Part Three: The NORB Review IDPA Match

Last month I participated in the IDPA Match and took my NORB of course.  One of the reasons I like the NORB is because I can put everything I need in one bag and not have to search through several to find what I'm looking for.  I can confidently say that this is the perfect bag.  The other reason for IDPA matches I wanted something like the NORB is because my shooting buddy has a very small car that she likes to drive and there just isn't room for more than one bag per person.  So, this works!

For this match, I took my NORB and an ammo can.  The extra can is because as hard as I try I cannot fit 6 boxes of ammo in the NORB, so I need to take something to accommodate my ammo.  Also, since I live in CA I cannot travel with my firearm and ammo/magazines in the same bag.  They must be separate.

The NORB was easy to tote from stage to stage.  It was comfortable for the 3 hour match and I received many compliments on the bag from other lady shooters and guys.  I was happy to share my experience with them.  It has been a great bag to use in all the shooting activities I participate in.  Thank you Offhand Gear!

For more information on the NORB go to their website at What is NORB? to see more and how to order one for yourself!

Part Two: The NORB Review Shotgun Clinic

The NORB.  What can I say?  I really love this bag, it's versatility and durability.  What do I mean by that?  So far I have been able to take it to every shooting activity and it goes along without any issue.  Most recently, I took it to a shotgun clinic I was teaching.  As we were loading and unloading the car, my husband could grab my bag without anything falling out and toss it in the car with all the gear.  No issues.

Since it stands up on it's own, I don't need to worry about getting it to sit upright against my gear without falling down and flopping around everywhere.  Regarding it's durability, I'm not concerned with it tearing or "breaking" while I'm using it.  This is not to say that I take my gear for granted, instead I can use it regularly without worry of destroying it before I've had the chance to really use it.

The fabric is especially forgiving.  Dirt, weeds, whatever it lands in can easily be brushed off without issue.  I am particularly fond of this feature.  It's not something I look for, but I appreciate it when it is the case. I'm looking forward to sharing how the NORB performs at an IDPA match.

Part Three: IDPA Match

My gear outside the car in the dirt.

Hanging out at the gun rack waiting for first time shooters.

Mindset: Play to Win

When I was in high school I played soccer for two years.  During practice the coaches would tell us to give a 110% effort, to practice like we would play at the next game.  Going through the motions was not an option.  I took this advice to heart, so when I practiced, I gave it my all.  Then when I faced my opponent, I knew what I was made of.  Injuries, concussions and grass in my teeth were the metric of whether I sufficiently battled the other team for the winning goal.  Fast forward 20 years and I find myself teaching the same concept to new shooters.  Practice like you will play.  Unlike my former soccer schedule, we may never face our gun fighting opponent on the field.

There are so many memes and slogans online to help get us into the mindset of winning the fight. However after much discussion with a good friend of mine, who is a retired Sherriff Deputy, teaching someone resolve can be a difficult task.  Resolve when used as a verb, it is to settle or find a solution to a problem, dispute or contentious matter, to decide firmly on a course of action.  As a noun, resolve is the firm determination to do something.  Synonyms include a decision, resolution or commitment.  Keeping this in mind, you need all of the defined characteristics to win a fight.  One approach is to train for specific scenarios or those situations which would occur most often.  Another approach is to develop the determination to respond to every scenario or situation which could occur.  These two approaches differ in that one conditions your actions and the other conditions your thought process.

Resolve is more than simply knowing what to do when.  Resolve is a state of mental preparedness to take definitive action.  You must be dedicated to learning, training and practicing the skills needed to be flexible within your defensive strategy.  How does a shooter prepare her mind for the fight?  Practice like you play and play to win.

Decision, resolution and commitment are words that describe a steadfast choice. Having the resolve to win is a choice.  A choice that I believe needs to be made early in the game.  At first, this kind of thinking may seem difficult to focus on or seem easy to attain.  All I have to do is decide to act, right. In reality, it is a change to your internal monologue.  Whatever you normally think about during the day, you must make subtle adjustments to your thoughts and view your surroundings with caution.  Simply it can be called situational awareness, but I prefer the description as a change to your overall mindset.  I am aware of what is going on around me.  I am ready and able to handle myself in that situation.  It is difficult to maintain a heightened level of awareness for great length of time, particularly in your own home, which is considered a sanctuary from the outside world.  However you must make a conscious effort to remain alert to your environment, whatever it is.

