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Blayglock
11-06-2011, 09:00 PM
I wanted to provide an AAR for the Inpax course Defensive Handgun II in Pittsburgh on Oct 22-23. This course in module 2 of 4 in the defensive handgun curriculum. The class consisted of two 6 hour days and was $295. If you bring a friend/spouse it is $450 for the two of you. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

A little background about the company. Inpax was founded in 2003 by a gentleman named Sam Rosenberg who has been involved in personal security and defensive tactics for quite some time and is also a veteran of the USMC. Since the founding of this company he has built up an impressive cadre of professionals to provide training in all aspects personal security including mindset, hand-to-hand tactics, edged weapons, handguns, carbines, and shotguns. In addition, his company provides executive protection, training, and research to law enforcement agencies. For more info please see http://www.inpax.net/default.html. In not in any way affiliated with this company other than having gone to a Bulletproof Mind Seminar they hosted and having taken this class. I met Mr. Rosenberg at the Bulletproof Mind seminar and he struck me as a very down-to-earth guy who was not a pretentious ass in the least. That attitude seems to have been instilled in his organization as well and was very important to me when choosing to go train with someone.

I actually was introduced to Inpax through the gentleman who was the instructor for the course, John Battilana. I met John because I was looking for someone to do firearm transfers for me when I moved to Pittsburgh and was close to my house. This is something John does to help his fellow shooters out on the side since He works executive protection and instructs for Inpax. John invited me to attend the Bulletproof Mind Seminar they were hosting (more on that in a bit) which was my first introduction to the organization and how I came to learn a little about what they do. I also met many people at this seminar who regularly pay these people to train them. After receiving unanimous positive feedback from people at the seminar I knew I had to sign up.

John is a true professional and does not seem to have a dogmatic bone in his body, important in an industry of inflated egos. Throughout the class he would show us several methods for whatever skill we were working on, show you what they have found works best, and coach you through the finer points of implementing that. If you had another method that you have found works better for you, his attitude was go for it. No forced Weaver stance and Powerstroke method (used pejoratively here to describe the over-hand slide release) to earn your gold star here. John did very well at keeping the class moving along at a pace that kept you from getting bored or had too much down time, while at the same time taking time to ensure everyone had a chance to work on the concepts being taught. He was also good at providing individualized feedback to those who needed it. In addition, the head of HR for Inpax was there to act as a range officer. She was very good at ensuring a safe shooting environment and also providing individualized help to the shooters who needed it, so much so, that we discussed having her train my wife.

Quick blurb about the Bulletproof Mind Seminar. Do yourself a favor and go to the seminar. Afterwards buy the book. Col. Grossman is a very engaging speaker, prolific author, and first class scholar. His material will help you mentally and tactically prepare for the worst, while also making you more aware of your everyday surroundings. I had so many light bulb moments during that seminar that I do not hav the time or space to present them here. WhatI liked most is that he was not just presenting theory. Everything he teaches is backed by scholarly research and real-world implementation and feedback. Specifically what I found most helpful was the psychology of single event mass murders (think school shooters) and strategies terrorist typically employ to draw victims in to a kill zone and terrorism tactics in regards to attacking local schools and communities. You learn effective strategies for dealing with both situations. In addition, he teaches you how to regain control of your emotions during and after a situation and how to deal with the aftermath.

Blayglock
11-06-2011, 09:00 PM
Below I am going to provide the class outlines with some comments. I am going to show a few pictures and provide a link to my photo album for the remainder:

Day 1
Safety and Med Pac
Core fundamentals and Prior Class review (all targets leaning, with camo)
- Stance, grip, sight alignment and sight picture
- draw
- trigger control
- load, unload, and reload
Covered basic defensive engagement skills such as first shot marksmanship, controlled pairs, double taps, failure drills, and alternate failure drill to pelvic region.

The particular training aspect here is that all of these fundamentals were covered while engaging targets that where in varied positions and orientations relative to the shooter. One of the big emphases of Inpax handgun training is that we do live in a 3-D world. All of the training is designed to get people out of the mindset of the square range, straight target mindset. To that end, even basic drills were run against targets in alternative positions.

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office012-1.jpg

We then moved into Alternative Shooting Positions- Squat, Kneel, Prone. I learned a particularly novel concept for shooting prone, that while it may look weird, it is the most stable prone position I fired in and has the added benefit of protecting your body by your legs.

