Years ago while on road patrol with the sheriff's office that I worked for at the time as I went under a bridge I happened to see some pretty prophetic words spray painted amongst the various pronouncements of undying love by various graffiti artists. Some street level philosopher asked the question, "Has the edge gone dull?" The question impressed me so much at the time that I got out my 35mm patrol camera and took a photo of it that I kept on the desk of my home office for years.
Has it? Has your edge gone dull? Has your training, your preparations to save your life and win out against deadly threats and non-deadly assault gotten stale? Are you just going through the motions anymore? Furthermore, are the training programs that your agency puts you through tired and lacking? Have the trainers burned out or lost their fire? Are they shuffling through lines of shooters on the range completely succumbing to the "qualification mentality" that so permeates law enforcement firearms training today? Although it is certainly true that "Repetition is the mother of all skill," Raymond Wlodkowski writes in the book Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn "A continually repetitive and uninteresting stimulus can wear down the best intentions of most people." The goal in training is to have repetition without repetitiveness. Therefore, it's now time to re-ignite the fire, to kick our training "up a notch" as famed chef Emeril Lagasse says while cooking.
Work the Belt
There are a variety of weapons on that bat belt around your waist. When was the last time you "worked the belt?" How about clearing your duty pistol then double checking to make sure it's empty. With your hands in a variety of positions try ten reps of drawing every weapon on your belt. Try drawing that OC spray ten times. Then practice drawing your tactical baton the same number. If you carry an Electronic Control Device practice drawing it ten times as well. Finally, perform ten high quality presentations of your duty pistol into a two hand stance as you step off line. Now do everything with your support hand only. Ten reps of your aerosol, baton, ECD and pistol using your support hand only. Master all of and that then do it from your back while on the floor; then while on your stomach with both hands; then non-gun hand only. You see, it's the fact you're stale with your training that's the problem.
Time
Put some pressure on yourself. Invest in a shot timer like the Pocket Pro II from Competition Electronics and some inert training rounds from Law Enforcement Targets Inc. Then learn to "run the gun." Put yourself under time for presentations from the holster, reloads and those essential firearms skills that need to be ingrained in order for you to save your life. Remember the dictum, "Advanced techniques are the basics mastered," and then work your butt off mastering those skills. What the shot timer does in both dry fire and live fire is put pressure on you. By using time constraints in your practice you create a training condition where every repetition means something and you are constantly pressure testing your skills.
Low Light
My agency is currently in a cycle of low light qualifications and training. It is amazing to me that even officers who work the night shift have problems coordinating the flashlight and pistol. Yet, how much training do they devote to competency in these important skills? Police shootings, regardless of time of day, tend to happen in subdued lighting. Like that crack house with only one light bulb in the kitchen that you and your partners are searching during the day looking for that felony warrant suspect. You use your flashlight on each and every tour of duty. It is therefore incumbent on you to develop competency in its use. Like all firearm skills this can be practiced dry fire. Develop your skills with flashlight / pistol holds that allow you to fire from both sides of cover and that you can flow to without conscious thought. At night or in the dark when facing a real threat is not the time to develop technique. That preparation work needs to be done now.
Airsoft and Force on Force
I’ve been using airsoft technology in my own training and my officers' training for several years. I've yet to see any negative aspects to airsoft. It is a low cost way to engage in massed repetitions in the safety of your own home, garage or yard. Green gas airsoft pistols are available in all makes and models. For a low priced investment (about $150.00) you can get a quality green gas pistol, spare magazine, gas, thousands of BBs and Silicone lube. With a cardboard box stuffed with old clothing and a target glued on, you can engage in firearms training such as shooting on the move, shooting from irregular positions such as from your back and much more. As an example, agencies can set up mini assault courses with these types of "bullet traps" and friend/foe targets using airsoft in the city maintenance garage after hours (better yet combine an airsoft exercise with adverse lighting conditions). With head, neck and groin protection and a role player armed with airsoft (or an inert Bluegun® or training knife) you can make your training much more realistic. With a living, breathing human being that can move and attack and that you have to communicate and interact with training moves from the mundane to a realistic preparation for violent encounters (as long as the role player understands that it must be realistic).
Integrate Your Skills
The vast majority of shootings take place at six feet or less. At these distances the incident looks more like a fight with guns than the archetypical "gunfight" that we practice at the range (you know the 21 foot event on the target that never moves while you never are allowed to move off line - the "high noon" style shootout from the old west). Use your heavy bag or a duffle bag stuffed with old clothes and incorporate striking, movement off-line with dry fire or airsoft practice. Work empty hand palm heel, forearm, knees and kicks with draws to the chest tuck retention position or movement to gain distance and draw to the two handed isosceles stance.
Put it all together (empty hand strikes and kicks), baton and handgun in a fitness routine. By engaging in one minute rounds of these vital motor skills you reap the benefits of the repetitions as well as the anaerobic and aerobic benefits.
Don't ever let your edge go dull. Keep it razor sharp with frequent practice sessions and remind yourself that each and every rep you perform is the chance to perfect your technique. Make it as real as possible and never let your training become boring or stale.
Train regularly and realistically like your life depends on it... because it does!