we only had one pair of earplugs that worked without impeding the rifle-to-cheek relationship required as you set up, sit up, and shoot. that means my uncle-in-law, cousin-in-law and I had to share. yes, share – trying to sanitize and hand off to each other for our respective turns between unpredictably random, deafening shots being fired by other people on the range.
risky transitions resulting in a heart rate through the roof, and shaky shooting at first. even with guidance from the instructor and my family. adding to my heightened heart rate was the fact that I struggled to shoot at all – overwhelmed by the power and weight of the deadly weapon I was being trained to handle.
this was a classic case of simply being overwhelmed, from which I learnt that overwhelming things can – like most challenges we face – be overcome with technique and practice.
it was a gunman who made it clear to me.
I should clarify that by “gunman,” I mean a regular-looking guy next to me on the range who demonstrated expert tactical skill with his firearm while doing his target practice – not necessarily a criminal – albeit, who knows?
the range instructor yelled, “CEASE FIRE!” and after a single, unruly shot from an unruly shooter, a repeat of the ceasefire command, and a lecture on range safety and obeying commands (the first time they’re given), the gunman and I both went to retrieve our perforated targets (coincidentally) together. he said he’d seen me hit near the target so many times that he knew neither my aim nor positioning was the issue – it was my breathing.
he launched into an unsolicited, but appreciated spiel on how newcomers to the range and people shooting large firearms for the first time (both described me) tend to hold their breath.
we anticipate a thunderous boom, an ironclad jolt to the shoulder, and an obvious, instantaneous pass or fail result based on whether the target 100 yards away was hit.
we then hold tension in our bodies. clench our jaws and furrow our brows. we aim, and try our best to hold still.
in trying so hard to hold still, in holding our breath to do so, we inadvertently – and on a much more nuanced scale than if moving consciously and decisively – cause more movement. we quicken and amplify our heart rate by holding our breath and cutting our oxygen supply, leaving our hearts to beat with a more resounding vibrational thud within the chest cavity.
with the speed, power, size, and weight of a bullet leaving the barrel of a rifle, the very beat of one’s heart can shift its trajectory.
my new gunman friend said to me – “breathe.”
I went back to the range a few weeks following and probably seemed very odd, given how deeply and intentionally I was breathing the whole time. I sat down in position to shoot, thought to myself, “breathe,” and bullseye.
apparently, if at the bottom of your breath – right when your lungs are empty and before you take in new air – you let the full weight of your index finger rest squarely on the trigger, your bullet will land exactly where you aimed it. even that amused me – the fact that we really ought not “pull” triggers but instead, lightly engage them, pressing backward. I think society has been conditioned to believe that hard work and effort brings success, but in my own life, I’ve proven time and time again that it’s in fact through relaxing into what flows naturally that brings success.
in that shot fired, in a single second, I learnt one of my most lasting lessons.
all this to say – it’s this simple: remember to breathe.
empress. french press. success. 