Pressure Makes Diamonds DVD

[Paladin]

PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS, Rifle

At first I did not prioritize buying/watching this DVD. But it's only $20, so I figured I couldn't go too wrong.

Garret Machine was a Counter Terror Warfare instructor with the IDF and is remarkably open to sharing his training with America. He points out that the Israeli's have been doing Counter Terror for a very long time, but the way the IDF does things looks different than how American military or SPECOPS does things, and is not always widely accepted here. Some of his DVD's are better than others.

I'm very glad I got this one.

This DVD contains a number of counter terror training drills that put the shooter under both time and physical stress. Shooters use both movement and cover in realistic scenarios with lots of NO SHOOT targets mixed in. Scenarios are short, but then so are real life shootings (Jack Wilson's life changing event in FT Worth only lasted 6 seconds).

Garret shows how the Israeli's do rifle reloads, with a mag coupler. If you blink you'll miss it. It's that fast. The US military doesn't use coupled magazines because of concerns that the open magazine will get dirt inside it and eventually dirt in the rifle. A legitimate concern in the military context, but should not be one for home defense. If your house is so dirty than an exposed mag will collect dirt that clogs your rifle, you probably need to start cleaning now. Right now.

All of this stuff is crucial to training for the real fight.

This isn't from the video, but gives some idea about how the drills go. The shooter begins without seeing the shooting stage and must complete a physical stresser before the clock starts, in this case running. Within 10 seconds of the physical stressor the shooter begins from the start position, typically moving to cover and engaging threats before advancing to the next position:


I do wish more American shooting competitions adapted some of these concepts. The popular Waco Tactical Fitness Biathlon and growing Tactical Games are hitting some of the key points. As an aside, if organizations like IDPA allowed .22 carbines I think they would have more carbine participation.

[Paladin]

There is a separate DVD for pistol drills: PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS, Pistol

Will update when Amazon decides to deliver my order (May?).

[Paladin]

This is an example from the Pressure Makes Diamonds Pistol DVD:

-Stress: 10 X Burpees
-Target: 8.5X11" Center Mass and 8" Head on the ground.
-Distance 7 Meters
-3 rounds on center mass and one head shot on the ground to neutralize.
-Accuracy: 100%
-Must be from concealment.
-Must start from 100% behind cover.
-No visual on target from start position.
-Hands touching cover.
-Weapon: Pistol

Your standard: 100% accuracy.
-Your time hack is 3.5sec.
-GM Time 3.0sec

The Israeli's typically carry on an empty chamber which could be adjusted, but I think these drills are substantially more realistic than most competitions.

[Paladin]

Drill from the Rifle DVD:



Tons of no-shoot targets and an impressively fast reload.