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Avoiding the gamer trap

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sjwsti:
Good read that sums up the pitfalls of sport shooting.

I have nothing against competition shooting, I did it sucessfully for several years. And for a novice shooter interested in self defense its a great starting point.

But once you have the fundamentals of balancing speed and accuracy down the techniques it begins to ingrain can be detrimental in a street fight. Unless your like the author and will use proper tactics in competition and could care less how you score.

By nature Im too competitive and I show up to win, and thats why I gave it up completely. And I can tell you, from experience, that it is much harder to unlearn a technique that has embedded itself in your subconscious than it is to learn it in the first place. 

- Shawn


http://www.warriortalknews.com/2011/07/avoiding-the-gamer-trap.html


By Alex Nieuwland – Suarez International Staff Instructor in South Carolina

I’ve heard all of these comments, some of them recently.

“All of this realistic training to win gunfights is getting in the way of my IDPA.”

“Practicing with my reloads that barely make power factor and barely cycle my gun has made my gun handling worse instead of better.”

“I can’t stop myself from walking backwards instead of pointing my toes in the direction I’m going. I’ve been a gamer for too long!”

All of these shooters had fallen into the gamer trap. I know I had, so I could relate.


 

Participating in gun games, just like most things, is good in moderation. When taken to extremes, however, it becomes easy to fall into the “gamer trap” where winning the game instead of winning your upcoming gunfight becomes priority #1. As Jim Cirillo, who was an accomplished competition shooter as well as the winner of many gunfights, put it: “It may take extra time in a sports match, but in reality it would save lives. To hell with the score!” [1]


To head off the criticism that I’m just a hater bashing gun games, let me say this: Gun games are fun, and I’m a big proponent. In every Concealed Weapons Permit class I teach, I spend some time explaining the various attractions offered by Steel Challenge, IDPA, and USPSA. For example, Steel Challenge is a great way of testing your draw, sight picture, and trigger press, and finding your balance between speed and precision. IDPA and USPSA offer marvelous opportunities to come try out your carry gear for a very reasonable fee. In my area, where indoor ranges don’t allow drawing from the holster, rapid fire, or shooting on the move, they are a great gift to the shooter inclined to get better at those things. In addition, they offer a great opportunity to spend time with some like-minded individuals.

As part of teaching any Suarez International defensive pistol class, however, we always ask the question: “What’s more important: Shooting the bad guy or not getting shot?” Occasionally, we get a taker for “shooting the bad guy,” but most folks wisely opt for “not getting shot” first, immediately followed by “shooting the bad guy.”

This is where the fundamental difference between winning your gunfight and winning your favorite gun game comes in: there is no bad guy shooting at you during the game. As a result, gun games allow one to focus entirely on the “shoot the bad guy” part of the equation, to the detriment of the “not getting shot” part. Sure, IDPA enforces the “IDPA lean” that places 100% of your lower body and at least 50% of your upper body behind cover, but that still leaves a LOT of your body sticking out from cover for the BG to shoot. This is particularly evident when a right handed shooter tries to take a left-handed corner without switching the gun to his left hand, and vice-versa. When we teach taking a corner in our HRO-CQB: Fighting in Buildings courses, we reduce the amount you expose to the bad guys to no more than the arm holding your pistol and an eyeball by switching hands depending on the tactical situation.


In addition, in IDPA there’s no penalty for shooting from close to the cover where debris and bullets skipping off the edge of the cover would still be a concern to you if someone were actually shooting at you, in addition to giving away your exact position and exposing you to a potential gun grab. When I started shooting IDPA 10 years ago, I did what I saw most of the other shooters do and hugged the cover. This placed me closer to the targets so I could shoot them more easily, and made it easier for the safety officer to see that I was leaning out properly. It also meant I had fallen into the gamer trap.


To overcome my gamer habits and squeeze the maximum benefit out of the time and ammo I spend at a match I have come up with some personal guidelines that have lowered my scores, but have allowed me to climb out of the gamer trap I had fallen into.

