I.C.E. Training - Blog

A Professional Code for Defensive Shooting Instructors

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:22:00 EST

: More and more students are signing up for more and more courses. As the industry grows, so does our need for Professional Defensive Shooting Instructors.

The number of people buying defensive firearms and the number of them seeking out training and Concealed Carry Permits are continuing to rise. Concurrently, the private sector training industry has never been busier and is also growing quickly. More and more ranges are hosting courses and allowing their members to practice progressively. New Instructors are joining our ranks every day. These are all GREAT Things. As I speak with my peers in the industry about the ‘good times’, though, one thing that is often lamented is the lack of “standards” among instructors. Thankfully, most of the focus is not on actual technique or doctrinal standards, but on standards of professionalism, safety and business practices. One of the great things about the current state of affairs is the great variety in doctrines, methods and techniques that can be learned from the many professionals actively teaching defensive shooting. This variety, and the differences in what is being taught, leads to the examination and critical thinking that are necessary for evolution and improvement. Sometimes, however, those differences go beyond the hard skills and bleed into areas that can cause a lot of heartburn. Areas like safety. Areas like the justification for why certain techniques are taught. Areas that often fall under the umbrella of Professionalism.

If you ask a room full of people what “professionalism” means, you’ll get a lot of different answers… trust me, I’ve done it several times! Words that are often heard include: Integrity, Knowledge, Expert, Dedication, Honor, Ethics & Standards. Recurring themes include: Attitudes, The “way one conducts oneself” and Respect for (and from) Peers & Students.

Over the past several months, I’ve engaged many training industry professionals in a dialogue to move towards a clearer understanding, both for us and our students, of exactly what a Professional Defensive Shooting Instructor is or how they conduct themselves. These conversations have taken place on the phone, via email, on a few ranges, in a at least a few bars, at a meeting held at SHOT Show and, most recently, during a presentation I gave on “Instructor Development & Professionalism” at The Rangemaster Tactical Conference in Memphis, TN. There were 40-50 people at the presentation and almost all of them were instructors. Some of their names you would recognize and I consider mentors and trailblazers, others have not had their 100^th student yet and I might not even recognize if I see them next week. During that presentation, we engaged in a bit of a discussion about the concept of “professionalism” and I proposed seven tenets that are the result of the last several months of interaction. By no means are these tenets my own creation, hatched in a dark study and delivered down from a pedestal. These are the ideals I strive for, certainly not ones I claim to have always met. They have grown from three bullet points that started in an email thread between myself, Grant Cunningham and Omari Broussard, two very different firearms instructors who are equally excellent and passionately interested in progress and professional development. Those bullet points were re-written, shared, discussed, changed, added to, taken away from and reviewed by too many other contributors to list here. The list includes names like Robbie Barkman, John Farnam and Marty Hayes, guys who have been involved in the industry since its earliest days and guys like Chris Collins, who have only recently become recognized names amongst the firearms community. All of those contributors and contributions evolved the idea of a Professional Defensive Shooting Instructor’s Code into the list of tenets that I presented last week and that are included at the end of this article.

As these conversations have been going on, it became apparent that the first thing that might need to be established for some people is that there is such a thing as a “Defensive Shooting Instructor” in the first place… as opposed to just a generic “shooting instructor”. I think it is imperative, as we move forward, to distinguish the group of people, the area of study and the gear appropriate for Defensive Shooting. Just as you wouldn’t show up to a skeet shooting event with a .308 rifle and expect to talk with others about mil-dots versus duplex reticles, we should be able to differentiate between the person who teaches hunter safety, target shooting or competition techniques from those who teach life & death skills meant for a very specific context of use. Similarly, there are differences between much of the gear and the techniques that make the most sense if you are trying to win competitions and the things that make the most sense to a Defensive Shooting Instructor. Once that is established, we can move on to trying to figure out exactly what that person does and how they do it.

