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| Being able to shoot effectively while moving, as these students are, is a must to good practical defensive shooting. |
This course is for participants with basic marksmanship skills. The Academy regards these as knowledge of grip, sight picture and trigger control from any of the shooting sports or disciplines. Above all, we require safe gun handling and range etiquette at all times. We accept minors who are accompanied by parent or legal guardian and will comply with these conditions. Seniors are also welcome. No one is required to perform any physical activity which they feel incapable of or unsafe doing.
The Chapman Academy course objectives are to teach students to shoot effectively, to move quickly, and to use cover. Shooting effectively is being able to hit what is being aimed at regardless of circumstance. Moving quickly includes drawing, reloading, and moving to cover. Using cover at every opportunity is a key element of defensive shooting. These three essentials are the result of our research and are common in all successful defensive situations.
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| Being able to shoot effectively while moving, as these students are, is a must to good practical defensive shooting. |
The program is structured to minimize classroom time and focuses on practical hands-on and individual range instruction. A brief on-range lecture and demonstration introduces each section. At the conclusion of the demonstrations, students then perform practical range exercises with as much individual instruction as possible. Each segment begins with fundamentals and progresses to more complicated and demanding exercises.
The Academy's instructional technique begins with single shots on single targets and leads to multiple shots on multiple targets. We use this method with a number of repetitions to ensure students comprehend the techniques and apply this to all the blocks of instruction.
The time allowed in the Three Day Program prohibits the inclusion of all situations which might apply to defensive shooting. Mr. Chapman selected these essentials to give the students the chance to become proficient with each one rather than give them a superficial overview.
This program emphasizes grip, sight picture, and trigger control through specific exercises to a maximum distance of 15 yards. Most defensive situations occur at distances of 2 to 4 yards and closer, so we include a section on eye/hand coordinated shooting at short range. Stress reloading is another essential included in this program, as is shooting from cover. The next block of instruction demonstrates the advantages of shooting while moving. Shooting while moving is a skill which is often overlooked and the advantages it provides become obvious when the situation is reversed in the next block of instruction, shooting at moving targets.
The training scenarios which conclude the practical training portion of the program allow the students to apply their newly acquired skills in practical defensive situations. The scenarios, such as "Wrong Neighborhood" and "Flat Tire Trouble", require students to shoot effectively, move quickly, and use cover. Each student is critiqued and given the opportunity to shoot the scenarios a second time. After completion of the scenarios a qualification course is fired, to allow each student to see how they've progressed over our time together.
Although we encourage you to bring more than one pistol we recommend you concentrate with the one style with which you wish to become the most proficient. We also recommend quality holster, belt, and magazine/speedloader pouches. Students will require a minimum of 1200 rounds to complete this course, although having extra ammunition is recommended.
To assist you, a detailed list of equipment needs along with a list of hotels and maps to the range.