SLG
08-08-2013, 04:24 PM
I will start by saying that this is not an AAR in any true sense, just a write up of my experience at this class.
1685168416861687On August 3rd and 4th I had the good fortune to take Mike Seeklander’s introductory level defensive handgun class in Missoula, MT at the Deer Creek Shooting Center. Mike ‘s company is Shooting-Performance and he comes to Missoula every year to teach various defensive pistol and rifle classes, as well as competition based pistol and rifle classes.
In case you don’t know much about him, Mike Seeklander (Seeker, as he is often known) has a pretty unique background. Most know him as a top, semi-pro shooter in practical shooting competitions but he also has an impressive resume. He was a Marine and is a Desert Storm veteran who, after getting out of the military went into law enforcement. While a cop, he was recruited to teach the Federal Air Marshals after 9/11 and was later selected to head up their firearms training section.
As the head of the FAM’s firearms program, Mike was exposed to state of the art training ideas as well as being surrounded by many very capable shooters and combat vets. While still with the FAMs, Seeker was recruited to head up training at the fledgling USSA Shooting Academy. In just a few years USSA built an excellent reputation and catered to many law enforcement and military units as well as civilian competition and defensive minded shooters. With his background and experience Mike was able to attract many of the top shooters and instructors to work at USSA, either full or part time.
Television and personal requests for training placed Mike in a position where he could pursue his own dream and open his own company, Shooting-Performance, LLC (S-P). He has authored a couple of books and DVD’s and has also become an outdoor television personality on defensive tactics based shows, including The Best Defense, and Rapid Fire. Both are on the Outdoor Channel on Wednesday’s.
I will say up front that Mike has been a buddy for a number of years. I’ve shot against him in competition, and hung out with him at trade shows. I first learned of his teaching skills while he was running the FAMs program, but I never had the opportunity to train with him. Despite offering classes in Montana, I haven’t been able to make it to Missoula for one, so when this looked like it might work out, I altered my schedule and managed to make it work.
Day one of the class started promptly at 8:00 am. The host, Scott, provided much appreciated Starbucks coffee and various bagels for the students. Seeker started out by introducing himself in a very professional, non egotistical way. He explained that the material in this course would start after the decision to shoot has been made and suggested that students consult with a qualified attorney for more information on deadly force laws. One of the students, Gary Marbut, had authored a book on firearms laws in Montana, and his book was also mentioned as a good reference for any MT residents.
Next students were asked to introduce themselves. It quickly became apparent that the class was comprised of a diverse group of professionally accomplished students, including medical professionals, firearms industry pros, engineer’s, law enforcement, competition shooters, and retired folks.
Seeker then went over a comprehensive list of range and training rules that students had to read out loud to the class. I thought this was an excellent idea, especially for an open enrollment, level one class. A medical brief was also included and students with advanced medical training were identified and assigned jobs in the event that a medical emergency occurred. After everyone was up to speed on what Mike expected from a safety standpoint, we signed the S-P waiver, and Mike delved into his first training topics.
The class was advertised as needing 1200 rounds though the first morning was spent dry fire only. I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes, but I found that it was very well done, not boring at all, and essential for getting students up to speed. We covered stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture, draw, trigger control, reloads, pivots and more. All of these topics were taught from a defensive standpoint, not a competition one.
Mike went into detail on gripping the gun and the importance of recoil control. He made the point that you need to let the gun’s recoil show you how to hold it, and then he demonstrated how. Each student was encouraged to find the way that worked best for them so that they could teach themselves in the future. Seeker spent considerable time one on one with each student to make sure they knew how to do just that.
Without going into great detail, Mike believes in a “vise-like” grip. He uses his larger chest and shoulder muscles to help grip the gun, rather than relying on weaker hand and arm muscles. In the competition world, Mike is known for having some of the best recoil control, so when he talks about this subject, smart people listen. It was a very interesting part of the class and Mike did an excellent job of explaining it and allowing students to experience it.
Mike also covered some equipment issues on the first day. He was carrying a G17 in a Safariland model 18 holster, worn aiwb. A single spare mag was on his off-side and he concealed his gun under a t-shirt. Mike does not care for night sights and prefers to leave the fire control parts stock. He likes an aggressive stock texture, but tones it down on the body side stock. All in all, it is a very practical set up.
