J
Jose
Headed for two days of fun with Rick Klopp (Suarez Intl instructor) for their flagship handgun fighting course this weekend in Lima.
AAR to follow.
AAR to follow.
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J
Jose
Day 1
Started with intro and safety briefings. Short lecture on the focus of the course. The focus is FIGHTING not shooting. To demostrate, before we went to the range we stepped just outside the clubhouse with training knives and airsofts. We got paired up and told to step out onto the lawn, one as aggressor the other as good guy. Freeplay. I drew aggressor with training knife. No sooner we stepped onto the lawn I circled around the back of my partner, put him in a choke and sliced his throat while taking him to the ground. The first thing out of his mouth was "I was waiting for the scenario to start". Lesson number one: it's ON before you know it if you are in condition white.
The flip side of that was that I was later placed in the good guy role with one (that I knew of) aggressor. My BG partner kept me distracted and fixated on him while Rick (instructor) sent another student with an airsoft gun to walk behind me and put it to my head. Check mate. Lesson number two: scan all around. Use movement and footwork to scan. 85% of violent encounters feature > 1 BG.
Then we headed to the pistol range. First order of business was a review of the traditional draw stroke and drills. That's where the similarity to the "Modern Technique" rapidly ended. No sooner than Rick was satisfied we had competent draws we moved on to shooting at any place along the draw stroke and with discussions about the draw continuum and the approximate distances and situations that drive the need to shoot from full extension (step 4), from close ready (step 3), and from rentention (step 2 in the draw). We then went on the discuss and drill on the concept of distance, the 21 foot "rule" and the Tueller drill that originated. This part was most enlightening.
We did a variation of the Tueller drill. One student faced the target about 5 yards out. Another stood back to him facing uprange. A tape measure was laid out leading away from the shooter. At the sound of a shot timer shooter would commence drawing downrange and his partner would haul ass uprange along the tape. At the end of the second shot, other students noted where the runner's last footstep occured and time and distance noted. This was repeated 11 times and the times and distances averaged out. It turns out that you need a VERY fast draw if you want to survive being rushed from 21 feet. Something like 1.2 seconds. Moving off the line of attack greatly increases your options. Standing and delivering does the opposite. We the worked on a technique called the zipper. First with some dot drills using target focus. First with two dots on the target, one COM the other in the head. We drilled first hitting each one separately with target focus, then drilled shifting from one to the other using wrist rotation (holding the gun just below eye level, hitting the COM dot, then angling the wrists slightly up until shots were landing on the head dot). Next we started adding more dots along the targets spinal section and the shooting from one to the other from bottom to top then top to bottom. Put it together quickly with hard target focus and you zipper someone up with bullets from waist to head. Do it with target focus up close and with sighted fire farther away and you have a far more effective lead delivery method than the 2+1 Mozambique. On average a zipper delivers five to six shots up along the center of the body in the same amount of time that it takes to do two to the body, assess, and one to the head.
We then moved to time our draws to first shot. Pretty interesting. I was only one of two shooting 100% from street concealment (untucked shirt). One or two guys had their "I have a gun" vests on, and the rest were open carrying. Some of the faster guys were beating .85 sec from open carry. Most were at the 1.0 to 1.1 mark. I was consistent with 1.2 seconds from timer to first shot from strong side concealment using an M&P9c and a CTAC holster. Not too bad. The last thing we did before lunch was introduce position SUL.
The afternoon was spent mostly working from SUL. Using SUL to point your weapon in a safe (down) direction while scanning while stil being able to bring it to bear lightning fast. We drilled shooting from SUL on subjects straight ahead, to our right, to our left, and right behind. This was done all inside of 3 yards and shooting very insinctively. Of course, the same drills are used with sighted fire for targets found at longer distances while scanning, but as a pistol carrying citizen, most of our fights will be up close and fast.
Tomorrow promises to be very fast paced with the addition of explosive movement off the X to most of what we worked on today.
I am tired and hungry and the Evan Williams is kicking in, so I am about to head off to the shower then to the BBQ to fix supper. BTW, I spent only about 250 rounds today but I suspect that tomorrow's round count will easilyu double that. The M&P worked flawlessly. I was the only one with a S&W, most others had (surprise) Glocks, a few XDs, and one HK USP. Tomorrow one of the Glock shooters is going to bring his Kimber.
