TCA Tactical Week 8 - The Conclusion

09/08/2021 By Redaktion

Bratislava Gabriel Trojcak Course Shooting training

It has been a few days since the Tactical Week at the Tactical Combat Academy (TCA) in Slovakia, just north of Bratislava. It's time to take stock and review the impressions.

For us, the journey was problem-free, as we come from Vienna. The morning drive on the highway and through the border was quick - and you're already on the range. It's just under an hour, which is great. Of course, one must currently pay attention to the COVID entry regulations...

On the first day, we were still curious about what the week would bring, what the people would be like, and how it would go, but thanks to the friendly welcome and introduction, all possible concerns quickly disappeared. A friendly, professional TCA team awaits the participants, very well-coordinated. Once with professionals... That's it.

Since several years had passed since my first shooting course ever, I was very pleasantly surprised by the current equipment available for borrowing. Active hearing protection, modern vests, modern weapons - you immediately feel well taken care of, and even a beginner learns right away what's available.

It all started with the assault rifle courses. It was particularly exciting for us as we had never attended an assault rifle course before. In a way, an advantage, as the course content was new to us and was very memorable.

On the other hand, there was the pistol course, where we had already taken courses and where there are sometimes different teaching opinions. Old routine then fights against the new one that you want to train. But everything went well, as at TCA everything is repeated in several rounds of live fire, so that the material is well memorized. After three days of intensive assault rifle training, I now feel much more confident in handling this weapon. Starting from loading and checking the condition, to reloading, clearing malfunctions, and also the different shooting positions. I noticeably benefited from the training.

Initially, the consideration was there, due to the proximity to Vienna, always to commute, i.e., to drive back home after the end of the course. In the end, we also wanted to have a bit of a vacation and therefore decided to stay at a hotel nearby, in Stupava.

This was a very good decision. Whether staying in Stupava, Bratislava, or elsewhere nearby, you can relax excellently and even treat yourself to ice cream after the course. Stupava itself offers some restaurants and accommodation options.

A modern shopping center was only about a 10-minute drive away, where there were more shops for shopping, or various restaurants (especially fast food). If you prefer Slovak cuisine, you can quickly find something. The opening hours usually go until 9pm, so there is enough time for physical recovery.

If you opt for Bratislava itself, you are staying in a big city with all its advantages, such as very good restaurants and a comprehensive nightlife. But always keep in mind: Stay fit for the course the next day!

A family vacation is also possible. There are a variety of mountain biking trails and hiking trails to explore. The picture, by the way, is from the MTB Trophy in Stupava. We like to remember a participant who attended TCA courses for the first few days of the week and spent the rest of the week sightseeing and hiking in Slovakia. Even if it's primarily about shooting, you can spend a few days here for balance on vacation. Fortunately, TCA offers building courses one after the other, so you can plan nicely.

Who wants to learn more skills in addition to shooting will also be well served by the TCA. From Medic, survival courses, bodyguard, and tactical abseiling, there is a wide range of skills that can certainly be useful. TCA regularly invites experts in their field or likes to fly away, as is currently the Medic: Prolonged Field Care - Course in Erbil, Iraq.

TCA also offers various courses for mental development, preparing for possible captivity or abduction. If you have no plans for Christmas, you can even fly to the Amazon for a Jungle Survival Course. Very exclusive, very exotic, surely a huge amount of fun on top of it.

But let's get back to the past shooting courses. At home, we try to continue practicing and reinforcing what we learned through dry training. Highlights were, of course, the increasingly difficult courses and the changing challenges presented by the trainers. Tasks and tricks that we still think about today remain in our minds as if it were the first day.

Additionally, it was extremely action-packed to shoot while the shooting range was covered with a smoke grenade and other explosive effects distracted us. The course content differs somewhat in structure compared to other providers, so here one also learns new things. What one might miss is shooting with the weak hand or shooting while lying down, which is already taught earlier in the course by some other providers. However, it is covered in the drills and in further courses here, and in a much more comprehensive manner than elsewhere.

Finally, here are a few tips: For the rifle course, we found gloves to be very important and comfortable. Even with gloves, our "delicate" hands still had some abrasions and blisters. Apparently, you need to get used to handling the rifle.

For the pistol course, a loading tool is also very practical. Here you can see the Pink one from the TCA. Otherwise, universally speaking: sturdy pants and good footwear. The shooter should also always pay attention to the weather and bring suitable clothing. Even in nice weather. We underestimated the sun at the shooting range and will stock up on more polo shirts. And high factor sunscreen. Good hearing protection and eye protection are of course essential when shooting.

Ultimately, we are very happy and somewhat proud to have completed these days at the Tactical Combat Academy. Now the best conditions are in place to be able to attend all sorts of other TCA courses. Especially various Master Class Courses, and then scenarios where it's once again about combining what has been learned so far and doing everything correctly under stress. The TCA will definitely see us again soon. We also say THANK YOU to the entire team, which imparted their knowledge wonderfully.

Tactical Combat Academy online: www.tcacademy.at