Movement And Training

I was talking to a friend of mine and we got into a disagreement. I told him that I thought federal firearm training was bogus because standing in a weaver (or whatever…) stance and shooting at steel or paper was unrealistic. He said it taught good muscle memory and of course breathing, aiming, trigger press, etc. As we discussed training and shooting we finally came to the conclusion that we are both right. Self-defense is all those things that standing in front of a target and shooting is to a shooter, but care should be taken to learn other things.
Next time you go to the range test yourself on the time it takes for the following:
Draw
Raise
Time to run 15 feet
According to a study conducted by various police departments, the average human reaction time for 17 police officers to mentally justify firing their pistols during a simple decision-making scenario was 0.211 seconds. The same officers in a complex scenario took 0.895 seconds. In one study 46 police officers who knew they were going to fire their pistols, and it was simply a matter of doing so when they received the signal. This test resulted in an average action time of 0.365 seconds with the officers’ finger already on the trigger. More recent work by Dr. Bill Lewinski a law enforcement professor at Minnesota State University tested 101 officers. The average Reaction/Action time of 1.5 seconds is sufficient time for an attacker to close a reactionary gap of 22.96 feet.
• Time to Draw (a pistol) from a Holster 1.19 seconds
• Time to Raise (a pistol) and Fire 0.59 seconds
• Time to Run 15 feet 1.28 seconds
Getting shot is not all it’s cracked up to be. Although the assailant was hit in his chest, “center of mass”, he was still able to move around, shoot, and drive a few miles away before dying. According to a medical doctor specializing in gun-shot wounds, you have an 85 percent chance of surviving! Just ask Kenny Vaughan from North Carolina, who was shot about 20 times with a rifle that was only 5 feet away and lived! I always preach that it’s not going to take a magical one or two shots to center mass to put an attacker down. It may take three, four, or five. Shoot “repeatedly” until the target is down, using the same reference point of aim. That says a lot for those who think you can “get it done” with 10 rounds. They don’t speak from reality. Also consider this when thinking about what gun to carry, and how much ammo to carry.
Of course, shooting a moving target is fairly difficult, especially if your range does not allow you to do so. For those who know a little about moving targets, such as snipers, we know to aim in front of the target (Lead), when it comes to combative pistol engagements within 25 yards, the rule need not apply. Whenever I used to teach combat pistol classes, I tried to incorporate a moving human size silhouette, moving lateral at a fast pace walk. Nine times out of ten, the student aims in front of the target and forcibly rushes their shots resulting in a miss. The key to hitting a moving target, within a combat pistol range, is to simply aim at what you want to hit, focus on the front sight, and press.
Adrenaline is something we cannot avoid in a high threat situation, especially in a gun fight for your life. When your body experiences an adrenaline overload, you may experience a few of these symptoms, tunnel vision, audio exclusion, shortness of breath, etc. There is a simple solution to overcoming the symptoms of adrenaline overload and get you back on top of your game…deep breaths. Your body needs the extra oxygen to deal with the extra stress. Yes… Just breathe!
Here are some points to consider:
1) Cover. Is moving to cover a reflexive act for you? Can you quickly identify cover and move to it without a thought? Have you ever shot from behind cover? Do you know how to maximally utilize your cover without over exposing yourself?
2) Charging attackers. Have you ever shot at a moving target? How about training with simunitions or airsoft? Do you have a plan for dealing with an attacker running directly towards you?
3) Close quarters shooting. Most gunfights take place at a distance of less than eight feet. That’s almost touching distance. Have you practiced shooting from a retention position?
4) Alternate position shooting. Sometimes you may be on the ground, partially disabled by gunshot wounds. Have you ever fired your gun from the seated position or from a position on the ground?
5) Malfunctions. Do you know how to clear a malfunction reflexively? Have you trained to transition to alternate weapons in the event you can’t clear it? In the military it’s called immediate action drill. You should know how to clear as instinctively as you know how to shoot.
6) Weapon retention. You lose cool points in the gunfight if your gun is kicked out of your hand by your attacker. Do you know any techniques for keeping your gun in your hand if someone tries to grab or kick it?
7) Tactical medicine. Do you know how to treat an arterial bleed from a gunshot wound? You can use a wall to help provide direct pressure to your own wound until medical help can arrive. In the worst case scenario, you can bleed to death in less than two minutes. You have to be able to stop that kind of bleeding and your standard first aid class isn’t enough.
Most of us won’t be in a kind of combat situation where the shooter is out to kill everything in sight. Law enforcement and combat are like this, but the average robbery is not. We need to train better and with more real scenarios in mind. Look at your training program. See if you can include some movement in your workout.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn