2014 Training Classes Central Indiana

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  • Jackson

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    That is a pretty broad question. The answer: Probably both, and many more. There are many classes available in the centralish Indiana area. Can you be more specific about the kind of classes you're looking for? What do you want to learn? Most instructors don't usually have full schedules up at this point. If you search or browse this forum you can see who's been hosted in the past and that is usually a pretty good indicator of the possibilities.

    The ones you mentioned are usually hosted at the Boone County Sheriff Department. Those as well as other traveling instructors like Pat Rogers, Steve Tarani, and courses put on by the department will be announced here:
    Training Announcements

    The Sand Burr Gun Ranch sometimes hosts John Farnam, Massad Ayoob, Henk Iverson, Suarez International (though I don't know about that last one going forward). They also have their own classes.

    There are a number of local guys advertising on this forum:
    Indy Gun Safety Home These guys are on the NE side of Indy.
    Bright Firearms Training Aron does classes at several ranges around Indy including Marion County Fish and Game.
    Adaptive Consulting & Training ACT hosts many of their classes at Riley Conservation Club just outside Terre Haute.
    Tactical Firearms Training Guy Relford is an attorney who offers NRA courses and Indiana Firearms Law classes at Eagle Creek and apparently also at a range in Westfield starting in 2014.
    Range Time - Tactical Shooting - A Private Shooting Range and Training Course (These folks have been known to host some big names like Travis Haley and Tactical Response.)
    Mindset Lab | Real Training + Real Testing Mindset Labs offers several Force on Force classes in Indianapolis.

    These are just the ones I could come up with off the top of my head. Again, a quick perusal of the T&T forum will bear many course announcements from the past year or two which will give a good indicator of what you're likely to see in 2014.
     

    Jackson

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    It looks like he's not teaching the 1 or 2 man tactics course. Anyone in the area teaching that sort of stuff?

    That may depend on your definition of "in the area". TDI in Ohio has a pretty good partner tactics course. I took it a couple years ago and found it to be worth while. Their courses fill up fast. In this course you get some general partner drills, a fair bit of shoot house time with your partner and an instructor to critique, and a few force-on-force scenarios to test what you've learned. Unfortunately, I think this was before I started writing proper AARs. Its not exactly the same approach as Awerbuck's 1 and 2 man tactics course. Louis starts off with movement through structures then goes straight to FoF scenarios. The TDI class covers a few more topics. It is also a bit more detailed with some of the movement in structures in some ways. I believe they want you to have taken their level 1-3 pistol courses.

    Partner Tactics ? Tactical Defense Institute - Tactical, Firearms Training, pistol, rifle, shotgun
    Looks like there is one in May: 2014 Schedule ? Tactical Defense Institute - Tactical, Firearms Training, pistol, rifle, shotgun.

    Hard Target Firearms Training in Evansville offers a Team Tactics course as well. I am not familiar with the content.

    Boone County hosted someone teaching a Partner Tactics course a couple years ago, but it may have been LEO only. I can't remember who it was now.
     
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    bingley

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    Thanks, Jackson. Was going to rep you, but apparently I've done so too often already???

    The TDI course sounds interesting, but I don't think I'm going to work through their curriculum first -- not this coming year, anyway.

    Looking at the possible courses, I realize that while I'd like to do the 2-person tactics for the experience, it's probably more practical for me to learn how to move through a structure by myself. I mean, if I am a customer caught up in a bank robbery, what will happen? First, from the OC/CC debates, I know that all the OC guys from INGO would be shot (but apparently they get gunned down regularly, so it doesn't bother them). Then I guess I'll have to flash the INGO sign for people who've done 2-man tactics, in the hope of locating one of you… Seriously, I'd be happy just knowing how to go up and down the stairs, round the corners, through doors, etc., by myself. A course idea for firearms instructors on INGO!!!!
     

    Jackson

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    Seriously, I'd be happy just knowing how to go up and down the stairs, round the corners, through doors, etc., by myself. A course idea for firearms instructors on INGO!!!!

    This is one of those areas where I would prefer the person teaching it have some specific experience working in a team. I don't typically think police and .mil instructors have a lot extra to offer when it comes to shooting-specific skills. Many of our own competitive shooters on the board probably have better honed shooting fundamentals and more effective training techniques. When it comes to working as a team though, experienced swat cops and .mil folks do this all the time. They probably work as a team more than they work as a single individual. They train it consistently then test it in the real world. So in this instance, I think its valuable to have some real world experience with the topic.