Here they are:

1.Mindset: I realize that this is “just a game”, but I want to maximize its potential for realistic testing of my skills and equipment. I realize that using these guidelines will probably hurt my score, but I’m willing to accept that because my overall goal (winning my upcoming gunfight) is more important than my score in a gun game.
2.Use of cover: I will take left handed corners left handed, and right handed corners right handed. I will strive to stay as far back from cover as the stage design allows.
3.Concealment: I will use a concealment garment whenever the rules of the game allow it.
4.Equipment: I will use what I carry as much as the rules of the game allow. For example, in IDPA’s Stock Service Pistol division I use my Glock 19 with Warren Tactical sights from a strong-side outside the waistband holster (Dale Fricke Gideon Elite). In USPSA’s Open division, however, I will use my Glock 19 with Trijicon RMR red-dot sight from an inside the waistband appendix carry holster (Dale Fricke Seraphim). Clearly, I have no hope of winning in USPSA’s Open division competing against true raceguns with an RMRed Glock 19, but that’s not the point. As long as they let me use it in their game, I’m happy. Click here for more info on using what you carry for competition.
5.Proactive reloads: I will do a proactive reload (retaining the partially used magazine) wherever it makes tactical sense, whether I need to or not to finish the stage.
6.Emergency reloads: I will rip the magazine out and retain it during emergency reloads, unless the targets are very close.
7.After action assessment: I will ask the first two questions of the Suarez International after action assessment (“Did I hit him, did it work? Does he have any friends?”) before I unload and show clear.
8.Use of ammo: I will be generous with my bullets. If I feel that a target needs to be shot again, I will shoot it again.
9.Ammo selection: I will use ammo that closely replicates the felt recoil and point of aim/point of impact of my carry ammo.
10.After Action Review: I will videotape my performance in the stages for later critiquing. Did I do my reloads correctly? Did I stay away from cover? In other words: What do I need to be working during my upcoming practice sessions?
11.Competition: I will strive to bring a shooting buddy who is using the same guidelines and only compare my score with him or her.
Hopefully, these guidelines can serve as encouragement to shooters who have so far avoided falling into the gamer trap, and perhaps allow some that have to realize the problem and climb out as well.

Want to share your thoughts? Join the discussion here on Warrior Talk.

References
[1] Jim Cirillo in Guns, Bullets and Gunfights: Lessons and Tales from a Modern-Day Gunfighter; Paladin Press, 1996, page 65.

Ram Ringer:
Great post, but I do have to say at first I thought you were talking about Dan's new arcade area.

JTH:
This is really long---sorry, folks.  :)  I've been hearing a lot of "don't compete, it'll get you killed/don't learn from competition shooters, they'll get you killed" from a number of various places lately, so I'm going to talk a bit. 

Just thought I'd reply to this---primarily because this topic comes up time and time again.  Some quotes from people who've been there, regarding learning from a competition shooter first:

SmittyFL posted in the BrianEnos forums back on July 29th, 2003:
"I was in the military a few years back, this was before I started shooting competitions. It was in a special operaitons unit, so we did a lot of shooting, and a lot of tatics training. I was just learning about IPSC and steel matches when the higher ups at our unit said they were bringing a professional shooter (civilian no less) to teach us for a week. A small group of us were selected to attend the training. Many in the group weren't to excited to have some guy we didn't know try to teach US how to shoot. When the time came, we learned this guy's name was Jerry Barnhart. I had vaguely heard of him, and I was looking forward to it, but as I said many of the guys were skeptical.

He may of sensed this, or just knew it because of his training experience with tactical type units. But his opening introduction I think put all of our guys at ease and is my definition of practical shooting.

He said "I have no background in the military, I've never been in law enforcement, I will not try to teach you anything about tactics. What I do do is shoot guns fast and accurate, and I'm one of the best in the world at it. Do you guys think learning to shoot faster and more accruate will aid to your training?"