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office024.jpg

We then moved inp first learning how to move while shooting followed by shooting targets while on the move. The laid the foundation for day two where we learned shooting moving targets while moving we were also moving. From here were instructed in proper use of cover, shooting around cover, and proper pieing techniques.

The final hour or so of instruction involved solo room clearing/ house clearing which combined all of the skills learned that day. It was by-far the most fun and challenging part of the class. Definitely the class favorite for the day.

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office029.jpg
Shown here is teh finger gun technique. 60% of the time, it works every time.

As a funny side note, the facility where we were training also as a large open field by the front entrance. They were allowing some sort of medieval festival to go on there. These people were dressed the part and they had a full-on, hand-to-hand melee going with swords and what-not. Pretty entertaining and behind the times a few hundred years lol.

Blayglock
11-06-2011, 09:01 PM
Day 2

If Day 1 was the primer about getting off the metal “square range” Day 2 was the tour-de-force. It was all about 3-D Shooting, Foreground/Background awareness, and impaired gun handling and manipulation.

We started out with the following drills:

All targets leaning 3-d, with cant and camo cover.
- basic warm-up
- strong hand review
- support hand review
- injured arm skills
- single arm load, unload, reload, malfunction clearing.
- getting off "X". This was also something Col. Grossman talked about in his seminar, the tendency for people to in a fight to get tunnel vision, and the increased chances of prevailing by simply getting off the “X”.

We then moved into
Introduction to foreground / background 2 lines of target drills
- lateral target
- lateral target with cover

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office037.jpg

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office039.jpg

- Movement with multiple targets and multiple cover points. This involved use of cover, strong hand and support hand shooting, shooting on the move, and shooting moving targets while moving to cover.

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office042.jpg

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office043.jpg

The rest of the day was spent shooting 3-D target systems. This was an ingenious 3-D taget system that simulated live movement. It included engaging the moving target, engaging the moving target in amongst non-threatening targets, and team tactics. Very innovative and difficult. Involved shooting a target behind a non-hostile while both were moving randomnly. Pictures are worth a thousand words here:

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office046.jpg

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office045.jpg


http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office048.jpg

A very good assessment and reinforcement of skills. This was also shot under time stress to simulate to the best of their ability the difficulty such a situation would present. Note: They did not advocate trying to play hero or “take” a headshot in hostage situation. At this point I can just see you hardcore “I’m more serious and grounded in reality that you are” types gearing up to unleash your fury upon this drill. Don’t bother. This was used as a skill reinforcement test, to give you an idea or how difficult something like this really is, and to make you aware of the 3-D environment you live in and may have to defend yourself in. They did not at any time advocate unnecessary bravado. And for those folks who live in some sort of fantasy world were you make these types of shots regularly- you will change your mind after trying this for real. Or if you don’t, stay the hell away from me.

I also learned something very interesting. Before shooting this drill the instructor warned us that hat brims regularly deflect not only handgun rounds, but also rifle rounds and even shotgun slugs. He personally has seen all manner of handgun calibers, .223, and even 7.62X29 deflected by the brim of a hat. As if to prove his point we got to see this first hand when a 9mm round skidded of the brim of a hat and deflected into the skull of the target at an angle. Had the target not been made of foam I could easily see where that round could have deflected off someone’s forehead with minimal effect on stopping an attack.

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office047.jpg

Overall I was very satisfied with the level of instruction received and the skills I reinforced and learned. I was the only person in the class who shot this from concealment, and I recommend you go through the class in this manner, especially if you regularly carry concealed. You will get a more realistic assessment of your strengths and weaknesses this way.

Gear Talk

Almost everyone in the class shot a Glock of some sort except for one guy using a sig. One of the female shooters experienced some stoppages with her Glock. I did have the time to assess why. Everyone else’s gun ran fine. Of the 9 people in the class I believe there were 5 Serpa type holsters. I know many instructors have started banning these types of holsters in class due to safety concerns. I did not notice any but that does not mean they were not there. What I did see was an epic failure of one of these types of holsters due to some grit getting behind the retention bar preventing it from being able to be depressed. The guy’s gun was stuck in the holster until it could be disassembled. Not something I want to happen when I need it most.

