Combative Pistol Level 2 (CPL2): 03/18-20/2016
This AAR is for Combative Pistol Level 2, an intermediate level, three day handgun class taught by Jeff Gonzales (JG) of Trident Concepts.
Setting: Outdoor range in Eagle Lake, TX
Host: Falcon Tactical (http://www.falcontactical.net/ )
Instructor: Jeff Gonzales of Trident Concepts (http://www.tridentconcepts.com/ )
Class Composition: 8 students: 1 Medic, 3 physicians, 1 PhD, 1 College student, 1 LEO, I missed the occupation of the eighth student
Round Count: approximately 1900
Class Gear: 2 Sigs, 5 Glocks (G19-34), 1 HK VP9. Everyone was shooting 9 mm except for the LEO who was using 40 caliber.
Personal Gear: HK VP9 with Trijicon HD night sights
This will not be a drill for drill account of the three days. For that you will have to attend the class and even then, it would be difficult to document every drill we practiced. This AAR is more of an experiential dissection and my thoughts on who should, or should not attend this course.
This is my sixth handgun class and my second pistol class with Trident Concepts (first pistol class with Jeff was a two day Concealed Carry Tactics course last year).
Appropriate adjectives to describe this class are INTENSE, CHALLENGING, DATA-DRIVEN, RESILIENT, and EXHAUSTING.
INTENSE: JG has an intense personality. He is a decorated Navy SEAL after all. Jeff is very serious on the firing line. His instructions are no nonsense and clear. He expects everyone to listen carefully and ask questions. However, if you fail to follow instructions then he will call you on it. So listen well and if you are unclear, ASK him. When he says to hustle then you should hustle. He is especially serious about range safety instructions. For example, no one is to pick up magazines or dropped gear while on the firing line unless given the clear signal. You only have to forget once and he makes sure you do not forget again. For more serious infractions (improper trigger finger or muzzle discipline), he makes clear that after the first warning, you are dismissed from class. Fortunately, our class had solid safety skills. So that readers do not misunderstand, he does joke and laugh, but off the firing line. I personally like this intensity. It reminds everyone that we are learning lethal skills and that his is serious training.
CHALLENGING: "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable" is Jeff's philosophy. Accordingly, his drills are challenging and he wanted all of us to embrace failure as an essential path to success. Every complex task can be broken down into simpler digestible steps. The drills reflect this and start easy, progressively becoming more difficult. A single shot to the chest drill from the high ready, for example, starts at the 3 yard line. It progresses to the 5 yards, then 10 yards, then 15 yards. If the class does well, then the drill repeats but now from the holster. Again, if the class performs well, then the drill evolves into two shots from the draw, then three shots, etc. Smaller targets like the face or a four inch circle are then used, starting again at the 3 yard line. Other drills begin at the 25 yard line first and closed in to the 3 yard line. We had more time at the farther distance and progressively less time or smaller targets as we came closer. Essentially, Jeff had us crawl, walk, and then run.
Jeff used several tools to occasionally heighten the stress/intensity of our drills. These “enhanced drills” were designed to test our marksmanship/fundamentals under pressure.
• One drill required us to shoot two rounds to center mass within the par time at 25 yds. The problem is that you did not know what the par time was. As a result, many of us went too fast and missed the chest. Some went to slow and exceeded par. To successfully pass to the next stage, you had to have no misses and be under par. Subsequent stages (closer to the target) were made harder, either by reducing the par time or increasing the difficulty of the shots (i.e. Two shots to chest and one to face).
• Some exercises required a "buy-in". You had to hit a four inch target from 3-5 yds to even participate in the drill.
• Elimination drills were also challenging. Whoever missed or fired the last shot was eliminated. Each stage was moved further back and the drill repeated. After 7 yards, there usually remained only one or two students. By 10 yds only one student prevailed and had to compete with Jeff.
• One drill was actually called the "Stress Test". This exercise was voluntary and you could opt out without pressure. The drill called for five sets. Each set consisted of 10 push-ups and one round to the chest from 10 yards. 10 push-ups, one round. 10 push-ups, one round, etc. Whoever had the fastest time AND made all their shots was the winner. It required not only strength but also efficiency and composure. You have to be relatively strong to perform the 5 sets of push-ups (Jeff will have you repeat any improperly performed push-ups). You have to be efficient to quickly move from prone to the standing and draw position. Finally, you have to be composed to make your shot after the heart racing exercise. Five of the eight students gave it a try and the winner's time was 83 seconds. Keep in mind that these “enhanced drills” were strategically dispersed throughout the day. We had plenty of exercises that were at our own pace and without pressure.
