ECQC 5/13-15/2016

[SLG]

I've known about Southnarc's material almost since he made it public. I've wanted to take a class ever since. I've carried a clinch pick for almost 10 years now, and trained a lot with it and various Pikal blades. I have been friendly with SN for a few years, but we met in person only a few months ago. I have tried to take a class for the last couple of years, but work or family always interfered. I decided that if I didn't make it THE training priority, I might miss it again, so for 2016, it was first on my list. At the last minute, it looked like work was going to send me away again, but then they didn't so I finally made it.

I'm not going to go into any real detail, but I will touch on a few things. ECQC is a fighting course, not a shooting course. SN teaches contact distance shooting better than anyone I have ever seen. I've seen more than a few ways to skin that cat. His take and my take on it is remarkably similar, but I picked up a pretty important adaptation this weekend, that is now incorporated into all my contact distance shooting. SN also shoots better from the 3 than probably anyone I have seen.

In this class, striking really doesn't come into play, and I knew going in that my weak ground game would be an issue. And it was. SN repeatedly talked about the importance of staying on your feet though, and prefers to not go to the ground. Even with my weak grappling ability, 30 years of martial arts and combatives allowed me to take advantage of what I could, and learn the things SN was teaching more easily. I have just recently started rolling more seriously, and intend to rectify my shortcomings on the ground. SN does a great job of picking viable techniques and presents them effectively for the student to learn.

I had very high expectations going into this class. I was not disappointed. SN exceeded my expectations as an instructor. He is easily one of the best teachers I have trained with, and is very detail oriented. SN really put the time in to ensure his students got their time and money's worth. In the 2.5 days of training, we were actually training for right at 25 hours. That is pretty much unheard of. That number does not include lunch breaks or the class critique/wrap up. More like 28 hours total time.

This is a physical class. Being in shape is pretty important, but plenty of students were not in the prime of their life, and still did well and learned a lot. If your jits is good, you will do well, but you also need to be good at threat management, understand use of force and shoot well. Anyone who "cleans" this course can be pretty confident in their abilities. The rest of us need to do some more work.

I will close with this thought. If you consider yourself to be a fighter. If defensive use of a gun is more important to you than games. If you understand that not too many civilian gunfights go entangled, but that an awful lot of the losers ended up in an entangled fight then you need to take ECQC. Don't buy another gun. Don't fly to another USPSA match. Go take ECQC. Then go recover and start training for real.

I will be taking AMIS and VCAST as soon as possible. I can't endorse an instructor better than that.

[Doc_Glock]

Thank you for that. This class is high on my list.

[MVS]

Hope you don't mind SLG, if someone wants to hear more from Craig, he just did a great podcast on American Warrior Show.

[David S.]

If you understand that not too many civilian gunfights go entangled, but that an awful lot of the losers ended up in an entangled fight then you need to take ECQC.

Good way of stating it. Thanks.

Cheers,
D

[David S.]

Hope you don't mind SLG, if someone wants to hear more from Craig, he just did a great podcast on American Warrior Show.

Very good interview.

[Maple Syrup Actual]

That is my single favourite class and the only course I have ever repeated. Which I'll do again, I'm sure, even though every time I do it I'm mentally exhausted by the end.

I always say "if you're going to take one class from the perspective of self-defense with a gun, this is it."

[ldunnmobile]

"Then go recover and start training for real."

I can testify to the "go recover" part. Took me a couple weeks to get my body back to pre ECQC.

That being said...I've gotta take this class again!

[The Apprentice]

As someone who doesn't have any real hand to hand training would I be better off seeking some mma style training before attending. I have plans to take his class in November and hope to start bjj after I get off nights but I don't expect to learn that much in only a couple months. I just don't want to drag the hole class down either.

[orionz06]

As someone who doesn't have any real hand to hand training would I be better off seeking some mma style training before attending. I have plans to take his class in November and hope to start bjj after I get off nights but I don't expect to learn that much in only a couple months. I just don't want to drag the hole class down either.

No. Take the class when you can take the class. If you catch something beforehand cool but the skills and drills are plenty to get you moving.

[LOKNLOD]

No. Take the class when you can take the class. If you catch something beforehand cool but the skills and drills are plenty to get you moving.

Agreed. I was further behind the power curve than a pedal bike at a tractor pull when I took it, but I'm glad I stopped putting it off or saying "oh that would be good to take" and just did it.