Has anyone taken a Rob Pincus class?

Has anyone taken a Rob Pincus/Combat Focus Shooting class? He seems an impressive guy, but I'd like to hear what anyone who has taken one of his classes has to say before I lay down my cash.

The class I'm thinking of would be the two-day Combat Focus class taught by Rob Pincus himself. In part, it's attractive because it seems to be the only pistol class to be taught by any of the "national" instructors that is within easy driving distance of my house (so I don't have to spend money on a motel!).

Hi Jeffrey,

In 2010, I had a chance to observe the entire 2 day CFS class, not as a student, but in another professional capacity, while my friend was taking the same class as a student. I would be more than happy to give you some feedback on the class as well as Rob's instruction.

1) The class was small and well managed, and attended by people of all ranges of ability, from recreational shooters to professionals (police/military). From what I could tell, this had no adverse effect on the presentation of the material, the flow of the class, or each student's ability to get the most from the experience. If anything, it was great to see that Rob's material and style was so universally understood that everyone benefitted immensely, despite any previous training or lack of training.

2) Safety was stressed constantly throughout the 2 days.

3) The classroom portions were unbelievable to me in both the complexity/fascinating nature of the subject matter, and the ease with which Rob translated the science into terms that everyone could understand and relate to from past experience. I came away with a great understanding of what the principles were behind his ideas, and how they related to his development of the CFS theory. I lost track of the number of "lightbulb moments" I had. (I'm being intentionally vague here bc I couldn't do the material justice, you really have to hear Rob's delivery.)

4) The shooting portions were direct reflections and applications of the classroom material just learned. Not only that, they seamlessly built upon each other, so each new concept/drill reinforced a previous one, and tied it all together both conceptually and physically. And trust me, they were physical. His students move around, do not expect to spend your time shooting in a box or grid. He makes it look/feel VERY real.

5) Rob is truly a professional- funny when it was safe/appropriate, serious when he had to be, his manner of correction/criticism is above reproach, and most of all, he seemed willing to listen, observe, and adapt to the varied styles and experience of his shooters. This is not to say that he is wishy-washy; but rather, that his training is designed to save lives, so he seemed to place the utmost importance on the principle that his ideas/training had to make sense to each student, and be repeatable in real life. So he was able to approach the material from many different angles to help it sink in. As an observer, I wasnt concentrating on my own training, so I was able to see that he was truly connecting with all of his students. I noticed that his vocabulary and mastery of terms was genuine, he wasn't simply regurgitating catch phrases. And he ALWAYS was able to answer the question "why" without saying "bc this is how i was tought" or "bc i said so", etc.

So yeah, I would totally recommend his class, and I can't wait until I have the time to take his class as a student. I'll ask my buddy who took his class to add his 2 cents, but I really think that if you have to choose ONE class, choose this one. I have recommended Rob/CFS to every shooter I know. I hope this helps!

-Rob Webb

My wife and I both participated in CFS with Rob Pincus as the instructor in Jan 2011. Rob is a very professional instructor, but believes strongly in the CFS concepts and principles. CFS is based around "what the body does naturally during a Dynamic Critical Incident...CFS is not only technical shooting, it is designed around science of how the body and brain work together during a gun fight. If you want to take a self defense course that is one of the top in the world...CFS is the course! You will not regret spending the money for this course. After I completed the course...I understood and BELIEVED in the concepts so strongly that I wanted more, so I have now registered for the CFS Instructor course.

I've had the pleasure of talking with Rob Pincus a bit over the internet and, while I haven't been able to attend a CFS course yet, I can certainly attest to his depth of knowledge. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who has a better understanding of the human intuitive responses to stress than Mr. Pincus, and you'll also be hard pressed to find anyone else who has the ability to explain ideas and concepts, in a plain English yet comprehensive manner, in such an authoritative way. Another thing I'll say about Rob that you'll likely never hear about most Top Tier trainers, is that he is always willing to change or modify his ideas and beliefs if he finds a more effective or more efficient way to do something. In other words, he's not married to any specific doctrine.

You might look up Rob on Facebook and send him a friend request. He's a very sociable person.

