InSights Training Center

Date: 5/15/22
Time: 8am - 6pm

I shot a gun for the first time ever during Alan's 9-hour Gun Safety Class yesterday. Long, but worth it/well done!

When I think of Alan's teaching style, I think precision. The man is precise & seriously communicated the need to handle firearms appropriately/responsibly.

At first, I thought Alan was someone I would be playing DnD or watching the Sci-Fi channel with. But do not let looks deceive you! The man is a committed father to his (9) year old daughter & is handy with the steel if you know what I mean. Alan controls the gun; the gun does not control Alan. That is essentially what he seeks to impart on his students.

You experience (4) rounds of firing various handguns in the range. Alan leads the class from the classroom to the shooting range with another instructor or has his own class. Impressive timing. You have (2) other instructors watching you like a hawk. It can be surprising at first, but they move your hands around to help you correctly hold a gun. Bad habits are difficult to correct. I am glad they have this sense of urgency in class.

The 2nd Amendment in the US Constitution was put there to empower the individual to protect themselves against a government that had too much power used incorrectly. If you choose to vote to restrict it, at least shoot a gun once to better understand the political arguments on an experiential level. There is already a large segment of the US population that is trying to restrict abortion for women. But how can they be so sure that is the right course of action? How many voting to restrict abortion have had one and/or been forced to have one themselves?

To truly understand something like the pain a mother goes through when she decides to abort her baby or why so many Americans are adamant on the 2nd Amendment, you need to experience it. You undeniably get a better understanding through lived experience. The majority of Americans will never have an abortion, but we can shoot guns after a certain age.

Take Alan's class & shoot some guns. Come to your own conclusions.

As for me, Alan's class makes me proud to be an American. I am looking forward to taking his multi-state permit class next month!

Thanks, Alan and team!

-----------------UPDATE-------------------------
I-1639 + Multi State Concealed Carry Class
Date: 6/12/2022
Time: 8am - 12:30pm
Instructor: Alan Hines

My 2nd class with Alan did not disappoint. I surprised to find a fingerprinting agent there. Excellent value add there. I didn't realize the certificate of completion at the end helped you buy a rifle in WA state. Not my intention, but good to know if you want that.

Alan's attention to detail down to the color of the pen you need to use shines here. It's amazing how the smallest error can cause a kickback in your application.

What you will notice about this class is that it is gun safety/suicide prevention/WA state heavy. Alan allocates less than an hour for the verbose Utah state classes. I would've liked to see more time spent on that and the nuances of gun permits in other states. What this does emphasize is Insights commitment to gun safety. It's just a personal opinion that I think Alan focuses less on gun safety and more on permit/state laws.

A final suggestion is to add filling out the Arizona application. That requires (1) more fingerprinting card & an Arizona specific application. But the gun permit in AZ gets you a permit in New Mexico. Extra work for the fingerprinting agent, but a value add for the customer for sure.

I appreciate Alan's organized packet that is in sync with his presentation. Thanks again, Alan!
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Pepper Spray Seminar
Date: 6/12/2022
Time: 2pm - 5pm

I came back from the Bai Tong Thai Restaurant (I recommend it!) to find that Alan was not my instructor! It was a gentleman named Benjamin. I noticed Alan was in the back of the class.

Benjamin's style is more storytelling and fun than Alan's (but Alan's got jokes too!). Benjamin draws on his extensive military & police experience to color his teachings. Like Alan, a committed father & husband who is concerned with the safety of those he loves.

Benjamin definitely tells it to you straight. He has a more visceral style than Alan. Mainly because the last part of the class involved him pretending to be an attacker & the students discerning when they could spray him (not real pepper spray of course lol). I didn't participate because I am a bit conflict averse. However, I found it helpful to see an ex-police officer show you what would & would not fly from an officer's perspective.

I wish he got more into how the potential legal struggle would pan out if you got into a "He said, She said" scenario where you pepper sprayed someone legally, but they claimed you attacked them. There aren't always witnesses, video or audio.

My final feedback is that he wasn't as organized as Alan. Thank you for a fun & useful day, Alan and Benjamin!

While there are other good, even excellent training programs in the area, Insights brings a level of detail and focus that the other local programs don't match in my experience.

