REALITYCHECK Clint Smith Shoot? TM FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD Move? It’s not necessary to be able to move great distances. Even in basic applications movement is done to move to cover or concealment, move to get out of the line of fire or movement to get better target acquisition. Movement to cover/concealment doesn’t mean you have to go to the physical object, it often means only placing the object between you and your threat so it impedes gunfire or the eyes on you. Movement out of the line of fire is self-explanatory and in reality comes with a steep learning curve. There is also movement to get better target acquisition. The movement to contact with the bank robbers vividly shown at the North Hollywood Bank shooting comes to mind. Why Not Move? Don’t move as part of a “Range Macarena” exercise. I just saw cops “training” at a range who moved to reload or moved to “protect” another kneeling officer who was loading. In reality that only gives the bad guy a bigger target to shoot at. If you have cover or concealment take advantage of it — to look for better cover in case where you are becomes untenable. Don’t do goofy stylized movements or pre-programmed movements associated with other acts that have no real use. Laterals Laterals are good moves. I’m in a hall way — and I move left into a doorway for protection. I like right movements, but left movement near the street might move you into vehicle traffic. Lateral moves come in two forms. big steps (think: open parking lot) and shorter steps (think: inside a built-up area). Move the foot closest to the direction you want to go. Move the first foot for distance and reset the opposite foot for platform stability. Avoid crossing or bringing your feet too closely together — tall candles fall, short ones don’t. And I would not crouch, unless it gave me cover or concealment. I don’t buy the “smaller target” thing, as your movement is often impaired by the crouch. Don’t forget to practice leans too. After contact, or after finding something I’m not sure about, instead of stepping into the area, lean the upper part of your body/gun platform across the plane being “pied” to confirm and/or engage. Leaning rocks! Forward Just walk forward in a normal but cautious gate. Avoid the crouching stuff, if you get an Leaning correctly on the range helps to set up for leaning in tactical applications, protecting the shooter by using cover. adrenaline dump the big thigh muscles really jack up your movement. Don’t outsmart yourself. Withdrawals Backing up is my personal favorite. It’s visually passive and it creates distance to allow for decisions or to shoot better or shoot more, as in a non-compliant threat. You cannot outrun someone running at you, and I’m not trying too. I simply backup and get the best platform I can, while applying the best gunfire I can. Avoid turning your back to the threat even if you have distance, since you lose the ability to have your weapons work and you lose sight of the threat. True killing in a fight doesn’t begin until one side turns to run, then it gets bad quickly. Of the many things I teach, I know this skill set has saved students’ lives. They’ve told me. Shooting & Moving? This is a bit awkward at times. While shooting, isolate your trigger finger from your feet and fire when you have a sight picture, not when your foot does or doesn’t contact the ground. Split When simply covering ground, walk forward in a normal but cautious gate. Avoid the crouching stuff. Notice how Randy doesn’t look awkward and is in control. Leaning around a car is good — but be aware rounds can pass though glass. it loads and reloads, finds targets, engages and such. The bottom half is like the body of the tank with the treads moving you to contact or to cover. Don’t lock the knees, then again don’t crouch. Simply unlock the legs and flex on the knees while moving. Shooting and moving is definitely an acquired skill and requires lots of practice to make it work well. Remember — lots of practice. The Range Many ranges do not allow movement of any kind on a firing line, so practice at home would be helpful. Even practice with plastic firearms will work to obtain skills; all done quietly and without adding holes to your house. the other side of the coin is to shoot at anything you can that moves. Colored balloons, movers right-to-left, wobblerlike targets, even a simple bundle of used targets taped together covered by a t-shirt suspended from a rope allowing the target to turn in the wind. History Changes? Moving in itself is one of the three fundamentals of the triad of combat. The other two are communication and shooting. The application of these three things — or the failure to do so — has changed the course of human history on more than one occasion. If it’s changed history in warfare it can change the course of the body so the top half is like a gun turret as your conflict in the bedroom hallway. * 22 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MARCH/APRIL 2011
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