[Arnisandyz]

Below is an email of advise I gave my friend who wanted to work on his speed. I'm new to IDPA but have been a long time Martial Artist. my question to you higher level Gamers...am I totally off in my advise (will my advise actually HURT my friends development)? I've only been to 2 IDPA events but I've been placing alot better than my 2 other friends that have more handgun (target pistol) experience.

"One thing that I forget to mention...in regards to speed. My martial arts training has help me on this greatly. But its not so much from physical speed, but from visual speed, seeing things faster. In Filipino Martial Arts the sticks and knives move very fast! Also, there are concepts we follow about being concerned about the moment. I'm still working on this of course, but applied to IDPA, once you aquire a target and send your bullets downrange, have the confidence that they WILL hit where you want them to and move on, if you try to verify your shots your living in the past. Many times I have no idea what I shot until we go to score it. There are also concepts of economy of motion in martial arts that directly cross over.

When I do my dry-fire drills I usually start out seeing what I'm going to shoot in sequence then without even drawing a gun or doing a site picture, I'll practice looking at them quickly in sequence until I get a good smooth and fast past. I then drawn and engage trying to keep my vision identification and pacing the same as before. If my body can't keep up with my vision, I'll slow it down a little. Its all timing...timing my physical activity with my vision (without interupting the flow of my vision, like stopping to verify).

When I do my airgun practice the plastic bottles give me instant verification. If I miss completely I try not to interupt the flow and come back to it after engaging the other targets. Its really hard to go on if I don't hear or see the bottle fall, but I try and force myself not to be too concerened with the past.

Baically I'm just trying to train vision and flow.

I hope any of this might help, but take this advice with a grain of salt...I'm still learning IDPA just like you! I MAY BE TOTALLY OFF!!! but its been working ok for me.

 

[40SWXDSHOOTER]

You'er on the right track grasshopper, the part about knowing that you have your hits is called "calling your shoots". Simply put if you see your sights lift off the target that is where your bullet will hit, and if you see your sights lift on every round you fire you will know where every bullet went, and then there is no reason to look back to check your hits. I am an IPSC shooter and sometimes when shooting a stage if I don't see the sights lift I will fire an extra shoot,. Sometimes there is 3 holes, and sometimes not, but it is faster to known you may have missed, and make it up, then it is to stop and check see that you missed and then make it up.

It sounds like you may also be on to the fact that you need to see what you need to see to break the shot and you can't shoot faster you see,and the faster you see what you need to see the faster you can shoot.

If you really want to wrap your mind around some zen like stuff I would recomend you pick up a couple of books one is "Practial Shooting Beyond Fundamentals by Brian Enos", and the othe other is "With Winning In Mind by Lanny Bassham". You might be able to find both of them on "www.brianenos.com". Read these books two or three times and the fog will lift. I have read them over and over, and learn something new every time.
I hope this is some help you and your freind.

 

[Old School]

Enos' book talks about this in detail. Good post.

 

[Arnisandyz]

Thanks for the encouragement and advise XDSHOOTER. Someone else recommended that book by Brian Enos...I'll have to pick one up. By the way my friend (who shoots a Glock) used to be on the Navy Pistol team shooting 1911s. He said that it was primarily slow fire bullseye shooting. I think THAT might be hindering him more than anything else. The "need" or "want" to get a bullseye hit and shoot tight groups. He's dead eye accurate, much moreso than I am, but he takes a while to squeeze the trigger. I'm finding action shooting is almost the opposite. Its like the difference between breaking boards (in Marial Arts) where you can take time to setup, route your power and focus vs fighting or sparring where things happen more spontaniously. You still want to get good hits, but you want good hits quickly!

 

[Snake-eater 1]

Ernest Langdon, one of the top IDPA competitors, teaches: If you want to SHOOT faster, SEE faster. Lead with your eyes. Don't move your muzzle WITH your eyes, you'll overshoot your target with the muzzle and have to back up (therefore, losing time). On the other hand, don't shoot FASTER than you can see, you'll miss the target entirely or hit the edges of the target. Your muzzle FOLLOWS your eyes in target transitions.