This article is for informational purposes and is not intended to replace in-person instruction with a qualified instructor.
We always encourage practicing in a distraction-free and safe location, following all necessary safety protocols.
Another element often absent in traditional firearms training is movement.
Defensive encounters are very likely dynamic events that can involve movement. Should you learn to shoot while moving, or should you plan to move and then shoot after coming to a stop?
In the unforgiving real world, both you and the threat are likely to be moving.
This is yet another dimension that a lot of people simply have not prepared for.
So, should movement be an element in your training?
The author recommends that you practice movement as you draw your pistol from the holster. As with any training, ensure you do so safely — ideally with an empty gun in a safe location.
How about shooting while moving?
All firing was done on the move, and we were discouraged from stopping and firing.
While this was all great fun, I have to question its software in the real world.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are defending yourself and need to move, do you have the skills to accomplish that?
Do you shoot while you are still moving, or stop and engage?
Im pretty confident in my ability to hit a close-range threat with a pistol while moving.
Should my problem be moving or be outside of conversational distance, that changes everything.
The author states that when moving off the line of attack, your movement should be “explosive.”
However, under certain circumstances, shooting on the fly may be tactically sound.
For example, you may be moving to cover and a threat appears just a few feet away.
A delayed response on your part could prove fatal.
When moving on the shooting range, make sure your finger is off the trigger and outside the trigger guard. The muzzle of your pistol needs to be under control at all times.
Can you still deliver effective hits while moving?
The trick to hitting while moving is minimizing the bounce and getting a reliable index on the target.
This is particularly true in urban environments where all sorts of unknown entities are in close proximity.
Once you have moved off the line of attack, slam on the brakes, get on the sights and press the trigger.
To prepare for this eventuality, a little dry practice (empty pistol, check it twice!)
when you obtain all the kinks worked out, add a little movement.
As you draw, take a quick step to the side as you drive the gun to eye level.
Why move? One reason to move is to get to a position of advantage behind cover. Cover can stop bullets, which is definitely a positive thing.
when you land mastered the draw stroke with movement, its time to move to live fire.
Start slow and gradually move up to game speed.
One of the issues I regularly see with this is that some folks move way too slowly.
Adding movement while engaging a threat can be a very beneficial skillset — such as in situations where threats might be obscured by low-light conditions.
You simply have to get out of that range mentality safely!
and come to terms with the fact that fast movement may very well keep your life.
Someone is trying to kill you, so its best not to be there!
As you become more confident, take multiple steps and add oblique movement to the mix as well.
Clearly, movement with a gun in hand will likely set off the alarm at many public ranges.
It may not be the perfect solution, but it beats the pants off doing nothing.
Moving off the line of attack or toward cover is always part of the picture.
There may very well be multiple movements, but round counts and the number of targets are kept street-relevant.
Emphasis is on fast, safe movement and making decisive hits.
Movement is an element of many armed encounters, and we would be foolish to ignore it.
So, give it some thought and, if possible, add this dimension to your own practice regimen.
Anything we can do to gain an advantage is worth exploring in my book.
