Defensive Pistol Tactical Training Styles

Over the years, I have had the good fortune to train with a wide variety of firearms and tactical instructors, and have learned efficient and effective gun-handling techniques from each and every one of them.  The instructors that I have worked with and trained under include law enforcement, SWAT Team Leaders, NRA civilian instructors, a former Navy SEAL, and even a former Army Delta Operator.  Each has their own style, and each has preferences for things such as stance, grip, front-sight focusing techniques, ready positions, malfunction clearing, and how to rack a slide. 

While one Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team who instructed in one of my classes was a proponent of the over-hand method for racking a slide, the Delta guy was a big fan of the “pinch” method.  The SEAL taught us the high compressed ready position for moving about and looking for threats, while many of the Army guys I trained with were taught the SUL position.  Most all NRA civilian instructors that I know teach the “tap, rack, bang” method for dealing with malfunctions, while the SEAL taught us the SPIR (Slap, Pull, Inspect, Release), then assess for threats method.  Rob Pincus, a law enforcement, and Personal Defense Network instructor teaches a point shooting method for aiming at a target that does not involve front sight focus at all, while many other law enforcement and NRA instructors I have worked with insist on front-site focus all the time.  And the Israeli instructors seem to teach completely different methods for everything all together.

The great value of receiving training from people who all do things differently is that you get to experience different techniques and hear different perspectives about what worked for them and their teams.  But at the end of the day, you need to find out what works best for YOU, and what will make you a better shooter and (should the worst happen) a winning gun-fighter.  So a few tips that I have learned over the years that have helped me: 

1. Go into the training with an open mind and a willingness to perform to the techniques being taught.
   
   
2. Practice what is being taught and HOW it is being taught by that particular instructor.  
   
   
3. Try (at least for that moment) to forget what has been taught in previous classes, and be willing to learn a new way of doing things.
     
4. Then, be able to pull everything back together and reflect afterward on what you have learned from a variety of people to put together your own menu of options that you will put into your personal training routine.

These are perishable skills.  Each technique requires constant practice for the buildup of muscle memory needed in order to master them.  The problem is that when you go into training that teaches a different technique than you’ve already learned, you will have a tendency to use what you are already practiced in and familiar with.  So don’t take it personally when the new instructor corrects you into doing it the way that is being taught in THEIR class.  The purpose of learning new things is to find out what works for you and what doesn’t.  You actually have to cheerfully accept the discipline that comes with these corrections to practice the movements in order see if the tools they are teaching to you are things that you want to (or even can) put into your own toolbox.

  

There is no law that says that when you pick your techniques that you only have to pick ALL of the techniques from only ONE particular class or instructor.  In other words, just because you learned something that works best for you from one instructor, it does not mean that you have to use ALL of the techniques from THAT instructor and not any of the others.  For example, I prefer the SPIR malfunction clearing methods that I learned from the SEAL over the tap/rack/bang method that the NRA people teach.  I alternate between the “pinch” and “overhand” slide rack techniques, depending on the necessity of the situation and arthritis in my hands.  I practice both.  The holster draw that I learned from the Delta guy seems more efficient and more natural.  I am now practicing a slide release after reloading technique that an Israeli instructor teaches because that one makes more sense to me for shaving those precious fractions of a second off of a critical movement that will make a difference in competition or, heaven forbid, a gunfight.  Some of the Israeli gun handling techniques, while unusual from what I have already learned, are worth it to me to look at and practice because they make sense also.  

So the bottom line here is that you have a lot to choose from.  If your instructors are reputable and have actual real-world experience, then it is safe to say that what all of them are teaching you is based on some pretty sound principles and tactics.  Pick which of the techniques from each area (and from each instructor) that work best for you (stance, grip, malfunction clearing, aiming, racking a slide, etc).  Practice your chosen techniques until you have complete mastery and fully developed muscle memory for them.

I honestly hope that none of us should actually get into a gunfight.  But if (when?) we do end up in one, we will not suddenly be able to rise to the ability of super-star combat warrior gun-fighting techniques.  We will always fall back to our level of training.  So we must make sure that our training includes many different perspectives, we should practice each of them over and over, and then pick the one that works best.  Then, practice some more until it is second nature and our level of training makes our natural actions as highly perfected as possible.  Learn and practice a wide variety of skills from each area, but master to perfection the skills from each area that will serve you the best.  Whether it is in competitive shooting or an actual emergency scenario, using consistent and thoroughly practiced gun handling skills will help you win.  

As the saying goes: professionals don’t practice until they get it right.  They practice until they can’t get it wrong.

Designed to Kill Large Numbers of People Quickly?!

This NRA-ILA article speaks to the rabid and incredible misunderstanding (and fear) possessed by the left of firearms. It also speaks to their complete lack of knowledge about firearms and their refusal to understand firearms usage facts, which leads to their inability make sound decisions when it comes to the legislation of firearms.

In the article, the lawmakers of Wisconsin say they want to ban so-called "assault weapons" and most other types of firearms because they deemed them dangerous because they are “designed to kill large numbers of people quickly.”

 In fact, it appears they are taking a shotgun approach (pun intended) to just ban any and all firearms they can think of. I am not sure they even know enough about firearms to know what kinds of guns can perform what actions, to be honest.

Hmmm.... well what d'ya know? I looked through all of the owner's manuals for all of my firearms, and in NOT ONE of these documents does it say that the firearm was designed for the explicit purpose of killing large numbers of people quickly.

