How Dynamic is your Dynamic Movement?
First we must look at the two words as defined by Webster.
Dynamic: (1) : of or relating to physical force or energy : energetic, forceful
Movement: (1) : the act or process of moving; especially : change of place or position or posture (2) : a particular instance or manner of moving b (1) : a tactical or strategic shifting of a military unit : maneuver (2) : the advance of a military unit
So if we are looking at this topic of dynamic movement in the context of a gun fight what can we take away for Mr. Webster. The action weather exploding off the X, seeking cover, returning fire, breaking contact, or advancing on the enemy needs to be fast, forceful, aggressive, decisive, and deliberate. Fire needs to be accurate, continuous, and vicious, we’re not spraying rounds all willy-nilly hoping to hit something.
Let’s break this down. If you watch any movies or cop shows you’re probably aware of the Goucho walk, the bent kneed, heel to toe, awkward fashion of movement. There is a purpose for this but if this is your idea of “Dynamic Movement” and you don’t operate on a daily basis with hard plates and a team you’re going to find this to be ineffective at best. You see this done as a team because you only have a limited sector of fire or area of responsibility. You are directing your movement and fire in that small direction as well as presenting your plates to receive incoming fire and meeting hostility with accurate fire to minimize the possibility of collateral injury. From a partisan/ccw perspective the whole is to not get hit until you can access your firearm, find cover, go hands on, or escape and evade the hostile action.
I’m going to assume that I’m talking to the everyday CCW holder with a bit of training. If you’re heard the phrase “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” what they are talking about isn’t slowing down it’s being deliberate. Your draw stroke is deliberate, from clearing your garment to your PTO, it’s deliberate. Breaking off the X, from the flinch to sprint, is deliberate. Dynamic refers entirely to the force with which you perform these deliberate actions and movement is referring to displacing yourself from the line of fire and the acts of accessing you firearm and putting it to use to defend yourself or others. What I’m getting to is when you run this dry are you just walking through the footwork and hand motions? Are you practicing your draw stroke without a cover garment? Do you prone out just to get on the ground or ease yourself to a kneeling position after strolling over to low cover? If you are you’re cheating yourself and your training in my humble and accurate opinion.
Now the work, getting more dynamic is work. There are muscle groups that are important and action habits that need ingrained. Let’s start with the hardware, the muscles. A PTO is a full body action requiring the use of hands, arms, legs, and core body. The hands and arms need to clear the garment, grab the pistol, make the draw stroke, and mitigate recoil. The legs need to load, make directional adjustment, and provide forward momentum. The core body is driving your targeted x off the line of fire, twisting and driving to your direction of travel and orienting after the draw stroke to deliver fire on the threat. To get these muscle groups in condition involves, practice and exercise. I recommend the 2 part series of Combat Fit DVDs available at OST. Add regular wind sprints (at your level of fitness) and directional changes from standing and moving. For the software we are looking at the draw stroke, getting positive control of the weapon. The foot work, including the orientation to the direction of travel or the take off. The body articulation, dropping into the combat crouch. Finally the orientation of the weapon to target. All if this software is found in the SI classes at the intro level and above, both the Close-Range Gunfighting and Point Shooting series of DVDs I found to be a wonderful resource as well as Roger Phillips writings on continuums.
Always put 100% deliberateness into your movement and cover strategy, but be forceful about it, be Dynamic about it. When you break off the X have a solid grip on your weapon, push your posture down off the line of fire, drive to whichever o’clock you move to. Deliberately, Dynamically identify your target and rain Hell upon him, Dynamically and deliberately find and seek cover and throw yourself into the experience of it. Scrape your knees and elbows up, blood washes off, clothes can be mended or replaced, skin grows back. Get bruises and rug burns, smack your funny bone on the kitchen table because you dropped below the window sill too fast. It’s training it’s supposed to make you stretch, take you out of your comfort zone and make you sweat. Lets work together to put the Dynamic back into Dynamic movement.
Greg Nichols, Suarez International Staff instructor
First we must look at the two words as defined by Webster.
