Class Review: Fundamentals of Intuitive Defensive Shooting with Rob Pincus 9-16-19

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Fundamentals of Intuitive Defensive Shooting
Gun Owners Action League annual training/fundraising
September 16, 2019, 9am-6:30pm

-- CLASS REVIEW, AAR --​


Instructor: Rob Pincus
Weather: Beautiful sunny 70°ish
Location: Worcester Pistol & Rifle Club, Boylston, MA
Class Size: 15 (14 men | 1 lady) Ages 15 - 65ish


This is the third year that I have attended this class with Rob Pincus. He is kind enough to donate his time for a week in September for training classes in support of GOAL. Members of GOAL and living behind enemy lines thank you, Rob and Jon Green!

Showing up it was like a family reunion, it’s great to see the same faces each year. It’s also amazing to watch the progression of skills from one year to year. Jon Green (Director of Training for GOAL) was there attending the class and gave me as well as all the returning students a warm big hug. We introduced ourselves to the new faces and made small talk while unpacking our gear. It was a bigger class than I remembered in the past. COOL!

Jon gave us a medical briefing, the location of the trauma gear, emergency phone number was posted in case of a training accident, the words we were going to use if we needed to call EMS for their services…

We lined up in front of our target at about 10-12 feet and made our pistols ready. We were instructed to look at the center-mass of the target (both eyes open not using the sights, kinesthetic style.) From the compressed ready position, extend, touch the trigger and slowly pull the trigger one time and go back to compressed ready. We did this a few times and increased the cadence to multiple shots (3-5) We were encouraged to shoot as fast as we could while keeping all of our shots inside the center mass box of the target. Every once in awhile Rob would call out a number and we need to shoot the 2” circle with the number he called on it. We only got once shot to get it correct. If our groups in the center mass were too tight we were to increase our speed in-between shots, if our shot were outside the box we were to decrease our speed of shots. After the drill was over Rob came around and diagnosed the targets on what he thought we could improve upon. We moved back did this drill again at about 20-25 feet using our sights and compared the two targets.

We incorporated lateral movement before our first shot in the string, as the line was crowded it was a short step but encouraged to understand we would be moving a lot more in the “real world” Every few iterations we would break the class in half and the shooters were able to make large lateral movements while the observers watched and learned from the shooters shooting the drill.

When we felt the slide locking back we were to perform a reload. Moving off-line, not looking at the gun, inserting a new magazine and a firm overhand rack. This was all to be done with the gun back at our chest.

We practiced not facing the target and on the UP command orienting ourselves to the target moving laterally and shoot multiple shots into the called out area on the target. We were only instructed to have three double stack (10 round commie state mags) or five single-stack magazines with us on the line so the drills went fast before we needed to recharge our magazines.

We shot strong hand only and practiced having our weak hand in a different position simulating the weak hand doing other things. We compared our hits one-handed to our targets that we shot two-handed. Rob went target by target comparing and identifying patterns and some possible reasons why are impacts were where they were.

After the lunch break, we worked from the holster. Rob showed us how he wanted us to draw the gun safely and to look at the holster to make sure there was nothing in the way to obstruct the gun before reholstering the gun. We were shown and explained how the body’s natural flinch would occur during a time of stress or loud noise. That would be the starting position of all the drills coming out from our holster. Flinch response, grip the gun, pull the gun straight out, orient the gun to the target and press out with your hands coming together at full extension, settling the sights, sight picture and slowly & evenly press the trigger.

We worked from the holster for the rest of the day and then adding lateral movement to our draw continuing moving our feet on reloads when the slide locked back and remembering not to look at the gun and keep our eyes on the target.

We did a variety of drills getting the reps in and then Rob made us do math. On his targets there are numbered 2” circles 1-6. He would call out a number and we had to subtract that number from the number 10 and shoot the answer dot. We did a few of those and then he would call out a number and we had to shoot two numbers that added up to the number he called out. It’s amazing how a simple math problem can really slow the shot down.

We finished up the day at 5:45 pm, cleaned up the range and had our debrief.

Over the past 4 years, I have taken this class 3 times with Rob Pincus and 2 other times with his other instructors. Each time is a little different and I absolutely get things out of each class. As my shooting skills increased I was able to absorb and fully understand more of the theory behind the concepts. I always enjoy fundamental classes the best and can always refine and hone my skills more.

A big shout-out to Jake. You rock dude, keep it up!

Again thank you Jon Green for making this happen!

##
 
I took the class with Pincus. Overall it was good but I would not do it again.

The most enlightening part of the class was realizing what a shooting situation would be like. Thinking through the possibility of more than one threat, deciding when to draw, when to shoot and having to think about being prepared for all of it was eye opening. Sitting behind the computer is one thing but talking through scenarios on the range and firing is another. It makes it all very real as you listen to and discuss scenarios that you may encounter someday.

