by Scott Smith

We know all the big firearms knowledge brokers: Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, Mid South, Front Site, and many big names that take the show on the road, such as Massad Ayoob, John Farnam, et al. These places and folks are all well known and deserving of the recognition. But there is a host of other trainers and facilities that are deserving of such notoriety and for whatever reason don't receive it.

One of these folks is Pat Goodale and his Practical Firearms Training (PFT). Goodale is a retired Marine who worked his way up the ranks from private to gunnery sergeant to CW3-finally retiring as a captain. In his tenure with the Corps his assignments ranged from being an infantryman to the forerunner of FAST Teams (perform high risk security) up to intelligence assessments.

Along the way those assignments included loads of firearms training from military, civilian, law enforcement and government schools. Goodale has the background to draw from and the mannerisms and personality to share that knowledge. He has the range to teach everyone-from a group of average citizens or high-speed/low-drag SWAT/HRT/ERTs-and make the information stick.

Will Travel
Practical Firearms Training will make arrangements to travel to a group of fellow shooters that want to learn safe firearms handling and combat skills; provided you have a good range to use and a minimum number of shooters (generally 10). Otherwise, prospective students visit his facility in southeastern West Virginia. For those of us on the East Coast, that location is a real plus and cost saving. His facilities include: rifle ranges out to 700 yards; several pistol ranges; a 360-degree shoot house; lots of steel, and moving targets. They have everything you need to learn the fundamentals and advanced shooting skills.

I should mention that Goodale is not going to teach anyone how to win the next local IPSC, IDPA or SASS match, but how to use a firearm in a high stress situation. His instruction also meets several states' requirements for CCW licenses. Be prepared-when you go to his facility or have Goodale come to you to shoot-he uses the hands-on practice method; when he is involved in shooting drills he is also hands on for safety. On a good day of instruction you will shoot at least 500 rounds.

Goodale will have students shoot from several unorthodox shooting positions to give them confidence under stress and show them that their equipment will function from non-standard positions-including laying supine with firearms upside down-and they will still hit what they aim at, and do it safely.

Walk-Jog-Sprint
During breaks students usually find it worthwhile to write down notes-the information comes fast on the line. Many instructors work on the crawl-walk-run theory. Goodale goes with the walk-jog-sprint method, and he sets high goals that his students attain. Goodale does not set unreasonable goals that only the likes of an IPSC Grand Master could attain, but ones that will make students work hard and learn.

During the Intermediate Level Course I attended, the skill levels varied from shooters that had on the previous day taken Basic Handgun to shooters that have attended other advanced shooting classes. The day started with the required paperwork, and a very short lecture of maybe 15 minutes. From there, it was off to the range.

We dove in with both feet with basic skill drills to access where everyone was on the shooting curve. From there it was drills from contact to 25 yards, moving drills, including lateral, ingress/egress to target, with hands occupied, and more. All of this by lunch time.

After a short lunch and several interruptions by severe thunderstorms, we moved into more shooting. This time out we combined the drills: changing direction while engaging targets; one-handed manipulation on the move, etc. Then it was onto shooting from a chair, shooting on the ground in numerous positions-fetal, prone, supine and more-and then onto more repetitions.

Running the Gauntlet
Finally the day ended by running the gauntlet, which involved a series of steel targets at unknown distances that are engaged from cover and moving to another shooting position once the threat is eliminated. In the mud and muck this was better done carefully-not at a sprint; each shooter was critiqued on the way he or she handled the situation and the cover presented at each shooting position.

All in all the students get their money's worth and then some. With PFT located off of Interstate 64 about 75 miles east of Charleston, WV, the classes are well worth investigation, especially by people in the eastern half of the county. PFT offers shotgun, carbine, long gun and handgun classes for citizens who are dedicated to learn defensive firearms techniques. The classes are geared to teach a student how to successfully use the firearm that would be used for real life encounters-without any of the "this is how a SWAT/Military team" would do it.

In that vein PFT can gear up to teach a class for patrol officers to protection detail and a high risk warrant team. For more information, you can check out Goodale's website at: www.pgpft.com, or drop him an e-mail at: pgpft@ntelos.net. The phone number is: 540-559-4151. If there's no immediate contact, Goodale will get back to you; it may take more than a day or so because of contract work he is doing for the government, but he will be in touch.