Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Plan B The Review

Plan B The Review


My progress has not stopped, and I did not reach my final goal, I took some steps, and I completed one phase of my progress, but today, having earned my B card, I've been able to sit back, and think about what it has meant to me. There has been a lot of progress, a lot of growth, and I'm not sure if it is always obvious to people.


That video was me shooting a stage a year ago. It almost hurts my eyes to watch how I shot back then, but it shows how far I really had to come. Never having been a gun person, not knowing the first thing about marksmanship, that's where I started. I had a lot of learning to do, and I had to get comfortable with something that was distinctly uncomfortable for me.

When Les started Plan B, I was not even mediocre, I was just starting to get comfortable with the sport, but I lacked any kind of consistency or basic fundamentals, and when things went wrong, I had no idea how to fix them, and worse, I was stubborn and resistant. I'm eternally grateful that Les chose to spend his valuable time teaching me. With what you see in the video, I'm not sure I was an ideal candidate, but I'd like to believe that he saw that I had enthusiasm, and I had a lot of desire, even if I had very little knowledge. We had a rough start in November, with my twisted ankle playing football with Kozy, getting sick in December, and the concussion in January. I switched platforms from Walther to CZ, but despite it all he stuck with me.

In late January, feeling I was behind, I put in more time, instead of the assigned time, I did what I had to do in order to absorb a lesson, and sometime around then the lessons started to click, and the light switched on for me. I was by no means perfect, but I could see progress, and I understood the lessons, and was trying to make progress. At the WIIT, I shot the best match I had to date, and when I watched the video's I saw tons of things I did better in other matches, or in practice, but I saw progress. It was at that match when I realized how much I had learned, and that my goal was possible. I'd been exhibiting progress in different phases, now it was time to start putting things together.


Confidence was something I'd been missing all along. All along people like Kozy have been telling me that I had it in me, I just had to execute, and I was able to believe. Of course I'd heard, and still hear from other folks who utterly dismiss me, that I'm just a "classifier" shooter, or that I can't put together a full match despite evidence to the contrary. Before then I know I heard it. Now? It doesn't matter. I know how far I've come.

Prior to February, I admit, I had a habit of zeroing a classifier that I did not think was a 60%, so there were plenty of classifiers that I did zero. From February until now, I believe I pulled that stunt one time, 7 of my last 8 classifiers make up my current 66% classification, so it's not "grandbagged", it's earned. Again, I hear from a couple of folks that it is not earned, that I gamed it. Bullshit, the facts say otherwise.


From February on, I worked harder, I believed, and I attacked class, practice and matches with intensity. I was a convert, a believer. When I came back from Kentucky, I could have been all upset and pouted about how I performed, but Monday night found me back at the range with Les and Kozy, working to get better. That whole concept of "I train so one day my mentors become my rivals" speaks to me, and speaks to how I want to work. Today I have a toolbox that is not empty. I have an idea how I need to practice, things I need to improve on, and sometimes, I can even see myself doing something wrong.

Monday Night
So today, I'm excited about earning my B card. I'm a much more fundamentally strong shooter than I was 5 months ago. I see tons of things I can improve on, and grind off rough edges and get better at. I don't think a B card makes me special, while I'm excited, I'm actually pretty humble. I know it does not make a better shooter, or anything like that, but the B Classification gives me motivation to work harder, to both earn, and prove that I should shoot at that level consistently. I think there is an added pressure now, because folks know that Les taught me, and I know my success or lack thereof is sometimes a reflection on him, so when I shoot, that's in the back of my mind as well.

That's shooting, but in this blog I said I was growing as a person, and I have not touched on that at all. I've always thought of myself as mentally tough, but there is a difference between rigid and tough. Something that's rigid may have a breaking point, and once snapped is broken, tough? Tough rolls with punches, takes the occasional bad, and is always standing. My biggest disappointment during this period was my match in Kentucky this past weekend where I reverted to my old ways, and was rigid. I let myself down, and I won't do that again.

Over the past few months, I've noticed I've tried to apply that patience and attitude to my life at home, and at work. It has not always been a roaring success, but slowly, day by day I find myself with more patience, more strength, and I'm tougher for it. Kind of like a B card, I may have the basics down, but I'm a work in progress too, just like I aspire to earn a higher USPSA classification, I want to better apply those lessons to me as a person as well.

At the range, I can be a gruff personality, I get on people to help, to paste, but my time with Les has changed me. In the past I was a little over aggressive about it, or I would say something true, but incredible rude to a person because I was angry. That has not happened, I'm not sure if it is because I spent the time with Les and seen how positive and polite he is, but when I go back to someone judging my shooting, and it reflecting back on Les as my instructor, it's the same thing. I don't want people saying "Les trained Luke, and he's an asshat." I want to reflect positively on my mentor, and friend.

Les and I, the day I iced it.

Les is going to come out of this bargain with a few thousand extra bullets, but I'm coming out of it a better shooter, and a better person. I think I got the better end of this bargain, There are not too many people who would or could inspire me to be better at both, but he's a unique combination.

So, now that this plan is complete, where am I going to go? I'm going to shoot, I'm going to dry fire, and I'm going to work even harder. I want to get competitive in B class this summer, and I'd like to earn my A classification by the end of the year. There is a fine balance between how much time and resources I can invest in going beyond that, I'd like to see how far I can go, but we'll address that commitment when I have to. I want to see Linda earn her C card, she's at 38.3%, so she's close, and I'm looking forward to shooting a Major with her this year. This has never been an ending, it's just a step on the path.

I'm hoping to do some work on another website, although the owner and founder has not yet found any of my submissions to be worthy, I'll stay on him. I'll don a jersey soon, and be a member of a team, and that means a lot to me. I want to be worthy of it, and I want to earn my way, and be able to contribute. I have a healthy respect for the team members, and I want to be a credit to them.

Friends & Family Like No Other

This all started as a hobby, something to learn about, a way to maybe be an outlet for my competitive side. It did start that way, but I became a part of a community that I genuinely care about, and what to help grow. I made friends like few I have ever made before. I've traveled, I've involved my wife, my daughter, and seen them welcomed. This "hobby" is so much more today, it's a big part of my life, of who I am. It's been a long time since I've been so involved in something, and the word "special" does not do justice, but personally, I've found a place I fit, with people I enjoy. I'm at home.

Complete

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