Publications

August 7, 2008 – 6:05 PM

LYTLE CREEK — I guess you could say that I enjoy trying different things. I’ve been skydiving, and bungee jumping, and I love to do some racing in my Mustang. So when the opportunity arose to learn some combat-firearm techniques, I jumped at the chance.

Early one Saturday morning, Sarah Alvarado, the photographer, and I made our way to Lytle Creek to take a beginners’ course on how to handle a firearm through the Top Gun Training Centre.

Neither of us had ever handled a gun, unless – do bb guns count? No, I don’t think so. So when I was handed a .45 caliber gun, I was warned it may kick a little. Thanks for the warning, guys.

The course was great. One of the first things we were taught by instructor, Mike Zealy, was safety. Never point the gun at anything you weren’t willing to destroy; we had to remember to keep the mouse out of the house and always treat a gun as if it were loaded.

What really impressed me were the techniques they taught. We were not learning how to shoot a gun during controlled situations, we were learning what to do in real-life situations.

We learned how to fire a gun with one hand in the event that our dominant hand was wounded. If we needed to get down, we were taught how to fire from a kneeling position. We also were schooled in side-stepping techniques.

All of this was done by shooting at the familiar silhouette I had only seen on T.V., but there he was, menacing me with his blank stare.

My aim certainly left a lot to be desired. I tended to pull to the left, but if that guy had been running that way, well, he would have been in real trouble.

After about six hours of learning some of the basics, it was time for some fun.

We were going to have a shoot-off and test, among other things, our aim.

Oh, boy.

First, we were only really competing against ourselves, but then someone got the bright idea of setting up a two-person competition. And wouldn’t you know it, Sarah and I had to go head-to-head.

I have to call foul because she shoots for a living and that left me at a disadvantage. Needless to say they were not grading if the guy was running to the left so Sarah won. Well deserved.

This was a great course. Mike was very knowledgeable and didn’t overwhelm the beginner.

That seemed to be the overall consensus of the group which included a mix of former military personnel, experienced shooters, and beginners. Everyone seemed to have something to take away from the course.

So what’s next for Sarah and I? Combat rifle training, of course.

Get ready, Mike, we’re coming back!