Dynamic: (1) : of or relating to physical force or energy : energetic, forceful
Movement: (1) : the act or process of moving; especially : change of place or position or posture (2) : a particular instance or manner of moving b (1) : a tactical or strategic shifting of a military unit : maneuver (2) : the advance of a military unit
So if we are looking at this topic of dynamic movement in the context of a gun fight what can we take away for Mr. Webster. The action weather exploding off the X, seeking cover, returning fire, breaking contact, or advancing on the enemy needs to be fast, forceful, aggressive, decisive, and deliberate. Fire needs to be accurate, continuous, and vicious, we’re not spraying rounds all willy-nilly hoping to hit something.
Let’s break this down. If you watch any movies or cop shows you’re probably aware of the Goucho walk, the bent kneed, heel to toe, awkward fashion of movement. There is a purpose for this but if this is your idea of “Dynamic Movement” and you don’t operate on a daily basis with hard plates and a team you’re going to find this to be ineffective at best. You see this done as a team because you only have a limited sector of fire or area of responsibility. You are directing your movement and fire in that small direction as well as presenting your plates to receive incoming fire and meeting hostility with accurate fire to minimize the possibility of collateral injury. From a partisan/ccw perspective the whole is to not get hit until you can access your firearm, find cover, go hands on, or escape and evade the hostile action.
I’m going to assume that I’m talking to the everyday CCW holder with a bit of training. If you’re heard the phrase “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” what they are talking about isn’t slowing down it’s being deliberate. Your draw stroke is deliberate, from clearing your garment to your PTO, it’s deliberate. Breaking off the X, from the flinch to sprint, is deliberate. Dynamic refers entirely to the force with which you perform these deliberate actions and movement is referring to displacing yourself from the line of fire and the acts of accessing you firearm and putting it to use to defend yourself or others. What I’m getting to is when you run this dry are you just walking through the footwork and hand motions? Are you practicing your draw stroke without a cover garment? Do you prone out just to get on the ground or ease yourself to a kneeling position after strolling over to low cover? If you are you’re cheating yourself and your training in my humble and accurate opinion.
Now the work, getting more dynamic is work. There are muscle groups that are important and action habits that need ingrained. Let’s start with the hardware, the muscles. A PTO is a full body action requiring the use of hands, arms, legs, and core body. The hands and arms need to clear the garment, grab the pistol, make the draw stroke, and mitigate recoil. The legs need to load, make directional adjustment, and provide forward momentum. The core body is driving your targeted x off the line of fire, twisting and driving to your direction of travel and orienting after the draw stroke to deliver fire on the threat. To get these muscle groups in condition involves, practice and exercise. I recommend the 2 part series of Combat Fit DVDs available at OST. Add regular wind sprints (at your level of fitness) and directional changes from standing and moving. For the software we are looking at the draw stroke, getting positive control of the weapon. The foot work, including the orientation to the direction of travel or the take off. The body articulation, dropping into the combat crouch. Finally the orientation of the weapon to target. All if this software is found in the SI classes at the intro level and above, both the Close-Range Gunfighting and Point Shooting series of DVDs I found to be a wonderful resource as well as Roger Phillips writings on continuums.
Always put 100% deliberateness into your movement and cover strategy, but be forceful about it, be Dynamic about it. When you break off the X have a solid grip on your weapon, push your posture down off the line of fire, drive to whichever o’clock you move to. Deliberately, Dynamically identify your target and rain Hell upon him, Dynamically and deliberately find and seek cover and throw yourself into the experience of it. Scrape your knees and elbows up, blood washes off, clothes can be mended or replaced, skin grows back. Get bruises and rug burns, smack your funny bone on the kitchen table because you dropped below the window sill too fast. It’s training it’s supposed to make you stretch, take you out of your comfort zone and make you sweat. Lets work together to put the Dynamic back into Dynamic movement.
Greg Nichols, Suarez International Staff instructor
AKA: Fuzzy
Stay Alert... Stay Alive!
SI Courses:
PSP 04/09/2011
ACRG 06/10/2011
0-5' 06/12/2011
CRG 07/28/2011
RGF 07/30/2011
Stay Alert... Stay Alive!
SI Courses:
PSP 04/09/2011
ACRG 06/10/2011
0-5' 06/12/2011
CRG 07/28/2011
RGF 07/30/2011
