{"id":2684,"date":"2024-11-01T21:46:57","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T21:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2684"},"modified":"2024-11-01T21:46:57","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T21:46:57","slug":"gunsite-performance-pistol-symposium-class-with-rob-leatham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2684","title":{"rendered":"Gunsite Performance Pistol Symposium Class with Rob Leatham"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Peter Suciu<\/a><\/p>\n

T<\/span>here is the old joke in the entertainment world, \u201cHow do you get to Carnegie Hall?\u201d with the answer being \u201cpractice.\u201d Yet, that old quip misses the part about first being taught the fundamentals, and then getting even more advanced training from highly skilled professionals. Simply put, practice will only take you so far \u2014 especially if you\u2019re not doing it right in the first place.<\/p>\n

The world of firearms training is no different, with one notable difference in importance \u2014 it can literally provide the skills that can mean the difference between life and death. This is even true for those who already have received extensive training with a firearm.<\/p>\n

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Renowned world champion shooter Rob Leatham brings his unique skillset to the Gunsite Performance Pistol Symposium. Image:\u00a0Gunsite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To that end, the Gunsite Academy is offering a unique three-day course in November at its 3,200-acre training facility located in Paulden, Arizona. Meant for already highly skilled shooters, the Gunsite Academy Performance Pistol Symposium promises to provide the training to take them to a higher level of firearms handling and accuracy \u2014 as well as a unique opportunity.<\/p>\n

Gunsite graduate and pro shooter Rob Leatham will bring his knowledge and experience to helping other shooters literally up their game. Leatham, the 24-time USPSA National champion and seven-time International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Champion, will teach attendees speed and accuracy, assisted by Gunsite Rangemasters Lew Gosnell and Randy Watt.<\/p>\n

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Gunsite Rangemaster Lew Gosnell, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining the East Los Angeles Police Department, has extensive competitive shooting experience and will be involved in the class. Image:\u00a0Gunsite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cGunsite is excited for Rob to return to his roots of his early training career,\u201d said Gunsite CEO Ken Campbell. \u201cThis course focuses on two of the three tenants of our training: Gun handling and marksmanship, also including the requisite power, quickness and accuracy. It is for the experienced Gunsite graduate, taking them to another level focusing on speed and accuracy. I took an early version of this class with Rob recently and was sufficiently humbled!\u201d<\/p>\n

About Gunsite Academy<\/h2>\n

First founded in 1976 by the late Jeff Cooper, innovator of the \u201cmodern technique\u201d of handgun shooting, Gunsite has established itself as a worldwide leader in defensive firearms training for nearly five decades. It continues to be a driving force behind innovations in training and technique for the defensive shooter.<\/p>\n

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Gunsite Rangemaster Randy Watt brings 36 years of law enforcement service \u2014 including with SWAT and as a primary firearms and defensive tactics trainer \u2014 to the event. Image:\u00a0Gunsite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAs a result, no single person or facility has had as much influence across the pistol realm, from defensive training to military\/police training to practical pistol competition sports, as Gunsite,\u201d Campbell told\u00a0The Armory Life<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Today, Gunsite offers tuition-based instruction in handgun, carbine, rifle and shotgun shooting for shooters of all levels to enhance their skills. However, the Performance Pistol Symposium is truly about taking it to a higher level.<\/p>\n

\u201cRob Leatham\u2019s courses are designed to take all shooters to the highest level possible, so anyone, even shooters at the Grandmaster level, can improve their performance,\u201d explained Randy Watt, who has 36 years of service with the Ogden Utah Police Department, including a dozen years with SWAT and 15 years as the primary firearms and defensive tactics trainer.<\/p>\n

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Gunsite Rangemaster Lew Gosnell assists a student with using a red dot sight during a training class on the shooting range. Image:\u00a0Gunsite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As noted, the Performance Pistol Symposium isn\u2019t for newbies. Instead, the extensive course will give hands-on training to those who are already highly pistol proficient and want to go to the next level.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis course is not for new shooters or novices, and has a prerequisite skill level requirement of shooting the Wilson 5\u00d75 Skills Test in less than 40 seconds,\u201d said Watt. \u201cThe Wilson 5\u00d75 Skills Test is a recognized performance measure and is often used as a competition qualifier. Rob and Gunsite staff will require the students to shoot the test at the start of the course. If anyone is unable to meet the requirement, they will not continue in the course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking It To a Higher Level<\/h2>\n

As the Gunsite Performance Pistol Symposium is designed for those who are already skilled shooters to enhance their firearm handling, it would be hard to think of a better coach for the classes than Leatham. As a young man, the pro learned the basics at the school.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a photo of 14-year-old Rob, his father, and Jeff Cooper working on the South Range,\u201d said Campbell.<\/p>\n

