By Jon Wayne Taylor
Last year I attended the Urban Combat Weekend hosted by Tactical Fitness Austin. In my review of the course, I said “I’d take a course from these guys again any day.” Well, this year, they’ve kicked it up a notch by adding a Combat Shotgun course on Friday, making it a full Urban Combat Weekend. You better believe I’ve signed up to take the entire course again.
You can find my full course review here.
Marcelo and Claudio are back on May 4th just north of Austin, Texas to provide one of the best courses I’ve ever attended.
Marcelo Esperandio is the owner of Esperandio Tactical Concepts. A Brazilian Army vet, Mr. Esperandio is a SWAT officer with Santa Catarina, with additional duties as an aerial operations officer and a SWAT instructor.
Claudio Andrade is the owner of Andrade Combat. The former Brazilian Marine is also a current SWAT officer in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Andrade heads up the Rio de Janeiro Tactical Intervention team and works on the hostage rescue team.
For those of you unaware of the crime situation down in Rio de Janeiro, it makes Chicago look like Mayberry. Hell, it makes Kabul look like Mayberry. That doesn’t mean that SWAT rolls around in MRAPs with 20 man teams. Nope, most of the time it’s regular patrol cars and smaller teams than most police departments would use to make a traffic stop on a felon here in the US.
In short, these are highly experienced men that I found were exceptional at their craft, without bravado or attitude. They focus on the rapid and consistent use of fundamental skills, and that’s what you’ll learn in the course.
You’ll learn how to safely move with your firearm, how to use cover, and how to safely move around obstacles and corners. During the Vehicle Close Quarters Combat session, you’ll learn what to do if you get ambushed in your vehicle and how to keep that vehicle from becoming your coffin. And you’ll learn how to do it all alone or with a partner.
It’s an active, very fun, and rewarding experience. I highly recommended the course after I took it, and I do again.
The weekend is broken up into three sections, Combat Shotgun (Claudio is a magician with the pump action shotgun), Urban Tactics fundamentals, and Vehicle Close Quarters Combat. You can reserve your spot for part or all of the course at the Tactical Fitness Website.
TTAG isn’t getting paid to promote this course, and neither am I. They didn’t give me a free spot either, I traded teaching Tactical Combat Casualty Care Courses for it. This is simply a great course for a decent price. The Vehicle CQC course is worth the price alone.
Tactical Fitness Urban Combat Weekend taught by Claudio Andrade and Marcelo Esperadio
Friday, May 4, 2018, 9:00 AM – Sunday, May 6, 2018, 5:00 PM
Georgetown, TX
Full Weekend (all three courses)=$559
Urban Tactics and VCQC=$499
Combat Shotgun Only=$129
Sounds really great, and sincerely worth it. I’m sure they realize that for OUT OF STATERS, and perhaps most out of towners that price is much closer to $1K for a weekend class. Still worth it (now) ask me again in the heat of the Summer. ; )
Maybe they could take their road-on-the-show and do a course at United States Shooting Academy in Tulsa, OK? http://usshootingacademy.mobi/
P.S. – I dig the flagged barrels and tactical yardstick [must’ve been taught by Catholic Nuns].
So there are still some people who find combat usefulness from a modern shotgun. Good to know…
Yes, especially law enforcement that works in urban environments. I work with two police departments that have recently ditched their ARs for Benelli pump guns.
Slugs, or buckshot?
Buckshot. Apparently trailer parks and rifle rounds don’t mix.
I think shotguns make more sense in a trailer park or any other normal capacity law enforcement long arm use of a firearm a good idea. My question tho is why didn’t they chose a semi-auto . A Buckshot load should be able to reliably cycle the action, reduced the recoil, and reduced the motor skills needed to tactically engage the target. Unless it’s cost, or reduced shotgun loads that wouldn’t cycle an autos action I don’t see why not.
Mostly cost. But also, everybody already knows how to use a pump gun.
Everyone knows how to short-stroke it in the adrenaline shower.
Yeah, they could limp-wrist or fail to maintain their weapon into a similar failure that might be somewhat tougher to clear, but I would rather a semi-auto.
JWT, any logistical tips for an out of Towner who would be flying in for the weekend. What does one do with their long guns when not on the course? Don’t want to leave them at the hotel etc
So is the stick he’s eye ballin down straight enuff to use as a Brazilian Monkey Wacker?
. . . that takes GLOCK Mags.
Advice from Brazil jungle friend: If you land here for any purpose, be careful, we gonna put you in ash tray and back you to civilization.
Sponsored content and not being paid? Sounds suspicious.
We didn’t quite know where it fit in the categories, so we erred on the side of caution.
Ah, fair enough. Perhaps you should go the Chris Huess route and write “(Not a sponsored post although it sure sounds and reads like one.)” at the top like he does on his gear sale updates.
I wish I wasn’t spending all of my discretionary funds on things I worry won’t be able to get in the not to distant future. You sold me on the course. I’ll figure out something. Maybe there is a rich uncle I forgot about that still loves me anyway and is dying soon;-)
Take that TQ off your shoulder and put it in a pouch there, operator.
Negative Ghost Rider. As a longtime medic, and an instructor for police forces around the world in tactical combat casualty care, I often counsel the wisdom of exposed tourniquets. If you can keep them out of a pouch, do so. Make them really easy to see, and really easy to get to when you’re bleeding and stupid.
and you individual gun owners out there , never use over 5% OF YOUR AMMO ON HAND FOR PRACTICE TRAINING .
Man, I’d go with the exact opposite of that. Use the vast majority of the ammunition you have on hand for constant practice, but make sure you have a full “combat load” available.
I’d much rather have 200 rounds I’m good with than 5,000 round I’m not.
JWT,
Can you give me some guidance please? I would like to attend, and have the time but would have to fly in. I am sure I can figure out the logistics of flying with multiple guns. Annoying but doable. But what do I do with 3+ guns when I’m not in the class? Hotel room? Rental car trunk? Never leave them?
And I assume I can buy ammo in the Austin area vs shipping it?
Any logistical tips would be appreciated!
Hotel room always works well for me. Georgetown is super safe. Median age there is Methuselah.
Thank you. Excuse the second request, missed your reply
I’m confused. If they aren’t paying for promotion, why is the byline “sponsored content?
The comment section is so bad here that I’ll not get a replay to that question unless I remember to check back.
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