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Affiliate Training

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Affiliate Training

Defensive Tradecraft LLC

David Diller

David Diller has served over 19 years with the Illinois State Police and has spent 25 years in law enforcement and weapons training. 

His many certifications include the following:

  • NRA Certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor for Handgun & Shotgun, I.S.R.A. Range, Bonfield, Il, May 2013
  • NRA Certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor – Tactical Shooting & Patrol Rifle
  • Instructor Development Course, 40-hour, National Rifle Association of America, Las Vegas Metro PD, Las Vegas, NV, October 2011 & November 2005
  • NRA Certified Rifle Instructor, Basic Rifle Shooting Course, NRA/ISRA, Bonfield, IL May 2005
  • Illinois State Police Patrol Rifle Instructor Course, 32-hour, ISP Academy, July 2004
  • IDOC Chemical Munitions Instructor; Illinois State Police Range Officer Instructor School, 36-hour, ISP Academy, June 2004
  • Armalite AR-15 Armorer’s School
  • Glock Armorer’s School
  • Remington Armorer’s School
  • Sig Sauer Pistol Armorer’s School
  • S&W MP Armorer’s School
  • Illinois State Police Level I Instructor Development School, 32-hour, ISP Academy
  • Control and Arrest Tactics Instructor Certification Course, 72-hour, ISP Academy
  • Critical Incident Response at Schools Instructor, MTU 8, Feb. 2007;

Field Hunting for Illinois Upland Game

This four-hour course will focus on Field Hunting for upland game in Illinois. The course concentrates on safe operation of the shotgun in the field. Students will be taught gun safety, shotgun components, mechanics and operation of all types of shotguns. Course includes practical use of safety and shotgun shooting.

Introduction:

This course is designed to develop a solid foundation of shooting skills with any shotgun for field/hunting use. Students will practice these skills during dry and live fire exercises. The course covers the use of the shotgun in the field during hunting conditions, loading and unloading, operation and maintenance, shotgun safety and field carry methods and shotgun shooting skills.

Course Aim:

Ever hunt with someone who made you nervous about gun safety. Always pointing their gun without muzzle discipline. Well, this course is for you and your friend. Learn the safe way to hunt, taught by trained firearms instructors.

Massad Ayoob

Massad Ayoob has been handgun editor of GUNS magazine and law enforcement editor of AMERICAN HANDGUNNER since the 1970s, and has published thousands of articles in gun magazines, martial arts publications, and law enforcement journals. He is the author of more than a dozen books on firearms, self-defense, and related topics, including In the Gravest Extreme, widely considered to be the authoritative text on the topic of the use of lethal force.

The winner of the Outstanding American Hand gunner of the Year Award in 1998, Mas has won several state and regional handguns shooting championships. Ayoob is one of approximately ten Five Gun Masters among the 10,000-member International Defensive Pistol Association, and was the first to earn that title. He served 19 years as chair of the Firearms Committee of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, and several years as a member of the Advisory Board of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association. In addition to teaching for those groups, he has also taught for the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors and the International Homicide Investigators seminars.

Mas has received judicial recognition as an expert witness for the courts in weapons and shooting cases since 1979, and has been a fully sworn and empowered, part time police officer for over three decades. Ayoob founded the Lethal Force Institute in 1981 and served as its director until 2009, and now trains through Massad Ayoob Group. He has appeared on CLE-TV delivering continuing legal education for attorneys, through the American Law Institute and American Bar Association, and has been retained to train attorneys to handle deadly force cases through the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network. Ayoob served for two years as co-vice chair of the Forensic Evidence Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He also appears in each episode of Personal Defense TV (Sportsman’s Channel).

MAG Courses

MAG-40:

This is an intense, four-day, 40-hour immersion course in the “rules of engagement” for armed law- abiding private citizens. The course emphasizes legal issues, tactical issues, and aftermath management. Topics will include interacting with suspects, witnesses, responding police officers, threat recognition and mind-set, and the management of the social and psychological aftermath of having to use lethal force in defense of self or others. Also covered is preparing beforehand for legal repercussions and minimizing your exposure to them. Situations in the home, at the place of business, or “on the street” will all be covered.  Range work will include instruction in the use of the defensive handgun under extreme stress. Drawing from concealment, two-handed stances, shooting from cover, one-handed stances with either hand, speed reloading, and more are taught with an overall emphasis on fast, accurate shot placement. The course will culminate with a written examination covering the classroom topics and a police-style handgun qualification course. This course is a blending of MAG 20 / Classroom and MAG 20 / Live Fire but is taught over 4 – 5 days. Be prepared to shoot on the first day.

Prerequisite: basic understanding of firearms safety.

Cost: $800 “Non” ISRA Member – $720 ISRA Member

MAG-80:

An intensive study of defensive firearms that teaches extreme speed for hits, and includes shooting at greater distances, and management of such contingencies as weak hand draws, one-hand only reloads and malfunction clearing if wounded, etc. Students receive several hours of hands-on training in handgun disarming, and in countering attempts by an attacker to disarm them. Shooting while moving, and use of long guns for defense, are among the areas covered. Round count: 500 handgun, 100 long gun.

