Just wanted to give folks here a heads-up that Bushido Tactical will be conducting their popular Defensive Carbine Readiness course in the Miami area on September 19-20.

Note: these dates are a Fri and Sat. THis is due to the range being a private range/club, so the range won't book private courses the entire weekend, as that would mean that club members couldn't come. Bushido will have the entire range to itself on Fri and Sat.

Cost is $295. The course capacity is 16 students, and will include two full days of training & shooting, including a night shoot.


It will be held at:

Pop Deans Hunt Club
6101 U.S. 27
South West Ranches, FL
33332

I'm posting this to get the word out. Please contact Bushido Tactical direct if interested and also to register.

More info can be found here: http://www.bushidotactical.com/defensiverifle.html

I took this course earlier this year, and intend to take it again on 9/19-20. Here's an AAR I posted here on M4C.net the last time I took it:

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Me: Early-thirties male of proportional height and weight. I could stand to lose about 10 lbs, and the only exercise I get is mowing my lawn. Currently I have a boring desk job, and I do custom gun work as a side business. I’ve been around firearms pretty much my entire life, and I hunted and shot competitively in my adolescent/teen years. I have prior military service and a handful of defensive shooting courses (all with Eagle Tactics) as a civilian under my belt. My military job was in a combat-oriented field, which allowed me to log a good amount of trigger-time, as well as undergo a variety of rigorous training.

Between work and family obligations, I don’t have a lot of time to train, so I’m limited to attending local courses that are 2 days max. I attend approx 2 courses a year.

TD 1:

My Gear:

Carbine: CMMG-lower/LMT-upper 10.5” AR SBR with standard internals; Aimpoint 2MOA M3 in Larue QD mount; AAC M4-2000 mod 07 suppressor; Blue Force skeletonized Redi-mag; Surefire E2E light in Larue mount; 2-point Vickers sling; Larue BUIS; Larue free-float rail; Bob-Ro stubby QD VFG.

Handgun: Glock 17 w/3.5# connector, Meprolight adjustable night sights; treamlight TLR1; full grip reduction and rubberizing by Boresight Solutions. ; )

Gear: Rigger belt with Blade Tech holster & pistol mag/flashlight holders (3x mags; 1x flashlight); Surefire E2D flashlight; home-made kydex AR mag holder on belt (1x mag); Camelbak; Oakley pilot gloves; Oakly M-frame Strike eye pro; MSA/Sordin ear pro.

(The day before the course, I received a call from a friend/fellow course attendee -- the one who arranged for Bushido Tactical to conduct the course -- he requested that I arrive early on TD1 to help set-up, as the instructor was teaching the course by himself. This made me wonder how well a single instructor was going to handle matters. In all my previous courses, the main instructor had at least 2 assistant instructors. Granted, this course was half the size of previous courses I’d attended. )

I arrived early, met the instructor, and assisted (along with two other students) with setup. As we assembled barricades and hammered target stands into the ground, we three students (who’ve trained together before in a number of other courses) were impressed with the very high-quality training equipment the instructor had brought to the course. In previous courses, the equipment served its purpose, but wasn’t as “nice” as what Bushido Tactical was using. Some of the items Bushido had, such as the target stands, steel plates, and pop-up shelters were purchased or donated by sponsors; other items, such as the barricades, the instructor had made himself, and were very well-done.

So far, the course’s logistical side met/exceeded my expectations. I was still a bit concerned that one instructor might not be able to handle the class (10 students) by himself.

Once all the students were accounted for, the instructor held a brief off-range introductory classroom session to handle administrative formalities and safety procedures. We then relocated our equipment to a tented area on the range. My impression of the instructor was that he was efficient, thorough, and plain-spoken. He showed us where his first-aid kits were located, and outlined a plan in the event someone (including himself) was injured and required medical attention.

Part of the instructor’s efficiency was demonstrated in the fact that he had a navigation GPS mounted in his vehicle, initialized, and ready to guide us to the nearest hospital. He also had several cases of bottled water on hand, as well as a cooler full of ice and more bottled water. The fact that Wade instructor provided only water differed from my previous courses, in which the instructor provided water, Gatorade, a large variety of snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, electric cooling fans, etc. To me it was a non-issue, as I bring my own food to courses. Water is the essential commodity, and there was plenty of it on hand.

Next order of business was to ensure that everyone’s carbine was zeroed. During this session, the instructor gave a brief lesson on bullet trajectory, POA/POI offset, and where to hold to ensure a hit at close range.

