What Have I Been Saying?

This from Gabe Suarez:

4) Finally, the reality of today shows that the adversary might be a Jihadist, or other terrorist, and not just the uneducated urban sloth seeking to take your watch at point of stolen pistol. At the time of this writing, ISIS is exhorting its followers around the world to carry the jihad to every western shore. As well, any cursory study of Active Shooter events around the nation reveals that in a great percentage, there are explosives on or near the terrorist, ready to be detonated when capture or defeat is at hand. 

Group all of those elements and the only valid conclusion and solution is to get really good at proactive head shots.

As always, read the whole thing. Gabe is controversial, but he has been out there in front of the changing threat analysis. I see more trainers coming around to the idea that the precision shot, maybe even the longer precision shot, may be a reality in today's changing world. And that has rippling implications through gear, strategy and training.

From Caleb at Gun Nuts Media:

It’s sort of like the zombie apocalypse joke: if you’re prepared to survive a plague of the undead sweeping across the land, a tornado is just an inconvenience. I’m not saying that everyone should immediately run out and take a carbine operator course, rather that people should take an honest look at the self-defense skills you have, identify weak areas, and then train to make those weaknesses go away. The mere act of carrying a gun for self-defense means that you acknowledge the possibility, however unlikely, that you may need to actually use that gun for self-defense. If you’re mentally capable of realizing that, it then follows that it’s in your best interests, and the interests of those around you, to be prepared for the most extreme situation in which you could use that gun. Because if you’re training to make 25 yard head shots on moving partials, you’re going to be able to make the easy shots.

I also strongly urge you to read this article in American Handgunner by Ralph Mroz. Not only is Ralph a good friend, but his writings and thoughts in our conversations have had a profound effect on my own thinking about self-defense and shooting. I would list him as one of my chief influences.

All of this has caused a change in my approach to training. I now place much more emphasis on traditional shooting technique at the traditional distances of five to ten yards. That’s good news for most people, because it’s the way they’ve probably been trained. However, I still believe very close-quarter shooting skills, which integrate empty-hands skills with the handgun, are necessary for a truly well-trained fighter. I also like the fact these very close-in shooting skills demand a true fighting attitude to practice. It’s all too easy, in your mind, to merely shoot, and not fight, at traditional distances.

Accuracy Counts Too 

I also subscribe to the notion expressed by most trainers as well as most top competitive shooters, the neglected skill of shooting for accuracy at 25 yards may in fact be necessary — think active shooter — and helps to build skill at closer distances.

I tend to go back to something Bill Rogers told me so many years ago. He was reflecting on his own profound change in training philosophies when he founded the Rogers Shooting School. Bill had been teaching high speed low drag stuff for a long time, but more and more he found himself focusing on the ability to hit a small target quickly at close in to mid distances. Thus the Rogers shooting system was born…I have said before the Roger Shooting School is the toughest shooting class I have ever taken, and I'll stand on that!

The threat is changing, and training needs to keep pace.