john1911 said:
What I don't understand is the variety of doctrines taught. Three different instructors may teach three widely different actions for the exact same situation.
John, I think you might be surprised to learn that almost all the schools teach the same tactics. Really, how many ways can you use a hammer? :wink:
The differences in instructors instead lie in the teaching methodology (do they hit you with a huge amount of info, letting you decide what to practice - or do they spoon feed you little bits at a time, forcing you to repeat an action until you can't get it wrong?), the employment of the skills necessary to make hits on target (Squared stance or bladed stance? Thumbs up or thumbs forward? Slingshot or slide release?), and the mindset/perspective of the particular school/instructor (are they teaching from a SWAT officer, beat cop, grunt, HSLD operator, civilian contractor, or "Joe Citizen" standpoint?).
The reputable schools largely teach the same tactics.
The methodology of how fast you progress through the skills needed to employ those tactics will vary from there.
The doctrines associated with the skills needed to employ those tactics may differ slightly from school to school.
The perspective and experience of the particular school/instructor will affect the doctrines and teaching methodology.
ALL of them will be better than not taking any training at all.
Picking a few instructors I know, or know enough of to speak somewhat intelligently of regarding style/methodology/mindset and their "doctrines":
Four beginner students each take a basic carbine class from the following list: Pat Rodgers, Greg Sullivan, James Yeager, and Gabe Suarez*.
The two students that take the Pat's and Greg's class might learn a basic squared stance first, will learn
why it's a stable platform, and will then be drilled on movement to cover utilizing that platform. In James' and Gabe's class, movement to cover might be stressed first, with the natural result being that the student is forced into a "squared" stance without the instructor saying "place your feet like this".
All four will be taught proper sight alignment and trigger press, and if their rifle goes down or runs dry inside of 25M, to transition to their pistol. All of them will learn that it is important to
Fire on their target,
Asses the fighting ability of that threat afterward,
Scan for any other threats around them, and then
Tac-load their gun to stay in the fight.
So all four students learned to move behind cover, employed the same skills to get there, and were drilled on making hits while doing it all. If their primary guns jammed, they knew to go to their blaster. Each was taught the "Wyatt Protocol" (F.A.S.T. above).
Four students, four different teachers,
very similar results.
Again, there is very little practical difference in the tactics and skillsets that
good instructors teach. Each has their strong suits, their detractions, their core beliefs (mindset) and their quirks. One might prefer "Sul" as a ready position, while the other teaches "Norte". In the end, and after you've done your due diligence and homework, it's a matter of personal preference. Who do I want to work with? Am I available to take that particular class? What am I willing to spend?
Short of attending every class offered, how do you determine which action suits your specific situation?
There is something to be said for taking classes with instructors that teach things a bit differently than the rest, but if someone is teaching a radically different set of tactics and skillsets, I'd be wary. Progress in "tactical" training is a creeping, crawling thing that evolves over time. Good instructors adapt, some schools stagnate, but it's the "New and improved! Radically different! Will make you shoot like a Delta SEAL!" stuff that should be avoided like the plague.
In other words, I believe your perception is not aligned with reality. Drop any single student from any of the reputable schools together and chances are that there will be more similarities than differences in the way they address a threat. We might vehemently disagree on any number of the finer points, but the core skill is employing a specific tool to do a specific job.
*Apologies to all. I know I've oversimplified, but I'm sure you understand why.
