FAQ - Why do you think dmt is better?

• Beau Doboszenski, Owner/Lead Instructor

• Originally published August 2nd, 2018

I get frequent phone calls and emails about training with DMT, including a wide variety of questions and comments. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked DMT questions.

Q. I’ve never done any handgun work before, and your site says there’s a 16-week rotation. Should I wait for week 1 to roll around?

This is a slight misconception about the training method. We use a small block, distributed method of training, which means teaching a lot of material in small bits of information over an extended period of time. This is similar to how you’d train in martial arts: slowly over time rather than in one big seminar. This is the most effective way for you to learn the skill of carrying a handgun for self-defense.

The 16-week rotation doesn’t start at the beginning and advance to the end, but is simply a way to organize the content and let students know what major topic will be covered for the next 4 weeks. The 4 main topics of Foundations Handgun are Shooting Fundamentals, the Draw, Deterrence, and Immediate Actions, and as Shooting Fundamentals is reviewed in every class you can learn the rest in any order. The way each individual class is structured includes dry fire, situational awareness and legal lessons, more dry fire, and finally live fire. But every class is built in such a way that a new student, of any skill level, could start at any session in the rotation. So no, don’t wait for week 1 to roll back around.

Q. I see that you use Glocks, well I use a [insert other firearm name here]. Is that a problem?

This question stems from the horrid reputation that the firearms training industry has developed in the last 20 years: that if you don’t do something the way I tell you to, then you can’t be part of my tribe. This is the opposite of how DMT operates. DMT lives by the motto of “no ego,” and the concept that it’s not about the instructor but about the student. We truly want you to succeed. We’re familiar with all sorts of firearms, and if you use a different tool than I do, I’m happy to talk through the pluses and minuses, and show you some extra steps or skills that you may need to work on to utilize your specific firearm more effectively. And even though I’ll give you my recommendations, the decision to go with any particular device is up to you. And just so you know, I have students who use: Glock 17, 22, 26, 42, 43, 48, Sig Sauer P226, P320, P365 and race guns, Caniks, Walthers, H&Ks, M&P full size and shields… so really, it doesn’t make that much of a difference what firearm you shoot.

Q: I carry Appendix and you don’t. Does that mean I can’t train with your technique?

Now it’s true, I don’t carry Appendix and I have multiple reasons why, which I’m happy to share if you ask. But here’s the deal: there’s no real difference in draw from Appendix vs. Past Horizon. There’s a slight advantage in speed from Appendix, and an advantage to defense of the firearm from Past Horizon. But once the firearm moves to the Rock Position in Position 4 of the Draw, there’s zero difference in operation or presentation. So whether you’re carrying Appendix or the way DMT teaches doesn’t change the fact that the utilization of the firearm past the holster is identical, and training with DMT will make you better.

Q: I’ve been to XYZ Gun School fifteen bazillion times… or, I’ve been to this seminar and that seminar… or, I’ve been a competitive shooter for X years… so shouldn’t I start in Advanced Class, not Foundations?

Maybe. But here’s why I encourage taking a Foundations Class as a starting point to any new member, regardless of their past experience.

First, the skills that DMT is developing are specifically for defensive application and the training is designed so the skills will emerge through unconscious procedural memory structures when faced with a lethal threat stimulus. That is - so that you’ll do the right technique automatically, without thinking. The vast majority of training courses, schools, seminars, and competitions do not build these procedural memory structures. In fact, I don’t know of a single other training facility that intentionally does. I have had lots of students attend very prestigious schools or seminars and every one of them has needed a bit of time in Foundations Class to adapt to the foundational skills DMT focuses on. In order to be in the Advanced Class, you need to have these skills fully ingrained so that when we run the drills and scenarios, you can focus on your tactical development rather than on engaging in foundational skill in that moment of high stress.

Next, the techniques that DMT has found most effective may be vastly different from the foundational skills you’ve learned elsewhere. It’s easiest to compare techniques in a Foundations class, where we commit the time to watch and communicate about core DMT skills. If you’re truly a ninja, maybe attending one Foundations Class is all I need to see and you’ll get an invite to Advanced Class. That’s happened before, though rarely.

And remember the “no ego” motto? That’s not just for us instructors at DMT, but we ask it of our students, too. If you’re not willing to check out a Foundations Class to compare techniques and set a baseline, you may not be a good fit within the “no ego” DMT culture. Once we see you in action, if we think you need a few sessions in Foundations to help you get some of your technique up to DMT standard, don’t sweat it or get defensive. Just focus on the areas where you can improve and you’ll advance quickly.

Here’s a quote from Kevin, an Army vet and very accomplished shooter, after his first day checking out a DMT Foundation’s Class: “Within minutes of arriving I quickly discovered a lot of flaws in my technique and equipment choices... in a basic fundamentals class. I walked away today very humbled and with a lot more knowledge than when I initially walked into the range. My only regret is that I wished I had taken this course sooner.” Kevin quickly progressed in his skills and before long found his way into the Advanced Class.

Q: Your classes are only 1.5 hours each?? -- What you’re really asking is: Other gun seminars are 8-10 hours long, so wouldn’t I get a lot more quality training there instead of DMT’s 1.5 hours?

Yes, regular DMT training sessions are 1.5 hours long. And believe it or not, you won’t become more “accomplished” if you attend a big seminar. The neuroscience is very clear, especially for adults: we learn 30-45 minutes of new information a day, and the rest is noise and interference. The big seminar model is simply not as effective as the small block, distributed method. I can reference several books, scientific papers, and lots of video lectures as to why this is the case, but here’s a quick story to illustrate the point.

Once I sat across from a gentleman who owns one of the largest ranges in the country, trying to explain to him the DMT training system. He wasn’t getting what we were doing and why it was different, and in an exasperated tone declared: “Look, I’ve been through my top trainer’s 5-day intensive defensive handgun course. We shot 2,500 rounds. How is DMT different or better than that?”

I asked him: “Weren’t you an attorney before you opened your range?” He replied that he was, so I responded: “If you have me do an intense 5-day training course, would I be ready to pass the BAR Exam?” He looked at me like I was a moron. “Of course not, it took me years of training and study to get ready for that.” I nodded, saying: “Exactly. And there’s no way you could learn years of training and experience from your ‘top trainer’ in 2,500 rounds and five days. More than that, unlike self-defense, if you screw up the BAR Exam, no one is going to kill you.”

Becoming an expert takes dedicated time, not a one-time intensive session. However, this particular gentleman just didn’t get it. Like many, he was simply not able to accept that there is a better way to train to use a handgun than what you see from the most well-known gun ninjas. But here in Minnesota, there is a better way.

I hope this has answered some of your questions, and encouraged you to join us for a DMT class. Please let me know if you have any other questions about our classes or the DMT methodology. I look forward to having you in class and regardless of your background or skill level, I aim to help you be the best defender or competitor you can be.