Of course, what we actually do… the doctrine, the techniques, the skills themselves… will never be standardized. I believe it would be a fool’s quest to try to establish standards for what is taught under the banner of Defensive Shooting. In fact, I even disagree with those who have proposed that we should have universal standards for safety related issues such as student-to-instructor ratios and whether or not it is okay let students shoot & move on an imperfect range surface. I also disagree with those who would say that things like using foul language or dressing in any particular way immediately mark you as “unprofessional”. I do, however, believe that there are some much less objective things that we should be able to agree on. I believe that there are some fundamental things that anyone engaging in this trade should be able to support. Those things are represented in the tenets ,. Those things are subjective… they are conceptual. To echo the words that I have often heard people use to describe and define “Professionalism”, they indicate that a person has Integrity, Knowledge, Ethics, Dedication and Standards. They indicate that a person is interested in the ideas of Attitude, Respect and Evolution. They indicate that a person is very aware of how they conduct themselves and their courses. These, to me, are all hallmarks of Professionalism.

: Copies of "The Tenets" that were passed around and signed at SHOT and at the Rangemaster Conference.

Over the past several weeks, these tenets have been presented to many instructors. Overwhelmingly, they have responded with “Where do I Sign?”… and, in fact, at both SHOT Show and the Rangemaster Conference many instructors actually did sign a copy of the tenets that was being passed around. All of their names, as well as a handful of others who have specifically expressed their support in writing, are listed below.

So, whether you are an instructor or a student… or just an interested observer connected to the firearms industry… take a look at these tenets. Please share them in their entirety wherever you see fit, electronically or otherwise, attribute them to the Association of Defensive Shooting Instructors.

And, if you are interested in being on the list of those who support this code, send me an email.

-Rob Pincus, rob@icetraining.us

The Professional Code of Defensive Shooting Instructors

1. I am committed to the safety of my students, and hold that the expected benefit of any training activity must significantly outweigh any known or perceived risk of that activity.

2. I believe that it is my responsibility to understand not just what I'm teaching, but WHY I'm teaching any technique or concept, or offering specific advice.

3. I recognize that defensive shooting skills, along with the drills and gear used, are inherently specialized and usually distinct from those of target shooting, competition and hunting endeavors.

4. I will encourage my students to ask questions about course material, and I will answer them with thorough and objective explanations.

5. I understand that Integrity and Professionalism are subjective traits and I strive to maintain high levels of both. I am capable of, and willing to, articulate the reasons for the way I conduct my courses and how I interact with students & peers.

6. I believe that it is valuable to engage my peers in constructive conversation about differences in technique and concept, with the goal of mutual education and evolution.

7. I believe that the best instructor is an avid student, and I will strive to continually upgrade my own skills and knowledge. As part of this belief, I understand that my own teachings need to be subject to critique and open to evolution.

Rob Pincus, Grant Cunningham, Omari Broussard, Robbie Barkman, Tom Givens, John Farnam, Tom Givens, Mike Janich, Claude Werner, Mike Seeklander, Billy Heib, James Yeager, Chris Collins, Mike Hughes, Alessandro Padovani, Paul Gomez, Jeffrey Bloovman, Larry Yatch, Curtis Dodson, Matt Devito, Eli Brown, Brent Wheat, Mark Craighead, Stephen Pineau, John Jouvelis, Chris Juelich, Ian Strimbeck, Jeremy Harrison, Robert Smith, George Williams, Paul Carlson, Travis White, Jeff Dyke, Ralph Greer, Paul Mehn, Tobin Maginnis, Steven Grundy, Jim Clark, Jack Feldman, Zeph Thull, Tyler Capozzi, Ron Sparrow, Randall Holmes, Marc Seltzer.

: Some of the instructors who gathered at the 2012 SHOT Show to discuss The Tenets and Professional Instructor Development

Extreme Close Quarters Tactics and Introduction to Executive Protection are back on the I.C.E. Training Schedule!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:49:00 EST

Along with the addition of two new exciting programs for 2012, we are also announcing the return of two popular courses that haven’t been offered for open enrollment in the last few years. The Extreme Close Quarters Tactics (ECQT) and Introduction to Executive Protection (IEP) courses are both on the I.C.E. Training Schedule for the new year.