Mike told me to bring my “real deal” carry gear for the class, which I did. I wore my usual SME holster for the G22 with a single spare mag on the offside in a CCC mag pouch. I had zero issues with my gear during the class. A few other students were also carrying aiwb and the rest were mostly strong side hip.
Several of the students discovered the limitations of their chosen equipment, sometimes in spectacular ways. Its been said before, but that is one of the benefits of a class like this. Your gear may work great for you on your home range doing your favorite drills, but when someone like Mike is setting the pace, you will find your limit and the limit of your gear.
My day one round count was understandably a bit low at 300 rds. Others may have shot more or less, as there was some leeway in the drills. I could have easily shot closer to double that if I really wanted to. The day ended around 5 pm, and everyone helped clean up and police brass
Day two was also supposed to start at 8:00 am, but due to a student’s need, we started at 8:30 instead. I thought that since it didn’t interfere with training at all, it was very considerate of Mike to alter the schedule. The second day started off with some strong hand and “stupid hand” drills, followed by use of cover, side stepping on the draw, dealing with family members in the line of fire, and more.
We had two student competitions, one was a draw and first round hit, the other was a shot reload shot. The target size that Mike used for most of the drills was a square half the size of a USPSA A zone. Considering the relatively small target size, I was amazed at how well most of the students could draw and hit it at speed. The competitions were used strictly to add stress to the students, but it certainly seemed that most enjoyed them quite a bit.
When class was over, Mike debriefed the class and made sure that everyone knew what they needed to work on and how to work on it. He handed out certificates, shirts and some other nice swag. My day two round count was 500 rounds, and again, I could have easily shot closer to 900 rounds if I had wanted to. Though 800 rounds may not seem like a lot for a 2 day class, the rounds were all high quality and I felt that I really got a lot out of them.
Overall, this was an excellent class. Mike is a patient instructor who is able to explain things very well. He never once bad mouthed another instructor, and was very thoughtful in answering questions from students. He was also very good at working with the weaker students while at the same time pushing the stronger ones. I really enjoyed it and thought it was well worth the time, money and effort it took. After taking a class like this, you get a good appreciation for why Mike is one of the top competition shooters out there, as well as one of the most sought after LE/Mil trainers. Next year I hope to take his Defensive carbine class.
1685168416861687On August 3rd and 4th I had the good fortune to take Mike Seeklander’s introductory level defensive handgun class in Missoula, MT at the Deer Creek Shooting Center. Mike ‘s company is Shooting-Performance and he comes to Missoula every year to teach various defensive pistol and rifle classes, as well as competition based pistol and rifle classes.
In case you don’t know much about him, Mike Seeklander (Seeker, as he is often known) has a pretty unique background. Most know him as a top, semi-pro shooter in practical shooting competitions but he also has an impressive resume. He was a Marine and is a Desert Storm veteran who, after getting out of the military went into law enforcement. While a cop, he was recruited to teach the Federal Air Marshals after 9/11 and was later selected to head up their firearms training section.
As the head of the FAM’s firearms program, Mike was exposed to state of the art training ideas as well as being surrounded by many very capable shooters and combat vets. While still with the FAMs, Seeker was recruited to head up training at the fledgling USSA Shooting Academy. In just a few years USSA built an excellent reputation and catered to many law enforcement and military units as well as civilian competition and defensive minded shooters. With his background and experience Mike was able to attract many of the top shooters and instructors to work at USSA, either full or part time.
Television and personal requests for training placed Mike in a position where he could pursue his own dream and open his own company, Shooting-Performance, LLC (S-P). He has authored a couple of books and DVD’s and has also become an outdoor television personality on defensive tactics based shows, including The Best Defense, and Rapid Fire. Both are on the Outdoor Channel on Wednesday’s.
I will say up front that Mike has been a buddy for a number of years. I’ve shot against him in competition, and hung out with him at trade shows. I first learned of his teaching skills while he was running the FAMs program, but I never had the opportunity to train with him. Despite offering classes in Montana, I haven’t been able to make it to Missoula for one, so when this looked like it might work out, I altered my schedule and managed to make it work.
Day one of the class started promptly at 8:00 am. The host, Scott, provided much appreciated Starbucks coffee and various bagels for the students. Seeker started out by introducing himself in a very professional, non egotistical way. He explained that the material in this course would start after the decision to shoot has been made and suggested that students consult with a qualified attorney for more information on deadly force laws. One of the students, Gary Marbut, had authored a book on firearms laws in Montana, and his book was also mentioned as a good reference for any MT residents.