Keep in mind the five levels of awareness -

Unaware – These are times when you are asleep, watching TV, occupied with a specific task and daydreaming.

Aware – You are conscious of your surroundings, cognizant of those around you, have mentally identified potential threats and where they may emanate from.

Alert – A specific potential threat or threats have been identified; this is a heightened state of awareness.

Alarm – Whatever action was planned in the alert level is now implemented.  Again, taking action does not necessarily mean using force.

How do I develop my resolve?

1.       Decide to prevail.

2.       Maintain an appropriate level of awareness.

3.       Create your self defense plan.

4.       Train for the skills needed in an emergency.

5.       If possible, participate in force on force training.

6.       Practice for your “game day”.

7.       Practice for your “game day”.

Understand that while you may have developed your resolve, both psychological and physical responses can be a battle to overcome in your practice.  Training for stress is crucial to prevail in an encounter.  Your goal is to acclimate yourself to performing well under stress.  This can be done through timing yourself while you shoot, raising your heartrate through exercise prior to shooting or entering a competitive match.

When I played soccer, I was a part of a team.  I was part of a team that had already made the decision before we stepped onto the field that we would win.  We wouldn’t give up, we would keep trying to score goals, and we would do what it took to get those goals.  Preparing for game day meant we already decided we would win.

The Shooting Tradition

Last summer, the oil company my husband works for asked if I would host a shotgun clinic for new shooters at the annual family picnic.  A number of people made the decision to learn how to shoot clays and fired a shotgun for the first time.  I stayed for as long as there was someone who wanted to learn which ended up being hours!  The ages ranged from children that came to learn with their parents to people on the verge of retirement.  There was one young boy that kept getting back in line to shoot over and over.  To my surprise, many of the new shooters were young girls.  What I also didn’t expect was how well the younger kids did and that they were striking the clays on their first shots.  At the end of the clinic everyone was hitting clays.  One of the spectators watching the clinic commented that she didn’t expect the younger girls to be able to hit the clays as shooting isn’t something she’d expect a girl to be able to do.  Her comments made me think about stereotypes of female shooters, but more specifically, younger girls who are learning shoot.

During the mid-19^th century, one female shooter stood above the rest.  Annie Oakley’s shooting skills were often underestimated by her male counterparts.  She is an American icon known for her impressive shooting abilities as a sharpshooter and exhibition shooter.   Fast forward to the 21^st century, Kim Rhode is a triple Olympic Champion and in 2012 she tied the world record for hitting 99 out of 100 clays in the international skeet event at the London Olympics.  She is a daughter, wife, mother and shooter.  Oakley and Rhode both excel at the shooting sports.  These two women are separated by over a hundred years and are connected not solely by their gender, but their accomplishments as shooters.  Annie Oakley was recorded hunting at age 9 and sold her game to local hotels and markets to earn money to support her family. Kim Rhode began competing in skeet at age 10, participated in her first African safari hunt at age 12 and won her first gold medal at age 17. At that time, she became the youngest female gold medalist in Olympic shooting.  As you just read and hopefully realized, both Oakley and Rhode started at a young age.

The next generation of female shooters is interested in a wide range of hobbies, excel at a variety of skills, seek many different educational goals, and come from different political persuasions.  For example, Katelyn Francis is a 16 year old competitive shooter for STI Firearms.  Her mother noted in regards to an award Katelyn received on November 11, 2014, “A lot of people comment on Katie's page about how she should be just a normal teenage girl. Well, she is a normal, polite teenage girl. When her dad started to teach her about guns and shooting, I was not on board but he promised me that shooting and the gun community would teach her responsibility and manners.”

Shyanne Roberts, a 10 year old competitive shooter and second amendment advocate, includes in her interests, aside from shooting, hanging out with friends, music, and soccer.  In early 2014, Shyanne testified at a New Jersey legislative committee regarding gun control.  Only 9 years old at the time, she reminded politicians that the proposed magazine ban would punish her and other athletes instead of the criminals the politicians claimed they were targeting.   

