Positives
The uniqueness of this Training Program
Expertise in the area of weapons is most commonly found among former or current military and police, and it should encourage us to know that our forces are well-schooled in this area. Regrettably though, when it comes time for the average Joe or Jane to be exposed to training in the use of weapons, it is often found that the instructors only know how to deal with training from the military/police perspective and perceive, and sometimes even treat, the average citizen as if they were a “grunt in the final weeks of military boot camp”. This is not the sense you will get from the training offered in The Armed American’s Complete Concealed Carry Guide for Effective Self-Defense. This complete guide is perfect for Beginner, Moderate, and Advanced skill levels. Whether you enter the program never having fired a handgun before or if you have carried as a private citizen or police officer for years, you will learn something valuable.
The Instructor
Patrick Kilchermann boasts no military, police or any other kind of systematized training background. He is not some “over-the-hill” pumped up commando, nor is he cocky or aggressive. He merely reports that at one point in his life, as he says, “I found myself kneeling on the floor with a gun at my head and vowed never to go down in such a wimpy way again”. That day he was lucky. As a result, he decided he would become the best at self-defense and he would teach others similarly. Some have lamented his lack of “professional” training. Well, “professionals” usually do that. They “put down” those they consider less professional than themselves (normally to enhance their own image).
As for their criticisms, they never challenged Patrick on any fundamentally important issue but only on minor, insignificant things dealing with stuff they had “dogmatized” as being significant. You will not be humiliated, diminished or insulted in any way. Patrick is kind and respectful. In his teaching, he presents facts not opinions and he clearly has no loyalties to any specific handgun manufacturers, calibers, or methods of instruction, etc. As one report states: “This program submits itself to the reality of a violent attack, and expects only that the viewer will as well”.
Pat is a relatively young man, highly passionate and obviously skilled in the art he has decided to master. His sincerity, integrity and character are clearly in evidence. Some criticize Pat’s background and involvement in other areas prior to taking up this challenge, as if in so doing it somehow diminishes the value and effectiveness of his presentation. If that is the case, then FrontSight, Inc., one of the nation’s premiere firearms training facilities with locations in Alaska and Nevada, should be shut down because its founder and director, Dr. Ignatius Piazza, is a former practicing chiropractor. Actually one article, during the research for this review, also claimed Patrick is a chiropractor, which ended up being wrong, so how much more of his review was accurate? Nevertheless, maybe their prejudices have gotten away from them and they’re getting their highly skilled, gun-totting educators confused. Nevertheless, hog wash, be cautious of those who declare themselves “professionals”.
The Training Program
The training is highly organized, deals first with fundamental issues, debunking up to 20 commonly held myths of the gun community. This program is comprehensive. Some might say full-spectrum, dealing with mindset and myth debunking all the way through range training and gear selection. Understand, no two people will usually agree completely on anything, especially in the highly opinionated gun community, so be sure there will be nay-sayers challenging his take on things but in all sincerity, Pat’s teaching is honest, sincere, accurate and thorough.
Does it teach you everything you need to know? No! It is a topic just too full of particulars for any one program to do it all. Are there better programs? Probably! Can you get the better programs for the same cost or less? Maybe there is but it has not been found.
For what Pat offers, you will not touch the thoroughness, comprehensiveness, or attention to detail for anything less than several hundred dollars more. Will you still need comprehensive range time? Hope you will! It is the nature of the beast. And you will also be able to do less range time as a result of this training.
In addition to the program, The Armed American’s Complete Concealed Carry Guide for Effective Self-Defense, Pat also offers another program called Master Handgun Accuracy, which you can take a look.
Negatives
This is a long program. It is 7 DVDs, each one being at least two hours. Pat might have been trained in the art of preaching because he utilizes a common preaching technique, which is: Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them. While it does make the training long and repetitive, it is done so people remember the training more easily and it is effective.
Summary
One of the greatest dangers in the concealed carry community is the presence of a false sense of confidence. The thinking that “since I have a gun, I am safer, competent and able to handle all circumstances that will come my way”. If a program does nothing but change this deadly mindset, it is well worth the price of the program. After all, one hour with a good attorney will cost you more than the cost of this program. Some have said this program should be mandatory for all concealed carry permit holders. Perhaps, but certainly, it should be the standard against which all other programs are judged.
The criticism has been made that Patrick has gleaned materials from many sources which are commonly available (yes and therefore you don’t have to do that work), packaged them in a slick DVD format (it is slick and well done and costs a fortune to produce) and offered them to the unsuspecting public (let the buyer beware, they say). What offends those who criticize Patrick is that he hasn’t paid their little gun instructors clique any money for his expertise. How dare he? He didn’t pay homage to the “self appointed powers that be”, say, “Good for him!”. True American entrepreneur-ism.
While this training program can be found at various sources, some perhaps even cheaper, Amazon is often the preferred choice because if you are dissatisfied (maybe you decide Patrick didn’t deliver) with a purchase for whatever reason, Amazon makes returns, refunds or exchanges relatively painless.
