One need not watch a number of episodes of The Best Defense with Michael Janich and Mike Seeklander to have a vivid basis for realizing that the way that most of us train could be improved upon, or added to.
Almost every Pistol 1 or Defensive Pistol 2 course we see involves a line of students shooting at targets in front of them.
That's good--drawing, shooting, and "running the gun" are essential skills.
One can and should add what Odd Job suggests--disabled hands, or maybe holding an infant.
But how many times would we reasonably expect to have to react to a signal to shoot at a target who has very conveniently chosen to attack us from the front? How often is it likely that the target will have remained at the magic seven yard line by the time we are able to start shooting?
The I. C. E. PDN Combat Focus Shooting drills take things a bit farther--targets may be in back of us, and at different distances.
That's better--it is more realistic, and it folds in the need to observe, react, recognize, and respond.
So, what is missing in terms of elements of realism?
I have been involved in several Defensive Gun Use Incidents over the decades, but the one that stands out if the one that didn't quite happen. I did not have to draw.
I had stepped into a store robbery about to happen. I found myself between the would-be robber and the manager's cubicle where the cash was kept. My movements and reaction spooked the would-be robber, and he took off faster than a rat.
Here is the piece of reality that we very rarely find at the range: there were people in the store, moving around toward my line of fire, both in front of and behind the hapless criminal. My first thought was BACKSTOP, and I moved around to address the situation. That was enough to cause him to vamoose, pronto. As it turned out, his only accomplice was the getaway driver, but I had had to consider other possibilities.
I had had no training worthy of the name. That is not the best time to lean new skills.
So , what might we do to be better equipped in such a situation?
I think the kind of FoF training to which I alluded in Post #20 would be very good, for those who can take it. Perhaps we could gain a lot from AirSoft equipment.
There is another technology that is becoming more widely used. That's the use of interactive digital simulation facilities. The scenarios can be varied; hits and misses are scored; you'll find out whether you fired timely; and shoot-no/shoot exercises are available. One can replay the images and see which shots missed and with ones hit, and where.
Neat stuff. There is a facility that one can try out in a gun store near where I live--Southern Armory in St. Louis.
The limitation, as I see it, is that the entire scene is on one wall. There are new full size facilities with a 300 degree field of view in production, and I have to believe they would be pretty good. So far, I have only seen them adviertixed for police and military training. I hoe that someday....
If anyone is aware of any, do let us know.
Back to the idea of The Best Defense: it is now clear to me that one should not go into a store when there is a car pointed out the wrong way by the exit with the motor running and a driver in it.
Almost every Pistol 1 or Defensive Pistol 2 course we see involves a line of students shooting at targets in front of them.
That's good--drawing, shooting, and "running the gun" are essential skills.
One can and should add what Odd Job suggests--disabled hands, or maybe holding an infant.
But how many times would we reasonably expect to have to react to a signal to shoot at a target who has very conveniently chosen to attack us from the front? How often is it likely that the target will have remained at the magic seven yard line by the time we are able to start shooting?
The I. C. E. PDN Combat Focus Shooting drills take things a bit farther--targets may be in back of us, and at different distances.
That's better--it is more realistic, and it folds in the need to observe, react, recognize, and respond.
So, what is missing in terms of elements of realism?
I have been involved in several Defensive Gun Use Incidents over the decades, but the one that stands out if the one that didn't quite happen. I did not have to draw.
I had stepped into a store robbery about to happen. I found myself between the would-be robber and the manager's cubicle where the cash was kept. My movements and reaction spooked the would-be robber, and he took off faster than a rat.
Here is the piece of reality that we very rarely find at the range: there were people in the store, moving around toward my line of fire, both in front of and behind the hapless criminal. My first thought was BACKSTOP, and I moved around to address the situation. That was enough to cause him to vamoose, pronto. As it turned out, his only accomplice was the getaway driver, but I had had to consider other possibilities.
I had had no training worthy of the name. That is not the best time to lean new skills.
So , what might we do to be better equipped in such a situation?
I think the kind of FoF training to which I alluded in Post #20 would be very good, for those who can take it. Perhaps we could gain a lot from AirSoft equipment.
There is another technology that is becoming more widely used. That's the use of interactive digital simulation facilities. The scenarios can be varied; hits and misses are scored; you'll find out whether you fired timely; and shoot-no/shoot exercises are available. One can replay the images and see which shots missed and with ones hit, and where.
Neat stuff. There is a facility that one can try out in a gun store near where I live--Southern Armory in St. Louis.
The limitation, as I see it, is that the entire scene is on one wall. There are new full size facilities with a 300 degree field of view in production, and I have to believe they would be pretty good. So far, I have only seen them adviertixed for police and military training. I hoe that someday....
If anyone is aware of any, do let us know.
Back to the idea of The Best Defense: it is now clear to me that one should not go into a store when there is a car pointed out the wrong way by the exit with the motor running and a driver in it.
