DEFTECH: Why Knowing Your Firearms Instructors Is Important

So you made the decision to finally take that tactical shooting class.  You feel it is time to increase your level of training.  But whose class do you take?  There is no shortage of instructors and schools these days.   Knowing who will be teaching you is just as important as the class you are looking to take.   There’s no sense in taking that cool vehicle CQB class or that awesome carbine class if the people teaching it aren’t proficient in their abilities to not only instruct you in the positions and techniques of said class, but don’t have the ability to also observe YOU and correct your positioning or techniques as you conduct the drills of the class.

Do your research and find out about the company and its instructors before you commit.  While you definitely want to be smart in the amount of money you spend, you also get what you pay for.  Cheapest price doesn’t always mean getting your best bang for the buck.  Likewise, overpaying just because the instructor is one of the most famous in the industry isn’t always necessary either.  If you have the means to, then sure, go for it. However there are just as many good, qualified instructors teaching that won’t cost you a week’s pay for a weekend class.

There is a theory that floats around in the firearms instructing community that, in order to be a good instructor, you need to have been in combat, been in a special forces unit or been on a SWAT team for a decade or more.  Nothing can be further from the truth. Remember, no matter how awesome the credentials of a person, whether they are military or law enforcement trained, does not necessarily mean they have what it takes to take what they know and convey that to the student.  Think of it in football terms.  Look at the great NFL coaches that have won multiple Super Bowls.  Have those same coaches been star players during their playing days or just average.  Some people just do not have that ability nor the patience to work with people who are not trained like themselves.  They need to remember the reason civilians are getting training is because they want to give themselves every advantage to protect themselves and their loved ones from an outside threat.  I have seen just as many highly qualified instructors with zero military or law enforcement backgrounds get great results from their students as those with combat experience.

That is why we believe in putting the opinions of prior students about individual instructors or schools ahead of anything else.  They have already dealt with that instructor or school and, if they are giving it high marks, then you should be good to go.As instructors, we also believe in furthering our training whenever possible.  Cross training with other schools and instructors is one of the best ways we can stay sharp and pass what we learn on to our students.  The bottom line is, if you intend to carry a firearm then you need training, and you should only commit to an instructor or school if you have done your research on them

Good hunting!

Pete Lanteri

Lead Instructor

DefTech Academy