NRA Certified Pistol Instruction coming soon!

Today I completed my 17 hours of training to become an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor.  In the near future I will be offering NRA First Steps Pistol and NRA Basic Pistol courses in the Birmingham, AL area.

Introduction To Handgun

Introduction To Handgun is an entry level course for the new gun owner/shooter and for those who have no formal firearms training in their past or those who would like a refresher on the basics of handguns and firearm safety.  

The course will consists of two parts, one classroom and one range.  The classroom portion will include a discussion of firearms safety, the different types and actions of handguns, and the safe handling of firearms.  This will be followed by a range portion with both dry and live fire.  After the live fire portion students will be shown the proper methods for care and cleaning of their firearms.

Course Requirements:

• A pro-safety and positive attitude
• Ear and eye protection
• Handgun and owners manual if you have it (Loaners may be available but the student will need to purchase ammo. Please contact me if you will need a loaner.)
• At least 50 rounds of ammo, 100 rounds recommended.
• Clothing and footwear appropriate for the outdoors (no open toe shoes/flipflops/high heels).  Ball cap recommended.  Ladies should not wear anything with a low neckline as hot brass down the shirt is both painful and dangerous)
• Something to keep you hydrated/snacks
• A way to take notes

$40.00

Future courses.

Tumultuous Adventures Preparedness is just getting off the ground.  There are still a few things that I've got to get lined up before I start offering formal courses, but hopefully that will start in the next few months.

My plan is to first offer an Introduction to Pistol Ownership and Shooting course.  This will cover all of the basics for a new shooter including safety, storage, loading and unloading, the basics of shooting (grip, stance, sight alignment, and trigger control), and end with a tutorial on cleaning your pistol.  This course will include both a lecture portion and a shooting portion of 50-100 rounds and be open to anyone.

I'm also seriously considering an Introduction to IDPA course to give those who are interested in shooting competitively a low pressure, easy to shoot introduction into the world of IDPA competition that I'll offer to anyone with some shooting experience.  Focus will be safety.

An Introduction to Self Defense with Pistol will definitely be offered as a more advanced course.  This will still be a basic course but it will not be for first time shooters.  Again, safety will be a focus and safe gun handling skills will be paramount for attendees.

I want to offer NRA courses as well and I will be pursuing certification as an NRA Pistol Instructor.

As my skills increase so will the depth of training I offer.  I have not sat down and really looked at how I'll need to price these courses but I think all of them will be well under $100 and most under $50.

Free Tutorial.

There are a lot of people out there who have never shot a fiream and have no experience with them what so ever.  If you are one of these people and you're interested in firearms and shooting and would like to get some hands on experience then please contact me.  

I'll take you out on my home range and give you an overview of the basics of firearms safety and firearms handling.  Once we've covered that we'll break out the .22 ammo and you can put a 20 rounds range. 

I'm offering this free of charge to anyone who has never shot a gun before.  I'm providing 20 rounds of .22 and the use of my own pistol or rifle.  If you'd like to shoot more I only ask that you bring your own .22 ammo.  This free session will be limited to 1.5 hours.  If you're interested in this free tutorial please contact me via email at TAPtraining84@gmail.com or on Facebook at the Tumultuous Adventures Preparedness page.

What I am and what I am not.

Let's start out with what I am not:

I am not Larry Vickers, Massad Ayoob, Chris Costa, or Travis Haley.  I'm not a 'high speed, low drag' tactical operator.  I've never been to Iraq or Afghanistan.  I'm not former or current military.  I'm not the guy who can or will claim to teach to you be able to clear rooms or take on a terrorist cell.

What I am:

I'm a person who has over 20 years of experience shooting and handling firearms safely.  I've received, and plan to continue receiving, professional firearms training from a number of competent instructors.  I am, quite frankly, far more skilled in the use of firearms than your average firearms owner.

I've taught a number of people to shoot over the years and as I've become more confident with my own skills I've tried to pass those skills on to others.

I want to expose the person who has no experience with firearms to my world in a fun and safe environment.  While my focus is self defense I am also a competitive shooter and I doubt I would be where I am today if shooting wasn't so much fun.  The vast, overwhelming majority of firearms used in the United States are used for sport and recreation.

I'm a pistol guy, and for now that is where I'm going to focus with Tumultuous Adventures Preparedness.  I want to give individuals their first exposure to pistol shooting and if they enjoy it I want to teach them the skills to be a safe and confident firearms owner.    

Why the name?

I view life as one big tumultuous adventure, filled with ups and downs.  My goal as a firearms instructor is to help prepare individuals to defend themselves with firearms and keep them on that big tumultuous adventure.

Life is inherently dangerous.  It is only through the skills we've learned that we stay alive every day.  Most of these skills are mundane:  driving, preparing food, basic first aid, and, for me and many others, self defense.

Firearms are the most effective means of individual self defense.  Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of thinking having the firearm is all that is necessary when it comes to self defense.  While firearms are a rather simple tool they do require some skill.

Also, like any tool, a person can seriously injure or kill themselves or someone else with a firearm if it is misused.  Firearms safety is very easy, but it requires understanding of how firearms work and a rote memorization and diligent application of Jeff Cooper's Four Rules is a good place to start even before you pick up your first firearm.