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I attended 21st Century Gunfighter's Handgun I class last Saturday and thought I would provide a quick review.

Handgun I was a day long class aimed primarily at building strong fundamentals. I've been shooting for a long time and have attended several training classes but decided to attend as a refresher to see if I had picked up any bad habits. I'm also a firm believer in adding as many tools to the ol' toolbox as possible and was hoping to pick up something new. Mission accomplished.

Stephen Pineau might be young, but he knows his way around a handgun. I found him to be every bit as knowledgeable as any instructor I've had in the past. He also understands how to teach. He is an engaging and dynamic instructor. The course was fun, informative, and centered on the basic skills needed by an armed civilian to prevail in the fight if the wolf should one day show up on your doorstep.

We started with a safety briefing and overview of the course. Then the work began. We spent the morning working on stance, grip, sight picture, trigger control, and follow through. Stephen used several drills to help bring technical flaws to light and gave good feedback on how to eliminate the problems. Throughout the course, he explained the "why" of everything he asked us to do. He had some strong feelings about certain issues (he is not a fan of the weaver stance!) but he gave us solid reasoning to support his methods. Later in the morning we also worked on our draw and presentation and covered reloads.

After lunch we started working on balancing speed and accuracy. Instead of just pushing us to go faster, we looked at the factors involved in the speed/accuracy equation. It makes sense that if shooting at the same target from a closer distance, you will be able to go faster while maintaining the same accuracy (or go the same speed with greater accuracy). But what happens when you vary them both? One particularly informative drill had us shooting a target as fast as possible and then moving closer, but shooting a smaller target. Stephen predicted that different people would react to the changes in different ways, and he was right. About half the class shot faster at the closer/smaller target than they did at the larger/more distant target. We also worked heavily on clearing malfunctions and getting back into the fight. I learned a new method of clearing malfunctions that was worth the entire price of the class. It makes so much sense that I can't believe nobody else ever taught it.

Throughout the class I heard a mix of new perspectives and some of the same ideas and techniques that are taught industry wide. Whenever Stephen used a drill or taught a concept that wasn't his own, he was quick to give credit to the source. We all stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us, and Stephen is no exception. I would have been very disappointed if some of the tried and true techniques had not been taught in this class, so it certainly isn't a flaw that some of the material originated with others... but it is always nice to see credit given where it is due.

The class ended with a debrief in which Stephen was adamant that each student give him something that he (Stephen) needs to improve. It showed that he truly wants to improve the training experience.

I think the class accomplishes its goal. It provides a solid foundation for anyone who wants to move beyond standing at the firing line shooting bullseyes and into either competition or self defense shooting. It is also a great "back to basics" refresher for more advanced shooters. And for $150 it was quite a bargain. I feel like it was time and money well spent and I will definitely be taking Stephen's more advanced courses in the future.