Throughout the course, marksmanship or accuracy took priority over speed. In some of the scored drills, you lost more points if you missed than if you went over par (El Presidente drill).
DATA DRIVEN: Accountability was a primary emphasis. All of Jeff's classes are data driven. Students are scored periodically on their performance. Whether or not new skills were introduced depended on how the class performed on the scores. Passing for Jeff is 80%. For example, if the test was to place five shots in a four inch circle from 7 yards, then you could not miss more than one shot to pass. Only shots "within" the target circle were counted. Shots "on the line" were considered misses. This all seems easy but it was not. The target used was a silhouette of a man holding a Glock pistol. The background around the man is white and the torso silhouette is black and the face is a light gray. What made the target difficult was that the chest (8 inch circle) and face circles (4 inch) are very lightly outlined and the borders are not easily discernible from the black and gray background. Shooting at the chest required a deliberate focus to the central upper chest as there was no distinct border to guide you. Although difficult, these targets simulated reality since no live threat will have a circle on their chest. Also, any shot that hits the white background (missed the man silhouette completely) was an automatic DQ (Disqualification). Even one DQ made it almost impossible for you to pass the class.
Jeff would periodically score our targets. He used these scores not only for our individual performance but also to gauge if we, as a class, we were ready for the next phase of training. Every progression was based on class performance of the previous drill. On the final day, we had a final exam with 100 rounds. Two of eight students passed the course (scores > 80) and these were two of the physicians. The LEO would have passed but he was absent for some of the tests.
RESILIENT: Jeff taught us techniques that were adaptable. That is, you can use the same technique for many different situations.
• He believes in cycling the slide forcefully rather than using the slide release (slide lock). Reason? Cycling the slide works in every gun, is used to not only chamber a round but also clear malfunctions. Yes, the slide release method is slightly faster. However, it occasionally fails (For example, under stress, you can inadvertently release the slide before the magazine is fully inserted and thus have an empty chamber. Also, some pistols have a very small lever, designed more for a slide lock than a slide release (FNH FNS 9).
• He believes in non-diagnostic malfunction clearance. Reason? You may be in low light and not be able to see to diagnose. Therefore, treat the malfunction reactively, instinctively (tap, rack/cycle, shoot. IF that does not work, then slide lock, release magazine, and rack rack rack, etc)
• He favors the High-Ready position (other positions also appropriate depending on situation). Reason? It enables to defend and deliver lethal contact, hard contact, and soft contact aggression. Defensively, it forms a triangular shield that protects your head (i.e. Tony Blauer's SPEAR technique). Offensively, you can shoot the threat quickly (lethal contact), hit the threat with your muzzle (hard contact), or use the support hand to palm/hit the threat (soft contact).
• He believes in stripping the magazine as the default action rather than rely on gravity to drop the magazine. Reason? Dirt and mud can make your mags stick and hang in the mag well. If you train to always strip the magazine, then when (not if) your mags hang it will not stress you. However, if you train to depend on your mag release and gravity and one day it fails you, then you will have an unprepared and unnecessary stress to overcome. This is especially useful for subcompact/compact pistols where the short magazine may hang on your little finger or palm and not eject. If you train to always strip the magazine, then it will work with any gun and any situation.
EXHAUSTING: These three days will fatigue you. Physically, shooting 1900 rounds left some parts of my palms and fingers raw. By day two I was taping my fingers and hand. Implementing the crush grip Jeff wanted also took its toll, like a satisfying ache after a good workout. The "Stress Test" of course, requires some degree of fitness. Mentally, I was also worn out with the intensity of the concentration required. You do not have to be a top athlete to do well in Jeff's class. You do, however, have to be mentally tough and focused.
EPIPHANIES: These lessons were what I found most important personally.
1. Crush grip: the pinky of each hand is where the strength needs to be. If you do this properly, then you will feel the tension on the medial forearm muscles. Having a strong crush grip can compensate for less optimal trigger control, especially with multiple shots. The reverse, however, is not true. A strong grip is not the 70/30 or 60/40 ratio of strong hand and support hand. Jeff believes that a strong grip is 100% both hands.
2. Arm Extension: Extend straight out, then unlock slightly and point the elbows downwards. Do NOT wing the elbows out as it will pull your palms away from your grip and weaken it.
