The Academy of Saint Crispian

I have taken at least 8 of Stan’s classes over the last two years and just have to echo the positive comments of all the other reviewers. Stan is a gifted and patient instructor who exudes confidence, preparation, and SAFETY. He knows his craft inside and out, and he is in complete control of his class. He is completely selfless and very generous with his time and you will never leave one of his classes thinking that you did not get your money’s worth from it. As an aside, his classes are all priced well below what I think he could charge.
Training at TASC will not leave you feeling like Daniel-​san, wondering when all the fence-​painting and car waxing will give way to the «real» karate lessons. From the first moment of any class at TASC it’s right down to business and there are no abstract lessons — it’s learn, do, repeat, digest. Each class will build on the last and someone can quickly, and safely, go from his first shots with an AR-​15 in Rifle/​Carbine 101 to shooting, moving and communicating towards an objective as part of a small squad in the capstone SULE course Stan offers. You can and will learn much from Stan at TASC, and you just can’t help but like the guy.
So, if you are tired of just punching paper indoors and looking for a genuine instructor with a great course list, give TASC and Stan a call. Several of my classmates who are of recent US Army /​USMC vintage have told me that TASC training is superior to what they received on the taxpayers’ dollar.

Stan and those who assist him offer excellent, safe, affordable training in multiple weapons platforms and disciplines. I have taken numerous classes — ranging from pistol, to rifle, to shotgun, to first aid — and have learned a lot at each class despite having taken classes with other schools. Stan keeps class sizes small for individual attention and for safety. And make no mistake, although safety is Priority One, you will have the opportunity to do types of live-​fire exercises you can’t do at other schools. Plus, I’ve met some of nicest, helpful people at his classes. I can’t recommend Stan’s classes highly enough.

I had never taken a pistol training courses before, but I am glad that I did with Stan and Enrique. They are both very patient and very helpful with instructions and demonstrations. They really take their time to make sure that you have got the technique right before they move on to live demonstrations.
Both Stan and Enrique personally helped with one on one training when I was having some difficulties with certain techniques. I would definitely be taking another class with them. Great experience. Two thumbs up for sure.

I’ve taken shotgun 101 and carbine 101 with instructor Lee and the classes excellent. Instructor Lee really takes the time to explain everything in detail while checking in with students throughout the class. Compared to other firearms training courses I’ve attended at burro canyon, you are getting quality firearms training without breaking the bank. I will be attending future classes and would definitely recommend him to others that want great training at affordable prices from a veteran with real experience.

My friends and I have always wanted to take a defensive pistol course. We are all experienced shooters and have had plenty of indoor and outdoor range time but we felt like we needed some proper defensive pistol training. After some research and upon the recommendation from a close friend, we reached out to Stan Lee of Saint Crispian for a private training day. Stan was prompt, informative and answered any questions I had prior to booking our private day. After a few emails back and forth, we settled on a Thursday at Angeles Outdoor Range.
My group and I arrived at 8am and Stan and his volunteer assistant instructor Enrique, was already there, all prepped and ready to go. Stan and Enrique, were extremely professional, prompt, informative, courteous and fun to be with the entire time. Since our group were very familiar with our pistols Stan just briefly went over the basics of gun safety and firing your weapon properly. We paid Stan for four hours of training for Defensive Pistol 101 but what we really got was 5 hours of personal training and an accelerated Defensive Pistol 101 and partially dipped into his Defensive Pistol 202 course as well.
Our whole group learned an overwhelming amount of techniques, dealing with malfunctions during drills, tips and movements during the entire day. Whenever we needed a break, we just let them know and reloaded our mags or ate some snacks. Stan and Enrique were extremely professional and informative and my group and I would not hesitate to take another class. In fact, we are already talking about hiring Stan again for advanced pistol training and later some carbine/​rifle training and shotgun as well. I HIGHLY recommend anyone who is interested in learning how to handle your weapon properly to take Stan’s course, especially a private one. The amount of attention and information we each received was awesome.

