How a Navy SEAL Teaches Combat Shooting

So what are you telling them to think of when you're telling them like when you're teaching combat pistols and you're teaching them how to utilize a pistol? What is the process of like? I try and break stuff down as simple as possible so that it's easy steps for people to talk through to create a habit so that you're using it as a subconscious effort, right? Like I want you to be able to draw and fire that pistol or shoulder and fire the rifle in a way that you're almost not thinking through once you become very proficient at the shooting so that your brain can stay open to all the other pertinent shit that's going on and all the scary crap that's happening out there, right? So it becomes an automatic movement. You want it to be like that. You want it to be an automatic movement. There's guys out there with a shit ton more combat time and a shit ton more teaching experience that say the exact same thing and they say it because it works because there's not time to screw around with having to think through the process. It's similar to how you're drawing a bow and hunting, right? Do you have time to really think through it all? Not with an animal walking out in front of you. No, you have to have had that stuff dialed in. It's got to be down. Yeah. So with pistol and rifle, it's the same way. I'm going to break that down so simple and we can only handle so much information. So I'll break it down real simple and then feed you more pieces individually as they come up. Now, how much in the military, how much time do they spend instructing or coaching people on how to think during intense and stressful situations like combat? They started to do more of that when I was in BUDZ. So it's a fairly recent thing? Relatively recent. And I know they do more now. And what they're trying to do is get people to make sure that they can understand what they're doing and perform under the pressure, right? And a lot of the training and a lot of the selection weeds out people that can't put stress and information into the same lane of traffic, right? Right. Okay. So that's what a lot of what BUDZ is. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of BUDZ and SQT and then further on in the teams, like every day you're earning your Trident is what they say. You can always lose it. So what they're saying is like it's all a process, but they're weeding people out that can't handle that sort of shit. And so does this something that they've written books on? Are there manuals on this? Or is this just something that's understood and known? I don't remember there being manuals on this for me when I was in like psychological stuff. We did have some guys come in and talk to us. And then... What kind of advice would they give you? Oh, God. You know, I don't particularly remember exactly what the advice was, like word for word, but I do remember it being like follow your training. We're training you the right way. It's not the do as you're told. It's do what you know how to do. Right. And you'll do it well. And is a lot of being able to perform in combat in these situations that are insanely stressful and to be able to manage information and stress at the same time, is a lot of that just learned by experience? I think so. What was it like for you? Being overseas or the whole process? Yeah. Well, I was one of the youngest guys there because I was augmenting, meaning I was an extra person. I volunteered to go, asked to go. So I was open ears, open eyes and closed mouth for four months. Like these dudes that are over there had been doing it for a long time at that point because I was there in 2011 and 12. And it's all a process that is fatally consequential. And I knew that. So you're like, I'm just going to shut up and fucking listen or shut up and watch. That's wise. It's fucking terrifying is why it's not necessarily being wise. Like you're just, I don't want to die. Yeah. Like that dude's stepping over there for a reason. You know, he's not leaning against that wall for a reason. He's doing this for a reason. He's got his gear set up like that for, it's not for fun. You know, they're not over there airsofting. It's fucking for real. So you ask questions and the best thing that I've been able to get from the teams, which was super evident there is you learn how to learn. You know, you learn how to be a student, a good one. Because if you're not, there's a good chance you could die. A lot of guys have died overseas and a lot of guys have died in training. Still doing the right thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.