7 News Features: Secret Agent Man

WSVN -- Nestled in the rolling hills of Ocala Florida, right smack in the heart of horse country, a secret conclave is preparing for the fight of its life.

Russ Adler from Adler and Associates International: "You're fighting for your life, you're not only fighting for your life, you're fighting for the life of your family that you need to go home and support. You're fighting for the lives of the people you've been sworn to protect."

This is Russ Adler the man behind Adler and Associates International, a private training ground offering the very latest in survival and combat tactics. Think of it as a deadly finishing school for law enforcement, government and military personnel.

Russ: "The terrorists are ruthless. They're highly motivated, highly skilled, highly trained and we're trying to get our troops and our officers on the frontlines up to that level of expertise."

On this day several firearm instructors from various Florida Law Enforcement Agencies are just beginning their intense training. I am going to school with them, having never fired a shot my entire life.

Louis: How hard is this? I mean could I do this?

Russ: "Well anybody can do it, you need the mental fortitude and the mindset to want to do it."

Russ: "Now for every round you fire that's not on that pasty- that's 10 push ups BLAH!!!"

Great, nothing like a little motivation. So gun in tote, I approach my target, hoping to channel the spirit of 007 and not make a complete fool of myself...

Louis Snapping the Magazine: "Like that? Okay you don't want to smack it like that. This is gun one oh one...gun for dummies."

So far, so good...But I was gonna have to take this a lot more seriously

Russ: "We're teaching you how to fight for your life, it just happens that we're going to be using a gun to do it."

Russ: "Find the hole jam in there. All right that's good all right now charge the weapon.... Perfect!"

Louis ready to fire and shoots: "DAMN! That's one round."

And before long…

Russ: "Alright ready fight."

Russ had me hitting the target...everytime.

Russ: "Aim at the waist, there you go. Right on target."

Well -- almost

Russ: "So we're gonna put you through our vehicle simulator tactic drill."

Up next a drill teaching me how to shoot out of a car windshield and then take cover behind the vehicle... It was all very "24"

Russ, As Louis Shoots: "There you go."

Russ, As Louis steps back: "Point through the windshield you want to bend down because you're only position of cover is the engine block so you want to maintain cover from the engine block, alright good job."

Louis: "Now I'm gonna do a bootleg right here, off the break and then drive."

But before you shoot up the car, you got to learn to drive it and chase the bad guys down with the sharpest of driving skills.

Russ: "I'm gonna give you two commands turn and then break."

My insurance carrier is gonna love this....

Russ: "Keep going keep going keep going turn break there you go! Now let it go let it go perfect!"

Louis: "Hey hey hey hey!!!!"

And from the driving to the shooting....

To some hand to hand combat that even a dummy could learn...

Louis, As he hits the Dummy: NO!

I am put through a mini-training of sorts- a small taste of what the men and women sworn to protect us must go through, just to survive.

Russ: "We try to make them experts at what they do so their confidence and their skill level is at such a point where they don't have o think about what they're doing. All they have to do is react in an appropriate manner."

Louis, As he drives up: "I am now a secret agent."

Well I don't know that I'm secret agent material, yet -- but I got promise.

Louis: "So whaddaya say man? I got potential as a law enforcement agent with my shooting skills."

Russ: "Sure Sure. Hey everybody starts from somewhere. Some people can't even hit the target."

Louis: "There"s hope yet. America is safe!"

Aside from the government and law enforcement contracts Adler and Associates also offers a self defense training for members of the public at large so long as they produce a favorable crimminal history, and or produce proof of completition of a state certified concealed weapons course.

Contact: dschwab@wsvn.com