by Jane Anne Shimizu, Director of Marketing and certified NRA instructor, Gunsite Academy
Lt. Col. John Dean “Jeff” Cooper, a U.S. Marine and firearms instructor, was educated at Stanford. He was a deep thinker and a prolific writer. After his separation from the military, Cooper became interested in one particular question: “How does one man prevail over another in armed combat?” Cooper spent the rest of his life examining this question, and was the first to collate what is known as the “modern technique” of the pistol, emphasizing two-handed shooting using the Weaver stance.
First and foremost, of course, are rules of safety; they are the cornerstone of any gun class. Safety drives everything at Gunsite Academy, and the first hours of the basic pistol class are spent in the classroom instilling the following rules of safety:
Gunsite FIREARMS SAFETY RULES
- ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded.
- Never let the muzzle cover anything that you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger OFF the trigger until your sights are on the target.
- Always be sure of your target and what’s behind it.
One of Cooper’s more notable quotes was: “Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.” Cooper later went on to found The American Pistol Institute in Paulden, which was later renamed Gunsite Academy.
No matter what your weapon of choice – pistol, shotgun, carbine, sporting rifle, precision rifle, tracking or edged weapons – lessons taught in class are serious, lifesaving and life-altering. If you own a firearm and carry it for defense, you owe it to yourself to get quality training. If you need to use that tool to solve a life-threatening problem, you will not rise to the occasion; you will default to your level of training.
Students come from all walks of life and many ages. In any given class, you can find lawyers, housewives, doctors, engineers, plumbers and law enforcement personnel. It’s a surprising mix of people, no matter their profession. The common thread among students is cheerful self-reliance and the understanding that danger may arise at any time. They have the will to practice so they may prevail, should evil manifest itself. All students of firearms training go out into the world as safer, more aware and more responsible citizens.
If you wish to learn more about Gunsite, you may visit www.gunsite.com. Better yet, contact Jane Anne Shimizu at jashimizu@gunsite.com to arrange a free tour of the facility.
