Tactical Response Fighting Pistol
Camden, TN
April 27-28, 2013
Photos and video by esrice or Que
Camden, TN
April 27-28, 2013
Photos and video by esrice or Que
In 2008 I became familiar with the training company Tactical Response. INGO had just opened its doors and Fenway would sometimes post YouTube videos from company owner James Yeager. I also met INGOer Shay who was a former Tactical Response Instructor. That year I got the Fighting Pistol DVD set for Christmas. I wrote a short review of the set at that time: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ew_tactical_response_fighting_pistol_dvd.html
Over the years I kept tabs on the YouTube videos Yeager would put out. Then in 2012 he was putting out about a video per day and I shared them with INGOers whenever possible. Although there were some opinions in the videos that didn’t align with my personal beliefs, I found that the majority of the information presented was solid and worth sharing. At the very least they were excellent conversation starters here on the board.
Sometime in 2012 Fenway sent Yeager a box of INGO swag to introduce him to INGunOwners.com. Sure enough Yeager checked out the site. He even went as far as to wear an INGO t-shirt on camera and say a few nice things about the forum. He must’ve noticed that I was posting lots of his videos because he thanked me on camera and offered me an opportunity to take Fighting Pistol for free. You can see that video here:
In November 2012 while traveling through Indiana Yeager stopped by 21st Century Firearms up in Bluffton. Fenway and I decided to meet the man himself so we drove up and spent the afternoon at the shop. I got a chance to thank him for his generous offer and ask him a few on-camera questions. You can see those videos in these threads:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...erviews_james_yeager_10_question_q_and_a.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...er_about_training_with_tactical_response.html
During our conversation we talked about various parody videos and Que’s “1911” video came up. When Yeager found out that Que was an INGO Moderator he told me that I should bring him down for a free class also. He had seen the video and thought it was hilarious. I was really surprised at that time that he was so willing to laugh at himself in such a way. For reference here are Que’s parody videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0H9ljBraVw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHJLXqV1uM
Meeting Yeager in person I realized a few things. First, he is just a regular guy. Second, he loves his job and loves meeting people in the firearms industry. Third, he may come off as gruff in his videos but he treated Fenway and I like old friends. And finally, he is passionate about the 2nd Amendment.
When I got home I checked out Tactical Response’s training schedule at www.tacticalresponse.com . I registered for Fighting Pistol on April 27th and 28th, 2013. Then the waiting started. To help collect my thoughts in the meantime I started a countdown thread here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...amden_tn_to_train_with_tactical_response.html
What follows is an after action review (AAR) of my experience taking Tactical Response’s Fighting Pistol with fellow INGOer Que. Not only will I include details about the course itself, but I will also share aspects of the trip and our experience staying in The Team Room. Bear in mind that I’m expressing my perspective and others’ experiences may vary.
On the morning of Friday, April 26th, 2013 I finished up my packing that I had started the night before. Into my “tactical minivan” I loaded a suitcase, range bag, ammo can with 1000 9mm rounds, bag of 700 backup rounds, sleeping bag and pillow, camera bag with tripod, laptop bag, some gifts for The Team Room, and a snack bag consisting of bottled water, granola bars, cashews, apples, and chocolate chip cookies. I punched Yeager’s home address into my GPS and headed off to meet Que.
Tossing Que’s gear into the UNarmored INGOer carrier (ok, so it’s just a minivan) we paused to make a quick video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPuGacc-BvI
And we were off! GPS said Camden was 370 miles away and would take us 6 hours to arrive. Our route was I-65 down to Nashville where we then took I-40 half way to Memphis. Luckily we gained an hour because Camden is on Central time. We had Arby’s for lunch and later stopped at a McDonald’s for a quick restroom break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8y3VwUffqM
We had nice weather on the way down and didn’t run into any traffic issues. Conversation topics ranged from our expectations of class to how expensive it is to replace your neighbor’s window when your son throws a ball through it. Que was a great passenger and very easy to travel with.
We arrived in Camden at about 5:30pm local time. First impressions were that it was a small town, though it did have several fast-food restaurants and a super Walmart. GPS took us right to Yeager’s house and I recognized his big Dodge truck sitting out front. His neighborhood is quietly nestled back into some rolling hills and mature trees. Though it looks quite normal on the outside, Yeager’s 4,000sqft house was quite roomy on the inside.
As we approached the house I immediately noticed the sign above the door. It read “Welcome to the house that guns built”. “I think we’re at the right place” was my remark to Que. I rang the doorbell and Yeager himself answered the door. I started to introduce myself and he stopped me saying “yeah I know who you are get in here!” Man-hugs were exchanged and then we were immediately introduced to his family.
First was his wife Rebecca. He said they had been married over 20 years so I went ahead and assumed that she must be a VERY special kind of lady. She’d have to be, right? Next up was Yeager’s infant grandson, Bane. I didn’t show it on the outside but on the inside I laughed at thinking what all the YouTubers would think if they could see him holding this tiny baby while displaying the cheesiest grandpa grin. We then met one of his daughters and her boyfriend. We even got to meet Yeager’s mother—a frail woman with a pleasant smile. James Yeager is a family man.
Showing us where to park around back we then got a tour of The Team Room. Now, The Team Room is legendary and I’ve heard lots about it from Tactical Response Alumni. Hell, it even has its own Facebook page. We asked Yeager how it came to be and he obliged us with the story. It started when he moved into the house. Being much larger than his previous house he didn’t have much need for the HUGE finished basement. Some students needed a place to stay and he offered to let them crash there in lieu of paying for a hotel that wasn’t very close. It was so convenient that he began offering it to other students in future classes. Eventually they built sturdy bunks into 2 of the rooms and decorated the common areas in firearms motif, complete with several couches, tables, chairs, fridge, microwave, and bathroom. I don’t know who said it first, but “frat house with machine guns” is the best description I’ve heard so far. The DVD collection included every cool-guy movie ever produced, and strewn about the rooms were miscellaneous AK-47s and shotguns—all loaded and ready to rock-and-roll.
One Team Room tradition is to note your name, date, and course on your bunk. I immediately recognized a fellow INGOer.
Once we got the lay of the land we unpacked our gear and picked out our bunks. We stayed in the bunk room just off the common area. I was on the middle bunk, on the top. Que was on the far bunk, also on the top.
Soon we noticed some students coming back from the range. They had just finished up a day training with Dave Biggers from Biggers Consulting. He was there teaching his “Redzone” course that uses 3D humanoid targets to drive home the importance of shooting angles and close quarters manipulations.
