The Value of Force on Force Training

• Posted on 20 July 2023
• By Marlan J. Ingram
• 0

As firearms instructors, our focus is on teaching the defensive use of firearms to private citizens. We want this to be as relevant and as realistic as possible. To this end, we study and keep up with the latest research on what happens when it comes to actual defensive firearms incidents involving private citizens. This involves not only looking at the latest statistics, but also watching various incidents via video to compare with those statistics.

The Value of Force on Force Training

By Marlan J. Ingram

As firearms instructors, our focus is on teaching the defensive use of firearms to private citizens. We want this to be as relevant and as realistic as possible. To this end, we study and keep up with the latest research on what happens when it comes to actual defensive firearms incidents involving private citizens. This involves not only looking at the latest statistics, but also watching various incidents via video to compare with those statistics.

Using this information, plus our backgrounds of training and experience, we’ve pushed our training to a high degree, but we’ve also learned that there is a difference between skill development, and skill application. Both are important; before you can apply the skill, you must first possess it, so we push that skill to what we call a ‘measurably high standard’. This is generally done on the square range, but this has limitations. In square range training, we can vary environment, circumstances, targets (to include photo realistic), we can have the targets move, and we can have the student move as well. However, on a two-way range (where someone is opposing you), additional Human Factors come into play which can drastically affect performance. To address this, we conduct Force on Force training.

What changes when we conduct Force on Force training? In Force on Force, you are now facing someone who is a live, breathing, unpredictable human being. They may be more aggressive than you…they may do something sneaky, or not play by the ‘rules’ that you expect them to. They have as much ability to hurt you (getting shot with airsoft) as you do to hurt them. Most of us DON’T want to get shot, and that ‘not getting shot’ part now alters how you respond, so in theory, what you learned on the square range might not apply, right? At this point, we have a big HOWEVER to add to the mix. Since we understand how the dynamic Force on Force environment alters our response, then we use the lessons learned from Force on Force to further inform our square range training.

I’ve been privileged to have been involved in Force-on-Force training for a long time. It started back in the days when I was in law enforcement, and I became a Simunitions Force on Force Scenario Instructor. I did that for quite a few years, and now I teach it to private citizens. Some of the key things I’ve observed are as follows:

1. When guns are drawn/triggers pulled, the FEET WILL MOVE. Most people won’t stand still (there are exceptions), but whether it is good movement that will keep you safe, or poor movement that won’t is a matter of training. Since we understand this point, we teach the correct movement in our live fire/square range training, and then get the student into Force on Force to pressure test it and let them see for themselves…. with someone shooting back at them.
2. HIT RATES DROP (accuracy) drastically. Why? That ‘not wanting to get shot’ part means that MOST people will stick the gun out one handed, not use sights, and keep pressing the trigger until they go to slide lock, or the threat runs away. They will generally do this without trying to look at the sights. This is seemingly done with the perception that the circumstances don’t allow them to do anything else. While one hand shooting does have its place (and we teach it within the proper context) we SHOW them that using the sights and using two hands yields better results…even under Force-on-Force circumstances. We then use the timer to measure various responses to show them that the one hand ‘spray and pray’ vs the response we teach isn’t faster (it often takes longer). Now, instead of firing 10 rounds and getting 1 hit to the thigh (or no hits) they can now fire 2-4 shots and get 2-4 hits in the high center chest area….to include head shots when called for.
3. DO THOSE MISSES MATTER? With the low hit rates described above, we get to explore what misses mean using Force on Force. Shooting a competition, misses simply mean points deduction. Shooting most law enforcement qualifications, you can miss a certain percentage, and still qualify. However, if you are in Walmart, or the grocery store, or church, or the movie theatre, you are in a people rich environment. If you are forced to defend yourself in those circumstances, misses can be a big deal. In Force on Force, we’ve started putting innocent bystanders in the mix, and we look at how often our students hit the attacker, and how often they miss and hit innocent bystanders. In point number 2 above, we talked about the value of using your sights and hitting what you aim at, under stress. Once you appreciate that your misses might impact someone innocent, those misses become a ‘big deal’.
4. HUMAN BEHAVIOR WILL AMAZE YOU. In my observation, those with a higher standard of training generally have better responses. Those who haven’t had a high standard of training can often have ‘interesting’ responses, but this puts them in a position where they can see and learn. They will often take that better training and keep coming to Force on Force, and their responses will improve. On the reverse, I’ve seen some who didn’t respond as they expected, but once again, this is about learning.
5. IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT SHOOTING. We’ve put together interesting scenarios over the years, trying to replicate real world situations. One of those scenarios was a movie theatre…big screen (watching Rambo III) dark, everyone with popcorn in hand, a kid (role-player) who kept running back and forth to the restroom. In this scenario, it turned into an active shooter event, with the role-player armed with a rifle. There was a student (unknown to anyone else in the theatre) armed with a concealed airsoft pistol and was presumably to respond to the situation. However, that student never got to respond, as some of the ‘theatre patrons’ took down the active shooter by tackling him.

In another scenario, we had the students walking through a park at night, when out of the dark two role-players walk past them. No firearm was required in this scenario, but the students complained that it was hard to see. The focus of this drill? This led into a discussion of handheld lights vs. weapon mounted lights, including how to use a handheld light in that situation.

In another scenario, there was an attempted home invasion. Shots were fired but the bad guy fled the scene. The student then turned around only to realize that their spouse was hit, so this was about applying medical and the aftermath.

We’ve had other scenarios, such as ‘attempted’ ATM robberies or convenience store robberies, and we’ve had our students walk in, note that things were not right, then turn around and walk out. THAT in our minds is successful self-defense.

Yes, we’ve been involved in Force-on-Force training for quite a few years, and I will admit that watching human behavior is interesting and addictive. To those considering trying it, I would say come on in and test the waters. It’s good to come and learn (and even make mistakes), but ultimately it will teach you to engage your brain, and make you a better, more rounded defensive shooter.