The following is a brief outline of the IPSC Ontario Black Badge Safety
Training Program. It is here so that you may get an idea of what to expect when taking part in this course.
If you’re interested in participating in one of our Black Badge Safety Training Courses, simply contact
Ontario Black Badge Coordinator.
The first requirement of course is that you are a member of IPSC Ontario, and
you may become a member at the time of your course. The initial membership fee to
join IPSC Ontario is $70.00, and membership renewals are due at the
beginning of each calendar year. You must be a member of IPSC Ontario in good
standing to compete in any sanctioned IPSC match. At your Black Badge Course,
you will fill out a membership application and fees will be collected. The
membership fee is pro-rated for the current year. In addition to the IPSC Ontario membership fee, there is a $50 fee for course
materials and your Black badge pin, as well as a $200 instructor fee. There may
also be range fees. Your Instructor will provide you with the exact course cost.
The course fee will vary depending on when in the year you take your course.
Here is the fee structure*:
| Month | Course Fee | Month | Course Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | $320 | July | $284 | |
| February | $314 | August | $278 | |
| March | $308 | September | $272 | |
| April | $302 | October** | $336 | |
| May | $296 | November** | $330 | |
| June | $290 | December** | $324 |
NOTE: Button activated holsters (e.g. Blackhawk Serpa, and similar) are not permitted on the Black Badge Course.
* Current serving members of the Canadian forces whether regular or reserve and Law Enforcement officers with appropriate ID are entitled to a $50 discount.
** October – December fees include membership fee for the following year.
All prospective candidates must fill out the
Black Badge Program Candidate Information Page.
For any other information contact
IPSC Ontario Black Badge Coordinator.
(1) IPSC ONTARIO BLACK BADGE SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM
The “Black Badge” course teaches a combination of safety and proficiency because proficiency
is important to safety. The student has to be safe at the normal speed and accuracy requirements of
Practical Pistol competition. The course is designed to develop safety and proficiency in a progression.
The student has to learn by doing and by being closely supervised by the instructor.
(2) YOU MUST BE SAFE
Knowing what is safe is not enough, without very close instruction and supervision the student will
not realize the things he is doing which might be unsafe in Practical Pistol.
The instructor must catch unsafe actions at the earliest stage and drill the appropriate responses
into the student so that all actions become reflexive. Even so, at all stages the student
should be told and logically know and understand these areas. Upon completion of the course,
the student will be very safe and reasonably proficient; proficient enough to have fun at the matches
staged by practical pistol shooters at their own clubs and at inter-club competitions.
HOW MUCH AMMUNITION DO I NEED FOR A BLACK BADGE COURSE?
A typical Black Badge requires about 600-700 rounds of ammunition to complete.
To do the course requirement even once requires around 200 or more rounds and most times students
shoot each course requirement quite a number of times. It would be a good idea to bring
between 600 and 700 rounds just to be sure that you won’t run out.
(3) NEW SHOOTERS
New students are those who have gone through a club level safety course and have been
approved by their club for target shooting on the club range and who are now going
through this Practical Pistol safety and proficiency course.
They should already be experienced target shooters.
(4) DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY
At this stage the student should know that most of the required steps require both time and
accuracy to qualify and some involve just accuracy. They student will continue to try until
they complete each exercise. For some students it will come right away, while others may have
difficulty with a specific stage, In any event, after several attempts have been made at a stage,
the class will move on and those who haven’t qualified on that stage can move on with the class and
try the subsequent stages. They can go back to the earlier stages the next time the class convenes.
Each student has an individual record sheet and as that student qualifies, the instructor initials
the appropriate box. When the individual pages are completed, they are sent to the
Black Badge Coordinator so that the student’s qualifications are recognized.
(5) GRADUATING
When students graduate from this course, they are qualified IPSC
shooters and are entitled to a provisional (temporary) Black Badge which enables
them to compete in IPSC competitions. With this “provisional” Black Badge,
the course graduate must safely competein their first sanctioned IPSC competition,
which is the final requirement for the Black Badge Training Program.
Once their signed blue provisional card is received by the training coordinator a
Black Badge number will be assigned and a Black Badge issued.
(6) OTHER REQUIREMENTS
- All instructors must be current IPSC Ontario members and listed as current with IPSC Ontario.
- All Black Badge candidates must be current members of IPSC Ontario in order to qualify and receive a Black Badge.
- All Black Badge candidates must be issued with a current rule book.
- All Black Badge candidates must have paid the membership fee and the IPSC Ontario training fee before training.
- The instructor must initial each item on the qualification page as they are completed by the student.
- Any Instructor (not helpers) who assisted in the training of any student should print their name in the space provided at the bottom of the qualification page.
Final Note
Participation in a Black Badge Safety Training Program does not automatically guarantee success.
Even after all course requirements have been met, an instructor may, at his discretion deny
qualification to a student due to safety reasons or a question of attitude.