Category Archive: Blog

InSights Red, White, and Black Friday Sale is on Now!

The Sale is On!

It’s time to save 10% on all 2018 classes and 15% on the last 2017 GDH class with promo code “BlackFriday2017“. Hurry — sale ends 11/30!

Snag one of the last slots in the December 2017 GDH for 15% off

Join Benjamin Olmsted for General Defensive Handgun and shore up your shooting foundation. Safety, marksmanship, reloads, fixing malfunctions, drawing from concealment, and more. Plus lectures on mindset, legalities, ballistics, equipment. This is a class you need to take if you want to carry a gun. GDH is December 9-10 at Wade’s Guns in Bellevue.

Lay out your 2018 training today and save 10%

Basic Handgun
General Defensive Handgun
Intermediate Defensive Handgun
Intensive Handgun Skills
General Defensive Rifle
Unarmed Self Defense
Defensive Folding Knife

Save with promo code “BlackFriday2017

Sale ends Thursday, November 30. 15% offer valid on the December 2017 GDH class. 10% offer valid on all 2018 classes currently on the schedule. Offers cannot be combined with any other discounts.

For more information about these and all our classes and to register, visit our website: InSightsTraining.com or call 888.958.0884.

Stay safe and we’ll see you in class!

Concealed Carry Reciprocity Updates

Nevada and Utah have reciprocity, plus nice Florida updates

Somewhat old news, but fresher than my older concealed carry post below. As of July 2016, Utah and Nevada have reciprocity for resident and non-resident permits. Maine went to (mostly) constitutional carry — you can carry in most places without a permit, but not in as many places as a ME permit holder can. Also, as of the end of 2015, Minnesota stopped recognizing the Utah permit (and nearly all others, too!). And Florida reduced their application fees.

Keep your fingers crossed for New Mexico to come back into the fold. As of now, two ways to get NM are to get an Arizona permit or a Florida permit:

  • An Arizona permit could be a replacement for a UT permit: AZ gets you the same states as UT, plus NM.
  • Florida is a 2-for-1 deal: Florida does not recognize WA or UT-non-resident permits, so you need to get a FL non-res to carry there; and as a bonus you get to carry in NM.
  • Actually, at the moment, FL could be a replacement for both UT and AZ since it gets you all their states, NV and NM, and Florida.  And it looks like FL just lowered their fees — $102 intial, $92 renewal for a 7-year permit.They also dropped the notarization requirement.

It’s a frequently shifting map, however, so all this could change next month.

In any case, our Multi-State/Utah Permit Class gets you everything you need to get a UT permit, or the proof-of-training certificate you need to get AZ or FL (or OR). Check the website for more upcoming dates. Even better, mention this blog post when you call to register and get a special price of $99 on the class!

 

Concealed Carry Permit News

Nevada and Arizona now have reciprocity

That means that now the easiest way to carry in Nevada (as a Washington State resident) is to get the Arizona non-resident permit. And our Utah permit class can help you get that — read on!

Previously, to carry in Nevada you had to get a Nevada non-resident permit (which you have to apply for in Nevada) or get the Idaho Enhanced permit (98 rounds of live fire training, and legal training by an Idaho LEO or Idaho lawyer). The Arizona permit process is much more pleasant — here’s a link to the Arizona permit site.

And another benefit of getting the Arizona permit is that you can also carry in New Mexico. About the only other way to get New Mexico (as a Washington resident) is to get the Florida non-resident permit. And you’ll need a Florida non-resident permit to carry in Florida as a Washingtonian anyway.

Here’s a breakdown of which permits get you what:

  • WA resident permit (plus no-permit-required states) gets you 26 states
  • UT non-resident permit plus WA resident permit gets you 32 states
  • OR non-resident gets you OR (it’s the only way to get OR)
  • AZ non-resident gets you NV and NM (easiest way to get NV, cheapest way to get NM)
  • FL non-resident gets you FL and NM (only way to get FL)
  • NH non-resident gets you NH and PA (easiest way to get PA, only way to get NH)
  • ME non-resident gets you ME (only way to get ME)

Arizona does have a training requirement, but it is satisfied by a photocopy of your UT permit (or of a permit from another state that requires training).

