I wanted to thank you, your sons, your apprentice and your wife (delicious burgers at the end of a long but great day) for an outstanding two days of combative training – The best I’ve ever experienced – On a scale of 1-10 (It was a 12)!!
First and foremost, I’ve never experienced a more comprehensive curriculum (pistol shooting, run and gun, knife fighting, standup grappling, weapons system and combined tactics, tools review/recommendations, mind set talk, medic assistance review, safety protocols ALWAYS and breaking bread together).
Second, I learned basics in a way that I had not experienced before – I had been taught them before but not in a way that was “sticky” with me (meaning; here’s how you do it (listen, watch, experience it yourself, and how to fix/adjust – add pressure/change circumstances, fix/adjust – go back to basics fix/adjust – Rep it).
Lastly, it’s an honor to be taught by a warrior from your tribe, level and “tip of the spear” experiences. One of your nicknames that you shared with me says it all – “Spaniard” from Gladiator (one of the most famous and admired men to fight in the colosseum).
I’m looking forward to rep’ing my new learnings, upgrading my tools and coming back for more teachings.
I hope I get to see you in Jackson Hole – And have you and your family into my home and meet my family.
Again, sincerely thank you – It was life changing for me.
-Bruce
I just spent the day with Resnick in GA. What an amazing class! I thoroughly enjoyed learning all of the new material and Res and his ’tribe’ were amazing to be around. Please keep me in the loop with any future classes that may be coming to the South.
I have been to different schools and enjoyed learning from different instructors. But the day I spent with Bryan Resnick was exceptional. The combative- hand to hand knife / gun exercises with the ‘tribe’ was excellent. I am a process guy and I appreciated Bryan taking his time and explaining detailed techniques. Not only have you gained a new advocate… but a friend. Thanks again.
-John
Thanks again for a great class, that was the most impactful training I’ve had by a long shot.
Thanks!
–Chad
Just wanted to say how fantastic your class was with Bryan Resnick. He is a great instructor, his style of instruction was perfect for the class/audience, I know my skills are improved and I walked away with more tools for my tool chest.
Love the AMTAC mindset…Resnick is one hell of an individual. He is driven, honest, well skilled, treats everyone equally, and passionate. He is a great American. He’s a great instructor.
–Eddie
Regardless of your level of experience in striking, jiu jitsu, shooting, wrestling, or with knives, this class will open your eyes to which techniques are most applicable to a realistic grappling environment. More importantly for me, the mindset portion of the class has taught me to think ahead of time about my willinesses to engage in big V Violence versus small v violence.
-Edward
Great class. Young Mr Cagle did a very fine job and was a great representative for AmTac. Class was a great ROI.
-Amtac Shooting Carbine 1 Course Student
I have now taken 4-5 of Bill’s classes.
Every time I learn something new or drive home a prior skill he taught.
He knows how to keep it fresh.
-Walter
I wanted to thank you for a great class this week. Your approach to teaching and life in general really stands out and were very helpful. I’ll keep an eye on your schedule for next year, hopefully I’ll be able to grab a spot.
-Tom
Let me share with you how much I appreciated your instruction. I teach part-time at the Univ of AZ Law School and know how hard it is to teach well, particularly a practical skill. You do a great job of breaking things down, of gradually building on the steps to be taken, and of keeping it simple. I also appreciate your keen eye on what we were doing and spotting problem areas in our execution (especially correcting some safety issues with me). Thank you again for sharing your expertise with us.
–Walter
Great to meet you and thank you for putting on a great class over the weekend. As a guy that grew up hunting and around firearms I had shot a lot throughout my life, but until now didn’t realize that I had never really trained. What a great eye opener, and a quick way to pick up some useful knowledge.
-Brian
Thanks for an OUTSTANDING class in Bangor! It is instantly among the best training I have had. The way you distributed that amount of information was impressive, your communication and instruction game is strong my friend. Great class, great time and a great group of people made it well worth every penny to get there. Can’t wait to train with AMTAC again!
-Todd
I’m a little late getting this out to you, but thanks again for the great Rifle Class on the Hybrid Carbine 26-27 August here in GA. I probably would never have even attempted to hit a target out to 600 yards with a 5.56 rifle with a 3x scope and using a 55 grain round! Thanks for walking me on to the target at that distance – it not only helped me to be a better shooter, but it also showed me the distances at which I can teach my Kiddos (all 3) to hit a target when they are a little older (gotta train the next generation of Responsibility Armed American Citizens!). My wife and I are looking forward to your next trip down South to continue are training. Thanks for help over the last few years with your recommendations that save us both time and money on our gear. My wife and I appreciate your time and commitment to our mutually passionate pursuit of our 2nd Amendment Right as Americans. All the best to you and your Family – looking forward to next rejoin as soon as possible.
