IDPA : Intro to Combat Pistol Games Course
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Jeff Cooper, the father of Modern Combat Pistol Technique once remarked: “Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.” You are only as good as your skill level in comparison with your assailant – you need practice. You want to practice but how to practice? Your nearest indoor range won’t let you draw, won’t let you move, won’t let you rapid fire. So Brian, HOW do I practice?
Well there is an organization that provides an excellent venue and activity that allows you to practice a variety of self-defense pistol skills: the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA). The IDPA was established by experts in self-defense pistol shooting to provide a venue for concealed carry holders to hone and practice their self-defense skills. Local IDPA affiliates put on competitions on a monthly basis. One club local to the Atlanta area, the Greater Atlanta Defensive Pistol Association which puts on matches with unprecedented realism with moving targets and targets that pop into and out of view – just like criminals in the real world. For a taste of a typical GADPA stage, see their demo video on their website: www.gadpa.com. At the time of this writing, there were four monthly competitions in the Atlanta areas in any given month. IDPA competitions consist of stages of fire constructed to mimic potential real life situations where the use of deadly force would be required. IDPA competition is open to anyone with essentially a stock revolver or semi-automatic weapon, appropriate concealed carry holster, and spare magazine carrier. Shooting effectively and safely in these competitions requires knowledge of the rules, safe gun handling skills and a good foundation in practical pistol skills beyond bullseye shooting at the local indoor range. |
Overview - Academics
Our IDPA Introductory Course is a two day course that is in three parts: Academics and Live Fire Drills. Academics overviews IDPA rules for equipment, safety rules, procedural rules, and scoring and penalties. IDPA mandates that guns, holsters and magazine carriers meet specific criteria that assures that the average competitor is using equipment they would normally carry on the street and not equipment optimized for competition. In any action firearm activity, the potential danger increases as the student or competitor is now running and gunning under the stress of the clock. Safety Officers are present to monitor each competitor as they shoot but the competitor must know the safety rules that apply to IDPA competition to avoid accidents and disqualification. There is a defined procedure for preparing yourself and your weapon to shoot a course of fire and a specific procedure to secure and safe your weapon after the course of fire is completed. Also issues such as dropped magazines, firearm malfunctions, and similar issues must be dealt with in a particular manner in order to ensure the safety of all concerned. Understanding the rules for scoring can affect the strategy which you use to shoot a particular stage. Day two is an actual IDPA match! On Saturday that you will shoot with your instructors. | 
| Shooting from the car in a carjacking scenario is one of the favorite stages for IDPA shooters. |
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| | Shooting from cover at dynamic targets is challenging and fun. Don't shoot the hostage! |
| Scoring rules must be understood in order to shoot in the most efficient and effective manner. Penalties are imposed for various "infractions" of the rules - such as shooting hostages or engaging targets in a manner that in real life would expose you to being shot before you could shoot the "bad guy". Finally, the effective employment of practical pistol skills involves specific skills and abilities, the academics of must be understood. The one hour academics lecture covers all of these areas so that you can walk up to the start line confident in your understanding of what will be expected of you.
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Live Fire Overview:
Good basic marksmanship skills are essential for any competitor to have thus the day will start with a review of these basic skills. From here, we move on to defining and refining the mechanics of drawing from the holster. Once this is learned we drill firing from the holster into a static target to work on accurizing the firing of the weapon as it reaches the final extension of our arm. Single hand shooting is part and parcel of many IDPA matches and we overview and drill shooting from your "weak" hand and "strong" hand. From here we move into follow-up shots - shooting more than one shot at a single target as most IDPA stages require multiple shots on each target. Rapidly and accurately firing multiple shots on a single target requires particular trigger control skills that we will teach you. From here we introduce target transition skills - firing first at the body and then the head of a single target, then transitioning from one target to the other, and then finally mixing it up with dictating various shot combinations on various targets. Rapid target transitions require acute body awareness and particular eye-hand coordination skills. Revisting single handed shooting skills but now it as applied to target transitions follows the two-handed target shooting drills. IDPA stages of fire often require that you shoot from various positions - we have you shoot from standing, kneeling and various sitting and prone positions and discuss the various techniques that work in these positions. In any defensive shooting situation finding cover and shooting from cover is a fundamental life-saving move. There are right and wrong ways of shooting from cover and right and wrong ways of prioritizing threats when shooting from cover. We cover these issues as you shoot from cover from standing, kneeling, and prone positions. Perhaps the most difficult skill is moving and shooting at the same time. Again this is not only something you would likely do in a real life scenario but also in many IDPA stages. While there are several techniques for getting this accomplished, and while we believe that there is generally only one proper tactical way, we will expose you to all techniques by having you fire using the various movement techniques. |
Shooter Classification:
IDPA classifies shooters as Novices, Marksmen, Sharpshooters, Experts, and Masters. In order to classify a shooter, that shooter must shoot a Classifier Course. The shooting of a Classifier Course is required for continued participation in matches and is required of every shooter once a year. The Classifier Course of fire consists of a number of basic and advanced practical shooting skills involving single and multiple targets, pistol reloads, shooting from cover, turning and shooting, single hand shooting, and shooting on the move.
Classifiers are administered by qualified IDPA Safety Officers only. Atlanta Firearms Training Instructors are Safety Officer qualified, thus at the end of the day, we have each shooter shoot the Classifier Course in order to have their skill classification ready for their first IDPA match. The results of shooting the Classifier Course are turned over to the local IDPA affiliate, the Greater Atlanta Defensive Pistol Association, for their record keeping. Students will get a copy of their Classifier scores for use at other matches.
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| IDPA stages require skilled shooting from varioius positions with one and two hands. |
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| Shooting an IDPA Match
On Saturday, you learn the IDPA rules, scoring methods, penalties, equipment requirements, and learn advanced action shooting techniques appropriate to IDPA competitions. Additionally, you will shoot the Classifier course of fire and receive your skill classification score. On Sunday, you have the opportunity to shoot a local IDPA match hosted by one of the premier IDPA local affiliates in the Southeast, The Greater Atlanta Defensive Pistol Association. Here you will shoot actions courses with moving targets, hiding targets, engage targets in the "shoot house", and defend yourself by shooting out of a car in a carjacking scenario. You will shoot this first match with at least one of your Atlanta Firearms Training Instructors who will be there to help you get oriented, prepare your equipment, coach you, help you analyze the course of fire, but most importantly, have a great time. Your match fee is included in the price of the course! |
Requirements and Student Proficiency:
All that is required to attend the course is a revolver(.38 cal or larger), or semi-automatic handgun(9mm or larger) in basic stock condition (no red dot holographic sights), a suitable holster for concealed carry, and a spare magazine holder and two spare magazines. If you don't have a suitable holster or magazine holster, email or call us. We will be glad to give you some ideas and advice about acquiring these items prior to the course. Basic pistol proficiency is required - you are comfortable shooting and manipulating your firearm at a single target in slow fire. However, if you are not current and proficient with your handgun, we recommend either our NRA Basic Pistol Course or a private session to bring you up to the required skill level. The course is a single day course conducted the Saturday prior to the local IDPA match on Sunday. The course starts at 9 AM and will run to about 5 PM. After the course, we will take a tour of the match set up to let you see what a typical IDPA match looks like. Hopefully you will return the following day to shoot the match with us!
Round count is 400 rounds of ammo.
Gadpa match is located at South River Gun Club
Course Fee is $150.00. Course fee includes your $20 range fee at South River Gun Club and your match fee for the IDPA match.
Note: If you are registering for this course, on the payment page, select one of the Basic NRA Courses in your shopping cart as they are the same price.
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