Learning how to shoot teaches you the same life lessons as any sport: you must train and practice to increase your skills.  Shooting sports build character and teach you responsibility, sportsmanship, dedication, and perseverance.  These attributes help young minds develop discipline which in turn prepares them to face the hurdles of life.  Shooting has been passed down from father to daughter, mother to son and many other family combinations when you throw grandparents and uncles in the mix.  It gives children a reason to be outdoors, appreciate nature and develop valuable life skills.  Additionally, learning more about firearms provides the opportunity to discover American history, the Bill of Rights and how firearms have changed the course of human history.

In 2011, Lindsay McCrum released a pictorial attempt to describe the modern female shooter in the book “Chicks with Guns”.  The National Shooting Sports Foundation described it like this, “They reside in all regions of the country, come from all levels of society, and participate seriously in diverse shooting activities. From policewomen to hunters, ranchers to competition shooters, the collection of portraits in ‘Chicks with Guns’ defies stereotypes often associated with aspects of the popular culture of both guns and women.” 

As a shooting instructor, the women I have taught include mothers, nurses, college students, and athletes.  In fact, I am often surprised at the variety of backgrounds that they bring with them.  These women also have one common concern, teaching their children about shooting and firearm safety.  Luckily, there are many programs that teach firearm safety to children as early as eight years old and some, like the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program, teach safety to children as young as four years old. Moms are especially eager to teach their daughters about safety, but there is more to this hobby than simply safety.   What I realized last summer, introducing the next generation of shooters to one of several shooting sports was more than just sharing safety and respect for firearms.  We are sharing our love of an American tradition.

The Shooting

Fire Drills

Remember back when we were kids in school?  Once a year there would be a fire drill, when we were led outside to the playground, check to be sure everyone was accounted for and then file back into class.  I don’t know of many school aged children who took it seriously.  It was a break in the monotony of our math lessons and a chance to see our friends in another classroom.  These fire drills are meant to practice the school’s emergency plan in the event of a fire at school. What if the drill included the smell of smoke or the sound of emergency vehicles?  Would we have taken the situation more seriously?

Practice time shooting at the range is no different.  To get the most out of our time and ammo, we should challenge our effort as if we were role-playing our emergency plan.  We don’t want to simply go through the motions lazily like when we were kids walking in line for those fire drills. Once we have mastered the fundamentals and our shots are consistent, increasing the level of complexity or adding a source of stress to our practice is the next step.  Stress adds realism to your shooting experience.  When controlled carefully, a small amount of pressure while shooting can benefit you exponentially when a real emergency occurs.

For a new shooter, just thinking about the fundamentals you need to perform is enough to add a sufficient amount of pressure.  Competition between friends for a higher score or the loud bang of a rifle in the shooting stall next to you can take you off your target.  In fact, changing the location of the range or even the firearm used produces a high level of anxiety with a new shooter.  Learning to work within those parameters is a great place to start.  With more experience, one would not be as easily affected by these circumstances.

Let’s take it one step further.  Last month I became certified as an Instructor to teach the NRA course Personal Protection in the Home.  One of the training exercises was to first shoot a group of six shots “leisurely” hitting the center of the target.  There was no time constraint, no rush, just shoot at your own pace.  We marked our grouping and were instructed to shoot two shots as fast as we could, successfully placing them in the same area as our previous ones.  Our instructor timed us and called out our missed shots, driving us to go faster and faster.

Even this small amount of pressure, which I was not accustomed to, revealed several things.  Increased heart rate, a tendency to jerk the trigger and rushing to make the shot indicated my level of anxiety.  The addition of a harmless timer and the mild embarrassment of missed shots being exposed for all to hear were more than enough to degrade everyone’s performance – especially mine.  However, each successful pair solidified my confidence and experience under these conditions.   I knew what to expect and every effort came more natural than the last.  After the first few drills I began to relax and the startled feeling from the clock didn’t affect me as it did on my first few attempts.

Working through malfunctions and reloads at top speed will certainly improve your response time until you are no longer thinking about shooting, but simply shooting.  Recording your speed on these tasks will give you a baseline and show your progress.  Any demonstration of skill requires some amount of pressure in order for us to improve.  Our end goal should be to establish the muscle memory and mental stamina to offset the body’s natural reactions in an emergency.    Think back at your school’s fire drill, the goal was to get you out of the building safely, quickly and, most of all, calmly.

Step two: After the basics

Sometimes when I ask the ladies, “what are your shooting goals?” they say “I want to shoot better.” I usually follow up with “what do you mean by better?” And they give me a look that means, “duh better”.  This has prompted me to outline a few options for those who want to shoot “better”.

