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Jeff Cooper used to say, "Having a gun doesn't mean you're armed any more than having a guitar means you're a musician." Training is about many things. It's about learning basic, non-intuitive skills that might come in handy in a bad situation -- like quickly and safely drawing your gun and getting hits on target, safely moving with a loaded gun, shooting on the move, shooting from unorthodox postures, etc. Training also helps foster mindset.
In a bad situation, you will probably be jacked up on adrenaline and subject to other physiological stresses. Things will be happening quickly. Because of the speed at which the event is unfolding, the adrenaline dump you've just experienced and the physiological stresses to which you will be subject, you will probably not be able to think and apply common sense. You will react, and you will react as you've trained.
I do suspect that there are a bunch of nonsense courses out there, and God deliver us from the Mall Ninjas and Gun Range Commandos. But there are some fine, professional schools out there. I've been to Gunsite twice (once for pistol and once for rifle). I've taken a class with Louis Awerbuck. I've had some other classes with well regarded professionals. These have all been good, solid experiences. I've learned things every time, and for me it was time and money well spent.
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