Practice, Practice, Practice

The One Thing They All Have In Common

The infamous gunman John Wesley Harding, according to the lady of a boarding home, would "walk across the room and then suddenly spring to one side, facing around and as quick as a flash he would have a gun in each hand clicking so fast that the clicks sounded like a rattle machine."(1) Famous Texas lawman Frank Hamer practiced regularly, especially at long distance handgunning. A local sheriff had challenged Hamer, and a competition was arranged. While others were setting up targets, Hamer announced, "he was going to hit a small, glittering rock more than a hundred yards away." He hit it with his first shot. "His competitor" a friend noted, "kept his pistol holstered."(2) "Jelly" Bryce, the man who created the F.B.I.'s first firearms training program, was "shooting rabbits on the run and quail on the wing" while in the 4th grade.(3) Everyone I personally know who has been in multiple fights credit their wins to regular practice. (All said after their first fight they practiced even more.) From the old west to today the thing that all successful gunmen have in common is practice.

People have an idea that shooting a firearm accurately is "easy." They see shooters hit a two-inch target with the pistol at sixty feet or ding a man size plate at a hundred yards. They watch a rifleman drop into prone and fire a five shot group that can be covered with a quarter at one hundred yards or hit a clay pigeon flying in the air. Then, when they can't produce the same results, they become frustrated. Now the search is on for more "accurate" ammo, they start modifying their weapon or plunge down the rabbit hole in pursuit of the "perfect" pistol or rifle. They become focused on hardware.

Yes, you need good, reliable gear. A pistol must fit your hand size in order for you to shoot it accurately and manipulate it efficiently. To squeeze the maximum accuracy out of a precision rifle you have to discover what ammo it likes best. But the secret to becoming a good shot, and even more so developing the skills needed to respond to a violent attack, is practice.

Good shooters make it look easy. They get on target, press the trigger and are rewarded with good, accurate hits. A malfunction occurs, and before you even realize what's happening they have effortlessly cleared it and are firing again. What you don't see is the hours of practice and all the time and energy they spent focusing on the fundamentals before making "that" shot or "magically" clearing a stoppage.

Anyone can become good at anything. Some people are born with better hand/eye coordination or reaction times. Yet, with time and practice everyone can develop and improve these skills. Can you become the best? Probably not, but then we don't have to be the best; we just have to be better than our opponent. Some people grew up on guns. I can't remember not shooting, even when someone had to help me hold the pistol or rifle so I could sight in and fire the shot. Other people get a late start in life. That just means extra time devoted to practice. Regardless of who you are or when you start it's going to take time for you to become proficient. Don't get caught up in what your buddy or a professional shooter can do. That doesn't matter. What counts is that you practice, shoot as much as you can, and approach the task with a serious attitude. You're never quite satisfied, but at the same time you have enjoy the journey and take pride in your results. The one thing all good shooters have in common is that they shoot as often as possible. If you can say everyday, "I'm getting better," you're on the right track.

(1) "Jeff Milton, A Good Man With A Gun," by J. Evetts Haley.
(2) "I'm Frank Hamer, The Life of a Texas Peace Officer," John Jenkins and H. Gordon Frost
(3) "Legendary Lawman, The Story Of Quick Draw Jelly Bryce," Ron Owens.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama. He is the author of "The Book of Two Guns"

Words of wisdom, from one of the top trainers....Mr. Dave Spaulding

What the hell?! My thoughts on current combative firearms training

By Dave Spaulding

Thank you Dave, you have eloquently put into words what has been on my mind for a long time.  

What is to follow will fire up a large number of people! So be it. I’ve been doing this a LONG time…longer than most and I know what I am talking about…and I am flabbergasted by what I see…

I have not paid much attention, in the past, to what is happening in the training industry...I probably should have. I spent the vast majority of my time training law enforcement officers and did not really take notice of what the legally armed citizen was doing. When I decided to start my own training company, I started to focus on what the armed citizen needed, but I was wrong. I should not have looked at what they WANTED. I didn’t take notice…I do now...

Before 9-11, there were just a few training institutions and about 10-12 traveling instructors...I got to them all and had a good handle on what was being taught. Then our country was attacked, two wars began and a large number of folks came out of the military and changed the training industry, I believe forever. Focus shifted from the concealed handgun to the M-4 carbine and if you were not former Special Ops you didn't know shit. If you weren't former Special Ops and wanted to instruct, no problem! You just act like you were/are.

