AAR: Close Range Gunfighting 2, April 23-24, with Jon Payne in Orange, TX

[Popshot]

CRG-2 is the third of three martial classes that my wife and I enrolled with Jon Payne in 2022. We thoroughly enjoy the instruction and the good-natured socializing. We were not disappointed - the cobwebs accumulated during the Rona are gone.

Rather than simply telling the class to run drills (which would limit things to "stupid human tricks"), Jon clearly explains both the how and the why - a key to adult education. Since actions speak louder than words, physical demonstrations of the techniques are important. Jon performs these techniques masterfully, not for entertainment, but to complete the understanding of the classmates. As the curriculum progresses, Jon supplements the demonstrations by selecting class members to perform the drill. In that way, the less confident or less skilled classmates can see that competence is a learned behavior - and that they can improve their performance by the application of the lessons learned.

For those of you who have never had the opportunity to learn from Jon Payne, enroll the next time his classes appear on the schedule and make the trip to Southeast Texas. Twelve people from four different states did for this class.

[jmac_52]

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[jmac_52]

It was a fine weekend, beginning with marksmanship skills. We moved on to shooting from different distances....all the while noticing how shooting slowed as we moved further from the targets.
We were introduced to bilateral movement, and the 360 degree after action assessment. We also learned ambidextrous shooting, shooting from cover, and ended the class with up close and personal discharge into the targets to get the feeling of the blast from the barrel.
There were opportunities to deal with malfunctions, and some of the causes.
Jon was right on top of the situation at every turn.
I think it was a great learning experience for everyone.
We were told to bring at least 500 rounds of ammunition for the class. I brought 690 rounds and came home with 16....

After 12 years of training with Jon Payne, I not only think of him as my instructor, but also as my friend and my brother.

[patriot3386]

My wife and I attended this past weekend, and had an absolute blast! I've been lurking on WT and buying guns and gear from Gabe for over 10 years, but this was my first opportunity to attend a Suarez class. I'll second Popshot and jmac_52 by saying that Jon does a fantastic job breaking down the techniques in an easy-to-progress manner, which is really helpful for both experienced and novice shooters. The range and facilities are first-class, and we both enjoyed being able to chat with the other students and Jon during breaks/lunch and dinner on Saturday night. My wife also wanted to pass on her appreciation for everyone's patience and assistance with the "new girl" - she's commented multiple times how easy everyone is to talk to, and that she never felt pressured to do something she wasn't comfortable with. We also wanted to thank all the folks that helped us troubleshoot our gear, to make sure we were getting the most out of the training.

Thanks again to Jon (and Cullen) for a great weekend. Hope to train again with y'all in the near future!

Drew

[Pewpew43]

My husband and I attended CRG1 in balmy January so this class is the logical follow up. Jon mentioned that some of his long time students were attending these classes "as a favor". Nothing could be further from the truth for me. I am in a totally different place physically, mentally and with my gun handling skills than I was when we took these classes before. I'm also using my red dot pistol, gaining additional experience in prep for Gabe's class in September.

It was great to see two of the women from CRG1 continue their training, its nice to see more of us in these classes.

Jon's training progression thru the weekend had us building on our skills; first dry, then slow and steady building up speed and distance. We were able to translate what we learned and see how to apply in the real world.

As always, the camaraderie and knowledge sharing that takes place during class and at breaks and dinner is an added bonus in these classes. If you haven't taken a class in a while (or ever), check them out and sign up!

[Pewpew43]

My husband and I attended CRG1 in balmy January but I snoozed and didn't submit my AAR for that class. Lee and I have attended a lot of SI classes thru the years, and a lot have been with Jon. He mentioned in January that some of us were attending class as a "favor" to him. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

With the Rona and ammo shortage limiting our range and class time we are excited to have 4 SI classes scheduled for 2022. CRG1 & CRG2 are logical starting points for dusting off the cobwebs, putting shots downrange and building your confidence. Jon starts with the basics in CRG1, we build on that knowledge and our skills in this class. Jon covers the how and the why of what we're learning, which helps brings everything together out on the range.

It was great to see fellow classmates again for CRG2, especially two of my fellow women shooters. Its always good to see more women on the range training!