Team Safariland

Rob Leatham won his first world championship in 1983 and his last in 2011. He is the only one in the world to have won the triple crown in the same year; Nationals, Bianchi and Steel Challenge. I just forgot to mention that has won the IPSC World Championship 14 times, including 6 individual titles and has more than 24 individual US championships and is the only male shooter to win in five divisions ever. In 2011, at the WC closing ceremony, he was honored together with Jerry Miculek (the best revolver shooter ever) with an IPSC Lifetime achievement award. Rob Leatham is a full-time professional shooter and instructor, and teaches both civilian and military shooters, such as various countries' SOF corps, including Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Every year he holds between 6-10 official full-day courses with a maximum of 8-10 participants, so that he can give optimal attention and instruction to each shooter. You must apply for each individual place with a motivated application and CV. There is competition for places and most often the world's elite participate on these courses, such as world and continental champions, US champions and national teams. They also did that on the course I was on.. I had applied like all the others and much to my expectation I received a welcome email on March 28, 2012 from Kippi Leatham, Rob Leatham's wife, that they had selected me as one of the participants.

The handbrake was stepped on and the sound of gunshots became very clear. I was now in the large parking lot of the Rio Salado Shooting range. I spotted a green-clad Chief Range officer with sunglasses and a proper gun in his belt - it was like a clip from an American film. When I approached to ask for directions, I was met by a polite but very determined demeanor and manner of speaking – just like in the movies when the local old seasoned sheriff has pulled over a speeder and asks for the driver's license. This tone of behavior and tone changed drastically 180 degrees when I politely asked for directions to the "Rob Leatham - Day of Steel" course. With a slight gaping eye, when I was measured and weighed from toe to top of my cheap green "Bagsværd Jagt & Fiskeri" cap, which I had received from a friend, his gaze was replaced by respect and he briefly gave driving instructions.

I then understood that he had measured me by whether I was an elite shooter and how good I was, as it is usually only very experienced shooters who are selected to participate in these day courses, - but also that Rob Leatham's name and the respect for him, "holy" at the Mesa shooting range. I was now extra excited about who the participants would be on the course.. and I also now knew that this would be a great experience and I absolutely had to live up to my absolute best and just suck it up along the way. With 9 hours of jet lag, no sleep, drills that I had never tried before and a borrowed unloaded gun that I had to shoot with for the first time, the situation was perhaps not quite optimal, - but on the other hand, it was like this every time I have shot a match so I wasn't used to anything else. In addition, a wise man had told me that a competent practical shooter must always be able to shoot with anything, at any time..

Shortly after 07:00 a big blue ford truck pulled up near the track and out got a big man with a big smile and went straight up and asked if I was Kimu as he had my borrowed gun and gear. It was Rob Leatham. I had to borrow and shoot one of Rob Leatham's new pistols; Springfield XDM 5.25, 9mm and Safariland equipment. However, the trigger was heavy and the magazine fell out a few times. For example, during an elimination round (mini-match) where I pulled the gun and instead of a shot against the steel disc, the magazine went off instead of against the steel to the big mouths of everyone including myself, after which everyone clapped with laughter. Of course, I was convinced that I was a participant in a hidden camera and everyone agreed that if it had been true, the video would have definitely won on humor and gawking 🙂

Later after the first elimination rounds, I was then allowed to borrow Rob's oldest Springsfield pistol with the best trigger he had ever experienced, and with which he had shot home many championships - it was a pistol of which he was particularly proud, and I was then also Pope proud to borrow his championship gun! – my shooting during the elimination rounds also went much better after that 🙂

I got kitted up and at the same time the last participants arrived and I could see that there were probably some faces that I had seen before on You tube, pictures and films. Only after the course did it actually occur to me who I had shot with, when someone was kind enough to inform me about this. Out of the 10 participants, 70 were % from the world elite – 3 were from the current US national team and four had been. Besides Rob Leatham (RL), it was his wife Kippi, 2 x 4 double US WC champion, Sara Dunivin, defending US champion and WC silver winner, Arnt Myhre, European and US champion, as well as several other champions. In addition, two retired military SOF - and then me 🙂

The course started with each of us being given a target to warm up so that Rob could judge our shooting skill level and where he should set the common bar.

Before he started he shouted ”You are all very experienced and competent shooters – otherwise you would not be here – so Shoot your best! – and now I have to see how Kimu is managing with a pistol he has never shot with before!”, after which he laughed loudly, the rest of the team thought well it's not me – and then the day's course started.

