My First Year

Practical Marksmanship Training 

My IDPA rookie season ended with a Classifier at Prado Shooting Range in Chino Hills California, on November 26th 2016. Waiting for the result of my final test made me reflect on an emotional year of victory and frustration. As my total time was calculated, I remembered the countless hours of practice and strategizing. I memorized and envisioned each course of fire. I worked hard to reduce my mental inhibitions and studied hundreds of hours of video to analyze my weaknesses. Could I make IDPA Master in exactly one year? Had I set an audacious goal? There was no room for doubt now, I was completely ready for this day. The calculator on my iPhone didn't seem to work fast enough.  Final time 85.17 seconds, Master Class. 

Reaching this goal a day after the 3rd anniversary of my Father's passing began to overwhelm me. I excused myself from the range and sat in my car for 20 minutes. Everything I had done in the past year swirled in my mind. I couldn't organize a single thought. This is when I missed my Father the most. When my mind settled, only one thought emerged. This was for you Dad. He was my driving force.

It was a beautiful cloudy day with the rain threatening. Had it rained, the Classifier would have been cancelled. I knew my Dad would have been there. He came to all of my basketball and flag football games. This would have been top priority for him. I found myself thinking about my first session with my Shooting Coach, Masaki Tanigawa and how eager I was to learn. I serendipitously met Masaki at the LAX Shooting Range when I knew nothing about firearms. His knowledge and background was impressive so I gave him my full trust immediately. Back then I had no idea how far he would bring me in only one year.  I remembered walking into Addax Tactical in Mission Hills to buy my first Glock. Then the trip to Agency Arms in Camarillo to get their precision trigger installed. Now it was up to me to make something happen. 

Masaki suggested I try shooting in IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) back in October of 2015. I shot my first Classifier that November and had my first match in December. I classified as a Sharp Shooter and came in 4th out of 85 in the match. I was hooked.

I absorbed Masaki's teachings and did my best to execute with consistency. We worked tirelessly on fundamentals and drilled them into my subconscious. I took pages of notes and flooded my phone with voice memos. As my skills, vision, and understanding sharpened, I made sure my foundation remained in tact. I mixed complex drills with basic ones. I took endless videos and saw how my draw and reload technique changed. I pushed for economy of motion, minimal effort with maximum yield. Repetition became my new friend. Years of basketball taught me that perfect practice makes perfect. Due to my strict work schedule I could not waste time during my practice sessions. I stayed disciplined and kept a high level of efficiency. When I was mentally run down, I wouldn't touch my gun. I didn't want to build bad habits or training scars. This was key to avoiding plateaus. I set up 1:1 and 1:6 scale IDPA targets and barriers in my backyard and ran drills for quick target acquisition and transition. Reload practice taught me the most. If I wasn't relaxed and didn't keep my gun high to see the magwell, I failed. I kept my motions fluid and constant. Smooth became fast for me. I broke it up into several components and then combined them at full speed. This built the muscle memory and confidence that I needed for competition. 

Of the 16 matches I shot in, I came in first place 10 times. Masaki constantly challenged me to find the delicate balance between speed and accuracy. My unwavering respect for him gave me direction and purpose. These were the invaluable tools I needed to improve. I am nowhere near where I want to be but I began to understand what he was instilling in me. I was slowly reprogramming my default responses and redirecting my instincts. This was evident when I looked at video from my first 3 matches compared to my last. Initially, my target acquisition and transition was slow and deliberate. I didn't break the shot as soon as my gun was on target. There was a slight delay that I worked hard to minimize. Masaki's feedback and video analysis revealed my vision needed work. I used the Brock string method to strengthen my ocular muscles and depth perception. The next few months were about fast and constant motion including footwork and posture. I felt like I was breaking through the plateau.

Making friends on the range helped me find balance. At times I found myself getting overly intense and immersed in the match. It became counter productive to my goal. Squad members became friendly with each other and discussed strategy. I found myself mentoring other shooters and built solid friendships. I was able to meet Shin Tanaka, a well respected Grand Master shooter and gunsmith. Because of his helpful and approachable nature, Shin became a friend and mentor. I learned a lot watching him shoot and he was always willing to discuss his mindset with me. I was able to pick his brain and was inspired by his precise and relaxed style of shooting. Meeting him gave me a renewed sense of competing.

The turning point for me was when I began to relax. Meditation gave me the edge I was looking for. Early on in my rookie year, the sound of the buzzer rattled me and my plan of attack became blurred.  Meditation showed me how to breath and settle my mind. From this my shoulders relaxed, and I became open to the stimulus and feedback from my gun. I observed how the front sight behaved in relation to the target with more clarity. I was able to stay in the moment and adjust to unpredictable occurrences such as a missed shot or a misstep. I still work hard to sharpen this part of my mind and body. Everything quickly migrates towards chaos on the range especially with added time pressure. Understanding relaxation became as important to me as dryfire practice.

My Father was a natural all around athlete. He was very smooth and always in control. I strive to be in control while improvising under stress. I finally felt like I knew what I was doing at the end of my rookie year. I still have doubts but also a quiet confidence that strengthens my resolve. This is my Father's legacy. He was a shining example of an enthusiastic work ethic that always lead to accomplishment. With this constantly developing mindset, I look forward to the many more character building moments awaiting me in my sophomore season as a shooter. 

Taken the day I made Master Class