BIT Pistol Discipline

[Drylok]

Heading to MO in the morning for a 2 12 hr course to get certified as an NRA instructor. I'm taking BIT and Pisol Discipline this go around. Eventually wanting to work up to be ccw instructor.
I'm kind of a gun safety freak so I'm sure I'll do fine but I'm very curious what this will consist of. My instructor told me you must unlearn what you have learned because they're going to teach everything all over again the NRA WAY.
Anyone been though these courses? Any advise would be greatly appreciated

[tsafa]

He was talking about the way in which you train people. The NRA wants you using their guides to teach people. It does not mean forget the skills you have learned to date. However, if you have some unique way of holding a pistol or rifle, they will insist that you teach NRA students the standard way.

I was teaching people before I became an NRA instructor so there is a significant difference. The NRA approach to teaching is very interactive. They teach you to keep the students involved both mentally and physically. When you work from the NRA books, there is no way to forget to cover stuff. When you instruct off the cuff... it is natural to focus on certain areas at the expense of others. The students will also derail the lessons too if you don't have a lesson plan to follow and the training is not consistent.

People have many unique features in their bodies, so you may have over time developed certain shooting techniques that work especially well for you. You might be winning Olympic medals with those techniques. It is important to realize that those specialized techniques may not work well for 90% of the people. They want you to teach the standard basics.

If you want to teach advanced techniques you 100% allowed to do that in your own NON-NRA classes. They don't have a problem you teaching NON-NRA classes too. You can teach people what every you want in a non-NRA class... any way you want... but NRA classes where you are giving out NRA certificates have to be by NRA standards.

[Drylok]

Thanks for enlightening me. That's what he keeps saying is it's all about teaching a certain way.

[Metz]

BIT is good. It's basically about teaching in general. Not the boring way, but interactive. Total participant involvement and coach/pupil techniques are essential. You'll be taught how to achieve the maximum teaching efficiency with willing students. The latter is also important factor. It's about knowledge, skills and attitude.

[tsafa]

Metz, is right. The interactive system of teaching is a better system of teaching no matter what the subject being taught. They don't want you lecturing people to death.

People who take NRA classes do it voluntarily... it is very important that the classes be enjoyable as well as informative. Those people will then tell others and bring in more people. Those are all future progun voters we are recruiting too, so the work we do has far reaching political effects too. I allow for some gun rights political discussion at the end of my classes. After the students have had a fun time shooting at the range, I tell them that the Second Amendment is no longer just someone else's right... it is THEIR right.

As an NRA Instructor you are required to cover certain material in NRA courses. You ARE allowed to add some extra spice and flavor to the mix as long as it does not contradict the NRA material.

[Drylok]

Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement

Wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that this weekend! What a great class. It basically just re-taught me what I knew but in a slightly different way and a broke down detailed way. I also learned some new things like I had no idea that B-27s are not allowed in any NRA basic class. I also leaned that if a student is having troulbe finding his dominant eye you can actually watch him do the exercise and see his dominant eye.

We also learned that in the case of someone being right hand dominant but left eye dominent there are two different ways they should shoot and it depends on what kind of shooting they're doing. If they're just target shooting you should cover their left eye and force them to shoot with the right. If they're ccw they should be taught and should practice coming from the holster and as they extend from the ready position, cant the firearm to the left bringing the sights in line with their left eye. This way they are using they stong hand and strong eye when their life depends on it.

Anywho, I met the requirements in the class and on the range and am waiting for my certifaction to come back. Already got my first 3 students lined up too!

[Metz]

Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement Total participant involvement

Wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that this weekend!

You actually paid that dollar

[Drylok]

You have to be careful about politics in an NRA course. They told us to not get too political.

Some other things about the course, when they were evaluating us about clearing misfires I had to keep reminding myself to wait the 30 seconds. When I shoot I'm always doing so as if I am in a dynamic critical incident so when there's any kind of misfire I naturally slap and rack. Can't do that in BIT, it is not a ccw course it is BASIC. They kept pounding that in our heads even though we were all taking this course so we could both teach basic pistol and ccw but the are two different courses.
On the range was fun, it really breaks it down. Load 1 round in the magazine -break- insert mag into firearm -break- make ready -break- place firearm in students hand.......

[Metz]

I had to keep reminding myself to wait the 30 seconds

It's a common issue. Don't beat yourself too hard. You'll get used to it. Many Service folks, that come to the range do that (I'm an RSO as well). As well as checking the chamber pointing their gun up (as tought in their firearms academies). I just have to keep politely remind them that they are in the controlled environment and can take their time to follow the safety rules.

[Drylok]

Ya that's kind of like how we had 3 vietnam vets there that kept saying "weapon" that's a no no in NRA courses but I certainly understand how hard of a habit it can be to break after being taught that by a drill sgt.