Self training drills...

[Bushwhacker]

Okay I know that there are a lot of you that have attended various training classes and some that are instructors....
What about the person that can not afford to attend these schools, classes?
What do you suggest... don't just tell me to go to the local range and practice, practice, practice. I have attended several security and law enforcement sessions, but am no longer in that field. I go to the range on a monthly basis, more if I can and shoot a min of 100/200 rounds. But plugging holes in a paper target just leaves a lot to be desired. Also practice quick draws ( with my daily carry weapon empty of course. ) I really wish I could attend just one class of Rob's at ValhallaTraining maybe someday when I win the lottery......
Are there any sites that give you step by step instructions?

[Any .45]

Ok, I suggest you go here check out these videos. The reason I recomend these is simple the forms of of the Nitan Bo is very close to the same form you would use emty handed, so you can practise the technique with the Nitan bo in your hand and without them in your hand. This technique of training is very good because first your adding an extra weight to your hand that normally isn't there, there for increasing your speed and power in your hand when you aren't using the nitan bo, also increasing control and strength, and last increasing the flexibilty and strength of your wrist which will play a big part when you hit an attacker. Hope this helps and remeber train both empty handed and with the nitan bo.

[VaughnT]

BW, I've been through several courses, most recently a Suarez CRG course. Yea, they are hard to get to, and costly.

Best bet, in my opinion, is to invest the money into Kelly McCann's Combative series and his Inside the Crucible series. The latter is my favorite and will quickly show you drills that you can do in the comfort of your own living room.

You might also want to invest in an airsoft pistol so you can fire "live" ammo.

[Brick]

You might also want to invest in an airsoft pistol so you can fire "live" ammo.

Good choice. If you want to ask around, the kindest place would be www.airsoftcore.com.

Regarding self-training, you could practice drawing and aiming at random targets hung up in random places (including behind cover, with the weapon UNLOADED, of course...)

When I was training to use a bow I found that simply drawing the bow and aiming at the target, lower it, and repeat was a good excersise for your aim.

KingcomradeFisher

[Darkangel]

You can't aford it, just like me. Well I got a part time job, not only did it pay for my courses but extra weapons also.
Learning by book is ok but you still need hands on.
Save your money, work part time, what ever it takes, but attend a course.

[Brian D.]

Another place to find some useful drills is in the "Tactics" articles written by Rick Miller for Combat Handguns magazine. You will need to pony up for an electronic timer for training on your own though; hard to gauge progress otherwise. Of course, speed isn't the only facet of shooting you're trying to improve on--gotta get the hits before worrying about how fast you did it!
Too, it's always seemed to me that practicing with someone else who's also interested in improvement is greatly helpful. There's just a natural tendency towards "competing" with the other person. And on those days when one of you is struggling a bit, the partner can often quickly figure out what's being done wrong.
And, training with someone else avails you of the opportunity to set up "surprise" drills. As in, shooter starts with back to targets, partner sets up unknown amount of "bad guys" with "bystanders" mixed in. Idea being, when shooter turns around he has to 1)think; 2) move (maybe); 3) solve problem.
Yep, with practice you can do all those things, and maybe even chew gum at the same time .

[pax]

A very useful web site that gives you basic information about shooting drills: http://falco.kuci.uci.edu/~dany/fire...ll_drills.html Just work your way through all of it, and then keep doing so until your shooting skill is where you want it to be.

Learning to shoot well is only about a third of what a good gun school teaches. The other two-thirds of a good class are mindset, and legal issues. To get those by yourself, you'll need to do some reading. I'd recommend the following books to begin, in any order.

In the Gravest Extreme by Massad Ayoob
Principles of Defense by Jeff Cooper
Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights by Jim Cirillo
Effective Defense by Gila Hayes

For tales of people who defended themselves with firearms, The Ayoob Files by Mas Ayoob and Robert Waters' book The Best Defense are both good reads. I prefer the Ayoob book simply because it goes into more depth. Waters' book is very readable, but I was always left with unanswered questions. I hear he's got a new one out, Outgunned, but I haven't read it yet.

Hope that helps.

pax

[Ozzieman]

He was a railroad poliece man that made many of the railroad trips with President Truman in the 40's and 50's from Joplan to DC.
He was a good friend and taught me more in the 5 years I knew him that any one else.
Traning should be kept simple.
One of his best was to blind fold you and give you a toy gun. He would walk around you in a circle and when he made a noise you were to point the gun at the noise he made and shoot.
The biggest trick he taught me was to shoot with a not fully loaded wheel gun. This did more to improve my shooting than anything. You can see whe your jerking instead of smothly pulling the trigger.
He taught me to fast draw, in a safe manner and almost 20 years later I can do things with a gold cup that surprises people.
John where ever you are, thanks for being a good friend and a good man and sharring what you knew with a lot of stupid 20 year olds.

[huntershooter]

The most effective low-cost training venue is to participate regularly in organized, local shooting events.

Find a shooting club/range hosting some type of event or match in an appropriate discipline. Shoot your best, help the club out, talk with and ask questions of all the other participants and keep going until you are the club champion three years in a row. Then you'll be a pretty good shooter. ;-)

Attending a school is a good idea, but tuition for a 3-5 day course will cover match/event fees for *dozens* of local events.

[Jeff Loveless]

Hey Bushwhacker,

All I can say is that I was self taught for about the first 30 years I used a handgun. Couldn't imagine what good 'real' training would do for me.

I learned (and unlearned!) more the first day from a professional trainer than I would have ever imagined. That first class was 3 days (and 1 night) long. It was worth every penny. Like someone else said, save, save and go to a school. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I was.

[Jeff22]

There are lots of places all over the country that offer 16 to 20 hour classes for about $350. If you search a little, you should be able to find some reputable trainers in your area. A week long class at Gunsite or Thunder Ranch or Blackwater would be cool, but expensive. Defense Training International and Lethal Force Institute and Suarez International (among others) offer short classes all over the U.S., and lots of companies are just active in a regional area.

I usually attend one or two of these short classes a year. Easier on the budget and on my vacation time, if the PD doesn't choose to give me a couple training days to attend (they've been really good about that the last few years).

And I second that recommendation about Rick Miller's TACTICS column in COMBAT HANDGUNS. My former (now dormant) IPSC club used lots of his scenarios to base match stages on, and I've used many of his ideas when running police training over the years. I really, really wish he'd come out with a book containing all his 20+ years of course ideas. That would be awesome.

[Timulator]

There is also the legal protection such a class provides you, in several ways. I have taken the time and paid the fees to get professional training, though it is not even required in Washington state. I believe this effort would help me in the event I am dragged into court over an incident.

If involved in a defensive shooting incident, provided you acted legally, many (most?) will offer free professional testimony on your behalf. I know this is the case with Lethal Force Institute and Firearms Academy of Seattle. I don't know about you, but I would sure appreciate Massad Ayoob on my defense team!

Finally, such handy things as the Tueller drill and lectures on judicious use of force are taught. Even something as simple as how many seconds it takes you to fire off every round in your magazine is documented. This training and experience can help a great deal in the legal aftermath that is sure to follow any use of deadly force.

Defensive firearms training is, in my opinion, invaluable. And it costs less than most handguns to attend.

My only problem is where I can practice. Most ranges won't let you do much more than plink at paper; certainly no draw and fire, moving while firing, etc. I end up going up into the woods or, after giving my nearest neighbors a heads-up, practicing a bit in my yard (legal on 5+ acres).

[Arc Angel]

Try shooting IDPA. It'll force you to think while handling a pistol. Practice with an AirSoft pistol is, also, another good idea.

http://www.idpa.com/menu.htm