I've listened to him on podcasts and always wanted to attend a seminar. RIP, good sir.
I've listened to him on podcasts and always wanted to attend a seminar. RIP, good sir.
We are diminished, rest easy Doc.
I’ve taken my daughter to two TacCons and she (and I) learned a lot at his presentations.
I did a double take when I came across this thread. There has been way too much heartache in 2020, and we are diminished by the loss of this great man. My prayers go out to William’s family, @SouthNarc and the entire Shivworks family.
My deepest condolences to his friends and family.
I never met him and passed up several opportunities to take his class, despite Murph's insistence that I absolutely need to. Understanding the profound impact he had on so many I regret that decision.
Vadim
WILLIAM APRIL … RIP
The first time I went to Rogers, 10 + years ago, William was shooting with a GL34 with a light from AIWB concealed and shot advanced.
He repeated this with a S&W M&P with light in a later class.
I had the pleasure of talking to him and taking classes with him at Tac-Con and Paul-E Palooza, always a learning experience.
He was a vast and varied intellect, a true renaissance man combining LEO experience, advanced psychological education and experience as well as hands on training. He had a knowledge level and skill set that filled in part of the puzzle like no one else. The collective will miss him as will my wife and I.
Add another to the lists of Great's who have given so much to our community and are no longer with us. I always enjoyed every interview I heard with him.
Memory Eternal.....
No way... what a tragedy! What happened?
He was just a brilliant man. I was lucky enough to take his one day seminar/class. I even took my wife that is not into shooting and somewhat superficial about self defense. His presentation was excellent from beginning to end and my wife and I were completely captivated by the material and by how smoothly and expertly Dr. April presented it.
We are indeed diminished.. RIP Sir Aprill
I was dumbfounded and shocked and saddened just like the rest of us when I heard the news yesterday morning. I first met William in 2006 at the Warriortalk Symposium in Memphis at Rangemaster where he was teaching a block on disarms. Right off the bat William came across as the kind of guy that was smart and funny and personable (and probably VERY dangerous) who felt no need to have to tell you how dangerous he was. In the following years I trained with him in Symposiums and Tactical Conferences and I count it as a blessing to have been in the inaugural Establishing a Dominance Paradigm class with him and Tom Givens and Southnarc. William's lectures each morning were worth the admission alone. He also was a good salesman for the Rogers Shooting School and he encouraged me to finally make the pilgrimage to Ellijay. I was able to also interact with him some on a personal level between blocks at Tac Con and he was just a genuinely good dude who always had a smile and a good word and conversation was always stimulating and he would always say something to make you think...and laugh.
The training world (and the rest of the world) is lessened by his passing.
I was fortunate enough to catch William's ( he preferred that to 'Dr')4-hour version of Unthinkable at what turned out to be the last PEP. I've spent most of my career in the ghetto, and thought I knew about bad people. It was still a huge eye opener. I was even more fortunate to do the full day version when Greg Ellifritz brought him to town.
William asked all of the 1st responders ( and military? I think) to come up after class. He gave us all challenge coins, and thanked us for doing this on our own time/dime. He also handed out business cards, and told us that if we ever had a problem, and didn't feel comfortable going through EAP, or having it show up on our medical record, to call him and he would help as best he could. He also made that offer at PEP.
RIP, William, and thank you for all that you have done for this community.
(Please ignore the proof on the Fireball. My wife, the Fireball drinker in the house, is out of 'real' Fireball)
'Nobody ever called the fire department because they did something intelligent'
Reply With Quote