Why don’t people train?

SonOfLiberty

Amateur
I have buddies who shoot once a week and have taken local classes, but the thought of training with a big name instructor in front of other switched on students intimidates them. They don't want to perform poorly so they'd rather not perform at all. On the other hand I have buddies who can shoot and have good manips, but don't feel that they're ready for even a level 1 class. They think they still need a basic/fundamentals class because that's where their mindset is. It's a mystery to me.
 

Grayman

Established
People don't know what they don't know.

I look at my own progression of training as a good example of how it all starts...

My dad took me shooting as a kid, he had a decked out mini14 that was the coolest gun I'd ever seen. So tactical!

When I turned 18 I went to the gun store in search of my very own tactical rifle. I was turned on to AR's and bought the, "Very best" a Smith and Wesson MP15. The war was on and the images of real combat rifles were mainstream I needed a quad rail and optics. Where does every new tactician go for info? Barfcom of course.

I read AARs but never thought much of them. I knew how to shoot what did I need training for...

I turned 21 and I decided to get my CCW. This was my first intro to formal firearms training. I had a great experience and marveled at the level of instruction provided. I realized how much I had to learn.

A year later the same instructor had a LMS basic carbine class nearby. I talked my brother into going and together we ventured off to see what all the fuss was about. We have always been competitive and the class opened both our eyes to the world beyond shooting rabbits late at night.

I wasn't satisfied that my little bro was almost as good as me and vowed to find more training.

A move to LA and I found a pistol course hosted by some tactical gurus. Turns out it was more Hollywood than tactics but it didn't stop me.

I have pursued every class I can afford and even put myself through a week long instructor development school just so I can start to instruct at my agency. I got bit and the training bug has a firm hold on me.

I think the key in my story was the competition with my brother. I have seen the polar opposite even within my agency. I recently attended a rifle clinic I couldn't afford on a host spot. I was given the spot because after 3 hours of trying to find someone to take it my range master had run out of options. He called several members of our SWAT team and one of the new guys even went so far as to say he couldn't take the free spot because he would rather go golfing. Oh and the spot I took was vacated by our sister agencies range master who decided he'd rather not waste his whole weekend.

I don't have the magic solution for how to get people to train but I can tell you what worked for me. Most men have egos and most guys are competitive if you give them someone to compete against perhaps you will get them off their asses. In the rifle class I mentioned above we had a local surgeon attend who brought some horrible beretta carbine with a cheap BSA optic and cheaper nylon pouches that dumped his mags every time he went prone. But he came out! Granted he probably doesn't have some of the same $ issues as the rest of us but he didn't know shit and he didn't give up! He left with a positive attitude and the determination to get better gear and train more! On the other side of me was a fellow deputy who didn't come back the second day... I don't know why he didn't come back but I can bet it had something to do with his ego being deflated in day one.

As someone mentioned above all men come out of the womb pornstar gunslinging wheelmen. Put them through basic LE training and 99% will walk away convinced the above is true. The other 1% will walk away realizing they have a lot to learn in one or more pertinent categories. (I'm not yet aware of a porn academy but I pledge to investigate the matter further and report back). Ideally the .1% who dedicate themselves to perfecting their skills even at their own expense will get the special team spots and promote to encourage the same from their peers. The reality is LE has a habit of eating their own and the more you stand out the more likely you are to get the hammer... Excellence is the exception and budgets don't account for the exception. Budgets ensure that the 99% meet the minimums, create waves with that and you'll likely have a SGT jump down your throat.

For those that don't have to carry a gun and strap on armor every day why even bother to train? I mean honestly what's the point? 99.99% of civilians have zero reason to ever even consider training. It's only when someone who has seen the light brings it up that they will likely even realize training classes exist! Ask your average once a year shooter but avid gun guy if he wants to spend $2,000 dollars to spend 2 nights in the sticks learning how to shoot and he'll likely look at you as if a giant dick just grew out of your forehead. Why would he??? That $2k will buy him a new bushy, a glock and enough beer to kill at least 2 days worth of his lifespan.

