Rule of 1.

[longtooth]

I just finished working on some draw drills.
Gee whiz, why would LT need to do draw drills.
Because:
Just as young folks need to develope muscle memory, bald headed ol men need to retain it to remain proficency.

Now the biggest reason I am doing it.
My rule of one that I teach new to carry folks is:
1 gun
1 holster
1 position
1 year.
That develops muscle memory & when it needs to be instinctive - it will.

Many of you know I have developed arthritis (fixed it.) over the last 7-8 yrs. As it progressed I got so stiff & hurt so much I HAD to change my carry. More & more to shoulder carry & when still on my belt it moved from 3:30 to 3:00 & just almost to 2:45. As long as my vest covered it. OK

PTL, I have found a combo of MEDS that after a solid yr have shown slow but continual improvement. For the last 6 months I have been moving it back a little at a time. I am bact to 3:30 belt carry & guess what.????
Even LT needs to redevelope the muscle memory that will make the grip sure while moving, running, falling. Falling was the work today.

Old hands we need to train for more than fun & targets too.

Next goal is get the guitar back out
I am about ready to start that.

Edit:

Arithritis - never could spell that word. aaaaaaahhh lots of other ones too.

[The Annoyed Man]

My rule of one that I teach new to carry folks is:
1 gun
1 holster
1 position
1 year.
That develops muscle memory & when it needs to be instinctive - it will

LT, that actually sounds like a pretty good idea, and I confess that I have not been very disciplined in that regard. I have several carry pistols of different types, and several different holsters of different types. Worse yet, I rarely practice from the holster.

Like you, I deal with a significant amount of pain on a daily basis. I have degenerative disc disease, and x-rays of my spine show almost no visible space between my vertebrae anymore. I've also had vertebrae fused in my lower back, and so the joints immediately above and below the fusion have additional stress on them. I've found that no one method of carry is perfect for all the time carry. I originally bought my shoulder rig for this reason, but I've found that even that method eventually becomes uncomfortable. The extra weight of the gun and magazines tends to cause the muscles of my upper back to tire out prematurely, particularly when carrying my much loved, steel framed 5" 1911.

Consequently, movement for me tends to be very deliberate, and that has framed my mental preparedness for possible encounters of the unwanted kind. I tend to be very cautious about where I go — not paranoid, but just observant of what's going on, and choosing to avoid places where trouble is more likely to develop than other places. That deliberateness of motion also means that I haven't focused as much on getting really fast on the draw. If I go to the gun, it isn't going to be a spontaneous reaction at speed, but rather more of a "I can see that this situation is headed into the toilet at a rapid clip, so I'd better get my hand on the grip of my gun now, in case I need it in 10 seconds from now." Once I have my hand on the gun, I can probably draw and shoot with reasonable accuracy as well as the average CHLer, and I'm actually pretty good from the low ready. But getting to the gun in the first place just has to be more deliberate, because that is what my body will permit me to do. So that is what I work with.

I realize that there can be potentially serious legal implications for a CHLer who draws their weapon without actually using it, as that can be taken as an act of "aggravated assault," but I have to rely heavily on my own sense of what is actually going on, and if it is appropriate, I will draw the weapon as far in advance of actually using it as I can get away with, because that is my best hope for survival if use of a gun is the appropriate response. I know that this may get me arrested, and that is a possibility which I accept and am prepared to deal with if necessary.

If you have any suggestions I can use to improve on this situation, I would be most interested.

[BLG]

I would also be interested in hearing any thoughts. My back is headed the same way as TAM's, though not yet as severe, and my progressive lenses force a dangerous tunnel vision.

[longtooth]

Really desk busy right now but will respond. Not ignoring.
Back when I finish the pay work.

[BLG]

I need to go to work to. will check back this evening

[longtooth]

Did not have any idea this would go where it has. I guess neither do a lot of us when we post something. Intended it for a praise & thanks for getting better & an encouragement for the young shooters.

TAM, BLG, & 4 PMs, I guess more are in my shape than any of us might really think.
Several rambling thoughts & then will be glad to answer any specific Qs.