I believe we are fortunate to have this calibre of training in our region and as such I can't wait for the next class to become available!

Today I took the all day (8am-6pm) basic handgun training. I didn't realize there was so much to learn. Alan was our instructor. He was very excellent at what he did. Seem kind of laid back and conservative but with a great sense of humor with some great quips. The whole program did not disappoint in any way. I got to feel very comfortable with many types of guns. Safety who is the biggest component. I feel way more knowledgeable now not only about guns but about laws and how to better protect my family and myself in this crazy world that's only getting crazier. Already looking into getting my CPL so I can attend some more classes. I have my eye on the defensive course. Pepper spray course. And there's some at home and on the street defensive courses as well. I'll obviously have to space them out but I felt the $275 I paid for class today was well worth it. If somebody's going to own a handgun it is really their responsibility to know how to use it safely. That is one thing I see most people neglecting to do. Thank you insight training for the day, for the knowledge, and the confidence. I felt like a huge sponge today. Sorry if I asked a bazillion questions I really just want to learn and be the most equipped I can be.

I've taken 3 InSights classes (Pepper Spray then Unarmed Self Defense twice, about 7 months apart). Best money and time I've spent in my life. This might sound cheesy but these classes have changed my life. I used to have that fear most women do that if I was attacked, I stood little chance of successfully fighting back. After the first time I took the Unarmed Self Defense course, that fear was gone. When I'm walking around the city or am by myself in a parking garage, I have no doubt if someone attacked me I would give them hell swiftly and efficiently. There's no chance of me being a victim anymore and that is a POWERFUL feeling that every person should have.

It also changed my life in other ways. I applied the lectures on body language and assertiveness in all areas of my life and gained a huge confidence boost overall, which translated into positive change at my day job and social life.

If you're like me, you might have reservations and anxiety about the thought of taking courses like these. I had immense anxiety about physical contact with strangers. But I found once I got in there, the instructors were clear and supportive and everyone is there for the same reason regardless of their gender, age, or any other factor. That creates a great energy and bond between everyone that is encouraging and motivating.

My advice for you going in--especially if you are female--is to try not to be timid. Be forceful in your drills, don't be afraid to use your strength and get into it. You'll get the most out of the class if you take it seriously.

Will be taking more InSights classes in the future. You guys are amazing!!!

My friends who have attended the Unarmed Self Defense class loved it so much that they decided to drag me along for the Defensive Folding Knife class. I'd just attended the Defensive Folding Knife class and it is amazing. The instructors are attentive and thorough and classes are small. It's a mix of small lectures and hands on training. You learn a move and then you run through it multiple times with different partners. The instructors go from student to student offering advice and corrections. I think that it's important for everybody to learn how to protect yourself in dangerous situations. As a woman, I walked away less scared and more confident in my ability to be able to protect myself. I will definitely be back for my classes.

My wife and I took Handgun Safety and Marksmanship, which is the entry-level course for true beginners. My wife has rifle experience but I had never handled a gun of any kind until this course.

I will admit that I was pretty apprehensive about this course before starting, because (a) as noted, I'd never handled a gun before, (b) I was afraid the course would be nothing but hyper-aggressive "gun nut" stereotypes, and (c) the course is 4 hours with a mix of lecture & live-fire, and I was sure we'd get bored. Despite all that, I left the course feeling much more educated and confident about handguns, how to use them safely, and about gun owners in general.

We had three instructions--Alan, Ben, and Tracy--for a class of eight. The high instructor-to-student ratio was helpful and I cannot speak highly enough about the instructors. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but all three of these guys made both my wife and I feel safe, and taught us a lot WITHOUT making us feel stupid. It would have been really easy for guys with their backgrounds to make a guy like me feel weak or inadequate, and instead they made us feel confident in our progress (without BSing us into thinking thinking one 4-hour class means we're experts).

I don't have any basis for comparison, but for me the class material was very helpful. The pacing and content of the beginning lecture worked well. The live-fire exercises were thoughtfully constructed and came with a lot of firm-but-friendly feedback. We went through one box of 9mm on the range. On my first shot, I was nervous and unsure of myself; by my last shots, I felt confident that I understood how to handle the weapon, what to expect from it, and the beginnings of how I could get it to shoot where I want.