i just took the shotgun 101 class this afternoon. i have very little experience with the shotgun. i must say that Stan (and Enrique –assistant for the class) did an exceptional job making sure we all stayed safe, learned the fundamentals, practiced in a non intimidating, confidence building environment. the class size was a nice small group which facilitated his attention/​critique during our drills. the class flew by rain or shine. it was very professional, well organized, well taught and concepts were well implemented in the training exercises. shooters in the class had different levels of experience yet those with less experience didn’t feel left behind or overwhelmed. my friend and i had a great time and look forward to taking future classes. Do it… you won’t be disappointed!

Great class and Stan was great instructor. I took Pistol 101 and couldn’t be happier. I have been shooting for the past five years but have only gone to the range and never had any training other than looking at YouTube videos and trial and error.
In the first half of the course it was a lot of hands on training with an unloaded gun practicing safety, sight alignment, drawing from the holster, breathing, and trigger control. After getting into the shooting portion and using what we learned, we had a curveball thrown at us with loading empty rounds and live rounds in the magazine and clearing malfunctions. Like I said earlier it’s a great class and you’re getting top dollar training for rock bottom prices, without all that tacticool stuff thrown in to draw people and make the classes dangerous. I will be taking future classes and recommending all my friends to Stan.

I took Stan’s Rifle/​Carbine 101 class last weekend, and I cannot recommend it more highly. From the get-​go, Stan inspired confidence with his attention to safety, and it was clear we were in good hands. He also displayed extraordinary patience in helping everyone zero in their rifle optics. It was perfectly paced for an introductory class, and I can’t wait to take more classes with him.

Took Stan’s SULE course this last December. It was a 14 hour class that is based on the USMC’s Small Unit Leadership Evaluation course. It was the most fun I’ve had in my life that did not involve alcohol or women :-)
It’s less of a shooting class than a course on tactics. It will test your endurance. So, be sure you’re in decent shape. I was so tired at the end of the day that I really had a hard time staying engaged to the road on my drive home.
Try it, you’ll have the time of your life and you’ll be back for seconds.

Took Stan’s Shotgun 101 class a few weeks ago after reading all these Unilocal reviews and it was great! I haven’t taken any firearms training classes anywhere else, so I can’t comment on how it compares to others. Overall, it was a well run class for a great price. I plan on signing up for a few more of his classes in the coming months.

I have taken
Introduction to the Defensive Pistol 101
Intermediate Defensive Pistol Techniques 202
Dire Situation/​Pistol Techniques 300
Close Combat/​Pistol Techniques 400
Introduction to Rifle/​carbine Marksmanship 101
Intermediate Rifle/​carbines Techniques 202
Combined Arms and Tactics 303
Low Light/​Night Tactics SUREFIRE Institute curriculum 101
Long Range Precision Rifle
Emergency Medicine
Essential trauma Management for First Responder
Essential trauma Management Intermediate Long Term Care
Survival in Hostile Terrain Following catastrophic events (SHTF)
Small Unit Leadership Evaluation (SULE)
I keep coming back for excellent classes for the great mentor-​ship and the great value of knowledge and training received. The instructor is unlike other academy I have been at where the students can feel comfortable and be able to learn in an safe environment and treated with respect and not a grunt or talked down. There’s a sense of equal mutual respect.
I recommend this for female also as the instructors treats female with respect and makes the learning experience great. I had been to other academy where the macho attitude drill instructor type made female feel horrible and talked down to and rushed and yelled at, not exactly a good learning experience, so TASC is definitely female friendly and I even brought my girlfriend who had a great time and enjoyed the training of two classes and looks forward to more.
The technique and skills taught are real world simple and quick with no tacticool or John Woo rolls in some other schools. The instructor at TASC also accommodates based on your equipments and needs while other academy I have been to just says too bad deal with it you should of had XXXX brand of gear and makes you feel like crap for not having what the instructor thinks is the best.
The variety of classes offered were excellent with many wide range of experience and knowledge to learn. I will be returning for more classes and retake classes.
You won’t be disappointed taking the classes offered by TASC, you will walk away with confidence in your firearms and training.