Fundamentals, Target Shooting and Recreational Fun

There are a few examples of beginner shooting goals right there in the heading.  Work on your fundamentals, so they are the BEST they can be.  You can perform these without thinking and your shots are on target every time.  If you were a robot instead of a breathing human being, your fundamentals would be a precise program written for perfection.

Target shooting and hitting bullseyes perfectly every time.  Read: you are always in the 10 ring.  You are so accurate that you hit the same hole every time.  It looks like you have shot only one round, but really you have shot 50.  Try this achievement at every distance available to you at your local range.

Shooting for recreational fun.  I don’t mean going to range and gossiping with your girlfriends while holding a firearm.  What I mean is shooting fun targets, take bets as to who can do it the best, no pressure situations.  Try some trick shooting, like splitting a playing card in two or a poker target and see who can shoot the best hand.  And enter a local shooting competition for fun.  Local ranges may host a bullseye contest to benefit a charity or win a prize.  It’s not about winning, although that is nice, consider it a part of your overall experience as a shooter.

Shooting Sports, Competitive Shooting and Join a Team

I’ll be upfront with you; I don’t have a lot of experience with shooting sports.  I have an idea of what they are about and what is involved, but not a first-hand account.  Shooting sports and competitive shooting events are like all other sporting events, but shooting is the game.  There are local clubs that host these events and they have a set course you must shoot and you are scored based on your time.  Your time is calculated by the reading on the timer and then offset by the scoring mechanism in place.  For example, if you missed the target they might add 2 seconds to your time and if you shot a perfect target, they might take away 2 seconds from your time.  Better hits equals a better time.

And like many other sports there are teams you can join, where your scores are compiled as a team.  Then you are ranked and placed like a track team or swimming team.  Look up local ranges (both indoor and outdoor) in your area to see what the offer.  Many times these events are low cost, hosted monthly and have a moderate ammunition requirement.

Defensive Shooting and Further Training

Working on your skills can lead to other opportunities in training.  Once you have a good understanding and execution of the fundamentals and your shots are going where you expect them and want them to go, you might be ready to seek out more advanced training.  You can always learn more and get a different perspective by training with other people.  In this skill, more is better.

Become and instructor

Becoming an instructor is one of the most rewarding options (in my opinion).  I enjoy teaching others, no matter what the skill is, and I have a long history of teaching a wide range of topics.  There is always a practical test of your skills you must perform to qualify, but after completing our first topic, it should be no problem.  When I became a firearms instructor, I became a better shooter.  I understood what needed to be shared from my experiences and how my experiences applied to each individual.

Choosing the teaching pathway also opens you up to share your knowledge base with others.  In the firearms world, there are always people who learn on their own, but when you gain the skills needed to teach someone, you will learn what you need to do to improve other shooter’s skills.  In the end you can help everyone become  a better shooter.

 

Definitions: Mindset & Levels of Awareness

Mindset (Oxford Dictionary) is the established set of attitudes held by someone: "the region seems stuck in a medieval mindset", a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations, the thought processes characteristic of an individual or group.

Unaware – These are times when you are asleep, watching TV, occupied with a specific task (for example when I’m writing this) and daydreaming.

Aware – You are conscious of your surroundings, cognizant of those around you, have mentally identified potential threats and where they may emanate from.

Alert – A specific potential threat or threats have been identified; this is a heightened state of awareness.

Alarm – Whatever action was planned in the alert level is now implemented.  Again, taking action does not necessarily mean using force.

Maintaining Awareness – It is difficult to maintain a heightened level of awareness for great length of time, particularly in your own home, which is considered a sanctuary from the outside world.  Make a conscious effort to remain alert to your environment, whatever it is.

Below is a link for a watered down (practical everyday person) OODA loop.

The Blue Collar OODA Loop

Home Defense

Today, I am opting to share a link to Personal Defense Network's article, the Five Fundamentals of Home Defense.  A couple years ago I was beefing up on my knowledge of what to do if my home was invaded and came across a similar article from PDN.  I thought it was very informative and helpful to know what to do in case of an emergency.  What it also gave me was a baseline for all the other information I wanted to learn and a premise of how to view my own personal safety.

Five Fundamentals for Home Defense

Defensive Accuracy versus Target Shooting

“A slow hit beats a fast miss, but there is such a thing as taking too much time.”

