Advanced Handgun Skills with the Midwest Training Group

Bob Houzenga and Andy Kemp have been training shooters for decades. Both are longtime trainers for Massad Ayoob and his Massad Ayoob Group (MAG). In fact, several years ago, Houzenga created a companion school to the classroom-intensive classes taught by Ayoob.

Houzenga is currently a chief of police and has spent 36 years in law enforcement. As a competitive shooter, he also holds six national titles and hundreds of state and local titles. Along with his teaching skills, he is a skilled pistol builder who makes state-of-the-art 1911 pistols and revolvers.

Kemp brings more than 40 years of shooting experience to the table. He has been a staff instructor for Ayoob since the mid-1990s and is also staff trainer for John Farnham’s Defense Training International (DTI). He is a Master-class IDPA shooter and has trained civilians, law enforcement and military personnel.

Since 1994, Houzenga and Kemp have been running the Midwest Training Group, holding classes in Illinois, Iowa and Idaho.

Midwest Training Group Bob Houzenga — Bob Houzenga of the Midwest Training Group

Midwest Training Group Andy Kemp change — Andy Kemp of the Midwest Training Group

Midwest Training Group student line — Students firing at the Fernan Rod & Gun Club.

Midwest Training Group range — The Fernan Rod & Gun Club

Midwest Training Group students ground — A student firing at the Fernan Rod & Gun Club.

I recently attended the Midwest Training Group’s Advanced Handgun Skills course at the Fernan Rod & Gun Club in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which itself provided a beautiful backdrop. Nestled in the trees surrounding Fernan Lake, it is green, lush and almost a bit distracting. The range is nicely kept, semi-private and well run.

Designed to hone your pistol skills, the course is round intensive and different from many I’ve attended. The idea was to focus solely on how to run the gun, only using tactics where necessary for clarification.

Shooting 1,500 rounds (or more) in two days, it provided an opportunity to really hone the basics, like trigger control and sight alignment, the very foundation of all advanced shooting. Ranges for this class are mostly limited to 25 yards, and this particular venue kept us within 20 yards. Not only is this class a great way to polish your skills and learn a few new ones, but it also really tests your pistol.

Take a couple of minutes and enjoy this short video to see how the class was structured. And make sure you keep your eyes peeled for my full after-action report in an upcoming issue of COMBAT HANDGUNS magazine. To subscribe, visit PersonalDefenseWorld.com/subscribe.