It was a great week, and everybody was all ears. We learned a lot and became better marksman because of it.

Being able to hit what you're shooting at extremely fast.....is practical."

---the guy who posted this is Shannon Smith.

Shannon Smith bio: 
"Shannon Smith is a USPSA Grandmaster and IDPA Master competition shooter competing in 10-15 major matches per year around the country. The top ranked shooter in Florida, 7 time and current USPSA State Champion, 2 time and current IDPA State Champion. Regular top 10 finisher at National level matches. Shannon finished 3rd in the world at World Shoot XV in Bali, Indonesia 2008. He also was a member of the gold medal winning US team.

Owner and lead instructor with FAST academy, LLC, his tactical background includes six years in special operations with the US Army’s 2nd Ranger Battalion at Ft. Lewis, WA. Serving as team leader and squad leader; qualifying expert in all aspects of special operations. He attended numerous schools relating to special operations, small unit tactics, leadership, firearms and ground fighting while in the Army. He brings this experience as well as a sense of humor and ability to relate to the student to his teaching style."

So, as you can tell, he doesn't have a problem with keeping competition shooting, combat shooting, and self-defense shooting separate.  Quite the contrary.

Another comment from him on the FAST website:
"Working with Military
Posted by Admin | Posted in Training | Posted on 21-07-2010

Had an awesome week with elements of the 101st Airborne this month. I was fortunate  to teach an M9 course with a select group of senior NCO’s and a couple officers. What an honor to work with our military. Hopefully I will have similar opportunities in the future. All feedback was positive and I think the boys got some great training.

This goes with anything I suppose but you just don’t know what you don’t know. I wish I had been smarter about training when I was in the military. There used to be a lot of talk in the ‘tactical’ world about competition shooting teaching bad or even dangerous habits that would ‘get you killed’ on the street.

I think most trainers have realized that is not the case any longer. Many elite military units as well as law enforcement departments have been hiring top competition shooters for some time now because frankly they are the best shooters on the planet.

Once you allow yourself to get away from the square range mindset and employ techniques that are second nature to competition shooters you realize what can be accomplished. Training becomes much more realistic, not to mention just plain fun also.

I was presented a coin from the Battalion Commander and a certificate of service and kick ass tee shirt from the Battalion Sergeant Major. As I stated, it was an honor working with these men and I wish them safe travels wherever they may go.

For more information on FAST academy’s work with military and government units, contact us here."

When I asked him for permission to quote what he said, in addition to giving permission, he said:

"Hell it's not really even up for debate now a days. That quote was 8 years ago and the incident was 13 years ago. With the war for the last decade I guarantee the top tier units in the nation hire the top competition shooters to teach them how to shoot better. Local LE units don't do it as much due to budget constraints but most the federal units including all your tier one SOCOM units do it. I promise.

I train competition shooters as well as tactical shooters. What I try to stress is you have to disconnect "shooting" from "fighting with a firearm". They are two different skills that should be learned separately then joined together.

The competition background shooters aren't there to teach you tactics or how to fight. They (we) are there to teach you how to run the gun to the best of it's and your ability. How to shoot Fast and Accurate.....period."

Now, that was all about learning from a competition shooter.  But you'll note in there that oddly enough, he doesn't have a problem keeping these things separate.  And unsurprisingly enough, most other shooters who do this sort of thing don't either.  (Example:  Mike Seeklander, Travis Tomasie, Max Michel, Bill Rogers...)  Heck, the Army Marksmanship Unit gets PAID to go shoot competitions with full race gear, and yet oddly enough, they are the ones who promulgate better shooting tactics in their branch of the service.

Now, if you think that competition shooting will help your defensive tactics, then indeed, you are setting yourself up to be shot.  On the other hand, if you think competition shooting is a game, and your self-defense training is different, then it really isn't going to be a problem.

After all, how many NASCAR drivers do you suddenly find zooming through street traffic at 100+mph?  Seriously, do people think they are going to have a problem differentiating between someone trying to kill them, and a paper target, IF they have been actually training in defensive tactics?

A couple of good quotes from a separate forum ( http://pistol-forum.com :)
"I think such instances stem from people whose only exposure to firearms is through the competitive world and have little to no quality firearms and/or tactics training. Consider that if your only exposure to tactics was IDPA how little you would fair in a gunfight. You might as well be watching an action movie for tactics training.

I draw a distinction between firearms and tactics training. A person can be quite skillful with a firearm but have absolutely no actual tactical knowledge to impart. Even people with tactical knowledge may be teaching tactics that are not relevant to the student's world. " (from http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?662-Merging-Competition-and-Training&p=9988&viewfull=1#post9988 )

For example, military tactics, LEO tactics, and standard self-defense tactics are three VERY different things.  Of course there is overlap---but there are some significantly important differences.

Someone else:
"I see a lot of "tactical" trainers who recommend you shoot the match like it's training.
I disagree completely.
I suggest you shoot the match like it's a competition.
The reason is, the match will force you into doing things "wrong" and I think having a solid mental distinction between competition and training helps stop you from ingraining bad habits.
If you go into it with competition on the mind you won't be as likely to blur the line into pseudo-training.
Also, there aren't enough repetitions of bad habits in a match to overcome the good repetitions you should be putting in at the range. "  (from http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?662-Merging-Competition-and-Training&p=10002&viewfull=1#post10002 )

Chances, participating in various competitions will give you chances to shoot in ways you never will have a chance to do otherwise, at targets you don't normally have access to, and will cause you to do it under slight stress which makes a difference.  If you want to be a better shooter, shoot some competitions.  If that screws up your self-defense tactics training---you need to be practicing your self-defense tactics more. 

Lastly, put quite simply:
"If you cannot separate competition from fighting, you probably shouldn't do either. " (from http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?662-Merging-Competition-and-Training&p=9995&viewfull=1#post9995 )

Again, this argument comes up again and again---and you know what?  People who compete tend to be better shooters.  And none of the competition games will teach you tactics. 

I note also that I rarely see a USPSA stage that remotely resembles any sort of self-defense situation, so I don't have a hard time treating it like a game.  :)

I do agree that if all of your "defensive shooting" training is simply practicing for competitions, you are setting yourself up to get killed.  But then again, I like to think that most shooters are bright enough to tell the difference, and more importantly, realize that to prepare for self-defense situations, you need to _practice_ self-defense situations.  Competition games are something else completely. 

I often like some of the things that Suarez has to say---but I disagree with almost all of the points in this article. 

1) Mindset---this is a game, and it _shouldn't_ be treated like training for real, because it doesn't resemble anything real.  (And yes, that includes IPDA in my opinion.)  Practicing self-defense should be done outside of playing competition games.

2-4)  Play the game as it is intended.  If you want to run it as if it was serious, go ahead---but if you aren't military or LEO, if it WAS serious, wouldn't the best choice be to RUN AWAY?  Seriously, folks--this is a game. 

5) Proactive reloads--if you want to waste time in the game, go ahead.  I'm not sure how it will help you, as this should be in a separate spot in your head compared to self-defense training.

6) Why would we want to keep hold of an empty magazine?  (Assuming "emergency reload" means what it does everywhere else, which is "the mag is empty and the slide is locked back, reload NOW!")  Do you normally carry spare loose rounds to load it with later? 

7) I don't see asking myself that question 16 times in a stage, but hey, to each their own.

8 ) Considering the targets don't fall down or react at all (other than falling steel), this doesn't make sense to me.  I tend to add extra rounds on a target when I feel I haven't made good shots, but that is how the game is played.  In real life, I certainly wouldn't just shoot twice and call it good---but real life wouldn't resemble this at all in the first place, and how the criminal reacts tells you what you should be doing.