Both of these courses have been extremely popular and in high demand in the past. In fact, the Rob Pincus’ ground breaking Extreme Close Quarters Tactics program was the centerpiece of the five day Close Quarters Counter Ambush Package that was attended by hundreds of special operations soldiers, sailors, airmen and officers from 2005-2009. This was also the course that the information accompanying Rob’s recent appearance on the cover of Black Belt Magazine was drawn from. Some of the things that will be discussed in this course can be seen in a video clip at BBM’s Website. In 2001, Rob Pincus and Lt. Gary Meares (ret.) teamed up to run some of the most intense close quarters SWAT Training ever conducted… those sessions, run at Camp Blanding in Florida, lead to the development of the curriculum that would become known as the Extreme Close Quarters Tactics course. That course, run during the era of the Valhalla Training Center, was one of the most talked about courses of the mid part of the last decade and was featured in several magazines, including Tactical Response (by Kevin Davis) and S.W.A.T. (by Brent Wheat) . It was programs like ECQT that lead the Rand Corporation to identify VTC as the most progressive close quarters training center available in the private sector in a 400+ page white paper. Rob himself wrote about the program and its development in an article about High Gear™ Impact Reduction Suits in 2006.

“ I am very excited about teaching this program again,” says Pincus, “it has always been my favorite course to teach. From the early days in Florida, to the honor of regularly running it at Valhalla for US Special Forces to getting to teach it inside of facilities that few ever get to enter for some of the guys at the tip of our sharpest spears. Putting it back on the schedule for open enrollment is awesome!”

While the course has not been offered to the public since 2007, it has been run for law enforcement and military personnel. Also, Pincus has picked up a few important additions to the class along the way: “I know more about the topic than I did last decade. I’ve spent a lot more time with appendix carry of firearms and it is much more popular than it was back then… that alone opens up whole new sections of the class for the private sector,” he says, “ and I’ve always learned a few things from Craig Douglas of Shivworks, whose Extreme Close Quarters Concepts course I really respect, since the last time I taught the material as well.”

The return of ECQT has been eagerly anticipated by many who have trained with Rob in the private sector over the last five years and not had an opportunity to participate in it… including many of the current generation of active CFS Instructors. If you get into one of the courses, of which there will be a very limited number, you can expect to be training with some of them! Visit the I.C.E. Training website for more information.

Rob’s Introduction to Executive Protection course will also be back on the schedule for 2012. This course is specifically designed to familiarize the student with the day to day mission and skills of the typical one man low-to-medium threat low-profile Executive Protection assignment. This often neglected job at traditional “bodyguard” schools or in the modern “high risk” type security courses is also the single most common professional protection job regularly available to those interested in the field. Few private sector clients have the budgets for diamond formations and elaborate advances of destinations. Much more often, the Executive Protection Agent is tasked with being the driver, advance man, primary protective agent, nanny, personal assistant and concierge all at the same time. Often, it is difficult to keep your focus on security while trying to fit into the world of your client and maintain day-to-day value when the client isn’t actually being attacked by a stalker or assaulted by criminal.
This intense three day course addresses threat assessments, hasty advances, maximizing local resources, fundamentals of security driving and the incredibly important aspect of Client Management that lead to a successful relationship and long lasting job… both of which ensure that you will actually be where you need to be in the event of the Worst Case Scenario, an actual attack on the client.

The course also spends time on the live fire range addressing Executive Protection Tactics and there is a section on low-profile combatives and control for use when you need to deal with a threat (or potential threat) without making a scene. Lastly, the course ends with a simulated client escort through a typical afternoon for a busy business person or celebrity which drives home the reality of the complex sets of tasks the low profile EP Agent often needs to deal with. Learn more about the course and see scheduled dates at the I.C.E. Website! This course is perfect for those making the transition from public sector protective services into the private sector (or those wanting to!).

As the team of Certified Combat Focus™ Shooting Instructors becomes more active and teaches more courses, expect to see more specialized and advanced courses from I.C.E. Training, lead by Rob Pincus and his staff instructors!

Important new DVDs added to I.C.E. Online Store!

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:29:00 EST

Two new additions to the Personal Firearms Defense Video Series: "The Body's Natural Reactions" and "Lessons from the Street" go a long way to answering incredibly important Why? Questions that often get asked about the techniques and methods that we teach in the Combat Focus® Shooting program or about what people should be training in general.

