Competition style shooting is fun, and in my opinion is a step up from bullseye training for a shooter concerned with defense.
Having said that, I would submit that the idea that competition shooting is superior or even equal to proper realistic tactical training is simply ludicrous. Further I strongly support the view expressed by Glenn Meyer.
In fact many well respected pistoleros have been noted as being adamently against "Gamesman" shooting because in there opinion it was counterproductive to good training. Among these as I recall were Bill Jordan, Chuck Taylor, and Charlie Askins.
3 -gun, I do in fact agree with you that not everyone can afford to take school based classes and therefore must find other methods. But do not delude yourself with whatever prowess you have developed for competition.
Good tactical skill courses teach "Gunfighting" plain and simple, they do not teach you how to be a "Match winner" in IDPA or IPSC, and certainly were not intended to.
This is why we have IDPA today, because the founders of IPSC became so disenchanted with the "GAMESMANSHIP" that developed in IPSC that Consequently some of these same guys like Ken Hackathorn founded IDPA. They tried to keep IDPA as real as possible, yet as Mr. Meyer stated, these men unequivically profess that IDPA is NOT a substitute for Tactical training in firearms.
You have drawn a parallel with other Martial Arts (Karate), yet this only serves to disprove your argument and potentialy question the quality of your training in them for self defense.
I mean no disrespect and am not trying to provoke you (as I expect I have), but think about it. A black belt unto itself does not make a fighter, any of us that have studied, know that our mastery of the skill only came when we sought out training that sent our bodies home bruised not just our egos.
I have aknowledged your point concerning school tng being unavailable to all. I also agree with your observation that there are many forums such as books and other practitioners whom you may learn proper tactics from.
Where we start to disagree is that I believe that having studied from those forums and learned from them, the majority of your training should reflect those lessons learned. Indeed if you are a good pratitioner of Firearms Martial Arts, you will most likely handicap yourself in some ways in a practical shooting match. For example, most hot rocks competitors rarely use the same gear on the street they do in a match, most law enforcement competitors still chose NOT to use their duty gear as it slows them down fractionally, how often do You "Check Six" after a string in your match or for that matter even take the time to do a zone check. In a real shooting are you going to inadvertantly drop down behind inadequate cover, because a board fence or plastic bbl were considered cover in your competition environment??
Maybe YOU won't, but it has happened. That is why the so called "Surrender" position was abolished in many competitions, because in real life guys threw up their hands instead of drawing their guns. In other instances dead cops have been found with loose brass or speedloaders in their pockets, because thats how they trained.
Not all schools measure up nor do all the instructors. But for those that do a good job they are teaching something you will never get as a "Gamesman".
Understand, I do not really care whether I change Your mind or not.
But many others read this forum and they may be struggling with the idea of how to approach tng, and I don't want your foolhardyness to affect their decisions. You see, I have been a competitor in IPSC, IDPA,bullseye, hi-power and about every other discipline for pistols and rifles in the country, but it was intense tactical training that saved my life as a young man not competition. M
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