Why don't people train?

[TheDan]

Which ties into you go **** yourself.

Start a thread about it too.

Reason #9 people don't train: drama

 

[vmax]

The Cowboys train and look where it gets them

 

[duckknot]

The Cowboys train and look where it gets them

You win the internet today....

sent from wait...where am I!?

 

[Glockster69]

Reason #9 people don't train: drama

LoL

I can take in a lot of opinions .. decipher them for myself .. accept the good .. ignore the bad .. but what I can't do is ..

Someone that thinks they're superior.
Someone that thinks if they write a lot, it's true.

but most of all

Someone that thinks because they invoke the name of God, they are suddenly untouchable.

 

[TX69]

I don't go because the good ones are too expensive and there are far too many jokes out there. I'm sure I wouldn't need to look far to find a "Tactikewl" class run by a Yeager meathead all tatted up screaming about how he will make you an elite. No one from the suburbs needs that shit lol.

It would be far better for people to learn about firearms in general before they even begin to consider classes on anything else.

 

[TheDan]

Someone that thinks because they invoke the name of God, they are suddenly untouchable.

It's like the conservative's version of the race card.

 

[TheDan]

I don't go because the good ones are too expensive and there are far too many jokes out there.

That's a very good point. Fortunately we have a great resource for weeding out the tacticlowns. Just ask Sig_Fiend what his opinion is before you sign up for a class.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I would LOVE to take a few small group classes both with AR and pistol. Hell, I'd even like a one on one class on long range shooting. I ain't got the money to support the ammo needed or class fees, so I just keep using what I learned in the military and what I can find online.

 

[duckknot]

There are affordable classes out there given by reputable instructors! They take some digging to find but they do exist!

I've taken a few from a local law enforcement instructor and he has taught me more about my handgun and how to use it than any classes or videos I'd ever seen!

sent from wait...where am I!?

 

[TX69]

That's a very good point. Fortunately we have a great resource for weeding out the tacticlowns. Just ask Sig_Fiend what his opinion is before you sign up for a class.

I forgot to add that I am lazy and don't run so I just use bigger stuff like an AR-10.

 

[breakingcontact]

Someone that thinks they're superior.
Someone that thinks if they write a lot, it's true.

Someone that thinks because they invoke the name of God, they are suddenly untouchable.

Superior?I post up my targets and say where I do poorly, because I want to improve. I just had a conversation off of TGT where I acknowledged by limitation in terms of speed. I know where I am, I am honest about it. At competitions, nearly everyone shoots better than me. That is superior? I say that old guys do better than me at IDPA. That is superior?

Write a lot? Yes, that's what I do. I also read a lot and learn a lot. You don't like it, feel free not to read it.

I've addressed your first two specific accusations (or whatever you'd like to call them).

• I don't claim superiority at all. I am honest and in that honesty expose myself to criticism.
• Yes, I write a lot. I read a lot. I study a lot.
• Invoke the name of God? Untouchable?What does this even mean? Untouchable? Meaning what exactly? Please do articulate.
  
  I will be more than happy to give you an honest reply although you have been unkind to me. You are not going to provoke me into name calling, insults or being rude. Looking forward to your reply. It would be more civil if this was all in PM, but like I said, you are the one with the issue with me, this is how you are choosing to handle it. Go ahead and handle it as you see fit.

 

[breakingcontact]

That's a very good point. Fortunately we have a great resource for weeding out the tacticlowns. Just ask Sig_Fiend what his opinion is before you sign up for a class.

Agree with that. You do have to be cautious when taking a class and doubly conscious not to fall into a "training camp" where things get insular.

That being said, so long as the training is done safely and you aren't being taught poor tactics or techniques then many affordable training options are available and would benefit a great many shooter.

I don't agree with everything taught at the class I took recently, but I did learn and benefit from it. It was an affordable local class.

 

[breakingcontact]

I would LOVE to take a few small group classes both with AR and pistol. Hell, I'd even like a one on one class on long range shooting. I ain't got the money to support the ammo needed or class fees, so I just keep using what I learned in the military and what I can find online.

Jeremy have you shot an IDPA Carbine match? I think you'd really enjoy that. That is affordable. It is more practice than training but it is fun.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Ya know, I keep telling myself I'm gonna give it a shot. I'm low on ammo to blow right now, but once I recover my excess I'm REALLY gonna have to give it a shot.

 

[mitchntx]

I forgot to add that I am lazy and don't run so I just use bigger stuff like an AR-10.

That made me LOL.

Almost makes me want to un-ignore BC to see what new, epic nugget of drama he's dreamed up ... almost.

 

[Saltyag2010]

I train with my EDC shield a few times a week. I'd like to train more often but I work and work out and sleep and eat. This leaves only small amounts of free time long enough to train.
I want to take some classes for defensive handgun and defensive carbine. I'd also like to do more skeet, sporting clays and 5 stand.

My biggest excuses for training less are -
1. Time
2. Money

everyone could train more.

 

[TheDan]

I forgot to add that I am lazy and don't run so I just use bigger stuff like an AR-10.

