STOP Stepping and GET OFF the X
Feb 16th 2018
The Range Reload Shuffle
I see it all the time on the range and in social media gun videos. Someone in an attempt to get off the x, ‘steps offline’ and draws a gun before shooting a target, or someone ‘steps offline’ while reloading (and oftentimes steps again to return to the same spot). It’s a joke folks.
This silly little range dance does not slow the bad guy down, it just slows you down. Our problem is that we believe the ‘X’ is much smaller than it actually is. Your big step only takes a tiny shift in the bad guys muzzle in tracking you. In short, they can track you much faster than you can move.
If you are still not convinced, try this in force-on-force. You will not try it again. <keep reading below…>
Now there are some disclaimers we need to work through, and the first is to cut some slack to some ‘step offline’ advocates. It is not safe to have a line of shooters on a range bolting in different directions, so the discerning instructor may ask them to take a single step AS A PLACEHOLDER for more aggressive movement they can practice on their own.
Another disclaimer is that sometimes a single step can help. If a single step lands you behind cover, congratulations well done. Also, some of you martial artists can take a step in when at arms length to close distance and go ‘hands on’. Again, well done.
My main contention is with where civilians get into trouble with ambushing predators — between 2 and 7 yards. I need you to either end that fight in a freakishly small amount of time, or make distance with explosive movement. Remember, every foot closer to Joe Gangbanger’s muzzle and every millisecond you spend in front of it, dramatically increases your likelihood of getting shot.
Folks, we’ve got to be practical.
Time, distance, available cover, and mindset all can dramatically change what our best response to an ambushing opponent may be, but rest assured, doing a 2 step dance in front of a muzzle isn’t turning you into Neo from the Matrix. Watch this video I made on this subject.