So what's the point? Well honestly I think the only way you get people to train is to make them train. If men were all they thought they were every sailor would be a Seal and every Joe would be Delta.... People just don't know what they don't know until it cock slaps them upside the head.
 

Lazarus

Newbie
I think this is the big one right here for most.

the (my gun/gear/skill isn't up to par) intimidation, and training starts taking a back seat. Sure, by scrimping and saving, eating ramen and not going out, someone could save enough for one or two classes a year, but when they also don't want to look like a noob, that sixer starts sounding better and betterer. ;)

Then this part.

We, as an industry, need to start reaching out to John Q Public and Susie Homemaker, and helping them make good decisions, educating them on the "whats'n'whys", not just telling them "go forth and do".

This is the key. How do you reach out to the regular public and show the value of training and make it non-threatening? How many people buy their ammo at Walmart because the gun store is intimidating? Because going to the range would be embarrassing?
 

Rick4673

Amateur
I don't think "not training" is the same thing as "not paying someone else to train me."

A coworker, who used to be on our full-time, fairly hi-speed SWAT Team, frequently preaches the merits of a particular shooting school/facility, and carries on about how we should be finding the money to send people to it more. He has been to it multiple times. I was of the opinion that the same amount of time and ammo, spread over a few months of regular training, would probably be more useful in the long run.

I, this guy, and my training buddy are firearms instructors for our agency, and we were shooting some drills the other day, after our students had left the range. The name-brand-school acolyte was a soup sandwich. He is a good guy and a competent shooter, just really rusty. He is no longer on SWAT and has not been keeping things sharp on his own. I mentioned later, to my training buddy, that how much you dry fired in your basement over the last month is one hell of a lot more important than what school you attended six months ago. I have nothing against that school or any other, just sayin'.

I am not particularly interested in "how to shoot" training these days. I am, however, very interested in "how to fight" training. I can keep my weapons skills up pretty well on my own, but there is a lot of fight training that is tough to do on one's own. You can PT and hit the bag in your basement, but you still need to spar, and it is always good to spar new people!

FWIW
 

Rick4673

Amateur
An interesting aside to this. I teach a police ground fighting course four or five times per year. Over a three year period I had maybe six women in total show up, and there were usually one or two slots not filled (often at the last minute with court and such, but still, filled). The last three I have taught we made women only, and all have been full with a waiting list. I think this speaks to the intimidation factor, or maybe just the smell.
 

DoKnowHarm

Newbie
A lot of the people that I have talked to at work, gun shops etc... Who I know carry basically have little interest or don't understand the extent and availability of classes for the CCW/CPL carrier. A lot of your average people who just strap a gun on with little thought think the NRA instructors are the cream of the crop.

As for the people who know about training and choose not to go I would say there are far more reasons. Many people are interested in spending money on gear instead of knowledge. Many people are intimidated because they know they will be shooting Infront of people who are better than them. A lot of type A personalitys won't admit that they can learn from others. Especially when it involves shooting guns. People don't understand how little they know. Money issues and priorities also keep a lot of people from attending class.
 

Darth Tater

Regular Member
My employing agency provides ammunition to employees to practice each month. It's not a crazy amount, but it's decent for maintaining proficiency. Less than 10% of the agency pulls their ammo each month. The reasons are varied...people live too far away, they (night shift) sleep when the range is open, they don't like the hassle of having to call ahead and make an appointment, they don't like being watched on cameras to see if they're picking up all their brass...whatever.

At the end of the day, it's hard to even get cops to go shoot for free (or on the clock) with free ammo. Why? My theory is that most (cop) people don't like their current skill level and don't want to damage their ego by putting it on display for others.

Another issue I see fairly often is that people don't know how to practice; they feel like they're spinning their wheels by doing the same thing without improvement. I carried a gun for a living for nearly a decade and thought I knew what I was doing before a very dear (now departed) friend kindly grabbed me by the face and said "hey, let me show you some things". Todd broke down my shooting to square one, then built it back up from the foundation. Then he taught me how to practice, how to document improvement, and how to plan my training. Now, a dozen years later I find myself guilty of not passing that knowledge on to others as often as I should.
 
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