There is the old joke in the entertainment world, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” with the answer being “practice.” Yet, that old quip misses the part about first being taught the fundamentals, and then getting even more advanced training from highly skilled professionals. Simply put, practice will only take you so far — especially if you’re not doing it right in the first place.
The world of firearms training is no different, with one notable difference in importance — it can literally provide the skills that can mean the difference between life and death. This is even true for those who already have received extensive training with a firearm.
To that end, the Gunsite Academy is offering a unique three-day course in November at its 3,200-acre training facility located in Paulden, Arizona. Meant for already highly skilled shooters, the Gunsite Academy Performance Pistol Symposium promises to provide the training to take them to a higher level of firearms handling and accuracy — as well as a unique opportunity.
Gunsite graduate and pro shooter Rob Leatham will bring his knowledge and experience to helping other shooters literally up their game. Leatham, the 24-time USPSA National champion and seven-time International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Champion, will teach attendees speed and accuracy, assisted by Gunsite Rangemasters Lew Gosnell and Randy Watt.
“Gunsite is excited for Rob to return to his roots of his early training career,” said Gunsite CEO Ken Campbell. “This course focuses on two of the three tenants of our training: Gun handling and marksmanship, also including the requisite power, quickness and accuracy. It is for the experienced Gunsite graduate, taking them to another level focusing on speed and accuracy. I took an early version of this class with Rob recently and was sufficiently humbled!”
About Gunsite Academy
First founded in 1976 by the late Jeff Cooper, innovator of the “modern technique” of handgun shooting, Gunsite has established itself as a worldwide leader in defensive firearms training for nearly five decades. It continues to be a driving force behind innovations in training and technique for the defensive shooter.
“As a result, no single person or facility has had as much influence across the pistol realm, from defensive training to military/police training to practical pistol competition sports, as Gunsite,” Campbell told The Armory Life.
Today, Gunsite offers tuition-based instruction in handgun, carbine, rifle and shotgun shooting for shooters of all levels to enhance their skills. However, the Performance Pistol Symposium is truly about taking it to a higher level.
“Rob Leatham’s courses are designed to take all shooters to the highest level possible, so anyone, even shooters at the Grandmaster level, can improve their performance,” explained Randy Watt, who has 36 years of service with the Ogden Utah Police Department, including a dozen years with SWAT and 15 years as the primary firearms and defensive tactics trainer.
As noted, the Performance Pistol Symposium isn’t for newbies. Instead, the extensive course will give hands-on training to those who are already highly pistol proficient and want to go to the next level.
“This course is not for new shooters or novices, and has a prerequisite skill level requirement of shooting the Wilson 5×5 Skills Test in less than 40 seconds,” said Watt. “The Wilson 5×5 Skills Test is a recognized performance measure and is often used as a competition qualifier. Rob and Gunsite staff will require the students to shoot the test at the start of the course. If anyone is unable to meet the requirement, they will not continue in the course.”
Taking It To a Higher Level
As the Gunsite Performance Pistol Symposium is designed for those who are already skilled shooters to enhance their firearm handling, it would be hard to think of a better coach for the classes than Leatham. As a young man, the pro learned the basics at the school.
“We have a photo of 14-year-old Rob, his father, and Jeff Cooper working on the South Range,” said Campbell.
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Now, the one-time pupil has become a top-rated professor of the pistol, who will share his knowledge with attendees of the symposium in what could be described as a master’s level course in handgun training.
“As is well-known and documented, Rob is the GOAT across the pistol competition spectrum,” added Watt. “What is also known, worldwide, is his ability to teach and coach high-level competitive shooters. His ability to diagnose shooter issues, even with experts, is second to none, which is why all shooters who attend his courses benefit from his attention.”
Throughout the Performance Pistol Symposium, Leatham and the Gunsite staff members will put the students through a variety of performance-building drills. Each day will be made up of specific curriculum requirements, including improving reloading speed, target transitions, target-to-target transitions, presentation efficiency and more.
“Rob has specific drills to create improvement in every shooter, and these are followed by recognized competition-based drills designed to measure a shooter’s improvement, as well as his/her place among peers,” Watt told The Armory Life.
That sentiment was shared by Gunsite Rangemaster Lew Gosnell, who also has an extensive competition background.
“Robby Leatham is the most successful competition shooter in USPSA history,” Lew, who served in the United States Marine Corps before joining the East Los Angeles police department, told The Armory Life. “He is an acknowledged master of the handgun, and a sought-after trainer by elite military and law enforcement professionals.”
It Is All About Speed and Accuracy
Even in a world where much is made about the latest advances in technology, the Gunsite Performance Pistol Symposium is still about honing the skills through fairly old-school methods based around eye/hand coordination.
“Technology, while impacting instructor/student performance, particularly in skills measurement, doesn’t play as large a role in this course as does understanding how the brain learns and applying that understanding to effective teaching and coaching,” said Watt. “Rob has stayed at the forefront of research and studies into the most effective methods of harnessing the power of how the brain ‘learns’ and, thereby, achieving automaticity — unconscious physical performance.”
When it comes to firearms skills, speed is still very much based on the ability of the brain to react rapidly to specific stimuli — such as the start tone of the shot timer — and then cause the most efficient delivery of the pistol to a point on the target to facilitate a rapid and accurate hit or hits.
“Follow that up with subconscious/unconscious recognition of when to reload, how to deal with a stoppage of fire, and other factors, including engagement order/sequencing of multiple targets, and I think anyone can understand the emphasis placed on engaging the brain at its highest capacity,” Watt continued.
In addition, reloading, addressing malfunctions, trigger manipulation, physical control of the pistol, target transitions, and recoil management are the skill sets that will be addressed and effectively improved.
“Utilizing effective instructional methods, Rob, assisted by highly skilled Gunsite Rangemasters who are graduates of Rob’s courses, will impart levels of knowledge and skill few have been capable of,” said Campbell. “Regular scored drills will produce measured performance improvements. No one will leave the class without having added significantly to their pistol shooting prowess. This is an incredible opportunity for those who wish to be the best they possibly can be.”
About the Class
The upcoming Performance Pistol Symposium will be offered just one time this year, running from November 4-6, 2024. Attendees are required to be a Gunsite Marksman 1 Level graduate of 350 or above. In addition, the Wilson 5×5 drill that will be used early on the first day requires a score of 40 or better.
Tuition for the three-day course is $1,450, and attendees are required to have a range kit consisting of a handgun, holster, magazine pouches, and at least six magazines. In addition, eye and ear production, a ball cap, and sunscreen are required, while a notebook and/or electric device such as a smartphone or tablet should also be carried to record and analyze performance data.
Attendees can run IWB, AIWB, OWB, concealed and open carry — but it is recommended that attendees run open OWB initially to develop optimal efficiency and control, as it will more readily translate to other access and carry positions.
“The three day symposium held at Gunsite’s well known facility will give attendees a challenging series of shooting drills, tests and best practices for honing individual skills,” said Lew. “Not anathema to Gunsite’s doctrine, it is the student of the gun’s logical next step in understanding what is happening as their pursuit of progress continues in the mastery of defensive firearms training.”
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