It looks like a number of the participants on this thread, like myself, are a little long in the tooth. Since we’re “ranting” about training here are a couple of mine:
About a year ago, I attended a “tactical handgun” shoot for a fairly new club. One participant in particular caught my eye; he was a young man dressed in BDU’s, had a drop-thigh holster and wore a tactical, magazine-laden vest. He was wearing military gloves of some sort. I don’t know about the rest of his body, but tattoos graced his neck and both ear lobes had grommeted sized rings that you could hang a carabiner from. He wore a cap with the American Sniper “punisher skull” logo on it and had a long narrow goatee that hung down to his magazine vest projecting a James Yeager wannabe look. When told to “load and make ready,” he drew his handgun, brought it to center-chest and pushed it straight out into the most beautiful Isosceles Triangle stance that you’ve ever seen. Taking a quick sight picture on the first target, he brought the gun straight back to center-chest, tilted the gun 45 degrees starboard and smartly inserted a magazine. Racking the slide via a firm sling-shot, he brought the gun back to center-chest and then down into the holster. As he assumed his start position, he lowered his chin, slightly hunched his shoulders and shifted his weight to the balls of his feet causing him to lean toward the first target. He looked like an over caffeinated panther getting ready to pounce on a gazelle. When the buzzer went off, he drew the gun back to his center-chest, pushed the gun out into a perfect Isosceles stance and double-tapped the first three targets so quickly that I could hardly count the shots. With his finger straight along the frame, he ran to the barricade at the second and final position and engaged the last three targets with double-taps at an Uzi-rate-of-fire cadence. After the sixth shot, he brought the gun back to center-chest and checked his 6 looking over his right and left shoulders in a tactical genuflect that would make Rob Pincus turn green with envy. He unloaded and as we walked to the first bank of targets I asked him where he had trained. He said that he’d never taken a class from anyone, but spent alot of time on you tube and had bought some dvds! I don’t remember his total score but on the six total targets, two had no hits what-so-ever, two had one peripheral hit each, no targets had two A hits. The kid was a paragon of protocol and style and certainly looked tacti-cool, but couldn’t hit his butt with both hands.
He’s apparently used to pushing himself beyond his ability; problem is, that all he’s done. I get a little miffed at the condescension directed at training on a “square range” with stationary targets from a static position. I’m afraid that there’s a whole upcoming generation of Gen X’ers or Millennials whose sole skill is impersonating what they see on you tube.
Since I’m ranting about training, another burr under my saddle is the proliferation of shooting schools being run by Delta/SOCOM/Recon/Seal/Rangers just back from the desert with “modern” combat techniques. I briefly subscribed to an online training site run by a Seal that promised “new breakthough” techniques and tactics. What a joke that was. His first lesson was to put a mark on your front site to focus on. How’s that for break-through revelation! What most of those guys don’t know is that in the late 70’s and 80’s, most of those organizations went to the square range, stationary target, static position schools to learn to shoot! I was fortunate enough to have been in the first class that Ray ever ran at the Chapman Academy. Since I lived close, we became friends and I helped him with some classes. I remember the Seals coming to the Academy to work with Ray. Yes, he had a moving target (the Bianchi Cup mover), but the only moving that was done was a modification of the old Mexican Defense Course. They also went to Berryville to work with Bill Wilson and to MISS to work with John Shaw, two guys that never wore any kind of uniform or heard a shot fired outside the confines of IPSC, much less in anger. Apparently all of the square range, static training didn’t get them all killed as they kept coming back.
People decrying competitive shooting, primarily IPSC and IDPA would benefit by shutting up. “That stuff will get you killed on the street” is a mantra for those who aren’t good enough to be competitive. “What you do in practice you’ll do in a fight,” is spouted by shooters who primarily use the excuse of bad tactics allowed in competition to mask their inability to handle match pressure and/or shoot under the close scrutiny of judgmental observers. Are there silly rules? Yup. So what. It’s not “training” it’s “testing.” Man up, shoot and shut up!
OK, I get that things have progressed and that there are probably more advanced techniques and training styles; that doesn’t negate the virtue of past training techniques, nor the value of placing yourself on the line to compete once in a while, even if it’s bowling pins or cowboy action shooting, it’s pressure.
Sorry for the rant----
Yes.
Dave
