Thought for the day: "Your training should match reality"
The definition of the word Practical is: of, relating to, or manifested in practice or action; not theoretical or ideal.
The odds of getting in a gunfight against ten static enemy combatants while wearing your plate carrier and warbelt are relatively slim as a civilian.
*Then why are so many people “training” like this? Well, it’s largely for the same reasons people play video games, watch action movies, etc. A lot of people are living out a fantasy on the range.
Without a doubt , this is one of the most frustrating problems you can encounter. You usually spend at least wasting one training day on attempting to alter attitudes.
Taking this type of information and adapting training to become as proficient as possible in the elements that have a higher likelihood of occurring in real life, means that less time is wasted on fantasy scenarios. And a higher PRACTICAL skill level can be reached.
DRAW FROM CONCEALMENT
Drawing your pistol when it is covered by clothing, in a bag, or however you personally choose to carry it, is a complex skill and requires a lot of practice. I know it takes longer to run drills from concealment than having a warbelt, OWB holster, etc. But the fact is, that’s probably not how you carry every day. You don’t want to be messing around with your shirt for the first time when you need to draw your pistol quickly.
A common misconception. People tend to think they are as proficient and fast drawing from concealment as they are on the range. Not. Whatever method you choose to carry is not going to be as fast to deploy. Do you go to food store wearing a tactical belt and thigh holster? If not, you had better starting practicing from your method of carry.
A common technique for getting clothes out of the way is to extend the thumb of the firing hand, place it under the article of clothing, and use a sweeping motion to ensure that the will not interfere with drawing the pistol. The most important part is that you practice both dry and live fire, with the type of clothing that you wear.
Draw Stroke is the term used to describe the path that the pistol takes from the holster to being fired. This can vary tremendously based on the person and their training, but efficiency and accuracy are key. There are very few people in this world that are fast enough to “outdraw” someone who pulls a gun on them. So instead of working on your quick draw, you may want to consider how you are going to react if you hear gunfire in the building you’re in and work towards drawing the exact same way every time.
Good situational awareness and already having the gun in your hand is faster than any method you choose to practice.
Dry fire practice is a great way to increase your draw skills, but remember to focus on consistency and not worry about breaking speed records right off the bat. Speed comes with practice.
Dry fire training is (IMO) is one of the most important elements in learning how to shoot and it constantly amazes me that people ignore this. How many times do you throw a left jab or practice an arm bar to become proficient? Thousands? Yet most rarely practice dry fire drawing for concealment.
Shooting and pistol manipulation with one hand is largely overlooked by most civilians. Surprisingly, a vast amount of people who have had to use a pistol to defend themselves have had to do so with one hand. This is because the world is still going on around us. There is a multitude of things that may require your nondominant hand to be used for something other than supporting your pistol. For instance, carrying my 8-month-old daughter, opening a door, applying a tourniquet, etc. Practice drawing as well, using only your firing hand to clear clothing
Please, read that twice.
MALFUNCTION DRILLS
I’ve seen countless people have their first malfunction and stop to stare at the pistol in disbelief. It’s not an “if” but “when” when it comes to malfunctions. Guns are mechanical devices, and any mechanical device has the potential to fail. If this occurs when you need it to keep you alive, then fixing the issue should be instinctive because of your training.
It doesn’t matter how hard you stare at it, that stovepipe isn’t going to fix itself.
I have seen this many times, learn malfunction drills. You don’t want to be in a violent situation and you cannot clear a jam. You need to be able to let your hands and subconscious mind do the work, while you seek cover and still maintain your attackers location.
Because you cannot predict what type of malfunction will occur, becoming familiar with the different types and how to correct them is an invaluable skill. One of the best ways I’ve found to replicate malfunctions is to have a friend load your magazines and randomly place expended brass of the same caliber throughout your magazines. Unlike the popular Snap Caps that are commonly used for this type of training, brass will not produce the same type of malfunction every time. This will make you react to what is happening instead of being able to smoothly fix the problem.
Good drill, with a practical outcome. I have run this drill before and the amount of confusion on the line was both amusing and disheartening.
TRAIN TO REACT
*Too often people train using drills where they shoot 1 or 2 rounds, perform a magazine change, then fire another round. These drills have some merit, but they aren’t practical for defensive shooting. Practicing the same drill over and over again makes you better at that drill– that’s it. Repetitive practice improves speed, and you’re able to complete the drill without much thought. in a real-life situation, you don’t get a reset. You react to what you’re given and make the best split-second decision possible. Instead of practicing to beat a buzzer, practice seeing what your sights are doing and what you see on the target.
But if staying alive in a situation is more important to you than winning a competition or getting likes on social media, then it becomes to take a hard look at whether or not your training is practical.
Please, read twice. Be honest. Are you training for real life? or acting out some fantasy?