My Gear:

I was using a Gen 3 Glock 19 set up with the following mods:

Std Connector w/ 0.25 cent trigger job
10-8 Brass Bead front sight with .140 notch rear
Custom applied Grip tape lol
Grip Force Adapter Beavertail. I’m mainly a 1911 shooter and tend to get a high grip on Glocks. Slide bite sucks.

After the first day I had a wicked case of Glock Knuckle. So when i got home I beveled the trigger guard. Next day- no problems.

I also want to say that CANE AND DERBY ROCKS!!!! This is my second holster from them and will not be my last. I also had a Raven Concealment for an H&K45c and C&D makes holsters every bit the quality without the long wait. I ordered this particular holster a little over the month before my class. I spoke with Ian on the phone and asked if it would be possible to get this out before my class. C&D absolutely bent over backwards to get this to me on time including moving me up in the queue and expedited shipping on their dime. Ian was very responsive during the entire process and they have a made a lifelong customer of me.

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/d9601fde.jpg

Thanks for reading and I will try and answer any questions you may have.

More Pics:

http://s687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/

Jay Cunningham
11-06-2011, 10:19 PM
I know John Battilana from meeting him in an AK class that I taught last year, he's a good dude. I hope to attend some INPAX courses sometime.

orionz06
11-07-2011, 08:07 AM
I met John because I was looking for someone to do firearm transfers for me when I moved to Pittsburgh and was close to my house. This is something John does to help his fellow shooters out on the side since He works executive protection and instructs for Inpax.

Cool deal, I use John for transfers too.




What I did see was an epic failure of one of these types of holsters due to some grit getting behind the retention bar preventing it from being able to be depressed. The guy’s gun was stuck in the holster until it could be disassembled. Not something I want to happen when I need it most.


Was this after much rolling around?

Al T.
11-07-2011, 08:07 AM
Excellent review!


Before shooting this drill the instructor warned us that hat brims regularly deflect not only handgun rounds, but also rifle rounds and even shotgun slugs

Louis Awerbuck reports the same. :eek:

Blayglock
11-07-2011, 09:20 AM
I know John Battilana from meeting him in an AK class that I taught last year, he's a good dude. I hope to attend some INPAX courses sometime.

I hope to talk with you about carbine training in the near future.

The serpa failure did happen after the prone shooting, but we did not d o"a lot" of rolling around. It was basiclaly that one drill on the ground.

Jay Cunningham
11-07-2011, 10:10 AM
I hope to talk with you about carbine training in the near future.

Lookn forward to it!

HCM
11-07-2011, 12:49 PM
The final hour or so of instruction involved solo room clearing/ house clearing which combined all of the skills learned that day. It was by-far the most fun and challenging part of the class. Definitely the class favorite for the day.

http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv239/BlayGlock/INpax%20AAR/Office029.jpg
Shown here is teh finger gun technique. 60% of the time, it works every time.



Nothing wromg with the Finger gun, but as Dropkick noted here : http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?1088-AAR-Armed-Movement-In-Structures-(AMIS)-June-4-5-2011-Culpeper-VA

"While doing that, every student learned, through pain, that solo clearing a structure is an incredibly dangerous task."

This something you want more than an hour of training on.....

Tony Muhlenkamp
12-23-2011, 02:48 PM
I first encountered the tilted, 3D, and moving target systems in 2005 in a Randy Cain Handgun 101 Class. http://www.guntactics.com/

Randy worked for Louis Awerbuck for a long time, and I THINK Louis is the one that pioneered their use and original designs. You can read more about their use and utility in Louis' books: http://www.amazon.com/Louis-Awerbuck/e/B001JS2REO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

The targets shown added a whole new dimension (:rolleyes:) to square range training.

JAD
12-24-2011, 06:31 AM
The 'wobblers' were introduced to me in 1997 by Jim Crews. He never said whether they were his idea, but I know he welded up the set he had. I do wish he still taught.

Tony Muhlenkamp
12-24-2011, 11:37 PM
I never trained with Jim Crews, but I have a set of his "Some of the Answer" books and they are excellent. I have trained with some people that trained with Jim, and they all speak VERY highly of him.

I should mention that I have never taken a firearms class from John Battilana or Sam Rosenberg, but I have been in class with them; and they are both excellent shooters and I am not surprised by the positive experience Blayglock had in class. I have been a self defense student of INPAX and Sam for several years and the training is invaluable. If you are in the Pittsburgh area it is worth exploring as a major piece of the puzzle.