I am incredibly excited about the collaboration between Personal Defense Network and the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). I am proud to announce that I will be serving as an Advisor to the USCCA’s Training Division and that we’ve already started the process of adding our approach to Defensive Shooting Instruction to the USCCA’s offerings. In fact, over Memorial Day weekend, six members of our training team and I put leaders from the USCCA Training Counselor Program through an intense, three-day Defensive Firearms Coach Course. I promise that you can look forward to great educational content (as well as special opportunities for our members) as a result of this collaboration. Personal Defense Network is the leading online source for training information; the USCCA, along with their own educational emphasis, offers the best program for legal and financial assistance toward the legal aftermath of a defensive gun use in the industry.
Jamie Onion, the Director of I.C.E. Training’s Defensive Firearms Coach Program, and 5 other lead instructors joined me to put the USCCA’s first group of Instructors through over 35hrs of training this past weekend. Attendees of this event, at the USCCA HQ in Wisconsin came from about a dozen States from FL to CA!
The course we ran this weekend is the foundation of our Intuitive Defensive Shooting Program and represents what I believe is the most progressive approach to helping people of any skill level develop efficient defensive shooting skills. The program also covers our Concealed Carry and Home Defense Tactics. The USCCA will be offering a new live-fire class, based on this curriculum and Intuitive Shooting Fundamentals, in the near future! This course will be a great partner to the Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals Classroom Course that hundreds of USCCA-Certified Instructors currently offer around the country.
“I’m thrilled to announce the USCCA’s plan to partner with Rob and PDN in an effort to provide you, the responsibly armed American, with new and exciting defensive training opportunities,” said Tim Schmidt, USCCA’s Founder, “I truly believe a partnership with Rob will help to reinforce our own mission here at the USCCA.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve collaborated with the USCCA. Many years ago, I wrote a series of articles for Concealed Carry Magazine; I also joined their Advisory Board in 2010. I am a frequent guest on Armed American Radio, which is produced by USCCA. And in 2012, they were my partners in the original Counter Ambush Home Study Course, the first comprehensive armed defense distance education course ever offered in our community. Thousands of people have completed this course, covering the physiology, physics, neurology, statistics and “best practices” in regards to Intuitive Defensive Shooting. I also contributed a fair amount of material to the book that the USCCA currently uses to support their training.I often speak about how important it is to admit when it’s time to evolve and, especially as an educator, to admit when you are wrong about something. Over the years, I’ve jumped on some bandwagons that I shouldn’t have (.40 S&W) and sometimes I’ve been slower than I should have been to adopt new gear or techniques. In many cases, I resisted things that I ended up realizing made much more sense than they did at first glance (lateral movement, single point slings, red dots on AR-15 rifles, etc.). Concealed carry insurance plans are something that I was very dismissive of for some time. Some of this is due to my own nature, but I honestly hadn’t thought through the value the right plan brings to someone who carries a gun and who actually needs to use it. Over the years, I have looked closely at various plans and casually recommended that my students, if they really thought it was something they wanted, look into the few that I felt were worthwhile. The USCCA’s program was certainly among that short list. Over the course of the first half of this year, though, my thinking on concealed carry insurance has turned a corner. Like red dots on defensive rifles and appendix carry, it is
clear that concealed carry insurance is a necessity for the responsible gun owner. It’s become a staple in the ranks of those who take preparing to win all “three fights” seriously. First, you need to fight the complacency and denial that lead many people to not train at all. Then, once you are trained for the fight, you need to prevail against your threat. Too many of us fall fall short when it comes to preparation for the third fight, especially the legal aftermath of a defensive gun use. You don’t have to search hard to find stories of people who used their guns to righteously defend themselves or others and still faced serious and expensive legal challenges afterward. The concealed carry insurance program (Self-Defense SHIELD) that USCCA offers is the one that I believe makes the most sense. It is an affordable program that provides extensive coverage, dispenses immediate funding and offers advice from the very first day you sign up. You can learn more about this program, which I highly recommend.I’m honored to be aligned with USCCA. I see this as a huge opportunity for both of us to further the mission of putting out the absolute best information for those interested in defending themselves or those they care about. I’ve been in the firearms industry for over 20 years. 2017 is my 15th year to be teaching full-time. Personal Defense Network has been producing and sharing content for a dozen years this fall. I can honestly say that I have rarely been as excited as I am about this new project. The opportunity that our teams have to bring even more great information, education and services to our members and the entire community of responsible gun owners is unparalleled. Keep a close eye on what we do!
-RJP
A great partnership between two of the very best organizations out there for a combined effort to bring the very best training and services to our entire community, in every way. I am very content and happy to be a member of both organizations. I know that working together, we will all see and have a very good future in gained information and the help when needed.
I see a great partnership between USC AND and I.C.E./PDN! I'm looking forward to seeing the positive results of such a partnership.
U.S.C.C.A. and P.D.N. will make a valuable and complimentary team. I am a U.S.C.C.A. member and consider it the organization and leader in the firearms educational and training field. Their magazine has grown more comprehensive and the staff has excelled in delivering continually update information. The sane was P.D.N. So the union will be a excellent source or education and training to all those interested in developing more insight into firearms training, education and legal ramifications. We all know that continuing education never ends. I have had the opportunity to meet both Rob and Tim, briefly at seminars and shows and two finer leaders for firearm education and training you will not find. L.C.Bignall
I consider myself fairly new to the firearms world. One of the first programs I found and liked was PDN. I brought USCCA on board became of their persistent and edcuational offerings. I am excited to here of this partnership and look forward to greater things in the future.