Note: I only comment on companies where I can give 5 Stars
So, I just had the good fortune of completing (*5) of several offered courses at TASC:
–Pistol 101 — Introduction to Defensive Pistol
–Pistol 202 — Intermediate Defensive Pistol
–Pistol 300 — Dire Situation Pistol
*Since writing this review I have taken 2 more classes:
–Shotgun 101: Introduction to the Defensive Shotgun
–Shotgun 202: Intermediate Defensive Shotgun Techniques
All (*5) courses were taught by Stanley «Stan» Lee, 20+ years USMC and founder of TASC.
Stan’s calm & focused method of instruction will quickly make you realize you are in the presence of the «Real Deal». He has everything planned, a car ready with keys in the ignition, medical supplies and a map on the dashboard to the nearest emergency room. Your safety is his priority and it will become your priority too, at all times (Unlike many other courses out there where none of this is addressed — just ask the instructor what their medical «exfil» plan is if something goes south).
I wont go into great detail about the course content as not to give any of the fun away, but know that Stan put us through countless critical situation skill drills that kept it interesting and very fun, and before you knew it you were shooting like you had been doing it for years.
–At the end of the 1^st course, I was much more familiar with coordinating & operating my body & pistol.
–After the 2^nd course handling my pistol felt very natural and I wasn’t getting tripped up as to what to do in any given situation, particularly during several malfunction drills.
–And after the 3^rd course i knew my pistol inside & out. This is where you really find out if you have the right pistol & gear. These and all the other drills had me operating my pistol in a very fluid and natural way to where it essentially became a part of my arm.
–Learning the capabilities of the pistol was great too as on one range we were at they had an adjacent 600 yrd range where we hit a steel target at 100 & 200 yds. Something i didn’t expect.
–The Shotgun Classes had the same result as above. With the additional benefit that you learn the effectiveness of different types of loads at different distances.
–Its impressive to hit a steel target with a slug at 100 yds. with a shotgun… I had no idea.
*Additional Note: If you have taken 101, 102 & 300 and buy a new pistol, take 300 again. It will allow you to fully understand the function of your new pistol so there are no surprises down the road. Case in point: I actually sold a pistol after a class as I was having way too many problems with it. Was taking me twice as long to present the pistol from my holster and engage a target because the safety & de-​cocker weren’t as smooth as they should have been. Thats no good for any kind of heart-​pounding situation where your fine motor skills go to crap when that adrenaline starts pumping. So between a smoothly functioning pistol and practice practice practice you can limit the deterioration of fine motor skills and remain in control of the situation.
Any uncertainty I ever had about handling my pistol /​shotgun was replaced with the knowledge of knowing exactly how my pistol operates under all sorts of conditions and to only let it do what I wanted it to do. This is something I have been waiting to achieve since day one and all the indoor range time wasn’t getting me any closer to that. It was only after TASC that I was finally able to achieve calm and controlled operation of my pistol.
If you are a range only shooter like I was, its absolutely essential that you participate in a TASC course. The value of instruction for the price is phenomenal and Stan’s demeanor makes these classes ideal for females and first time shooters.
TASC also offers additional Pistol, Carbine/​Rifle, Shotgun, Long Range Precision Rifle, Tactics and Emergency Medical Courses. So for me it’s clear, TASC is now my main focus for further education. Had I started with TASC, I would have saved lots of time, bad habits and $. So my advice to you is to immediately experience what TASC has to offer. All courses are listed on their website with dates and pricing.
Tip: TASC generally offers (2) subsequent courses back-​to-​back. Take them both. Not only will you save a trip, but also your newly learned 1^st course skills are still fresh in your mind. In my case I was able to ride the muscle memory wave from that 1^st course and really drive it home in the 2^nd course. The next morning I still had it down for the 3^rd course. You will not be disappointed.
This video will give you a real good idea of what to expect from TASC:
I hope this has been helpful.
Enjoy!

