Gregor Kröll and Florian Jilek are professional soldiers who have been offering professional shooting training for everyone with KJ Schießsport & Performance OG since 2024. Their approach: safe training withCO2 weapons as preparation for live-fire training and an incentive for advanced shooters to think “outside the box”. We spoke to the two managing directors about their concept.
How did KJ Schießsport & Performance come about?
Gregor Kröll: Florian is an officer in the army and was a teaching officer at the army training school, while I myself work there as a shooting instructor. Three years ago, we had the idea of making the knowledge we had acquired through our work in the army and in training courses available to civilian users in a qualified shooting course for defensive shooting. Safety was our main focus right from the start.
“We can offer a broadening of horizons in shooting training and do so cost-effectively and under safe conditions.”
Gregor Kröll, Mitgründer von KJ Schießsport & Performance
In our search for a suitable location, we came across the Trattner seminar hotel in southern Styria. We found the perfect partner in this family business. Connected to the hotel business with catering and numerous additional offers for the family or company – from tennis and golf to hiking in the surrounding area – we can organize our shooting training courses there in a hall. We train there in 360 degrees withCO2 weapons– in live fire this would not be possible at any other shooting range in Austria. If anyone else wants to train at a shooting range, we can of course also hold our courses there.
Over time, other topics were added. With Jürgen L., we have an emergency and teaching paramedic who offers qualified first aid training. He also works with the Red Cross and other emergency organizations. In addition, we offer training in self-defense and violence prevention for everyone with our operations trainer Klaus K. Together with our lawyer, we also provide information on which means may or even must be used and when.
What makes KJ Shooting & Performance special?
Florian Jilek: Gregor and I have a military background, so safety plays a major role. So right from the start, we thought about how we could make shooting in the civilian sector safer. In Austria, no further shooting training is required after obtaining a gun ownership card, and we want to fill certain knowledge gaps with our training courses.
A special feature of the courses is that we do not start with live fire straight away. WithCO2 weapons from Umarex, we can combine realistic training with safety aspects and less stringent requirements for the course location. We are currently working with licensed replicas of the Glock 17 and Heckler Koch 416, which means we can teach the use of short and long guns. Everything is available, from holsters to magazine pouches, so course participants do not need to invest in any equipment – apart from comfortable leisure clothing and a belt.
“One of our company’s goals is also to help course participants overcome their fear of shooting and at the same time gain respect for it.”
Florian Jilek, Mitgründer von KJ Schießsport & Performance
Is it even possible to simulate live firing with CO2 weapons?
Florian Jilek:CO2 weapons are the same as live weapons in terms of handling, and the blowback systems also simulate a certain amount of recoil. There is also a certain potential danger. After all, we shoot with steel balls. This is definitely not a toy, but it is still so safe that anyone can train with it and we can train all the basic aspects of live firing. Another advantage is that training in this way is inexpensive.
Gregor Kröll: In the courses, we work withCO2 weapons in exactly the same way as we normally do with live weapons. The first shots with a live weapon always take some getting used to. But if you have practiced properly with theCO2 weapon from the start, the transition to live fire works very well after a very short time.
Who attends KJ Shooting & Performance training courses? Who is your target audience?
Florian Jilek: That’s not so easy to answer. You definitely can’t put it down to age: Our oldest course participant is 76 years old. (laughs) When it comes to shooting, we want to appeal to everyone aged 18 and over. Everyone should be able to enjoy basic, advanced and individual training.
We also welcome members of emergency organizations and professional firearms carriers. The aim is to give them the opportunity to think outside the box, expand what they have learned and create new stimuli. Security companies are also an audience. There is no standardized training required by security companies. We therefore offer everything from verbal violence prevention and physical danger prevention to first aid measures.
How does the shooting training at KJ Schießsport & Performance work?
Florian Jilek: During the first phone call, we get to know each other and talk to the customer. If a basic module is required, for example, we can offer a four-hour course. This includes a brief introduction to safety and technology. Then it’s straight into practice: how to hold the weapon correctly, how to build a stable stance, how to aim correctly and much more.
Gregor Kröll: By teaching the four internationally valid safety rules, we create a certain mindset in the basic course. We then go through the fundamentals of shooting step by step and supplement the training with exercises. It is important to us that the knowledge can be easily transferred from using aCO2 weapon to using a live weapon.
In the advanced course, inhibition drills, target change media, covers and perception training are added. Finally, individual training depends on what the customer wants and what their previous knowledge is. These basic concepts form the basis, but in principle we work on a client-by-client basis.
Click here to read the other articles in our “5 questions to” series.
