Yeager vs Zero

[SupaRice]

I'm mainly a sportsman. My family has always been, and this has been the basis of my firearms exposure.

 

Since my boys have been born I've been more interested in firearms for self defense and defending my home. As such I've considered recently taking classes specific to those skills, but I've had a hard time with the constant dick measuring in this part of the industry. CONSTANT.

 

Case in point:

https://youtu.be/hOsvWFlUtNM

 

 

I subscribe to both channels, Yeager and Zero.... as well as Reid's channel.

 

 

I compare this to some of the gun shops. Some of them treat you like an idiot if you ask about a gun that isn't what they like.... "Why do you want that when you could just buy a Glock".... I've had them ask me that before in a few around town. While I'm trying to spend money with them... WTF?

 

In the spring I'd like to take a class, from a competent instructor who won't make me feel like an a'hole. The kind that can take an average joe like myself to a better skill level....

 

But I constantly see this sort of thing.... (although zero doesn't seem to be the aggressor here)

 

I know Yeager is close to Nashville, and so is Reid.... 

 

What's your guy's take on this stuff? Where have you found classes locally that are welcoming and still competent?

Edited November 2, 2015 by SupaRice

[Dolomite_supafly]

Of the ones mentioned I would pick Reid.

I would also suggest you get a hold of Cruel Hand Luke. He supports this forum by being a vendor. He also regularly passes along his knowledge on the forum as well.

[101]

Have taken fighting pistol twice at Tactical Response in Camden.

 

Each time was exceptional.  Jay Gibson was instructor each time.  He is outstanding.  Yeager rarely teaches the classes himself.  He has tons of instructors for that.

 

I will go back again for any one of the classes they offer.

 

I see it like this.  Regardless of what you think of the man himself, he has very good instructors and provides very good training.  Henry Ford was a communist and loved Hitler but I'll never buy anything but a Ford because the product Ford sells is what I'm looking for.

 

I'd bet you won't be dissapointed with any three of those you mentioned.  I feel Tactical Response teaches more everyday training that the average Joe would encounter.  Zero appears from his vidoes to be more of a military frame of training but that is who he trains the most of.  Reid is awesome guy but he learned almost all of background from taking classes at Tactical Response.  He actually quit his teaching high school teaching job to be an instructor at Tactical Response before he quit and started his own school.

 

No matter what, take training from someone, you won't regret it.

[TMF]

Here is a good video which addresses both instructor zero and the infamous Yeager, once you get halfway through to the range demonstration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBaISwLnrgo

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBaISwLnrgo

ETA- Warning: Some language and scantily clad ladies.

Edited November 2, 2015 by TMF

[Jamie Jackson]

 

In the spring I'd like to take a class, from a competent instructor who won't make me feel like an a'hole. The kind that can take an average joe like myself to a better skill level....

 

 

My friend, you just described Randy Harris aka Cruel Hand Luke.

 

Dolomite's recommendation is spot on. I've known Randy for a pretty long time and train with him a few times each year. He's a great guy (I'm proud to call him a friend) and gifted instructor. You'll not find better imho.

 

Tom Givens (Rangemaster) is another instructor I hold in high regard. Great guy, excellent instructor, and incredible track record for students surviving real world encounters.

 

I've not had the opportunity to train with Reid, yet, but hope to do so. He comes across as a solid guy.

 

I too have trained with James Yeager. It's been more than a decade ago, but I found him, at that time, to be much different than his YouTube persona and a really good instructor.

 

I stay way out of the "politics" of that industry...way too much drama for my likes.

 

Congrats to you for looking for professional training. You won't be sorry that you decided to go down that road. Keep us posted on your training experiences.

 

 

TMF..very funny vid . Good satire. :up:

 

Best of luck to you Sir.

[DaveTN]

Yeager makes his videos for shock value. And it works; I don’t know why anyone (other than kids) would pay him for training.
Zero will have a lot of ammunition when he starts checking Yeager’s past experience. Should be interesting.

[Smith]

Yeager's tactics in a gun fight are well documented by the bodies of his former crew. I would tread lightly if I were him about going after anyone else's credentials. Whatever kind of instructor he may be, his credentials also speak for themselves. I don't know why he constantly has to try to prop himself up as the end all be all when his history is very well documented for any and everyone to see. 

[Tncobra]

Aint social media great?!

[TMF]

Yeager's tactics in a gun fight are well documented by the bodies of his former crew. I would tread lightly if I were him about going after anyone else's credentials. Whatever kind of instructor he may be, his credentials also speak for themselves. I don't know why he constantly has to try to prop himself up as the end all be all when his history is very well documented for any and everyone to see.

In my opinion, he's been running his mouth and hitting the HGH since entering the public sector as an instructor in an attempt to compensate for his acts of cowardice back when he was a pretend "operator". He's a puffy little peacock, and he figures if he can present himself as a AAA personality, take some roids and wear his little sister's shirts, people will be less likely to question his cowardice under fire and buy time in his courses.

Or maybe he is the badass he wants everyone to think he is. I don't think so, but maybe he believes it.


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[shotgunshooter]

If you want some training go take a class from Reid and experience Valor Ridge.

[Dustbuster]

Love the tacticool guys some hilarious material love where zero throws the pistol lol


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[FTE]

I took a class from Yeager back when he was the portly "chief detective" from the juggernaut Big Sandy Police Dept. I didn't intend to....his group was partnering with a much more reputable trainer, but Yeagers group really ran the class. It was average, at best. Some of it was just plain silly.

That was before the obsession with lifting weights, the head shave and the too-tight Affliction shirts....oh, and the YouTube channel. He does NOT have a good reputation in the firearms community.


