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I had the privilege of attending a Defensive Handgun 1 class taught by Thunder Ranch in Boise. I've always wanted to train at TR and this mobile course was slightly closer (and cheaper) than a full blown trip to Lakeview. Firstly, let it be known that Clint Smith is no longer affiliated with Thunder Ranch. Him and Heidi sold their stake in the company and moved to Wyoming. Clint isn't retired, but he is not teaching as much as he was when he owned TR. The new director, Jack Daniel, is a retired police officer with a plethora of firearms handling experience. He taught this course along with Chris Zupan, a current detective in southern Oregon, and Wyatt (whose last name escapes me right now), a former Army special operations guy and new cadre at Thunder Ranch.
Jack made it known several times during the class that this was as much a logic school as it is a shooting school. The idea of logic influencing your shooting techniques was apparent in each and every drill we ran during the two days. The class really gave me a new outlook on fundamental shooting skills and how to train those fundamental skills. The class wasn't only about shooting. There was also a few hours dedicated to discussion about tactics and what I can only describe as 'self defense philosophy'. I'm not here to reiterate the instruction material but I have to say it was far and above anything I learned while in the military or working in law enforcement. If you want to figure out what's in the secret sauce I encourage you attend a course yourself.
If you are on the fence about attending because of the price or distance/time commitment - set your worries aside and do it. I'm already trying to see if I can squeeze in a full trip to their actual training facility in southern Oregon later this year. Jack did mention they are looking at acquiring facilities outside of Oregon so they can better deliver training opportunities to those who want it. He acknowledges that Lakeview is a dying town and it's a logistically difficult place to get to (and he was specific in saying that doesn't mean the Lakeview facility is closing. They just want more options for students).
