Aug. 18-19, 2012 AFHF in Rhode Island

By now readers here probably have a pretty good idea what an Aim Fast Hit Fast class is, so I’ll write something a little different than past reviews.

My goal in taking this class was to have Todd critique my form because this is the first formal instruction I’ve had since the Marine Corps over 30 years ago, and pistol shooting has come a long way since then. I thought I had a pretty good idea how to do a press-out because I’ve been reading pistol-training and pistol-forum for over a year, but I found there’s nothing like having Todd teach it to you in person because there are lots of important nuances that are hard to pick up otherwise.

I had a serious health issue come up about 2 weeks before the class, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to go. After I visited a couple of doctors, it was determined that I’m probably not dying right away, so with a strategy in place for managing the pain (not using pain drugs), I decided to move forward with my plans. Just being physically well enough to attend the class made me so happy that I didn’t mind training in the rain. Todd did a good job of working around the wet weather, but there’s only so much you can do when it rains steadily all day long. I’d never shot my pistol in the rain before, so it was good experience.

Todd is a gifted teacher and has obviously put a lot of thought into the material. One thing that I particularly enjoyed was how he explained the reasoning behind his methods. Even though AFHF does not focus on defensive strategy, and Todd made that clear, he was willing to share ideas about self-defense that were helpful. I’ve done A LOT of reading and thinking on the subject, and Todd was still able to bring up and discuss issues that I hadn’t considered before.

I bought my pistol almost 2 years ago, and since then I’ve changed from the Weaver stance that I had used decades earlier to more or less Isosceles, and I’ve switched eyes because I learned that I’m cross-dominant. Todd mentioned other things I need to change as well. For one, the thumbs-forward grip I had been practicing needs improvement, but thanks to Todd now I know how to fix it!

I would definitely take this class (or one of Todd’s other classes) again. Even though I shot some of the drills pretty well, there’s certainly much room for improvement, and I’d like to get a chance to redeem myself on the F.A.S.T. (which I consistently shot terribly). I enjoyed meeting other students in the class and offer congratulations to those who earned a spot on the Wall of Fame.