You sound just like me! Are you SURE you missed it?
Just kidding. I usually do go into mental awareness and how most people need to raise theirs one color level. The mountain of subject matter I do if I can (that is over and above the state requirements) could easily take a second 8 hours. How well (or if) I get to cover some of it depends on the size of the class and their level of experience. The state requirements have to come first and it's about to get worse.
The bill the governor just signed doubles the shooting requirements to 140 rounds including a mandatory qualification with both types of gun now (starting Aug 28 ). This is going to change my 7 hour classroom and 1 hour range time to 6 and 2. This is bad on so many levels. Optional information that I have always tried to go into will now have to be permanently moved to the next level class. Since most people don't follow up with more training once they get their license, they'll never get some really valuable stuff. Plus we now will have to force older folks with arthritis, non-shooting enthusiasts who may be recoil sensitive as well as those on a limited income to buy and fire 140 rounds at one time through two different guns to get the government's permission to be ready to fire one or two shots they may need to save their life one day. I consider it unlikely ANY of them will ever engage in gunfight of 140 rounds!
So . . . they have REDUCED the amount training I can give while increasing the difficulty and cost for the very people who may live in places where they need it the most. Brilliant!
Those who have been on the range with me understand there is way more value in HOW you shoot than how much. Most people who come to me that are very good target shooters go away realizing how much their practice has hurt their ability to defend themselves. They always thought their range time was preparing them to defend themselves, but all their muscle memory is wrong. A lifetime of standing in one place shooting at a target that is also standing in one place has created a way of doing things that will be a disaster for most of them in a real confrontation. Spending less time showing them how to undo what their hands do now and then showing them how to build it back correctly because we have to get more rounds down range is a problem I am going to have to find a way to deal with.
Thanks for the comment Brian, it gave me a chance to vent.
Greg
http://www.stlccw.com/
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2011 06:58AM by CCWTrainer.