Limited range of motion. Anything sudden, quick, or a jarring bump.
That is where I was.
Shoulders were the worst & especially my right. Out front & low from about 10:00 to 2:00 I was OK as long as it was slow & deliberate.
From shoulder high up a major issue. stretch to 3:00 or to 9:00 positions werereally uncomfortable. Could not even think about getting a 5" 1911 out of an IWB holster. I had moved all defense tactics & strikes to the chest, abdomen area. Speed or quickness were completely gone. Any sudden jar such as a defense strike above that chest abdoman area was noticably painful & the jar of a well blocked high strike was really bad.
Other areas effected were:
Hips & lower back - stiff, constant ache, very stiff after sitting or getting up of morning. Stump your toe & quick move to regain balance
Ankles - stiff & ache all the time, sharp pains occasionally.

Meds that did & did not help me.
IANADR. I am not a Dr & this is not Medical advice but my story of what helped me.

I too had Celebrex perscribed. My insurance refused pmt w/o a bunch of paper work from Dr so that took a WHILE. In the mean time he gave me samples. I dont remember exactly how long at least 2 weeks. At the time it was approved by the Ins co I could tell no difference at all.
When I went to pick up my 1st 30 day perscription my part was just over $90.00. Preachers $$$s wife a secretary. Not for the rest of life.
I tried Glucosomine Condroiten (sp probably). On that faithfully for about a yr. No noticable help. Dr told me it helped some but not others. I am other.
Tried another joint lube (forgot the name for a few months & no difference at all either.
Dr. gave me a perscription Motrin that helped some.
About a yr ago that ran out & due to conversations w/ different folks about Advill, Tylanol, real Asprin, other over the counter stuff. Nothing else was working so cant hurt. Only thing of that nature any Dr. ever told me they were sure helped for sure was fish oil. Everything else seemed to help some & not others.
So fish oil it was. One morning & one evening. Started w/ Naproxin Sodium. Bottle says one twice a day & not more than 3 in 24hrs. It is an anti inflamitory. I take 2 morning & 2 evening. I always eat & not just a cracker & soda. (dont drink sodas anyway.)
After a few months I could tell a definate differance. I took it faithfully & it took a WHILE to be able to tell any differance.
I then started stretching w/ some resistance bands. Hooked them up over my head w/ hand in the handle (gun hand & weak hand) so they would pull my arm up as in a draw stroke. Twist so that it pulled my arm back to the 4:00 area. Kept stretching until I am where I am. I can now thread my belt through the back loops w/ my pants on. I had been putting my belt on my pants before putting them on. If I miss a few days I can tell it.

In the last 2 months now I have begun stricking again. Started by stretching the bands then relaxing them to let them jerk my joints a little. Now I am full striking a large really soft air filled ball. I have a pad I am going to try to graduate to in few weeks. It is time consuming. About an hr a morning. But it has greatly helped range of motion & pain.

I can see where what has helped me may not help those of you w/ the degenerative disk & bone disease.

Carry method.
No one carry method is going to be perfect for every application. Shoulder carry really helped due to the shoulder rotation factor. Agree w/ TAM. That too got uncomfortable at times. I have no help or answer there & am sorry.

Speed of draw.
Aging is a natural slower downer. Someone told me once that older & wiser was better. When I consider the side effects & other things that have come w/ getting older &, yes, I would hope a little wiser, I kinda like what I remember about young, dumb, fast, & strong. But, those days are gone to never return.

Draw practice is still imperative. Practice w/ cover garment too. Do not try to compete w/ Tom Cruise in Colateral. He had the help of Accelerater cameras.
When I am teaching new shooters to draw I first teach them to spell "fast".
As fast as I can talk, I tell them
I am going to teach you how to spell fast, f-a-s-t, every 3rd grader knows how to spell fast, f-a-s-t, & you know how to spell fast, f-a-s-t.
Then I slow down reeaal slooow. But when you are drawing a gun you spell fast S---M---O---O---T---H. I assure you a smooth draw is much faster than a quick draw.
Practice standing, walking, running down a hall, going through a door way, setting, even as today falling. I used the bed.

I am not a Dr so am not perscribing or suggesting anything. It just helped me.
Hope it may help some others also.
LT

[WildBill]

LT- Thanks for posting your experiences.

[TXlaw1]

Thank you, LT, for your comments and info about the meds and supplements you've used. Arthritis has just come to stay at my house - starting in my right thumb that has become very painful from using my mouse all day long in my business. So I'm most interested in finding non-prescription supplements that can help.