Zero Bringing Training Concept to Civilians

2nd Amendment – R2KBA Authors S.H. Blannelberry This Week

Instructor Zero is no joke! Dude is for real! After spending a day with him at the Pro Gun Club in Boulder City, Nevada, (on the eve of the 2015 SHOT Show) there’s no longer any doubt in my mind that the enigmatic operative from Italy is a force to be reckoned with.

I say this because like every gun guru you see on the Internet these days there’s always that question of authenticity, right? How real are they? How much of what they’re selling is schtick versus valuable information borne out of first-hand experience and backed by hard erudition?

With Zero the answers to those questions are clear. He isn’t fake. He doesn’t sell easy-bake tactics. He doesn’t care about looking good for the cameras or perpetuating a faux persona. He only cares about articulating what he calls the “training concept,” his pedagogical approach to making students better shooters.

What’s included in his “training concept”? Well, I don’t want to speak for the man but from what I garnered there is an emphasis on “thinking outside the box.” Yes, it’s a trite, corporate cliche, something uttered by a sales manager to his foundering flock, but when Zero preaches it it’s more than just a catchphrase, it becomes a creed, a way of adapting one’s mindset to the new threats that emerge in an ever-changing society.

For example, one thing Zero stresses is the notion of relativity. Everything is relative in his world. No two situations are alike, therefore how one responds in the face of a threat will depend on any number of variables and options one has available. The idea is that one should be prepared to confront whatever comes knocking on one’s front door with whatever tool (firearm) one has at the ready.

To that end, Zero believes in putting the focus on training the man, not perfecting the technology. It’s the person pulling the trigger that matters, not the trigger. Maybe that’s not a novel concept, but in a world where dudes are constantly trying to deck out their guns with all the bells and whistles available to, in many cases, avoid the time it would take to master the craft with the bare-bone essentials (iron sights, factory trigger, etc.) it was rather refreshing to hear Zero remind us of that adage: a poor workman blames his tools. In other words, a poor shooter blames his gun. If you can only operate optimally primed tools under optimally pleasing conditions, well, you can’t expect to perform efficiently when the shit hits the fan.

One of Zero’s mottos appears to be train with everything. Learn how to operate non-optimal firearms in adverse conditions. While he often uses a GLOCK in his training sessions, he told us that’s not because he loves GLOCK per se or because they’re the best tool for the job, but because they’re ubiquitous. Typically, no matter where he’s traveled in the world, he runs into students who shoot GLOCKs. He trains on that platform, but he also trains with SIG, Beretta, H&K and all the rest.

There’s a lot more and I’m not really doing it justice, so watch the brief video above it’ll give you a better snapshot of Zero’s approach but even then it’s not complete. It’s tough to boil it all down to a few paragraphs or a five minute video. Thankfully, though, Zero plans on opening up his operation to the public in 2015. While all that’s still to be determined — dates, times, locations — I know I’ll be keeping an eye out to see if/when he’ll be visiting my neighborhood.

Beyond that, Zero also has a great sense of humor.  Check out his unique argot, known as “Zinglish”:

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  • tim January 24, 2015, 8:25 pm

    Google him. He is awesome. Don’t know if he can teach it though.

  • my911 January 20, 2015, 6:23 pm

    Who is the best marksmanship trainer in SC. I can’t get groups under 7 in at t yds.

    I want 5 in or better at 10 yds……for openers

  • my911 January 20, 2015, 6:18 pm

    He doesn’t sound Italian to me…..no traces….never once said capisce!

  • Russ January 20, 2015, 5:34 pm

    I got ZERO out of that.
    Pun intended.

  • Rip January 20, 2015, 3:35 pm

    This guys the bruce lee of the pistol.You may not of heard of him cause he’s not on tv but check him out on funker tactical.

  • William E Handy Jr January 20, 2015, 1:32 pm

    You use the term “trigger pull” repeatedly. This indicates that you yourself need more training. Make sure you do it with an instructor that will not let you say those two words (trigger pull), ever. The correct term for the action of deliberately manipulating the weapon to discharge is “Trigger PRESS”.

    • Mike in ATL January 20, 2015, 5:17 pm

      What utter bullshit. The trigger finger action is most definitely a pulling action, and any instructor making an issue of it is simply trying to puff up his image by trying to sound like he has some counterintuitive grasp of physics.

  • John January 20, 2015, 12:55 pm

    Another “tacticool operator”. That’s what is needed, some guy with a mysterious name to show us how it’s done.
    Ridiculous!

  • Banjarmon January 20, 2015, 11:21 am

    Why was Zero’s holster empty?

    • UAVPilot January 20, 2015, 1:27 pm

      Is that a real question, or are you just trolling?

  • Joe Silva January 20, 2015, 10:32 am

    Too much talk…and nothing to say and no action. Is it a joke? Gives bad name to your site. You should select better your postings!

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