Prerequisites: MAG-20/Classroom plus MAG-20/Live Fire; MAG-40 or LFI-I.

Cost: $900

MTG Advanced Handgun Skills

Designed by Bob Houzenga and Andy Kemp as an addition to Massad Ayoob’s LFI curriculum and originally taught as LFI Advanced Handgun Skills, this two-day course is fast paced and demanding, focusing on high-speed drills designed to build the optimum blend of speed and accuracy. Ideal for the advanced shooter who wishes to hone and fine-tune his techniques. Novice shooters move up to the next skill level. Emphasis on individual diagnostics and the subtle nuances used by six-time National Champion, Bob Houzenga. From fast and furious, up-close shooting, to accuracy work at 25 yards, this program offers students of any skill level, an opportunity to take their skills to the next level. Recoil management for super-fast follow up shots, rapid first shots from the holster, swift engagement of multiple targets, strong and weak hand techniques, “catching the link”, and shooting “out of the notch” are just some of the topics covered. Many students find their speed doubles or triples with better accuracy. 1500 rounds required. www.midwesttraininggroup.net

Prior formal instruction is a prerequisite.

$400

MTG Advanced Tactical Pistol

The ideal follows up to Advanced Handgun Skills. Designed for the advanced student, this program addresses the tactical matters and concerns that accompany defensive shooting along with very advanced skill sets. Some of the topics covered include: one hand reloads, shooting from moving and stationary vehicles, moving targets, weak hand draw from a strong side holster, engaging from cover, close quarters issues, prioritizing targets, when to draw and when to disarm, intro to weapon retention and disarms, low light/night shoot, and much more. Scenario testing is used to reinforce learned concepts. Students should already be well grounded in firearms safety and marksmanship.  www.midwesttraininggroup.net

Prior formal training is a prerequisite. 800 rounds required.

$400

MTG Intro to Defensive Pistol

This intensive one-day program introduces the new or novice shooter to combat handgun training.  Included in the program are firearms safety issues, marksmanship basics, various shooting positions, speed reloads, drawing from a holster, and more. This is designed for the shooter who has never had formal firearms training or would like to review the fundamentals. Emphasis is placed on trigger control, sight alignment, accuracy, and safety. 300 rounds. www.midwesttraininggroup.net

No prerequisite required.

 $150

MTG Combat Pistol

(Qualifies for Massad Ayoob’s MAG 40 range work)

This two-day immersion class covers the fundamentals of shooting and quickly moves into more advanced skills. Ideal for new shooters and novices. Firearms Instructors take these techniques back to their students. All techniques are proven to work under the pressure and stress of the “fight or flight” adrenal dump that occurs during a lethal confrontation. Safety, marksmanship, trigger control, fundamentals of stance and grip, close quarters skills, proper draw from a holster, speed reloads, and one-hand techniques are just some of the topics covered.  www.midwesttraininggroup.net

No prerequisite required. 500 rounds

$350

Mastering the Revolver

Run a revolver as fast as any semi-auto. Learn the secrets of fast, smooth manipulation of a double action trigger pull and quick reloads. Whether the revolver is your main defense gun or the backup in your pocket, these skills are essential. Mastering The Revolver is for all those interested in a return to traditional values. This one-day class is designed to teach the budding wheel-gunner several techniques that maximize the revolver’s potential. A strong revolver shooter becomes a better semi-auto shooter. This is a class that improves your trigger control and recoil management regardless of the type of gun you generally use. If you have a revolver as a back-up gun this is a “must have class”. An essential class for instructors who may have revolver shooters in their courses. Learn at least five different reloading methods and why the revolver is still the weapon of choice from behind cover. Subtle nuances and the lost secrets of running the revolver at hyper-speed are all explored. Students will need a quality revolver, holster, at least three speed loaders, and 500 rounds. www.midwesttraininggroup.net

No Prerequisite.

$150

David Kenik

David Kenik is the owner of Armed Response, author of the book, Armed Response, and co-author of the Armed Response Video Training Series.

David is also Co-Founder and the Executive Director of the Police Officers Safety Association, Inc., a non-profit organization that offers enhanced training to law enforcement officers. Certified as a police instructor, he served as a Training Officer for a New Mexico police agency. Additionally, David is a contributing editor to Guns and Ammo magazines.

David has been an avid shooter for over thirty years and has trained with many internationally recognized use of force programs in the judicious use of lethal force, firearms, defensive shooting, weapon disarming and retention, and edged weapons.

As a gun rights advocate, David co-founded and is a Past Chairman of Citizens¹ Rights Action League, a state-wide group that advocates the right to self-defense and lobbies against gun control legislation in Rhode Island. Under his leadership CRAL was, and continues to be, an effective force against restrictions upon of law-abiding citizens.