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[TGO David]

...he figures if he can present himself as a AAA personality, take some roids and wear his little sister's shirts, people will be less likely to question his cowardice under fire and buy time in his courses.

 

OMG... the sister's shirts comment.  Nearly lost my drink.  Priceless.

[TGO David]

It's a shame that Critical Incident Strategies isn't still around.  Todd and Dustin had a way of presenting good training that was applicable to 99.999% of what the average Joe needs to know about surviving an incident and they managed to do it without profanity, a boisterous YouTube channel or shopping for clothes at The Buckle.

 

The reports that I have heard coming back from students of Randy's (Cruel Hand Luke) classes are nothing but glowing with praise and I have likewise heard excellent things about Tom Givens and Reid Henrichs.   (By the way, Tom has been in the industry for about 25 years and knows a thing or two about gunfighting from first-hand experience.)

 

We're rather fortunate in Tennessee to have reputable trainers close and accessible to us.  We're also in close proximity to some folks I'm not an advocate of.

[FTE]

I've taken two classes from Tom. He's opinionated about a few things, but the training is first class


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[MacGyver]

I'm so thankful that videos like this exist.

 

My training dollars are limited and these videos really help narrow down where not to spend them...

[SupaRice]

I've heard James say some idiotic and purely opinion things in his videos (have never met him in person), just as I'm sure all of you have. Like how he talks about "guys who buy an XD's are.....blah blah". It's completely ridiculous. Glock isn't the only pistol that works... sorry.

 

I own two Springfield guns, and I like them a lot. I shoot well with them, I keep them clean, and they never fail to go bang. And I happen to like the grip safety... Maybe if I was a full-on superhuman "operator" guy in a hot war zone taking fire every day I might feel differently about the weapon of choice.... but guess what.... I'm not. In the unlikely event that I ever DO have to use one of my Springfield guns in defense, I have no doubt it will go bang flawlessly as it has every other time I've pulled the trigger.

 

But I guess that's my point, just because he's a loudmouth inflammatory jerk on the internet, doesn't mean that he doesn't know what he's doing. He certainly knows more than I do, and I'm sure I'd come out of one of his classes sharper than I am.

 

However..... I also don't have to endure #### like that to get the training I need.

 

I just think it's astonishing all the dick measuring.... I mean, really.... Just do you. Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.

Edited November 2, 2015 by SupaRice

[Dustbuster]

I believe most of the best trainers don't have a slew of videos hanging around the Internet to build a fan base on most of the good trainers have something short straight and to the point on their websites if that or simple and clean and to the point. they're not hard to find.

Student critiques seems to be the best source to have or rely on to determine if the training is worthy of the dollar spent or not.
Based on this thread and previous input I would put my money with cruel hand Luke any day of the week before anybody else on the Internet. We never hear from Yeager or zero students giving anyone a thumbs up or down just sayin... Edited November 2, 2015 by Dustbuster

[TrickyNicky]

At this point I think I would sooner ask my brothers dog for training than James Yeager. 

[buck1032]

I have only been very vaguely aware of who Yeager is. I have been googling and reading about him today. The more I learn the less I like. I would be hard pressed to believe anything that comes out of his pie hole. 

[101]

We never hear from Yeager or zero students giving anyone a thumbs up or down just sayin...

They are there. In the training forum.

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/88641-tactical-response-aar/#entry1277923

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/83826-for-my-tactical-response-guys/#entry1215997

 

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/54143-tactical-response-hrcc-cqb-2012/#entry833847

 

And many more....

[Cruel Hand Luke]

I heard my name mentioned.....

 

Look, if you want to learn some skills for solving lethal force  interpersonal conflict without getting yelled at, belittled or made feel like you don't belong here then I've always got room for another student in class.

 

If you want a "boot camp" or high school lunch room experience or fraternity house hazing experience while someone tells you how bad ass they are ...then I'm NOT your guy.

 

I don't need to make myself feel good by trying to belittle students or to prove to anyone how bad ass I am.... I'm here to make YOU more bad ass than you were before you came to class. And that can be done without the over the top histrionics. If people are interested........they know where to find me. 

[56FordGuy]

I believe most of the best trainers don't have a slew of videos hanging around the Internet to build a fan base on most of the good trainers have something short straight and to the point on their websites if that or simple and clean and to the point. they're not hard to find.

In my experience, I've found the people that know what they're doing- whether it's metalwork, leatherwork, horse training, firearms training, etc are out there doing it and not making internet videos of themselves doing it so they can "prove" that they know what they're doing.

Todd and Dustin had a good thing going, and didn't need goofy videos to prove it.

[DBTN]

The training classes at Royal Range in Nashville should be up and running by the spring. The training provided by their head trainer will be top notch. No silly videos or fluff, just good solid foundational training.

[KKing]

I've taken courses at Yeager's place, along with a Army SF guy I know. Yeager himself didn't have too much to do with our course, more the people he has working there (such as Reid at the time). FWIW, I didn't get yelled at, or anything of the sort. Is Yeager someone I'd want to hang out with? No. But I took the course because of who worked there, not really because of him. I learned a lot, and even more impressive to me is the SF fella told me he learned as well, which really stood out to me. I don't care where you do your training or with whom you do it with. I'm not paying for it, I don't care. I'm definitely not telling you that some of the things posted in this thread aren't absolutely true. I just figured since I had actually taken a class there I should speak up. I will personally do my training from here on at Valor Ridge because I'm a fan of Reid's attitude and ethic.

As far as the Zero vs. Yeager thing, as far as I know (and I believe the video Zero posted said) Zero does not train civilians, so that comparison is apples to oranges. As far as background, it's my understanding that Zero has a pretty extensive background with Special Forces and private security type folks. So again, apples to bowling balls


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