Practical Shooting Sport: How effective is it in real life?

The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), the worldwide governing body of the largest sports shooting organization, claims that practical shooting is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide.  While the statistics and parameters used in making this claim were not disclosed, here in the Philippines and many other parts of Asia at least, it can be observed that shooting aficionados are growing in numbers by the day.  One of the unmistakable indicators is the regularity of the “gun shows” in various parts of the country where the latest and the best in shooting sports technology are showcased.  In the past, there have been numerous discourses as to the real “practical” use of this sport, and some top shooters in the United States even went to the extent of founding an entirely new organization, the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA), purposely to integrate “real life tactics” in the game.  However, the question remains:  will sports shooting help in real-life defense situations?

For this discourse, let me make no distinction between the IPSC, the IDPA, and all the other sports shooting associations:  let me just lump them all for what they are:  sports shooting organizations.  Having said that, let me start by pointing out the most obvious:

All these organizations are dedicated to making a sport out of an activity that has a very martial origin, and whose original purpose is for war and destruction of an enemy.  Thus, as a sport, its primary goal is the safety of its practitioners who want to join an activity that ensures destruction without a fight.  Unlike in other extreme and dangerous sports where people dive head-on into danger, such as skydiving and downhill bike racing, accidents and resulting injuries in sports shooting are mostly unintended, though more lethal.  Thus, in every gathering of shooting aficionados, safety is always the primordial consideration.  

Safety is the antithesis of the original purpose of the sport.  Shooting is for the destruction of the “enemy” thus, the test of skill is “Power, Speed, and Accuracy,” which is the catchphrase of IPSC.  Shooting courses are designed to test the skill of practitioners in these three areas, and they purportedly mimic “real-life” scenarios.  Critics, however, point out that the way IPSC shooters engage the courses is nowhere near the real-life actions of a person engaged in a firefight with an enemy who is shooting back. Thus, IDPA attempted to integrate tactics, such as the use of simulated cover during reloads and shooting, to which an IPSC aficionado replied—in a tongue-in-cheek manner— “What we have is a sport.  We shoot paper targets and do not think of them as enemies because if they were, we would not survive no matter how good we become.  IPSC shooting courses are not survivable in real life.”  And for good reason:  who can survive a gunfight against 10 to 15 “enemies?”

And there lies the crux of the debate:  yes, shooting sport develops the skill of the practitioners, but integrating it with tactics that can be used in real life is an entirely different matter altogether.  There’s a TV program on the cable channel, “The Best Defense,” and for me, they are the closest advocates of training for real life.  However, their “training in context” exercises are advanced shooting methods and are very dangerous if performed by those who are just starting in firearms handling thus, the IPSC/IDPA methods are the logical starting points for those intending to include firearms in their defense system.

So, do I recommend it as a sport?  Hell yes!  I am an avid shooter myself.  But there are two things that I keep in mind about this sport:

1. Sports shooting is exactly like that:  a sport.  As such, there is a rulebook to be adhered to (www.ipsc.org); and
2. It can develop basic skills such as accuracy and speed but little else.  Thus, for it to be applicable in real life, it needs to be integrated with other training systems.

Here are some practical advice to those who plan to take up the sport at this time:

1. Start in the production division.  In this division, you can walk up to a gun store, buy a decent gun, and immediately use it out of the box.  This is so because in this division, there are limitations on the gun, and it is designed for those unmodified guns sold in the mainstream market, thus the name of the division.
2. The 9mm ammunition commonly used in this division is relatively cheap compared to those used in the Standard, Classic, and Open Divisions.
3. As a training gun for newbies, the production gun is safer considering that its initial trigger pull is harder thus the possibility of accidental discharge is lessened because it needs a deliberate action to fire the gun.
4. A shooter whose skills improve over time can then shift to other divisions that they desire.

Stay safe everyone!

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About the Author: Brig. Gen. Nick Torre III was the former QCPD Director.

Note: This article was previously published in our printed issue of The Corporate, Guide and Style for Professionals Magazine.