Good points made here. I’ve discussed this before:

https://firearmusernetwork.com/2013/01/04/we-dont-need-no-stinkin-standards-part-1/
https://firearmusernetwork.com/2013/01/05/we-dont-need-no-stinkin-standards-part-2/

Of course, the entertrainers genuinely believe they are offering skill building, real-wold training as do their paying students. Some novice-level shooter decides to be an instructor, puts together a curriculum along with a slick web site and marketing videos and he’s a trainer.

Of course such entertrainers eschew competition or any other organized means of skill measure because it would conclusively reveal their poor skill. Instead of improving personal and student ability, they concoct excuses as to why attempting to measure skill isn’t realistic or will getcha killed.

The core, paying sycophants students will gladly back up their sensei well beyond reality or common sense, even after said entertrainer’s credentials were shown to be questionable or possibly falsified.

Example 1: http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?9535-Instructor-Zero&p=241718&viewfull=1#post241718
Example 2: http://forum.snipershide.com/training-classes/263930-corey-alan-jackson-range-time-terre-haute-indiana-stolen-valor.html

Ballistic Masturbation: Just Say NO!
by Chris, Salt and Pepper Samurai
http://spsamurai.com/2014/08/27/ballistic-masturbation-just-say-no/

Ken Hackathorn, one of my firearms training mentors, has spoken on multiple occasions about the rise of people who bill themselves as firearms instructors that engage in nothing more than “entertrainment” (full credit to Ken for the term). Instead of teaching their students what they need to know for the realistic use of firearms in real world situations; these entertrainers run their students through fantasy warrior camps where the weekend is spent in their favorite color of camouflage while sending lots of rounds downrange with little, to no, accountability of where the rounds are impacting. Basically, people in these “classes”, and I use that term loosely, are not held to any real accuracy standard and are simply partaking in some feel good ballistic masturbation. Sadly these students don’t realize that they aren’t doing anything expect wasting money, creating training scars, and giving themselves a false sense of what they can accomplish with a firearm.

When you go to firearms training class, or engage in firearms training on your own, you need to held yourself accountable for every round you send downrange. This is accomplished by having a demanding accuracy standard for yourself. Instead of settling for rounds impacting anywhere in the head of an IDPA target, only accept rounds hits to the small rectangle inside the head box. By forcing yourself to perform at a higher level on the square range (or other training environments) you are setting yourself up for success when things go sideways for real.

When you decide to take a firearms training class (and everyone should); make sure you aren’t engaging in masturbation at the hands of an entertrainer. You can do this by checking out the background of the instructor(s) for the course and the number of rounds to be fired (though this isn’t always a good measure). If the instructor’s resume’ seems like that of Ray Mysterio then walk away. If you are supposed to shoot almost 1,000 rounds per day for each weapon you have on you; you likely need to run away as well. Following these steps should help to make sure you are actually learning something.