Around the country (sort of) in 7 permits — bah!

That’s what the map looks like as of today, at least for Washington State residents. Thirty-nine states out of fifty. And getting permits from those remaining states is either impossible, unlikely, or extremely expensive. For more information, check out usacarry.com.

At least we make it easy to get your Utah permit! When you take our all-inclusive Utah class you also receive a “proof of training” certificate that you can photocopy for your applications to other states that require training (OR, FL, AZ). Check out InSightsTraining.com for the latest class dates and times.

Make this the “Summer of Training”

Don’t stop at Utah class. Forget that ‘staycation’ — take an “InSightsTraining-cation”! Shooting classes with the incomparable Greg Hamilton, tactics classes with the indomitable John Holschen, Tactical First Aid with the inimitable Dr. Mike Shertz.

Stay safe and we’ll see you in class!

 

By Alan Hines

A Cooper Classic: Principles of Personal Defense

With 2015 well underway, and those flimsy New Year’s resolutions underwater, here’s an easy project. Tune up your mindset and increase your awareness. And without breaking a sweat you will increase your personal safety.

A great book to read about this is Jeff Cooper’s Principles of Personal Defense. First published in 1972, and reprinted a couple times since then, it is a self defense classic. In short, he explains seven qualities that you should cultivate:

  • Alertness: Trouble can appear at any time — know what is behind you, and pay attention to anything out of place.
  • Decisiveness: Decide instantly upon a proper course of action to be carried out immediately, without hesitation.
  • Aggressiveness: Whether it is a counter-attack or a pre-emptive attack, give it everything you’ve got.
  • Speed: Be fast, not fair — end it before the loser fully realizes he has bitten off more than he can chew.
  • Coolness: If you know that you can keep your head, that you must keep your head, you probably will keep your head.
  • Ruthlessness: Anyone who willfully and maliciously attacks another without sufficient cause deserves no consideration from you–don’t hold back.
  • Surprise: The criminal does not expect his prey to fight back — surprise him!

Track down a copy and read it. In the meantime, here is an exercise Cooper mentions in the book to increase your awareness:

“Make it a game. Keep a chart. Every time anyone is able to approach you from behind without your knowledge, mark down an X. Every time you see anyone you know before he sees you, mark down an O. Keep the Os ahead of the Xs. A month with no Xs establishes the formation of correct habits.”

Try it for a week or a month and see how you do. Increase your awareness and you never know what you might notice.

Stay safe and we’ll see you in class.

 

By Alan Hines

20-25% Off Folding Knife Classes

Knife students new and old save on February’s featured classes

Save 25% if you take both Defensive Folding Knife I and Defensive Folding Knife II, February 27-March 1. Previous DFK I students save 20% on DFK II.*

DFK I teaches you how to use a Spyderco-style pocketknife as a superb standalone self defense tool and an excellent companion to firearms, pepper spray, and other defensive tools in your family’s layered personal protection plan. Most small pocketknives can be carried in any State and in most foreign countries. If you can’t have your handgun, have your knife!

Then, in DFK II, learn how to counter multiple attackers, armed opponents, and fights on the ground. This class only comes around every other year. Save 25% if you sign up for both DFK I and DFK II, 2/27-3/1. Students who have already taken DFK I can save 20% on DFK II. Register today at InSightsTraining.com.

*20-25% discount cannot be combined with any other specials or discounts. To register, call 425.827.2552 or 888.958.0884.

And get ready for Close Quarters Confrontations, March 6-8

CQC is another class that we only offer every other year. You will learn a full unarmed combat system and an integrated firearms combat system so that you can respond with the right answer quickly in a close distance situation. This action-packed 3-day class runs March 6-8. The only prerequisite is General Defensive Handgun. Learn more and register at InSightsTraining.com.