We will likely sign up for the next class in the series, and I'll be recommending the introductory course to friends, regardless of how they feel about firearms.

I've been to their rifle class and pistol class.

Cost:
* Expensive? They were like $350 a couple years back, and now $400 (early 2012). I did get get 2 full days of instruction and guidance by 3 people. It came down to $200 a day, and I think it's a fair trade considering the quality of the class and location near Seattle. Of course the amount ammo you need to bring may cost a lot.

Instruction:
* My General Defensive Handgun class was instructed by Kevin, Derick, and Ray. Positive attitudes, sense of humor, and attentive instruction made the class great. They gave technical critique & tips to each student, and I did get better.
* The more recent General Defensive Rifle class was instructed by the founder himself Greg Hamilton. Wow, an amazing class. Greg exuberated passion for teaching and shared tons of knowledge. Probably the Mr. Miyagi of firearms instruction.
* All instruction was in a professional manner, no "macho man pissy attitude."

Gear:
* Some guys come decked out for the zombie apocalypse with armor carriers and camouflage.
* There were a variety of students' rifles with cool optics and other accessories. The class is a great place to get opinions on gear.
* In my first rifle class, some poor guy's rifle was a single shooter because of jamming. If you have time, it's always best to confirm proper function of a new purchase before class.
* In both classes there were some rush periods to reload magazines. Best to have a bunch (more than minimum) of mags.
* I do highly recommend bringing electronic ear protection. Hearing lectures in the range has been difficult sometimes with traditional ear pro.

Location:
* The West Coast Armory location is great. There's a microwave and fridge in the class room.
* Plenty of food options nearby: KFC, McD's, Top Gun (Chinese restaurant) has dim sum.
* Currently in 2012 there are no other instruction options, of this level, within the Seattle area. I have been considering the Firearms Academy of Seattle, but it's is a pretty far drive.

Highly Recommended.

Also highly recommend bringing a cooler of snacks and drinks.

The General Defensive Handgun class was very helpful. I have owned and used guns for 40 years and thought my firearm handling skills to be fairly proficient. I was incorrect. I would recommend this course to anyone who is considering a conceal carry permit.

Our class was a 4 to 1 student to teacher ratio. The instructors were approachable. The skill presentations were clear and flowed well. When on the range the instructors were intent to detail and safety conscious.

I will be taking additional training with In-Sights.

In 2011, I took the General Defensive Handgun course, a 2 day course for people who are comfortable handling their own handgun. I was very comfortable with target practice at the range, but this class took me to the next level. I highly recommend it to anyone using their gun for defense whether or not you plan to carry.

The course has some classwork and lots of time training. I found everything in the course to be practical and very useful. They start from the basics...stance, grip, sight alignment, and trigger press then keep building with drawing (and returning your weapon) from a holster, then drawing from concealment, etc. continuously adding on top of it with drills to train your mind and muscles on what to do when you have a malfunction, how to tactical reload, and speed reload. I found the drills very useful and I now use them regularly in my training. My favorite part was training on what to do in a real life situation. I had never practiced that before and going through it made me much more confident in my actions.

Be prepared to go through lots of ammo and practice loading your magazines quickly, extra magazines are the best way to go. I had 4 and that seemed like a good number for the course. This course is intense and they take safety very seriously. Go into the class with your mind open to learning. If you think you know everything, you won't get as much out of this class.

I took the Unarmed Self Defense class based on a male friend's hearty recommendation. I dithered for a while, as the price, while fair, isn't low. In retrospect, the class was absolutely worth it.

Before the class, I thought I'd be able to cope well enough with a violent situation, and that I knew how to handle my body. Not only did I learn that I had been dangerously wrong; I also got a firm grip on how to react under pressure, how to throw a punch, and what to aim for on the opponent's body (not where I thought at all!).

This is an amazing class taught by guys with more than their share of actual fighting experience. Everything I learned was completely new and useful, and I feel much better about my ability to stay safe. My two favorite parts: 1. At the end of the class, the instructors put on padded suits and come at you, so you get to practice the tactics you've been learning all weekend. 2. The main instructor, Greg, gave a fantastically good talk on communication, how it impacts all aspects of our lives, and how to change our communication patterns for the better.