Carrying a handgun for self-defense isn’t just a choice, it’s a lifestyle commitment. That means you must be proficient with your firearm, and proficiency requires training.
Now, I’m not saying everyone who carries a gun for self-defense needs to be a competition shooter. But if you are going to carry, you need to be doing some type of regular training. And it doesn’t always have to be live fire on the range.
You can do plenty of training at home, whether it be draw-from-holster drills, dry-firing, or using a training system like the MantisX 10 or DryFireMag.
When we train, we often hyper-focus on hitting the bullseye. This can lead us to stand still, take our time, and fire slowly. While there’s nothing wrong with sharpening your accuracy, it shouldn’t be your only focus.
A combination of speed and accuracy should be part of your training. And beyond that, shooting from multiple positions — and shooting while moving — is a good addition to your training.
During real-world engagements, your instinct should be to move to gain the advantage. Depending on the circumstance, this could be creating distance, moving to cover, closing distance, or adjusting your position.
Train to Move, Not Stand Still
After starting my career in law enforcement, it didn’t take me long to realize that no two situations are the same. Every domestic call, every traffic stop, and burglary response was different. Each time I left a call, I found myself thinking, “I should remember that for the next call.”
When an incident involves a firearm, there is no one-size-fits-all response. You may need to move to cover while firing, or even close the distance between you and the threat.
If you remember back in 2022 at a mall in Greenwood India, Elisjsha Dicken stopped a gunman who had opened fire. He engaged the gunman, firing while closing the distance until the gunman fell to the ground.
In a situation like this, it would be a personal decision on what type of action you decide to take. And again, every situation is different, but there are few cases where you would not benefit from some type of movement.
Move, then shoot – Shoot while moving: What’s the difference?
When you start incorporating movement into your training, there are two methods to consider.
Move, Then Shoot
The first is moving and then shooting. This approach focuses on moving quickly, then stopping briefly to take the shot. The further away your target is, the harder it will be to hit the target without stopping to stabilize your shot.
If you watch competition shooters, you’ll often see them sprint from one area to another. But you’ll also see them come to a sliding halt when they take their shot. The distance to a target, the next movement, and other factors all affect how much they slow down or even stop to take a shot.
Shooting While Moving
Secondly, there’s shooting while moving. This is important for self-defense because you may need to move toward or away from an attacker while engaging the threat.
One of the most common drills for shooting while moving in a self-defense scenario is the backpedal drill (we will discuss this drill shortly).
If an attacker is extremely close, you may need to move backward quickly. This is to create distance so they cannot grab your gun. It also allows you to address the threat while moving towards cover.
But once again, every situation is different, and you never know what action you will need to take. This is why it’s important to add a variety of drills to your range training.
Helpful Drills With Movement Incorporated
Here are some good drills to help you get better at both shooting while moving and moving before shooting. These drills will help you stay in control, shoot accurately, and adjust to different situations.
Box Drill
The box drill teaches shooters how to move in multiple directions while maintaining control over their firearm. This drill simulates the need to move laterally and diagonally while engaging a threat. As mentioned earlier, you may need to change your position based on pedestrians, cover, an exit, or other factors in the environment.
How it works
- Set up four cones or markers in a square, each about five yards apart.
- Start at one corner and move to the next while engaging a target downrange.
- Continue moving around the square, keeping control of your movement and sight picture while shooting.
- Reverse direction and repeat the drill.
Focus on maintaining steady, controlled movement. Pay attention to your footwork. For most people, small, controlled steps are better for reducing movement in your upper torso.
Throw in some mag changes as you get used to doing this drill. Move around the square in one direction, then go backward until you have reached your starting point. The idea is to keep all of your shots on the target, in an effective area that would stop a threat.
Lateral Drill
This drill trains you to move sideways while engaging a threat, which is useful when sidestepping to cover or avoiding a direct attack. You can practice both shooting while moving and stopping to shoot with this drill.
When I do this drill, I move at a slow to medium speed while shooting. I also like to mix in another variation — firing at the target first, then moving as fast as possible to the far right/left before stopping to fire at the target again.
How it works
- Stand at a designated starting point with a target in front of you.
- Move sideways while firing controlled shots at the target.
- Reverse direction and repeat.
- Practice moving left and right at different speeds.
Work on keeping your upper body stable while moving. Maintain a proper shooting stance and engage targets while avoiding erratic movement.
Backpedal – Forward Advance Drills
In a real-life situation, you may need to advance or retreat while shooting. These drills help you practice controlled movement in both directions.
How it works
- Start at a close range, within a few feet of a target.
- Draw your firearm from its holster and fire at the target while moving backward at a quick pace.
- Shoot rapidly and continue to walk backward until your magazine is empty.
- Perform a reload and assess the situation.
- From your stopping point, re-holster your firearm to begin the forward drill.
- Draw your firearm and fire at the target while moving forward.
- Fire rapidly at the target, advancing until your magazine is empty.
- Perform a reload and end the drill.
This drill is done at close range, so the focus should be on speed. At this distance, you should be able to fire rapidly and keep your shots in a zone that would effectively stop a threat. This is not a bullseye shot, but a grouping in center mass.
If all of your rounds did not hit center mass on your target, slow down just a little and work up to a faster speed.
Cover-to-Cover Drill
This drill simulates moving between points of cover while staying engaged in a fight. This could be important if someone is injured orif you need to move toward an exit during an incident. You should train enough that your body instinctively seeks cover if an incident occurs.
Of course, you should also instinctively begin firing back while moving toward that cover.
How it works
- Set up two points of simulated cover (barrels, barricades, or other objects).
- Start behind the first cover point and engage a target.
- Move quickly to the second cover point while firing controlled shots.
- Repeat the drill, switching between cover positions.
The challenge here is moving efficiently between cover points. While you may want to sprint, slow down slightly to take your shot, then continue sprinting until you reach cover. If you’re moving so fast you can’t hit your target, slow down and work your way up to a faster speed.
You can add as many different points of cover as your range allows.
Up your training and increase your skill
During an incident, you don’t always have to move when you shoot. But the point is, violent incidents rarely involve everyone standing still.
You should train for accuracy, speed, and incorporate a variety of movements, barriers, and shooting positions into your training. The more you train, the faster you will become, and the quicker your brain can analyze what you need to do.
As the saying goes, we should train for the worst and hope for the best. This type of training is harder and takes more time, but it also makes you a better shooter.
