Frazier Damon
Amateur
AAR – Covert Entry Concepts
Rob Pingor, Instructor, The Core Group
Location, Murder House
Cost $675 ($575 for LEO/MIL)
This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Covert Entry Concepts class, taught by Rob Pingor from The Core Group. The class was hosted by the Denver Libre Chapter and located at the appropriately named Murder House. The class was broken into two days. Part of the cost of the class included tool sets that were handed out over the course of the weekend.
Day 1:
Day 1 focused mainly on the actual picking of locks. Using lock picks, jigglers, shims and bump keys, we played around with residential door locks, padlocks, lock boxes and combination locks. At each stage of the presentation, Rob would introduce a type of lock, show us the technique to defeat it, and then allow us time to practice with the tools he provides.
Rob took all questions asked during his presentation, either answering them on the spot or holding them for a different portion of the slideshow that was pertinent to that particular topic.
Throughout the presentation, we were encouraged to practice on whatever training aid we were using at the time.
We ended the day with an exercise on impressioning. Each student had the opportunity to create their own key from scratch, using tools and techniques to determine the depth of each pin. This was definitely something new for me that I really enjoyed. I had heard of people being able to do this in the field (particularly repo men) but had never had the opportunity to learn about it or try it.
Day 2:
Day 2 started with an exercise on impressioning again. The prize for the winner was a nice one. While no one was able to complete the challenge in the allotted time, the pressure and innovation of the exercise showed just how hard it can be to complete this particular skill with little information and a short amount of time to defeat the lock. After completing the contest, more advanced methods of impressioning were demonstrated that involved the actual casting of a key based on an imprint in clay.
We moved away from the picking of locks and into bypassing the lock altogether. More tools were introduced, included an under door tool that was really fun to play with and surprised many people with how easy it was to use and just how vulnerable you were in some “secure locations”. Some of the best ideas for bypassing locks are the use of everyday materials found in the vicinity. We saw security and handheld video footage of some ingenious uses of items sourced from the trash and surrounding areas to defeat many styles of commercial locks.
The final exercise of the day was a practical scenario that involved each of the skills we learned throughout the class, involved every piece of kit we had acquired and pitted us not only against the clock, but the other students in the class.
Conclusion:
Rob’s use of stress inducement and time constraints gave us a sense of the urgency that may be a factor in real world situations. The tools that were provided are not your run of the mill internet store tools. These are pieced together and in some cases, made by Rob, so that our kits contain high quality and useful tools without the flimsy and unnecessary stuff that you find in some pre-assembled kits.
As with most high quality instructors, some of the greatest nuggets of information occur in side conversations and during social events outside of the classroom. Rob’s understanding of the fundamentals of lockpicking, bypass and loiding ensures that no matter the skill level of the student, learning will occur. This was one of the most enjoyable classes I can remember taking. Whether you're a security professional or a lock pick hobbyist, this class will have something for you. I highly recommend it.
Sent from Funkenwagnel's porch.
Rob Pingor, Instructor, The Core Group
Location, Murder House
Cost $675 ($575 for LEO/MIL)
This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Covert Entry Concepts class, taught by Rob Pingor from The Core Group. The class was hosted by the Denver Libre Chapter and located at the appropriately named Murder House. The class was broken into two days. Part of the cost of the class included tool sets that were handed out over the course of the weekend.
Day 1:
Day 1 focused mainly on the actual picking of locks. Using lock picks, jigglers, shims and bump keys, we played around with residential door locks, padlocks, lock boxes and combination locks. At each stage of the presentation, Rob would introduce a type of lock, show us the technique to defeat it, and then allow us time to practice with the tools he provides.
Rob took all questions asked during his presentation, either answering them on the spot or holding them for a different portion of the slideshow that was pertinent to that particular topic.
Throughout the presentation, we were encouraged to practice on whatever training aid we were using at the time.
We ended the day with an exercise on impressioning. Each student had the opportunity to create their own key from scratch, using tools and techniques to determine the depth of each pin. This was definitely something new for me that I really enjoyed. I had heard of people being able to do this in the field (particularly repo men) but had never had the opportunity to learn about it or try it.
Day 2:
Day 2 started with an exercise on impressioning again. The prize for the winner was a nice one. While no one was able to complete the challenge in the allotted time, the pressure and innovation of the exercise showed just how hard it can be to complete this particular skill with little information and a short amount of time to defeat the lock. After completing the contest, more advanced methods of impressioning were demonstrated that involved the actual casting of a key based on an imprint in clay.
We moved away from the picking of locks and into bypassing the lock altogether. More tools were introduced, included an under door tool that was really fun to play with and surprised many people with how easy it was to use and just how vulnerable you were in some “secure locations”. Some of the best ideas for bypassing locks are the use of everyday materials found in the vicinity. We saw security and handheld video footage of some ingenious uses of items sourced from the trash and surrounding areas to defeat many styles of commercial locks.
The final exercise of the day was a practical scenario that involved each of the skills we learned throughout the class, involved every piece of kit we had acquired and pitted us not only against the clock, but the other students in the class.
Conclusion:
Rob’s use of stress inducement and time constraints gave us a sense of the urgency that may be a factor in real world situations. The tools that were provided are not your run of the mill internet store tools. These are pieced together and in some cases, made by Rob, so that our kits contain high quality and useful tools without the flimsy and unnecessary stuff that you find in some pre-assembled kits.
As with most high quality instructors, some of the greatest nuggets of information occur in side conversations and during social events outside of the classroom. Rob’s understanding of the fundamentals of lockpicking, bypass and loiding ensures that no matter the skill level of the student, learning will occur. This was one of the most enjoyable classes I can remember taking. Whether you're a security professional or a lock pick hobbyist, this class will have something for you. I highly recommend it.
Sent from Funkenwagnel's porch.
