Tactical Pistol Training - Shooting From The Hip
Being able to shoot a pistol accurately and instinctively from the hip is a basic and essential skill you need to master if you intend to carry a pistol for defensive purposes.
Most hostile situations where people employ a pistol for self-defense take place at very close quarters. FBI statistics show in the 30 years between 1985 and 2014 that 69.7% of police officers killed with firearms in the United States were murdered within 0 to 10 feet (3 meters) of the criminals. Over half of the police officer, 50.9%, were shot within a distance of 0 to 5 feet (1.5 meters). I am sure the statistics for shootings involving armed citizens would show an even higher percentage of shootings happened well within conversational range.
Think about it, if someone was going to rob or attack you on the street, in your business or home how far away will they be? Will they be at 25 yards/meters or within a conversational range of under 10 feet? Think about where you are now reading this article… If you were attacked from where is the most likely way you could be attacked? What distances would you need to shoot accurately at? What time would you have to react? Would you be able to access your firearm? Would you have the time to get into a formal shooting stance and use the pistols sights etc.? These are basic considerations when planning the requirements for your firearms training program.
There is a big between defensive shooting in reality and a lot of what is being taught by most firearms instructors and schools. The trend for firearms training these days is towards competition shooting, which can teach excellent fundamentals firearms skills, but people forget these are skills for an all-inclusive sport, with rules, pats on the back and trophies… There are no rules on the street and the chances are if you survive a confrontation, and even if you get seriously injured, you will be arrested to start with…
The reason I see many firearms instructors and schools not teaching shooting from the hip techniques is because they themselves have never been taught the techniques or have the operational or real-world experience to realize the necessity of this basic defensive pistol skill.
Most military, police and security firearms qualifications are very basic, and the standards are not set too high as the units and companies need people to pass. Most qualifications from what I have seen, especially outside of the United States, the shooters only shoot from formal stances with a two-handed grip.
Read this full article/chapter in the book “Close Protection & Firearms” at the below links!
Books on Amazon
Close Protection & Firearms
The Application of Firearms in Close Protection & Armed Security
Kindle @ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B19S3HPQ
Paper Back @ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1HXV5XK
