I've taken about a dozen classes from TB over the years and while the week without fire is extreme its part of how he teaches. He believes failure is a great teacher so in every skill he gives you he leaves something out before you go out to practice it and you either figure it out on you own or he gives it to you after the exersive. Either way you'l never make the same mistake again.He reminds me of my old karate instructor who taught me some hard lesson in the dojo,3 trips to the doctor, but when I really needed it I walked away from a knife attack without a scratch. Tom also spends the class closely observing the student and if he see someone setting themselves up for a fatal mistake he arranges for it to happen in the class instead of for when its for real .