Defending the home or what to do in a parking lot attack moved to battlefield tactics. Never mind much of the battlefield stuff was/is inappropriate for law enforcement or the legally armed citizen...it was/is really cool to do! Gear became the primary concern and many felt as long as they looked good, it did not matter if they could shoot good. Many potential students are real gullible, was the thought. They were right…just watch You Tube. What garners the attention of the current shooting community is truly amazing! I recently noted Col. Jeff Cooper’s video on The Combat Mindset had around 27,000 views. However, a young girl in short shorts shooting a rifle had over 3 million! What the hell??

"Tacti-cool" went from a derogatory term to main stream commentary, "operator" was applied to everyone who trained with a gun and someone decided it was a good idea to place students down range and shoot past them to get them "used to in bound gunfire"…it enhanced their “battlefield experience”. The term CQB was applied to everything from room clearing to hand to hand combat to the type of gloves you were wearing.

A trend began to start shooting people to the ground with full magazines of ammo instead of shooting for a visual response and then evaluating. Force was no longer judicious, it was terminal! While effective is it wise? Consider the video of the officer shooting the teenage suspect to the ground in Chicago and the subsequent public response. I don’t know if the officer was taught to do this, but is it good idea? Maybe on the battlefield but on the streets of America? A thought only…

Instructors must now wear 5.11 (Arcteryk, Kuhl or whatever is currently in, I can’t keep up), beards and talk with a certain lingo. If they do not, they are considered "out of touch". I had lunch with a friend recently who is a current member of a Tier One SMU who told me much of what is currently popular in the tactical training realm is not current...the wars have made them reevaluate and create new tactics and techniques and that much of it is not appropriate for anything but the battlefield. Is it important for information on tactics and techniques to be current? Is it important that it should be “judicious”? Is it important that as long as you get to wear cool gear everything is ok? If an instructor talks and dresses a certain way, does that make them qualified to teach? Is it important that we might be spending time and money on skills sets that will not really help us with the threats we are likely to face? Do students know what they need versus what hey want? It’s their money, right??

Today's younger shooters are some rude folks. All you have to do is read the stuff they post on line. Social Media has made instant fame possible and folks who are now driving the training industry have done nothing more than “type a good game” on line, recycling information they read elsewhere. Few have experienced the lessons they preach which offers a unique perspective when teaching the skills… they just put a video up and their expertise is established. Don’t forget the short shorts or maybe a bikini…those really help viewership!

Have you taken the time to look into the backgrounds of some of the "movers and shakers" that "rock" (not my term) the training industry? Do you care? Are you a grown up acting like a teenager as you "fanboy" a particular instructor? I’m too old for hero worship…most are but some still do it. This is so bizarre to me…its like being in Junior High all over again…

I never paid attention to what many of the instructors claim, but some of my friends who are now retired from the military and intelligence communities do as it matters to them when someone says they are something they are not! They have the contacts to look into the claims these instructors make about their backgrounds and I admit to being greatly saddened as it hurts an industry I dearly love. Interestingly, the people who are the rudest, boisterous and in your face are the one's with the least background. They are like bullies, the more obnoxious they act, the more people stay clear of them and let them have their way. Expect an "offensive" by these retired professionals sometime in the future as they are getting disgusted.

I remember when instructors would get together at the large training conferences (ASLET, ILEETA or IALEFI) and exchange ideas. I learned a considerable amount sitting in the hallway of a hotel with a group of like mined people. As a matter of fact, we used to joke about “most of the learning occurred in the hallway”. We would review recent incidents, talk about what we had learned in the past year (or whatever) and talked about where we might have it wrong and what we needed to change. I can’t remember a discussion on how to make something look cool or what type of clothing we wore when teaching.

Now it seems instructors are at war with each other. What the hell?? "I'm right, they're wrong, my ideas are best and theirs suck" even though...if you look closely...the ideas and concepts are not that dissimilar. Its about money and ego...if not, instructors would not be fighting amongst themselves so much while building armies of followers to "defend their honor" on the internet. They would be exchanging ideas outside of their instructional cliques.

