Meta4
08-31-2005, 07:22 AM
I had an opportunity to get my class and range time out of the way this weekend at Southside Sportsman Club in Battle Creek. I wanted to take a moment to commend Joel Fulton and the rest of the staff at Southside on a truly fantastic job.
I was expecting eight hours of legal drudgery and inane banter about "how not to shoot yourself." I was very pleasantly surprised at the humorous but informative approach used in addressing the PPITH material, which not only kept me awake but addressed facets of concealed carry that I hadn't previously thought of.
Besides, you have to give serious props to anyone that uses John Wayne to address gun safety. The class was rolling with laughter at some of the clips Joel showed from Shenandoah and Rio Bravo (I think!).
I was also very pleasantly surprised when we opened the class with the Pledge of Allegiance, and when Joel interspersed Bible scripture to drive home certain points that really couldn't be better explained any other way.
The student demographic was also pretty amazing. Besides myself, there were two other young guys that were 21. One gentleman appeared to be in his late twenties, a few looked to be in their forties, and the other six or seven were easily sixty or older. Outside of age, the backgrounds were as varied as could be. From me, the lowly network engineer who was born and raised in Michigan, to my `neighbor' in the class, a seventy-something horse breeder from Florida. It was "a little bit of everything," I guess you could say.
The class not only focused on the PPITH material, but also featured some really eye-opening "common sense" stuff. Joel and his brother Jarred provided a few different "disarmament" demonstrations that drove home the point of the "21 foot" rule. From 24', Joel was able to tackle Jarred (which looked painful) by surprise before Jarred could successfully draw the pistol he was carrying Mexican-style. The tables were turned, and Jarred showed us how easy it was to disarm someone that was aiming at them point blank. It was a great example of actionary vs. reactionary timing.
Over all, it was a fantastic class that exceeded my expectations. The class price of $140.00 wasn't too steep, when you consider the three hours of range time they throw in to help you complete your training requirements. I was able to complete the class and range time in one day, which definitely helped cut down on my travel costs. If anyone in the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area is looking for a CCW class, I would heartily recommend Southside Sportsman Club.
-James
I was expecting eight hours of legal drudgery and inane banter about "how not to shoot yourself." I was very pleasantly surprised at the humorous but informative approach used in addressing the PPITH material, which not only kept me awake but addressed facets of concealed carry that I hadn't previously thought of.
Besides, you have to give serious props to anyone that uses John Wayne to address gun safety. The class was rolling with laughter at some of the clips Joel showed from Shenandoah and Rio Bravo (I think!).
I was also very pleasantly surprised when we opened the class with the Pledge of Allegiance, and when Joel interspersed Bible scripture to drive home certain points that really couldn't be better explained any other way.
The student demographic was also pretty amazing. Besides myself, there were two other young guys that were 21. One gentleman appeared to be in his late twenties, a few looked to be in their forties, and the other six or seven were easily sixty or older. Outside of age, the backgrounds were as varied as could be. From me, the lowly network engineer who was born and raised in Michigan, to my `neighbor' in the class, a seventy-something horse breeder from Florida. It was "a little bit of everything," I guess you could say.
The class not only focused on the PPITH material, but also featured some really eye-opening "common sense" stuff. Joel and his brother Jarred provided a few different "disarmament" demonstrations that drove home the point of the "21 foot" rule. From 24', Joel was able to tackle Jarred (which looked painful) by surprise before Jarred could successfully draw the pistol he was carrying Mexican-style. The tables were turned, and Jarred showed us how easy it was to disarm someone that was aiming at them point blank. It was a great example of actionary vs. reactionary timing.
Over all, it was a fantastic class that exceeded my expectations. The class price of $140.00 wasn't too steep, when you consider the three hours of range time they throw in to help you complete your training requirements. I was able to complete the class and range time in one day, which definitely helped cut down on my travel costs. If anyone in the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area is looking for a CCW class, I would heartily recommend Southside Sportsman Club.
-James