Advanced CQB Training 1: How to Train Footwork

It is one thing to learn or understand new footwork techniques. It is another to be able to apply those techniques effectively in a high-stress situation. Mastering footwork requires a great deal of practice and as we mentioned earlier, it is not just about the quantity of practice. The quality of practice is even more important. This article covers some practice/training techniques for refining and optimizing your CQB footwork. For the purpose of demonstration, this article focuses on the footwork explained in the previous article, “Advanced CQB Footwork 1: Turn Right, Turn Left.”

DRILL 1 – Minor Variations

Probably the easiest way to start improving and refining your footwork is to practice a technique multiple times, making slight variations to your movement as you experiment with different options. At this point you are not yet trying to measure or quantify your performance; you are just going by feel. What feels more comfortable for you? What seems smoother?  

For example, you might want to experiment planting your weak foot closer to the door to see how that affects the movement. Then you might want to plant your foot farther away and try to notice the difference in how the movement feels. You may want to experiment by adjusting your angle between a steeper approach and a more head-on approach. As you practice and experiment you will begin to identify certain variations that feel more comfortable. Continue to refine these variations until the movement begins to become second-nature.

DRILL 2 – Range Application

Once you have a basic grasp on how you prefer to conduct a given movement, it is important to try out that movement on the range with real bullets before you deeply ingrain that movement in muscle memory. Adding a live fire element can significantly change the way a movement feels. Moving a certain way might feel comfortable when you’re not actually shooting, but become uncomfortable or awkward when you incorporate the live weapon. Therefore, it is important to practice all movements using real bullets relatively soon in the learning process.

For safety reasons, we don’t recommend practicing movements in a live-fire shoot house environment early on. It is simpler, safer and cheaper to simply create some markings on the range, using either cones, engineer tape, surveyors’ tape, spray paint etc. and practice the movement while shooting at a static paper or steel target. For example, to practice moving through the door and turning right or left, set up a notional door frame with the wall running perpendicular to the firing line (see image below) and practice the entry footwork over and over, engaging a single target in the notional “corner” as you enter.

Range drill for practicing room entry footwork

Note that whenever conducting change of direction drills or pivot/turn drills on a range, be sure to check with the range staff or range safety officer to fully understand the range safety regulations and procedures. Always ensure your weapon is pointed in a safe direction when moving and keep the weapon on safe until you are ready to fire. In some cases you may need to lower the weapon prior to the turn. If possible, practice the technique at the edge of the range so you have berms to both your front and your side to maximize safety.

One additional thing to be careful of when executing this drill, depending on range regulations you may need to stop once you enter the “room” and make your turn. Depending on what entry technique you use, this could create “training scars” and you might stop unintentionally when entering a room in a high-stress situation. If possible, execute your full entry technique as you would in a real-world situation, or if that is not possible, mix in periodic dry-fire entry practice a safe distance from the firing line.

DRILL 3 – Range Performance Assessment

After practicing the movement while shooting on the range to the point where you feel safe and comfortable, you can start tracking and measuring your performance. You can go back to making minor adjustments to your footwork and stance and see how they affect your accuracy and speed. Perform a set of 5-10 repetitions using a single variation or adjustment to your footwork and record your shot accuracy and/or shot speed. When recording accuracy, it can be useful to take digital pictures of your target after each set and make some written notes so you know which shot groups relate to each footwork variation. Once again, it is helpful to conduct a complete “set” with multiple repetitions to ensure data is accurate.

For measuring speed, you can use a simple shot timer. Position yourself at the point where you are just about to break the plane of the doorway and make your turn into the room. Activate the shot timer and execute your turn on the buzzer. Conduct a complete set and write down your times. It can also be useful to record both time and accuracy since the two can have an inverse relationship. Remember, the goal of these sets is not to see how fast and how accurate you can be. Rather, the goal is to identify which footwork patterns and variations maximize your performance. To achieve the best results, continually experiment with different techniques and analyze the data. There is always room for improvement.

DRILL 4 – Coach/Partner Feedback

Any of the drills above or below can be even more effective when practiced with a coach or partner. Practice the technique together, alternating iterations. While one partner is performing the technique, the other partner is observing and assessing. After each repetition, the person who just fired should first perform a self-assessment, trying to identify what he/she did well and what he/she could have done better. After the self-assessment the observer should follow up with additional comments, evaluations and suggestions.

When training with peer feedback, it is critical to be as open and honest as possible. Ego is one of the biggest enemies to performance enhancement. Don’t be afraid to point out mistakes and offer constructive criticism. You aren’t doing your training partner any favors by trying to be “nice” and overlooking mistakes. In addition, don’t be resistant to criticism yourself. Try not to make excuses and simply listen carefully to your partner’s feedback. After you consider the feedback, you can offer your own opinions or counterarguments. The more both sides can generate a constructive dialogue the better the training will be. 

DRILL 5 – Force-on-Force

You can conduct force-on-force drills with either dry-fire, laser devices or non-lethal ammunition such as Simmunition or UTM. While non-lethal ammunition is ideal, you can often make a lot of progress just using dry fire. For example, when practicing turning right or turning left coming into a room, have your partner stand in the corner pretending to be an adversary. Make sure to use dummy (red/blue) weapons for safety reasons. 

Example of a corner-clearing force-on-force drill

Your partner should start with his/her weapon down. As you enter the room, your partner should raise the weapon and attempt to engage you. The purpose of the drill is to see if you can engage your partner in the corner before he/she can target you. Some dummy weapons (like SIRT pistols) have trigger functionality. This offers an audible cue to see who pulls the trigger first. If your footwork and movement are good enough and fast enough, you should be able to consistently beat your partner to the shot. Also note that when using lasers in force-on-force, never shine the laser in your partner’s eyes. Always aim for center-mass.

DRILL 6 – Using Video

You can incorporate video into any of the drills discussed above. Video can greatly improve your ability to self-assess and improve. For example, when conducting dry-fire or live-fire movements, place a camera in the corner of the room and view your movement from the target’s perspective. This will allow you to see if you are exposing your muzzle or shadow before breaking the plane of the door. Videos are also very useful because you can slow them down to examine movements in detail. Using a camera with a high framerate (like a GoPro) can greatly increase the quality of slow-motion playback. A telescoping tripod is also a good investment to allow you to easily move the camera around and adjust the angle. Try recording your movement from multiple angles and then perform a detailed assessment. If working with a partner, watch the videos together, comparing both of your movements and discussing ways to improve.

You can also incorporate video into force-on-force drills by using helmet/head cameras. This allows you to see the action from your perspective and the adversary’s perspective. Make sure to save videos and label them with dates and notes so you can record your progress over time.

Summary

As you can see, there are many ways to take your training to the next level to refine and enhance your performance, even when practicing a movement as basic as entering a room and turning to the left or right. The most important thing to remember is that you can always improve. That doesn’t just mean improving your footwork, speed and accuracy. It also means improving the way that you train and the way you measure and assess your performance and training methodology. It is also important to share your ideas and techniques with others and exchange notes on best practices. In that spirit, please feel free to contribute your own thoughts and ideas by either posting on our social media sites, or sending an email to info@specialtactics.me.