Cardboard gunfighters, June 2002
Part 3
Life or Death: Learning to Survive
This is what we are talking about, with our emphasis being on staying alive. If
we ever had to defend ourselves we would want enough in our portfolio to get the
job done. We need the right balance of accuracy (Dilegentia), power (Vis) and
speed (Celeritas). You also need the right mindset and tactics to survive. This
is where instruction from well qualified and experienced professionals is
needed. These are the people that can teach what you need to
know. If you can’t afford this training then be very selective whom you choose
to learn from. Some “instructors” may not even be able to teach you basic
shooting skills, and definitely nothing about staying alive in a gunfight. You
may think by hearing some of them talk that they have first hand experience to
draw on, when in reality they may never have been in a fistfight let alone a
gunfight.
Competition is great practice, gets the adrenaline flowing, and teaches you good
shooting skills. WRONG! Some competition can be good. The right type of
practical (combat) competition is good. Chuck Taylor covers this in one of his
articles, “Training and Technique Development” (www.chucktaylorassa.com/trainingandtech.html).
You should learn the difference between the types of competition. When I go to a
USPSA match, I treat it solely as competition, a game. When I shoot IDPA or DSM,
I look at it from a totally different viewpoint. I have always finished higher
on the list when shooting truly practical (combat) matches, compared to run and
gun events. When you do compete in a practical match (this is what we are trying
to accomplish in DSM), shoot the stages the way they were designed to be shot,
and don’t try to game them. You can only find out about your ability if you play
fairly. If you cheat in any way, you are only cheating yourself.
To survive a gunfight we need basic shooting skills, a serious study of tactics,
reliable equipment, and a strong will to stay alive.
Don’t learn from incompetent instructors, take bad advice, or compete in the
wrong competition.
DVC, Jimmy G.