» In the Red Zone Biggers Consulting
Mr. Biggers was also the head sales and marketing guy for XS Sights for 10 years. It was a pleasure getting a chance to meet and talk with him as he knows a LOT of people in the firearms industry and shared some hilarious stories with us.
Soon Yeager reappeared and announced “I’m hungry, let’s go eat. You guys ride with me.” So Yeager drove and Dave Biggers, another student, Que, and I all headed to the local Mexican restaurant. He said it was the best place in town in terms of both food quality and service. And he was right. The food was excellent and the wait staff was top notch. They all knew Yeager and would frequently laugh and joke with him during the meal. We talked about several things, including the new news that the State was appealing a judge’s decision to reinstate Yeager’s Tennessee carry permit. Though he could still carry under his LEO credentials, for him it’s about the principle. We all left the restaurant with full bellies. If you ever train with Tactical Response, I recommend the carnitas.
Upon returning to the Team Room we met some of the full-time instructors—Scott Harrison (the guy in the Appendix carry video above, creator of the on-camera “danger check”), James Owens, and Jay Gibson (the infamous “downrange photographer”). Of course we HAD to ask Jay about how the downrange photography thing started. He’s a funny guy so he answered by way of a story.
He said “So one day I get a phone call here in the Team Room. The guy on the phone is noticeably agitated and I can tell that he’s trying very hard to keep composure and remain calm while speaking. The man says “Sir I’m just trying to understand this taking-pictures-beside-a-target thing”. So I told him “well, I like taking pictures and I thought I could get a cool picture if I stood beside the target, so I did.” The man, his voice cracking, said “but WHY do you do it? It doesn’t make any sense and I’m trying to find out WHY you do it?!” So I told him the same thing again—“because I wanted to”. “But it’s dangerous!!” the man screeched, “It’s a violation of the rules!” “How so?” I asked, “What rules are being broken exactly?” The man then continued to list off 11 safety rules that he was reading out of some book. I’m not sure what he was reading or how he came up with an additional 7 safety rules.”
So there it was. It wasn’t a fancy answer and it didn’t have any zen reasoning. I don’t personally see myself ever wanting to capture such a picture, but after having met Jay I can only say that his answer made sense.
The rest of our evening was spent talking with other students, listening to Yeager or the other instructors tell stories, and watching the final shootout scene from the movie “The Way of the Gun”. I finally crawled up in my bunk around Midnight.
The next morning I was up by 7am. There is only one bathroom in the Team Room, so courtesy dictates that you wait your turn for a shower and take one quickly when that time arrives. The bathroom is also decorated with lots of “firearms flair”, including an empty nylon holster bolted to the wall next to the toilet, gun magazines on the tank, a tactical shotgun in the corner, and a Ka-Bar TDI knife in the shower next to the soap.
Yeager was already up and awake and announced that those interested could join him in town for breakfast at 7:45am. Not being a morning person nor breakfast eater I declined and got my gear ready for class.
The new Tactical Response facility is located in town just minutes from the Team Room. They just moved into the new larger space at the beginning of April. It used to be an electrical supply store. It’s a large building with lots of space for a classroom, gear shop, administrative offices, and an indoor force-on-force facility that is currently under construction.
We arrived at the shop a few minutes prior to the 9am start time. We found our seats at one of the many tables formed into a big U-shape. At the front was a large white board, overhead projector, and podium. Off to one side we noticed the new backdrop that Yeager has been using in his recent YouTube videos.
It was then that we realized that Yeager himself would be teaching our class. He gave a quick introduction and then we went around the room giving each student a chance to introduce themselves. There were 14 of us in total—12 males and 2 females. Ages ranged from early 20s to one gentlemen probably in his 70s. We had a PhD college professor, a library shipping manager, a cave diver, firefighter, and a husband/wife combo, among others. What really stuck out was the fact that most of us traveled some distance to be there. States represented in that one room were Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee.
The full-time instructors assisting Yeager for the weekend were Tim Morris, Scott Harrison, and James Owens. Each introduced themselves and gave their brief background and history as it related to firearms training. They were a diverse bunch, as Tim Morris was former military, Scott Harrison was a former cop, and James Owens was a former nurse.
Like all reputable training outfits we kicked things off with a safety briefing. We covered the firearms safety rules as well as the specific procedures we were to follow in the event of any injuries. I found it to be very thorough and you could tell they’d taught this course a time or two. We went over the course objectives where the mental aspects of fighting with firearms were stressed. We covered Tactical Response’s prioritized Survival Principles, being Mindset, Tactics, Skill, and Gear, in that order. Yeager noted that most gun owner’s priorities are mirror opposite. He also discussed the difference between “tactical” or “martial” gun-handling as opposed to administrative or competitive gun-handling.
We touched on the Wyatt Protocal, using the acronym FAST to remind us to Fight, Assess, Scan, and Top-Off. We talked about verbal commands, common handgun malfunctions and their remedies, the fundamentals of marksmanship, ready positions, weapon manipulations, and loading/unloading/reloading procedures. Nowhere did I read or hear the words “stance” or “range rules”.
By 10:30am we were done with the morning lecture session and headed over to the range. I think the training gods knew how hardcore Que and I were because they made it pour rain constantly from about 8am to 4pm. Luckily the temperature wasn’t cold, but we were gonna get wet and stay wet for the duration of our time on the range. Because of this we don’t have many pictures from the first part of Day 1.
The range sits outside of town tucked up into an elevated position between high hills and a big river. The sky was dark blue and the ground was orange, wet, and covered in shell casings and shotgun hulls. On the line we had enough room to run all 14 students at the same time. The instructors worked quickly to get things set up in between downpours. Again to our surprise Yeager himself taught the first half of our time on the range.
What I really liked about Yeager’s first lecture on the range was his emphasis placed on hits over speed. “No one here will tell you to speed up. If you are shooting too fast it’s only because you’ve placed that pressure on yourself. Don’t over-drive your sights. Make your hits.” I’ve heard other instructors say these very words before, but something about the way he said it immediately put everyone at ease. No one felt pressured to perform.
For me personally I approached the day as if I was brand new to firearms—an eager student ready to learn. But I also had the benefit of having been in multiple prior firearms courses, so I could focus on the instruction itself and not worry about “Do I have enough ammo?”, “Did I just reholster an empty gun?”, “Am I allowed to bend down and pick up my empty magazine?” This proved to be a fantastic setup for me, as I shot more accurately in this class than I ever have before. But more on that later.
