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Women's impressions: first-day jitters; take the advice of those who've gone before!
American Handgunner,  Nov-Dec, 2002  by Gila Hayes
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Her stomach discontentedly churns the early breakfast bolted-down in place of her usual coffee. Delays for road construction and a wrong turn have stolen her extra driving time and the dashboard clock counts only minutes before the early morning class starts. Parking her Volvo at the range, she vacillates momentarily wondering if she should don her holster and gun before entering the classroom. Should the pistol be loaded or unloaded? The clock makes the decision: there is no time to put on a belt, holster and gun and only seconds remain to scoop up her notebook, lock the car and race for the range clubhouse.

Rushing down a hallway she hears a burble of conversation and an occasional male guffaw, but as she enters the room utter silence descends. Simultaneously, the instructor calls the class to order. "Grab a seat," he booms, and a dozen sets of eyes focus on her, alone. Through anxiety-clouded vision she spots a chair in the back row. A rivulet of perspiration meanders down her spine and her stomach lurches as she slides into the seat. As the defensive handgun class gets underway, this student wonders what possessed her to tackle this.

If Only I Had Known

Going to an unfamiliar location to learn a new physical skill induces anxiety in anyone -- male or female. For women entering the male-dominated shooting discipline, the stress is amplified by feeling like an outsider. Some of these pressures are unlikely to disappear completely, even if taking an all-women's class. However, women in defensive handgun classes unanimously report that better preparation would have relieved their first-day anxiety, had they only known how to prepare. Make a checklist of everything required for the class, to avoid arriving without a vital piece of gear. If a workbook or textbook is part of the course, obtain it in advance and read it well. If none is offered, ask the school what they recommend as preparatory reading. That's the easy part.

I asked women what they wish they had known before going to shooting school. The women sharing their experiences fit no single mold. Some are in their 30s, others are twenty or thirty years older. Their professions range from the timber industry, real estate, banking, the law, trucking, nursing and alternative health care. Several hold positions with large corporations, and many are mothers. Despite their professional accomplishments, these capable women confess to fears ranging from low-level anxiety to being "worried silly" before their initial handgun classes.

"I was nervous about being around guns," explain Megan Brown, who learned to shoot after a friend was abducted and raped. A surprising number of female shooters have backgrounds that are not pro-gun. "I had all the anti-gun ideas one absorbs without awareness," remember Lyn Bates, a founder of AWARE (Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment), the premier women's armed defense training organization in the Northeastern U.S. While in her 30s, Lyn grew curious about firearms through a gun-owning colleague. Though her interest was strong, a lifetime's worth of anti-gun propaganda followed her to the range. "My hands were sweating and shaking when I first picked up a gun to shoot," she related.

Where to Begin

Women enrolled in classes appropriate to their level of experience are usually pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoy shooting. In Lyn's first class, the NRA instructor provided guns for the beginning students to use, and she loved the activity immediately. One of my own students, midwife Joanne Blanton, enthused, "I love to shoot! I love shooting well even better!" The skills she is learning make the experience all the better.

Unfortunately, that contagious gusto is squashed when a novice starts at a class that is too advanced. "I had just gotten my gun a few weeks before the class and had only shot it a couple of times," recalls Chris Cunningham. "I didn't really understand the basics, and the only one I could talk to about it was my husband. He wasn't real sure I would be able to survive the class, so my confidence level was pretty low," she admits. Pulled out of the class for a little one-on-one coaching, Chris quickly caught up and has gone on to become a leader at her shooting range.

If unsure about her basic shooting skills, a woman can't go wrong with an introductory class. "Luckily we decided to start with the basic class; it would have been a mistake to start with the level two class," remembered Helen King, a new shooter who I taught. With good safety habits established and a clear understanding of the fundamentals, she will excel at the intermediate skills of the next level of training, including use of cover, low light shooting and more.

Heidi Smith of Thunder Ranch, however, appreciates the "clean slate" beginning women bring to the famous Texas school. Since they have no bad habits to unlearn, these women are sponges for self-defense skills and mindset. Her husband, Clint Smith, agrees. "I wish all the students were women!" he grinned. He gets his wish 10 to 15 percent of the time, with three or four women attending the average Thunder Ranch pistol class. "At the beginning of class, I ask them 'Do you have butterflies in your stomach?' Then I tell them 'Don't worry, I do, too.' "He smiled.

For better or for worse, women are intensely social beings. As a distinct minority in the class, anxiety about being one to talk with, is very real at shooting school.

Most women wish they were just one of the guys during class. That has been the experience of Lethal Force Institute graduate Mary Fleury, who works as a nurse. "Mostly, being treated as one of the guys is a good thing, but every once in a while, I feel like I'm in some cross-cultural experience and I really have to pay attention to the unwritten rules."

Lyn Bates, who has trained at most of the nation's top shooting schools, knows about unwritten rules. At classes, "The guys used to gather behind me and cheer me on whenever I was competing head-to-head against one of their friends, but they never bothered to talk to me otherwise. They didn't particularly like me, and they loved to tease any member of their group who lost to me," she declared.

Taken too far, trying to be one of the guys begets its own anxiety. "I was extremely anxious before my first class," Leaha Wirth of USA Shooting, confessed. "When I went into the class, it was important to me that I appear competitive, calm and not like a 'chick.' Most of the anxiety I felt walking through those doors was self-inflicted," she acknowledged. "I would have been much more comfortable taking a women's-only course or one taught by a woman. I would not have felt so sensitive about my ability to gel with the other students."

For years, Thunder Ranch offered all co-ed classes. Under Heidi Smith's influence, the school now is in its third year of offering a women's-only weeklong defensive handgun class. Acknowledging that beginners often feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable, Clint agreed to "Give 'em a gender-like environment." Heidi reported this once-a-year class is a great starting point for women, including the "Wives of guys who've been coming to Thunder Ranch for years." She is excited about the attitude changes that result as these women realize self-defense is all about "What's in your head and your heart, as you learn to care about yourself."

The Peril of Fashion

If an all-women's class isn't available, women may choose to minimize characteristics that make them stand out. Accommodating clothing, accessories and grooming makes range days easier. Long fingernails are the most common shooting impediment. When too long, the trigger finger's nail catches on the trigger guard, instead of allowing a smooth move from the index position to the proper place on the trigger when it's time to shoot. Long nails gouge and scrape the support hand, and make it difficult, if not impossible, to operate the slide lock, magazine release and other pistol controls.

It's best to trim the nails before showing up at the range, avoiding awkwardness when told to do so by an instructor. Leaha was asked to trim her long, synthetic nails in front of an entire class. "I am a ferocious nail biter and nails hide that' she explained. "The instructor suggested shorter nails. I'm sure he was right, but having that pointed out to me in a class of mostly men made me feel badly when I really just wanted to fit in."

Shown how to succeed, women students are often among the most focused and determined shooters on the line. With advance knowledge of how to dress and how to prepare, a lot of the discomfort and concern about "being different" disappears.

Get in the Right Gear

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