Students will be required to show proof of prior training either by way of a Course Completion Certificate from a State-Approved or nationally recognized handgun safety course, or by displaying a valid Concealed Handgun Permit issued by a state with a training requirement. 

Students should make sure to contact their instructor PRIOR to the day of the class regarding required gear, specific ammunition requirements, lunches, and any special considerations that will need to be addressed before the class starts.  Many N.A.P.S.I. Approved Trainers have gear available to loan or rent to students if needed. 

NOTICE:  All students are required to sign a liability waiver/hold harmless agreement on the day of the class, before any instruction can take place.  Students must be law abiding citizens of good repute and must be legally entitled to possess firearms and participate in firearms/tactical training in accordance with the laws of their state and the laws of the United States.  N.A.P.S.I. Approved Trainers are expected to follow all local, state, and federal laws when providing any instruction.

N.A.P.S.I. BASIC DEFENSIVE SHOOTING SKILLS

Skill Development Process:  The proper repetitive application of acquired knowledge.

While a number of skills transfer from the recreational/target shooting sports to the defensive shooting world, there are numerous substantial differences between the two disciplines - differences that a typical basic handgun safety class will not address or recognize.  As such, BDSS was developed to provide the student who has already taken some variety of formal handgun training, such as a basic handgun safety course or a Concealed Handgun Permit course, with a proper introduction to defensive shooting skills. 

Students who successfully complete the coursework will leave at a level of operational competence with a handgun.  Students should expect to fire approximately 150 rounds of ammunition.  Topics of instruction will include:    

N.A.P.S.I. Basic Defensive Shooting Skills

The N.A.P.S.I. Basic Defensive Shooting Skills (BDSS) Course combines the dry and live-fire range work from FDP, with a review of Firearms Safety and Safe Gun Handling Practices, as well as discussion regarding the body's natural reactions to lethal force stress.

BDSS will consume approximately 6 hours of time consisting mostly of dry and live-fire exercises on a shooting range.    

• Review of Firearms Safety and Safe Gun Handling Practices
  
• Range Safety Protocols
  
• Introduction to Instinctive Reactions During Lethal Force Stress
  
• Introduction to Defensive Shooting Fundamentals
  
• Using Both Kinisthetic Alignment and Sighted Fire To Achieve Defensively Accurate Hits
  
• Introduction to Balance of Speed And Precision Concept
  
• Multiple Round Engagements
  
• Introduction to Using Cover and Concealment
  
• Shooting From Low and High Cover/Concealment
  
• Verbal Challenge Techniques