-Scott
“In summation, this was an excellent course and fit in perfectly with the subject matter I was seeking. It definitely qualified in continuing to fill in the cracks in my training, and is a course that would even warrant repetition down the road. I guess the best words I can say are these: I had other choices of courses this same weekend, courses not far from where I live and with high-quality instructors who are highly thought-of in the training community. After completing this course with Bill Rapier, I have no regrets about where I spent my money and time.”
-Robert, of CIVILIAN GUNFIGHTER, Identifying the Best Training, Tools, and Tactics for the Armed Civilian!
Hands down most valuable and well rounded training evolution I have attended to date. Bill combines passion and technical know how with the all important ‘whys’ fueled by two decades of hard fought experience. Whether you carry a firearm for a living or as part of your responsible American lifestyle, you owe it to yourself to train with AMTAC!
I just wanted to reach out to thank you and your team at AMTAC. I recently had the privilege of attending the Pistol/Combatives 1 course with Res. It was an amazing experience and as expected I learned new techniques I could instantly implement as well as areas I need to improve. The training and the atmosphere created by Res were both top notch. I don’t want to say I was skeptical to train with someone besides you, because I felt that if you were sending someone out under your name the training would be exceptional, which it was. What I was worried about missing with someone else is what drew me to AMTAC in the first place, your openness regarding Christ. I was happy to hear Res mention Christ and the Bible several times throughout the day. My favorite part of the day was by far the mindset talk. “You can win every violent encounter you’re ever in, but it doesn’t mean anything if you are eternally separated from God, so fix that” or something close to that. I loved it and am so glad to be able to train with a company who knows and proclaims the truth. So again, thank you for the great training and thank you for your boldness in proclaiming Christ. I look forward to training with you in the future and would train with Res again any chance I have.
-Matt
“I’ve been training in various martial arts for 15 years. I am a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and a senior instructor in Jeet Kune Do. I also run a martial arts school in Northern California. These three days with Bill Rapier and Tuhon Tom Kier were awesome. The amount of knowledge and experience in one room was unbelievable at times. I got to look at my experience in martial arts under an electron microscope! There is NO aspect of Violence that is left unexamined in this course. Lots of little things that I had never thought about had a light shed on them, details that are crucial when it comes to life and death. We covered everything from pistol, blade, ground fighting, multiple attackers, and basic medical. All of which were combined and “pressure tested” at the end of the course! Of all the courses and teachers I have spent time with over the years, this was by far the most comprehensive and detailed approach to fighting and self-defense I have experienced in three days. If I could only choose 1 course to take, this would be it! If someone had to get ready for a life-and-death encounter in three days, this is the only course I know of that would make someone capable of handling such a wide variety of violent situations in so little time. I will definitely be attending this course again.”
– Thanks, Darrell Thompson, Cultivate Power Fight Arts
“It was really great to attend your class in Wallingford CT! I came away from the class feeling more capable (more dangerous) but most importantly with practical skills that I can train-as you know skills are perishable so ongoing work is critical. The blade training and the hand to hand work was excellent (brand new to me)-going forward my training priority will be these skills! If I can get into Luigis Nov. 16 training with your mentor I will certainly attend. I appreciate that you lead by example: that is really the only kind of leadership there is. I came away from your course with the motivation to be a better more capable man in all aspects of my life. Thank you for inspiring me!”
-Bart
“Yesterday I attended pistol and combatives with Rez. I was blown away. Rez is a great instructor. He was charismatic, informative, fun, and very skilled. I could see his passion for being a professional. Rez is just fun to be around and learn from. 10/10. He deserves a raise. I have attended a few shooting courses, but this curriculum was next level. The combatives portion of the day was eye opening. I wish I had started my training journey here. I walked away from the class having material to work on and train with. I am also glad to have waited to purchase a blade. The info given on design, concept and purpose was valuable. I’ll be following up the email with a purchase.”
-Sean
“I just got back home from training in Indiana with Bryan Resnick and wanted to take a minute to share my feedback from the weekend. I was only signed up for the Saturday Carbine 1 Course and decided to stay for the Sunday Pistol/Combatives 1 Course. I can say very confidently that I walked away from this weekend significantly better in every category that was trained on range, and better in several categories that were discussed off range. Res has a gift for teaching; he is engaging, knowledgeable and humble. His ability to take a macro level concept and distill it down to its most granular parts was amazing to me. Having been a college athlete and collegiate coach, I have spent a lot of time around great coaches and have spent a lot of time trying to be a one, and Res stands out amongst them. Equally impactful for me was his ability to make me feel like he wanted me there. I aspire to be someone like this. Someone who makes you feel like you are one of them and they are glad that you are. The time spent off range with Res has changed my outlook on several facets of my own life. I was able to eat dinner with Res where he provided guidance for me as a husband, and on starting a family. Res also spoke to me about Christianity and his faith, and helped to guide me on my new journey to find faith. I can’t thank Res and AMTAC enough for making stuff like this possible.”
-JH
First and foremost, I believe that I received world class training with Res. Res is relatable, sociable, humble, and clearly a dedicated professional in his field. He is a talented instructor and I walked away more dangerous than I arrived. I appreciate the way that he objectively walked through pistol marksmanship the first half of the day. Most notably he succinctly diagnosed that my “three amigos” problem was my largest area for improvement. He provided me with exercises that can be done during dry fire – which I have successfully implemented into my training. I was also impressed with the blade training, the striking equipment made available as well as the large collection of different edged weapons to inspect. Strategically, I appreciate the distinctions that he made between knife and gun fighters’ mentalities. I am actively working some of the “knife fighter” principles into my warrior mindset. Operationally, I will be purchasing a Northman X to pocket carry as I am sold on the ability to discreetly prep a draw and be able to access a weapon when my waistline is being controlled. I could continue with significant take-aways but will digress for brevity. I will continue training with Amtac and recommending them to those serious about upholding their protector duties. Lastly, I am grateful for the values of Amtac. It is refreshing to hear from a company that profits exclusively from tactical training and gear proport values that emphasize that tactical training is not everything: tactical training does not make a man. I believe this is a fallacy that is besieging American (i.e., 2A) culture. Biblically, I believe that it is a man’s responsibility to protect his family spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The emphasis that physical training is a part of what makes a man is refreshing and speaks powerfully, especially coming from professionals of physical violence. Res’ instruction, my dialogue with him and the mindset talk all consistently buttressed this. There is more I could speak to but again I will limit myself for brevity. I believe that I received instruction supported by values consistent with Biblical principles. I look forward to continuing training with Amtac. I would be grateful for the opportunity to train with Res again.
– Neal
A few weeks ago, I took a class with Res on pistol and blade combatives near Indianapolis, Indiana. I’m a 30 year old Christian, husband and father with limited tactical experience. I have a desire to get good training and have no desire to experiment with different instructors and methods, but rather to find a course of instruction that I can confidently trust. Although I am grateful for all of the tactical training available, it does make selecting a training program difficult. I was briefly introduced to Amtac by John Hillman, several years ago and continued to be intrigued by videos posted online by “Kit Bader” (YouTube). I chose to train with Amtac in part due to Bill’s (and his staff’s) professional experience, but more importantly due to Bill’s (and therefore Amtac’s) spiritual convictions. By happenstance I saw that there was a class being hosted local to me and I prioritized attendance. I will continue to train with Amtac due to the quality of the instruction and the values they promote.
First and foremost, I believe that I received world class training with Res. Res is relatable, sociable, humble, and clearly a dedicated professional in his field. He is a talented instructor and I walked away more dangerous than I arrived. I appreciate the way that he objectively walked through pistol marksmanship the first half of the day. Most notably he succinctly diagnosed that my “three amigos” problem was my largest area for improvement. He provided me with exercises that can be done during dry fire – which I have successfully implemented into my training. I was also impressed with the blade training, the striking equipment made available as well as the large collection of different edged weapons to inspect. Strategically, I appreciate the distinctions that he made between knife and gun fighters’ mentalities. I am actively working some of the “knife fighter” principles into my warrior mindset. Operationally, I will be purchasing a Northman X to pocket carry as I am sold on the ability to discreetly prep a draw and be able to access a weapon when my waistline is being controlled. I could continue with significant take-aways but will digress for brevity. I will continue training with Amtac and recommending them to those serious about upholding their protector duties.
I’m grateful for everything that I took away from the class and believe it was a good investment. I understand that there is a significant amount of material to be fit into a single day’s instruction and I saw that Res did a great job managing the classes’ schedule. One additional thing that I wish I could have taken away: practical examples of what training could look like at home, particularly as it relates to blade work. There is a lot of material online outlining dry firing, etc., but not so much for blade work. I would be interested to see examples of training setups/drills equivalent to pistol “dry firing”.
Lastly, I am grateful for the values of Amtac. It is refreshing to hear from a company that profits exclusively from tactical training and gear proport values that emphasize that tactical training is not everything: tactical training does not make a man. I believe this is a fallacy that is besieging American (i.e., 2A) culture. Biblically, I believe that it is a man’s responsibility to protect his family spiritually, emotionally, and physically. The emphasis that physical training is a part of what makes a man is refreshing and speaks powerfully, especially coming from professionals of physical violence. Res’ instruction, my dialogue with him and the mindset talk all consistently buttressed this. There is more I could speak to but again I will limit myself for brevity. I believe that I received instruction supported by values consistent with Biblical principles. I look forward to continuing training with Amtac. I would be grateful for the opportunity to train with Res again.
– Best Regards, Cameron