Class Review

7/29/98

I recently had the opportunity to take the "Low Light Intermediate Handgun" course from Jim Crews and was struck by two things. First, I learned a lot more from the class than I thought I would, and second, it was well worth the time, money and aggravation involved.

Until this class I had always perceived receiving formal handgun instruction as something akin to going to the dentist. I knew I should do it, I knew it would be good for me, I knew it wouldn't be so bad once I got there, but I still just couldn't get my lazy backside excited about the idea. Now I know that having someone who really understands what they're doing teach you about your relationship with your pistol is one of the most important things you can do if you're serious about being able to protect yourself.

I've never been a bad shot, and have on several occasions shot better than Jason with his own gun. I enjoy being able to shoot, and I appreciate the security a loaded Glock can give you when trudging to the laundry room at two a.m. I do not, however, love guns for their own sake.

So I wound up in this two evening course pretty much through no fault of my own after having successfully avoided similar classes for the last four or five years. It's July in Arizona (can you say "monsoon"?). The class fell on a weekend. I started taking the green pills in the pack. I was unthrilled.

That said, let me tell you about my class.

There were nine students, five men and four women. Our prior handgun experience ranged from first time shooters to veteran gun enthusiasts. Our instruction began "at he very beginning", with a statement and explanation of the basic gun safety rules. Then we learned how to correctly draw from our holsters, which is surprisingly awkward until you get used to the motion.

Then came the first close range (3 yards) target shooting. From the results of this seemingly simple task, Jim was able to tell all of us what we were doing, as opposed to what we should be doing. He worked with each of us until we all understood exactly what we needed to do to perform well. This personalized diagnosis of habits to be broken and formed, along with repeating the drills until the right way began to seem natural, was probably the most important part of the class for me.

By the end of the first night we were moving with our guns drawn and firing from various distances from the target. By the end of the second night we were shooting while moving, from standing and kneeling positions. We learned how not to fall down when you can't see the ground, how to stabilize your upper body so you can shoot while moving, and how to shoot with your pistol in close to your body.

In addition to all this, I personally learned a lot of practical things that weren't on the curriculum. I learned that loose clothing is cooler when it's 108 degrees in the shade, but it also has a tendency to get in the way when maneauvering a firearm. I learned that the female body does indeed require special consideration when purchasing a holster. I learned that if I have to, I can shoot well with a migraine headache. I learned that I really can do this.

I didn't doubt before that I could, I gave up my pacifism a long time ago. But it's different when you've gone and done it. Just the added boost to my confidence is worth the investment I made.

And now a few words about my instructor. If you are lucky enough to get the chance to take a course - any course - from Jim Crews, I would highly recommend that you do so. He is extremely competent, incredibly patient, and remarkably perceptive. He is a good teacher, a talent possessed by very few.

From a female student's perspective, he is aware of the impact various topographical body differences have on practical gun handling. He is not, however, condescending, rude, snide, or otherwise offensive. The women in the class are expected to do the same things at the same skill level as the men. They are simply taught how to work around obstacles such as hips and breasts, without making it a big deal.

From a general student's perspective I found Jim a good motivator without being overbearing or exceedingly intense. He did an excellent job of sizing up the group and proceeding at an appropriate pace. Despite the diversity of the group he had to work with and the relatively short time frame (12 hours), I believe we all got a lot from the class, regardless of what level we started at. Besides all that, I like the guy, and I don't generally like people.

I recommend that everyone take at least one shooting-intensive handgun class if they have a gun for any reason, and if possible, I recommend it be taken from Jim Crews.