They get you locked into a good "stance" (we prefer the term "body position" since "stance" in the parlance of martial arts typically means a locked in, static position... more to follow on that), make sure your grip is good to go, help ensure you weapon manipulations are squared away and do all they can to get you faster, more accurate, and all while ensuring the safety of everyone present.... And this is a good thing. A great thing.
A lot of these schools tell you they cover shooting on the move as either part of an advanced class or in a specific class for shooting on the move...
Thing of it is, shooting on the move IS significantly more difficult than shooting while static. But is it REALLY an advanced skill... or is it a necessary skill to stay alive when your day comes and the balloon goes up?
In the Marine Corps, we were always taught that static targets are targets but when that "target" is moving aggressively while delivering accurate fire, it is NO LONGER A TARGET.... IT'S NOW A COMBATANT!
In plain words... "static" is more simply spelled as "DEAD."
I will be the first to say that shooting on the move is most definitely not easy nor is it day one stuff... but our Movement Under Fire stage which is the final qualification (score is irrelevant, it's either hit or miss and it's either within the time limit or it's not) for even our Level I Combative Pistol course includes it. Wait... What?
That's right. On Day One, we'll spend some time dry keeping your muzzle on a target downrange while moving. It's actually part of our drawstroke training.
I look at the various shooting while moving courses out there and must ask myself a few questions:
"Are these people that desperate for new course material?"
"Are these people that slick at marketing?"
"Are these people that short-sighted?"
"Have these people just figured out a way to use perceptions to make themselves more money?"
"Some combination of the above?"
Now, I will hit the last one first and be the first guy around to say that I have NOTHING AGAINST THEM MAKING A BUCK. NOTHING AT ALL. BY ALL MEANS, PROCEED.
I understand that the shooting world doesn't change too much and there's only one way to put a mag in a pistol or stuff shells in a revolver's cylinder... But Force-on-Force and Case Studies show that there's always several solutions to any problem and the skilled instructor should learn from this and pass on the lessons. That same argument works both ways.... Moving or standing still, the only correct sight picture is the one you're zeroed for. Moving or still, there's only one way to manipulate the weapon's controls... In the words of Centurion ASG's CEO: I'm not sayin'... I'm just sayin'."
If you're that slick at marketing and not hooked up with an organization... Call me. TFTG is always wanting Affiliates.
If you're the type that believes that you can't make an accurate hit on the move (and yes, a prominent gunwriter some years ago actually published that the act of making a "good" hit on the move was a physical impossibility) you need a friggin' reality check and to come join us for some Force-on-Force evolutions...
But what is it with shooting on the move, really, that makes things difficult?
UPPER BODY STRENGTH.
The Abrams tank has a gyroscopic stabilizer that holds the muzzle of it's 120mm Rheinmetall main gun stable on target as it hauls ass across the sand dunes.... Yeah, bro, you didn't come OEM with one of those. But, the stronger your upper body is, the lighter that pistol will be and the easier keeping it on target while you're hauling ass yourself will become... But of course, that takes time, practice on the range, training with someone who can observe any errors, and (more importantly) time and leaving blood, sweat, and tears in the gym.
You can do all the Groucho walks you want... If your upper body isn't strong... that gun will not be still.
Controlling how your feet strike the deck is important, as if you have no control over your steps your weapon will bobble. Your knees act as leaf springs, but your core is your shock struts and coil overs.
Here's the problem...
A lot of shooters out there, self-defense oriented or otherwise, have been conditioned to believe that hitting all the fundamentals of marksmanship and a certain caliber will make you win the fight...
Newsflash: THAT AIN'T THE CASE...
The best fight to get into is the one that doesn't happen.
The second best one is the one you get out of and away from as quickly as possible.
Think about that... Get away from it.
So, you draw, you get your shots off, you turn and run.
Yeah.... OK.... (no)
How about you draw and get your shots off while moving away from the fight as fast as you can while still controlling your muzzle?
Try the two...
Bet you I know which one gets you out of Dodge more efficiently...
Think of a parking lot, major store or mall, or some other place a crazed active shooter may strike...
Do you REALLY think the old stand-and-deliver techniques you learned will save your life? (Bet I know how that story ends too... and it ain't pretty.)
Shooting on the move allows you deliver accurate fire, either to suppress fire or to kill the threat (I didn't say stop... Sorry guys, but if someone tries to kill me my bullets are earmarked for heart, lungs, and mind... and I make no bones about that.), while either A) extricating yourself and/or your family from the situation or B) moving to a position of advantage (cover, concealment, defilade, enfilade, where a better weapon is stored, etc.).
Ladies and gents... THERE IS A TIME AND A PLACE FOR SHOOT-THEN-MOVE.... AND THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE FOR SHOOT-WHILE-MOVING.
Learn both.
Choose wisely.
And I got news for you...
If you choose the wrong tool for this job, the results will make that page of the papers no one reads their own name in.
v/r
Kenny Smith
TFTG CEO