LOL I'm with you on that one

 

[SIG_Fiend]

To offer another possibility, I think one of the reasons a lot of people don't train is much the same reason a lot of people don't lift/exercise (I am the pot calling the kettle black on that one for sure lol), or any other number of hobbies and/or endeavors in life. Basically, it requires sacrifice. It requires you to sacrifice some of your precious time, to do that thing. People have jobs. They have families. They have extracurricular activities they might already be obligated to. Compounding that is the fact that people are so inundated with so many other things in life these days, that even deciding to consistently do ONE thing for just 15 minutes every single day, seems like an overwhelming commitment to them. Inserting yet another time-draining component in their life often seems like just too much for a lot of people, or so they think.

I'll say this much. My personal experience over the last 2 years has shown me quite a bit about what can happen when training consistently and achieving a certain level of performance, as well as what can happen when not training as consistently, and going increasing periods of time with minimal to no training. I've found that some of the common sayings people have along the lines of "use it or lose it", actually are not always true. I've found that, if you achieve a fairly decent level of performance and build a decent amount of neural memory (less correctly stated as "muscle memory"), that you can actually retain a fairly high percentage of those skills, and that there are primarily certain areas which will decline. For example, for me, for quite awhile I've been going months on end without firing any live rounds, just with some dry practice in between, and of course always working on my mental game, perception, etc. I find that I can go fairly long periods of time without shooting, and my accuracy is still there I would say to about 90-95% when I get back to the range cold that first time. Also, I would say that under the same circumstances, my speed with most things is around 85-95%, depending on exactly what we're talking about. In terms of speed, I might be off 0.1-0.3 seconds on a lot of things, from where my performance was previously. Where I would say I've seen the biggest decrease is in manipulations with the gun. For example, I notice if I go long periods of time (months) without any dry practice or live fire, I tend to start fumbling reloads a lot more frequently, reloading a bit slower by several tenths of a second, etc. The big decrease for me has really been the reloads for some reason, and maybe firing at speed at distance (say 15yds+). I still find, though, that I can go cold for months, go to the range, shoot B-8 bulls for score, or shoot a particular scoreable drill that doesn't require significant manipulations, and I'll find I'm still at anywhere from 80-95% of where I was before, it's just those certain things are a little bit more rough around the edges.

I don't say any of that to advocate making excuses not to train, just more because I've found it very interesting how things have played out over the past year or two. What I have found in particular, that seems to really help me at least, is because of my nature, I am usually always still doing things to work my mind, work my perception, continually making myself aware of my surroundings, and constantly working that mental game.

Also, here's something to really mess with your mind, so to speak. It has been a year or two since reading this but, I remember awhile back reading a study on I believe PubMED, that showed some potential indicators that mentally rehearsing a task may actually stimulate some degree of additional growth of myelin around the neurons associated with performing that task. For those that don't understand what I'm talking about, in essence, "muscle memory" is a misnomer. When you learn and repeat a task to the point of building "muscle memory", what is actually happening is as you perform those repetitions, the neurons in your brain that keep firing the signals to perform that task, have additional layers of a myelin sheath secreted around them. In essence, as these layers build up, they effectively help serve as I believe an insulator and conductor, helping the neuron to actually fire its signal faster. The end result, you achieve subconscious competence with that task and can perform it proficiently and at greater speed without even thinking about it. So in that regard, "muscle memory" is more appropriately called neural memory.

Anyways, what I was getting at is, I came across some studies that had research data showing that there is potential for additional layers of this myelin sheath to be generated around neurons associated with a task, sometimes simply by mentally rehearsing and imagining yourself performing that task. From what I remember, this was by no means a definitive study, and it may not apply to all people all of the time. I found it very interesting though, as I will constantly find myself mentally rehearsing things like drawstroke in great detail (to the point of perceiving the feelings of actually doing it, as well as all of the idiosyncrasies involved). In hindsight, after thinking about it, I honestly think that all of this mental rehearsal in great detail has probably benefitted me significantly in maintaining at least certain skills during periods where I've gone a long time without firing a live round.

 

[JohnnyLoco]

Go out and shoot your guns, learn to be accurate, maybe fast. There you go, training completed.

Most of the famous instructors have a monetary incentive to convince regular Joes that "training" is only what they do. I don't buy into that hype. It's all artificial.

I'm sure they have good information on tactics and state of mind, but you can do a little digging around and learn all that on your own.

I also equate shooting drills to repetitive drills in the martial arts. Not all that practical or realistic. Fun maybe. You can be a black belt at taekwondo and still get your butt handed to you by a street thug. Or take MMA, you can train 10 hours a day in several disciplines and still get knocked out by Tank Abbott in 2 seconds.

 

[peeps]

I'm sure they have good information on tactics and state of mind, but you can do a little digging around and learn all that on your own.

I also equate shooting drills to repetitive drills in the martial arts. Not all that practical or realistic. Fun maybe. You can be a black belt at taekwondo and still get your butt handed to you by a street thug. Or take MMA, you can train 10 hours a day in several disciplines and still get knocked out by Tank Abbott in 2 seconds.

I agree you can learn a lot by finding information yourself. I don't agree with the rest of your post.

Some just have natural talent and strength, I can't dispute that. What those without such talent can do might be learned through training and practice.

I equate gun proficiency more with musical instruments than hand to hand fighting. More dexterity with the hand and creativity in problem solving, etc..

Having an instructor give you a good foundation first will be much more valuable than learning everything on your own first - for most.