A Transformative Approach to Situational Awareness
Testimonials and Reviews of The CP Journal's Tactical Analysis Course to Get Left of Bang
In a world where uncertainty is constant, the ability to recognize and respond to potential threats before they escalate is invaluable. The "Left of Bang" training, developed by The CP Journal, offers a structured approach to understanding human behavior and situational awareness. Whether you're in law enforcement, security, or simply a civilian looking to enhance personal safety, this course equips individuals with practical tools to identify threats and make informed decisions in real time. Since we began teaching our concepts in 2011, we have made feedback and ongoing improvement a priority every step of the way.
We’d like to highlight some key themes from the feedback our students have shared with us.
One of the most compelling aspects of the training is its accessibility and applicability. Regardless of experience level—whether a seasoned professional with decades in security or someone new to the field—"Left of Bang" breaks down complex behavioral analysis into easy-to-understand concepts. Many students found that the course not only enhanced their ability to assess situations but also gave them the language to articulate observations objectively. This newfound clarity is crucial in both professional and everyday scenarios where quick and precise assessments are necessary.
What sets "Left of Bang" apart from other courses is its practical application. The use of real-world scenarios, video breakdowns, and clear instructional pacing ensures engagement and retention of the material. Participants consistently praised how the course kept their attention while also challenging their preconceived notions about threat assessment. The training is not just theoretical—it actively encourages participants to fine-tune their observational skills and integrate them into daily life, from driving on the highway to walking through a crowded space.
Beyond professional development, "Left of Bang" fosters a proactive mindset. Instead of reacting to threats after they occur, students learn to anticipate and mitigate risks before they materialize. This shift in thinking is transformative for anyone in a protection role, from law enforcement officers and military personnel to church security teams and executive protection agents. Moreover, everyday civilians who take the course find themselves more aware of their surroundings, ultimately enhancing their personal security and confidence in unpredictable environments.
In sum, "Left of Bang" is more than just a training program—it is a mindset shift that has the power to reshape how individuals perceive and navigate the world. By providing practical tools for situational awareness, this course empowers participants to stay ahead of threats, making it an invaluable resource for both professionals and civilians alike.
If you are looking to enhance your ability to recognize and respond to danger, "Left of Bang" is an essential step toward mastering the art of awareness and protection.
Student Testimonials
Please see what the last fifty or so students (at the time of publication) shared when asked, “If you would be willing to leave a review on your experience, please let us know your thoughts.”
Left of Bang is an extremely informative course that applies to any and all individuals; regardless of occupation or status. This course can be applied in a professional environment or personal one and is training that all individuals can benefit from.
Whether you're an experienced officer or just starting, I can only recommend the book and the course. The resources presented in the course will help you either recognize dangerous behaviors and individuals and help you put your observations into clear explanations.
The course has helped me personally be better at my job and be a better training officer for the younger officers. As experience is critical in our line of work, this will give you a good base on which you can build your skills.
A big thank you to the team at The CP Journal for making the resources available to everyone.
Left of Bang training is a practical approach to combating compromising situations. Keeping an "in the now" mentality paired with the use of this system can help make a complete warrior.
Excellent course for anyone who has a requirement to identify potential threats as part of their job. Gives practical, proven, and easy to understand information on how to classify and quantify risks. Suitable for novices and seasoned people alike. Despite having over 3 decades of experience in the safety and security industry, I found there was a lot of solid information that I can use every day.
An excellent course for anyone to build a better understanding of how to be more situationally aware, and a great review for those who are experienced in pre-incident indication. This should be essential for those who are seeking it already in a career that involves protection or public service.
Excellent course, I recommend anybody involved in security and staff training completes the course. The system to develop your behavioural awareness is explained in a credible manner and immediately usable in real-world settings.
I have attended a few courses on behavioral analysis before, however this course with video breakdown and explanation of what you're looking at/for was by far the most helpful. This course can be applied right away.