Next students were asked to introduce themselves. It quickly became apparent that the class was comprised of a diverse group of professionally accomplished students, including medical professionals, firearms industry pros, engineer’s, law enforcement, competition shooters, and retired folks.
Seeker then went over a comprehensive list of range and training rules that students had to read out loud to the class. I thought this was an excellent idea, especially for an open enrollment, level one class. A medical brief was also included and students with advanced medical training were identified and assigned jobs in the event that a medical emergency occurred. After everyone was up to speed on what Mike expected from a safety standpoint, we signed the S-P waiver, and Mike delved into his first training topics.
The class was advertised as needing 1200 rounds though the first morning was spent dry fire only. I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes, but I found that it was very well done, not boring at all, and essential for getting students up to speed. We covered stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture, draw, trigger control, reloads, pivots and more. All of these topics were taught from a defensive standpoint, not a competition one.
Mike went into detail on gripping the gun and the importance of recoil control. He made the point that you need to let the gun’s recoil show you how to hold it, and then he demonstrated how. Each student was encouraged to find the way that worked best for them so that they could teach themselves in the future. Seeker spent considerable time one on one with each student to make sure they knew how to do just that.
Without going into great detail, Mike believes in a “vise-like” grip. He uses his larger chest and shoulder muscles to help grip the gun, rather than relying on weaker hand and arm muscles. In the competition world, Mike is known for having some of the best recoil control, so when he talks about this subject, smart people listen. It was a very interesting part of the class and Mike did an excellent job of explaining it and allowing students to experience it.
Mike also covered some equipment issues on the first day. He was carrying a G17 in a Safariland model 18 holster, worn aiwb. A single spare mag was on his off-side and he concealed his gun under a t-shirt. Mike does not care for night sights and prefers to leave the fire control parts stock. He likes an aggressive stock texture, but tones it down on the body side stock. All in all, it is a very practical set up.
Mike told me to bring my “real deal” carry gear for the class, which I did. I wore my usual SME holster for the G22 with a single spare mag on the offside in a CCC mag pouch. I had zero issues with my gear during the class. A few other students were also carrying aiwb and the rest were mostly strong side hip.
Several of the students discovered the limitations of their chosen equipment, sometimes in spectacular ways. Its been said before, but that is one of the benefits of a class like this. Your gear may work great for you on your home range doing your favorite drills, but when someone like Mike is setting the pace, you will find your limit and the limit of your gear.
My day one round count was understandably a bit low at 300 rds. Others may have shot more or less, as there was some leeway in the drills. I could have easily shot closer to double that if I really wanted to. The day ended around 5 pm, and everyone helped clean up and police brass
Day two was also supposed to start at 8:00 am, but due to a student’s need, we started at 8:30 instead. I thought that since it didn’t interfere with training at all, it was very considerate of Mike to alter the schedule. The second day started off with some strong hand and “stupid hand” drills, followed by use of cover, side stepping on the draw, dealing with family members in the line of fire, and more.
We had two student competitions, one was a draw and first round hit, the other was a shot reload shot. The target size that Mike used for most of the drills was a square half the size of a USPSA A zone. Considering the relatively small target size, I was amazed at how well most of the students could draw and hit it at speed. The competitions were used strictly to add stress to the students, but it certainly seemed that most enjoyed them quite a bit.
When class was over, Mike debriefed the class and made sure that everyone knew what they needed to work on and how to work on it. He handed out certificates, shirts and some other nice swag. My day two round count was 500 rounds, and again, I could have easily shot closer to 900 rounds if I had wanted to. Though 800 rounds may not seem like a lot for a 2 day class, the rounds were all high quality and I felt that I really got a lot out of them.
Overall, this was an excellent class. Mike is a patient instructor who is able to explain things very well. He never once bad mouthed another instructor, and was very thoughtful in answering questions from students. He was also very good at working with the weaker students while at the same time pushing the stronger ones. I really enjoyed it and thought it was well worth the time, money and effort it took. After taking a class like this, you get a good appreciation for why Mike is one of the top competition shooters out there, as well as one of the most sought after LE/Mil trainers. Next year I hope to take his Defensive carbine class.