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Now, the one-time pupil has become a top-rated professor of the pistol, who will share his knowledge with attendees of the symposium in what could be described as a master\u2019s level course in handgun training.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs is well-known and documented, Rob is the GOAT across the pistol competition spectrum,\u201d added Watt. \u201cWhat is also known, worldwide, is his ability to teach and coach high-level competitive shooters. His ability to diagnose shooter issues, even with experts, is second to none, which is why all shooters who attend his courses benefit from his attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the Performance Pistol Symposium, Leatham and the Gunsite staff members will put the students through a variety of performance-building drills. Each day will be made up of specific curriculum requirements, including improving reloading speed, target transitions, target-to-target transitions, presentation efficiency and more.<\/p>\n

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Gunsite Rangemaster Lew Gosnell talks with a student between practical shooting exercises on the range. Image:\u00a0Gunsite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cRob has specific drills to create improvement in every shooter, and these are followed by recognized competition-based drills designed to measure a shooter\u2019s improvement, as well as his\/her place among peers,\u201d Watt told\u00a0The Armory Life.<\/em><\/p>\n

That sentiment was shared by Gunsite Rangemaster Lew Gosnell, who also has an extensive competition background.<\/p>\n

\u201cRobby Leatham is the most successful competition shooter in USPSA history,\u201d Lew, who served in the United States Marine Corps before joining the East Los Angeles police department, told\u00a0The Armory Life<\/em>. \u201cHe is an acknowledged master of the handgun, and a sought-after trainer by elite military and law enforcement professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

It Is All About Speed and Accuracy<\/h2>\n

Even in a world where much is made about the latest advances in technology, the Gunsite Performance Pistol Symposium is still about honing the skills through fairly old-school methods based around eye\/hand coordination.<\/p>\n

\u201cTechnology, while impacting instructor\/student performance, particularly in skills measurement, doesn\u2019t play as large a role in this course as does understanding how the brain learns and applying that understanding to effective teaching and coaching,\u201d said Watt. \u201cRob has stayed at the forefront of research and studies into the most effective methods of harnessing the power of how the brain \u2018learns\u2019 and, thereby, achieving automaticity \u2014 unconscious physical performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to firearms skills, speed is still very much based on the ability of the brain to react rapidly to specific stimuli \u2014 such as the start tone of the shot timer \u2014 and then cause the most efficient delivery of the pistol to a point on the target to facilitate a rapid and accurate hit or hits.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollow that up with subconscious\/unconscious recognition of when to reload, how to deal with a stoppage of fire, and other factors, including engagement order\/sequencing of multiple targets, and I think anyone can understand the emphasis placed on engaging the brain at its highest capacity,\u201d Watt continued.<\/p>\n

In addition, reloading, addressing malfunctions, trigger manipulation, physical control of the pistol, target transitions, and recoil management are the skill sets that will be addressed and effectively improved.<\/p>\n

\u201cUtilizing effective instructional methods, Rob, assisted by highly skilled Gunsite Rangemasters who are graduates of Rob\u2019s courses, will impart levels of knowledge and skill few have been capable of,\u201d said Campbell. \u201cRegular scored drills will produce measured performance improvements. No one will leave the class without having added significantly to their pistol shooting prowess. This is an incredible opportunity for those who wish to be the best they possibly can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

About the Class<\/h2>\n

The upcoming Performance Pistol Symposium will be offered just one time this year, running from November 4-6, 2024. Attendees are required to be a Gunsite Marksman 1 Level graduate of 350 or above. In addition, the Wilson 5\u00d75 drill that will be used early on the first day requires a score of 40 or better.<\/p>\n

Tuition for the three-day course is $1,450, and attendees are required to have a range kit consisting of a handgun, holster, magazine pouches, and at least six magazines. In addition, eye and ear production, a ball cap, and sunscreen are required, while a notebook and\/or electric device such as a smartphone or tablet should also be carried to record and analyze performance data.<\/p>\n

Attendees can run IWB, AIWB, OWB, concealed and open carry \u2014 but it is recommended that attendees run open OWB initially to develop optimal efficiency and control, as it will more readily translate to other access and carry positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe three day symposium held at Gunsite\u2019s well known facility will give attendees a challenging series of shooting drills, tests and best practices for honing individual skills,\u201d said Lew. \u201cNot anathema to Gunsite\u2019s doctrine, it is the student of the gun\u2019s logical next step in understanding what is happening as their pursuit of progress continues in the mastery of defensive firearms training.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Gunsite Performance Pistol Symposium<\/span><\/h3>\n


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Rob Leatham Training <\/h3>\n


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By Peter Suciu There is the old joke in the entertainment world, \u201cHow do you get to Carnegie Hall?\u201d with the answer being \u201cpractice.\u201d Yet, that old quip misses the part about first being taught the fundamentals, and then getting even more advanced training from highly skilled professionals. Simply put, practice will only take you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}