Each student was given one dummy round for every magazine they were going to use. We were instructed to load one dummy round randomly into every magazine for the duration of the exercises on Day 1. This induced random malfunctions and forced every student to take the appropriate corrective action enough times that it started to become automatic.
Tactical Response teaches non-diagnostic malfunction clearance. That’s to say that rather than take the time to assess the malfunction and then execute a solution, we instituted a series of steps that were likely to immediately fix all but 1 of the possible problems. They also teach students to rack the slide every time after a new magazine is inserted, even on proactive reloads. Yes, it does eject a live round after a proactive reload, but they prefer the commonality of manipulations and the added confirmation that a new round has been chambered. The less thinking, the fewer decisions to be made under stress, the better. They also teach that ALL magazines go to the ground. So no “tactical reload” or “reload with retention” is taught. If a magazine on the ground has unused rounds they do teach a method for picking it up once it’s tactically appropriate.
Like other schools I’ve attended, Tactical Response uses the ‘crawl, walk, run’ model. That is to say that we started off by learning to yell “STOP!”, then we added “moving off the X”, followed by adding the establishment of a full grip, adding in the 4-count drawstroke, then putting it all together to put rounds on a target. Then we started adding the other elements of Fight, Assess, Scan, and Top-Off one-at-a-time. Next we worked on malfunction clearances.
We broke for lunch around 1pm and Que and I hit the local Sonics for some chicken fingers and tots.
After lunch we traded our dot-type targets for standard IPSC-style cardboard silhouettes. We talked about ideal target locations, focusing on the high upper chest and ocular cranial cavity. For the remainder of Day 1 we worked through more complex manipulations like shooting from kneeling, sitting, and supine, shooting strong hand only and off-hand only, and turning to engage threats from right, left, and behind.
By this time the rain had finally stopped and we did a class debrief. Each student shared the one aspect of the range work that had resonated with them the most. We were given homework that included 10-minutes of dry-fire practice, cleaning our guns, and reading through the articles that were in our student handout. The articles were mostly written by Yeager (some from his published work) and covered a variety of topics, including “Get the most from IDPA”, “Pepper Spray”, and “Dogmatic Doctrine”. There were also a few from John Farnam.
I wasn’t as tired as I thought I might have been, but I was hungry and ready for dinner. I was beginning to dry off a bit from being drenched. At some points I had rain drops constantly falling from my earpro and the brim of my hat while I shot. I am happy to report that my stupid-expensive earpro held up to its reputation, even after being subjected to the all-day downpour. I was also thankful for my synthetic INGO polo that dried up really fast. We were both nice and dirty.
On the way back from the range we stopped by Special Operations Equipment (SOE). I knew the shop was nearby but I had no idea that the two small nondescript red buildings on the side of the highway that we passed just hours ago were home to John Willis and hard-use tactical nylon. The only indication that they weren’t simply abandoned buildings was the presence of John’s jacked up V-10 pickup outside. Now I was aware of John’s internet reputation as a hard-ass so the last thing I wanted to do was intrude uninvited and unexpectedly.
But my fears quickly subsided when John himself answered the door and invited us into the shop to have a look around. He was aware of INGO and we talked briefly about our mutual friends at 21st Century Firearms and AGS Armament. He then went on to talk at length about SOE, how and where it started, what their niche is, and how they build product and ship it out all over the world. We got a personal tour of both shops, from where they actually sew the gear to where they ship it out. I gotta say, it’s like a cool-guy toy store. Bins full of Cobra buckles and Fastex buckles, stacks upon stacks of rolled cordura in every color, and huge spindles of every camo pattern known to man lined the walls and suddenly gave me an appreciation for what it takes to make all those things come together into one final product. My favorite area was the room where they store all the extra gear they’ve made that wasn’t for a special order and hasn’t yet been sold. It was kind of odd seeing 100 OD micro chest rigs next to 100 FDE micro chest rigs next to dog leashes next to ‘tactical coozies’—the gear went on and on. I walked out with a single-point bungee sling and ‘tactical grocery bag’.
A very special thanks goes out to John Willis at SOE for taking the time to show Que and I around the shop. I think we need more entrepreneurs like John in this country. He’s been in business for over 25 years and now employs 26 people. He puts out a quality product and is proud that it’s 100% American made.
So after saying goodbye to John and SOE we headed back to the Team Room. I took a nice hot shower and put on some warm dry clothes. We met the entire class at 7pm back at the Mexican restaurant. This time I had steak tacos and shared some conversation with the other students.
That night back in the Team Room we watched the movie “End of Watch” while I worked on the homework. We also got to hear more stories from Jay Gibson as he talked about the time he spent with Yeager in Iraq when they were contracting. Jay has a particular cadence that makes his stories extra funny. My sides began to hurt from laughing so much. We also managed to get some really good video interviews with Yeager. Que will be putting those together soon.
I think I finally turned in around 11pm. If Que mentions anything about me snoring in his AAR just ignore him. I didn’t hear anything so I think he was just lining up an excuse incase he didn’t shoot well the next day.
The morning of Day 2 I was up about 6:30am. I was one of the first up so I spent some time quickly cleaning my gun and doing some dry-fire practice. Once everyone else was awake I folded up my sleeping blanket and got things clean and ready for our evening departure. I also honored the Team Room traditions of signing my bunk and signing the guestbook.
We again arrived at the Tactical Response facility at 9am. From then until Noon we got to enjoy Yeager’s lecture on mindset, victim selection, Cooper’s color codes of awareness, the effects of adrenaline, Cooper’s principles of personal defense, controlling fear, general tactics, when to use deadly force, the legal ramifications of using deadly force, calling 911, dealing with the police after a shooting, hiring a lawyer, working through PTSD, the OODA Loop, and much, much more. It was a great lecture and one that begins to convert “gun owners” into “warriors”.
We broke for lunch and we got a chance to take a few more pictures. I also bought a t-shirt that was designed by Shay during his time with Tactical Response. I love the saying (you can see the shirt in a previous picture above).
After our Sunday afternoon lunch at Wendy’s we headed back to the range. On our way we encountered the strangest looking raccoon we’ve ever seen
.
Tim Morris, Scott Harrison, and James Owens kicked us off with shooting from retention and some shooting-on-the-move drills. The weather was PERFECT and there wasn’t a rain cloud in the sky. So naturally the camera was able to come back out.