A firearm has one, and only ONE purpose: To allow an operator to pull a trigger that actuates a firing pin that activates an ammunition cartridge and sends a projectile out of the barrel towards an intended target. THAT'S IT! That intended target may be a piece of paper, game being hunted, a home invader, or an invading enemy.

Killing large numbers of people is the intent of the heart of the operator of the firearm. The state of the heart may be that of a deranged and criminal mind who wants to kill as many innocent people as possible. Or the state of the heart may be a law abiding and decent citizen who wants nothing more than to protect loved ones and other innocents from a home invader or active shooter. Perhaps it's the heart of a hunter who wants to put food on the table. Or even just the heart of a sportsman who is competing in a shooting match.

The firearm itself does not have the ability to make these decisions, nor was it designed explicitly for any of these purposes.

Now I will tell you also what the 2nd Amendment was designed to do: It was designed to protect the individual RIGHT to own firearms for the purpose of protecting them from tyrannical governments and invading armies. And if it ever came to this, a firearm of the same type and action of those possessed by the invading entities was the idea of the framers when they wrote this amendment. In other words - possessing military style weapons was the intent of the framers, and is the RIGHT of individuals.

I'm not sure we're dealing with people of stellar intellect in these attempts to ban guns based solely on their perception (not knowledge) of the firearm's appearance, use, or purpose. The only thing I see in play here are people who act based on "feelings" (not knowledge) and the need to show others that they "are doing something."

VIDEO: Front Sight Focus...

Self defense is one thing that you will hear me preaching over and over.  And the use of firearms in your self defense repertoire is, in my opinion, the  most effective for what I am pretty sure we are about to face.  Being able to shoot effectively and accurately will save lives, as well as saving precious ammo.  Making every shot count will be a life saver!

Try these drills.  This method works! In all my years teaching firearms techniques, I have found that my students have the most difficulty with aiming because they really don't know where to put their focus.  Front sight focus is absolutely the key to having the ability to shoot consistently and accurately.

Your eyes have muscles and nerves that enable them to move and focus. Doing these drills builds muscle memory.  So don't be afraid to begin slowly.  By being slow and deliberate, you will do things the same way every time.   Doing these movements slowly and deliberately will cause your eye muscles to learn and "burn in" the desired motion and function.  This will allow you to begin speeding up these movements, and work up to acquiring your target more quickly.  You will find that by repetition,  you will be able to acquire targets more quickly, make defensive decisions more quickly, and shoot more accurately.

Shoot safely, be accurate!

Get These Guns "Off The Streets!"

Today’s news included a story about presidential executive orders signed to help satisfy calls for gun control.  One of these measures included an order to prevent importing US military weapons back into the country.  The idea for this order is to prevent more of these “military grade” guns from getting onto our streets.  Many of these guns could very well include M-1 Garand semiautomatic rifles that are bought and reconditioned by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), and then sold to people who participate in legitimate marksmanship programs such as the “Appleseed Project” which is put on by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RVWA).  The rifles are also collector’s items owned by legitimate and law abiding gun collectors.

For the purposes of this article, by the way, I am limiting discussion to these and similar rifles.  Any other military grade weapons are probably already restricted from civilian ownership anyway.

Well, you know what?  I am sick and tired of this worn out phrase where the gun grabbing community says they are doing something "to get guns off the streets." Really?  Off the streets?  What do they mean by that?   Are there guns running around on our streets committing crimes?  “Get these guns off the streets” is the cry that I seem to hear all too often, but as I wrote in an earlier blog post about a lack of understanding about gun terminology, I suspect, too, that there is a lack of their own understanding about guns “on the streets.”  To be perfectly blunt, I am relatively certain that the phrase “on (or off) the streets” is a pejorative term meant to indicate anything that relates to common citizens, and those who aren't the “beautiful and politically influential people.”  I think that they consider any gun to be in the hands of law abiding citizens to be included in this “guns on the streets” rhetoric.

But let's say just for a minute (giving them the benefit of the doubt), they mean that “on the streets” refers only to the criminal underworld and the gang element, and they simply want to get the guns out of the hands of these criminals, then they need to try again. There are already laws for that.  What they need to do is start enforcing these laws.  Preventing collectors and the CMP from getting these rifles does not help this situation.  It only penalizes these law abiding folks.  Many of these weapons that come back from overseas are in poor shape.  The CMP buys huge numbers of these things, and cannibalizes them for parts to make enough good rifles to sell to RVWA members, collectors and others.  This is an expensive process, and quite frankly, I don’t think the thug gang members have the skills to do this.

So when I hear a gun control proponent say that they want to get the guns "off the streets" I can only assume that they actually mean that they want to get them out of the hands of EVERYONE!  Sorry – but I am not giving them the benefit of the doubt.  I have seen the gun grabber heart in action too many times.  Gun control efforts are continuously aimed at making it harder for law abiding citizens to acquire that which is already constitutionally protected, and do nothing to prevent criminals from getting them.  When the founders wrote this amendment, it was their intention that common citizens would arm themselves and be able to contribute to the security of the community.  They meant for all citizens to be trained and know how to use those weapons as well.

These people need to spend more time reading their constitutions (I've got a whole box of pocket constitutions if they need any) and enforcing already existing laws, and less time worrying about how to tie the hands of law abiding citizens.