Sometimes these "training v. competing" threads end up all over the map.
Some thoughts ...
Just like attending
training doesn't necessarily "guarantee" anyone will walk away from it with any particular level of actual understanding and skills development, participation in
competition probably doesn't offer any guarantees, either.
Learn bad habits,
keep bad habits and
practice bad habits? Get better at doing bad habits, regardless of your chosen venue.
Beware of developing bad habits. Learn to recognize them and get rid of them. That's the trick, though, isn't it?
Learning what constitutes a bad habit, or just a bunch of habits that are counter-productive under some circumstances, might require
training under the observation of a skilled and experienced
trainer, or, it might require listening to skilled and experienced
competitors and learning from them.
Whichever direction interests someone (dedicated defensive shooting or shooting competition), it may also require
recurrent training and/or being taught competitive skills development ... supported by carefully conducted practice sessions designed to further reinforce and ingrain
proper skills.
Many skills and abilities seem to overlap the defensive shooting and competitive shooting "fields". Why would this surprise anyone?
Specifically training to adhere to rules for competition may not be the same as training to understand and employ sound tactics and skills that may be needed for real-world situations and circumstances. Okay, fine. Learn the
difference and then learn to apply the appropriate skills within their
respective venues.
Figure out what you want ... or simply want to acquire
first ... and then work to accomplish it. That may require some experienced help. Fine. Get it. Listen to it. Understand it and learn how to properly practice it once it's learned.
Bad habits can be insidious in creeping back into our actions, but that's not a surprise if we consider that we've probably invested a lot of "training" in ingraining them in the first place.
Also, learn to realize and know (and
accept) what you don't know, but need to know. Figure out what you want, and work to accomplish it. Again.
So what if it takes some occasional help and insight from other folks, either "trainers" or accomplished "athlete" shooters who have the gift of imparting their knowledge and experience?
Take advantage of learning from them when they cross your path, as that may not happen again.
Seek out accomplished trainers/instructors as you're able. That's not always easy, nor affordable. (Enjoy it and cherish it when you can make it happen.)
Practice may be tentative, at first. It may be grueling and tiring, even once it's being properly done and applied. No reason you can't enjoy it along the way, though.
At some point in their continuing skills development, some folks may figure out how to apply the lessons learned in
one field in their pursuit, application and enjoyment of
another field. No reason that can't be cool, right? To say it slightly differently, skills and knowledge may be where you find them, but that doesn't mean you can't translate some lessons learned from one field of interest or endeavor, to another endeavor (competitive shooting to defensive oriented shooting, and vice versa).
A solid handgunning foundation skillset is probably going to be useful, in the long term, no matter whether someone decides they want to be a leisure/range shooter, a handgun hunter, a defensive oriented shooter or a competitor of one sort or another ... or all of the above.
Any number of skilled shooting competitors have arisen from within the LE field.
Any number of LE/Mil shooters have discovered there's some benefits to be gained from either working with competitive shooters, or engaging in one type or another of sporting/competitive shooting sport.
These things don't have to be mutually inclusive, or exclusive.
Sorry for the random thread.
Something I've come to realize after 44 years of martial arts interest and training, and 25 years of having worked at being a LE firearms instructor, is that the longer I've been at these pursuits, the less I'm willing to consider I've come anywhere close to approaching mastery of either myself and or my pursuits.
That's not any reason to stop trying, though, right?
Best of everything, folks. Stay at it.