One thing Wade stressed from the beginning was that he taught “a way,” not “the way.” However, what immediately became apparent was that Wade felt very strongly about the way he did things, and he was fully prepared to demonstrate in a convincing manner why his way worked. Further, he had a “military” style approach to discipline: any safety infractions and/or disregard for basic combat fundamentals earned the transgressor a mild PT session (pushups or jumping jacks, 5x reps) to serve as a reminder. I found this amusing and effective, as I tend to go on autopilot and occasionally need a mental “speed bump” to get myself to re-focus.

Another important detail was Wade’s requirement that we practice everything from the “I’m in a gunfight” mindset, not “I’m in a training course.” Among other things, it meant that we were required to maintain a hand on the pistol grip of our carbine at all times, with finger properly indexed; if we needed to retrieve a dropped magazine, we retrieved it with our support hand, while keeping the muzzle pointed down-range and our eyes scanning for threats.

I must confess that after watching a few of Wade’s demonstrations, I found myself realizing that my own techniques, which I’ve used for years, had serious flaws. Not necessarily because I’d been taught wrong, but because I’d become complacent in employing them. I realized that even something as simple as how my foot was placed could mean the difference between losing my balance from a light push, or being able to resist a considerable amount of pressure. My confidence level plummeted as I found myself trying to adapt to Wade’s techniques. Old dog + new tricks = Feel like a FNG.

As the day progressed, I found myself moving more smoothly and confidently. Wade’s instructional method is rapid, intense, and no-nonsense, but also is paced to match the progress of the students. It’s clear that Wade is accustomed to teaching students with a certain level of fitness and skill, and that this course is probably not suited for the untrained, infirm, those who don’t want to put in the required effort, or who expect to have their hand held.

Another aspect of the course that became apparent early on was that we spent more time on the range than in the classroom, which I appreciated. In other courses, time was split evenly between classroom and range. Wade demonstrated everything on the firing line, first at slow speed, then at “Wade” speed (i.e. fast). He performed demonstrations multiple times if necessary, but it was also clear that he expected us to pay close attention so that he didn’t have to demonstrate too many times.

A few hours into TD1, I realized that I’d forgotten my concerns about the effectiveness of a lone instructor teaching the course. When demonstrating techniques, Wade always positioned himself where all could see him, and he’d usually demonstrate a technique from both sides to give us a 360-degree perspective. He projected his voice well, and occasionally used a megaphone so there was no possibility of commands going unheard. In addition, he had several drills where half the class was shooting, and the other half was observing/assisting the shooters as safety officer/coach. That was useful, as it kept everyone involved and learning (even if it wasn’t their turn to pull the trigger).


Summary of TD1:

Drills were mainly fundamental, and included weapon manipulation and loading/unloading from strong and support sides; transitions; the usual standing, crouching, kneeling, sitting, and prone positions (as well as multiple variations of each position); low-light shooting, with a plethora of techniques using handheld and weapon-mounted lights. Many of these techniques were new to me, and I found them to be very useful.

One of the most valuable lessons I took away from the first day was the usefulness vs. liability of 1,2 and 3-point rifle slings. Wade demonstrated on several students (myself included) how easily a determined assailant could use our own equipment against us. He also demonstrated alternative ways to use the sling, which facilitated quick deployment, but eliminated much of the risk and hindrance associated with the sling.

The sling lesson was an eye-opener, and halfway through TD1 I put into practice what I’d learned. As a result, the speed and ease of my transitions improved significantly, which brought my confidence level up somewhat.

Of note was that Wade had us do stretching exercises before put us through “strenuous” training. In my opinion, nothing was overly strenuous, but by the end of the day I was tired and had acquired a few cuts, scrapes, bruises, etc. However, I feel that if I hadn’t stretched, I would’ve been in worse condition. During the course of the day, I drank 3x Camelbaks worth of water, as well as several pint bottles of water from Wade’s supply, so dehydration wasn’t an issue.

I also learned the utility of having an ambi-selector on my rifle. I’m aware of many persuasive arguments AGAINST having an ambi selector, but Wade’s rationale was also convincing, and the drills he put us through proved the value of having an ambi selector.

It’s probably more practical and uniform to simply get used to manipulating a standard selector, as most ARs on the planet are configured non-ambi. However, the argument of uniformity is more applicable to the military sector, where a soldier might have to fight with an M4 he picks up on the battlefield, so all need to be configured the same. A civilian is unlikely to have to fight with an AR that isn’t his, so ostensibly he has a bit more leeway in modifying his equipment for personal taste/ease of use.

I also decided I wasn’t going to use the Redi-mag on day two (bulky, requires fine motor skills to operate, not familiar enough with it).

Zero malfunctions from guns. Pleased with the course so far.

Went home and slept like a rock. Did not clean or oil guns, partly because I wanted to see how well my AR would run with the suppressor fouling the internals up at an accelerated rate. I figured if it started giving me problems, a dose of oil to the bolt would get me through the rest of the course. Worst-case, I had a spare AR with me.