Tim Morris
Scott Harrison
James Owens
First we worked on shooting from retention, both from the “#2” position of the draw and from a compressed “#3” position. Those who had never shot with the muzzle that close to their face were surprised by the amount of concussive force it produced.
We started the movement drills by moving forward, then backward. We were advised to walk naturally, and not with some cooked-up SWAT technique. Why try and unlearn something you’ve been doing your whole life?
From there we worked on lateral movement—first left-to-right and then right-to-left. We discussed a few different methods that were applicable for keeping the sights on target as our positions changed. These drills were run one student at-a-time, so we got a chance to watch the other students and learn from their techniques.
Next we went over cover and concealment—what their differences are and how to use each one effectively. We ran some drills using barrels as our “cover” and shot around each one from vary heights and positions.
Finishing up the day we gathered for one final debrief and to hand out course completion certificates. Again everyone shared what lessons they were taking home from the day. The class concluded with a final class picture.
After class we headed back to the Team Room to grab our gear and start back toward Indy. We said our final goodbyes to Yeager and the rest of the instructors and students. We didn’t leave Camden until 7pm their time, which was 8pm our time. Conversation on the way home started on course topics, eventually went to personal topics, and then got silent as the night grew longer. We arrived back in Indianapolis safe and sound around 1:30am.
What follows are some of my own personal impressions of the entire “experience” that is Fighting Pistol. They are in no particular order.
Gear I used: M&P9 full-size,Trijicon HD night sites, 4 magazines, 550 115gr JHP reloads, Henry Holsters hybrid IWB holster, Daltech Force Super BioBelt, Hooch Holsters single mag carrier, TCI DEHP electronic earpro, Oakley Flak Jacket eyepro, Surefire LX2 handheld light, Spyderco Manix II knife.
Funniest moment in class—when a guy drew his big Sig pistol and his cheapie Blade-Tech paddle holster came with it.
Scariest moment in class—when that same guy tucked his gun under his arm while trying to reattach his holster, thereby flagging the entire line and causing lots of yelling and ducking. Kudos to the instructors for taking care of the situation quickly.
Yeager knows he made a mistake putting up his “Pack Your Bags” video. Even his good friends told him he was dumb for doing it. But he filled us in on some unintended consequences, like having an entire class of college kids contact him and tell him how they used his video in class to look at it from a 1st Amendment perspective. In turn it started up a 2nd Amendment conversation they might not have otherwise had. I asked Yeager if he thought the video harmed the greater cause of the 2nd Amendment and had instead fueled the gun control debate. While he agreed that the video probably didn’t convert any anti-gunners, he didn’t believe that any pro-gunners gave up their guns because of his video either. His words to me were “I probably went too far in the video, but at least I am out there doing SOMETHING—that is more than I can say for many of the gun owners who dogged me.”
No topic is off-limits for Yeager, and he will openly talk about anything, even if it means making fun of himself. In going over his “Rules for a Gunfight” there is a part that says “In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics”. Everyone laughed when he added “unless you’re me and you’re involved in an ambush and people are still debating it on the internet.”
The last “rule” is “Your responsibility to be ready for the fight never ceases”. When asked why his video tag line says “ends” instead of “ceases” he admitted that he said it wrong the first time so he had to keep it going.
I said earlier than I shot better in this course than any course I’ve ever taken. I hadn’t shot a live-fire pistol in quite some time so I was nervous about knocking the rust off my skills in class. Even when using the DEA Dot targets (which I hate) I kept almost every single round in the dots. I believe I am finally getting to that point where I can get out of my own head enough to shoot well. I’m an over-thinker and my tendency has been to push for better performance. It sounds kind of Zen but once I let it go my rounds started going right where I wanted them. It was kind of strange. I stopped looking for where my round impacted and instead relied on my sights to tell me. Even my single-handed stuff was money. I never fired a live round in all the FoF courses I took last year but I believe they helped me become a better shooter.
When I compare Tactical Response to other training schools a few things stand out. First, Tactical Response is more than just a training course, it’s an experience. The addition of the Team Room turns a 2-day training event into a weekend camping adventure with guns. It’s like a 48-hour long course with breaks for dinner. Also, they work hard to make Alumni feel connected. Things like access to the Team Room, free Alumni training weekend, the GOTX forum, and free legal support should a student ever be involved in a shooting make the students feel like they are part of a big supportive family.
I like that Yeager hires instructors that are very different than himself. Each one has their own unique teaching style and I think this translated well to the various learning styles of the students. Obviously Yeager is the most known and vocal, but he’s got a good group of guys working for him.
I was asked by JetGirl prior to my taking the class if I would personally participate in any exercise that involved a photographer standing next to my target. I told her that while I wouldn’t stand next to a stranger’s target I would have no problem shooting a target next to a stranger. During the portion of the class where I was drawing and shooting one-handed James Owens came over and stood next to my target and took my picture. At no time did I point my gun at him or toward him, and at no time did I feel nervous or scared. It happened pretty quickly and I can distinctly remember seeing my front sight very clearly as my shot broke. No major to-do was made about the shot and Mr. Owens is still with us today.
Que did really well in the class. I was proud that we were down there representing INGOers. He also did a wonderful job with the interviews, despite the camera issues we experienced. He asked some really good questions that others would probably never even think to ask. I think you’ll enjoy what he puts together.
Que and I both tried to find something “wrong” with Tactical Response. We looked for techniques taught that could be classified as dangerous, silly, or unsound. While we may not personally put every technique taught into our daily routine, we couldn’t find anything that we wouldn’t add to our “toolbox”. The worst I could come up with was “controversial”. I’m sure there are those that won’t like Yeager’s personal style, or his beard, or tattoos, or loud mouth, or the downrange photography—and that’s OK, even if it keeps them from training with Tactical Response. There are other schools that teach similar things with instructors that might better fit their own style.
James Yeager wears many hats, and we got a chance to see several more “hats” than we had seen through YouTube. He’s a loud-mouthed guy with narcissistic tendencies and ADD, but he’s also a fiercely loyal person with a love for family—his own and his extended Tactical Response family. One could have worse friends.
So it all comes down to this—Would I recommend Tactical Response training to my fellow INGOers? Yes I would. Would I recommend they stay in the Team Room? Yes I would. As long as that person is OK with meeting new people in new social situations. Who would be a good candidate for Fighting Pistol? I would recommend it to anyone with a basic understanding of firearms and a desire to learn about using a firearm defensively. I would not recommend the course to someone looking for pure accuracy instruction or to gain skills in a competition setting. While there is nothing wrong with that, this course is too “caveman” for those types of skills.