What is defensive accuracy?  Defensive accuracy is the ability to shoot the center of mass as fast and accurately as you can, the resulting shots should be covered by the spread of your hand.  As we progress from novice to intermediate shooters, I would hope that shooters’ goals will also change.

Many beginners learn the fundamentals and focus on target shooting.  To review the six fundamentals – stance, grip, trigger control, sight picture/sight alignment, breath and follow through.  All of these fundamentals should be performed perfectly in order to hit a bullseye.  In contrast to defensive accuracy where your fundamentals may not be perfect, your ability to stop the threat will be.

Take sight alignment.  There is a degree of deviation from perfect sight alignment when shooting for defensive accuracy.  Aim at the center of mass of the exposed target area, when aligning your sights and acquiring sight picture, your shots will be spread across your target.   To determine your accuracy, your shots should be about the size of a sheet of copy paper.  You are looking at a larger area and at a closer range as your target. A defensive encounter will not afford you the time to gain a perfect sight picture as it does in the range.  Therefore you will need to practice a new set of skills.

Do not think of defensive accuracy and target shooting as opposites.  They are stages in the progression from being a beginner to becoming a marksman.  As first you are only concentrating on the basics.  You want to perfect these before moving on.  This may mean that you skills will allow you to shoot a small 3-4 inch grouping on your target.  Once you are satisfied with your progress, try shooting a piece of paper as your target.  First shoot slowly and keep in mind your fundamentals.  Then change to a clean target and shoot faster.  Aim for one shot every two seconds.  Assess your progress and continue until all your shots are on the sheet of paper.

Next time we will cover natural point of aim and flash sight picture.

Natural Response to Fear

There are five psychological responses to a threatening encounter – fight, flight, freeze, posture and submit.  Every encounter is different and there is no way that you will be able to predict your response regardless of your previous experiences.  This is where your versatile training and becoming flexible in your response comes into play.

Fight – the fight response is using whatever force is reasonable to prevent harm.  Deadly force may only be used in the event of an imminent threat of severe harm or death.  You must become familiar with your local laws and what is to be expected from the legal process if your plan includes deadly force.

Flight – also known as retreat.  Fleeing is not always possible without incurring injury to yourself.

Freeze – in the event of a life threatening encounter you may be taken by surprise and incapable of any action.  Be aware that this is a possible reaction and train to reduce its effects.

Posture – is combat without contact.  In the animal kingdom, this is usually seen as puffing up, growling, baring teeth, but not actually fighting.  The end result sought is for one side to back down or retreat.

Submit – is completely giving in to the adversary. 

In some cases, these responses may lead to another response and escalate the situation.  Know what you will do in any of these cases, role play and discuss your plan with others who may be available during an emergency.

In addition to the mental state, you should also be aware of your physical responses to a stressful life threatening encounter.  These include loss of fine motor skills, tunnel vision, auditory exclusion (unable to hear/speak), time dilation (time slows down) and adrenaline rush.

Both psychological and physical responses can be a battle to overcome in your practice.  Training for stress is crucial to prevail in an encounter.  Your goal is to acclimate yourself to performing under stress.  This can be done through timing yourself while you shoot, raising your heart rate through exercise prior to shooting or entering a competitive match.

Preparing You for Your Personal Protection, Part 2

Whenever you start a new project, whether it is a new home project or training in first aid, you want to be sure you have the proper tools at your disposal.  Aside from learning the basic safety rules of handling a firearm, you will also want to learn how to respond to an emergency where a firearm will be used.  In short, just because you know how to shoot a bullseye doesn’t guarantee that you will know what to do when defending yourself with a firearm.

Mindset.  This is one of the first and most important tools at your disposal.  Arming yourself with the correct mindset will be your best defense against an assailant.   Mindset is your ability to never give up, to be on your guard at all times and respond accordingly.  Responding under stress should be a part of your training at the range and practiced at home.  Training your mind how to respond in an emergency is the same as preparing how to take the final exam in the field of your choice.

There are several steps after equipping yourself with a mindset to win and fight.  First, develop a personal protection plan.  This plan should be what you will do in a confrontation as well as what to do to avoid a confrontation.  Avoiding a situation is equally, if not more important than planning what to do in the event of one.  Don’t think of it as “running away”, but rather adopting a lifestyle where you are choosing to avoid the situation before you are forced to deal with a situation.

