If you're going to own a tool, it's best to know how to properly use it. That's as true for firearms as it is for chainsaws. Given the rising temperature of American politics, including escalating violence against people and property, my wife Wendy and I decided it was time to up our game when it came to self-defense. To that end, we enrolled in Gunsite Academy's Defensive Pistol class.

Shootier Than the House of Mouse

Located in Paulden, Arizona, Gunsite was founded in 1976 by the legendary Jeff Cooper. Among his accomplishments, Cooper developed the Modern Technique of the Pistol and created the first formal firearms training academy for the general public. The academy covers roughly 3,200 acres and teaches everything from concealed carry classes to tactical medicine. The 250 Defensive Pistol class is the flagship offering of what Gunsite CEO Ken Campbell, a personable former sheriff of Boone County, Indiana, calls "unwoke Disneyland with guns."