In case you are not familiar with this training series, since 2006, we have taped an average of 10-12 DVDs per year for the Personal Firearms Defense DVD Series. These videos are primarily distributed directly through our Branding Partners, including The National Rifle Association and The Second Amendment Foundation. Many clips from the series are available for free online at the Personal Defense Network website as well. To date, almost 50 DVDs have been released covering topics from the fundamentals of defensive pistol shooting to setting up an electronic alarm system. While I am the primary instructor on most of the DVDs, many top names in the industry such as Mike Janich, John Chapman, Mike Seeklander and Tony Blauer have been guests in the series. In addition to the core handgun related content, the series now has branches dealing with long guns, non-firearms defense and home security. To date, we have shipped over 3 MILLION DVDs!

I usually don't take up blog space with announcements about every new title that comes out, but this month we have two additions that are really important and worth talking about. The first is "Lessons from the Street" featuring Tom Givens of Range Master. Tom has been teaching defensive firearms, and evolving his program based on empirical evidence from his student's real world experiences for a couple of decades. The information that he shares on this DVD is an overview of 10 real incidents that are a fair sample of the scores of incidents that his students have been in and survived! Tom reviews the details and draws some conclusions that will help you figure out WHY you should be training in very specific ways to be ready for your most likely (and other plausible) defensive situations.

The second DVD that will help you understand how to get the most out of your limited training resources (time, budget, ammunition, range access, etc.) is "The Body's Natural Reactions". This DVD is the first time that I have presented this information this thoroughly outside of Instructor Development Courses. In the CFS Program, we develop our curriculum and training methods with these six most important natural reactions in mind. This DVD features an explanation of exactly how your brain enacts this phenomena and then goes into detail about the physiology, natural world survival positive and the effect on our training for all six reactions: Lowering our Center of Gravity, Orienting Towards the Threat, Moving our Hands to Protect, Increase in Visual Acuity in the Center of Our Field of Vision, Distortion in the Perception of Time and a Decrease in Blood-flow to our Extremities. I have spent more than a decade studying, learning and finding the best ways to explain the information on this video!

If you are serious about your training and not willing to blindly follow the advice of an instructor without understand the facts and observations that underly the methods you choose, then both of these DVDs are for you! If you are already receiving the PFD DVD Series, you can look forward to the arrival of these titles....if not, visit the I.C.E. Online Store to get your copies.

-RJP

You can also check out several other new releases this month (including Combat Focus® Carbineand Fundamentals of Defensive Striking) and the entire series while you are at the store!

Cross Country Spring Training Tour

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:54:00 EST

A couple of weeks ago I started the first well organized training season in my professional career! When I decided in 2001 to go into teaching full time, I leaped into it on a part-time, as-much-as-possible basis and I couldn't afford to say "no" to any chance to teach.... Florida one week? New England the next? Perfect!

Over the years, I've still hardly ever said "no" to a chance to train, but at least I have gotten to a point (after a decade!) where I am better able to plan out my training schedule in a way that makes more logistical sense.... which brings me to the 2011 Spring Training Cross Country Tour:

PA, NH, VA, OH, TN, AR, MO, OK, SD, IA, WA, OR .... an almost constant Westward Motion over the course of about two months!

And then I make my way (mostly) back east with courses in Colorado, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

I am really looking forward to this next few months... and we are already setting up the Spring 2012 schedule to follow a similar course. If I don't see you in a course this spring, maybe next year!

-RJP

Meet the Combat Focus Shooting Active Instructor Team!

