I am getting ready for two National Championships that will be done back to back in Tulsa, OK (Sept. 6-13)The sport is IPSC which is the International Practical Shooting Confederation. The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) is the US organization of IPSC. (www.uspsa.org)

IPSC is a sport that represents a blend of speed, accuracy and power and has its roots in combat pistolcraft. It is practiced in over 70 countries and has become one of the dominant firearms sports in the world. There are now competitions that involve rifles, shotguns and handguns and are known as multi-gun events.

I consider myself a martial artist and I truly enjoy training in the martial arts. Firearms is one distinct branch of martial arts that I have specialized in. The blending of firearms and other weapons into martial arts training for self defense or law enforcement/military use is part of what I do. We also do courses that are geared towards hunting/long range shooting, competition and just pure fun. I will be going on some hunts later on this year and using some new guns and gear during them.

What great about shooting is that you can do it as you get older and your body gets a bit beat up. You can remain competitive much longer and you can shoot with your friends, regardless of individual skill or ability.

Practical Shooting encompasses the total use of firearms, whether for self defense, law enforcement/military use, hunting or sport. The principles of shooting are universal. The principles of performance are as well. Applying them to a specific mission/task is where things become more involved.

As we move forward with this blog I will try to address specific topics of interest. Please be aware that I will not be addressing issues or items that I would consider proprietary information or specific to law enforcement/military tactical use and not for public dissemination.

However, there are literally millions of topics and ideas to talk about here that will be sure to increase your knowledge and enthusiasm for shooting. Anyone can be a better shooter if they are willing to put in the time and get proper training. It is also a LOT of fun!

We’ll see you all soon! Get those comments and questions coming my way so I know what you are interested in! Thanks!

Ron Avery