Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Modern Samurai Project - Take 2

This would be my second time taking the MSP class, but it would be for a 2-day Red Dot Class rather than the 3-day Path To Performance class that includes the Red Dot Class.

I got up early and drove the 20 minutes form the hotel to the Deer Creek Conservation Club in Jonesboro, IN.  I wanted to be early having never been there before, which was a good thing as the GPS doesn't quite get you to the club.

On the upside I arrived the same time as the instructor at the wrong place and we then both found the range.  The club is very nice and they had arranged for us to use a bay with some shade, which would become very important.  It was both hot and really humid so lots of sunscreen and a ton of water was consumed on both days.

Unfortunately, Jedi himself would not be teaching the class as he was hospitalized due to an illness (He is feeling a lot better now, and that's a good thing). 

Instead, A.J. Zito would be teaching the class.

A.J. is a master-class shooter, and a very effective instructor with a great manner and an informative, entertaining and enthusiastic teaching style.

The class had quite a variety of students - newer shooters, more established shooters, quite a few police officers, and one FBI agent.  Oh yes, and before you ask, the Police and FBI agent could definitely shoot very well. A very good bunch and most of us got together for dinner at the end of the first day which was fun.

AJ was very true to Jedi's curriculum and gave excellent instruction throughout - explaining the hows and whys of the dot, and the ways to get the most effectiveness from using it.  The class was very much like it was last year, with a few changes.

I also understood more taking the class a second time - most especially about modulation, which went way over my head last year.   This is the first shooting class I've taken for a second time and it was worth it - as there is a fire-hose of information coming out taking a second time lets you catch things you missed the first time while you were busy absorbing something else.

The class also gave a great example on why you wear eye protection at all times.  While we were practicing transitions between some metal targets, I was in line waiting to shoot and suddenly it felt like I got punched in the mouth.  A piece of the bullet the shooter was firing, or a rock came back and gave me quite the bloody smack right on my left upper lip.  No major harm done but that was a bit exciting and as the class unanimously declared, chicks dig scars, so that's something.

We finished the class with the Black Belt test, and I did not set the world on fire by any means.

3x5 Drill -3.06 Clean
7 yard one shot - 1.56 clean
Bill Drill - 2.94 clean
25 yard one shot - 2.20 clean

Not my best times ever, but they were all clean and that's a good thing and overall my shooting improved compared to last year overall especially in terms of finding the dot and hitting the target.  I still have a bad tendency to punch the gun out when I'm feeling rushed, so I need to fix that and dry fire a heckuva lot more.

No one earned a patch this class, but a few came close.

Certainly a great class with a bunch of great people, and I learned a lot and doing it for a second time was worth it.

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