Taking a class with Jedi and the Modern Samurai Project at Ukumehame range in Maui.  My friend  at SAST asked me to attend.  It's a 2 day handgun class on red dots, 700 rounds.  I don't know much about MSP but I'll find out and I'm just average when it comes to using optics.

https://shop.modernsamuraiproject.com/products/red-dot-pistol-fundamentals-and-performance-2-day-course-lahaina-hi-september-13-14-2025-ukumehame-firing-range

First flight out to Maui greeted with a sunrise at the House of the Sun.

TFTI

It sucks that training is so expensive these days that it's out of reach for the common man, but that looks super fun and I'm looking forward to your review.

It sucks that training is so expensive these days that it's out of reach for the common man, but that looks super fun and I'm looking forward to your review.

This class is a little higher than average due to their traveling costs, but not bad.  These types of classes typically cost $200 to $300 per day.   I kept things cheap on this trip with $155 airfare, $110 for 3 days rental car, and I'm pitching a tent at a private campground for $30 a night at Olowalu, and $180 for 600rnds.

Justin Arnold brings Rob Pincus in a few times a year in Waimea, Big Island.   Those classes are pricey, $375  per day.

For cheaper training, Mission Bravo does a one day class every month for $150 to $250.   HRA does a half day skill builder on different things once a month for a membership and $25.

I'll go over the class more when I have time.  Yesterday involved zeroing and going through different types of aiming methods and trigger presses determined by the target difficulty.   Class is going good so far and although this isn't an instructor class, I'm learning many things I can use to teach.

Camp Olowalu is great.  It's located near the range and just costs $30 a night to pitch a tent or sleep in your car.   Very nice and well kept place and the showers and restrooms are very clean.  No homeless issues and everyone's nice.  This is a good cheap alternative to expensive hotels if you want to attend the banquets, competitions, and classes here.  There's a nice beach nearby with snorkeling and kayak/paddle board rentals.

Day 1

I caught the first flight of the day and arrived in Maui at 7am, got my rental car, stopped for supplies, and arrived at Ukumehame at 8am for the 8:30am class.  I went with the minimalist setup - stock Glock 48 with a EPS carry dot, and We the People IWB holster along with using pockets for my magazines.  This combination was the cheapest, slowest and least accurate setup there.  Half of the students had IPSC belts and guns.  Other half had AIWB setups with PDPs, VP9, 229.  Someone had a Glock 45 and CZ - not sure what model.  Jedi is sponsored by Walther so he had a modified PDP.



Jedi went over the different types of red dots with Trijicon at the high end, the COA is a good sight but unavailable, and Holosun being a good cheaper alternative.  A 2 to 4 MOA dot is preferable and he doesn't recommend the large 30 MOA outercircle sights due to it cluttering up the image.  A larger window is preferred over smaller windows like the EPS Carry which I use.

His shooting methods is different from most other schools and he goes into a lot of detail on the stance, sighting, press, and especially grip.  For sighting, we use a target focused approach like looking through the windshield at the road ahead when driving.  We used a thumbs high grip with the support thumb lightly touching the slide in order to get more support hand higher on the gun while rotating the support hand into place for a tight fit.  He teaches better fit instead of a firmer grip to allow for better trigger control.  He also teaches bent elbows instead of locking them up to get a better grip on the gun  Then we practiced the draw, bringing the dot on target from the 6 or 12 oclock position.  This helped me with acquiring the dot versus just punching out and hoping my dot is on target.

He teaches several different sighting methods and trigger presses that can be used in combination depending on the difficulty of the target.  Up close, you line up the backplate or glass on target and do a full trigger slap.  Moderate targets, you put a controlled or violent dot streak on target and do a controlled trigger slap (remove the pretravel and slap).  For farther shots, keep the dot static and fully prep the trigger by getting to the last "wall" then pressing.  Different DA/DAO guns have several points of resistance, "walls" during the trigger press and you need to know which is the last one before the gun fires.  Helps with the crappy Glock triggers.  This gets you a bit more accuracy.  I was able to overlap holes at 5 yards using this technique, but it'd be very difficult to do under stress.  Other schools teach "remove the pretravel and apply pressure on the trigger until it fires" technique which is easier to do under pressure.







A simple exercise was to aim and shoot multiple rounds into the backstop.  This allowed us to clearly see how the dot moved on recoil and how different grips affect the dot movement.  I was able to find a grip that kept the dot in my tiny EPS Carry window on recoil.  A helpful exercise.

