Do you have to be an expert to attend professional firearm training? Absolutely not. In fact, if there’s one thing I took away from my time at the new Smith & Wesson Academy in Maryville, Tennessee, it’s that learning starts with humility. To absorb new knowledge, you must be willing to admit you don’t know everything.
Odd (Wo)man Out
I knew I was out of my element before I ever stepped onto the range. The invitation was to attend a media event at Smith & Wesson’s brand-new training facility, a state-of-the-art academy designed to help shooters of every experience level become safer, more proficient, and more confident with firearms. The campus includes dedicated pistol and rifle ranges, a two-story shoot house, modern classrooms, and instruction led by the legendary Mark “Coch” Cochiolo, whose decades in Naval Special Warfare have shaped the academy’s training programs.
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Walking Into a Room Full of Experts
The guest list included some of the most accomplished firearms writers in the industry. Most had a tactical background of some sort, and then there was me.
I’m an outdoor writer. I have always thought of firearms in terms of hunting. My experience comes from time afield, mentoring new hunters, and teaching people to make one careful, ethical shot. It definitely does not center around running tactical drills.
I questioned whether I belonged there. That feeling has a name: imposter syndrome. It’s that little voice that convinces you everyone else deserves to be in the room more than you do.
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I suspect a lot of new gun owners feel exactly the same way when they consider taking a professional training class. They worry they’ll be the least experienced shooter on the range. They’ll ask the wrong question. They’ll slow everyone else down. I know, because I had those same thoughts.
The Best Instructors Don’t Expect You to Know Everything
Here’s what surprised me. No one cared that I knew less. Coch didn’t expect perfection, he expected effort. The more experienced gun writers and shooters in the class didn’t scoff when I asked questions. Instead, they offered guidance.
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Every mistake was treated as a teaching opportunity instead of an opportunity for embarrassment. To me, that was a sign of a healthy training environment. The goal wasn’t to identify the best shooter on the range. The goal was to make everyone leave a better shooter than when they arrived.
I took advantage of the time on the range to ask questions and soak up as much knowledge as I could.
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Repetition Creates Confidence
One lesson stuck with me more than any other. Repetition makes you a much better shooter. Running the same drills over and over builds muscle memory. Under stress, your brain has enough to process without having to consciously think through every movement. The more automatic your fundamentals become, the more mental bandwidth you have to assess the situation, make sound decisions, and respond appropriately and quickly.
That’s true whether you’re learning to draw a handgun efficiently, clear a malfunction, or safely manipulate your firearm. Confidence comes from consistent practice.
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You Don’t Need to Be an Expert
Sometimes the firearms community unintentionally sends the message that you have to know everything before you sign up for a class. That you need the right gear, need to know all the terminology, or have years of experience before you belong.
The truth is exactly the opposite. Professional training exists because none of us know everything.
Whether you’ve been carrying a firearm for twenty years or just purchased your first handgun, there’s always another skill to develop, another bad habit to correct, and another lesson to learn.
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I arrived at the Smith & Wesson Academy knowing I would be the least experienced person on the range. I left realizing that wasn’t a disadvantage at all. Being willing to learn turned out to be the most valuable qualification I could have brought with me.
If you’ve ever talked yourself out of taking a firearms class because you thought you weren’t experienced enough, consider this your sign to go anyway. We all start somewhere.
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