The number of people who call themselves “instructors” is now HUGE. It is amazing how it has gown in just a decade. From the local folks who are doing CCW certification to the top tier tactical/SWAT/Spec Ops instructors…I have never seen so many people vying for your money in the almost 40 years I have been doing this. What is the quality of their training? Do students know enough to know when they are being fleeced? I have seen some really strange stuff being taught. Students come to me in classes and show me what they have been taught elsewhere and I am speechless…that used to be hard to do to me, but not any longer. I see no reason to teach a barrel roll or back flip with a gun in your hand…

What about some of the on line debates? Do we really care if one person prefers a red dot while the other likes iron sights? Why do people or groups try so hard to prove that others are “wrong”? Appendix carry, SERPA holsters, Kydex versus leather, irons versus optics…is it critical we try and impose our thoughts and desires about such things on others? Ego abounds. Do you think that maybe…just maybe…what might work for you will not work for someone else? Should it be about SOLUTIONS for the students or imposing our instructional will and satisfying our ego?

I admit to being a bit mystified about instructor conduct…when did it become important for an instructor to be a cultural icon? When did an instructor have to be this perfect human being? Does an instructor really look that bad if they have an ND or miss a shot? Is their wardrobe really that important? Is it ok to wear a pair of blue jeans and running shoes when teaching a class? Shouldn’t it be more about dressing comfortably for the weather conditions at hand? Shoot good, feel good or look good but not all three? What the hell??

I admit I am in the fall of my life and the winter of my teaching career, but I still care about the quality of instructors and the well being of the training industry. It’s just too damn important to let it fall into chaos! While certain individuals seek fame and wealth, the people who will be hurt are the good guys and gals who need solid information, tactics and techniques to save their lives and the lives of their loved ones. These people look to their instructors for guidance and solutions, not finger pointing and hate speech…certainly not fashion advice.

Of course, I’m probably wrong here, as many student level shooters seem to relish it when noteworthy people get into arguments on line. They line up behind their favorite and launch attacks back and forth. At least the instructors stand up as themselves and offer their arguments. The student level offers hate-filled garbage hiding behind a pseudonym. In my generation, we called this type of person a “pussy”.

Again, it reminds me of junior high where someone talking behind someone’s back did so out of jealousy. It’s the same here…the internet commandos want to raise their status and profile…you know, be “famous”… but do not want to spend years on the street/battlefield, spending time training and teaching while spending money doing so. They want it NOW! Just like a five year old. They want instant Internet fame and guess what? They get it!

If I fold up Handgun Combatives tomorrow few will notice (well, those that have enrolled in a class this year might get a little bent!) as there are legions of people out there waiting to step in and fill the void. That’s ok as long as what students are getting is what they TRULY need to WIN! Not just look cool on the range or get to pretend they are a commando for a few days. Is that is training to you? Is the course you are taking hour after hour of drills that entertain or are skills being built? Many do not know what the difference is…

Interesting side note: When I post a blog such as this one, I actually HURT my training business as students who want be pretend to be something they are look elsewhere! I don’t care…the truth hurts and I will not pretend to be something I am not in order to make $$. I must look myself in he mirror every day…

Some will like what I have said, some will MF me as they are more interested in what they want reality to be, not what it is and what I have written here interferes with their view of combat (reality)…or they are just playing their role of instructional fan boy. Good boy, good boy…come here and let me scratch you behind the ear! Good boy…

That’s ok...it is their right...a right I spent my adult life defending, but do me a favor…take a close look at the haters and fan kiddies and see why they disparage what is said here. Do they have a “dog in the hunt”? Hopefully you will take the time to give critical thought about what you are spending your time and money doing to defend your life! It’s a real ‘what the hell” moment. Combative firearms training is a lifestyle commitment to personal security…its not the same as playing golf or idolizing a movie star…

Fear is your Friend....by Dave Spaulding

Fear is your Friend

I recently saw the movie Acts of Valor on cable T.V. You may have heard of it because it was filmed using real life Navy SEALs. It is a pretty good action movie, but what caught my eye was just before the closing credits, a list of all the SEALs who have died in combat-related incidents since 9/11 showed on screen—and it was a long list. Although some of you will argue about which special operations unit is best, I think all can agree the Navy SEALs are one of our nation's best fighting units. Millions of dollars are spent training each one, yet they're killed with alarming regularity by combatants far less skilled. How could this be? Because, my friend, in conflict shit happens.