Drawing, shooting, reloading and reholstering drills were worthwhile. Some thought that IDPA or USPSA would provide much of the same (including me) but Pincus disagreed. However you build those skills is helpful including an IDPA session. This class emphasized mag changes and malfunction drills which were all well described.

Rob is quite abrasive and full of himself. He knows shooting, has significant LE experience, and provides insight into real life situations. The class should be limited to maybe 10 in size. If it was 4 hours in length, it would be more valuable. There was enough filler to drag it out to a whole day but it wasn't necessary. The class would have been better had it been more condensed.

I believe I went through 240 rounds. Most drills were 10-15 rounds total some were less. There is an advanced class he offers too, where you shoot off your back and prone along with some other stuff. Haven't done that one although it does sound like fun.
 
I took the class with Pincus. Overall it was good but I would not do it again.

The most enlightening part of the class was realizing what a shooting situation would be like. Thinking through the possibility of more than one threat, deciding when to draw, when to shoot and having to think about being prepared for all of it was eye opening. Sitting behind the computer is one thing but talking through scenarios on the range and firing is another. It makes it all very real as you listen to and discuss scenarios that you may encounter someday.

Drawing, shooting, reloading and reholstering drills were worthwhile. Some thought that IDPA or USPSA would provide much of the same (including me) but Pincus disagreed. However you build those skills is helpful including an IDPA session. This class emphasized mag changes and malfunction drills which were all well described.

Rob is quite abrasive and full of himself. He knows shooting, has significant LE experience, and provides insight into real life situations. The class should be limited to maybe 10 in size. If it was 4 hours in length, it would be more valuable. There was enough filler to drag it out to a whole day but it wasn't necessary. The class would have been better had it been more condensed.

I believe I went through 240 rounds. Most drills were 10-15 rounds total some were less. There is an advanced class he offers too, where you shoot off your back and prone along with some other stuff. Haven't done that one although it does sound like fun.

I understand where you are coming from, I really do.

I have taken quite a few training classes taught by others as well as him, he absolutely can be harsh and sometimes downright mean to students, but the curriculum he teaches is good science-based material. The first time I took a class from him years ago it was a two day class, I was sick with a fever and having just a terrible shooting day. I was one of the students that had his undivided attention. I could not do anything correctly, the more I missed, the more negative attention I drew from Rob. I was in a downward spiral and could not do anything to get out of it. I almost did not show up for the second day. I did show up on day two, I still had a fever and felt like a truck drove over me... my performance sucked worse than the first day. I swore that was the last Pincus class I would ever take. I never posted a class review anywhere. A few months later after the negative emotion was gone, I realized that he was holding me accountable for every bullet that left my muzzle and the material was pretty solid. There were many things I disagreed with him on, but I would keep the good stuff in my "tactical toolbox" and disregard the stuff I did not agree with him on. I have learned to not take his comments personally, "to chew the meat and spit the bones out"

I shot more rounds than you. I went through over 400 rounds myself, but I was shooting standard capacity mags and my string of shots was on the higher side of the range he gave us. His three magazine rule should be like five mags in a low capacity state like ours. I have taken the advanced class he teaches and it is a lot of fun with the different shooting positions he has us do.

The class size was large, but that did not bother me too much. I have been in many classes where we ran two lines of 7-10 people. When one group was shooting the other was loading, but I do get it, our line was packed in when we all were shooting at once.

I hope to see you again in another class someday, I enjoyed shooting with you!
 
I believe I went through 240 rounds. Most drills were 10-15 rounds total some were less. There is an advanced class he offers too, where you shoot off your back and prone along with some other stuff. Haven't done that one although it does sound like fun.

Only 240 rounds?

I think that is inaccurate.

I think most everybody fired at least 450.

Did you attend this class, this week?
 
Hopefully none of you measure the value of a class based on the number of rounds fired. The training he provides is good, could be better, but most importantly provides a vehicle for one to think about encounters and the consequences while practicing shooting drills.

You could do these same drills on your own, but it wouldn't be equivalent without some context from someone who is more familiar with situational details that might be encountered in the real world.
 
Hopefully none of you measure the value of a class based on the number of rounds fired. The training he provides is good, could be better, but most importantly provides a vehicle for one to think about encounters and the consequences while practicing shooting drills.

You could do these same drills on your own, but it wouldn't be equivalent without some context from someone who is more familiar with situational details that might be encountered in the real world.
absolutely agree.
 
Who said anything about the value of the class relating the number of rounds fired? It was simply a comment as I was surprised about the low number of rounds compared to when I took the class.
 
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