I would never have been introduced to [defensive shooting instruction] if I hadn’t gone to a match and met some guys who told me about it. Shooters usually flock to where other shooters are, and USPSA and IDPA competitions are a big deal these days. Matches have largely replaced gun-shop counters as the place where serious shooters hang out. I expect to continue to use matches as an opportunity to meet new people and even grow my training business organically through conversations between stages.
– Aaron Israel
Firearm User Network 
karlrehn
Feb 20, 2019 @ 08:41:06
Competition shooters are definitely motivated to improve – a motivation lacking in most carry permit holders. But many are only interested in improving their scores on match day. In my 30 years’ experience as a competitor, student, course host and trainer of all types of classes (competition, general pistol, defensive pistol, force on force, etc.) my observation is that the cross section between competition shooting and serious students of defensive pistolcraft is fairly small. There are people that will take class after class and never shoot a match, and there are people that shoot matches every weekend that don’t carry off the range. One key to using attendance at competitions to grow a training business requires the trainer to perform well on match day.
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Billy Moore
Feb 20, 2019 @ 10:46:07
I shoot mostly IDPA. I’ve met people who are only concerned with match scores, and others who use the matches as practice. Me… I WANT to be in the “use matches for training” camp, but I DO find myself doing things in a match that I wouldn’t do in a gunfight, just for score. Like IDPA’s new fault line. If I were really interested in training, I would ignore those fault lines. They force you to go right up to a barricade to be able to make some shots. In reality, you should stay back a foot or two from a barricade. I’m hoping that the fault lines get eliminated in the next rule change.
One thing I really like about matches is that the shooters, as a whole, are SEVERAL notches above the typical indoor range shooter. At a match, I don’t worry about someone accidentally shooting someone (especially me). At a match, I can actually learn stuff from others.
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John M. Buol Jr.
Feb 21, 2019 @ 10:00:11
>> Competition shooters are definitely motivated to improve – a motivation lacking in most carry permit holders.
Same for military and law enforcement and a fact that trumps nearly every negative facet. Despite any warts, having folks that voluntarily put in a little work to improve is a win.
>> I WANT to be in the “use matches for training” camp, but I DO find myself doing things in a match that I wouldn’t do in a gunfight, just for score.
This is a flaw with the specific rules of a given event, not with competition.
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