The negative stigma of teaching basic firearm classes needs to change. On top of that, taking a basic firearm class should not have a negative stigma attached no matter your skill level.
Qualified for the basics
Before everyone starts foaming at the mouth let’s address a few facts. There are more “basic” students than there will ever be advanced. The “tacticool” crowd makes up an infantile percentage of our industry, yet look at how firearms classes are marketed. These days, there is a push from students and instructors to be advanced. As if teaching the basics is not cool. A confession on my part, I spent the majority of my instructing career teaching the top tier students from all walks of life. I honestly placed a lower priority on the basics. With limited training time I focused on those students with the understanding there were plenty of other instructors who could handle the basic workload. The truth; there is not. Not because there isn’t enough instructors, but because there isn’t enough qualified instructors to teach basic classes.
Shallow, but honest
Because I made my living traveling, teaching the shorter basic classes was less profitable. I know that seems shallow, but like others I have a business to run. I would be remiss if I didn’t make smart business decisions. When I did run the occasional basic classes I found myself challenged as an instructor. Not because I wasn’t challenged with the advanced students, but because there were assumptions I could no longer make at the basic level. This and a few other reasons are why I don’t believe it is wise for a “new” instructor to start at a basic level. Of paramount importance is the ability to manage a safe training environment.
by Trident Concepts
