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Jim Watson · April 1, 2002, 11:33 AM

There ARE grassroots competitions that seek to avoid the limitations THEIR organizers see in IPSC and IDPA. Thing is, they are just that, grassroots or "outlaw" matches that have no standardization or central clearinghouse. I recall an outfit in NY state that does their own thing. Turns out it is built around the tactics and techniques taught by a local instructor. Right or wrong, what he says to do is what is rewarded in their shoots. Another club I have been to has what they call a Practical match, but it is really LESS practical and less tactical than either IDPA or IPSC. What most places would call a fun shoot, but it is their match, set up to the tastes of a good number of their members. There was another outfit that was talking up a niche event that would split the difference between IDPA and GSSF, but I don't think it got off the ground.

Tom Givens, past IDPA board member, instructor, author, and proprietor of Rangemaster shooting range in Memphis, Tenn. is the leading independent I know of. In the past he has run an IDPA Winter Indoor Championship in February. This year, he branched out on his own with the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. He kept IDPA divisions, classifications, and safety rules, for ease of administration, but the match was all his own. He had his own design of target printed and wrote his own rules of engagement. Including a time limit on exposure to threats. He will hold another in August, the "Polite Society Match". Steel City and Excaliber in Birmingham, Ala. have picked up the concept and will hold a Givens event this fall, using two ranges, indoor and outdoor to offer a wide variety of events.

So if you want to have a match to suit your needs and likes, there is no reason not to hold The Yankytrash Cup. After all, Jeff Cooper, John Bianchi, Bill Wilson, Gaston Glock, and the Wild Bunch started their own shooting matches and look at them now. Also the guys who organized the Steel Challenge, the Masters, and the AH Shootoff.

It can be done. But I suggest you get a little more experience under your belt than one match. Shoot a few hundred IPSC and IDPS events in various places so you can see what actually goes on and call us back. In the meantime, shoot all the matches you can and make yourself useful at nearby ranges. Start out by arriving early and staying late to set up and knock down. Then submit your own CoFs. If you put your mind to it you can write stages that will follow the rules, but emphasize some of the points you consider important. After you have demonstrated your willingness to contribute, then offer to run a whole match under your own guidelines.

I have done so - a Cowboy/IDPA format. All it takes is imagination and work. If you want to go national, it takes money and a LOT of work. But nobody is going to do it for you. You can either enjoy the available formats or get busy.

April 1, 2002, 11:33 AM	#5
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	There ARE grassroots competitions that seek to avoid the limitations THEIR organizers see in IPSC and IDPA. Thing is, they are just that, grassroots or "outlaw" matches that have no standardization or central clearinghouse. I recall an outfit in NY state that does their own thing. Turns out it is built around the tactics and techniques taught by a local instructor. Right or wrong, what he says to do is what is rewarded in their shoots. Another club I have been to has what they call a Practical match, but it is really LESS practical and less tactical than either IDPA or IPSC. What most places would call a fun shoot, but it is their match, set up to the tastes of a good number of their members. There was another outfit that was talking up a niche event that would split the difference between IDPA and GSSF, but I don't think it got off the ground. Tom Givens, past IDPA board member, instructor, author, and proprietor of Rangemaster shooting range in Memphis, Tenn. is the leading independent I know of. In the past he has run an IDPA Winter Indoor Championship in February. This year, he branched out on his own with the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. He kept IDPA divisions, classifications, and safety rules, for ease of administration, but the match was all his own. He had his own design of target printed and wrote his own rules of engagement. Including a time limit on exposure to threats. He will hold another in August, the "Polite Society Match". Steel City and Excaliber in Birmingham, Ala. have picked up the concept and will hold a Givens event this fall, using two ranges, indoor and outdoor to offer a wide variety of events. So if you want to have a match to suit your needs and likes, there is no reason not to hold The Yankytrash Cup. After all, Jeff Cooper, John Bianchi, Bill Wilson, Gaston Glock, and the Wild Bunch started their own shooting matches and look at them now. Also the guys who organized the Steel Challenge, the Masters, and the AH Shootoff. It can be done. But I suggest you get a little more experience under your belt than one match. Shoot a few hundred IPSC and IDPS events in various places so you can see what actually goes on and call us back. In the meantime, shoot all the matches you can and make yourself useful at nearby ranges. Start out by arriving early and staying late to set up and knock down. Then submit your own CoFs. If you put your mind to it you can write stages that will follow the rules, but emphasize some of the points you consider important. After you have demonstrated your willingness to contribute, then offer to run a whole match under your own guidelines. I have done so - a Cowboy/IDPA format. All it takes is imagination and work. If you want to go national, it takes money and a LOT of work. But nobody is going to do it for you. You can either enjoy the available formats or get busy.