Visualize and practice the plan, while you are at the range and at home.  When you are shooting paper targets, imagine the target running towards you.  When you are dry firing at home, imagine there is a threat entering your home.  What would you do?  How would you handle yourself?  Continue this practice and seek additional training.  Your end goal is to be confident in your skills to defend yourself.  Mindset is crucial to your success and your ability to perform under pressure.

Finally, learn to control the encounter.  In the event of a home invasion and you find yourself face to face with an intruder, stay as far away as possible (avoid the threat).  If you surprise the intruder, and are able to hold them at gun point, do not approach them.  Once you have taken command of the situation, the intruder has three choices; they can flee, comply or challenge you.

-          If they have chosen to run away, let them run away.  Call the police and report the situation.

-          If they comply have him/her lie face down, away from you, with arms spread wide, and palms up.  Shout your commands and do not reason with them.  Call the police and report the situation.

-          If they decide to confront you, this is where the final steps of your personal protection come into play.

Once the encounter is over, there are five common responses that we will discuss next time.

In the meantime, take a look at this link -

 http://www.breachbangclear.com/mindset-v-hardware/

Preparing You for Your Personal Protection, Part 1

A Gun Owner’s Responsibilities

American’s enjoy a right that citizens of many other countries do not – the right to own firearms.  But with this right comes a responsibility.  It is the gun owner’s responsibility to store, operate and maintain his or her firearms safety.  It is the gun owner’s responsibility to ensure that unauthorized or untrained individuals cannot gain access to his or her firearms.  And it is the gun owner’s responsibility to learn and obey all applicable laws that pertain to the purchase, possession and use of a firearm in his or her locale.  Guns are neither safe nor unsafe by themselves.  When people learn and practice responsible gun ownership, firearms are safe. – NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection in the Home

One of the most important factors for gun safety is to understand the NRA’s three safety rules of gun handling.

1 Always keep you gun pointed in a safe direction. This means any direction where if an accidental discharge were to occur you would not harm someone.  This also means you do not point your gun at anything you do not want to destroy.

2 Keep you finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.  Finger simply off the trigger but alongside the trigger guard, in my opinion is not an option.  The safer choice is indexed alongside the frame of the gun.  This habit will also prevent accidental discharge while drawing from a holster.

3 Keep your firearm unloaded until ready to use.   Ready to use is the key phrase here.  Ready to use will depend on your situation and your surroundings.  In your holster as every day carry = ready to use.

Understanding the responsibilities of gun ownership widens the gap between those casual users who shoot for fun and those who want to expand their skill set into personal defense.  Using a firearm as self-defense is a tool of last resort, once the round has left the barrel there is no taking it back.  So you must be sure that you are prepared and adopted the mindset to end another’s life if the situation calls for it.

Deciding to use a firearm in self-defense, users need to evaluate their personal ethics, morals and beliefs as they pertain to taking a life.  If you have an objection to using deadly force, firearms should be omitted from your personal defensive plan.  Only you can decide if using deadly force is right for you.  Remember, there are other options for personal defense and all of your options should be evaluated before deciding on what to include in your plan.

Before you decide to train with any weapon, the first tool in your kit should be the proper mindset.   I will dive further into this topic next time.

February Practice

We have started February with a bang.  We had eleven ladies attend Monday and half were new shooters from our 101 class. Take a look at the pictures on our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1571097183134662.1073741847.1478471462397235&type=1

Joining CCLSC

I have been getting some scattered emails and comments over at our Facebook page lately about joining CCLSC.  I thought I would address the general information in a quick post.

First, you need to live nearby where we are headquartered on the Central Coast of California.
The internet is an amazing way to connect with people all over the world.  In fact, I have met several other shooters through Facebook and different webpages who have many of the same goals for their shooting clubs as we do here at CCLSC.  However, in order to shoot with us on Mondays, you do need to live in our area or at least with in driving distance.  Being involved isn't just about physically attending practice though.  We provide information about women and guns right here on the blog and information can be one of our biggest weapons.  Dispelling myths, answering questions and sharing our shooting ideas are all ways that you can connect with CCLSC without having to live nearby.

Second, you need to have taken or be enrolled in one of the basic pistol courses at our home range.
If you do live in our area, you will need to take the Women's 101 class.  We just started a class last week and it runs for 4 sessions (over the course of four months) for a few hours each session.  You can visit our the website of our home range for more information.

