Shooting
Since I was born and raised in Texas, I thought I knew how to shoot until I got to Massachusetts and found out otherwise. I remedied the problem by taking the National Rifle Association's basic pistol marksmanship course. Over time I followed that with many other courses, and eventually became certified to teach the NRA's pistol, rifle, shotgun, and personal defense courses.
International-style matches are popular in the Boston area, and I shot a lot of them, achieving master classification in air pistol. I went to the US championships three years, shooting free pistol and air pistol — 56th fastest gun in the west! In the early days of the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association I fired quite a few of those matches, winning the Massachusetts state championship in the standing and revolver classifications.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!
In the early 90s my interest in personal protection grew, and I continued the education process with a trip to the American Pistol Institute's API 250 class, then owned and run by the famous Jeff Cooper. Other courses followed, including Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute in New Hampshire, Gunsite's shotgun class known as API 260, and others. Until retirement I was certified by the states of Massachusetts, Arizona, and Utah to provide training required for their licenses to carry concealed weapons.
In Massachusetts you must have a permit to own any type of firearm. There are several courses which satisfy the training requirements for a license to carry firearms (also known as a pistol permit) or a firearms identification card. The Gun Owners' Action League has a list of most people and organizations who offer the courses, and in addition run a full slate themselves. I highly recommend them.
Get Started
Every shooting class starts with a review of the safe handling of firearms. You might be interested in legal restrictions on self-defense as well. Reading ahead will make any class go more smoothly and also make you look good to the instructors and the other students.