I recently attended
Armed Movement in Structures (AMIS) in Memphis hosted by
Rangemaster and taught Craig Douglas of
Shivworks.
The training was geared toward the typical homeowner who may be forced to clear a building by themselves without support. This was not a team-tactics SWAT class focusing on CQB TTPs.
Throughout the class Craig reminded the students that there is no safe way to negotiate a structure by yourself and that this is the most dangerous thing you can do.
His task was to present to the class the TTPs that represented the best case options.
Not all of them are good, and all are probably bad (his words), but when you have no choice but to search and clear a building in defense of a loved one, the lessons learned will help you make a better bad choice.
The class was 20 hours of instruction (12 on Sat., 8 on Sun.)
Saturday consisted of learning the technical techniques of movement inside a building.
We spent time discussing what can be seen in and around a structure. Craig encouraged the students to "change their lens" and describe what we
cannot see as in, "I cannot see around that corner. I do not know what is to the left of the door jamb."
He also told us about "planes of visual impediment" (POVI) such as doors / walls, furniture, and stairs. Craig instructed us to focus on the edges and always seek depth when searching.
That brought us to the "depth deficit" conversation. Basically, whoever (GG or BG) has the most depth from a POVI has the advantage in detection.
After lunch we spent time practicing "working the angles" on doors, rooms and hallways. Air-soft guns were used to benefit the GG when the correct decisions were made and to drive lessons home when mistakes occurred.
After dinner Craig gave us his view of flashlight application. He prefers a modified FBI technique where the student makes a frame with their support hand (bezel facing away from thumb) because light draws fire. He also prefers to use the light in an arrhythmic fashion by varying the frequency and duration of when the light is on. He also likes a strobe mode on the light saying, "The strobe function won’t knock anyone down, but it is good for masking movement."
We then spent some time practicing "working the angles", but now with flashlights. Just like Craig predicted, one weapon mounted light had its bezel cracked by an air-soft BB when "light draws fire".
Sunday focused on the contextual application of the aforementioned techniques.
Craig mentioned a tie-in from USPSA/IDPA (competition shooting - horrors!) where you look where you want to go based on the geometry of the room. We worked corner-fed rooms and center-fed rooms adjusting our pace based on the number of exposures we were facing.
He taught a technique he calls "Port and Bypass" where you look and point the gun into an uncleared space as you increase your pace as a reaction to a target indicator further in the structure. In other words, you do not simply run past three doors after hearing your daughter scream at the back of the house, but instead give exposure a cursory glance (and engaging if necessary) while moving quicker than your search pace.
Various evolutions were conducted to test the GGs reaction to various actions of the BG such as; fire, surrender, flight, or anything else.
The class culminated with an air-soft FOF evolution between a homeowner, a family member, and two intruders.
My marksmanship and gun handling endured through the evolution, but my decision making could have been better; I nearly caused the "family member" to come under fire!
I have also attended Shivworks'
EWO, ECQC and VCAST classes. Like all of the courses put on by Craig, AMIS is highly recommended!