    A lot of that goes for movement in structures, building search skills, and related topics. Not being super familiar with standard military training, I would wager an experienced SWAT cop who does this weekly or monthly in training and on periodic raids probably has more experience than a regular .mil guy (as in, not a seal delta recon ranger, or whatever), and way more than your typical firearms instructor.

    As far as individual movement in structures, I believe TDI incorporates shoot house work in to their first three levels of pistol classes, and most or all of thier shooting classes. Many of their instructors are current or former SWAT cops and tend to emphasize this in their training. I have not taken their 1-3 pistol course(s), but this is how I understand them. I was able to get in the partner tactics course based on previous training. TDI is one of the first places that comes to mind when learning to move through a building or slow-search a building comes up. They put a lot of emphasis on this and have a great facility for it (three live-fire shoot houses and a two-level dedicated FoF house with two different stairways and reconfigureable walls).

    There is always the Shivworks Armed Movement in Structures course, if you can find it close to home. I haven't taken this, but I understand Shivworks courses to be excellent.
     

    Jackson

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    I believe there was also a former US Coast Guard guy on INGO awhile back offering to teach some of these skills. Depending on what he did in the Coast Guard, he could have had a lot of training on these topics. They probably train to search a lot of boats. I imagine a search of the forum might locate the posts.
     

    Jackson

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    No problem. I try to keep up with who's offering what training in the area. I also try to take a lot of classes. This is the kind of information I find most helpful on the board. I'm glad you find it helpful. Maybe others will know about other, similar offerings. I'd be interested in that as well.
     

    rhino

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    It looks like he's not teaching the 1 or 2 man tactics course. Anyone in the area teaching that sort of stuff?

    It got cancelled last summer (probably due to low enrollment). I've done it three times. In my opinion, it's the best class he teaches, which is saying something since everything else he does is at the top of the industry.
     

    esrice

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    Jackson's recommendations are always solid, so don't hesitate to take his advice.

    There is always the Shivworks Armed Movement in Structures course, if you can find it close to home. I haven't taken this, but I understand Shivworks courses to be excellent.

    This is what came to my mind when I read bingley's post. I've not attended a southnarc course, but everyone I know who has recommends them, and I read a great article on this particular class that piqued my own interest. I like that he structures the course from the perspective of a lone CCW type, versus the supported .mil/cop type. He therefore advocates a very different approach that sounds quite interesting.
     

    ColdSteel223

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    It got cancelled last summer (probably due to low enrollment). I've done it three times. In my opinion, it's the best class he teaches, which is saying something since everything else he does is at the top of the industry.


    It was low enrollment. I was one of two or three people who was signed up. I would agree with the "best class he teaches". Louis makes you think about everything in ways that you haven't thought about it before no matter which class you are in. The tactics class brings the whole Mindset, Marksmanship, & Manipulation together.
     

    the1kidd03

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    I mean, if I am a customer caught up in a bank robbery, what will happen? First, from the OC/CC debates, I know that all the OC guys from INGO would be shot (but apparently they get gunned down regularly, so it doesn't bother them).
    I understand the sarcasm/joke intentions, but this is just a slight pet peeve of mine with what the "professional" instructors tout as the mantra in the industry. It's premised on the assumption that you're more likely to be a bystander to a violent crime than the intended target. I doubt this to be accurate from both personal experience and from not having seen any sufficient data to prove it otherwise.

    Criminals ultimately seek only one thing. To get whatever it is they seek as easily as possible without paying ANY repercussions for their actions; whether that's being identified, noticed, fought/challenged, arrested, etc. They simply want to get in, get what they want, and get away. To accomplish this, they specifically rely on and look for two things; element of surprise (opportunity) and easy target (someone/thing that poses little risk to their success.) OC eliminates one of those things they seek, whereas CC gives it to them (the perceptions of an easy, unarmed target.)

    Yes, you could consider that there are those who are purely violent and seek violent altercations regardless of the risk to themselves, however statistically they are very few compared to the average criminal which seeks what I previously described. Unless you live in a very bad area, it's unlikely you'll come across the minority of this demographic.

