LTAC's Three Levels of Classes
I’m glad that you are taking the time to read this. I take training very seriously and have done my best to organize the classes that LTAC offers into a structure that makes sense. I have broken down the live fire-training at LTAC into three different types or levels. This is to help aid you, the student, in deciding where you should start with us on your path of training. I want you to get the most that you possibly can from these classes. After all, it is your valued time and money that you are choosing to spend with us. We offer real training, not fantasy camp. The only way to get real training is to put in the time, to try, fail, learn from your mistakes and try again.
The Level One is dedicated to learning Marksmanship for your chosen firearm. A good definition for marksmanship is the ability of an individual to develop the basic skills necessary to shoot both rifles and pistols accurately and produce consistent shot groups. All the classes in the first level are designed to do just that.
Before you can advance to shooting while moving or other skills, you need to be able to get consistent shot groups under relatively low stress. It is important to get this solid foundation. I am amazed at the number of people, professional or otherwise, who just jump into medium or advanced classes and can’t hit anything. A great many students that I have run through CQB courses have struggled, and would have benefited from first taking a firearms refresher course. I believe you need a firm understanding of the 8 principles of shooting before taking more advanced classes.
The Level Two is where Combat Marksmanship is taught. First, what do I mean by combat? I mean anytime someone is in a deadly force encounter. When my wife had to use the shotgun to defend herself and our children during a home invasion, she experienced physically, mentally, and emotionally the same basic things I have during my deployments overseas. A fight is a fight is a fight.
A good definition of Combat Marksmanship is the ability of an individual to consistently place fast, accurate, and lethal fire on threats without hesitation, in adverse conditions, under mental and physical stress. Now that you have a firm foundation on how to shoot from the first level classes, we start adding to it. We supply the “adverse conditions…mental and physical stress” by expanding from the static range.
The Level Two classes are where you learn such techniques as Shooting while moving and transitioning to a secondary weapon. This is where barricades are introduced. There are hundreds of different techniques that can be used in and around barricades. I will want you to start moving your feet. Get off the X and actually see what is around you. Start making decisions in your individual shooter solution.
This level of classes is also where you are introduced to working with a buddy. Communication and situational awareness are key. This is starting to prepare you for the realities of the real world. The real world is not a safe, 25 meter flat range.
Level Three is where you take all that you have learned and apply it in the real world. This is where we do vehicle classes, room clearing, teamwork, pushing yourself more than you ever have before. You learn from firsthand experience -- from doing, not watching clips on YouTube. The vehicle ballistics lab is one of the most informative experiences that you can have. Working in low light or no light conditions completely changes your perspective on how to solve problems, and how to get hits to eliminate threats.
I want you to be successful as you journey down your path of training. I have learned from some of the best this nation has ever produced. I have seen the elephant myself, on more than one occasion. I have taught hundreds of classes to thousands of students over the years, both in and out of the military. I simply don’t know any more effective outline or path for you to follow than what I and the other instructors at Lodestone Training and Consulting have created. I can’t wait to spend time with you on the range.
-Jared