Let me make this perfectly clear: Anytime you enter conflict you run the risk losing regardless of how well trained you think you are. Remember: Murphy is alive and well, has a huge sense of humor and likes to drop in whenever possible. Bottom line: No matter how skilled you may be, there will always be circumstances that will work against you.

Fear in Combat

A person's ability to perform in conflict is a product of several factors. But the primary reason a person folds in the face of danger is fear. Fear comes in many forms, but is commonly defined as a sense of anxiety due to potential or real danger, pain, etc. While teaching a class in Florida, a student came up to me and asked, "Are you afraid of what people say about you on the Internet?" He was referring to a bashing I took on several gun forums as a result of a blog I wrote on the Blackhawk SERPA holster. A sizable number of people attacked me on a personal level, calling me a "mouth piece" for Blackhawk. In one case, I had a scheduled class cancelled because one of these detractors convinced students to drop out. Here's what I told the student: "No, words cannot hurt me. Real fear should be reserved for situations in which I face serious injury or death. Fear is your friend. Don't waste it on things or situations that are unnecessary."

Fear is situationally dependent. In the situation above, I may not like hearing myself trashed -- and I will probably get irritated -- but I'm not afraid of it. Too often fear is irrational because we don't know what we're afraid of. We need to keep the concept of fear in context and know how to properly apply it to our real world of work and play. Can fear of the unknown be unreasonable? Maybe… but maybe not. Fear can raise situational awareness, and since awareness is the key to personal security (not gear, no matter how much one would like it to be), apprehension of what we don't know, can't see or understand might be justified. At the same time, we need to keep our fears relevant and not let them run amok. What fun would life be if we're constantly in fear?

There will always be a natural resistance to engagement. "Is-This-Happening-to-Me?" syndrome plays a role even in the minds of the highly skilled. But even though this question might be in the mind of a citizen, it shouldn't be in the mind of a law enforcement officer. After all, the cop's job is to seek out and confront law breakers even when their life is in jeopardy. They're trained to do this with as much safety as possible, but the job will never be entirely safe. That's why they have firearms and other protective gear and are allegedly "well trained" in their use.

Fear of conflict, especially armed conflict, is reasonable — good actually — because the potential of serious injury or death that could accompany a fight is real. In many cases, the "winner" of a gun fight is the one who goes to the hospital instead of the morgue, so don't make it something it's not.

Armed conflict should be avoided at all costs. Again, anytime a person enters such a situation they run the risk of losing, regardless of skill level. I've never understood people who look for a gunfight, knife fight or fist fight just to get a "notch on their gun, belt etc."

At the same time, there are certain things worth fighting and dying for. We must all decide for ourselves what those are…a line in the sand, as it were. When we decide to cross that line, it's important to be able to control our natural fear of injury or death so that we'll be able to perform at the level required to prevail. Make no mistake, fear is your friend. Anyone who says they're never afraid is one of two people: a liar or a fool. Fear is there to make you better prepared to take action, but you also need the right tools to control it and use it to your advantage.

Managing Fear

How do you control fear? The most obvious action is to turn fear into anger … a controlled anger …. uncontrolled anger, some call it "rage," can result in deadly mistakes. The physiological effects of fear and anger are similar, so it would seem to be an obvious and easy transition, right? Not necessarily. Some can make the transition easily while others are overwhelmed by fear, shutting down and accepting injury or death. But if you're prepared for conflict and have a good understanding that bad things can happen to each and every one of us, you'll be ready to take action and not be inhibited by fear.

Autogenic breathing, what's also called "combat" or "rescue" breathing, is the primary method to keep you from becoming overwhelmed by fear. By breathing in for a count of four, holding for four, letting out for four and then holding again for four, the heart rate can be lowered substantially in 10 repetitions or so. When you lower your heart rate, you'll have a more rational mode of thought. I've used this technique for everything — from a promotion interview to being shot at — and it works.

Knowing the physiological effects of combat stress and fear (pounding heart, muscle tension, trembling, rapid breathing, nausea, "gut knot," dry mouth, tunnel vision, etc.) and understanding they're naturally occurring phenomena will make you better prepared.

