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CMA Standard Courses

The CMA sport is based on a solid firearms education concept for pistol and rifle. The concept is implemented by standard courses, objective tests, meaningful certifications and licenses and periodic renewals.

The standard courses are taught by certified CMA instructors and have standardized goals, lesson plans and tests. 

Basic Education    Handgun Intro    Rifle Intro    Safety Officer    Match Director    Instructor

Basic Pistol and Rifle Education

Basic

Prior to attending the intro courses, a shooter will have to acquire the respective basic handling and shooting skills. CMA has defined two standard courses covering the basic education for handgun and for rifle. Both foundation courses take 3 consecutive days each. A course consists of classroom presentations, dry fire training, live fire training and several standardized practical tests. The subject matter is covered completely and correctly and consolidated through repetitions. 

The basic education is largely independent of CMA sports shooting. Therefore, equivalent educations can be accepted, if they fully cover the required topics in adequate depth and sustainable quality. 

Pistol Foundation Intensive Course

Basic Pistol Skills

  • Understand & apply 4 universal safety rules

  • Understand & apply 5 fundamentals of shooting

  • Pistol parts and operation

  • Dis-/assembly & maintenance

  • Draw & re-holster

  • Ready Position

  • Standing, kneeling, prone shooting positions

  • Load & unload

  • PSC (Personal Safety Check)

  • Precision shoot & hit up to 20m

  • Magazine change

  • Emergency reload

  • Aiming techniques

  • Double tap & recoil control

  • ​Basic and extended malfunction clearance

  • Draw, shoot & hit from holster​

  • Target transition

  • Shoot & hit one handed right and left

  • Shoot & hit from barricades

  • Shoot & hit under time pressure

Rifle Foundation Intensive Course

Basic Rifle Skills

  • Understand & apply 4 universal safety rules

  • Understand & apply 5 fundamentals of shooting

  • Rifle parts and operation

  • Dis-/assembly & maintenance

  • Safety Position

  • PSC (Personal Safety Check)

  • Ready Position

  • Standing, kneeling, prone shooting positions

  • Load & unload

  • Zeroing

  • Precision shoot & hit up to 100m

  • Magazine change

  • Emergency reload

  • Aiming techniques

  • Double tap & recoil control

  • ​Basic and extended malfunction clearance

  • Target transition

  • Shoot & hit from right and left shoulder

  • Shoot & hit from barricades

  • Shoot & hit under time pressure

Handgun Intro Course

HG Intro
CMA Handgun Intro Course

The handgun intro course (or pistol intro course) has to be passed by every new CMA shooter prior to attending the first competition. Together with a valid membership, the successful completion of the course will result in the CMA handgun shooting license valid for 12 months. The license can simply be extended anytime for another 12 months by shooting the handgun skills test and by maintaining a valid membership. 

Instructors will adapt the speed of advance to the skill level of the participants in a given class. However, all participants need to already possess solid basic pistol skills prior to attending this course.

For countries that are newly adopting CMA, some simplifications can be agreed to get the sport started.

Goals

  • Know and apply the CMA rules

  • Pass the handgun skills test

  • Be ready for CMA handgun competitions

Content

  • Classroom presentation: CMA rules and their practical application

  • Dry Fire: Safe handgun handling skills

  • Practice typical shooting techniques

  • CMA handgun skills test

  • Apply in example stages (if time permits)

Participants

  • Safe shooters with solid basic handgun proficiency

  • New to the CMA sport

  • Valid CMA membership

  • Typically classes of 4-8 shooters per instructor

Equipment

  • Personal eye and ear protection

  • Personal pistol fitting a CMA handgun division

  • Total of minimum 3 magazines

  • Safe clothing, holster and magazine pouches adhering to the CMA equipment rules

  • Approx. 200-300 rounds of ammunition

Duration

  • Full day course

  • Example: 09:00 to 17:30 

Rifle Intro Course

Rifle Intro
CMA Rifle Intro Course

The rifle intro course (or 2-gun intro course) has to be passed by every CMA shooter prior to attending the first 2-gun competition. Together with a valid membership, the successful completion of the course will result in the CMA rifle (2-gun) shooting license valid for 12 months. The license can simply be extended anytime for another 12 months by shooting the rifle skills test and by maintaining a valid membership. 

Instructors will adapt the speed of advance to the skill level of the participants in a given class. However, all participants need to already possess solid basic rifle skills and a valid CMA handgun license prior to attending this course.

For countries that are newly adopting CMA, some simplifications can be agreed.

Goals

  • Know and apply the CMA 2-gun rules

  • Pass the rifle skills test

  • Be ready for CMA 2-gun competitions

Content

  • Short intro to CMA 2-gun rules and their practical applcation

  • Dry Fire: Safe rifle handling skills

  • Practice typical shooting techniques

  • CMA rifle skills test

  • Apply in example stages (if time permits)

Participants

  • Safe shooters with solid basic rifle proficiency

  • Valid CMA handgun license

  • Valid CMA membership

  • Typically classes of 4-8 shooters per instructor

Equipment

  • Personal eye and ear protection

  • Personal pistol and rifle fitting CMA divisions

  • Total of minimum 2 rifle and 3 handgun magazines

  • Safe clothing, holster and magazine pouches adhering to the CMA equipment rules

  • Approx. 300 rounds rifle and 100 rounds pistol

Duration

  • Full day course

  • Example: 09:00 to 17:00 

Safety Officer Course

SO
CMA Safety Officer Course

Safety officers are the backbone of every competition! Without safety officers working largely on a voluntary basis, no shooting sport is possible. If you are an experienced CMA competitor and would like to get more involved in supporting the sports activities, then doing the SO certification is a great next step. In this course, you will learn about stage setup, firearms and equipment safety, stage commands, scoring, tools and running a squad of shooters efficiently. As a certified CMA SO, you will lead and score stages in CMA handgun and 2-gun matches, you will also renew shooters licenses by running the skills tests. You will be an essential member of the match staff team and contribute to the success of CMA events.​

Goals

Be able to

  • Manage safety on a CMA stage

  • Lead & score CMA handgun and 2-gun stages

Participants

  • Experienced CMA competitors

  • Valid shooters license for pistol and rifle

  • Minimum 4 matches completed

  • Willing and able to contribute as match staff member to make CMA events successful

  • Approved by instructor

  • Typically classes of 4-8 shooters per instructor

Content

  • Classroom presentation

  • Stage building and checking

  • Practical SO team exercises

  • Performance feedback and conclusion

Equipment

  • Personal 2-gun competition gear

  • Timer

  • Approx. 100 rounds rifle and 100 rounds pistol

Duration

  • Full day course

  • Example: 09:00 to 17:00 

Match Director and Instructor Courses

MD-Instr

The Match Director and Instructor certification courses are being defined and tested and will be rolled out in the near future. 

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