J.J. Racaza (l.) is an engaging and knowledgable instructor.
TSG signed up to take a course with J.J. Racaza called Speed Marksmanship held at the Clark County shooting facility in Las Vegas. Some of you might know the name from the television series “Top Shot” and some of you might know his name from the competition world.
J.J. Racaza instructing students at Speed Marksmanship shooting class.
But what most don’t know is that he has spent a substantial part of his career dedicated to the Department of Homeland Security in operating and training.
That combination of competition and practical firearms perspective made this course extremely interesting.
First things first: this a high-level class. It is not for beginners. The subtle concepts will be lost on those who have not attained an advanced level of skill. Seriously — if you are not willing to explore the advanced concepts of trigger control for six hours, this is not the class for you.
The exciting aspect of this course was the focus on breaking through the “normal” concepts of shooting and give you a doorway into the physical and mental aspects of the world’s fastest competitive shooters. It is designed to ruthlessly push your boundaries and force you onto a whole new level of shooting. And J.J. does this in a really, really engaging way.
That being said, J.J. emphasized the “marksmanship” aspect of the course title. It doesn’t matter how fast you are shooting if you are not hitting your target. He reinforced this concept during some of the competitive challenges during the course — only the times with hits were counted. In other words, students with extremely fast misses were disqualified leaving slower students who achieved hits as winners.
Speed Marksmanship Course Concepts
The fundamentals mastered.
Trigger control.
Presentation.
Target transitions.
Class Pros and Cons
These are impressions coming from our experience for one particular day. Remember that variables such as a different day, a different location or a different group of students can have an effect on the course experience for you. In other words, your mileage might vary. Also take into account the yin/yang aspect of a positive aspect creating a corresponding negative aspect. Increased personal attention and coaching = pro. The corresponding drag on the rest of the class = con. You decide what’s more important to you.
Pros
J.J. has an engaging personality and his teaching method is a good blend of friendly and firm. He’s the type of instructor who pushes you in a way that makes you want to perform.
Surprising amount of personal coaching and one-on-one time.
The concepts are extremely advanced which challenge you.
Instructor who DOES what he is teaching. J.J. demonstrates the concepts giving you concrete examples for some very esoteric information. Demonstrating the drills and the concepts at a very, very high level also reinforces the credibility of the instructor. In this case, J.J. makes most of it look easy. When he pushes himself towards the upper limits of his own speed, you start to see his accuracy degrading — just like students experience. In business leadership, this expression of vulnerability (J.J. showing us he is human as he begins to “fail”) establishes trust among the group.
The concepts are measured. The shot timer is out and used religiously giving students a very real barometer of performance. This is important because some of the methods, particularly for transitions between targets, are perceived to be “slower”, yet the timer proves they are actually faster.
Friendly competition and making a game out of the drills adds to the fun and keeps interest.
Cons
The length of the course might challenge your concentration and attention for a skill that demands concentration and attention.
The personal coaching time for individual students leaves the rest of the group with some down time. This is great for reloading magazines, hydrating, snacking. But it can make the overall course tempo feel somewhat slower — particularly later in the evening.
Cost
$250 for 9 hours of instruction and training. Expect to shoot about 500 rounds.