Drill, Drill, Drill

Against the better judgements and wishes of others, I'm going to pick the scabs off these wounds. The sports analogies for drills vs actual tactical situations didn't work for me. The best analogies I can come up with are in the martial arts. Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, Bruce Lee, Bigfoot Wallace and others (you can tell my age by these names) ran many "drills," forms, kata, practice, or whatever you want to call it. But if you don't think they would kick your ass in a fight, you never saw them fight.

In "karate," you learn the basics by drilling over and over and over. You then learn forms to put the drills into sequence. You then spar to put all that to practical use. You might then enter competitions to test your skills.

Drills, whether for competition or tactical use, are still drills.

Until someone can tell me how to transition from drills of any sort to the sparring or competition level of martial arts, I'll stick with my competition drills. It's because that's what I do - compete. I don't run around picking fights where someone will be firing back lethal bullets at me. And I have my doubts that pretending someone is firing back will ever prepare you for the real deal.

In the couple years I trained in Tae Kwon Do, it took about 6-8 sparring bouts to get over the hyperventilation feeling of being in a fight. After that, I was confident I could react more favorably, and either create distance or effectively (as effectively as I was capable) counter a bull-rush.

Rob Leatham says at the end of this video, "...because I'm set up to play a game right now. However, I doubt most people would want to get into a gunfight with me!"

 
Jayne said:
But I want to find out how to get that $300 you posted a picture of. We need to know before the thread is locked.
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I know what your score was in the last match. I'll buy you lunch and we can call it even.
 
dmarbell said:
Against the better judgements and wishes of others, I'm going to pick the scabs off these wounds. The sports analogies for drills vs actual tactical situations didn't work for me. The best analogies I can come up with are in the martial arts. Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, Bruce Lee, Bigfoot Wallace and others (you can tell my age by these names) ran many "drills," forms, kata, practice, or whatever you want to call it. But if you don't think they would kick your ass in a fight, you never saw them fight.

In "karate," you learn the basics by drilling over and over and over. You then learn forms to put the drills into sequence. You then spar to put all that to practical use. You might then enter competitions to test your skills.

Drills, whether for competition or tactical use, are still drills.

Until someone can tell me how to transition from drills of any sort to the sparring or competition level of martial arts, I'll stick with my competition drills. It's because that's what I do - compete. I don't run around picking fights where someone will be firing back lethal bullets at me. And I have my doubts that pretending someone is firing back will ever prepare you for the real deal.

In the couple years I trained in Tae Kwon Do, it took about 6-8 sparring bouts to get over the hyperventilation feeling of being in a fight. After that, I was confident I could react more favorably, and either create distance or effectively (as effectively as I was capable) counter a bull-rush.

Rob Leatham says at the end of this video, "...because I'm set up to play a game right now. However, I doubt most people would want to get into a gunfight with me!"

Click to expand...


All that stuff is gonna get you killed in the real world.
You need to practice by shooting real people, like these other badasses.
 
dmarbell said:
Against the better judgements and wishes of others, I'm going to pick the scabs off these wounds. The sports analogies for drills vs actual tactical situations didn't work for me. The best analogies I can come up with are in the martial arts. Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, Bruce Lee, Bigfoot Wallace and others (you can tell my age by these names) ran many "drills," forms, kata, practice, or whatever you want to call it. But if you don't think they would kick your ass in a fight, you never saw them fight.
Click to expand...

My roomie talked me into joining the college karate club for the sole purpose of going on a field trip to Memphis to be able to spar with Bill Wallace. I have never seen a human being so happy to get his butt beaten as he was after sparring with Wallace.
 
What was the question?

Statistically speaking drilling is unlikely to help you. The odds of using your gun are tiny, the odds that your target will be more than 7 feet away are tiny, the odds that you’ll engage multiple assailants is tiny, the odds that you’ll need to reload are tiny, the odds that you’ll need to draw quickly vs stealthily are quite small. All told, it’s billions to one against that you’ll have a need to utilize the actual skills that are being drilled.

That said, I think there is great value in being comfortable enough with your proficiency with your firearm that presentation and manipulation fades into the background allowing you to focus on what’s really important, situational awareness.

Is there a down side to drills? I’d give a solid maybe, but only if you drill on one platform and carry another. In that case you will have to focus on your firearm when you’ll have more important things to worry about. Even if you just need to think, hey what am I carrying today, that’s wasted time.

I do think it is incredibly valuable to think through scenarios where you might have to present your firearm. You can do this at any time and any place. Pumping gas and someone sneaks up behind you, what do you do. Sitting in the Dr’s office and someone comes in shooting, from the front or the back. Sleeping and the burglar alarm goes off. Sitting at a stop light and a guy comes out of nowhere and is tapping on your window with a pistol. You’re in a bathroom stall. Etc. Thankfully none of these things is likely to ever happen, but if one does you’re less likely to freak out if you’ve thought about it or something similar.

Just one man’s opinion offered only because I don’t want to start work.
 
I have my own range, so I think about things to do. I read about certian drills and such, but I only adapt to some and for different reasons. Some will be just for me and to work on one specific skill set, and others will just be fun stuff for us to play with.
For myself I prefer drills that focus on one skill, the draw, trigger, grip, follow-up, etc...and I'll do that all day. Just that one skill.

I'm strongest with the draw. One of my favorites; I use an omni hybrid kydex holster. It holds the Glocks, Walthers, and M&P's. I'll have Grandpa slip one of those in the holster but don't tell me which one it is or if it's chambered. As soon as my palm hits the backstrap I know which one it is and safeties, slide locks, mag buttons..all fall in line. Grandpa has no problem effin with me either, slip an empty round..or two.. in there somewhere, mag or slide not all the way seated, that kind of stuff.

After getting past Grandpa's shenanigans, I then *attempt* two shots each at 3 eight-inch shoot-n-c targets in 3 different locations of about 15-30 feet away. If you can do all this in 4 seconds-ish that's pretty good. Oh but grandpa put two dud rounds back to back...*click*(damn) RACK, *click* (damn!) RACK and it seems like it takes forever to clear and cycle a fresh one and by this time I've almost forgotten what the hell I was doing.

So awesome!
 
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