AAR: Tactical Scenarios with Karl Rehn

I have wanted to train with Karl Rehn for quite a long time, but it has never worked out.  This year I booked two of his classes being held at FPF Training (John Murphy’s place in Virginia).  The first class I had the opportunity to take this past weekend was KR Training’s Tactical Scenarios, a force on force class that I have heard good things about.  I also now have good things to say about it.

There were only ten students in this class, which worked out to be an ideal number of participants so that there were plenty of role players and everyone was able to go through multiple scenarios.  This course employed Sims Guns, so we wore the usual safety gear and heavy clothing despite the 90 degree late summer Virginia heat.  An impromptu structure made of lumber and tarps to form different rooms was on site to provide the indoor environment for many of the scenarios.  While primitive, it worked just fine.

Unlike many force on force classes, in which the “bad guys” are enacted only by the instructor cadre or staff, this class had the participants play the “bad guys” as well as “good guys” or other bystander roles.  I think there is huge value in this as playing the role of the thug is insightful: you realize that the criminal element is taken by surprise when resistance is offered and you get an understand of how overwhelming that can be if the armed citizen does it right.  You also become acutely aware of what tactics work against a bad guy; surreptitious draws, using cover, feigning compliance until the right opportunity, etc…, Being the bad guy makes you a much better self-defender and this class is one of the few that provides that opportunity. 

The scenarios ranged from home defense, store robberies, restaurant robberies, and work around automobiles for scenarios of car jacking and road rage.  After each scenario Karl would discuss the incident, the good actions taken, and what could be done better.

I will not delve into details about the scenarios, but I will only say that this is a fantastic force on force experience.  If you have never taken a force on force class, this would be an excellent one to take.  If you have taken other force on force, take this one as well, as I think Karl works in some scenarios that you have not seen or thought about before. 

Highly recommended.