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:18:00 EST

The Combat Focus® Shooting program has gone through a lot of evolution over the past couple of decades.... in fact, a decade ago, it didn't even have a name. It wasn't much more than a collection of principles and drills that I used when conducting any type of defensive firearms training. In the 90's, that was usually being done in a backyard range or, as time went on, informally for friends, fellow police officers or those interested in personal defense. By 2001, when I left full time law enforcement work, those principles and drills were becoming more solidified as I gained in experience teaching and started to see certain things work well and other things not achieve as much success. In 2003, the first official Combat Focus® Shooting courses were held in Colorado at the then new Valhalla Training Center. By 2004, members of my staff were teaching CFS on their own and we had a military client asking for Instructor Development courses. In 2005, I wrote the first CFS Book and by 2008 we had certified instructors in 6 countries and had several agencies and private sector companies successfully using the CFS Method as their primary firearms training approach. Along the way, concepts like Combat Accuracy, The Balance of Speed & Precision and the Warrior Expert Theory were codified and put into standard use. These terms and ideas are now seen regularly across the training industry. In 2010, we released a Combat Focus iPhone App to help keep counter-ambush training realistic for people on the range by themselves and I discontinued the original CFS Book, replacing it with Combat Focus Shooting: Evolution 2010. I am much prouder of the new book, which is almost twice as long and contains a great deal of additional information that has been developed or identified as important over the years since the first publication. While the drills you would run this weekend in a CFS Course might look like what I was doing in my backyard range in Tennessee in 1995, our understanding of why we teach what we teach and how to help you develop your skills efficiently has increased by truly significant amounts because of the effort, thoughts and dedication of all of our instructors. [caption id="attachment_8331" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Every year, our team has an Instructor Conference where we do continuing education, discuss new developments and instructors certify to teach advanced courses."][/caption] This process of evolution has continued to this day, with the recent introduction of the Balance of Speed & Precision Target last month, specifically designed for the drills that we run during a two day course and for our students to use as they continue to develop their skills. Finally developed by CFS Instructor Curtis Dodson, this tool will make our training even more efficient. On a conference call last month with about 30 CFS Instructors from around the US and Europe, I told them that I thought I was ready to start teaching professionally around 2000, that the CFS Program was really ready to go "public" in 2004 and that, after many years of Instructor Development, Internal Evolution and Experience Teaching an amazingly diverse cross-section of students, our team of instructors is now ready to be seen as the organization that it is. For this reason, we have developed a completely separate website and business outside of my own training company to support, promote and facilitate the Combat Focus® Shooting courses being taught around the world by our Certified Instructors. Starting in January of 2011, all aspects Combat Focus® Shooting courses, including the issuing of certificates and the promotion of training opportunities will be handled by this one central entity. [caption id="attachment_8334" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="CFSID is at least as much of a study of Human Reactions when Ambushed as it is a study of the mechanics of defensive shooting."][/caption] The CFS Instructor Development program has averaged a less than 50% certification rate since 2004. Candidates must have trained with us as end users and now spend 5 intense days learning the fundamental principles and methods that underly the program in a course that is 85% classroom and does not rest on a shooting test. In CFSID, we test our candidates understanding of the material (with a written test) and their ability to convey the material (in subjective teaching demos). We have taught up to 8 CFSID courses a year and certified less than 100 Instructors. Of those, many are members of law enforcement agencies and military units that do not teach in the private sector. In all, we have a little over 30 Active Instructors listed at the new website, including myself and some of the guys who've been with me since the Valhalla days. If you're reading this article, you are probably familiar with CFS in some way. We've had over 1 million CFS DVDs distributed through the Personal Defense Network and our partnership with the NRA since 2005, we've been featured on a many TV shows and covered by most of the major gun magazines. Still, I encourage you to check out the new website, especially the Active Instructor list. I'll bet one of our team is teaching close to you in 2011. Over the past decade, I have gotten a fair amount of attention as an instructor on my own... the fact is that The Combat Focus® Shooting program as it exists today is a team effort and I am very proud of the team. They are all worth training with. Be part of the evolution of defensive firearms training and join one of them on a range this year! -RJP

Season Three of The Best Defense starts This Week!

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:06:00 EST

For the third year in a row, The first Wednesday after Christmas will bring you a brand new season of The Best Defense…. with thirteen original episodes featuring Michael Bane, Mike Janich and I bringing you the best information we can in regard to your personal, family and home safety and security. We’ll again be taking a big leap forward tackling even more advanced techniques and concepts to you prepare to deal with some of the worst real world possibilities and plausible defensive situations.

Director Tim Cremin and Host Michael Bane ensure that every segment of The Best Defense is relevant and helpful!