Started with intro and safety briefings. Short lecture on the focus of the course. The focus is FIGHTING not shooting. To demostrate, before we went to the range we stepped just outside the clubhouse with training knives and airsofts. We got paired up and told to step out onto the lawn, one as aggressor the other as good guy. Freeplay. I drew aggressor with training knife. No sooner we stepped onto the lawn I circled around the back of my partner, put him in a choke and sliced his throat while taking him to the ground. The first thing out of his mouth was "I was waiting for the scenario to start". Lesson number one: it's ON before you know it if you are in condition white.
The flip side of that was that I was later placed in the good guy role with one (that I knew of) aggressor. My BG partner kept me distracted and fixated on him while Rick (instructor) sent another student with an airsoft gun to walk behind me and put it to my head. Check mate. Lesson number two: scan all around. Use movement and footwork to scan. 85% of violent encounters feature > 1 BG.
Then we headed to the pistol range. First order of business was a review of the traditional draw stroke and drills. That's where the similarity to the "Modern Technique" rapidly ended. No sooner than Rick was satisfied we had competent draws we moved on to shooting at any place along the draw stroke and with discussions about the draw continuum and the approximate distances and situations that drive the need to shoot from full extension (step 4), from close ready (step 3), and from rentention (step 2 in the draw). We then went on the discuss and drill on the concept of distance, the 21 foot "rule" and the Tueller drill that originated. This part was most enlightening.
We did a variation of the Tueller drill. One student faced the target about 5 yards out. Another stood back to him facing uprange. A tape measure was laid out leading away from the shooter. At the sound of a shot timer shooter would commence drawing downrange and his partner would haul ass uprange along the tape. At the end of the second shot, other students noted where the runner's last footstep occured and time and distance noted. This was repeated 11 times and the times and distances averaged out. It turns out that you need a VERY fast draw if you want to survive being rushed from 21 feet. Something like 1.2 seconds. Moving off the line of attack greatly increases your options. Standing and delivering does the opposite. We the worked on a technique called the zipper. First with some dot drills using target focus. First with two dots on the target, one COM the other in the head. We drilled first hitting each one separately with target focus, then drilled shifting from one to the other using wrist rotation (holding the gun just below eye level, hitting the COM dot, then angling the wrists slightly up until shots were landing on the head dot). Next we started adding more dots along the targets spinal section and the shooting from one to the other from bottom to top then top to bottom. Put it together quickly with hard target focus and you zipper someone up with bullets from waist to head. Do it with target focus up close and with sighted fire farther away and you have a far more effective lead delivery method than the 2+1 Mozambique. On average a zipper delivers five to six shots up along the center of the body in the same amount of time that it takes to do two to the body, assess, and one to the head.
We then moved to time our draws to first shot. Pretty interesting. I was only one of two shooting 100% from street concealment (untucked shirt). One or two guys had their "I have a gun" vests on, and the rest were open carrying. Some of the faster guys were beating .85 sec from open carry. Most were at the 1.0 to 1.1 mark. I was consistent with 1.2 seconds from timer to first shot from strong side concealment using an M&P9c and a CTAC holster. Not too bad. The last thing we did before lunch was introduce position SUL.
The afternoon was spent mostly working from SUL. Using SUL to point your weapon in a safe (down) direction while scanning while stil being able to bring it to bear lightning fast. We drilled shooting from SUL on subjects straight ahead, to our right, to our left, and right behind. This was done all inside of 3 yards and shooting very insinctively. Of course, the same drills are used with sighted fire for targets found at longer distances while scanning, but as a pistol carrying citizen, most of our fights will be up close and fast.
Tomorrow promises to be very fast paced with the addition of explosive movement off the X to most of what we worked on today.
I am tired and hungry and the Evan Williams is kicking in, so I am about to head off to the shower then to the BBQ to fix supper. BTW, I spent only about 250 rounds today but I suspect that tomorrow's round count will easilyu double that. The M&P worked flawlessly. I was the only one with a S&W, most others had (surprise) Glocks, a few XDs, and one HK USP. Tomorrow one of the Glock shooters is going to bring his Kimber.
J
Jose
It was used as a teaching and learning point. Everyone in the class is pretty cool. We have one PMC, one paramedic, one deputy sheriff, and the rest are average joes like me.