3. Back Muscles: After arm extension, bring your shoulders back by contracting the back muscles between your shoulder blades. This recruits more muscles from your back and lattisimus dorsi and better manages recoil.
4. First Best Sight Picture (FBSP): FBSP is defined as the first instant that you see an “appropriate” sight picture for that target. It may not be a perfect sight picture, but for that size target and for that distance, it is good enough. Trying to find that perfect sight picture (PSP) will hinder more than help. The longer you try to find the PSP, the more likely you will jerk the trigger and miss the shot. Conversely, firing as soon as you see the FBSP will more likely achieve both an accurate and a fast shot. In other words, when you draw and as soon as your sights are on the target, prep the trigger so that as soon as you see the FBSP, squeeze. The longer you wait for a better SP, then the more likely stress, anxiety, and fatigue will throw your shot. I found this to be true and was amazed that I could be both accurate and fast if I just trusted my instincts rather than my brain. Don’t overthink your shot.
Drawing consistently to your natural point of aim optimizes the FBSP. Close your eyes and draw and extend to a target. Open your eyes and see if your sights are properly aligned with the target. If not, adjust your body and keep your draw/extension natural. Practice until you can achieve a good SP even with your eyes closed.
5. Breathe: Exhaling a small breath as I extended to the target somehow calmed me and facilitated obtaining the FBSP.
6. Trijicon HD Sights: apparently, the POA and POI will differ depending on whether you installed them on a Glock 19 or 17. Bottom line is to know the POA & POI characteristics of your pistol. This was relevant to me for my two HK VP9s. One had 10-8 fiberoptic (FO) front and black rear. The other had Trijicon HD night sights. The first 1 ½ days, I used my VP9 with the FO sight. I shot low with the FO because I could not see well the top of the front sight above the FO vial. After switching to the Trijicons, POA and POI matched and I did much better.
HOST & FACILITY
Nothing beats an outdoor range for training. You are at the mercy of the weather but this is also true in real life. The facilities were great and there was plenty of shade and an air conditioned lodge to eat or rest for lunch. Matthew Shockley, the owner of Falcon Tactical is great to work with and the teasing between him and Jeff was entertainment in itself. I have taken three classes from Falcon Tactical and each one has been superb and well organized. As a bonus, Matt is an active LEO and has relevant insights and funny stories.
GEAR PROBLEMS
Two of the students had issues with their Glocks (I think G34 and G17). One of the students had problems with both his Glocks and attributed it to the lubricant he used. His problem resolved after stripping and cleaning. The other student had some modifications (trigger) to his G17 and his problem was light primer strikes, resulting in many FTF malfunctions. The issue resolved after switching to his G19, which had not been modified as much.
SUMMARY: This course tops my ranking list. If you are afraid of failure or expect a certificate from every class you attend then this course is not for you. If you do not like to stray out of your comfort zone or be challenged then this class is not for you. If you are the person who has an explanation or excuse for everything wrong that happens then this class is not for you. If you do not thrive on constructive but critical feedback then this class is not for you. For everyone else, this CLASS IS FOR YOU!
HOW TO DO WELL IN THIS CLASS (or any class):
1. Have your act together. Don’t be a safety hazard. Muzzle discipline and trigger finger discipline HAVE to be second nature.
2. Be physically fit. It is not mandatory but it sure helps. To paraphrase Jeff, who quoted someone else; “Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and they are more useful in general”. Work on overall fitness but strengthen your grip (especially the pinky).
3. Have a proper mindset. Don’t expect to pass this class the first time. Do your best and if you pass then it is a bonus. Accept and thrive on failure. Learn from your weaknesses and come back harder. Example- my score on the first day was dismal- low 60s and even a score in the 40s. Second day, I did even worse in the morning. However, by the afternoon of the second day and definitely by the third day, I fought back and had a final score of 78. My mind was my greatest obstacle.
4. Practice shooting at 25 yards and practice strong hand shooting. The fundamentals do not change with distance. I observed that regardless of the drill, class performance dramatically fell as we went past 7 yds. If you shoot well at distance, then closer targets will be a breeze. The reverse is not true.
5. Practice with the Trident Concepts target. Target TCT-MK1 MOD6 available from LE Targets (http://www.letargets.com/content/tct...-version-6.asp) I think these are great targets to use regardless of whether you take Jeff’s classes or not.
6. Practice that kinesthetic draw and extend to your natural point of aim. Dry fire, dry fire.
Thanks for reading!
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