An attempted break-in at our home prompted me to take this course. I realized that if my husband hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been able to protect myself and my kids. A Rogers County Sheriff’s Deputy recommended Defensive Shooting Academy. I was relieved to find the Ladies Only course as I’ve had minimal experience with guns and wanted an in-depth explanation of safety, handling, proper shooting technique, and practice. I received this- and more- through this course. The lecture portion also included managing unknown contacts and “what to do/say” scenarios specifically for women. The two main instructors gave detailed information, backed by statistics and experience in an easy-going and fun way.

The practice section allowed for incremental steps from practicing stance and grip with dummy firearms, moving to live firearms. I thought I would only practice with the pistol I brought, but many different types of firearms of different size and calibers were available and we were encouraged to try any or all of them. The instructors brought in additional assistance for the firing range portion. This allowed for more individual attention, which was important for me as I wasn’t comfortable even handling a live firearm without someone close to make sure I was doing so correctly.

Of course, a 1-day 10 hour course of any kind is not going to be sufficient training for anyone new to firearms, but it is HUGE for me to find a level of comfort and empowerment in operating a firearm considering the level of fear that I had before this course. I brought a small .22 pistol to the course (which I was uncomfortable with) and left knowing I could (and wanted to!) own and handle a 9mm. I will definitely continue learning and training, but this course was a CRUCIAL step for my mental game regarding confidence in handling a firearm.

Thank you, DSA for offering this course and giving me the confidence I needed to begin training with firearms.