Gentlemen,

Thanks much for your advice! Based on what you have said (and from what I have seen of Mr. Pincus on the Web and from Best Defense), I will sign up for his course. I'll post my "review" in March.

Jeffrey

Rob Pincus

Jeffrey,
You will not be disappointed. The only down-side to taking his classes are you are hooked and will want more. I took the CFS and APH course with him at Blackwing Shooting Center in Delaware OH last year. I have to say that what I thought I knew before the class, was miniscule to what Rob taught me. If you are truly going to learn, it will be well worth your time and money.
I personally will be doing more with him in the future. Enjoy the class.

Rob Pincus/CFS

Afternoon,
I just wanted to add my 2 cents about Rob Pincus and Combat Focus Shooting. I hope this helps to sway Jeffrey, and anyone else on the fence, to check out Rob and his system for themselves…you won’t be disappointed.
I completed both the Combat Focus Shooting and Advanced Pistol Handling Courses, back to back, last month. Both courses were taught by Rob Pincus himself, and I had a blast (no pun intended). Even as a 12 year LEO vet, with extensive firearm training (private, military, local, state, and federal), I am always looking to improve my competency. I feel that it is the responsibility of lawful gun owners, law enforcement, and military, to obtain the best training that they can get, period.
From the website, “The Combat Focus® Shooting Program is an Intuitive shooting program designed to help the student be more efficient with a defensive firearm in the context of a Dynamic Critical Incident.” For me, this simply means utilizing your body’s natural response to danger, in concert with your personal skill set, to perform effectively and efficiently to save your life or the life of a family member.
Both courses are two full days of intense training, teaching, practice, and explanation. I won’t go into the topics covered during the courses, as all that is on the website. What I will say is that I have already recommended these courses to my family, co workers and friends.
I entered the first day with a healthy dose of skepticism. I planned on being a ‘good student’, but figured only on ‘throwing some lead downrange’. At the end of the week, I was completely sold on the Combat Focus Shooting Program, and have already integrated several of Rob’s techniques into my repertoire. Rob’s courses are mentally and physically demanding and will test your ability to safely and effectively ‘run your gun’. I was truly impressed with the research and preparation that has gone into this system. You will NOT spend your time being force fed flashy ‘tactical’ wiz bang moves. You will be taught techniques and drills emphasizing the development of a skill set that you can use in a gun fight, not just a day on the range. I liked that Rob is not afraid of ‘why’ questions and actually encourages them. The Combat Focus Shooting Program is defensible and backed up by research and stats. I felt like I was being educated and challenged, and not just instructed.
As far as ‘throwing lead’, don’t worry about that either. I left the range at the end of the week, with blisters and 2500 less rounds
If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to email me. Thanks………….CJ Howe
PS. An added bonus of the courses is the opportunity to evaluate your choice of defensive firearm and compare and contrast with others in the class. I was impressed to discover that the S&W M&P (9mm and .40), were the tops in the class. I went out the next week and purchased one for myself.

Do it.

Took a course with Pincus in 2010, and have to say that he makes sense, and I sense integrity in what he is presenting. Also, he's very sharp, with a rapid, clear delivery of information and good rationale for why he teaches intuitive techniques. Good sense of humor , too. ("There is a trauma kit over there on the hood of my SUV, if we need it. I know a number of you are health care professionals, and if I get shot today I don't want to hear that you aren't licensed to practice in this state.")

I've had other instruction, including but not limited to Suarez and Clint Smith. I learned something from each of them, and would like to take more training from Pincus, especially since his courses are more geographically accessible to me.

Rob Pincus Update

The NRA is currently offering a Rob Pincus/ICE/PDN (Personal Defense Network) DVD series. The NRA sent a teaser free DVD and the follow on DVDs are $12.95 + S&H. The 2nd in the series is Advanced Pistol Handling which is ready to go. Additional DVDs will be released in at unspecified intervals. I checked into this thread to check him out. Appears he is the real deal. Thanks for your comments.

Nothing about Rob in particular, but with only a couple of exceptions if you can get a local class from a 1st or 2nd level trainer it is generally money well spent. Everybody has their own ideas and own take on shooting and you will learn something from all of them.