A long time ago … in a Killhouse far far away.
“Hey Mariucci .. just because you’re moving, doesn’t mean you’re going anywhere.”
That phrase has stuck with me for years, one of many to say the least. As I have been able to incorporate that into my courses, what does the underline tone of that message send?
Backstory
I was on the last day of a very long week of Team CQB training that required a final GO to pass the course. The Instructor Cadre was made of individuals who exist on the payroll pages that aren’t even in the book. The final 12 hour day had required us to make multiple runs under stringent time constraints & accuracy standards that left no room for error. Everything that we had been rehearsing and discussing throughout the week led up to these final runs.
On my final run with the team buddy I was partnered with, we burned threw it pretty good. After careful review from the ground cadre checking targets, he gave his thumbs up to the catwalk cadre who were looking at a mountain of other things that could possibly NO GO us. I was giving myself a quiet yet what I felt deserved pat on the back. The catwalk cadre all gave that oddly subtle head nod of approval, with a few mumbles from the chatter going on, when one of them broke the calm mood and blurted out that phrase.
I probably had that look on my face as if asked the square root of something because the cadre instructor let out a slow chuckle and said … “No idea what I’m talking about do you”. “Negative” I said. In short, I took about a dozen more steps moving around to complete the objective than was necessary. Although I got a final GO, the critique of performance never went away.
Thought Cirtique
So where does that phrase come into play? NO WASTED MOVEMENT. We talk a lot about no wasted movement in regard to our firearm manipulation/movement, but when thrown into a environment that forces us to really start to understand that concept, it is important to how to utilize it. Always have a plan of where you want to go, why, and then execute accordingly.
Getting past all the wonderful YouTube rhetoric concerning movement, I think we can all agree on a very simple mindset of Mobility = Survivability. However, I always then pose the question of what happens when your mobility is severely limited or non-existent? How does all that fancy range dancing with a firearm translate itself into a movement restricted environment ( structure / vehicle )? Exactly, not much to say on that end … moving for the sake of movement gets you nowhere and greatly decreases your odds of survivability.
Moving Efficiently
Believe it or not, it’s something we do on a daily basis. Take, for instance, moving through a crowded movie theater or airport, taking the shortest route to your table in a restaurant. We always want to be moving efficiently and these examples are the everyday occurrences which we hardly ever think about … dare I say, performed at the subconscience level 😬. It’s nothing more than understanding your environment and making the corrections necessary to negotiate it.
Thinking about that insanely regurgitated “Get off the X” phrase ( whatever that means ). So let’s say you do exactly that … Whewwww, I’m off the X, but wait, I’m still being shot at or someone is still coming towards me, I could go on and on. I love proving how ridiculous this line is during my Opposition Courses. NEWSFLASH … You ARE the X 😬. It never looks as cool or even remotely functional like it does on a safe and sterile live fire range environment OR when the 300 pound I’ve never been in a Gunfight instructor is talking about how to react in a Gunfight. — Just because you’re moving, doesn’t mean you’re going anywhere.
So why, when it comes to introducing firearms training into those environments, do individuals tend to loose focus of the simplicity. To quote Morpheus from The Matrix “Free Your Mind”. Because taking into account what needs to happen in a lethal force encounter, our brains are now focused on too many other things. Even the simplicity of basic movement becomes a whole separate tasking. The same goes for competition shooting. To get from one lane to the next, you must move efficiently, taking as little steps as possible, to stay on time and task & keeping that gun in the fight.
The end result of my final run was all the other variables that caused me to “move” more than I needed to. It was a good reminder of what needs to be focused on in the environment your in. Having the ability to process your environment and make critical decisions is something that should be blended into your training regiment. All that running around on the “square range” or “flat range” ( whatever that means ) doesn't do you any good, when you cannot translate that to a movement restricted environment ie: Structures & Vehicles.
Final Thoughts
Moving for the sake of moving, because it looks cool on the range, will certainly hinder your performance given the REAL environments you may find yourself in. Make sure you have a plan of how your going to move, where & most importantly, WHY ….. so I end with this reminder: DWS focuses on Performance Based Education - meaning all levels of what is going to make you successful in conflict.
“Just because you’re moving, doesn’t mean you’re going anywhere”
As always, I wish you great success in your training endeavors.
Training Never Stops !
Mooch 😎🐿