[DannyR]

Wow, what an educational four days in Reevesville, SC!

Day 1--Range, 9am-7pm, cold, rainy, muddy.
Day 2--Range, 8am-6pm, cold muddy
Day 3--classroom--9am-8pm
Day 4--classroom--9am-7pm, more rain

First of all, I must thank our most gracious hosts, Tommy and Lisa Marie Judy. They treated us like family and went out of their way to accommodate all. B.E.L.T. is a fine training facility. I rate them a 10+

Range:
At the range, we practiced Weaver, Chapman and Isosceles stances. We practiced one handed shooting, both straight and McMillan cant. We shot from a low crouch, high kneeling and low kneeling (in the mud). We shot with our eyes closed. We shot with our hands shaking as hard as we could make them shake. We shot looking over the sights. We practiced speed reloads, again in the mud. Most of our 26 shooters used Glocks.

It was a thing of beauty to watch Mas and Gail, both shooting Glocks, each shoot a perfect 300 in the qualifier. Then we shot the 60 round qualifier. One shot a perfect 300, and a young lady shooting a Ruger SP101 shot a 299. I shot a 275.

None complained about the weather, mud or temperature.

Classroom:
The classroom training was intense to say the least. I cannot discuss the contents of the 21 hours of classroom lecture, but can say it was stunning, eye opening, sometimes shocking and above all a fantastic learning experience. You must take notes, lots of notes if you want to pass the exam (and for other reasons).

Is the class for you? YES! Everyone that owns a firearm for personal protection should take it without hesitation or mental reservation. What you learn in four days may very well save your life and subsequent freedom.

Again, thank you Mas, Gail, Tommy, Judy and BELT Staff, and all my classmates, especially my good friend Bob Temple. Bob retrieved my magazines from the mud and pasted my targets when I was exhausted.

Now get off your butts and sign up for the next class available to you. See http://massadayoobgroup.com/

Also check out the training schedule at http://www.belttraining.com/

Final note: Don't outsmart yourself as I did. Mas said three magazines. I loaded 26 magazines, 6 rounds each. After a day of speed reloading drills in the mud, I now have 26 mags to clean instead of 3.

[Gallium]

Thank you for the AAR. I keep having this recurring dream where Mas and I are in a class together where we are both students. The 2nd time I had the dream I walked over to him and said "hey, this is the 2nd time I'm running into you in a class".

I have associates who have sat the class. One of them came back with a signed dollar , I think. He still raves about the course, and it's been...a while now.

Thanks again. My mag limit is 6 for courses as these (that's how many prebans I have assigned for range work).

[TSiWRX]

I thank you for the AAR, too. Mr. Ayoob's training is on my bucket list. I really do hope to get out to one some day in the near future.

Originally Posted by DannyR

Final note: Don't outsmart yourself as I did. Mas said three magazines. I loaded 26 magazines, 6 rounds each. After a day of speed reloading drills in the mud, I now have 26 mags to clean instead of 3.

^ I know you're far from a noob, but this is something that I wanted to highlight for the benefit of others who may be new to going to training classes, being a relative noob, myself! I think that's really excellent advice you gave, above.


I used way too many magazines to my first training class, which was also in the mud...and ended up having to, like you, clean way too many magazines. Still single digit, but too many, nevertheless!


The key is to *use* the minimum recommended amount - but to take along plenty of spares so that you don't:

(1) not have spare magazines to use, should your primary magazines become damaged

and

(2) are not "that guy/girl" who is slowing down the evolution progression - or even just failing to maximize your own learning time - by constantly needing to re-load your magazines (i.e. adjust your "minimum" load-out to be sufficient for your needs: i.e. a double-stacker full-sized Glock driver may only need to have three spares, but a single-stack 1911 driver may want to have six or even eight available)

...but otherwise, using too many magazines just means that you'll have to clean too many magazines, later! Now, I usually only use three or four (one in the gun, and either two or three on the belt), but I bring an additional four to eight as spares.


I think a lot of students envision classes as being a mad-dash kind of range-day, when it's really not.

Instructors will allow for plenty of time to re-load magazines, hydrate and energize/medicate, and for the immediate-previous evolution to be internalized by the student (and to answer questions) before starting the next.

[HK Dan]

Mag 20 is a must-have for CCW permit holders. If I had to sell a gun to be able to afford it, I would, it's that critical. TAKE THE FREAKIN CLASS.

[Dragoon44]

Mas is one of the most gifted teachers around.

[cowboy1964]

What does the "qualifier" entail?

[WT]

Thanks for the write-up.

It's good to see a wheelgunner show up and score so high on the qualifier.

Personally, I think some instructors lose out on potential students because they don't really encourage wheelgunners to show up. I know Mas has no problem with it, though.

As said, Mas is an excellent teacher and his advice will help keep you out of jail ... if you listen to him and follow it.

[series1811]

Originally Posted by Dragoon44

Mas is one of the most gifted teachers around.

And, one of the best writers on the tactics and practical issues of gun fighting as well.

[DannyR]

Qualifier is shot at 4, 7, 10 and 15 yards. 60 rounds, time allowance, in a combination of strong hand only, weak hand only, low crouch, high kneel, low kneel, weaver, chapman and isosceles stances. IDPA target. Speed reloads. Rain or shine, dry or swamp.

[WT]

Two questions.

1. Was that using the FBI "Q" type target?

2. By high kneeling I assume you mean the Lewinsky Position.

[DannyR]

No, it was the traditional IDPA torso target.

[ncglock19]

MAG-40 was the most worthwhile class I've taken. I enjoyed 4 days down at his home base in Florida in October 2011.

nc19