Hello again everyone from me, Candice! It’s been a very eventful month here at Sealed Mindset. From the popularity of our Navy SEAL Adventure, to our fully booked Defense and Fitness classes, to an overflowing Defensive Flashlight class, we have certainly had our plates full! With all of the events going on in the facility, we have one person whom we’ve chosen as a stand-out amongst the others as our “Star Student” for the month of August.
Mr. Mark K. was introduced to Sealed Mindset at the Waconia Firearms Show last year, and after learning more about other Permit to Carry classes in Minnesota, Mark chose to participate in the most comprehensive course available in the state - Sealed Mindset’s Advanced Permit to Carry. Since this introduction, Mark not only became a facility member, but also has attended our Spy Date with his wonderful wife Melissa and has been highly committed to his development through our Daily Defensive classes and Scenario practice. In order to achieve his goal of “Level 6 Student,” Mark plans to continue this commitment so as to take advantage of the unique opportunities we offer in our range: shooting from a holster, shooting in low light, and multiple target shooting. Not to mention the availability to fire live rounds “in close to 360 degrees, around barricades, off positions etc.” in our live fire bay.
Although Mark has had some level of firearms experience since childhood, his education with Sealed Mindset has revealed to him that familiarity with a weapon is not always enough. The ability to apply what he has learned through our classes (and subsequent application in the Scenario class) has shown Mark that his anticipated reaction in a defensive encounter “is not what occurs in reality…unless you have training.” It never ceases to amaze me how we overestimate our own abilities until we are faced with a real-life scenario in which utilization of learned skills is expected. Mr. K is certainly not the only one to report surprise at his own response to such a situation, but his dedication to training and personal development though our array of classes certainly puts him far above the pack should he ever be called to defend himself or his family! Read on below to learn Mark’s direct perspective of what Sealed Mindset has to offer you!
1) What brought you to Sealed Mindset?
“I met Larry and Anne at the Waconia firearms show in 2011. When I decided to get my conceal and carry permit later that year I looked at several classes and I chose Sealed Mindset’s class because it looked to be the most comprehensive course.”
2) What is the most important or useful aspect of the training you have received with us?
“The most important aspect of the training that I have received is the training in awareness and how to maintain a defensive mindset; combined with the firearms training and techniques, and how to apply these techniques in the real world, if necessary.”
3) Did you possess any prior firearms experience before coming to Sealed Mindset?
“I was given a BB gun for my 8th birthday, and many pop cans met their demise at the end of my mighty Daisy. This was followed by shooting .22 rifles in Boy Scouts, and then I have been small game and deer hunting since I was 12 years old. I started plinking with handguns in college, and started pheasant hunting a couple years ago, but aside from basic firearms safety training I had no firearms training prior to joining Sealed Mindset.”
4) I see you have taken advantage of nearly all of our class types (aside from private instruction), which of these do you enjoy most?
“I enjoy the Movement and Live Scenario classes quite a bit. I like these classes because they allow us to use the techniques that we learn in the Daily Defense Shooting classes in simulated situations while moving.”
5) Has the instruction provided in our Daily Defensive Shooting Series taught you anything that you found surprising or unexpected?
“I was surprised how I reacted the first time I did a scenario class! It was eye opening how real it felt and how my body and mind reacted the first time I participated in the scenarios.”
6) If you have ever used other local ranges, what makes Sealed Mindset stand out in your mind?
“I have visited several gun ranges in two different States, and what I find unique about Sealed Mindset’s range is several things. One, there is never a wait to use the range. Second, Sealed Mindset is the only gun range I have found that allows you to practice drawing and shooting from a holster, shooting from alternate firing positions or shooting at multiple targets. Last, Sealed Mindset is the only facility that I know about that is open to the public AND has a room where you can shoot simulated rounds and a live fire range where you can practice shooting in close to 360 degrees, around barricades, etc.”
7) We were pleased to have you as an inaugural member of our Navy SEAL Adventure platoon. What would you tell your friends about this experience? Do you anticipate joining in on any of our future events? (Date Night, Spy Date, Wild West Night.)
“I told all of my friends/family that the Navy SEAL adventure was an extremely fun, very unique, adrenaline rush that everyone should experience. I posted all about the adventure on my Facebook page, and I think that I drove my wife nuts when I got home that night afterwards because I couldn’t stop talking about the adventure! My wife and I have completed the Spy Date together (also very fun), and I am looking forward to the Wild West Adventure.”
8) How would you describe your experience with the Scenario and Movement classes?
“The scenario classes have been the most eye-opening of all of the classes. We all think we know how we will react to various situations, but until you actually experience them you don’t really know how you will react. What I like about the scenarios is that nowhere else I know of will allow you to actually practice having to deal with a dangerous situation in a safe environment where you can really learn from the experience.”
9) What are your future plans for personal development with us? Would you like to go all the way through level six, for example, or are you happy with level 2 or 3 in the Daily Defensive Shooting series?
“I plan to continue with the Daily Defensive Series training. I see myself going all the way to Level 6, as well as attending various adventures with my wife, using the dry fire and the live fire ranges, and continuing to attend the Scenario classes.”
10) Finally, would you recommend Sealed Mindset to your friends and family? If so, what would you say about us?
“I strongly recommend Sealed Mindset to all of my friends/family, and even people I just met. I feel Sealed Mindset offers the most comprehensive and complete training available to the general public. I feel that Sealed Mindset offers training and experiences to the general public that no other training facility has available.”
Stay tuned for more featured students next month! Thanks again for all the wonderful support - if you haven’t had a chance to visit us in New Hope, give us a call anytime: 877.723.7573.