    I don't care how you choose to carry. It's a personal risk vs. reward choice for each person to make, but just don't buy into the hoopla of someone who preaches it because it was preached to them by someone who got it preached to them by someone who preached it to them, etc. I've worked with a lot of victims and been one myself (prior to being able to carry) and worked with a few criminals as well. All of the victims (including myself at the time), presented themselves as an easy target to be picked off. All I'm saying, is don't put blind faith in your instructors. Value their input within their appropriate contexts and experience, don't just accept everything as gospel merely because they expect people to pay them for their help. A lot of the suggestions made here so far have been relatively top notch IMO. Jackson is rarely (if ever) off on this sort of thing.
     

    Jackson

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    Jackson's recommendations are always solid, so don't hesitate to take his advice.

    A lot of the suggestions made here so far have been relatively top notch IMO. Jackson is rarely (if ever) off on this sort of thing.

    Thanks for the kind words guys. Just for clarity, the big list at the beginning wasn't necessarily a list of recommendations. I was just tossing out all of the trainers I could come up with in and around Indy without doing any searches. I've trained with several and would recommend them, and the others have great reputations either locally or on a wider scale. So, while I would probably recommend all of them, I like to have a better idea what the student needs and wants before I throw out recommendations.

    On TDI: I do recommend their Partner Tactics class, and as a good take on building search and movement in structures. Especially if you can get paired up with John Benner or David Bowie when you go through the shoot houses. However, I would encourage first-time TDI students to read up on some of the AARs out there on the web. They have some controvercial practices that might keep people from attending. I think they've stopped doing some of them because of the negative attention. At least they don't do it exactly the same way. I wont go in to it here as it isn't completely relevant to the conversation (and I don't care for the kind of bickering it usually brings). The information is out there on the web if you want to look it up. Paul Gomez mentioned it in a course review he wrote of TDI.
     

    the1kidd03

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    Thanks for the kind words guys. Just for clarity, the big list at the beginning wasn't necessarily a list of recommendations. I was just tossing out all of the trainers I could come up with in and around Indy without doing any searches. I've trained with several and would recommend them, and the others have great reputations either locally or on a wider scale. So, while I would probably recommend all of them, I like to have a better idea what the student needs and wants before I throw out recommendations.

    On TDI: I do recommend their Partner Tactics class, and as a good take on building search and movement in structures. Especially if you can get paired up with John Benner or David Bowie when you go through the shoot houses. However, I would encourage first-time TDI students to read up on some of the AARs out there on the web. They have some controvercial practices that might keep people from attending. I think they've stopped doing some of them because of the negative attention. At least they don't do it exactly the same way. I wont go in to it here as it isn't completely relevant to the conversation (and I don't care for the kind of bickering it usually brings). The information is out there on the web if you want to look it up. Paul Gomez mentioned it in a course review he wrote of TDI.
    TDI is the one out of Ohio right? There's another school with a similar acronym and I get the names mixed up.
     

    esrice

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    I wont go in to it here as it isn't completely relevant to the conversation (and I don't care for the kind of bickering it usually brings).

    A training outfit with a controversial practice? This new concept intrigues me. :):
     

    the1kidd03

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    A lot of that goes for movement in structures, building search skills, and related topics. Not being super familiar with standard military training, I would wager an experienced SWAT cop who does this weekly or monthly in training and on periodic raids probably has more experience than a regular .mil guy (as in, not a seal delta recon ranger, or whatever), and way more than your typical firearms instructor.
    Sort of. For the average soldier, yes. For grunts (combat arms military occupations/infantry) pretty much the same. Even at the most basic level of training Marines (and I would assume Army grunts too) learn building and room clearing and movement. They do this in single man, two man, three, and four or more man teams. Obviously, single man is not preferred, but situation dictates tactics and sometimes it may become necessary. A significant portion of the recent war consisted of mostly/nothing but close building work for a lot of those deployed.

    I don't have a lot of time to create a long detailed post to help you like I'd like bingley (I've got to get ready to catch a flight), but if there is any one thing I can post to help you it's the single most basic and yet most important principle of structure work.



    Also, beyond this I do think there was a good video or two on the basics for single man movement on Panteao. Likely worth the $20 for a month for you.
     
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