Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Review - Mag-20 . . . Again . . .


From the MAG-20 course description:

A two-day, 20-hour immersion course in rules of engagement for armed law-abiding private citizens, emphasizing legal issues, tactical issues, and aftermath management. Topics will include interacting with suspects, witnesses, responding police officers…threat recognition and mind-set…management of social and psychological aftermath after having had to use lethal force in defense of self or others…and preparing beforehand for legal repercussions and minimizing exposure to them. Situations in the home, at the place of business, or “on the street” will all be covered.

Should you happen into the very worst day of your life . . . your primary job is to “prevail”.  Bottom line – you must stop the threat . . . or you may well go home in a Ziploc.  “Stopping the threat” does not mean killing him/her . . . it means just that - stopping them, changing their mind, scaring them off . . . but, it can mean seriously wounding them or killing them. 

This is step one . . . then there is . . .

Everything after . . .

It is this that Massad Ayoob focuses on in his MAG-20 course.  It is a course that I consider a “Have Too” type of course.  It simply must be one that is very, very high on your priority list.  While learning the fundamentals of defensive shooting is a must . . . as well as coursework that lets you refine things and become a more effective defensive shooter is important . . . if you win the fight and loose your freedom, loose your family, loose all your worldly possessions . . . what have you “won”?

It’s been said (sorry, I simply do not remember who first gets credit for this) you have two battles to win . . . the gunfight . . . and then your battle in court.  The MAG-20 course will lay the ground work for your legal defense.

The course is two days and 20 hours.  It is a continuous 10 hours per day.  There are 10 minute breaks each hour but lunch is eaten “on the run” . . . a slice of pizza or sandwich in one hand while you take notes with the other as the lecture continues is the rule of the day.  You’ve heard the analogy of taking in knowledge through a firehose . . . that is exactly what MAG-20 is.

The knowledge comes from an individual who recently fully retired from 43 years of law enforcement and who has become, in my opinion, the nation’s foremost expert witness in the use of deadly force.  He has participated in virtually every high visibility use of deadly force trial over the last couple decades, been the author of hundreds of articles on the topic, multiple books and taught thousands about the topic through his Massad Ayoob Group training company and his Lethal Force Institute company.  Frankly . . . he is THE guy you want to go to for this particular kind of training.  And . . . you want to do that more than once.

I last went to the MAG-20 course in November of 2013, you can read the review here.  Nothing has changed . . . and a lot has changed.  This course was still an intense 2-day effort where the flow of information was simply continuous and intimidating.  But, it had been updated with nearly four more years of experience and data added.  I also noticed parts were more polished than last time – they felt smoother than I remembered them.  One thing that was different for me this time was the price . . . rather than $400, it was only $200.  This is an offer made to all returning students.  It encourages return visits to catch up on the latest trends and data available and it is something I intend to continue to do.

As I said . . . TAKE THIS COURSE!!!  NOW!!!  TODAY!!!  Or as soon as you can.  You have two battles to win . . . your gunfight . . . and your court fight.  Mass has a great course to make sure you put your best legal foot forward should your worst day become a reality!