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feat-Accuracy is not alway s one and done, keeping multiples in target is a requirement

One of the most difficult things for police firearms trainers to do is stay focused on practical training.  Too often, training is focused on what will win contests.  It’s one reason why I cringe when too much time is spent with a timer. Used properly, it’s fine, but some instructors are more concerned with how fast something happens versus how it is done.  More importantly, what is being timed may be meaningless on the street.  While it can spur competing against yourself or others, how does it time awareness? Some timeable skills have little correlation to actual shooting performance. The skills are good, but not at the expense of other skills. On the street, losers are killed or injured, and there are seldom second chances.   Is it easy? Nope, in fact, it’s hard, but teaching and maintaining practical skills is an essential part of the job and must be the priority.


Accuracy

             The fastest presentation on the planet is useless if you can’t hit what you are shooting at.  The skills you teach should help you be more accurate.  Missing fast is stupid; it prolongs the fight and may get you or others killed.  If only time is measured, that makes sense, but that is the problem.  Getting that first shot down range is great, but ONLY if it hits.  The adage should be who hits first wins, not who shoots first.  Cops, including Wyatt Earp, have talked about this forever.  Drawing fast is great, but being deliberate and accurate is better (paraphrased).  When timing the draw to the shot, there must be an accuracy standard. Accuracy has to be part of the goal. 

Some sort of low ready remains one of the primary positions for LE. Train from it.



Train for the world you work in, not the playground

Years ago, I got to train with two of the fastest shooters in the world, Jerry and Lena Miculek. It is common for companies to bring in top shooters for media events. Hard to argue with their combined speed and accuracy. While I learned some great techniques, the best learning was the things they said.  When asked about speed in a fight, Jerry said, “speed is great, but I make my living on the range, not the street.”  Everything he does is about winning matches and setting records; it’s how he makes his living.  Lena provided similar wisdom about how she presented her shotgun.  While unconventional, it works for her slight build while wielding a 20″ barreled 12 gauge shotgun.  When someone mentioned it was not “tactical,” she replied she is a competitor, not a cop.  Her stance makes her fast and accurate and wins competitions, that is her job.  If can adapt it, do so. As a cop, that 14-18.5″ barreled shotgun is a fighting tool. 

Whether it involves a light or not, shooting one-handed is a critical skill.

How fast you can draw is fun, but only a minority of police engagements begin there. Most often, your pistol is out in a “ready” position of some sort.  Train from the positions used at your department.  Practice while moving, around obstacles, your car, buildings, and anything you can recreate on the range or employ in force-on-force training. 

Sometimes nature provides a rest – it’d be a good idea if you knew how to use it.

One of the last shootings that happened when I was the LT involved an officer shooting through a chainlink fence. His partner was behind a nearby tree, taking rounds. Another officer was on the three-foot-wide landing of a large apartment complex.  This was more about shooting around each other and through a doorway without getting shot themselves than their draw.   

Or there was the guy who tried to stab an officer through a door with a sword. 

Accuracy at night is at least as critical as during the day – especially for night shift officers.

None of the shootings that occurred during my time required a one-second draw.  One’s presentation time rarely mattered and reloads were rare.   While they matter, they are not the most critical. 



Whether it involves a light or not, shooting one-handed is a critical skill.



Your time starts before you draw. 

            Observation, not speed, is your most critical skill.  Virtually every situation you are called to is dangerous and potentially deadly.  Being able to process what you see, hear, and feel is the most critical aspect. Some call it a sixth sense, but that makes it seem mystical, and it’s not.  You learn from experience and observation of everything, whether in training or the world.   

Being attacked while in your car is always a possibility.

In a time where staring at your phone is the norm, you must look around.  Surroundings can tell you a lot while preparing you for danger, but only if you are paying attention.  I constantly tell people to “stop, look, listen” then move. Over time, you learn the things that are “normal” for a given situation. Sometimes, without knowing why, your mind or body is telling you this is not right.  Listening to that “voice” can give you the heads-up needed for your draw. You might want to ignore it and move, but you should listen. The time you have to react to a situation starts there, not when you have to draw.  Training should include decision-making and observation. 

Many departments use the high-ready, and it requires practice.

Always be aware of your surroundings, where you are, where you are going, who you are going there with, and what your experience tells you about it.  Developing those skills will save your, or someone else’s, life more than all the practice in the world on your presentation or reloads.

While not the best idea, it works. And, it is always good to demonstrate what happens on the street.

Bottom Line?

I am not saying that competition is bad; quite the contrary, in context, it is incredibly valuable.  Nothing wrong with a fast reload, but it’s rare in most encounters, especially outside Law Enforcement.  Getting caught off-guard happens. However, most encounters begin with the pistol at ready.  Yes, you absolutely need to draw from the holster quickly and deliver an accurate hit.  You need to train for what’s real, not popular.   Lastly, while the public likes to lump police together, every jurisdiction is different. Tailor your training to what happens in your neck of the woods ( or apartments or neighborhoods).  Regardless, keep it real, and never forget it’s about winning the fight, not the contest.

 

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