Awesome instructor and his pleasant and intelligent demeanor suits teaching these pistol and rifle courses.
Please watch this video I made that show some of the training methods of Stan’s Rifle and Pistol Classes also a Night Shoot .Good stuff…
New:
Low Light/​Night Tactics 101
and
Night Shoot:

I’ve walked away from TASC with a greater level of confidence and working knowledge in my rifle and pistol skills. As Stan stated, «…in times of trouble or stress, you will always revert back to your last training». Although I shoot often behind the bench, I’d much prefer that my last training be skillfully instructed through an open range where I can practice using my tools as it was intended.
Unlike shooting behind the bench, the training Stan provides is much more effective and concentrates greatly on proper shooting techniques, body stance, teamwork, and repetitive drills to train muscle memory, which in turn develops a stronger shooting confidence.
In my opinion, I think the classes Stan offers provides a bridge between shooting behind the bench and shooting in an open environment. Shooting behind the bench is great for practicing accuracy and gun control. The classes offered at TASC will teach the shooter to take that accuracy and gun control to another level through practical applications.
Stan provides quality and fun training without compromising any safety. With real life applications, his training instills strong and fundamental shooting techniques that can beneficial to shooters of all level.
I will definitely be taking and re-​taking some of the classes offered through TASC.

I took Stan’s Pistol 101 class on 10÷28÷12. I was told by his other students that the class size was unusually large. As a relatively new shooter I would have preferred a smaller class, but I still had a good time. I would probably take Pistol 101 again for more experience. Stan was professional, courteous, and obviously enjoys teaching his students. I appreciated his corrections on my technique. And, I would recommend his academy to my friends.

I have taken a number of firearms training classes before and I have to say that Stan’s are some of the best. Stan does not approach his teaching from a military drill sergeant bases like some do, but his training is really geared towards practical firearms use and Safety, Safety, SAFETY. Stan has a unique way of teaching and I feel very lucky to live so close to such a good instructor. I have taken both Carbine & Pistol 101 and have learned a lot and I look forward to doing more of his classes

Took Pistol 101 at TASC. Stan puts on a great course, safety first and actually shows you why he teaches what he does. As a new shooter I was a bit anxious but Stan’s teaching style is confident and reassuring with no ego.
Once we started shooting it was like the light switch was turned on and I was able to shoot consistent groupings and felt comfortable in different firing positions and distances.
I will definitely be taking more of Stan’s courses and will be bringing my wife and friends.

I’ve taken Carbine 101+202, Pistol 101+202, combined arms and tactics 303, Low light/​night tactics 101, as well as the Pistol skill builder workshop. In each one I learned a lot, got a lot of rounds downrange, and most importantly had an enormous amount of fun!
Stan’s an excellent and patient instructor. If you’ve never taken a tactical class before, don’t be intimidated. Stan will make you feel at ease. You’ll learn how to handle and control your firearm and use it the way it was meant to be used. Your confidence and skill level will be raised immensely.
One thing you should know — taking these classes takes all of the fun out of going to a regular shooting range and standing behind a line and shooting at a piece of paper. If you do that now, take these classes and take your skills to the next level. You won’t regret it!

Preface to my review, I am a liberal and I voted for Obama. Not just that, I actually donated quite a bit to Obama and Feinstein (also Stephen Colbert but that was more for sh*ts and giggles). So when a lot of my more conservative friends found out I owned a gun, they become confused?
Why do you need a gun? The answer I always give is that gun’s serve a very specific tool, and only fools would go into this world not using every tool and leverage that was offered upon them. It would in my mind equate to going to a steak house and attempting to eat steak without a knife. That was a horrible analogy. I apologize.
Regardless, a few years back someone broke through my front door into my home while I was in bed, in my boxers. Took the cops 15 minutes to arrive, and that day I realized I was without the correct tools.
So I bought a gun. A gun is useless unless you practice with it so you know how to use it safely and accurately. Going to the gun range, I learned how to use my tools safely and accurately, or so I thought.
I decided I need to take some real training, and that is when I found Stan, and The Academy of Saint Crispian. Stan is a certified NRA instructor, ex-​cop, and ex-​Marine. He is well qualified to teach, and his prices are good. At $ 75 dollars a class (discounts if you take more) it actually is quite affordable.
The classes I have taken:
— Pistol 101
— Rifle ¹⁰¹⁄₂₀₂
— Shotgun ¹⁰¹⁄₂₀₂
— Surefire Night Course
I’m not going to give you a blow by blow on what he teaches, you can dig online and find plenty of postings on what occurs during these courses. What I will write are some observations and tips.
Tips:
1. The 202 series are honestly over kill if you just want familiarity with your weapons and home defense. The 202 series covers a lot of more advanced techniques that really benefit if you have a partner, and a lot of the concepts are more on how to use the skills you learned in 101, rather than gaining the skills. While amazingly fun, if you don’t plan on assaulting a force and laying down covering fire correctly, these classes may not be for you.
2. On the other hand if you really want to experience how to properly engage a target with a fire team (movement without fire is BAD) and want to have a BLAST then take 202.
3. 101 is suppose to be for beginners, but if you aren’t 100% comfortable with your gun and gear then you may find the pace much too fast. My girlfriend was honestly floored by the pace of the classes. This was Pistol 101.
4. On the other hand, what I have begun to notice is not all of Stan’s classes are always full. In fact if you call him sometimes you might be able to attend a class with just 1 or 2 people. That is basically one on one training. Killer deal. If you really want to improve this is the way to go (Sorry Stan if you read this).
5. If you don’t have the correct gun or gear, that is fine. Stan has tons of guns and boy are they nice. He rents the equipment cheap.
6. Not all guns are the same. One of the most important thing I’ve learned taking Stan’s classes are how important your gear really is. While you may PIMP your gun out, after firing 500 rounds through it will really show you what works, and what doesn’t. How stupid (and dead) will you feel if you actually need to use your firearm and it doesn’t work…
7. Want to learn target shooting? Want to be able to hit a bulls eye at 100 meters with your rifle! Wrong class! Try Appleseed. You won’t be target shooting at any of these classes. While hitting your target is important, emphasis is more being effective on shot placement than accuracy.
8. Don’t have a red dot? Shotgun isn’t super fancy? Doesn’t matter. Getting training from Stan will make you 100% better than all your friends that only go shoot at the range or on BLM land. After taking the course you will have literally done hundreds of mag changes, cleared untold amount of jams, and learn the in’s and out’s of your weapon to the point where you do feel comfortable and fluid.
9. Wear the right gear. Some gear is appropriate, not everything is necessary. I would say for the 101 series go light as possible. Whatever you feel comfortable going from standing to kneeling, and moving. You don’t need a crazy vest to hold a billion magazines, and just realize that all that gear you wear will start to get heavier and heavier and heavier as the day goes by.
10. The night class is probably the one that really opened my eyes the most (funny cuz it was at night and I couldn’t see crap). The skills I learned that night regarding light and how God forsaken scary when things go bump at the night really reinforced in my mind a lot of things.
I could keep writing these, but I know I probably lost 99% of the readers awhile back… so with that being said here is my take away:
Before I took 101 I wasn’t 100% sure about training, but after 101 my eyes have been opened, and I’ve gone back to take more.

I took the Carbine 101 + Pistol 101 classes yesterday at Angeles Shooting Range in Lake View Terrace in the north end of the San Fernando Valley.
Prices are affordable and the quality of instruction is first rate. Stan is an experienced US Marine officer with a very pleasant teaching personality.
While I had previous firearms experience some time ago, I still found the introductory classes enjoyable and a very thorough refresher.
I would recommend TASC classes to anyone who wants to learn to become competent with a firearm. I will be back again next week for Carbine 202 + Pistol 202!