John:
 
Had a great time this weekend, and learned a hell of a lot. Still digesting it all.
 
Posted a quick hotwash here--
 
http://rule308.blogspot.com/2007/05/quick-hotwash-on-fpf-trainings.html
 
JPP

Your course was an excellent training opportunity. The class room portion of your course covered all subjects that a begging shooter would need and a lot of insight into the legal realm of concealed weapons. These being the subjects that a military shooter would have little to no exposure to which was excellent. The training videos gave more than ample visual reference to the subjects being taught. You podium presentation was presented at an excellent pace so that novice and experienced shooter could easily follow along and or relate.

The tactical portion of the course consisted of about one thousand rounds of ammunition. Starting off with the basics of concealed carry, mind set and marksmanship. Once again the course covered all aspects of defensive/ combat shooting.

The conditioning drill were conducted in the traditional crawl, walk, run, method with individual instruction taking place as needed. Movement was also incorporated into the course of fire, which is probably the most critical part of combat shooting.

I've been through several shooting packages with in the DOD, to include the High Risk Personnel course. I've been exposed to many styles and tactical methods of employing various weapon systems in a defensive and offensive nature. However I would never be a self proclaimed experienced shooter! DHS 1 was a great look into the reality of concealed weapons carry and a overall excellent shooting course. Worth every penny and more if you were to ever find your self in a lethal confrontation. Thanks John!!!!

I had the pleasure of taking DHS-1 this past weekend I can't imagine a better course for someone who wants to learn to defend themselves with a handgun. Why is the course so outstanding? Quite simply for two reasons:
1. John Murphy's combination of experience, knowledge, and skills in defensive handgun techniques make him one of the top trainers out there
2. All it takes is about 15 minutes with John Murphy to understand what drives him: he is passionate about the subject he is teaching and really cares about his students. He is driven to teach what he knows so that he can help the good guys and gals to win in a fight against the predatory criminals in our society, and the enemies our soldiers are fighting (in fact several students were back for more training with John prior to their deployment into combat zones).

There are few things in life in which people feel they got every pennies worth of what they spent. This is one of them. Word of mouth from previous students is so good (I know, I've told all my friends about this course) that John could charge more, but he doesn't. Money is not what drives this guy.

If you want to learn about how to defend yourself with a handgun, do yourself a favor look no further for the right course. Take this one, you won't be disappointed.

Michael

Defensive Handgun Skills One introduces people to the art and science
of self-defense. It is divided into two skill groups: mindset and
marksmanship. Though marksmanship is typically associated with
self-defense, it becomes clear that mindset is paramount to any
successful strategy.

John Murphy is the instructor and he teaches this course with
enthusiasm, passion, and competence. He uses a layered technique to
impart self-defense skills in his students. Core competencies are
introduced, practiced, and reinforced when more advanced skills are
added to the drills. Since this is the first course in the track,
students are assumed to have little or no experience. The layered
teaching technique is very effective in turning raw beginners into
more confident "hitters". To quote John: "Anyone can be a shooter, but
few are hitters."

Upon arrival at Quantico Shooting Club, we prepared for a cold, wet
day at the range. Standard IDPA targets were setup and the range was
marked at the 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 yard lines. Most of the shooting in
this course took place within seven yards, which is typical for
self-defense situations.

John began by assessing our equipment. Firearms included a pair of
Sigs, several Glocks, a Beretta, and two Springfield Armory 1911's.
Each handgun was checked for safe functioning. We put on our gun belts
and loaded magazines. After a brief introduction on range commands
and drawing from concealment, John began the basic exercises.

We performed several live fire exercises. Each student in the firing
line slowly drew their pistol and fired a single shot. This was
repeated five times at each range of three, five, and seven yards.
After perforating the targets a bunch of times, John had a good idea
of each person's marksmanship skills.

He then added another layer to our shooting: firing controlled pairs.
The use of the gun's sights was emphasized. Draws were at a cadence,
which served to help increase speed. We also learned how to handle a
malfunction using the "tap, rack, and bang" method. Soon, John had us
doing double taps and failure drills (two shots to the torso and one
to the occular window). The tempo increased as students became more
confident with their handguns.

When the weather took a turn for the worse after lunch, we retired to
the club house for a lecture. It was approximately three hours in
length. It covered multiple aspects of the mindset of self-defense.
The effectiveness of handguns was covered ("Handguns are WIMPY")--any
argument about 9x19mm and 45 ACP is rendered moot when compared to any
reasonable rifle cartridge. Videos of actual incidents were shown and
were an excellent visual aid. The point was driven home: this is
serious stuff! The day ended late.