Finally, get involved.
It doesn't just have to be joining the club that means you're involved.  You can get involved in a lot of different ways.  From contributing to those who fight for our right to bear arms, get training, joining the NRA, speak to your friends and family about what you believe in to reading about the issues in today's news.  All of these are great ways to get involved.

If you have questions about CCLSC or what you can do to be involved, please leave a comment below!  Thank you!

A New Year With CCLSC

Our first practice of the year pictures are up on our facebook page.  You can check out our photos at the link below.  We had a small group this week. Women's 101 will be starting soon and hope ladies will take advantage of CCLSC practices. Over the next few months we will be working on our marksmanship.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1559836440927403.1073741846.1478471462397235&type=1

CCLSC For The Win!

Last night was the final of sorts for the Women's 101 class and the Advanced Pistol class.  The 101 class had 38 students when it began four months ago and ended up with 22 finishing all four classes.  The Advanced Pistol class had two ladies, both were CCLSC shooters.

CCLSC has been working in the fundamentals with students during Monday practices and refining their skills.  Top issues have been trigger control and "the flinch".  There have been some good information posted on our Facebook page about these trouble spots.

I am also pleased to announce that the two ladies who tied in 101 were both CCLSC shooters and ended up doing a shoot off at 10 yards.  Congratulations Cari and Hollie!  Hollie came out victorious in this bout.  The tie breaker was a result of both ladies shooting an amazing 90 points to tie.

Cari (left) and Hollie (right) moments before the shootoff!  Congratulations Hollie!
You did an awesome job shooting!

Tip of the Week: 90% of the Game is Mental

90% of the Game is Mental – We’ve covered a lot of different topics in our emails.  I never know what will get people inspired or answer unasked questions.  For this week, I want to take a little break and offer some of my own advice.  Do not underestimate the mental game in shooting.  It is a delicate balance between proven confidence and thinking you’re better than you are.  I’ve shared with you information regarding stress and shooting and how it can affect your skills.  This is where your mental stamina needs to be exercised as well as your physical muscle memory.  I can say through personal experience my skills have suffered greatly under pressure.

How do we increase our mental strength?  Not sure if it helps, but I guess you could imagine the target naked.  But seriously, visualizing the target coming at you or imagining yourself in an emergency situation can help.  When testing my skills, I make sure I understand what I’m being asked to do.  I repeat the instructions if I am unsure.  Then, I perform the skill at a comfortable speed.  Finally, I imagine myself in a life or death situation.  If this was the “real deal” what would I be doing?  Can I see my target, can I hear further instructions, do I see the people around me, did the shot go where I want it, can I see if I missed, am I functioning on autopilot?  These are all questions I try to think of, while shooting as accurately and fast as I can.  At the same time take a breath and understand that it is all “play” in friendly competition.  That should help to take the edge off.  See what I mean by a delicate balance?

It’s a lot to think about.  In a few weeks, many of you will be thinking about this as you enter the range on a Thursday.

CCLSC Events

UPCOMING EVENTS

Gun Show – October 11 & 12.  I believe they open up at 9:00 am each day.  If you are interested in going, we can all go as a group and meet up outside around 10:00 am.  Please send me a reply of preferred day – Saturday or Sunday.  We will go on the day that works best for the majority of ladies.

Advanced 2 Last Scheduled Date – October 11 Same place, same time ladies.  This will be our last scheduled date for Advanced 2.  I would love feedback of what you thought of the class and anything you think we should improve upon.  Any comments and feedback is appreciated.

Women’s 101/Advanced Pistol – October 16  This is the last class and we all know what that means.  CCLSC meets one more time before this date.  I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to take advantage of Monday practice.  If you haven’t been attending, the 6^th might be what you need to improve your shooting.  For those who have been shooting regularly between classes, I commend you!

I would also add that even when the 101 and Advanced pistol classes have ended, please continue to attend Monday’s to improve your skills.  CCLSC offers additional training and events that are not open to members of the public.

CCLSC Paintball Classic – November 2 at The Shack Paintball in Santa Maria.  October 6 is the last date to let me know if you are interested in playing paintball.  We need a group of 10 to reserve equipment to play.  Spouses and family are welcome to join us.  Ages 10+ can play.  If I do not get enough responses, we will postpone to a later date.

