AAR: Ken Hackathorn 2-Day Home Defense - May 4-5, 2012 - Marietta, Ohio

[Appalachian]

AAR: Ken Hackathorn Home Defense 4-5 May Marietta, OH
Cost: $350
Round Count: who knows, my guess is probably around 500-ish rounds
Students: 10
Location. Fort Harmar Range (vic Marietta OH)
Facilities Utilized for the course: Standard flat range and the pistol caliber rated shoot house

Overview. Ken Hackathorn in conjunction with the team at Castle Defense LLC conducted a two day course focused on individual techniques and tactics in defense of family and home. The course spanned two full days including the majority of the first night. We conducted applicable range drills, very limited blue gun walk-throughs, and several live-fire scenarios during both daylight and limited visibility. To gain an appreciation for conducting room clearing with a long gun Ken provided two loaner 9mm sub-guns for one iteration in the house.

Overall Assessment of the Course. This was truly a home defense course that provided the students with invaluable exposure to the concept of home defense with a firearm, considerations when choosing an HD firearm (not manufacturers, but long gun vs handgun) and provided training context inside a realistic venue. This was not an “entertrainment” (as LAV calls them) event that catered to the wannabee crowd that wants to go kick some ass in the shoot house with their team of fellow XBOXers. This was an adult event that stayed perfectly focused on the students as homeowners, family leaders, and responsible US Citizens. Reality and common sense was ever present in the design of the course and the material presented.

Highlights of the course.
We were divided into two relays of 5 shooters as the training progressed. The training rhythm consisted of one relay conducting range drills that were directly related to home defense (barricade shooting, strong/ support hand swaps, low light techniques) while the other relay conducted live fire iterations inside the house.
Iterations inside the house were all one man drills centered on realistic scenarios (bump in the night, family member calling out, and one iteration to address home invasion). Will leave TTPs out of this as it would not be fair to those that spend their resources and time to go to training. I will however mention some common mistakes that shooters had during the training:

Crowding cover inside the house
Leaving cover to engage a target that could otherwise have been engaged
Homeowner putting their back to an uncleared area to open a door (when the door could be accessed without doing so)
Not clearing corners in rooms
Basic skill failures

The Instructors.
Gary, Tom, and Bill from Castle Defense were all great coaches and instructors and are well postured to continue the tradition at the facility. The rare access to a facility that allows these type training events (especially at night) is not lost on these gentlemen. They set the conditions and maximized the capabilities of the range facility; we didn’t burn specialized range time doing drills and basic skills. They kept us on task and really built on existing skill sets of the shooters.

Joe Barnsfather of Superior Firearms was another invaluable asset (as usual) to the training. A VSM instructor himself, he was ever present on the flat range and lent his expertise to the relays as we ran the drills. And it was great getting to shoot beside him as he slipped into some of the drills in my relay.

Ken Hackathorn. Forum AARs generally have a reputation of not really being true AARs. One of the complaints I have read is whoever the author is tends to hold the instructor they are speaking of in extremely (unbelievable) high regard - so much so that the review loses credibility. I can assure you that any stellar reviews of Ken’s ability as an instructor, trainer, or mentor are probably understated. Smooth, deliberate, and absolutely focused would be the best description I could offer. A true professional.

If you live on the west coast and Ken offers this again in your AO…go to it. This is one of those “must do” courses. Fortunately Castle Defense will carry on with a full course offering at the facility in Ohio as well.

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii545/AppalachianTraining/IMG_2493.jpg

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii545/AppalachianTraining/PhotoMay0731809PM.jpg

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii545/AppalachianTraining/PhotoMay0521408PM.jpg

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii545/AppalachianTraining/PhotoMay0520131PM.jpg

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii545/AppalachianTraining/PhotoMay0521117PM.jpg

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii545/AppalachianTraining/2012-05-05120851.jpg

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii545/AppalachianTraining/2012-05-05171252.jpg

[Mr. Smith]

Thanks Mike
I had a good time helping out.
Shooting next to you was a real treat for me I don't get to do that often.
You are a great friend and shooter I was glad to be there for you guys.

[mkemmerl]

Nice AAR Mike. It really was a great class. It was possibly the best $350 I have ever spent (not including hotel and ammo). I would have gladly spent that much just to listen to Mr Hackathorn's lectures and stories.

The Castle Defense guys did a nice job of organizing and AI'ing the class. They have some big shoes to fill in taking this class over from Mr Hackathorn, but they are a good group of guys and I expect they will do just fine. It is also worth mentioning their communication prior to the class and well as their response to any questions I had was very professional. They even took the time to send a follow up e-mail thanking us for attending. While that is not an indication of their abilities as instructors, it does show they are serious about becoming a respected name in the training world.

The only comment I have about the class, which I think they already know, is; they need to be more clear that this is not a beginner level class. Those with previous training were able to focus on the core of the class rather than getting bogged down in learning the basics.

To repeat a point made in the AAR, if you have a chance to take a Hackathorn class, take it. I can't imagine a better class and he won't be doing this much longer.

[Esquire]

Nice AAR Mike, this was an excellent course with a great core group of instructors, I had the luck of the draw to be included in some after day 1 review at the hotel with Joe and found this essential to getting the right mind set for day 2. Ken is a fantastic instructor and I strongly urge any shooter with a desire to hone their skills further to jump at any opportunity they can to train with Ken and those in the OH/WV area be sure to keep your eyes open for more training ops with Castle Defense, LLC. Top notch group of guys and a top notch facility.

[Ed L.]

This was one of the best classes that I have attended. It was my great pleasure to see Ken again and meet everyone, including Mr. Smith & Chris.

Ken is without a doubt one of the best instructors out there when you consider his knowledge, experience, teaching skills, and what he covers and brings to the class.

This course was unique in that it focused on what the lone homeowner would need to know and do, as opposed to a member of an entry team with people to back you.


Here is a picture of Ken & the instructors--all great guys:

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m115/edagain/instructors.jpg


And here is a little private joke for some people I had dinner with the last night (everyone else will be asking why the hell I am posting this):

Below is a spicey Tuna salad that I got as takeout on my first day home. By the time I got the photo on my computer and realized it wasn't a very good photo I had already eaten the salad so I could not do any retakes:

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m115/edagain/spiceytuna1.jpg

So I went out to eat that night at another restaurant and got a better photo--but since it was at a restaurant, I could't very well put any guns in the photo:

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m115/edagain/spiceytuna2.jpg

[mkemmerl]

Ed - thanks for the laughs

[Wayne Dobbs]

Ed,

No catfish?

[Ed L.]

Sorry for the necropost, but the article that I wrote about this class is in the January 2013 issue of SWAT magazine. This magazine is just arriving in the mail to subscribers and will be available at book & magazine stores starting the first week in December.

[chuss]

Ed,

Thanks for putting my picture from this class in the January 2013 issue of SWAT. I bought 2 copies.

Chris