Post by Stan on Mar 19, 2012 17:50:49 GMT -8
I. My training Philosophy:
I believe in pushing the boundaries from what the “minimum” needs are to the maximum that is still safe and allowable at a commercial range. As a former Marine Infantryman, Infantry Officer and police officer my palette of tactics and techniques is broad and I offer this spectrum to my students to broaden their horizons and mentally prepare for that one moment that I hope never comes. No one has lost in combat from knowing too many moves.
I firmly believe in the power of leadership and teamwork, your chances of surviving a bad day is exponentially increased when some one is there to back you up. When two or more people are working together for a purpose someone has to be the leader to make the hard decisions. Once you taste the synergy of operating as a team you will realize its overwhelming power. In life there will always be uncertainty and sometimes there is even danger but with my training you will have the confidence to win the day.
II. Self-Image
I see myself as the veteran teaching his fellow citizens hard-learned lessons honed through combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. It brings me great personal reward teaching my fellow citizens in the use of firearms and knowing that he or she is now safer, practiced, and that their minds are opened by my experiences and training. I do not have “law enforcement/military restricted” classes and I find the idea pretentious and I can say that as both a former law enforcement and Naval Officer. Per our forefathers, a citizen should be able to take care of him/herself.
III. Teaching Climate
I do not see students as “boots” or recruits that I can now haze. I treat my students like I did with my Marines; with dignity, mutual respect and as one of “mine.” In three combat deployments, I taught my men to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I would use the secret CWR teaching technique (crawl-walk-run), breaking things down to their simplest and working our way up to full speed. We drilled and drilled and I may not have always been the most popular guy at the time, we were well trained and we all came home alive and in one piece. Like combat, I teach my citizen students with the same attitude I did with my Marines, if a student is going to be a member of my team he/she will need to know XYZ to be safe, proficient and bottom line...bring us victory. This is where I am coming from as an instructor.
IV. My Business Model
To my benefit I have had other jobs other than the Marine Corps or as a police officer. I have worked in business and in sales. The benefit to you all is that my tactics and training come mainly from the Marine Corps but my customer service is based on business successes like Target©, Wal-Mart© and Home Depot©. Again, my customers are not recruits and every customer is important. If I don’t take care of my customers some one else will.
As a long time firearms enthusiast I have known about formal shooting schools but was always taken aback by the price tag of some of the well known establishments. Some of them are easily $2,000 or more not including fuel, ammunition, transportation and lodging. I looked at regional trainers who were more affordable but most had no practical experience so anything they mentioned about combat or gun fighting was theoretical or from someone else. In November 2010 I returned from Marjeh, Afghanistan after my third combat deployment and pondered on my next move in life, within months I restarted the Academy of Saint Crispian which was in dormancy for the last few years (Marine Officers weren’t supposed to moon light.) My angle; offer high-quality, practical, combat-oriented firearms training, that almost any gun-owning citizen could afford…and often.
V. My Dojo…
Martial artists and firearms enthusiasts are often very similar if not one of the same. Like any sport, in martial arts a student must attend regularly and practice for any growth and/or learning to occur. Per above, this is what made me scratch my head about firearms training schools and I have been to some. Could you imagine a dojo where you pay $2,000 for a two to four day intense class but only attend once or twice a year? Yes, you could practice on your own but you won’t know if you are doing it right. Additionally, you would be required to shoot ridiculous amounts of ammunition past the point of diminishing returns. How many people can afford this? How many people want to? Would it not be more logical to take shorter lessons spread throughout the year so you can practice and retain what you learned? In order for you, the student, to attend regularly the price has to realistic and affordable. The doors to my dojo are open, offering rifle, pistol, and shotgun classes on a weekly basis fitting most anyone’s schedule and budget, teaching relevant tactics and techniques that are proven by experience.
VI. Words mean things
I do not partake in the current trend of high-speed vocabulary currently used in the industry meant to draw you in and induce a sense of ballistic nylon confidence. Words like tactical, operator, spec, spec-op, tier, etc. have been abused as of lately to the point that they have lost their meaning. Before the term “operator” became popular I was a ‘Marine’ and we called each other Marines and we took places like Belleau Woods, France, Guadalcanal, Saipan, and Iwo Jima. Should you find a course that is titled, “Tactical Operators Carbine” look a little deeper and ask yourself if what you are paying for is really worth it or is it a carbine course with a fancy name and price tag.
The Day is Ours,
Stanton "Stan" Lee
Stcrispian2008@yahoo.com
www.stcrispian.com
