I have met a number of instructors in the, for lack of a better term, “tactical” world. I have the benefits of being a constant shooter and several years’ experience teaching in classroom settings to form opinions of instruction and training for real-world firearms use. And I have had the opportunity to discuss the effectiveness of various instructional techniques with professional military and law enforcement individuals who were willing to speak frankly and did not hold anything back in their assessments.
All of this has led me to the conclusion that Mike Pannone is one of the most effective and well-rounded firearm instructors in the world. Why?
– He has an extremely impressive military background, one which has given him a level of experience found in only a few modern instructors;
– He has studied kinesiology (the scientific study of human movement) at the collegiate level;
– He has experience as an instructor for federal law enforcement, namely being the head range instructor at the Federal Air Marshals Service school;
– He is very low key – mostly because he does not feel the need to impress anyone;
– He is not a “stick-in-the-mud” – he is always looking to develop new and more effective shooting techniques.
So he knows what is and is not relevant to real-world applications, he can explain in a scientific manner why a certain technique is effective or ineffective, he has the ability to impart this experience and knowledge to students, he does not showboat during classes, and he keeps an open mind about how he does all of this.
Mike Pannone with a fancy handgun
When I have occasion to discuss the merits of Mike’s instruction with individuals who shoot guns for a living, they express universal praise and admiration. They have no time for BS and while they often receive training from Mike as well as other instructors through work, they also pay for Mike’s classes out of their own pockets.
His training is in constant demand from actual military and law enforcement units. We hear this so often from various instructors that it becomes background noise – Mike actually tries to make this part of his life background noise. He teaches high-speed military and law enforcement units but never, ever talks about it publicly.
It’s almost weird – it would be easy for him to cultivate a following based on personality, but he doesn’t bother with such things. He’s so self-effacing that I feel a constant need to write about him. Part of it is that I consider him to be a friend, sure. The other part is that he is an intellectual and a true badass. That is a rare combination indeed.
yes. what you said.
And he’s published! His weapon handbooks (Glock, M4, HK 416) and Tactical Pistol Shooting book are excellent reads and highly recommended.
I’ve never met Mike, but I’ve read a lot about him. I feel like it’s becoming increasingly rare that silent professionals stay silent professionals when they transition to the civilian world.
I always look at bios of professionals with known SMU participation to see if unit names are thrown out or if they merely refer to having served in a special mission unit.
Perhaps some may view that as a semantic quibble, but it’s not lost on me as a representation of that individual and how they carry themselves.
I hope I can train with Mike someday.
I agree with everything you have said.
I would like to add that Mike is one of the few instructors willing to participate in competitive shooting (something he is also very good at). Most are not willing to because not placing well jeopardizes their status and cult of personality.
Yeah, won’t shoot comp (not that comps have much to do with how well you can teach nor do they measure your experience in the application of firearms as a tool in “the real world”). To be honest a lot of firearms instructors won’t even shoot with advanced students. I am not going to name names, but if you can’t pass your own qual…..wtf?
As far as the silent professional, unfortunately being humble and modest about your ability and pedigree normally isn’t the best business model when that is what you are selling….you. Tough for some of us to buy off on, but it is the same thing when you are writing your own resume, it is just not the time to be humble.
Obviously there is a balance there, and there is a big difference between leveraging your experience, and trying to hang your hat on what you did yesterday while bringing others down.
“the older I get, the better I was”
What you said. I learned about him primarily through this site and from the now defunct NGA AR company (good luck to their future). Perhaps one day I will be fortunate enough to train under him.
I wonder if the genesis for this post is related to the recent video from the ‘world’s best tactical instructor’ that kicked up such a stink over on CalGuns. Like it or not, self-promotion is part of building a business and a brand and low-key guys like Mike probably find it abhorrent.
Mike’s class in March is driving distance for me and I am registered. Yeager is offering a class in LA the following month and I plan to attend that as well.
Like Mike said, some of these guys are selling “magic beans.” The difficulty in shooting is reducing it to a simple set of actions that, once practiced, you can rely on to achieve an objective. Andrew is right– Mike could sell the hell out of being in Delta and everything else he’s done. He hardly mentions it. He is a truly awesome humble guy.
Ridiculous. Mike Pannone isn’t a serious shooter, he’s just a pretty face hired for marketing purposes; using cleavage to sell…oh wait. I guess the sour grapes argument won’t fly here.
You’ve obviously never seen Mike’s face…
What about Clint Smith Andrew? Thoughts?
And Mike Pannone has one eye. Freaking badass.
I have a former Force Recon partner here at LAPD who served with Mike in the USMC (Force Recon capacity), prior to his switch to the Army, then on to SF, specifically SFOD-D. He said you won’t meet a more humble and capable man. He was the real deal then, and demonstrably still is. Can out shoot even most great shooters, even with his one eye. Semper Fi and stay safe!
As I was leaving the Corps I heard my thru my brother Mike was entering. I learned 20 years later Mike was in special ops. I’ve never met the man but reputation s are earned not given I may not ever meet him but knowing he’s out there training the good guys gives me peace at night. Semper Fi