When I started out as an instructor or even before I was an instructor, it wasn't about making a ton of money, being famous or popular and making YouTube videos never was a concern of mine. I wanted to be an instructor for one reason, TO MAKE PEOPLE SAFER.
That being said that has been a major flaw of mine. I have taught numerous courses on my dime. I've comped people courses and not because they would benefit me in the long run. Most of the time it was because someone really wanted to train and couldn't make it happen financially, or they were a LEO, military or I just liked the drive they had to train. This is no way me boasting about being a nice guy, because I'm not. As I said earlier, it's about making people safer. Money comes and goes and a very influential person in my training worked with me on course cost. I just try and pay it forward.
Awhile back I was on a iPhone app talking with a group of people and a guy who has never trained anyone and who essentially just fanboys out to people said "he tried to YouTube me and nothing comes up. Besides a video where I'm on the sidelines in a internet sensations video". Needless to say that video was on a course I put together. I was the SENIOR instructor and have/had taught more CFS courses than the person he spoke of. To say this exchange pissed me off would be an understatement. Not to mention his opinion that I didn't know anything since I wasn't on YT was pure ASSCLOWNERY.
Recently someone I consider a close friend and one hell of an instructor and I were discussing social media and YT came up. We were talking about people who do YT videos and are putting out horrible information to people. Yet people take them as an authority because they have a YouTube channel. Then you have the flip side to that coin. You have the guys who actually are decent instructors, but are gear whores. They make YT videos to score free gear, maybe make YT money and build a name off YT. To each, his own.
I have four people who have been huge influences in my training. One guy happens to be one of the best instructors in the world RJP. My two friends Aaron & Tim happen to be guys I trained with on a regular basis. Two guys you have never heard of in the industry, yet they run a gun better than anyone I've seen. Both LEO, SWAT (or former), both instructors for the agency they work for and have had to use a gun to defend themselves. None of those things mentioned matter, besides they train a lot on there own time, they can run a gun & they helped me become a better instructor and to run a gun better. Lastly is the founder of D.A.M.N I had the opportunity to take a Human Weapon System course last year. It was an eye opening experience and changed the way I think about SD, operational medicine & life.
Notice three of those people aren't internet sensations? Two you wont ever hear about in the industry. I've been fortunate enough to meet, train with & run a gun with some pretty top notch guys. I'm very skeptical of most information I run across or hear someone spout off. I dissect it, I ask WHY. If they have a valid WHY, I ask more questions. If it makes since I change what I'm doing.
So I guess the moral of this tangent DON'T BE A FANBOY. Just because someone teaches, has a YT channel or teaches (insert awesome program name here) doesn't always mean they are the best to train you. Check out a blog I wrote a while back http://sacredcowkicking.blogspot.com/2011/03/taking-self-defense-courses-based-on.html That will give you more info on how I think people should choose a SD course or instructor.