J
Jose
AAR Day 2
Day two was dedicated almost 100% to shooting on the move. Started shooting from the positions that we worked on in day 1 adding movement in all the most common directions of the clock. First slowly then gradually building up speed. Rick Klopp spent a lot of time discussing with us the body mechanics invloved in shooting on the move. One of the key aspects I took away from this training day was the fact that we should NOT fight our natural body mechanics (such as the way we normally walk) in order to get into some contrived "textbook" shooting position while we move. We worked on smoothly transitioning from a two handed grip up close from the draw through extension as distance increased to target and transitioning to a one handed grip as the angle to the target changed. In many cases, when moving off obliquely to the target the upper body becomes bound up at the waist if one insists in keeping a "modern technique" two handed grip on the weapon. Far better to release the support hand and smoothly extend your gun hand as you walk/run off which releases your torso to stay in a natural position and as your gun hand shoulder rotates to stay on target. We did this strong hand, weak hand, and shifting from strong to weak as the aspect to target changed.
The same concepts of using your body's natural range of motion by using a one handed grip when appropriate and shifting the gun from one hand to another were drilled while shooting from simulated cover. Along with that we discussed and practiced the most efficient ways (not always the most obvious) of reaching cover from an exposed position.
The day concluded with drills for dealing with multiple adversaries which involved ALL the lessons and techniques of the past two days. Stress was introduced by a 25 yard sprint to the shooting area with weapon holstered then engaging multiple targets in different axes (i.e. not all were in front of you).
This was an outstanding training opportunity. All my fellow learners were highly motivated, friendly, helpful, and that made the days even more enjoyable. I'm sure there are things I forgot to mention so I hope others from the class will contribute their AARs.
Many thanks to Rick for sharing his wealth of knowledge and to the Lima Sabres and its members who made the training possible so close to home.
Day two was dedicated almost 100% to shooting on the move. Started shooting from the positions that we worked on in day 1 adding movement in all the most common directions of the clock. First slowly then gradually building up speed. Rick Klopp spent a lot of time discussing with us the body mechanics invloved in shooting on the move. One of the key aspects I took away from this training day was the fact that we should NOT fight our natural body mechanics (such as the way we normally walk) in order to get into some contrived "textbook" shooting position while we move. We worked on smoothly transitioning from a two handed grip up close from the draw through extension as distance increased to target and transitioning to a one handed grip as the angle to the target changed. In many cases, when moving off obliquely to the target the upper body becomes bound up at the waist if one insists in keeping a "modern technique" two handed grip on the weapon. Far better to release the support hand and smoothly extend your gun hand as you walk/run off which releases your torso to stay in a natural position and as your gun hand shoulder rotates to stay on target. We did this strong hand, weak hand, and shifting from strong to weak as the aspect to target changed.
The same concepts of using your body's natural range of motion by using a one handed grip when appropriate and shifting the gun from one hand to another were drilled while shooting from simulated cover. Along with that we discussed and practiced the most efficient ways (not always the most obvious) of reaching cover from an exposed position.
The day concluded with drills for dealing with multiple adversaries which involved ALL the lessons and techniques of the past two days. Stress was introduced by a 25 yard sprint to the shooting area with weapon holstered then engaging multiple targets in different axes (i.e. not all were in front of you).
This was an outstanding training opportunity. All my fellow learners were highly motivated, friendly, helpful, and that made the days even more enjoyable. I'm sure there are things I forgot to mention so I hope others from the class will contribute their AARs.
Many thanks to Rick for sharing his wealth of knowledge and to the Lima Sabres and its members who made the training possible so close to home.
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J
Jose
Equipment failures? None. Round count wasn't spectacularly high but I saw no one's guns go down. We shot 500 to 600 rounds both days combined.
There were eleven of us. I with the only S&W product, two or three with XDs, one with a HK, and the rest with Glocks. One of the Glock shooters used a Kimber 1911 on day two.
My eye protection is my regular set of every day glasses. No issues with fog there. I did wear a brimmed hat (not a ballcap) because I hate having the back of my neck burned. The brimmed hat also kept brass from neighbors from going down my shirt.
There were eleven of us. I with the only S&W product, two or three with XDs, one with a HK, and the rest with Glocks. One of the Glock shooters used a Kimber 1911 on day two.
My eye protection is my regular set of every day glasses. No issues with fog there. I did wear a brimmed hat (not a ballcap) because I hate having the back of my neck burned. The brimmed hat also kept brass from neighbors from going down my shirt.
