By Michelle Camp, AWA Board President and Utah State Leader, with Jan Ennenga, AWA Executive Director, and Tricia Reiss, AWA Board Member

I recently hosted Chris Bean of Tactical Advantage in Utah for his two-day Deductive Pistolcraft class. I’d followed Chris on Facebook for years and heard amazing things, so bringing him out had been on my list for a while. The word got out fast. Shooters came in from Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon.

AWA showed up in force. Board members Tricia Reiss (MT) and Julie Godfrey (CO) were there, along with chapter leaders Tawny Basso (MT), Lisa Montellano (OR), Tina Morris (ID), member Wendy Deans (MT) and AWA Executive Director Jan Ennenga. The class also included two unsuspecting locals, a father and son, who were a little surprised when they arrived to find a classroom filled with females but fit right in (other than being a bit taller than the rest of us!)

Jan was on the line with next to me for the class. We compared notes afterward, and we both came away saying the same thing: every AWA leader and member who wants to grow as a shooter should get into this class.

You don’t have to show up at your best!

Honestly, I was worried going in. 2026 has been a rough year for my training. Between family illness and two deaths in the family, practice just hasn’t been a priority. I like to walk into a class well practiced and confident, and that wasn’t me that weekend.

It didn’t matter. If you’ve been putting off training until you feel “ready,” this is the class that shows you why that thinking holds you back.

This is not a mechanics class

Most training focuses on grip, stance, trigger, and sights. Very little of it touches the mental side. Jan put it this way:

“This was my first course taught by a mental management master. As you progress in your shooting journey, mechanical fixes are less and less the answer. They can actually hinder progress, because they condition us to think the fix is outside of ourselves, when the truth is it’s within us.”

That matched my experience exactly. Jan went on:

“If we accept responsibility that WE are the ones creating our own limits and barriers, and that the data is neither good nor bad, it just is, a measurement of a point in time, then we can control the outcome. We can progress and excel.”

Tricia came away with the same lesson, and one of her favorite quotes from class: “It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s what is truth!” She put it this way:

“It’s not magic, it’s not hard, it just takes a step back to look at what’s really going on when we are shooting. And it’s all within reach for anyone willing to be honest with themselves and willing to put in the work. No excuses!”

Inside the class

I don’t want to give too much away. Chris’s approach is unlike anything I’ve experienced, and I hope you can witness it yourself. But here’s a taste.

He ran us through some very interesting dry practice drills, and the whole class improved quickly. In a short time he had us doing a .75 draw to first shot, in unison. At one point I ran a .91 live fire DTFS myself, which blew my mind. It also made me realize the only thing standing in my way is me.

Jan noted how deliberately everything was built: “The exercises, assessments, games and tests were all expertly crafted and organized so we could push and be pushed, and better understand our ability to control outcomes.”

Then there’s The Crucible, Chris’s skills assessment test. For Jan, one of the hardest things was staying stoic during the testing. That discipline drove home how important it is to give every shooter space to analyze, correct, and control their own outcome, free of judgment from the peanut gallery.

Watching each of our dedicated, skilled classmates receive coaching was valuable too. As instructors, Jan and I both took a lot home from that alone.

The coach

Chris is a true master at helping students pull out performance they didn’t know they had, and he does it in a way that puts you at ease. Don’t get me wrong, he pushed us. He made us uncomfortable on purpose, and we grew because of it.

He’s also completely honest. There’s no fluff with Chris. He’s never unkind, but he tells it like it is, and you always know it comes from how much he cares about his students. He’s extremely intuitive at finding what’s actually holding you back, and most of the time it isn’t mechanical. When he gives you praise, you really know he means it.

For all his skill, Chris adamantly describes himself as our peer. Tricia noticed that too: “Chris is beyond mastery in so many ways. His method will truly transform your progress. His heart is gold and humble.” She thanked him for “teaching us how to sort the chaos in our heads and understand how we CAN take control and do what we know we are capable of doing.”

She also left with one of his lines that sums up the whole weekend: “Growth does not come from affirmation, it comes from confrontation.”

Jan said it well: “Chris wields a mighty pistol, but he is even more skilled as a coach of shooters, athletes, and executives, including those at the highest levels.” She called him a Seanalair, a Celtic term that also names the highest level of The Crucible.

But this isn’t about games or being the best. As Jan put it, it’s about life and survival, and helping the good guys and gals be equipped to do what’s necessary, with the mental focus and control to perform and come out on the other side.

Why this matters for AWA

AWA exists to help women become their own protectors. Jan summed up the connection: “Chris 100% helps us fulfill our mission of enabling women to be their own self-protectors, creating FREEDOM, PEACE of mind and CONFIDENCE in themselves.”

This class is a fit if you:

• Lead a chapter or instruct, and want new ways to coach the women you work with
• Have hit a plateau and keep chasing mechanical fixes that don’t stick
• Are looking for innovative and interesting ways to improve your skills
• Have been waiting until you feel “ready” to train again

This class far exceeded my expectations and ranks among the most profound and beneficial training experiences I’ve had. If you can get into a class with Chris Bean, don’t miss it.

Find upcoming classes: tacticaladv.com

Interested in bringing Chris to your state? Reach out to Chris at chris@tacticaladv.com.