Developing the skills needed to meet the threat and knowing that these skills have worked in combat, will add confidence and help you manage fear. Also, once you truly understand what the pandemonium of conflict entails (not what's portrayed in Hollywood films), you'll be less willing to enter it — and that's not a bad thing. Bottom line: Once you understand fear, you can use it to your advantage.

Final Thoughts

In the end, confidence and mastery of needed skills (including a realistic understanding of fear) is the primary factor in whether you can transform fear to anger, defeat to victory, life instead of death. Knowing your skills will work in the pandemonium of armed conflict gives you a huge advantage over your opponent, but nothing is absolute … nothing is guaranteed. However, would it be better to enter conflict with no skill at all? Remember: "Right now, someone is training so when they meet you, they beat you. Train hard and stay on guard."

Dave Spaulding is a retired law enforcement officer with 36 years of law enforcement and private security experience. A graduate of many of the nation's premier firearms training courses, he is also the author of over 1,000 articles that have appeared in news stand gun magazines and law enforcement trade journals. He is the owner and chief instructor forHandgun Combatives LLC, a training concern that focuses on "the combative application of the handgun." 

February 6th class

First let me thank all of the folks that showed up for the class yesterday!  What a really nice group of individuals.  They were very interested and eager to receive the information that was passed on to them.  I especially want to thank them for making the best out of the conditions in which they had to sit in really tight quarters.  The classroom  that I have available has become one giant storage closet.  It seems to get smaller and smaller with each class that we have.  I once made the statement, that if you have the desire and commitment to want to learn about firearms and how to properly use them, that I could train you a closet.  Well, I think someone finally decided to put me to the test! lol    Again, thanks to all that attended!

STAY SAFE, AND ALWAYS COVER YOUR 6!

Don't cut corners....Tiger McKee

Skill Set: Cuttin' Corners

Clearing corners - slicing the pie - is one place you don't want to take shortcuts. Cutting corners in preparing for a fight can be just as bad.

It's in our nature to want to cut corners, to take short cuts or try the easy route. When traveling we want the shortest route. Around here this may cut down on the distance traveled, but without knowing the area it's easy to find yourself on a winding, one-lane road where ten miles an hour is the "safe" speed. The shortest, easiest route may not be the safest path to take. Cutting corners or taking shortcuts often leads to trouble.

Time is a precious commodity. You plan to practice, but start the day out already behind. In order to get more things done you skip the quarter hour of dry practice planned for when you get home. Soon, like the next day it happens again. Now not practicing is a habit, and the only time you shoot is when the guys get together, go to the range, and target shoot. We all know more talking than shootin' occurs here. Practice, r-e-p-e-t-i-t-i-o-n, is needed in order to maintain your skills, and a mandatory element for improving.

You're practicing Type II malfunctions, a failure to eject. You know the clearing sequence is to get your finger off the trigger, tap the ensure the mag is seated – especially with pistols that will create a "stove-pipe" if the mag isn't seated - and then cycle the slide to load the chamber. In order to beat your buddies, "win" the "fight," you skip seating the mag. After all, you set up the malfunction, so why both to seat the mag when you can be first to shoot. Removing this step from the sequence can get you into trouble in real life. As mentioned above, if the mag isn't seated you can cycle the slide all day and it ain't gonna go bang. In a real encounter time is critical, but your actions must be efficient.

Most people short-change themselves in the mental department as well. As you sit down for dinner at the restaurant do you scan, assess and think about where the nearest exits, cover and danger points are? In other words, planning a response in case trouble does erupt? Do you read, study or research the mental and physical aspects of self-defense? Do you attend training, but also do you participate in training that doesn't include shooting? Fighting is a mental process. Not taking advantage of all the resources available to you is a corner you can't afford to cut.

There are no shortcuts or corners to cut when it comes to training, practicing and developing the mental skills necessary to defeat the threat. You might get lucky, but it's a lot better to be prepared and lucky. Every aspect of personal defense requires training, practice and repetition to learn. Remember, personal protection is an individual responsibility. If you are serious about it, and I hope you are, then you have to commit the time, effort, and money and mentally prepare for the challenge. Plus, we know the more prepared you are, the less chance there is you'll need these skills.

Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy