Cruel Hand Luke

"Secrets Of Reality Based Gunfighting" and "Combative Perspective" by Gabe Suarez. And I really enjoyed Phil Elmore's "Short Hand Empty Hand" book also. And something on a "cultural" mindset wavelength "Born Fighting-How the Scots-Irish Shaped America" by James Webb. Lots of us in Tennessee!

I'd take you guys up on it, but I'm teaching a Defensive Pistol Skills class here in Chattanooga that weekend . Anyone here who is not signing up for this TGO class REALLY needs to reconsider. I'd definitely be there if I could. Actually I'll be stopping in on the 18th on my way to Tom's place(Rangemaster) for Combative Pistol II. See you guys then.

I'm new here so I'll wade into the murky water..... What I use, recommend and teach is what we refer to as the "sighting continuum". It goes from shooting from retention as you are fending off a contact attack all the way out to using a picture perfect sight picture for making hits on distant targets at 50, 75 even 100 yards and farther. It also refers to everything in between. Do I need to have ANY sight picture at 3 feet ? No. I don't even have to see the gun. I shoot from the #2 position of the draw stroke with my shooting hand elbow cranked up so my rounds impact the target in the lower abdomen/pelvic area as I use my off hand to protect my head/neck and strike the BG. This is exactly what Southnarc teaches and if you use the reference points properly you can shoot in physical contact with someone and still protect yourself and not have your gun malfunction and not shoot yourself in your fending arm. Do I NEED to have a perfect sight picture at 3 yards to shoot you in the chest? NO. Really all I NEED is to get the gun in my visual center line, project it straight at the target and MAYBE square my pelvis to the target, but that is a story for another time. I can even shoot from the #3 position of the draw (where your hands come together in the drawstroke-what we call compressed ready) and get excellent hits out to 4 or maybe 5 yards. Do I NEED to have a perfect sight picture at 5 to 7 yards? No. I just look for the outline of the gun in my peripheral vision surrounded by the target and work the trigger. Do I NEED to have a perfect sight picture to get good COM hits at 7 yards? NO. I just focus on the target looking OVER the gun, seeing the top of the slide somewhat peripherally. Do I NEED to have a perfect sight picture at 7 to 10 yards? No I can just look for the front sight like a shotgun bead and work the trigger. Do I NEED to have a perfect sight picture at 10-15 yards? Well here things start to get a little more dicey. At this distance I will usually shoot "out of the notch" looking for the front sight on top of the rear. Do I need to have a perfect sight picture past 15 yards? Depends on the size of target, but this IS the distance where I DEFINITELY want a GOOD sight picture. All this is easily accomplished if you grip the pistol CORRECTLY and get it lined up with the bones in your arm and project the pistol at the target in your visual centerline. This is accomplished by getting all the grip you are gonna get on it while it is in the holster, not monkeying with it as you project it. The gun muzzle goes where your eyes see and if you have the time by all means LOOK FOR THE SIGHTS. But if not, you can still make hits. If you can throw a punch and hit what you are throwing it at, you can throw a punch with a pistol in your hand and fire the shot at the extension and get EXCELLENT hits at 5 yards or less.BUT it is all dependent on your draw stroke being properly done. Up close perfect sight pictures are not mandatory. But sometimes if we only have a small target exposed, the 5 to 7 yard shots may REQUIRE using the sights. Think about shooting at someone behind cover.Things are complex and there is not a 2 second "bumper sticker " answer to these questions. It really isn't a ONE AND ONLY TRUE WAY kind of deal. It is not EITHER sights OR point shooting/threat focused shooting/instinctive shooting. It is "all of the above". And most of us know this. I'm a big boy so fire away.

Two semesters of ROTC:D. Just kidding. I never served in the military.

Since 2005. Gabe was just beginning to expand the operation and I talked to him about it. He told me to come to his Ultimate Combat Skills Week class in Atlanta and after the class he said, "You're in if you want in". I had been teaching CCW classes for better part of 10 years, but really didn't feel that was enough to be teaching folks about interpersonal conflict. I took a "medical care under fire" course and all the gun knife and stick stuff I could fit in and Tom Givens's instructor development course (I did 13 classes in 13 months at one point) all so I would be able to better help the students understand how things all fit together in context. I don't teach people how to win IDPA matches (though I can if that is what interests them) I teach them to win fights. The person is the weapon, the gun is just an efficient accessory. But still just an accessory. And there are circumstances related to distance where the gun is NOT the best choice. That is how I see it anyways. Mindset then tactics then skill THEN equipment. But know how to use all the equipment-empty hands,stick,knife,pistol ,rifle, shotgun,(SMG,belt fed MG:devil:) and even improvised weapons. Just because I can't carry a weapon into somewhere doesn't mean I am totally unarmed. It is the Warrior mindset, not the shooter mindset.A warrior will fight with any tool he can lay hands on. A shooter only learns the gun...... Probably a longer answer than you were looking for, but I'm feeling long winded today:D.

I generally shoot my carry gun in SSP and ESP. Glock 34 with Trijicon sights. Use Blade Tech IWB holster and Blade tech single mag pouches with Tek Lok. If I shoot CDP I use my Wilson 1996A2 (essentially a CQB) with Wilson "Night Eyes" sights. I shoot matches dressed just like I dress for work. Untucked polo shirt or untucked button down shirt, pistol, spare mag, knife, windlass tourniquet in my back pocket, cell phone. I can't really remember the last time I shot a match with an OWB holster and a vest.I just don't wear that stuff on a daily basis so I'd rather practice with what I DO wear. I'm real big on streamlining practice/training. I don't like to use "match guns" and wear "match clothes" or "school clothes". I shoot what I carry, how I actually carry it. NOT that there is anything wrong with OWBs and vests, I just choose not to use them since I don't wear them anywhere else.

Thanks guys! I don't really know how "expert" my opinions are, but I'm not bashful about sharing them.

Hey guys. My name is Randy Harris. I am a staff instructor for Suarez International and state certified ccw instructor at Sportsman's Supply in Chattanooga. I shoot IDPA, 3 gun, Cowboy action, Subgun, and about any kind of "action shooting" match I can find in this area. I work for a shooting sports wholesaler and spend most of my free time reading history,biographies,lifting weights and training in knife, gun, stick and combatives and hanging out with my wife. I have trained with Gabe Suarez, Southnarc and Paul Gomez, Tom Givens, Tom Sotis, Marc Denny,Ian Mcdevitt (medic skills class) , Henk Iverson and William Aprill. I look forward to hanging out here and keeping up with what is going on around the state. Glad to be here!

I teach classes for Suarez International offering them in Chattanooga. I teach The Defensive Pistol Skills, Close Range Gunfighting, Defensive Rifle Skills, and Shotgun Gunfighting classes. Class descriptions and sign up info available at www.suarezinternational.com I am also hosting Tom Givens from Rangemaster for his Dynamic Marksmanship class June 30/July1 (sign up through www.rangemaster.com) and Sonny Puzikas is coming in October to do the Kalashnikov Gunfighting class on Oct 6 and 7. I use a private range just across the border in Ringgold Ga. It has 6 side by side shooting bays 30 yards deep by 20 yards across divided by berms on the sides and a berm downrange. I also teach the Tennessee CCW class at Sportsman's Supply in Hixson Tn.