CCLSC Meet up – November 3  We will be meeting up after practice for pizza.  If you are interested in meeting up after practice that week, please let me know you’ll be there.

REMINDERS

CCLSC on Facebook – If you have a Facebook account please share CCLSC with your friends and family.  Encourage them to like our page.  We are steadily increasing our numbers every week.  I post shooting information, pictures from practice and random funnies.  You do not need a Facebook page to view our page!

https://www.facebook.com/cclsc

CCLSC is in the Sure Shots Magazine – The latest issue of the Sure Shots online magazine will be released this week.  Why do I mention this?  I submitted CCLSC information and I wrote an article for the issue.  Keep posted, I will be sharing the information for the article as soon as I get word the issue is published.   The link for the magazine is below -

http://www.sureshotsmagazine.com/

UPDATED - The latest issue has been posted online.  The link above will take you to issue #9.

Tip of the week: Stay Calm and Don’t Flinch

Stay Calm and Don’t Flinch – We've all done it.  Some of us still do from time to time.  The key is to admit that we have a problem and instill good habits.  It’s also good to train with a buddy and get another perspective on your shooting.  Even I am guilty of practicing bad behavior and not know it until someone else gets involved!  Having a shooting buddy is a valuable part of your training.  They can help identify good technique as well as bad. Be positive and honest when you are helping another shooter.  You want them to improve their skills and you can be the positive feedback they might need.  So, ladies, read the article, get a buddy and head out to the range.

CCLSC Loves New Shooters

Welcome new members Michele and Hollie!  I am so glad that you joined us this week and hope that you received some good tips and information to become better shooters!

Michele shooting the M&P Shield - Nice flash!

Hollie shooting her M&P 9mm.  Working on her grip.

Monday August 11 at 4:30 pm is our next practice at Tacti-Cool Guns & Gear. Let me know if you are planning to attend.  Another reminder will go out again as we get closer, as well as on the day of practice.

CCLSC now has its own Facebook page!  If you are using Facebook I encourage you to “like”

 our page and help spread the word of what we do with your friends and family. If you don’t use Facebook, you can still view our page at the link to the right.

If you have been following us on Facebook, you will already know that I spent this last weekend certifying as an NRA Instructor for Personal Protection Inside the Home.  This two day training had a ton of excellent information and I acquired new skills to add to my tool box of defensive shooting solutions.  Feel free to ask questions, I would be happy to talk with you about the class.

Love loading!

Kanani showing off just a bit, dual weilding
two shields at once.  Not an effective way
of shooting but very cinematic.

Mentoring is one of the best benefits for new shooters - two of our
experienced shooters, Shellie and Julie helping out new member Michele.

 

Back from vacation, Erin puts her sights on target.

I always encourage our members to try new things.
Well, there isn't a lack of new handguns or rifles to try
at CCLSC.  Here, Julie shoots an AK47 pistol.

CCLSC shot after practice!
Left to right -
Back: Kanani, Hollie, and Julie. Front: Shellie, Erin and Michele.

Tip of the week: Training versus Practice – I am taking a little break from my SA (situational awareness) soapbox to share with you the differences between Training and Practice.  Training is defined as the acquisition of a certain skill or learning a new skill.  Practice however is the repetition of something (usually one’s training) in order to get better or improve one’s performance.  Both are necessary for improving your shooting skills. Put simply, Women’s 101 and Advanced Pistol are both training classes, while CCLSC Monday’s are practice. Practice is essential to reinforcing your training.  You will need to practice what you have been trained to do so that you can perfect those skills – Perfect practice makes perfect.  Practice will also increase your muscle memory so you can perform those same skills under stress and pressure.

If you would like any extra help to perfect your shooting during practice, let me know and I am happy help.  Monday’s are also a great place to get extra feedback on your shooting.

Lastly, the Austin Sure Shots publish a quarterly magazine and put a call out to the ladies’ shooting clubs across the county to feature in their next issue.  So, I submitted CCLSC’s information.  The Austin Sure Shots are a women’s shooting club in you guess it, Austin Texas.  They offer training in shooting, self-defense as well as general information about shooting and guns in general.  There is a lot of good information each quarter in their online magazine.  They also feature a section for Training in every edition.  Take a look at their website – http://www.sureshotsmagazine.com/

Sure Shots are also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/austinsureshots