Student Review: My Excuses for not going to MVT: CN

My excuses for not going to MVT.

“Why should I take a course from some funny sounding guy with a silly nick name?”

Well, Max has good qualifications: He trained Paras in England. (Insert the link to para training video) If you watch the video you will see how the instructors always lead from the front. He is not teaching square range tacticool stuff. His facility is awesome, with valleys and trees for cover, as well as pop up targets. He has enough land and several ranges that you don’t get bored of shooting the same targets day after day. (as if that could happen any how….)

“He is too far away. I don’t have enough time.”

For the last CTT some guy drove from Nebraska or Montana just to go to the course. Others came from as far as Florida. It just depends how much you really want to have this kind of training. Oh, and Max will come to your location if you can get a group together.

“Too much money..”

$200 a day is the industry standard for a day of firearm training. And that is for a day at an “easy to maintain” square range, not a huge multi acre complex with pop up targets. For what Max charges it is very reasonable.

“I’m not some high speed Special Forces dude with a big beard”… (Translation): I don’t have a whole lot of experience running and moving with a rifle (who does really anyhow?), and I don’t want to look like a real nube in front of the others…

This is not a beginner course on basic rifle manipulation. The better you can reload and handle your rifle the better. Practice reloads (make sure the rifle is empty first…) at home. With your gear on lie on the floor and do tactical reloads and admin reloads. Do that every night for a month and you will be surprised at how fast you can get at it. Then do the reloads in the dark for added practice. Another thing to practice is Ready ups with an unloaded rifle. Start with the rifle pointing to the ground bring it up, look through the sights-safety off- pull trigger-( you did check to see if it was unloaded first?)- safety on-lower back down. Repeat 30 times a night.

“I’m scared of how my PT compares to the other students.”

Not to worry. If everyone waited until they were in “tri-athlete condition” we would never go. Once you send the money in… then you can ramp up your training. Max will not push you beyond your limits. The goal is to learn stuff, not to physically exhaust you. Buy Max’s training program so you know how you will be compared to others.

“I only have a cheap AR and not some “uber” weapon.” The quality of today’s ARs will get you through the course. Max also has loaner rifles for rent if you really need one. Also don’t worry if none of your gear matches…this is training anyhow, and you don’t want to crawl around in your good pants anyways.

“It’s too dangerous-running and shooting. Do I trust these complete strangers not to accidentally put a bullet in me?”

Yes it is dangerous- you will sign a waiver. But walking across the street is also dangerous. Max is very safety conscious, with safety briefings at the start of each day. At no time did I feel uncomfortable with any of the guys in our group. Muzzle awareness is very strict.

“I’m going to pay money to have someone yell at me? Are you crazy?”

I don’t know where this yelling thing came about but Max and his staff Lee were never mean spirited in their corrections. They have to yell during the exercises- duh.. Afterwards their comments were always geared at breaking though my adrenaline induced brain fog: “WHAT were you thinking being way over there? Were you even LOOKING at your teammates?”

So why not go. The instructors are excellent, the facilities are fantastic. If I am unsure of my skill level, I can practice my reloads and start doing more PT. Safety is a priority at MVT. And the best reason to go to MVT is that it is Super Fun! Are you kidding me- I get to practice cool things- getting behind cover- crawling through the dirt- blasting at pop up targets, while keeping track of my buddy beside me- waiting for my cue to move “Bravo MOOVE!”, and replying “Bravo MOOVING!!”, jumping up from cover, “sprinting” to the next cover, diving down- locating the targets, firing again… Feeling the barrel get hot from three or four mag changes- the leaf litter being blown away from the muzzle blast…. AWESOME!!!!

CN