This season we taped at a variety of locations to capture compelling video sequences showing you how things could go both good and bad if you’re caught in a dynamic critical incident that puts your life, or the lives of others, in jeopardy. This year, we’ll cover some important new topics like open carry and how to deal with a panicked crowd. We’re also going to re-visit issues such as road rage, home invasion, police response to a shooting and public active shooters to take a more in depth look and offer you more alternatives to consider in your preparation for these all-too-common scenarios.

We’ve taken a lot of inspiration for this season’s content right from the feedback and requests that we’ve received from our viewers via email, forum posts and conversations throughout the last two years. We’ve also taken ideas right from the headlines of some of the most shocking incidents affecting our community such as the shootings at the Florida School Board Meeting and incidents involving those who have been legally armed interacting with law enforcement with sometimes tragic results.

Personally, I really enjoyed the firearms training segments this season, where we’ll build on the foundation that has been established in previous episodes… if you haven’t been watching, you might want to take a look at the previous seasons on DVD before heading to the range and practicing some of this more advanced information!

As always, I’m looking forward to feedback from the viewers at Downrange.tv or via email (rob@swatmag.com) !

-RJP

Congratulations to 9 New Combat Focus Shooting Instructors!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:09:58 EST

Last week, I ran the first Four Day version of the Combat Focus Shooting Instructor Development Course. The CFSID course has been available to those interested in teaching the program since 2005, but it has almost always been a 3 day program. Occasionally, experienced instructors who had trained with us extensively went through a 2 [...]

Firearms Forum Radio & PA Law Enforcement Expo!

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:15:35 EST

Sunday, March 29th, I’ll be a guest on Buckeye Firearm’s Firearms Forum Radio Show. I’ll be speaking with Jim Irvine about a variety of topics, including The Best Defense and Combat Focus Shooting. We’ll also be discussing some upcoming courses in Ohio, from where the show originates. In April, there will be CFS courses at [...]

Combat Focus Shooting on Shooting Gallery!

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:14:41 EST

Just a quick note to remind everyone that the finale “best of” episode of The Best Defense certainly isn’t the only reason to tune into Outdoor Channel on Wednesday night this week…. but it’s a pretty good one! In addition to some of the best of the first season, additional new tips will be shared [...]

The Best Defense, Season 1!

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:18:00 EST

As the first season of The Best Defense comes to an end, I wanted to remind all of our viewers to use the Forum at DRTVÂ to post their comments and ask any follow up questions that might have come to you while watching the episodes. This week’s episode is the last original content production, with [...]

Accepting the Realities of Context...

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:28:00 EST

I’ve been busy over in Europe working with a variety of different students for the last week…. and I’ve been constantly reminded of the importance of accepting the realities of context. “Where there is a will, there is a way” is a common cliche….. while that may or may not be true under various circumstances, I [...]

More Instructor Development!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:22:00 EST

Â We certified more new CFSÂ Instructors this week in Southern California. 2 out of 5 students were certified and we had 2 already certified instructors attending for a refresher… as well as Cliff Byerly and Omari Broussard, the hosts (Viking Combatives). It was again a great class. Â This CFSID Course was especially unique because of the format [...]

Instructor Development Training

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:23:11 EST

I’m in the middle of a great 2 week stretch of Combat Focus Shooting Instructor Development Training. The past three days were spent at Memorial Shooting Center, I.C.E.’s Regional Representative for Texas. Memorial was completely rebuilt last year, with improvements to the range, retail store and the addition of a scenario training area. Because of [...]

1st Annual NE Shooter's Training Conference

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:50:00 EST

I don’t get to train every weekend. In fact, I don’t even get to be on the student side of the classroom for most of a weekend more than once or twice aÂ year anymore. So, when Jim Conway and Mike Nastek asked me if I would participate in a conference that they were thinking [...]

SHOT Show Day 1 at the S.W.A.T. Magazine Booth

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:00:00 EST

Another year goes by and another SHOT Show comes. As usual, I’m camping out at the S.W.A.T. Magazine booth. S.W.A.T. Magazine added me to their masthead in 2001 and I’ve been writing for them ever since… sometimes two articles a year, sometimes eighteen, but I always try to contribute. S.W.A.T. is a pretty no-nonsense publication [...]