International Training Inc’s Women’s Only Weekend Proclaimed a Success
DILLEY, TX – -(AmmoLand.com)- International Training, Inc. Texas held its first Women’s Only Weekend this past July. Sixteen women from coast to coast attended this unique training, designed specifically for the threats facing today’s women.
Saturday morning started with Greg Reid, Manager, Government Operations, giving a classroom brief on Advanced Driver Training and Crash Avoidance. This course takes basic driving skills to the next level where students gain hands-on experience in practical driving maneuvers in realistic emergency situations found on today’s highways and back roads. Instructor John Estrada graphically demonstrated the power of an airbag and why we must maintain a minimum safe distance from the airbag.
The class moved to Tracks 1 and 2 and “Ladies, start your engines!” was announced.
The women learned effective threshold braking and the use of vision to anticipate and avoid accidents, even while driving under stressful conditions until everyone successfully made it “through the cones”. On track 2, the same principles were extended to high speed driving, where students pushed the ITI fleet vehicles in excess of 80-90 MPH on the back “straight”.
After a lunch break, the ladies returned to brave 100 degree plus temperatures for a hands-on demonstration and practical application of unarmed defense techniques. Attacks from the front, attacks from behind, and ground fighting techniques were all practiced on the padded Defensive Tactics surface.
The second day started with Senior Instructor Benjamin Kurata presenting Handgun Orientation in the main classroom. A thorough review of the 4 major types of handguns, how to safely load, fire, reload, and unload them was covered. From there, types of ammunition, projectiles, and ammo components, storage and use were thoroughly discussed before the class made its way to Ranges 1 and 2 at the ITI Texas live fire range area. Director Bank Miller worked with half the class on semi-automatic pistols and Ben Kurata worked with the other half of the class on double action revolvers. At mid-morning the groups switched, and everyone live fired many, many rounds through both types of handguns before the lunch break.
After lunch, the group returned to the range complex where everyone was issued a semiautomatic pistol and magazines. Director Miller worked with half of the class on Range One, covering shooting on the move and multiple target engagement. Ben Kurata worked with the other half of the class on the Reactive Steel range, using non-toxic frangible ammunition, which allows shooting on the steel targets at closer, more realistic distances. The Reactive Steel exercises were a big hit with the students, and two students inquired about purchasing dueling trees for their personal use. At the mid-afternoon mark the groups switched ranges again so that everyone was exposed to shooting on the move, engaging multiple targets and lady versus lady shooting on reactive steel.
At the conclusion of the day, the class re-grouped in the main classroom for closing, critique, and graduation. Some of the comments made included:
“You guys nailed it!”
“This is the only place I am aware of where you can get this level of training in driving, empty hand defense, and shooting.”
“When’s the next one? I have a lot of friends that will want to attend.”
Bank Miller and Ben Kurata asked the class for input as to what the next level of Women’s Only Weekend should include. Based on the input from the class, Women’s Weekend II is scheduled for Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 and will include the following:
• Day 1: Advanced Driver Training and Crash Avoidance – full day on the tracks
• Day 2: Home and Vehicle Defense – full day on the range, starting with shooting from, in, and around vehicles, then Home Defense techniques – dealing with corners, hallways, “fatal funnels”, stairways, and diminished light conditions.
As in Women’s Weekend I, ITI Texas will supply all vehicles, gas, tires, safety equipment, handguns, magazines, holsters, ammo, and targets including vehicles for ballistic testing. For more details on Women’s Weekend I and Women’s Weekend II, please visit ITI’s web site at https://itiwsi.com/responsible_civilian.html or call us at 830-334-2990, 08:00 – 16:30, Central time)
About International Training, Inc.
International Training Incorporated (ITI) is a subsidiary of Wackenhut Services Inc. Founded in 1989, ITI is committed to providing benchmark security training programs emphasizing professionalism, quality, customer service, and a fair price. ITI conducts both mobile and fixed site training in security assistance and security service programs for the U.S. Government, U.S. military, corporate America, and now private citizens. For more information on ITI or any of their courses, log on to www.itiwsi.com.