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  1. #1
    Moderator ikor's Avatar
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    Default Competition VS Defensive shooting

    Why sport competition is not the best preparation for defensive firearms use.


    Before anyone gets their panties all in a wad over the title of this brief article, I want to qualify a few issues here. First, no one is saying that sport competition will not help you learn to be a better shooter and gun handler…it will. No one is saying competition won’t help you to learn to handle match pressure better…it will. And, most assuredly, no one is saying that modern shooting sports have not been responsible for creating some of the best competition shooters the world has ever known…they have, and that is a documentable fact.

    So why is it that so many trainers who do serious self defense training involving shooters who actually may have to go and do things that put their lives on the line, tend to ignore much of what is taken for granted by those whose goal is winning matches? Hopefully I can shine a little light on those reasons, and just maybe bring some understanding to both sides…hopefully. Let us look first at the most obvious differences between competition shooting and the real world of the street.



    In competitive shooting…

    Competitors are allowed to wear whatever they choose within reason…

    Competitors face inanimate targets that do not shoot back and IF they move, usually only do so over a limited area…

    Competitors can do a walk through of the course beforehand (usually)

    There are rules for both competitors and target setups…

    Because there are rules, and the course is usually known beforehand, specialized training, strategies, techniques and routines may be developed and deployed…in fact, for some classifiers, one can practice before making a recorded attempt

    Competitions are conducted in a relatively safe environment…no broken glass, concrete, sharp metal objects, moving vehicles, holes, wires, civilian bystanders, etc.

    Trophies to the winners, and the loser gets to come back and try another day


    Let us contrast all of that with the man or woman who trains for defensive use of firearms...including Police and in slightly different conditions, military service members…

    Multiple adversaries and potential threats as well as other friendly forces…



    Sudden encounters that take place with little or no warning…no warm ups or walk throughs here……

    No range officers…

    Shooters will be judged, often long after the encounter, by people who may not have been involved in the incident and who may, themselves, not understand the dynamics of such situations or the split second time frames involved…but who will judge them by stringent policies, procedures and laws…and too often on what they have seen on the television or in movies…

    Opponents are firing live ammunition or deploying real blades, etc. in an attempt to injure or kill the defensive shooter…

    Defensive shooter is wearing street clothes / shoes with firearm concealed, or bed clothes with firearm in hand, or boots, BP and duty belt / radio, or as much as 80lb. of additional gear if military…



    If shooter receives a serious or even life threatening injury, too bad…he / she must keep going…

    Majority of such situations happen during dark or reduced light…

    Environment is highly diverse and sometimes threatening…heights, hard surfaces, slick footing, sharp objects, etc…

    Weapons everywhere, including…knives, swords, arrows, sticks, rifles, sub-guns, pistols, grenades, explosives, gas, armor,
    shields, helmets, boots, improvised weapons (bricks, bottles, fire, flammable liquids, acid and other chemicals)

    No trophies or particular glory for winning.



    If you cannot see the differences between the two disciplines, I believe you need to reevaluate your personal perspective on just what personal combat involves and ask yourself if the habits you have picked up in competition shooting will really stand you in good stead when it’s all for real and ‘second place’ can mean a hospital bed, a funeral for a loved one, a courtroom or maybe a coffin for yourself.

    Yes, there are a few people who can separate the disciplines and do both successfully but they tend to be few and far between. People like Larry Vickers or Ken Hackathorn are not your ‘normal’ guys, and if you ask either I am pretty sure they could explain just why they don’t train serious defensive shooters the same way they would competition shooters. The real question is can YOU do that? Can you separate the disciplines? In spite of the fact that most seem to believe they can, very few are able to do it.



    Ego is a funny thing. It can…as Jeff Cooper once noted…cause a man to work harder to win a plastic or metal cup than to save his own life. In South Africa, we do not have this luxury. Bumps in the night may very well mean serious danger is at hand. There is nothing ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ about competitive shooting, so long as you keep it in perspective. In order to do that, I strongly suggest you get training that goes beyond competition shooting and ‘the rules’. There are members and advertisers here who provide such training. I am not trying to ‘shill’ for anyone, but I do believe we can all learn. Just remember what a hardened military combat vet said once…’I don’t give a shit WHO you are…when those bullets are in the air, THEY are fucking king!’

    The pictures are thanks to ciappa_r and were taken at SWATG's - Gunfighting Fundamental's Course
    Run Fast, Bite Hard!