TD2:

(Same gear as day 1, minus the Redimag. )

Woke up sore. (First time I’ve ever had a civilian course do that to me.)

TD2’s course of instruction started as soon as everyone was accounted for. Group number went from 10 to 8 (One student self-eliminated after TD1; one was only there for a 1-day refresher.)

First up was malfunction and reload drills. Wade demonstrated various methods, most of which were familiar to me already. Nothing new there, but an integral part to any fighting course.

Movement drills were a substantial part of TD2. Again, Wade put us through our paces in all positions, and pointed out to us our manifold flaws and wasted movements. Forward, back, side, side, up, down, transition, etc. Continuous movement while keeping muzzle trained on threat, and putting rounds on target from all positions. Moral of the story is that the battlefield is unpredictable, and we can’t always pick the fighting position we’re most comfortable with. The more positions we’re capable of getting into quickly and smoothly, the more versatile fighters we are, and the more likely we are to survive.

Day two included two fatiguing exercises (timed) which incorporated everything we’d learned throughout the course. Transitions, reloads, obstacles, movement, etc. Not terribly difficult, but effectively simulated how quickly skills/coordination deteriorate when fatigue, speed, and pressure enter the equation.


Summary of TD2:

Although TD2was faster-paced and more physically demanding than TD1, I felt adequately prepared for it. Basically, TD2 was spent putting into practice everything we learned on TD1.

I experienced one carbine malfunction near the middle of TD2, where the bolt failed to go all the way into battery, so I got a “click” when I pulled the trigger. This was in the middle of a movement drill, so a quick tap, roll, rack, and it fired. If I’d noticed this malfunction prior to pulling the trigger, I probably could’ve gotten it into battery with a few punches of the forward assist.

Final Notes :

Course requirement stated 1000-1200 rds carbine ammo and 400 rds pistol ammo. I went through approx 700 and 100 rds respectively. I think the 700 rds fired was appropriate for the carbine drills, but I would’ve liked more drills that required a transition to the handgun.

Overall, I was very pleased with the course and the instructor. Wade’s enthusiasm and energy never wavered over the two days, and his methods are clearly relevant to real-world scenarios. His curriculum included a lot of what I already knew, but also a lot that I didn’t know (and which I’m glad to have learned). Wade is clearly well-versed in his field.

Although Wade doesn’t assign the course a difficulty level, I’d put it on par with or exceeding previous “advanced” courses I’ve taken. This is not criticism of those previous courses or their instructors, rather a comparison of pace, variety of drills, and the physical nature of the exercises. Being as objective as possible, I’d rank this course “intermediate.” Reason being that it contained everything a “beginner” needs to know fundamentally, but was conducted at a pace and intensity more suited for students who are fairly proficient with their tools. I’d also consider it intermediate because of how Wade himself demonstrated each exercise at slow speed, then ran it at full speed at least once with ease, speed, and proficiency, which indicates that he’s capable of teaching even more intense and demanding (i.e. advanced) courses.

At the end of two days, I felt improved and educated, but not necessarily proficient. Proficiency is the product of repetition, and I need to do this a LOT more of this before I’d consider myself proficient. Due to my difficulty in finding time to train, I’m going to have to practice “dry” movement drills on my own.

In conclusion, the course took me out of my comfort zone and shook my confidence. This is a good thing, because comfort breeds complacency, and it became very clear to me during this course that there was not only a lot that I didn’t know, but also that there we better ways of doing what I was currently doing.

Gear review:

Carbine got very dirty, as I ran it suppressed the entire time. I didn’t clean it or oil it during the course, and I had one malfunction in approx 700 rds. Accuracy with 10.5” bbl and suppressor is excellent. The carbine as I had it configured isn’t a lightweight package, but it was never unmanageable.

When I cleaned the carbine after TD2, some of the carbon needed to be scraped and wire-brushed off the bolt and bolt carrier, even after I soaked the bolt in SLIP Carbon Killer for ½ hour. However, as dirty as it was, it ran very smoothly (aside from the single malf), with no sluggishness.

Red-mag is a nice piece of gear, but I think it’s something I can live without.

Glock was boringly reliable.

Sordin Ear Pro worked great, but there were a few times that the gunfire got uncomfortably loud. Put in earplugs a time or two to augment the Sordins.

Oakley gloves were very comfortable, and I wore them throughout the entire course. Great finger dexterity, knuckle protection, and the material breathes well.

Oakley M-frames were also very comfortable, and the nose-piece stuck to my face like glue and rarely shifted. I switched to clear lenses for the night portion.

All other ancillary gear worked well. The course made me re-evaluate the positioning of the gear on my belt, but the gear itself did exactly what it was supposed to do.