Thinking & Shooting

“Conscious thought is the greatest hindrance to the proper execution of all physical action.”
-Bruce Lee

Thinking is the enemy of doing.

When learning a new skill, however, trigger complex movements with key words.

To “stop the pistol and see a perfect sight picture on the first shot,” during the draw, hear: “stop the sights.” 

If you tense up in field courses (that was me), as you enter each position, hear “relax” as you exhale the pistol onto the target.

Dry-fire that at home. As you take a few steps into an imaginary shooting position, exhale and press the pistol to the target.

Who doesn’t love Bruce Lee!

As you improve, thinking becomes a hindrance because it interrupts or even stops the mind’s natural flow.

I became more consistent, especially under pressure, by replacing key words with a visual image. Depending on the desired outcome, I might visualize my entire body, my upper body, or just legs and feet.

Create a detailed visual movie of everything you want to happen, and when the buzzer starts the movie, the body follows.

After about ten years of dedicated training, total awareness of what is happening creates the activity.

Awareness of what is happening is the activity.

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Comments are welcome, and all questions will be answered.

I’ll post a new topic each Friday afternoon, in one of two categories. One will be on shooting, and the other will be on living. Or: how I learned to live from what I learned by competing.

Thanks for coming in.