In my classes I have a drill each student shoots to see if the gun/caliber they carry is compatible with their level of skill. I call it the “Two Second Drill” and it is merely four rounds fired at twenty feet into a 6 x 9-inch rectangle.
This represents the high chest region where many vital organs are located, twenty feet is the length of a typical confrontational distance and four rounds fired in two seconds is a reasonable time limit based on the history of armed conflict.
Broken down, the drill is the first-round hits in one second from a ready/muzzle diversion position with the final three spread over an additional second or in splits of .33 seconds. To me, this shows the student can control the recoil of their chosen pistol and caliber.
It is amazing how many people cannot accomplish this simple drill because they are shooting “too much gun” for their individual skill level.
After all these years, I have come to understand that the secret to handgun stopping power is where you shoot your adversary and how many times you can shoot them. This requires training, practice; skill and a level of ruthlessness that permits you to stand up and exchange potentially life ending rounds with another human being. Some old west gunfighters called it “deliberation” a word I am trying to bring back when combative pistol craft is discussed.
No amount of new gear or “wonder” gun will change this. In the end, what will a person be doing after you shoot them? Probably the same thing they were doing before you shot them, a harsh reality indeed.
I have noticed a developing trend in tactical training blogs and forums: Trainers and Students “Over-Thinking” situations and by default of that mentality, putting forth energy toward the WRONG training goals and under-training on the skill’s needed.
Let me give you an example: At a recent “Active Shooter” class, the topic came up of shooting from behind cover; granted, a valid training topic and one that should be covered, but being this is an ACTIVE SHOOTER class, there are many more pertinent subjects to cover. Long story short, a couple of the students got waaaaay too involved in an active conversation in all of the various situations that could come up while firing from behind cover, including: shooting thru barriers, ricochet’s, the way FMJ and HP rounds behave thru various materials, etc. Needless to say, we got way off topic really fast and it cost the class valuable training time. Word of advice: NEVER get bogged down with “WHAT IF’S” when you are training to win a fight. I am not saying they cannot be “theoretically” discussed, but speaking from experience, opining about what “MIGHT” happen in a gunfight is about as useless as a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest.
The small stuff will always work itself out, what the CO needs to focus on during training (and conversely to get the best value out of his precious training dollar) is the FUNDAMENTALS, because nine times out of ten, that is what is going to carry him home! So instead of arguing ballistic tables or round penetration test, do some Combatives training or Force on Force!
Now I know what some of you are thinking: “A man can only train on the fundamentals for so long before he moves on to more ADVANCED techniques and tactics.”
I would answer that by saying this: Those “Advanced” skill-set’s you are talking about, the “high-speed, low drag” type stuff, is simply the FUNDAMENTALS sped up a notch.
This is what the saying “Slow is Smooth and Smooth is Fast” means.
When you have refined your skills to the point of being butter smooth, speed will come!
So to be clear, here is a short list of GUN FIGHT FUNDAMENTALS you need to routinely cover REGARDLESS of the “scenario” or type of weapons involved.
Get in Decent Fighting Shape! Couch Potatoes don’t die from enemy fire, but from heart attacks.
Train how you Live. Same Clothes, Gear and Gun.
Hard Focus on ECQ Shooting >5 Ft. Distances
70/30 Dry to Live Fire Ratio. Fundamentals are Cemented by Repetition.
DISPLACEMENT trumps Marksmanship. Must integrate Move and Shoot into 90% of your drills.
Hard Focus on COMBAT ACCURACY. Fighting for your Life is not a Competition “Bullseye” Shoot.
Use of COGNITIVE STRESS DRILLS. Learning to Think and use DISCRETION before you pull the trigger. Remember: “Every bullet has a lawyer attached to it.”
COMBATIVE CONTINUUM CONCEPT. Approach your training with the “One Mind, Any Weapon” mentality. No matter the weapon (or no weapon) in your hand, you have a transferable, common structure set of skills to get you home.
AMBIDEXTROUS Weapon Handling. No “Strong” or “Weak” Side. Gun Fighting is a Martial Art.
SLOW IS SMOOTH, SMOOTH IS FAST. Strive to eliminate un-needed movements and tension in weapon handling and presentation. Speed will come.
If the drill is not SAFE, REALISTIC & PRACTICAL, trash it! Fantasy Gun Training can kill you faster than a bullet.
Let’s be real guys: In this backwards economy, most of us are not Rockefeller’s and every penny counts! Those of you that budget for training the same as for weapons need to get every ounce of knowledge out of that instructor while you are there, and the Instructor needs to be ensuring that happens as well.
Remember #11 above! If the training you are currently receiving does not line up with these three very simple things, you are wasting your time and money and all the while, training yourself to fail when your life or the life of your loved ones may depend on it!
The Tactical Hermit 
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