Meet Freda...Student of the Month for April

A little bit about Freda Kurtz.

The past ten years have been leading up to this point in my life when I decided to get my CCW. The opportunity came when I saw an advertisement in a paper for the Women’s Shooting academy. Last Fall I finally contacted Vicki Kawelmacher to clinch that decision and I wish I had done it sooner.

I was raised around guns and have been shooting since I was a little girl, but have never been serious about them.

My name is Freda Kurtz and I am 48 years old. I have been in Martial Arts for nine years and have a 2nd degree black belt, so I have some self defense training. But whenever we exercised different scenarios in our martial arts class, we never did the one where the perpetrator pulled a gun on you. That was always one of the big "What if" questions in our classes. The instructor would just look at us and tell us that if we were ever in that situation, good luck! As of this date I have never been in any situation where I would need to use self defense or need a weapon of any kind, but there is always that "What if" question in the back of my mind.

I took Vicki's beginner hand gun class and learned so much about handling handguns. The scenarios that Vicki showed us in her class and hearing the experiences of some of the other students also reinforced why it is a good idea to carry. They were in some of those "What if" situations and wished they had a handgun to defend themselves.

After the beginner handgun class, my husband and I took her Tactics class and then proceeded to get our CCWs. Since then we have had a blast target shooting and continuing the education Vicki started us on by reading books and watching DVDs to learn more tactics. And shopping. I never knew how fun it would be to shop for handguns and accessories. And ladies, you also need to buy new clothes, purses and handbags to go with your weapons. Now I carry almost everywhere I go.

Since Vicki's class I have gotten my CCW for three different weapons and am looking forward to getting certified for my new .380. Taking her classes has taught me how to handle a weapon with respect and confidence. I also learned that it doesn't stop there, but that when I took on the responsibility to carry, I am also responsible for knowing all of the carrying laws and continuing my education. Going to class and shooting once is not enough. Carrying means that I have to practice shooting with all of my weapons and make sure that they are in good working order. Another thing that my husband and I learned from Vicki and her husband, Tim, is the importance of making sure that we communicate with each other and know what to do in the event if a "What if" situation does arise.

I thank Vicki for her instruction and willingness to be there to help us continue our education and I look forward to taking more classes.