At the Rangemaster Tactical Conference a couple weeks ago, CJ Cowan gave me an envelope from Andy Stanford. Inside the package was a pre-release printed copy of Andy’s latest book. I read it last night.
Titled “Gunfighter U- Mastering the American Martial Art,” it is a history of the Southwest Pistol League of the 1970s and the development of formal firearms training and competition in the USA.
It was a very entertaining and informative read. Andy plans to share it as a free e-book when he finishes the editing process.
After seeing more than a few shooters obsessively chasing performance at Tac Con (with what Col. Cooper described as “Preoccupation with Inconsequential Increments”), I wanted to share some of Andy’s advice from the book:
“Shoot at least twelve matches total, not more than one a week, no fewer than one a month. If you wish, shoot until you reach a “B” classification in USPSA, or Expert in IDPA. Then throttle back to one or two matches a year at most. At this point, spend your spare time learning tactical medicine or applied combatives. Or conversing with your significant other. Or playing with your kids.
To get a Grandmaster card or win a major match requires many esoteric skills that have nothing to do with gunfighting.”
This is a brief snippet of Andy’s in-depth explanation of the shooting philosophy he describes in the book, but it struck a chord with me.
I spent the decades of my 20s and 30s obsessively becoming the best shooter and fighter I could be. Now in my mid-50s looking back, I don’t think it was the best use of my limited time here on this planet.
I plan on writing a deeper treatise on the topic in the future, but thought this might be valuable advice for some of you until then.