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Forty years ago, people who armed themselves for self-protection, and wanted to improve their gunhandling skills, had little opportunity to practice. Western-style fast-draw competition, which derived its popularity from TV and movies, went from a game of who could beat the clock with a fast draw, to a head-to-head competition to see who could first hit a stationary target. While drawing and shooting quickly was important for cops and legally-armed citizens, other skills like addressing multiple threats, shooting while moving, and quickly reloading would require more elaborate facilities and scenarios than fast-draw could provide.
By the early 1970’s, “combat” competition which required not only shooting skill, but a tactical awareness, was becoming popular in the United States and other parts of the world. The competitor was expected to engage targets that simulated armed threats, often while negotiating what amounted to an obstacle course. Grouped together, a number of these scenarios, called Courses of Fire, would constitute a “combat match”. In different parts of the world, such matches were being conducted without any consistency in the gear or rules. A group met in Columbia, Missouri, in 1976 to hammer out a set of rules, and to form an organization to oversee “practical” pistol competition (“combat” had fallen from favor, and “practical” was deemed the least inflammatory alternative). The idea was to use competition as a means of bringing out the best in the individual competitors, and also to develop better equipment and techniques for all participants. The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) was born. Each member nation was to form its own regional body, and in the United States that was and is the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). As the sport grew, and competitors searched for ways to get an edge, new equipment was developed that fully exploited the rules and maximized the ability to score points. Rules and shooting scenarios were changed to accommodate the new trends, with some CoF’s requiring upwards of thirty rounds to complete. The action was extremely fast-paced, with winners also demonstrating high levels of accuracy. While the sport of practical shooting remained exciting and popular, it began to grow further and further from its defensive roots.
Twenty years after the first Columbia Conference, a group of the original founders met again, to devise a new sport that would remain closer to what they had envisioned for practical shooting. The result was the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA). Intending to preserve the defensive relevance of the game, equipment was limited to what might already be found on the hip of a city cop or armed citizen. Likewise, the holster and belt would have to be of a kind suitable for continuous, concealed wear, and not necessarily one that featured extremely easy access. A covering garment might be specified for competitors, to further the “street” ambience of IDPA matches. Targets would mostly be placed at close range, since actual defensive shooting situations are often at conversational, if not contact distance. The number of targets per scenario would be limited, again to simulate a realistic defensive situation.
The founders also had ideas about what constituted sound defensive tactics, and these were worked into the rules. If, as the competitor entered the shooting scenario, there was intervening cover between themselves and the “threat” targets, he or she would have to remain as much as possible behind that cover. If an avenue of escape presented itself, the competitor would be expected to use it, “fighting” as they retreated, if necessary. Multiple threats would be engaged in descending order, taking distance and other factors into account. The point of the sport would be to allow for practical application of the defensive handgun, in situations that approximated those that might actually be encountered off the shooting range.
Since both IPSC and IDPA were conceived by essentially the same, relatively small group of people, and they have co-existed for over five years in the U.S., what are the major differences? While not a spokesman for either organization, I believe the major difference is in the attitude of the competitors, and how they approach the game. While initially conceived as a means of practicing and developing defensive skill in the crucible of competition, IPSC has become and end to itself. Top competitors spend hours at the range between matches, honing the skills necessary to win at IPSC. They don’t ask why a target must be engaged with two rounds, rather than one or three, or if a near target must be engaged before a far one, they just delight in the application of their skill in the solving of the problem. IDPA is still a means to an end. Sure, there are those who play it to win, but the rank-and-file IDPA competitor wants to improve their ability to handle their gun in a defensive situation, and the IDPA match is a place where they can practice that skill.
Who are these IDPA competitors? Well, they are some of the over 200,000 Washington state residents who now hold Concealed Pistol Licenses. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and the realization that day-to-day living in the United States had perhaps become more dangerous than concerned citizens could conveniently ignore, there was a surge of gun-buying in Washington, and all across the country; and a similar increase in the rate of application for CPL’s. According to a March 21, 2002 article in the Seattle Times, CPL applications in Washington have been running at 1,000 more per month than prior to 9/11. While the presence of a firearm might make the owner feel safe, where does the new gun owner learn to shoot? The National Rifle Association teaches a Basic Pistol class, as well as a more-advanced Personal Protection class (both available locally, just about anywhere in Washington State); but where do you go to keep those skills sharp, in the months and years after the class?
Col. Jeff Cooper, one of the founders of practical shooting, and something of a figurehead of the sport to this day, commented that just as owning a piano doesn’t make you a musician, owning a gun does not make you armed. In time of need, it is not the weapon that will save you, but your ability to use it with utmost skill and discretion.
If you take your safety and welfare seriously, and have sought firearms and firearms training as components of that responsibility, then consider IDPA competition as a means of developing and sharpening your skills. It’s also a fun way to meet and hang out with like-minded people.
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