Midwest Training Group

Bob Houzenga

As a 30+ year veteran street-cop, Bob Houzenga brings a real-world perspective to his teaching.   Combined with his competitive career that spans decades and has earned him six national titles and over 300 state and local titles, he is uniquely qualified as a firearms instructor.  Bob has served as a staff instructor for Massad Ayoob’s Lethal Force Institute since the early `80s.  He is also the firearms instructor for his department and expert in Police Training for surrounding county and municipal departments.

In addition to his firearms credits Bob is a certified instructor in Kubotan/persuader, and Weapon Retention and Retrieval. He has trained in knife/counter-knife techniques as well.  His long list of training includes: Gunsite, Chapman Academy, Massad Ayoob, Jim Cirillo, John Farnam, and Joe Truncale.  In 1996 this cumulative experience came together when asked by several LFI graduates to provide a two-day advanced shooting course.  Together with fellow firearms instructor Andy Kemp, Bob created a program of fast paced drills for the advanced shooter, aptly called “Shoot `til Ya Puke”.  This was so successful that it soon became part of Massad Ayoob’s Lethal Force Institute program under the banner of LFI-Advanced Handgun Skills.  It is, to date, the only course offering by LFI that is not designed and/or taught by Massad Ayoob.  That Massad would put his stamp of approval on the course and welcome it into his curriculum speaks volumes to Bob’s skill in building a training program and is an honor any firearms instructor can be proud of.

Bob Houzenga is currently Chief of Police in Camanche, Iowa. He is a Master class IPSC and IDPA competitor.  When he is not teaching or running the police department Bob often provides expert witness testimony on behalf of the defense in justifiable shooting cases.  He is a published author and has appeared in approximately two-dozen publications. Midwest Training Group is proud to have him as co-Director.

Andy Kemp

Andy Kemp brings 40+ years of shooting experience with him. He has been a staff firearms instructor for Massad Ayoob since the mid-90s and was also a staff instructor for John Farnam’s Defense Training International, giving him the rare honor of having instructor credentials with two of the Big Four schools.  In addition to firearms training, Andy is instructor-certified in Weapon Retention & Disarming and Kubotan/Persuader. Knife/Counter-Knife training and unarmed self-defense tactics supplement Andy’s regular firearms training, adding a more universal dimension to his instructing style. Over the years Andy has trained and taught with many of the most prestigious and nationally renowned firearms instructors including Massad Ayoob, Chuck Taylor, Bank Miller, the Chapman Academy, John Farnam, Joe Truncale, and Jim Cirillo. This diversity allows Andy to provide students with the full spectrum of techniques and philosophies. Andy was also co-creator/instructor for LFI-Advanced Handgun Skills, a high-intensity handgun skill development course added to the Lethal Force Institute curriculum and which now carries the MTG banner.

A “Master”-ranked IDPA competitor, Andy holds several state and regional combat shooting titles, and together with his daughter, Samantha Kemp, won the National Parent/Child Team Championship at the final round of the Jr. Nationals.  Andy has trained hundreds of Municipal, County, State, and Federal, law enforcement officers, LE firearms instructors, civilian firearms instructors, Security personnel, and Military firearms instructors, including AF SERE Operators.  He has had articles published in Combat Handguns and Handguns Magazine and has made TV appearances on CNN and Headline News as a weapons expert. His name and photo have appeared numerous times in many of the finer gun publications.

“Ninety-eight percent of the people in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It’s the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.”

Lily Tomlin

“The people who work against your gun rights are basically saying to you, “The right of the criminal to rip you off, rape and kill you shall not be infringed.” And they wonder why we’re a bit testy”

Editor of KABA LIBERTY ADVOCATE, Friday, July 30, 2001

“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.”

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

“You may find me one day dead in a ditch somewhere. But by God, you’ll find me in a pile of brass.”

Tpr. M. Padgett

“Using inner city kids as your proof that guns and kids don’t mix, is like using an alcoholic to prove all people will abuse alcohol.”

Lori Broadhead

“How dare politicians continue to pass insane laws forcing good, law-abiding people to be defenseless and helpless.”

Ted Nugent

The said Constitution [shall] never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe or to prevent the people of the United States from keeping their own arms.”

Samuel Adams, Massachusetts' U.S. Constitution Ratification Convention, 1788

“One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.”

Thomas B. Reed (1886)

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

Thomas Jefferson, Proposed Virginia Constitution (1776)

“Foolish liberals who are trying to read the Second Amendment out of the Constitution are courting disaster by encouraging others to use the same means to eliminate portions of the constitution THEY don’t like.”

Alan Dershowitz

“Every 13 seconds in America someone uses a gun to stop a crime.”

Sen. Larry Craig

“The AK-47 is not a device of aggression … I devised this machine-gun for the security of my country,”

Mikhail Kalashnikov, April 1997