My name is Robert Farago and I am a keyboard commando. You see the slick way gun guru Jabo Long loads his gun, does a press check, knocks it on the ass and puts the safety on? Long’s precision, deliberation and automation makes my gun handling look like a baby fumbling with an apple. FWIW, this KC has nothing against appendix carry. I personally prefer outside-the-waistband carry and a reversible vasectomy. But I understand the carry method’s practical advantages. That said, I still have a bone to pick (so to speak) with this demo. MOVE! Whenever I practice my draw on a non-square range . .
I move as I defeat my garment and clear Kydex. Even if it’s two one step left (and one step right). I do this every time I draw, unless I’m already behind cover or concealment, where moving and drawing might be a really dumb idea.
The simple truth: movement is more important than your draw.
As anyone who’s taken ye olde Tueller test will tell you, the chances that you’ll have the time to bring your gun to bear on the bad guy(s) from concealment in the midst of an initial attack are low. Not even if you go Long and defeat your garment in less time than it takes to find a good dry cleaner in Austin.
Remember: the bad guy has the first-mover advantage. They’re attacking you, not vice versa. Most times they’re going to have the element of surprise (ambush!). So you need to learn to escape or avoid the initial attack before or better yet AS you bring your gun into action.
That takes practice. Move/draw/shoot. Move/draw/shoot. Try this at home! With an unloaded gun. A lot. Because if you don’t – if you only practice drawing and shooting while standing stock still – that becomes you default option. Getting caught flat-footed by people aiming to do you great harm sucks on an epic scale.
By the same token (only worse), if you never practice your draw and only shoot standing still at square ranges, you’re programming yourself for a potentially fatal firearms failure.
Don’t get me wrong: standing still and shooting is excellent for learning grip, stance, breathing, sight acquisition, trigger control and administrative skills (e.g., combat reloads). But once you’ve got that sussed, there’s no need to continue – other than fun and self-confidence.
Yes, shooting is a fungible skill. But it’s not that fungible. And when it comes to armed self-defense, strategy and tactics should be the central focus. But what do I know? I’m not even a proper keyboard command. I eat greek yogurt, honey and granola when I type; with my gun on my hip, not in my lap.