So that’s it! That’s my story. Feel free to ask any questions you have and I’ll try my best to answer them. I hope you’ve found our experience helpful in deciding if Tactical Response would be a good fit for your training dollars.
Over the years I kept tabs on the YouTube videos Yeager would put out. Then in 2012 he was putting out about a video per day and I shared them with INGOers whenever possible. Although there were some opinions in the videos that didn’t align with my personal beliefs, I found that the majority of the information presented was solid and worth sharing. At the very least they were excellent conversation starters here on the board.
Sometime in 2012 Fenway sent Yeager a box of INGO swag to introduce him to INGunOwners.com. Sure enough Yeager checked out the site. He even went as far as to wear an INGO t-shirt on camera and say a few nice things about the forum. He must’ve noticed that I was posting lots of his videos because he thanked me on camera and offered me an opportunity to take Fighting Pistol for free. You can see that video here:
In November 2012 while traveling through Indiana Yeager stopped by 21st Century Firearms up in Bluffton. Fenway and I decided to meet the man himself so we drove up and spent the afternoon at the shop. I got a chance to thank him for his generous offer and ask him a few on-camera questions. You can see those videos in these threads:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...erviews_james_yeager_10_question_q_and_a.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...er_about_training_with_tactical_response.html
During our conversation we talked about various parody videos and Que’s “1911” video came up. When Yeager found out that Que was an INGO Moderator he told me that I should bring him down for a free class also. He had seen the video and thought it was hilarious. I was really surprised at that time that he was so willing to laugh at himself in such a way. For reference here are Que’s parody videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0H9ljBraVw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHJLXqV1uM
Meeting Yeager in person I realized a few things. First, he is just a regular guy. Second, he loves his job and loves meeting people in the firearms industry. Third, he may come off as gruff in his videos but he treated Fenway and I like old friends. And finally, he is passionate about the 2nd Amendment.
When I got home I checked out Tactical Response’s training schedule at www.tacticalresponse.com . I registered for Fighting Pistol on April 27th and 28th, 2013. Then the waiting started. To help collect my thoughts in the meantime I started a countdown thread here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...amden_tn_to_train_with_tactical_response.html
What follows is an after action review (AAR) of my experience taking Tactical Response’s Fighting Pistol with fellow INGOer Que. Not only will I include details about the course itself, but I will also share aspects of the trip and our experience staying in The Team Room. Bear in mind that I’m expressing my perspective and others’ experiences may vary.
On the morning of Friday, April 26th, 2013 I finished up my packing that I had started the night before. Into my “tactical minivan” I loaded a suitcase, range bag, ammo can with 1000 9mm rounds, bag of 700 backup rounds, sleeping bag and pillow, camera bag with tripod, laptop bag, some gifts for The Team Room, and a snack bag consisting of bottled water, granola bars, cashews, apples, and chocolate chip cookies. I punched Yeager’s home address into my GPS and headed off to meet Que.
Tossing Que’s gear into the UNarmored INGOer carrier (ok, so it’s just a minivan) we paused to make a quick video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPuGacc-BvI
And we were off! GPS said Camden was 370 miles away and would take us 6 hours to arrive. Our route was I-65 down to Nashville where we then took I-40 half way to Memphis. Luckily we gained an hour because Camden is on Central time. We had Arby’s for lunch and later stopped at a McDonald’s for a quick restroom break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8y3VwUffqM
We had nice weather on the way down and didn’t run into any traffic issues. Conversation topics ranged from our expectations of class to how expensive it is to replace your neighbor’s window when your son throws a ball through it. Que was a great passenger and very easy to travel with.
We arrived in Camden at about 5:30pm local time. First impressions were that it was a small town, though it did have several fast-food restaurants and a super Walmart. GPS took us right to Yeager’s house and I recognized his big Dodge truck sitting out front. His neighborhood is quietly nestled back into some rolling hills and mature trees. Though it looks quite normal on the outside, Yeager’s 4,000sqft house was quite roomy on the inside.
As we approached the house I immediately noticed the sign above the door. It read “Welcome to the house that guns built”. “I think we’re at the right place” was my remark to Que. I rang the doorbell and Yeager himself answered the door. I started to introduce myself and he stopped me saying “yeah I know who you are get in here!” Man-hugs were exchanged and then we were immediately introduced to his family.
First was his wife Rebecca. He said they had been married over 20 years so I went ahead and assumed that she must be a VERY special kind of lady. She’d have to be, right? Next up was Yeager’s infant grandson, Bane. I didn’t show it on the outside but on the inside I laughed at thinking what all the YouTubers would think if they could see him holding this tiny baby while displaying the cheesiest grandpa grin. We then met one of his daughters and her boyfriend. We even got to meet Yeager’s mother—a frail woman with a pleasant smile. James Yeager is a family man.
Showing us where to park around back we then got a tour of The Team Room. Now, The Team Room is legendary and I’ve heard lots about it from Tactical Response Alumni. Hell, it even has its own Facebook page. We asked Yeager how it came to be and he obliged us with the story. It started when he moved into the house. Being much larger than his previous house he didn’t have much need for the HUGE finished basement. Some students needed a place to stay and he offered to let them crash there in lieu of paying for a hotel that wasn’t very close. It was so convenient that he began offering it to other students in future classes. Eventually they built sturdy bunks into 2 of the rooms and decorated the common areas in firearms motif, complete with several couches, tables, chairs, fridge, microwave, and bathroom. I don’t know who said it first, but “frat house with machine guns” is the best description I’ve heard so far. The DVD collection included every cool-guy movie ever produced, and strewn about the rooms were miscellaneous AK-47s and shotguns—all loaded and ready to rock-and-roll.
One Team Room tradition is to note your name, date, and course on your bunk. I immediately recognized a fellow INGOer.
Once we got the lay of the land we unpacked our gear and picked out our bunks. We stayed in the bunk room just off the common area. I was on the middle bunk, on the top. Que was on the far bunk, also on the top.
Soon we noticed some students coming back from the range. They had just finished up a day training with Dave Biggers from Biggers Consulting. He was there teaching his “Redzone” course that uses 3D humanoid targets to drive home the importance of shooting angles and close quarters manipulations.
» In the Red Zone Biggers Consulting
Mr. Biggers was also the head sales and marketing guy for XS Sights for 10 years. It was a pleasure getting a chance to meet and talk with him as he knows a LOT of people in the firearms industry and shared some hilarious stories with us.