The class restarted the next day at 0800 on the range. Our new skills
were assessed since we were "cold" from a lack of Starbuck's coffee.
Additional skills, such as the multiple shot "Wilson technique", were
introduced. We also began shooting while moving laterally, forward,
and back.

One of the most important points John made was the concept of tunnel
vision. People involved in a violent confrontation tend to look
exclusively at their target. Though this may give them an advantage
in that particular fight, it reduces their situational awareness.
Every student, for the rest of the class, scanned 360 degrees after
each drill. I feel this is one of the most important techniques demonstrated in DHS 1.

Near the end of the class, we began some friendly competition. Four
positions for the arms were demonstrated. One student in a pair would
call out a number and wait. The other student had to react to the
first student's movement and try to get a HIT on the target first.
This required a very quick draw stroke! It was also lots of fun.

Finally, after shooting oodles of ammunition, John introduced us to
the concept of controlling the situation through verbalization. These
demonstrations and drills were worth the price of admission alone. The
reason was that John realistically reacted to our words. After moving
out of the way, we engaged our targets if lethal force was required.

In all, I found this course to be very good. It covered many areas of
armed self-defense. At times, I wanted more detail. However, a
beginning course should focus on basic marksmanship skills and
tactics. John successfully imparted good shooting technique to
everyone. Furthermore, his mingling of mindset into the drills was
very effective. The lecture was very good. I picked up many
excellent pointers that honed my technique. Other shooters expressed
similar satisfaction. I recommend FPF Training's Defensive Handgun
Skills 1 to any shooter, from beginning to advanced.
Tom

I just competed John Murphy's DHS-I class and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Saturday was a wet and cold day, but we were able to start our shooting in the morning and by afternoon had moved on to the classroom portion of the course. The material presented was not only relevant, but very thought provoking and eye-opening.

Sunday was a beautiful day for shooting and John was outstanding at demonstrating a wide variety of practical skills. We practiced many different tactical skills and received the constructive feedback that is hard to obtain on a solo range visit.

I plan on taking DHS-II when John schedules the next class.

I highly recommend this class to both the novice and experienced shooter.

Manuel----

As a young woman relatively new to firearms with only a basic pistol safety course under my belt, I was a little intimidated to devote a weekend to defensive handgun training. My husband encouraged me to attend the course after he had completed DHS-2 with John.

It is obvious that John has put thought into the philosophical and the practical aspects of training. The instructional format included a series of drills or mini-lessons building both competency and confidence. The pace of the course was just perfect for the beginners as well as the more advanced attendees.

John conducts the course with liveliness and positive reinforcement while balancing the true seriousness and responsibility of using a firearm in defensive situations. He provided simulations we might face: shooting while advancing, retreating, etc. For a girl who had only used one position to shoot at a static target this certainly expanded my thinking.

Overall, this course was excellent. It emphasized the responsibility for good-decision making and builiding competency with your handgun.

My favorite part: I can now draw and re-holster without looking!

Heather
School Teacher

DHS-II was awesome. John is very knowledgeable and his classes are fun. DHS-II is all about shooting (hitting) on the move. This was the second course I took with John, and I have improved markedly since the first class. By the end of DHS-II, I was able to challenge more experienced shooters in some of the drills we ran. John’s enthusiastic attitude is contagious, and his direct teaching approach is easy to follow. I enjoyed this course, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about shooting on the move.

K.A.

Working with John is a rare experience. I have taken 2 of his classes (well 1.5, looking forward to taking other classes that he offers), and have to say that he is top notch. I have studied under several other "big name" instructors, and have to say that John presented the material in a fun and easy to understand method. I would rank John right up there with the best of them. His classes are affordable, and you get a huge bang for the buck.

I encourage his classes for beginner and more advanced students, it is definately worth it.

Thanks John! I hope to work with you again real soon!

This is the third class I’ve taken with John. When I took his first class I only had basic marksmanship skills. In each of his classes since then I've learned more and more skills required to defend myself with a handgun, but this is the first course where the targets shot back. On the first day of class we learned some close quarters combat skills, and on the second day we used these skills in scenarios against "bad guys" with airsoft guns. This is a class I highly recommend as it gave me a chance to practice the awareness required to assess a threat and also the skills to deal effectively with an aggressor with a gun. Now I have some options if I’m threatened with a gun, and that's just as important as marksmanship.

KA