DEFTECH – Taking the easy way out isn’t training, it’s blowing off ammo

January 5, 2018 Michael DEFTECH 0

DefTech Being a firearms instructor it’s my job to not only make my classes challenging for the client, but to make sure the client is challenging himself too. All too often in one of my tactical pistol or carbine classes I’ll see the client take the easy way out by not using their iron sites, shoot using the same position or never practicing any weak-side shooting.

If this is you then you are doing an extreme disservice to yourself. Here is why. You do not get to choose where, when or how you may be forced to defend yourself, your loved ones or others should you encounter a threat in your everyday life. The bad guy decides this. You may just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he does. However what YOU can decide is how well prepared you are for this occurrence.

Just going to the range on a calm, sunny day standing there hitting a target twenty yards away does not make you a gunfighter. You have zero stress to contend with at that moment. You have many other factors missing at that moment also like innocent bystanders walking around or an elevated heart-rate affecting your accuracy. To be truly as prepared as possible to effectively counter a threat, you need to take it upon yourself and try as best you can to mimic some of those factors in your training as you may encounter on the street.

Obviously the best way to do this is to take classes from a company that can mimic those factors as best as possible but that’s not always needed. Stop taking the easy way out when you shoot.

Take a day at the range and just use your iron sites. Don’t have any, then buy some. What happens if you take a round into that cool EOTech or ACOG you got for Christmas and is now shattered?

Haven’t practiced shooting lefty if you are righty lately? Then get to it. What happens if you take a round in your trigger arm and it’s now out of commission? Fight isn’t over yet. You better realize that. You better plan for that.

Taking an Injured Gunfighter class is the perfect way to train for that contingency. Want to really challenge yourself? Then do some exercising before you shoot so that heart-rate is so elevated you are breathing heavy because there’s a good chance you will be in a gunfight.

The main point of this article is that it is up to the individual shooter how ready and trained they want to be. I try to hammer this point home as much as possible in my classes. Yes, we all want to have fun while shooting and want to hit the targets as much as possible but taking the easy way out isn’t training, it’s blowing off ammo.

Good luck and see you on the field.

Defense Techniques Academy

Pete