Meet The Fta Member Series: Rob Beckman

MEET THE FTA MEMBER: ROB BECKMAN

Tell us who you are, where you grew up, where you live, and where you teach.

My name is Rob Beckman and I grew up and live in Cincinnati, Ohio on the west side just twenty minutes from Indiana.  Being so close to Indiana means I have friends and family there, and I teach in Bright, Indiana which is just twenty-five minutes from my house.  I’m the host of the Firearm Trainer Podcast, which is a podcast that is directed towards supporting trainers in order to make them as effective as possible in making gun owners more knowledgeable.

Did you grow up in a home in which adults had firearms?

We never had firearms in my house growing up.  The only times I was exposed to firearms was at my grandparents’ farm in Indiana or during the summer at Boy Scout Summer Camp where we shot .22 rifles.

Were you ever in the military, law enforcement, or any other profession in which possession of a firearm was necessary?

My career has never required me to carry a firearm for work, although I do offer training as much as I can to those who are required to carry (such as law enforcement and military) so they can execute their duties efficiently to defend themselves or others.

When did you decide to become a firearms trainer, and how did you go about it?

In 2004 when Ohio offered CCW licenses to citizens I was interested in finding out about becoming an instructor, but it was difficult to find any information.  Fast forward to 2010 and through my association with the Boy Scouts I started my journey by first becoming a NRA rifle, then shotgun, and eventually a pistol instructor.  Wanting to do more, I became a NRA Training Counselor in 2012 which allows me to teach the instructor how-to-teach courses which I wasn’t able to find easily back in 2004.

Please set out three firearms and/or tactics instructor certifications that you possess that are most relevant to what you teach today and why.

I am a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearm Instructors (IALEFI). Their Master Instructor Firearm Development Program and Firearm Instructor Course really opened my eyes to the challenges law enforcement faces, and since most of the class was made up of law enforcement officers from around the country the discussions were also enlightening.  The third instructor certification that I think is relevant is the ConcealedCarry.com Guardian Course Instructor.  This isn’t your normal one-day class because it combined skill development with real application.  We teach the students specific skills, and we drill them on it till mid-afternoon.  Then we do a force-on-force scenario that allows them to apply what they have learned in a realistic confrontation.  Students like the skills building, but they really love the force-on-force because not many places offer this.

Please name one (and only one) instructor that you might describe as being a mentor to you.

John Farquhar from Madduck Training in West Elkton, Ohio.  I’ve taken a lot of training from John and now that we are competitors in training people on NRA classes around southwest Ohio we also have good conversations when we see each other.  He’s a wealth of information on firearms, trauma, and photography.  He is a great guy.

What class do you teach that you think benefits students the most?

For the beginner CCW student, it is the basic CCW course which I think really opens their eyes to what they are stepping into. For the advanced CCW student, the Guardian Courses are by far the most beneficial.

What is the most important thing that you have learned as an instructor that perhaps new instructors would benefit from knowing?

Adults learn in all different types of styles (visual, auditory, tactile, etc.).  Learning how to adapt your teaching style to those learning styles will allow you to connect with your students quicker and allow them to get the most out of your training.

Please provide us with your contact information, including email and website address.

Rob Beckman 513-519-9519 (cell)

Rob@AmericanDefenseTraining.us

AmericanDefenseTraining.us 513-800-1872 (office) www.firearmtrainerpodcast.com