Holy Smokes! Well we wrapped up the HiTS/Lone Star Medics-Close Quarters Defense/Tactical Medicine for Violent Encounters Course 11/21-11/22-2015 at Dallas Pistol Club. All I can say is this class was EXCELLENT!. The course really pushed the attendees thru the nutcracker and induced enough stress and chaos on the participants to give one a good taste of how things can go when violent encounters occur. The class started with a thorough safety briefing followed by increasing harder drills to warm up the students and allow staff to evaluate everyones accuracy potential. The instructors drive in the need for accuracy and push the students to be accurate above and beyond training received elsewhere. Emphasis on a 6" kill zone rather than the 12" zone used elsewhere. This is borne from Darryl and Waynes real world experiences and the realization that you need to end a violent encounter quickly with accurate shots. The class then coursed into real live scenarios where the student had to maneuver around and thru non shoot targets to engage the bad guys. Again, shots outside the kill zone were rewarded with someone yelling at ya " He's still on his feet coming at ya!". Certainly enough stress and drama to get the blood flowing and your mind racing. Day two found us learning how to properly and efficiently carry wounded people, the theory of getting them to safety before treatment and then how to treat someone with a GSW or knife wound. Caleb with Lone Star Medics was great and had us practicing what we learned on each other and on rescue Randy... a dummy he borrowed from the local Fire Department. After in class testing on carrying technique, application of tourniquets, compression bandages et al, we were ushered outside to participate in live fire scenarios using the shooting skills and techniques from day 1 along with the medical application we had just learned that morning. We were placed in a scenario where we had to engage the badguys, avoid injuring the non shoots and then asses and treat an injured person. All the while the instructors were throwing things into the mix to get you thinking and to induce stress. The whole experience was above and beyond anything I have been through... it was excellent. I have gone over various parts of the class over and over in my mind and with colleague who attended. I have changed my daily EDC as a result of this class.

The course instructors were extremely knowledgeable with loads of real world experience which made the lesson learning a rich experience. If you are looking for some great medical training along with real world practical defensive shooting training I HIGHLY RECOMMEND attending the HiTS/Lone Star Medics-Close Quarters Defense/Tactical Medicine for Violent Encounters Course