  2. #2
    Moderator Thorkind's Avatar
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    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    Thanks ikor. Great article.
    Because a thing seems difficult to you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish - Marcus Aurelius

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    I doubt that anyone's gonna get their panties in a bunch about what you said ikor, it's pretty self evident. Competition is competition and exists in a specific environment with both predictable and unpredictable facets and the real world is well... the real world. I also don't think (or at least I hope not!) that anyone thinks that sport competition is the best preparation for defensive firearms use. That's like saying getting out of bed and walking to the toilet for a pee is the best preparation for the Olympic 100m hurdles. It is, however, a part (small, big... you decide) of one's self defense training. The crux of the opinion when I defend sport competition as a form of training (which I maintain that it is) is that it is supplementary to your preparation for defensive firearms use. This regimen, over and above competition, will obviously include formal focussed training (learning, practice, whatever), self training (ditto) and whatever gives you more trigger time. On a flipside to what you've said, what I think is as dangerous as the guy that participates in IDPA at MA level (for example) and thinks he's Ricky Rambo because of this is the guy that attends a defensive pistol course or three and (also) thinks he's as much of a Ricky Rambo (just) because of this. IMO both guys are living in a dream (or rather "nightmare") world. One needs balanced synergy between the two if you're going to achieve a holistic outcome. In the words of no-one particularly famous, there's always three sides to a coin.

    Nice photos by the way.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    Excellent article. Yet another one I will be adding to my recommended reading list.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    Always a pleasure to learn from your wisdom, Lord Ikor.

    One thing I'd like to add (and shoot me down if you don't agree...figuratively only), but realistic force-on-force training is vitally important. Sport shooting alone, although a golden tool, might breed too much confidence which might lead to stupid decisions during a real life encounter. I'm thinking the Tueller (excuse the spelling) drill here.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    Excellent article ikor lv29

    Just to add, I believe there are dangers in any activity we do which can be repeated on a regular basis (training, competition, sparing etc...). I've noted that with force on force, be it with blades or airsoft, if you focus on it for too long eventually the ego becomes involved and we all starting taking risks or accepting hits that are counter productive. If you are really focused on getting the most out of any discipline then I find it best to be able to move between 3 types of activity.

    1. Drills - to build your skill set (don't stay too long here cause it's easy to fall into the "bigger better faster more trap")
    2. Force on Force - test your skill set (again do this too much and you will start playing silly games :P)
    3. Scenarios - set up realistic scenes with real world time constraints, numbers, pressures etc... and role play them out (once again stay here too long and our imaginations start taking over and the silly buggers come out to play)

    If you can cycle between the 3 options then I believe you can get the most benefits.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    When I did IPSC in the early '90's I was convinced that it was the best and only way of training for defensive shooting. Anyway, after I became disilusioned by a whole new set of silly equipement rules I decided to give it up. It was only after I got out of the sport and had a chance to look at it from the outside that I reaslised that it was extemely limited in it's relevence to the real world. Sure it teaches slick fast gun handeling but the rest is useless. In IPSC the clock is king and tactics have been completely thrown out of the window. I do not see myself ever going back to IPSC.

    Force on force is currently a major interest for me. With force on force it is vital to make sure that you do not just end up playing paintball or airsoft. The scenarios need to be set up and planned with specific objectives and learning outcomes decided on in advance. The "student" must be opposed/challenged by a dedicated oposing force who are not "playing" to "win". They are there to present a specific challenge which the student must overcome by learning and using specific skills which that scenario is designed to teach and test. If the OPFOR is playing in a free for all manner to win then you are not training, you are playing paintball or airsoft.

    The fact that there is no return fire is why I think IDPA is still not as good a training tool as many think it is. Sure it is more "real world" than IPSC but just try to picture you favourite IDPA scenario and try to imagine how differently it would "play out" if you where doing the same course of fire armed with a paintball gun or airsoft gun and all of the targets were your shooting buddies armed the same as you and allowed some movement and cover. I guarantee that it would not even resemble a normal IDPA shoot in any manner what so ever.

    Now I am not saying that IDPA is not worth while. I still think that it is an excellent way to learn and drill many gun handling skills that probably cannot be drilled in any other way and it is also enjoyable so it keeps competitors coming back week after week. I just think guys should not get so wrapped up in it that you fail to notice that it may become less and less relevent as time and rules change in the interest of fair competition.

    Sean.
    Pain is just weakness leaving the body.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    [size=9pt]The idea behind IPSC shooting is to shoot instinctively and by having different range layouts some situations are practiced.

    When you listen to most people they say "I will shoot the bugger" but who really knows what you will do when the circumstances arise.

    Mostly it is the Rambo's that come short and the reserved quiet individual who can keep a steady head on his shoulders will react appropriately.

    The two types of shooting, IPSC and Competition are two totally individual sports where the IPSC chap needs to hit a fairly big target as fast as possible in order to obtain a score based on hits in a minimum amount of time but in competitive shooting it is all about precision that comes with being fit, correct breathing, equipment and dedication.Two aimed shots in two seconds are better than 10 misses.

    Proper trainers teach you to make certain of your shots and not to spray and pray. I dont see the one being better than the other.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    Within reason but if it takes you ten seconds to get that first aimed shot off you are going to be in a world of hurt and will probably never get the oppertunity to shoot.



  10. #10
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    Default Re: Competition VS Defensive shooting

    The first discipline that teaches me to take cover instead of trying to outdraw a drawn gun, to shoot one handed while warding off an attacker with the other hand and who teaches instinctive shooting without the use of sights: I'll be your first pupil. Excellent article.


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