Soon Yeager reappeared and announced “I’m hungry, let’s go eat. You guys ride with me.” So Yeager drove and Dave Biggers, another student, Que, and I all headed to the local Mexican restaurant. He said it was the best place in town in terms of both food quality and service. And he was right. The food was excellent and the wait staff was top notch. They all knew Yeager and would frequently laugh and joke with him during the meal. We talked about several things, including the new news that the State was appealing a judge’s decision to reinstate Yeager’s Tennessee carry permit. Though he could still carry under his LEO credentials, for him it’s about the principle. We all left the restaurant with full bellies. If you ever train with Tactical Response, I recommend the carnitas.
Upon returning to the Team Room we met some of the full-time instructors—Scott Harrison (the guy in the Appendix carry video above, creator of the on-camera “danger check”), James Owens, and Jay Gibson (the infamous “downrange photographer”). Of course we HAD to ask Jay about how the downrange photography thing started. He’s a funny guy so he answered by way of a story.
He said “So one day I get a phone call here in the Team Room. The guy on the phone is noticeably agitated and I can tell that he’s trying very hard to keep composure and remain calm while speaking. The man says “Sir I’m just trying to understand this taking-pictures-beside-a-target thing”. So I told him “well, I like taking pictures and I thought I could get a cool picture if I stood beside the target, so I did.” The man, his voice cracking, said “but WHY do you do it? It doesn’t make any sense and I’m trying to find out WHY you do it?!” So I told him the same thing again—“because I wanted to”. “But it’s dangerous!!” the man screeched, “It’s a violation of the rules!” “How so?” I asked, “What rules are being broken exactly?” The man then continued to list off 11 safety rules that he was reading out of some book. I’m not sure what he was reading or how he came up with an additional 7 safety rules.”
So there it was. It wasn’t a fancy answer and it didn’t have any zen reasoning. I don’t personally see myself ever wanting to capture such a picture, but after having met Jay I can only say that his answer made sense.
The rest of our evening was spent talking with other students, listening to Yeager or the other instructors tell stories, and watching the final shootout scene from the movie “The Way of the Gun”. I finally crawled up in my bunk around Midnight.
The next morning I was up by 7am. There is only one bathroom in the Team Room, so courtesy dictates that you wait your turn for a shower and take one quickly when that time arrives. The bathroom is also decorated with lots of “firearms flair”, including an empty nylon holster bolted to the wall next to the toilet, gun magazines on the tank, a tactical shotgun in the corner, and a Ka-Bar TDI knife in the shower next to the soap.
Yeager was already up and awake and announced that those interested could join him in town for breakfast at 7:45am. Not being a morning person nor breakfast eater I declined and got my gear ready for class.
The new Tactical Response facility is located in town just minutes from the Team Room. They just moved into the new larger space at the beginning of April. It used to be an electrical supply store. It’s a large building with lots of space for a classroom, gear shop, administrative offices, and an indoor force-on-force facility that is currently under construction.
We arrived at the shop a few minutes prior to the 9am start time. We found our seats at one of the many tables formed into a big U-shape. At the front was a large white board, overhead projector, and podium. Off to one side we noticed the new backdrop that Yeager has been using in his recent YouTube videos.
It was then that we realized that Yeager himself would be teaching our class. He gave a quick introduction and then we went around the room giving each student a chance to introduce themselves. There were 14 of us in total—12 males and 2 females. Ages ranged from early 20s to one gentlemen probably in his 70s. We had a PhD college professor, a library shipping manager, a cave diver, firefighter, and a husband/wife combo, among others. What really stuck out was the fact that most of us traveled some distance to be there. States represented in that one room were Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee.
The full-time instructors assisting Yeager for the weekend were Tim Morris, Scott Harrison, and James Owens. Each introduced themselves and gave their brief background and history as it related to firearms training. They were a diverse bunch, as Tim Morris was former military, Scott Harrison was a former cop, and James Owens was a former nurse.
Like all reputable training outfits we kicked things off with a safety briefing. We covered the firearms safety rules as well as the specific procedures we were to follow in the event of any injuries. I found it to be very thorough and you could tell they’d taught this course a time or two. We went over the course objectives where the mental aspects of fighting with firearms were stressed. We covered Tactical Response’s prioritized Survival Principles, being Mindset, Tactics, Skill, and Gear, in that order. Yeager noted that most gun owner’s priorities are mirror opposite. He also discussed the difference between “tactical” or “martial” gun-handling as opposed to administrative or competitive gun-handling.
We touched on the Wyatt Protocal, using the acronym FAST to remind us to Fight, Assess, Scan, and Top-Off. We talked about verbal commands, common handgun malfunctions and their remedies, the fundamentals of marksmanship, ready positions, weapon manipulations, and loading/unloading/reloading procedures. Nowhere did I read or hear the words “stance” or “range rules”.
By 10:30am we were done with the morning lecture session and headed over to the range. I think the training gods knew how hardcore Que and I were because they made it pour rain constantly from about 8am to 4pm. Luckily the temperature wasn’t cold, but we were gonna get wet and stay wet for the duration of our time on the range. Because of this we don’t have many pictures from the first part of Day 1.
The range sits outside of town tucked up into an elevated position between high hills and a big river. The sky was dark blue and the ground was orange, wet, and covered in shell casings and shotgun hulls. On the line we had enough room to run all 14 students at the same time. The instructors worked quickly to get things set up in between downpours. Again to our surprise Yeager himself taught the first half of our time on the range.
What I really liked about Yeager’s first lecture on the range was his emphasis placed on hits over speed. “No one here will tell you to speed up. If you are shooting too fast it’s only because you’ve placed that pressure on yourself. Don’t over-drive your sights. Make your hits.” I’ve heard other instructors say these very words before, but something about the way he said it immediately put everyone at ease. No one felt pressured to perform.
For me personally I approached the day as if I was brand new to firearms—an eager student ready to learn. But I also had the benefit of having been in multiple prior firearms courses, so I could focus on the instruction itself and not worry about “Do I have enough ammo?”, “Did I just reholster an empty gun?”, “Am I allowed to bend down and pick up my empty magazine?” This proved to be a fantastic setup for me, as I shot more accurately in this class than I ever have before. But more on that later.
Each student was given one dummy round for every magazine they were going to use. We were instructed to load one dummy round randomly into every magazine for the duration of the exercises on Day 1. This induced random malfunctions and forced every student to take the appropriate corrective action enough times that it started to become automatic.
