Drawing from the holster is best taught to an unskilled shooter on a one-on-one basis by an experienced instructor. Progress through the training should be slow and thorough since the skill needs, for reasons of both effectiveness and safety, to be deeply ingrained in the student's memory. This is likely to make the training difficult to arrange and somewhat expensive.
Sure, in a perfect world, but this is kind of self-defeating, then, eh? If the problem is that most folks carrying guns are grossly unskilled in safe firearms handling, adhering to a standard of training that is "difficult to arrange and somewhat expensive," seems like another way of saying that exceedingly few folks will develop any competence at all.
Ultimately, a fully trained SD student needs to have the ability to draw from various body positions, while moving, and under various realistic scenarios.
Oh, there is no question. However, how many "fully trained SD students" are there? How many of the gun carrying population would you expect would reach "fully trained" status? How many of them need something beyond what they got over the counter at the gun store? (i.e.: NONE.)
Training for competition is of very little relevance.
Thank you for being such a good example of my initial point!
A great many tactical-whactical folks like to say that "IDPA/IPSC practice will get you KILLED," and that it is "of very little relevance." As though most Joe Average gun-toting folks were really struggling over whether to practice speed reloads, or reloads-with-retention, or tactical-reloads, and other competition mumbo-jumbo. Or that a lot of "Operators" have been sent to Valhalla because they tried to "Run-&-Gun" through an armed standoff using techniques they picked up in an IPSC match and got shot while reloading in the open.
When we all share so many stories of the general public endangering themselves and others every time they touch a gun, and when I see folks who actually ARE interested in developing some skills show up at IDPA practice who've never drawn from a holster, can't find their safety, can't shoot on the move, can't reload in a day and a half, and when they're done, can't find their holster with both hands, a map, and a native guide -- well, I get the notion that maybe an accessible, engaging, and heck, even FUN, opportunity to develop some gun-handling skills might be of benefit to John and Jane Q. Public.
Will they be ready to teach the FBI's HRT a thing or two about tactical shooting when they've gotten their Marksman classification? I guess not. But maybe they won't sweep me at the range or AD the toilet at the Ponderosa.
-Sam