Ukumehame is a nice range.  Air conditioned classrooms and a big shooting bay.  It was quite hot and I drank 3/4ths gallon of water.  Jedi was a good instructor and explained everything in detail that was easy to follow.  His background is martial arts and IDPA/IPSC competition.  Some people are put off by his personality but it was fine for me and the other students enjoyed the class.

Thanks for the review.  I like his attitude.  He adds humor to his classes.  So they're not drill instructor type.

"Chinesium"
"My eyes are slant"
"It's made in China, get over it"

TFTI

Planning to have another class on Maui and BI.  Maybe Oahu if we can get a range for it.

Dang i wish i knew he was coming. I watched a few videos of his classes on youtube and my shooting has improved.  He tells you "to box in the gun" from all sides so support thumb riding the top of the slide to keep it down.

Thanks for the info on the MSP class.  Have watched his videos and I like his humor as well when teaching.  I'd be interested in attending a class if / when another is held in the state.

Day 2
We switched to the rifle bay with gorgeous Mauna Kahālāwai as a backstop. 


Went over the different methods of trigger press again and timed how long it takes to press along with the groupings.  Talked about how trigger reset drills and pinning the trigger are obsolete for self-defense.  Jedi brought up the story of giving Eli Dickens (glenwood mall defender) a shooting class and how he failed the Dickens drill.  In real life, Dickens braced against the columns to make his far shots.


This was a new drill for me, 3 to A zone torso and 2 to the A zone head box at 3 yards from the draw.  I shot it in 2.5 seconds.  It requires a fast draw, quick 3 shots to the torso, and riding the dot streak to the box and timing the headshot with the upward momentum.


Final exercise was a sample IDPA course.  I had the fastest time on the 1st run and 3rd fastest  on the 2nd.  I've had quite a bit of defensive tactics training and room clearing so it came in handy for this.  Have to shoot on the move while backing up and moving around corners.  That was fun for the whole 6.4 seconds of it.

that's not what she said

Day 2
We switched to the rifle bay with gorgeous Mauna Kahālāwai as a backstop. 

Went over the different methods of trigger press again and timed how long it takes to press along with the groupings.  Talked about how trigger reset drills and pinning the trigger are obsolete for self-defense.  Jedi brought up the story of giving Eli Dickens (glenwood mall defender) a shooting class and how he failed the Dickens drill.  In real life, Dickens braced against the columns to make his far shots.

This was a new drill for me, 3 to A zone torso and 2 to the A zone head box at 3 yards from the draw.  I shot it in 2.5 seconds.  It requires a fast draw, quick 3 shots to the torso, and riding the dot streak to the box and timing the headshot with the upward momentum.

Final exercise was a sample IDPA course.  I had the fastest time on the 1st run and 3rd fastest  on the 2nd.  I've had quite a bit of defensive tactics training and room clearing so it came in handy for this.  Have to shoot on the move while backing up and moving around corners.  That was fun for the whole 6.4 seconds of it.

The next upcoming class is by Rob Pincus in Waimea on BI.

I enjoyed the class and Jedi was entertaining and made the class interesting.  It was a bit expensive at $650 plus the travel costs but it was well worth it. If I took this class on the mainland, I'd have to spend at least $600 more.  The class sold out in 3 days without any advertising.  It gave me a different perspective on how to operate the pistol from other classes I've taken.  The NRA is finally getting modern by incorporating optics into their handgun class curriculum and the NRA HQ training staff is taking this class next month.

Who's this class for?
This is good for intermediate to advanced level shooters that want to learn how to use a red dot and shoot quicker and more accurately.  It's good for those using a gun for self-defense, competition shooters, and instructors.  As an instructor, I learned a few techniques I can use in my classes like  how to get a proper grip, recoil control, and better trigger presses.

Want to take the class?
To take this class, you should have taken a CCW class, taken a defensive shooting class or skill builders like those taught by HRA or Mission Bravo, and practice using your red dot at distance and up close from the draw. The class doesn't go over basic holster draws or operations like reloads, so you should already know it.  You can use any pistol (except p320s) from a basic stock Glock 43x in a AIWB holster to a 2011 IPSC rig.

We didn't have gun issues on the range.  Normally in a class like this there would be at least a couple dead batteries, broken optics, loose screws, and holster problems.  There were none

Another class coming up for those interested, April 8-9 at Ukumehame range on Maui.

More classes coming up:

 Pistol Fundamentals and Performance 2-Day Course (irons or dots acceptable) / Kailua-Kona, HI / August 11-12, 2026
$800.00

 Red Dot Pistol: Fundamentals and Performance 2-Day Course / Lahaina, HI / August 8-9, 2026 / Ukumehame Firing Range
$800.00