Tactical Response teaches non-diagnostic malfunction clearance. That’s to say that rather than take the time to assess the malfunction and then execute a solution, we instituted a series of steps that were likely to immediately fix all but 1 of the possible problems. They also teach students to rack the slide every time after a new magazine is inserted, even on proactive reloads. Yes, it does eject a live round after a proactive reload, but they prefer the commonality of manipulations and the added confirmation that a new round has been chambered. The less thinking, the fewer decisions to be made under stress, the better. They also teach that ALL magazines go to the ground. So no “tactical reload” or “reload with retention” is taught. If a magazine on the ground has unused rounds they do teach a method for picking it up once it’s tactically appropriate.
Like other schools I’ve attended, Tactical Response uses the ‘crawl, walk, run’ model. That is to say that we started off by learning to yell “STOP!”, then we added “moving off the X”, followed by adding the establishment of a full grip, adding in the 4-count drawstroke, then putting it all together to put rounds on a target. Then we started adding the other elements of Fight, Assess, Scan, and Top-Off one-at-a-time. Next we worked on malfunction clearances.
We broke for lunch around 1pm and Que and I hit the local Sonics for some chicken fingers and tots.
After lunch we traded our dot-type targets for standard IPSC-style cardboard silhouettes. We talked about ideal target locations, focusing on the high upper chest and ocular cranial cavity. For the remainder of Day 1 we worked through more complex manipulations like shooting from kneeling, sitting, and supine, shooting strong hand only and off-hand only, and turning to engage threats from right, left, and behind.
By this time the rain had finally stopped and we did a class debrief. Each student shared the one aspect of the range work that had resonated with them the most. We were given homework that included 10-minutes of dry-fire practice, cleaning our guns, and reading through the articles that were in our student handout. The articles were mostly written by Yeager (some from his published work) and covered a variety of topics, including “Get the most from IDPA”, “Pepper Spray”, and “Dogmatic Doctrine”. There were also a few from John Farnam.
I wasn’t as tired as I thought I might have been, but I was hungry and ready for dinner. I was beginning to dry off a bit from being drenched. At some points I had rain drops constantly falling from my earpro and the brim of my hat while I shot. I am happy to report that my stupid-expensive earpro held up to its reputation, even after being subjected to the all-day downpour. I was also thankful for my synthetic INGO polo that dried up really fast. We were both nice and dirty.
On the way back from the range we stopped by Special Operations Equipment (SOE). I knew the shop was nearby but I had no idea that the two small nondescript red buildings on the side of the highway that we passed just hours ago were home to John Willis and hard-use tactical nylon. The only indication that they weren’t simply abandoned buildings was the presence of John’s jacked up V-10 pickup outside. Now I was aware of John’s internet reputation as a hard-ass so the last thing I wanted to do was intrude uninvited and unexpectedly.
But my fears quickly subsided when John himself answered the door and invited us into the shop to have a look around. He was aware of INGO and we talked briefly about our mutual friends at 21st Century Firearms and AGS Armament. He then went on to talk at length about SOE, how and where it started, what their niche is, and how they build product and ship it out all over the world. We got a personal tour of both shops, from where they actually sew the gear to where they ship it out. I gotta say, it’s like a cool-guy toy store. Bins full of Cobra buckles and Fastex buckles, stacks upon stacks of rolled cordura in every color, and huge spindles of every camo pattern known to man lined the walls and suddenly gave me an appreciation for what it takes to make all those things come together into one final product. My favorite area was the room where they store all the extra gear they’ve made that wasn’t for a special order and hasn’t yet been sold. It was kind of odd seeing 100 OD micro chest rigs next to 100 FDE micro chest rigs next to dog leashes next to ‘tactical coozies’—the gear went on and on. I walked out with a single-point bungee sling and ‘tactical grocery bag’.
A very special thanks goes out to John Willis at SOE for taking the time to show Que and I around the shop. I think we need more entrepreneurs like John in this country. He’s been in business for over 25 years and now employs 26 people. He puts out a quality product and is proud that it’s 100% American made.
So after saying goodbye to John and SOE we headed back to the Team Room. I took a nice hot shower and put on some warm dry clothes. We met the entire class at 7pm back at the Mexican restaurant. This time I had steak tacos and shared some conversation with the other students.
That night back in the Team Room we watched the movie “End of Watch” while I worked on the homework. We also got to hear more stories from Jay Gibson as he talked about the time he spent with Yeager in Iraq when they were contracting. Jay has a particular cadence that makes his stories extra funny. My sides began to hurt from laughing so much. We also managed to get some really good video interviews with Yeager. Que will be putting those together soon.
I think I finally turned in around 11pm. If Que mentions anything about me snoring in his AAR just ignore him. I didn’t hear anything so I think he was just lining up an excuse incase he didn’t shoot well the next day.
The morning of Day 2 I was up about 6:30am. I was one of the first up so I spent some time quickly cleaning my gun and doing some dry-fire practice. Once everyone else was awake I folded up my sleeping blanket and got things clean and ready for our evening departure. I also honored the Team Room traditions of signing my bunk and signing the guestbook.
We again arrived at the Tactical Response facility at 9am. From then until Noon we got to enjoy Yeager’s lecture on mindset, victim selection, Cooper’s color codes of awareness, the effects of adrenaline, Cooper’s principles of personal defense, controlling fear, general tactics, when to use deadly force, the legal ramifications of using deadly force, calling 911, dealing with the police after a shooting, hiring a lawyer, working through PTSD, the OODA Loop, and much, much more. It was a great lecture and one that begins to convert “gun owners” into “warriors”.
We broke for lunch and we got a chance to take a few more pictures. I also bought a t-shirt that was designed by Shay during his time with Tactical Response. I love the saying (you can see the shirt in a previous picture above).
After our Sunday afternoon lunch at Wendy’s we headed back to the range. On our way we encountered the strangest looking raccoon we’ve ever seen
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Tim Morris, Scott Harrison, and James Owens kicked us off with shooting from retention and some shooting-on-the-move drills. The weather was PERFECT and there wasn’t a rain cloud in the sky. So naturally the camera was able to come back out.
Tim Morris
Scott Harrison
James Owens
First we worked on shooting from retention, both from the “#2” position of the draw and from a compressed “#3” position. Those who had never shot with the muzzle that close to their face were surprised by the amount of concussive force it produced.
We started the movement drills by moving forward, then backward. We were advised to walk naturally, and not with some cooked-up SWAT technique. Why try and unlearn something you’ve been doing your whole life?
