Watching the training community grow over the years, while archiving it for the 2A history project, Gun Websites has noticed that people who get into firearms training tend to fall into a few broad groups. Knowing which one you are can help you choose classes that fit.
The knowledge seeker
- Wants to learn something specific: how to carry, how to run a carbine, how to stop bleeding.
- Takes a class, gets the skill and moves on until the next need comes up.
- Good fit: focused one- or two-day classes with clear outcomes, like a CCW class or a medical class.
The doctrine seeker
- Looking for a methodology, almost a way of life, worth investing serious time and energy in.
- Training fills that role for some, the way hunting or competition does for others.
- Good fit: schools with a defined system and a progression of levels, where each course builds on the last.
The growth seeker
- Passionate about growth itself. Often entrepreneurs or fitness people who grab something, go all in, and eventually move on to the next challenge.
- Good fit: classes with measurable standards and scores, competition, and anything with a clear next level.
Why it matters
- Instructors fall into these groups too, which shapes how they teach.
- Matching your type to the school’s style saves money and frustration. A doctrine seeker may feel shortchanged by a one-day sampler, and a knowledge seeker may not need a five-level program.
- None of these is better than the others. All of them make the training community stronger.
Next steps
- Read How to Choose a Training Class.
- Browse Training Schools and the Firearm Instructors behind them.
- Whatever your type, keep a training log so you can see where you have been and where to go next.
Based on a video from the Gun Websites YouTube channel. Take a class, write your after action report, and keep it in your training log.