Bad Breath Pistol with LMS Defense, Feb 22th, 2014.

This is my third trainings with LMS Defense, a firearm training institute based in Northern California. My previous two classes were Urban Defense and Vehicle Defense, both in 2013.

 

Bad Breath Pistol was based on the concept of point shooting, also called alternative sighting technique. Instead of aiming through the front sight, shooters use their body to align toward the target and fire. It is faster than sight shooting, but with very limited accuracy without constant training. It was the popular shooting style before 1980s, commonly seen on movies where people fire their weapons from the hip. It was actually taught in police and FBI academy until 1980, being replaced by sight shooting promoted by Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper. Point shooters are considered ineffective beyond seven years except for very few expert shooters such as Taran Butler and late Bob Munden. Today, there are very few people still teaching such skill, hence my interest in this particular class.

Based on real world gun fight statistics, a significant percentage of fights occurred between arms’ reach and 3 yards, hence the ability to draw and fire fast is very important. Point Shooting skill could let me gain a precious second ahead of my opponents.

 

The class was small, with only seven students. This size was good in my opinion, since point shooting is an advanced skill with higher risk than other training. Shooters are usually very close to the target and more likely to muzzle themselves if not being cautious.  Among the students, I know one guy from my area, who is a martial artist. There was also a retired Navy sailor and a SFPD reserve officer. The instructor Officer Paletta is a seasoned police officer with past experience in PMC in Iraq and Afghanistan as diplomatic protection detail. The range was a new addition to LMS Defense, a small private ranch located in the hills of Fremont area.

Basically we practiced drawing from the holster and fire for the entire day. While it sounds like very simply task since I have conducted thousands time before, in reality it was very different. Point shooting required complete different skill set than sight shooting. We also had  to pay extra attention to  safety, as I mentioned above, to compensate the additional risk to shoot from such positions. All students were divided into two relays in training, and for every single drill we practiced dry first, then followed by live fire. The students were encouraged to watch other relay and to correct each others for errors and mistakes.

 

In the morning we first practiced simple draw from the holster, then draw with one shot, then two shots. We then added movements away from the line of attack. ( That is, to  move sideways while drawing and firing to disrupt opponents through the process ). After lunch we practiced handgun disarm and retention with “blue guns” (non-firing rubber prop used in martial art practice).  After that we began the afternoon with some dot shooting to warm up, and back to point shooting sequences. By the end of the day, the students were expect to draw, engage the targets from two to three feet with at least four rounds in the center mass while moving away from the line of attack, then finish the fight by one round in the CNS area.

To make the training more realistic, instructor Paletta added situation verifications into the drill. While engaging the targets, Mr. Paletta would call out if the target was still hostile, or has complied. If the target was still hostile, students were to continue to engage the targets, ; if not,  the student should immediate cease fire to avoid excessive force, and order the “opponent” to stay down and show hands (where weapons are generally held, hence the phrase “Hands kill”), then scan for more attackers and re-holster. Since the drill included moving while shooting, in the end of the day, we practiced shooting from supine position. Sometime a person could trip by the objects while moving, thus shooting from supine is important skill to know. Since I have been shooting from supine on many occasions, this drill was easy to me.

 

In conclusion I recommend this class for anyone who is considering concealed carry for self-defense purpose. As I mentioned, a significant deadly confrontations occurred in contact distance. On the other hand, there aren’t many instructors teaching point shooting technique. The experience I got from this class is certainly unique.