The problem with many shooting techniques designed for quickly and accurately engaging stationary or non-humanoid targets is that they often fail to translate into surviving real-life deadly encounters. Here are two key examples:
- Starting on an Audible Cue – Many training courses begin with a buzzer, bell, or whistle. However, in real-world confrontations, no such sound legally justifies firing a weapon. More importantly, real-life threats often stem from subtle, furtive movements rather than an artificial “go” signal.
- Over-Reliance on a Two-Handed Grip – A handgun is just that—a hand gun, not a hands gun. Relying on a two-handed grip in all situations ignores the realities of self-defense. Your off-hand is often needed for other critical tasks like holding a light, guiding a loved one, using a phone, or navigating obstacles. Additionally, a two-handed grip restricts lateral movement, leading many shooters to default to ineffective backpedaling. It also blocks the shooter’s view of the suspect’s waistline—where weapons are typically drawn from. Under stress, muscles contract rather than expand, making it difficult to react quickly. In force-on-force scenarios, we consistently see shooters fail to release their off-hand to protect themselves from strikes or edged weapon attacks.
As for those who approach shooting as if they’re elite operators, many in the competition and shooting sports world fall into the category of Tactical LARPing—playing soldier without the real-world application to back it up.
While engaging in shooting sports nobody is going to punch you in the face, nobody is going to even call you bad names. There is no need for legal justifications for what you do before or after drawing your gun or pulling the trigger. If you make a mistake, no innocents will bleed. You will not rise to the occasion, instead you will default to your level of training doing what you have done more often or most recently.
The courts have held time and time again that for law enforcement, qualification is not training, nor should it be for the armed citizenry.