From there we worked on lateral movement—first left-to-right and then right-to-left. We discussed a few different methods that were applicable for keeping the sights on target as our positions changed. These drills were run one student at-a-time, so we got a chance to watch the other students and learn from their techniques.
Next we went over cover and concealment—what their differences are and how to use each one effectively. We ran some drills using barrels as our “cover” and shot around each one from vary heights and positions.
Finishing up the day we gathered for one final debrief and to hand out course completion certificates. Again everyone shared what lessons they were taking home from the day. The class concluded with a final class picture.
After class we headed back to the Team Room to grab our gear and start back toward Indy. We said our final goodbyes to Yeager and the rest of the instructors and students. We didn’t leave Camden until 7pm their time, which was 8pm our time. Conversation on the way home started on course topics, eventually went to personal topics, and then got silent as the night grew longer. We arrived back in Indianapolis safe and sound around 1:30am.
What follows are some of my own personal impressions of the entire “experience” that is Fighting Pistol. They are in no particular order.
Gear I used: M&P9 full-size,Trijicon HD night sites, 4 magazines, 550 115gr JHP reloads, Henry Holsters hybrid IWB holster, Daltech Force Super BioBelt, Hooch Holsters single mag carrier, TCI DEHP electronic earpro, Oakley Flak Jacket eyepro, Surefire LX2 handheld light, Spyderco Manix II knife.
Funniest moment in class—when a guy drew his big Sig pistol and his cheapie Blade-Tech paddle holster came with it.
Scariest moment in class—when that same guy tucked his gun under his arm while trying to reattach his holster, thereby flagging the entire line and causing lots of yelling and ducking. Kudos to the instructors for taking care of the situation quickly.
Yeager knows he made a mistake putting up his “Pack Your Bags” video. Even his good friends told him he was dumb for doing it. But he filled us in on some unintended consequences, like having an entire class of college kids contact him and tell him how they used his video in class to look at it from a 1st Amendment perspective. In turn it started up a 2nd Amendment conversation they might not have otherwise had. I asked Yeager if he thought the video harmed the greater cause of the 2nd Amendment and had instead fueled the gun control debate. While he agreed that the video probably didn’t convert any anti-gunners, he didn’t believe that any pro-gunners gave up their guns because of his video either. His words to me were “I probably went too far in the video, but at least I am out there doing SOMETHING—that is more than I can say for many of the gun owners who dogged me.”
No topic is off-limits for Yeager, and he will openly talk about anything, even if it means making fun of himself. In going over his “Rules for a Gunfight” there is a part that says “In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics”. Everyone laughed when he added “unless you’re me and you’re involved in an ambush and people are still debating it on the internet.”
The last “rule” is “Your responsibility to be ready for the fight never ceases”. When asked why his video tag line says “ends” instead of “ceases” he admitted that he said it wrong the first time so he had to keep it going.
I said earlier than I shot better in this course than any course I’ve ever taken. I hadn’t shot a live-fire pistol in quite some time so I was nervous about knocking the rust off my skills in class. Even when using the DEA Dot targets (which I hate) I kept almost every single round in the dots. I believe I am finally getting to that point where I can get out of my own head enough to shoot well. I’m an over-thinker and my tendency has been to push for better performance. It sounds kind of Zen but once I let it go my rounds started going right where I wanted them. It was kind of strange. I stopped looking for where my round impacted and instead relied on my sights to tell me. Even my single-handed stuff was money. I never fired a live round in all the FoF courses I took last year but I believe they helped me become a better shooter.
When I compare Tactical Response to other training schools a few things stand out. First, Tactical Response is more than just a training course, it’s an experience. The addition of the Team Room turns a 2-day training event into a weekend camping adventure with guns. It’s like a 48-hour long course with breaks for dinner. Also, they work hard to make Alumni feel connected. Things like access to the Team Room, free Alumni training weekend, the GOTX forum, and free legal support should a student ever be involved in a shooting make the students feel like they are part of a big supportive family.
I like that Yeager hires instructors that are very different than himself. Each one has their own unique teaching style and I think this translated well to the various learning styles of the students. Obviously Yeager is the most known and vocal, but he’s got a good group of guys working for him.
I was asked by JetGirl prior to my taking the class if I would personally participate in any exercise that involved a photographer standing next to my target. I told her that while I wouldn’t stand next to a stranger’s target I would have no problem shooting a target next to a stranger. During the portion of the class where I was drawing and shooting one-handed James Owens came over and stood next to my target and took my picture. At no time did I point my gun at him or toward him, and at no time did I feel nervous or scared. It happened pretty quickly and I can distinctly remember seeing my front sight very clearly as my shot broke. No major to-do was made about the shot and Mr. Owens is still with us today.
Que did really well in the class. I was proud that we were down there representing INGOers. He also did a wonderful job with the interviews, despite the camera issues we experienced. He asked some really good questions that others would probably never even think to ask. I think you’ll enjoy what he puts together.
Que and I both tried to find something “wrong” with Tactical Response. We looked for techniques taught that could be classified as dangerous, silly, or unsound. While we may not personally put every technique taught into our daily routine, we couldn’t find anything that we wouldn’t add to our “toolbox”. The worst I could come up with was “controversial”. I’m sure there are those that won’t like Yeager’s personal style, or his beard, or tattoos, or loud mouth, or the downrange photography—and that’s OK, even if it keeps them from training with Tactical Response. There are other schools that teach similar things with instructors that might better fit their own style.
James Yeager wears many hats, and we got a chance to see several more “hats” than we had seen through YouTube. He’s a loud-mouthed guy with narcissistic tendencies and ADD, but he’s also a fiercely loyal person with a love for family—his own and his extended Tactical Response family. One could have worse friends.
So it all comes down to this—Would I recommend Tactical Response training to my fellow INGOers? Yes I would. Would I recommend they stay in the Team Room? Yes I would. As long as that person is OK with meeting new people in new social situations. Who would be a good candidate for Fighting Pistol? I would recommend it to anyone with a basic understanding of firearms and a desire to learn about using a firearm defensively. I would not recommend the course to someone looking for pure accuracy instruction or to gain skills in a competition setting. While there is nothing wrong with that, this course is too “caveman” for those types of skills.
So that’s it! That’s my story. Feel free to ask any questions you have and I’ll try my best to answer them. I hope you’ve found our experience helpful in deciding if Tactical Response would be a good fit for your training dollars.
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