This was an excellent course, and I plan on taking the advanced course in the future. I have found I am attempting to fine-tune what I have learned through daily observations in the school. I liked the part of the lesson regarding criminals looking at their six. It was a good point to be made, and it has made me more aware of that behavior.
This course has not only opened my eyes to give me words for the actions I see in people, but it also has given me the ability to make a solid choice when assessing a situation and then being able to act on it. This course has also given me the ability to articulate what I observe from an objective standpoint, which will cause less problems when dealing with a civilian.
Like any good teacher, The CP Journal does not tell you what to think, but rather HOW to think. We have all inherited the ability to assess others. The CP Journal provides its students with the tools required to efficiently harness and focus this innate ability, turning it from a clumsy talent to a precise skill.
I have taken multiple online courses throughout my time in the Marine Corps. Sometimes it can get repetitive and "old", making the viewer lose interest quickly. This course, to be honest, was not only informative but also kept my attention due to having some practical applications in some modules, and the pace of the narrator with the clearness made it enjoyable.
I came into this course with a bit of previous understanding of psychology, how the brain works and processes information and how people operate and behave. But I was absolutely mind-blown by how this course improved my knowledge and gave immediate results in my daily life when I am out and going about the day. I noticed I am more observant when I drive, instead of just moving my car along- I really SEE other cars and movement and driving behavior around me. The same goes for going to stores, restaurants, parks, or anywhere else my day takes me. I know I have to practice more not to be absorbed by my world and what I am doing; however, I have noticed a big difference already, so I imagine the practice is just going to be beyond words to explain. Anyone wanting to be safer in their lives and in this world we live in should take this course.
As an introduction to assessing and understanding human behavior with an emphasis on recognizing threats, this course is a must-have for anyone employed in the security or protection industry. Everyone, from the simple gate guard to the high-end executive protection expert; the new-guy beat cop to the experienced detective; the grunt PVT to the SOF senior leaders, can benefit from understanding the basics laid out so well in this course.
In today's society, this course is very beneficial and will help you be better prepared. It also teaches you how to take action in situations where you might not want to or where you had a gut feeling but didn't say anything. Everyone can benefit from the Level 1 course.
A needed class for the person who is unaware of their surroundings and people.
I have studied behavioral analysis and situational awareness for many years. I have worked with and assisted in training with some of the top "experts" in the field. This course I can confidently say has taken complex analysis and really boiled it down to the real-world essentials that can be understood and used immediately. It's not about being the smartest guy in the room, it's about staying "left of bang". This course will help keep you there.
As a Marine (2004-2012) and current Law Enforcement professional in Omaha, NE, I can’t begin to explain how much this course will aid in my ability to keep those I’ve sworn to protect that much more protected from evil. In addition, this course further added to my proactive mindset. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to be observant, and this course taught me a great deal more than I ever expected. Left of bang is where we all need to be!
The CP Journal's Level 1 course is an eye-opener for any student of body language, and should be a requirement for anyone in a volunteer or professional security role. Church security teams would become much more effective in getting "Left of Bang" and the armed citizen would be safer after taking this course. For those of us who consider ourselves Sheepdogs among the wolves, it is imperative that we know how to assess people, places, and situations from the perspectives outlined in this course. I can't wait to begin the Advanced Course!
This course was informative and well-organized.
If you are an individual working in law enforcement or the security field, I would recommend taking these courses through CP Journal. The information and training will enhance your skills and help add "tools to your toolbox." With 30 years of experience between the military, law enforcement, and private security under my belt, I was amazed at how much I learned from the Level 1 course. I look forward to taking more courses through CP Journal as soon as possible!!
This is just the beginning! I strongly recommend reading "Left of Bang" thoroughly and then taking the training. Also, read all of the articles under "Something Grab Your Attention?" section, there is a lot of good information here. Being able to consistently articulate what you are observing will increase your confidence in getting left of bang...whatever bang is in your situation.
Excellent
Great to refresh security professionals on their craft.
This course was very useful for people looking to make a career out of protection and security.
This course is a great tool for anyone who is interested in their own day-to-day safety. It is invaluable to Marines, law enforcement, and security professionals, but shouldn't be limited to these people. This course can be just as useful to typical everyday people who want to feel more safe and secure for themselves or their loved ones. The course provides tools to fine-tune as skill that requires no special training or equipment but rather something that every person does and can be better at, seeing an understanding of the given day-to-day situations that we find ourselves in.
Very informative and tactical course! I believe that most people, when out and about, have little to no situational awareness, so it's extremely important for us, especially first responders/security/military personnel, to identify these anomalies to stay "left of bang". However, these skills are perishable, so we should take some time out of our days, whether it be on a lunch break or while commuting to work, to observe people because body language is universal.
If you are a person who seeks to protect others in any scenario, this is a must do course for you. I have never had any training that was this beneficial mentally when it came to assessing people’s behavior.
This course cuts through the uncertainties of complex human interactions and shines a light on the fundamental behaviors inherent to people across the globe. It turns guesswork into analytical work. I feel much more capable of assessing individuals after taking this course.
This is an excellent course that anyone in the security realm should take at least once.
It quantified the unquantified to help make faster and more accurate predictions on behavior.
Incredible training.
It was good
This course did an amazing job of focusing on what is needed to establish, and asses baselines. I learned a lot from it, and I believe it is worth taking.
Transformative and Insightful Training – Highly Recommended!
The instructors delivered the content with clarity, blending theory with real-world application seamlessly. The scenarios and exercises were practical, engaging, and thought-provoking, equipping me with tools to not only identify but also mitigate risks before they escalate.
What stood out most was the emphasis on the importance of staying "left of bang" – focusing on preventative measures rather than reactive ones. This mindset shift has already enhanced my ability to assess and navigate complex situations with confidence.
I highly recommend this course to anyone in security, emergency management, or any role requiring heightened awareness and proactive risk management. It's not just a course – it's a game-changer for personal and professional growth.
I recently completed the "Left of Bang" course, and it has been nothing short of transformative. This course provided an exceptional framework for situational awareness, proactive decision-making, and recognizing early indicators of potential threats.
Very effective course.
Excellent course, great content.
I took this course after learning about the Combat Hunter program in an executive protection course and being referred to the book. I use these skills on the job as the door lead at a large nightclub. We vet a few thousand people a weekend and begin to assess them as they enter our line and approach the ID check. I now have the language to describe what I was doing and greater knowledge of what to look for and why. The course is detailed and well presented and really helped organize and clarify the material I read in the book. I feel this is the most important course I have taken to improve myself as a protector.
This course not only helps continue to shape my knowledge and understanding of identifying threats, it also helps broaden my ability to stay "left of bang" by helping me have more tools to stay disciplined and maintain awareness. I would recommend this course to anyone within the security and law enforcement industries. To that end, though, I would also suggest this course to absolutely anyone who simply wants to develop a mindset to be more situationally aware, disciplined, and mindful of their surroundings.
This course breaks down the fundamentals of human behavior in a simple and easy-to-digest manner.
Overall a great course. It pointed out behaviors that I have seen before but were put in a different perspective. It was very helpful to understand that a threat could come from anyone. Before the course, I was very biased to who could cause the most harm. But when it comes to life, anyone can cause harm. Does not matter what sex, race, or beliefs people may have; anyone can be a threat.
This course was amazing, it truly helped me understand how to read my surroundings and the people around me. I feel that, as a protector, this course is essential because it teaches you how to read your environments and get ahead of possible threats. I would recommend this course to all protectors.
The Level 1 Course provides an excellent foundation upon which any security professional can build to better his or her ability to recognize threats before they have a chance to inflict violence. It is also great instruction for anyone who just wishes to keep his or her family safe from individuals with violent intentions. This course teaches basic skills that most people do not intuitively have. With a little training and practice these skills can help you to be a more effective protector for a client or for your family.