protocol on line before signing up to take the class and I was already familiar with the Train Safe and TRT products as I use them for dry fire exercises and I do not know of a better way to make a gun inoperable that can be readily applied to a wide variety of firearms. Shelley and Brian want everyone comfortable with the concept and in our class that included allowing a student to inspect everyone else’s firearm even though each firearm was inspected and each student patted down twice, once each by two different staff members. And then they thanked the student for making the request.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Take this class. Live fire is a lot of fun and too many of us focus on it at the expense of this type of training. Several students in the class had a real eye opening about the aspects of self-defense that have nothing to do with shooting skill and several of them have already signed up to take this class again in a few months. I know I will take it again. Not only do they make it a little harder for alumni each time they repeat they also offer an alumni discount. And I plan to take the other classes they offer. Check them out at: http://www.thecompletecombatant.com
Steve Havey
Attended January 13-14, 2018
Course Summary
This course provides a complete overview of a self-defense encounter from the unknown /unwanted contact, the legal requirements that must be met for use of deadly force by a civilian, the post event call to 911, interaction with police and initial discussion with your lawyer. Through role playing, dry fire firearms manipulations and hands on physical activity you are introduced to the verbal, physical and emotional challenges of dealing with varying levels of unwanted communication and physical assault, both lethal and non-lethal. It also provides basic instruction in the use and application of tourniquets to stop major bleeding. Brian and Shelley are great people with a passion for passing on their knowledge. You can tell for the outset that your well-being is what motivates them and drives their efforts.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR:
This course is for anyone who owns a gun that might be used in a self-defense scenario. While the firearms training is focused on the concealed carry firearm many of the concepts apply to anyone who is interested in self-defense. The instructors do a great job of individually making the physical effort challenging yet achievable for each student. We had three ladies and five gentlemen in this class covering a wide variety of age and physical conditioning. I know each felt challenged without being overwhelmed.
SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION:
Anyone who carries a firearm should take this course, especially if, like most of us, your training to date has primarily been in the application of the firearm rather than knowing when to use it, how to minimize the need to use it and what to do after a self-defense encounter of any type.
DETAILED REVIEW AND OBSERVATIONS:
This class had the ambitious goal of covering a list of subjects that would normally take at least three classes to cover, usually more. I know because I had already attended several classes totaling 8 or more days to get exposed to all the material covered in this class. Naturally with the time constraints of a 1.5-day class you will not get immersive training in each of the subjects but you do get enough exposure to understand the basic application, to be able to practice them on your own and most importantly just how critical each of them are to you. Some of the specific things you will do in this class include:
• Learn the 5 requirements needed for the use of force to qualify as self-defense.
• Role paly as both the aggressor and the innocent party.
• Practice deselection, avoidance and retreat.
• Learn to issue verbal challenges and use physical fences to keep an attacker at distance.
• Creating distance from your attacker, including from a grounded position.
• The difference between non-lethal and lethal force and when to apply each.
• Presenting your firearm from a variety of positions including close quarters both standing and on the ground.
• Expose strength and weaknesses related to your personal choice in firearms, holster, carry position etc. Especially if you think you do not have any!
• Applying a tourniquet to yourself or someone else, including doing it without prior warning and under a time constraint.
• Simulated calls to the 911, and interaction with responding police officers.
• Watch video of actual gun fights and 911 calls to drive home aspects of the training.
• Towards the end of class, you will have an individual scenario where you are the victim of an attack and must defend yourself. It is both physically and mentally challenging and a great eye opener on how stress affects your actions including communications with authorities afterwards. You will be surprised by what you say when you are a little winded and stresses, even when you know it is not “real”.
A UNIQUE ASPECT OF THIS CLASS:
Through the use of Train Safe barrel inserts and Rogers Tap Rack Trainers (TRT) magazine inserts this class allows you to use your own firearm in not only dry fire drills but also to point your firearm at your “attacker”. This also means you will have their disabled weapon pointed at you. While this allows you to test your own firearm and holster in close quarters contact I had a lot of trepidation about it even though I knew the guns were rendered safe. I read their safety protocol on line before signing up to take the class and I was already familiar with the Train Safe and TRT products as I use them for dry fire exercises and I do not know of a better way to make a gun inoperable that can be readily applied to a wide variety of firearms. Shelley and Brian want everyone comfortable with the concept and in our class that included allowing a student to inspect everyone else’s firearm even though each firearm was inspected and each student patted down twice, once each by two different staff members. And then they thanked the student for making the request.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Take this class. Live fire is a lot of fun and too many of us focus on it at the expense of this type of training. Several students in the class had a real eye opening about the aspects of self-defense that have nothing to do with shooting skill and several of them have already signed up to take this class again in a few months. I know I will take it again. Not only do they make it a little harder for alumni each time they repeat they also offer an alumni discount. And I plan to take the other classes they offer. Check them out at: http://www.thecompletecombatant.com