9) I actually agree with this---as long as I'm shooting a gun that closely matches my carry gun.  This is one of the reasons that I shoot Production division---I've carried this gun before, using ammo very like this.  On the other hand, if I shoot Open, my ammo selection wouldn't resemble carry ammo and all, and it wouldn't bother me, because there isn't any similarity in situation anyway.  That all being said, just about every person who has written something about shooting who has actually _been there_ pretty much agrees that using cheap plinking ammo for practice isn't a big deal, because under stress there just isn't that much difference in terms of what you notice.

10-11)  Indeed, videotaping your performance works on many levels--you can look at what you did to become a better competitor.  (Better at the game.)  You can also look at what you did to become a better shooter.  And having a partner to do it with is a good thing---shooting partners are great to train with.  Having this tell you _anything_ about your ability to handle a self-defense situation seems ridiculous to me, however.  And besides, if your partner isn't the same level of ability, "comparing" won't tell you much from a self-defense perspective.

Anyway---if you think competitions prepare you for self-defense situations, then yes----you are in trouble.  If you don't, then you aren't going to have a problem. 

Last comment, really:  From my personal experience---I taught myself to shoot.  Then I started competing at shooting.  And I've spent the last 20 years learning and teaching self-defense tactics (empty hand initially, then after awhile, weapons also).  And you know what?  When I went to the Rogers Shooting School  (known primarily for teaching government groups such as FBI HRT, Delta, SEALs, and other special forces groups along with many, many law enforcement officers) not only did I get the highest score on their qualifier out of the entire class, but I scored an "Advanced" level on 5 out of the 6 attempts at the qualifier---and it included such things as the correct use of cover, reloading appropriately, etc. 

The average score for people on their first attempt at the classifier is 37 out of 125.  I scored 109, which is one point away from Advanced.  I then scored Advanced the entire rest of the week---and not once did any of the instructors (law enforcement, military, and FBI past/present all) have any problems with the way I handled their tactics.  (In handgun or CQB carbine, which I also scored Advanced every time I shot their classifier.)

Do competitions, people.  You'll become better shooters because of it.  And you'll have a lot more fun shooting. 

And practice self-defense tactics when you practice, because those tactics will keep you alive so that you CAN shoot back if necessary.  If you need to take classes in SD tactics, Signal 88 teaches some, Shawn teaches some at the Bullet Hole, and I teach them through Precision Response Training.  There are places around here to learn how to defend yourself.  And plenty of places to compete, also.

It isn't hard to keep them separate.

Ok, I'm done now.  :)


 

bkoenig:
I've seen a lot of posts on the interwebs lately about how competition shooting is bad for you.  Apparently it's the latest fad among the mall ninjas.  Personally, I don't really have the money to drop on a bunch of training classes (although I do plan to take a carbine or pistol course some day) so competition is my training.  I know participating in 3 gun has made me a much better shooter in a practical sense. 

And you know what's funny?  Participating in "traditional" shooting events like Appleseed, CMP High Power, etc has helped my 3 gun shooting.  Any type of shooting helps, the key is to learn from every shot.  A lot of people are gun owners.  Very few are actually shooters.

Lorimor:
My favorite guru has always told me it's just fine to shoot competition.  He encourages it! 

HOWEVER, at the same time, the shooter with SD/HD on the mind, should shoot the game as much as reasonable/possible with that on the mind.  (and realize that they will incur time penalties and not win anything but still have a good time and maybe learn some stuff.)

Some of the scenarios will teach you bad habits, e.g., I don't believe it's healthy to stand in the middle of a doorway and blaze away.  Learn to lean!

I like IDPA's emphasis on the use of cover and the use of everyday carry gear. 

No, the average Joe won't be clearing houses (it's a darn good way to get killed) but still, effectively using cover and shooting from weird positions is good.  There may come a time when you're hunkered down behind a '58 Buick or flat on your back.)  For me anyway, it's a good time to practice what I should know. 

Frankly any trigger time is good IMHO and the more that participate, the better. 

We all do it for our own reasons though and should respect one another's motivations for doing so.  (as long as it's done safely.)

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