PackingPastor
New member
I'm working toward becoming an instructor. What do I need? Business license? (It'll be a side job only, and I'm doing it on my own.) Insurance? Certification? If so, from whom?
Although I am an NRA member, I am not a fan of their training programs or their instructor certifications. I think their first steps handgun program is an insult to the intelligence of almost anyone of even average intelligence or ability. I also think their instructor certification programs are very poor. I have seen numerous NRA certified instructors that aren't much more than beginners themselves. Two local instructors come to mind but shall remain nameless. The NRA seems to think that they can take most anyone off the street and make them an instructor in two days of training, which I think is absurd.
I have likewise been disappointed by those that relied on some type of law enforcement or military credentials as the basis of their training. The military makes little use of the handgun and I was quite surprised when I found most had little more than an afternoon of training and met a very modest qualification standard. I was also appalled to find out how little training our police receive and the meager standards to which they perform. I understand now why our local police have killed or wounded so many innocent bystanders. Like many people that are not versed in firearms, I believed that our police were highly skilled and highly trained and at some point I appealed to friends in law enforcement to help me. Needless to say, I was amazed to their skills and knowledge were grossly lacking. I also realized just how little confidence I could place in the police to protect me.
The hardest part of the process in my experience was finding good instruction. I eventually did find several good ones but I wasted a lot of money along the way. I also made the good instructors job more difficult by showing up with bad habits and a lot of misinformation.
Depends on what you teach and what state. At a minimum you should have insurance. Establishing your business as a LLC gives you a bit more credibility and buffer in potential lawsuits. Building a resume of classes attended and instructor certifications will add to your credibility as an instructor. If you're going to teach CCW most states will require you have an NRA Handgun Cert as a minimum.
Although, I will agree with some of the above statements. I will explain why you have the experience that you have. The NRA Instructor courses are based on the thought process of basic instruction. This is so that they can teach the BASIC fundamentals of shooting. This is basically target shooting, for the uninitiated. They even tell you that in the Instructors manual.”
The problem that we are seeing is, Instructors teaching things they are not qualified to teach. Yes they were in the military, yes they had to qualify. But they were not Primary Marksmanship Instructors or Combat Marksmanship Instructors. Those jobs are the real deal. They are highly qualified. I have yet to see a military Marksmanship Instructor that was not exceptional at his trade. I ran a pistol and rifle range in the Marine Corps and call out plenty of instructors every year when they use their military background as credentials and they were in supply or truck drivers.
As an NRA Training Counselor, I have trained hundreds of Instructors. If the candidates cannot grasp this concept, I do not get them certified. ”
If you look at folks like John Farnham, Clint Smith, Jeff Cooper you will see that they are previous military firearms Instructors. I am not talking about the you tube commandos and marketeers. I am talking about the serious trainers.”
I ran a pistol and rifle range in the Marine Corps and call out plenty of instructors every year when they use their military background as credentials and they were in supply or truck drivers.
As an NRA Training Counselor, I have trained hundreds of Instructors. If the candidates cannot grasp this concept, I do not get them certified.”
I suggest doing your homework. Getting references. Go view a class before you spend your hard earned money. One good dead giveaway is the cost of the class you are attending. If its too cheap, thats what you will get. Is the instructor qualified to teach what they are teaching? Who trained them? Is the technique that they are teaching a well known technique? Is it proven? Do they make statements like "My way is the only way". Do that have certifications? Has the school or instructor been around a long time? One statement I make always......".There are only so many ways to shoot a gun, and they were all invented before you and I were born." I am a student of firearms and self defense, all I do is pass on what I have learned over the years.
For those that want to become an Instructor there are limited ways to become one. The NRA Instructor Program qualifies more than any organization, next will be LEO via FLECTCH, state organizations like FDLE. These are the only credentials that are normally acceptable to most. Depending on what you want to teach it can cost from 300.00 to 30,000 dollars depending on where you go to school. My training has cost me or the taxpayer over a quarter million dollars. Me at least 30 grand with travel, ammo, course fees and lodging.”
Bob, I certainly agree with you, we are seeing lots of instructors trying to teach things that are not qualified to teach like how to shoot a handgun.1- If you have never seen former military instructors they did their job very poorly, I suggest you get out more. I have been through the rounds with these people as well and if were not in poor taste I would name names. I think that your statement that you are a former military firearms instructor and that everyone that has been a 2-military firearms instructor is extraordinary is self-serving BS at best. My point is that everyone who has done nothing more than learn a few buzzwords and some primitive techniques does not begin to have the level of knowledge and experience to provide the quality of training that I Believe is necessary to do the job well.
Number 1 bolded- I have seen many military instructors and they are a cut above. Have you been in the military? Have you trained with a military PMI? Military Instructors are talented because they get the training and experience, in your own words. You can't become experienced without on the job training. It's hard to get that in the civilian world if for noo other reason than the cost of ammo. You can't learn this on youtube or out of books. Experience and training to teach not just know how to shoot. I have seen gold medal winners that were excellent shots that you would fall a sleep in the first 10 minutes. So that dawg don't hunt. The way that people become good instructors are with a good solid base in marksmanship instruction (including the ability to evaluate and critique) to fix the problem a shooter has. Once there is a good marksmanship base, Defensive shooting Instructors that are good, have a thorough understanding of the modern technique of gunfighting, or the Applegate/Sykes/Fairbairn method of Instruction or possibly some of the offshoots such ass CAR specialties. . I mean I am not sure there are any other techniques. A good defensive shooting Instructor is one that has taken classes from an Instructor trainer that knows Defensive shooting techniques and mindset. So how do you get that? You spend money either the governments or your own to go to a trainer that has the knowledge, skill and ability to teach you how to teach students to defend themself. And the guys that have spent the most time and money to learn their trade will not come cheap.
Is it only Military trainers, no. It may be LEO either federal or State. I have trained with both. The reason they are normally a cut above is because they could afford to take the training to learn to train the trainers.
Now I have known and trained with some of the best trainers in the world and they all had one thing in common. They spent a lot of time and money to learn their trade.
And you can say that Cooper's training in the Military isn't where he learned his trade but you would be wrong. He received his base training which was the foundation for his modern pistol theory. He also found the errors in the training in the military and worked to fix it at his 1st facility called API. That was even before Gunsite. That is what good trainers do. They look to see if they can improve upon any technique they teach.
Look I don't claim to be anything special, I am nothing but a student of the gun and pass on what I have learned about shooting and self defense by what I have learned from some of the best in the industry.