You definitely don't have to be picky about Rob's courses, as he speaks straight out of the box, but at the same time is also incredibly humorous. In addition, the mentality is very very competitive, incredibly intense and Rob does everything to psyche himself up and push the students to the limit. In fact, he succeeded so well that some of the world-class shooters snickered wildly and had to take a collection break. The teaching methodology is very practical; Every time a student did something bad, he stopped the whole team and went through step by step what went wrong - which I and all the others did many times - many times.. Then he asked the student to shoot in front of the whole team on command, and at the same time explained what is wrong, after which he corrects it and the effect is then directly measured. No one was "spared" - in fact some of the mistakes I got fixed were also fixed on US National champions and world elite shooters.

Conversely, this also happened when a student did something good. Then he stopped the whole team and asked for a demonstration - of course you didn't know in advance whether he thought it was good or bad, so it was just about squeezing the buttocks together and showing his best potential and competence. I actually experienced that myself. After shooting approx. 20 shots in the demonstration exercise, the verdict came and Rob Leatham simply shouted "Thats perfect! – that just f…. perfect!”, then he explained the team and asked me to demonstrate again while explaining why it was good, after which everyone else nodded, clapped and said congrats! (congratulations).. You will of course be happy about that in that company, - something else was that I later forgot it at the beginning of the elimination rounds - but luckily remembered it again in the last rounds 🙂

Moreover, I like the way and the atmosphere, where all the students can recognize the achievements of others, which was indicated by applause and congrats! At the same time, everyone could also laugh and be self-deprecating when something went wrong - which we all did regularly 🙂 There are many who could learn something from this, instead of denigrating themselves or others. Look at the bright side!

To put extra pressure on, there were also nine "steel challenge" elimination rounds (mini-matches), as preparation and "pre-match" for the evening's famous steel match with a few hundred participants; "Tuesday Night Steel". The elimination rounds were each a squad mini-match with increasing difficulty, number of goals and shots. The first was 6 goals, 6 shots from approx. 15 m in time. The second was 5 targets, 8 shots and alternating from single to double shots from approx. 15 m in time. Tredie was Rob Leatham's pet prank; 4 targets, 10 seconds - how many times can you hit with a single shot?. Fourth practice was two-box change and many targets, fifth practice four-square box change and many targets, etc. Until there were 43 different targets, 1-3 magazine changes, shooting while moving at different speeds, as some had to have two shots, others a single shot . A final trick was also dueling wood; approx. 15 m towards 1-6 approx. 8-10 cm goal, where it is necessary to shoot all six goals on the opponent's side. That is you have to shoot accurately and very fast! (2-3 shots per second and magazine change preferably around the second and a half).

The first few rounds of elimination didn't go very well for me as I was making different biscuits, but for each round of elimination I listened to Rob Leatham and then progressed each round. Unfortunately, it was the first elimination rounds that Kippi recorded on video and unfortunately not the last ones where I did well 🙂 But then I have an "eternal memory" of what not to do 🙂 but at the same time also an "eternal memory" that I every mini-match chalked the shoes, listened and learned and therefore went ahead each time to then beat some of the "heavy boys and girls".

The last grand finale with 43 goals, I shot very surprisingly in the fourth best time, and therefore had to shoot against Rob Leatham in a wooden duel, - where I got hit 🙂 That meant I had to shoot against a round 2 winner next time. I won that one and the next two. After 63 shots and the longest duel during the mini-match, I ran out of ammo!. If I had just one more shot and had hit the spot, I would have won the duel, as my opponent had a magazine change. But instead I had to see that my opponent with a smile and five plings put all the goals on my side - a boy's ass! 🙂

Once again number 4 🙂 – but in hindsight and when I analyzed the daily rate in the following days, I was now quite satisfied with my efforts in that company, since I could not have done better, had surprised the company positively, but most importantly had learned and got confirmed a lot! – especially about and occasionally POMW.

Incidentally, it was also a course where Rob Leatham twice! was beaten in the finals in some of the last elimination mini-matches and was completely exhausted afterwards (I also slept like a rock!), but Kippi was kind enough to post comments afterwards on twitter, facebook and YouTube; "Rob has some pretty talented "students" attending his "Day of Steel" classes..".

For me it was a huge privilege, experience and most importantly educational, to be directed by Rob Leatham, who is a very talented director. It was also a great privilege to shoot with a squad where 70 % are world class shooters!. All of whom were incredibly nice, helpful and set a very high standard for the day's course, which of course affected the bar in a positive upward effect for the rest of us.

It was also affirming to see that even though you are in the absolute world elite, you also fumble when you shoot beyond your ability, just like everyone else. But as Rob Letham said “If you never crack, you're shooting below your potential and never getting out of your comfort zone. You must always shoot at the limit of your performance when you train and compete - that way you always know that you have done your best - whether you win or lose".

I would definitely like to come back here again when I have become more skilled and more experienced - and if I am selected again on the application...