Subconscious Competence and the Modern Military Force: A Competition-Based Training Approach.
- Selcuk Aksak
- Mar 23
- 6 min read
Introduction
Today's security environment defined by urban warfare, sudden armed conflicts, and high-stress rapid decision-making necessitates continuous reevaluation of training models for law enforcement and military special operations units. Despite evolving tactical threats, firearms training in many countries especially those with developing defense infrastructures remains built on outdated methods that rely on rote memorization, static targets, and minimal reflex integration.
This discrepancy directly affects mission-critical performance. Accuracy, timing, and decision-making under pressure suffer without dynamic skill development. At this juncture, competitive shooting disciplines emerge as a vital, measurable, and development-oriented alternative. Integrating such systems into institutional training is no longer optional it is essential.
The concept of "Subconscious Competence" refers to a shooter's ability to execute aiming, trigger control, and target transitions without conscious thought. This level of mastery is only attainable through high-repetition, high-intensity training environments like competitive matches. These formats force shooters to manage stress, time constraints, and complex multi-target scenarios, enhancing both cognitive and motor capabilities.
This model is already in use in organizations such as the U.S. Special Operations , and several Middle Eastern CQB-specialized forces. Although the institutional materials reviewed in this study are not all publicly accessible, they draw on international models consistent with NATO principles and emphasize performance-driven, subconscious competence-centered training culture.
The aim of this study is to analyze the transformative potential of competition-based training systems compared to traditional military and law enforcement shooting programs. It also seeks to identify institutional resistance points and propose structured reforms.
Literature Review
Modern military shooting is not merely a technical skill. It involves high-stakes decision-making, stress management, reflexive action, and cognitive load balancing. The notion of subconscious competence, in this context, refers to a shooter's ability to manipulate their firearm reflexively. Competition-based training systems prove particularly effective in cultivating such capabilities.
2.1. Subconscious Competence Theory and Learning Stages Fitts and Posner (1967) define motor skill acquisition through three stages: cognitive, associative, and autonomous. At the autonomous level, tasks are performed without conscious thought crucial for high-stress tasks like firearm engagement (Magill & Anderson, 2017). Competitive shooting inherently accelerates this process through repetition, time pressure, and feedback mechanisms. In disciplines like USPSA, IPSC, and IDPA, actions such as trigger control and target transitions must occur reflexively, without conscious deliberation.
2.2. Institutional Stagnation in Military Training Wes C. (2020) highlights the stagnation in many firearms training programs, which still rely on techniques from the 1950s. Traditional methods such as "hard front sight focus" and "trigger reset sensation" persist in place of more dynamic, outcome-focused techniques. While Jeff Cooper's "Modern Pistol Technique" was groundbreaking in its time, competition-derived methods slack-prepping, in-recoil reset, structured dry practice now yield better outcomes (Cooper & Morrison, 1991; Proctor, 2018).
2.3. Integration in NATO and U.S. Structures The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) and Marine Corps Shooting Teams actively recruit competitive shooters who later serve as instructors. SOCOM doctrinal materials reference "competition-based marksmanship" (FM 3-22.9; TC 3-20.40). NATO member states, particularly in Northern Europe and North America, consider competition participation part of an operator’s developmental timeline (NATO STANAG 3797).
2.4. Technical Evolutions Enabled by Competitive Training
Technique | Traditional Training | Competition-Based Training |
Trigger Reset | Felt manually | Naturally occurs within recoil |
Target Transitions | Controlled and static | Performed dynamically under recoil |
Dry Practice | Rare and unstructured | Systematic, goal-driven |
Feedback | Instructor commentary only | Time, accuracy, and video-based review |
Stress Simulation | Minimal | Directly embedded via time pressure |
This comparison highlights the superiority of competition-trained shooters in both reflexive and cognitive combat environments.
Analysis of Institutional Training Materials Though access to Turkish institutional training documents is restricted, indirect evaluations suggest that most programs emphasize mechanical marksmanship, lack reflex integration, and follow rote-based methodologies. These systems often prioritize course completion over measurable individual growth.
3.1. Lack of Individualized Skill Development Some training directives mention modern concepts like “shooter level cards,” reflex training, and personalized programs. However, practical implementation remains limited. Key observations include:
Controlled shooting at fixed targets
Minimal feedback, primarily instructor-driven
Absence of stress or competition-based drills
Lack of systematic dry practice routines
3.2. Scenario Training: Lack of Realistic Dynamism Urban combat training guides often follow rigid sequences without simulating unpredictable threat scenarios. For instance:
Targets and transitions are known in advance
Firearm manipulations lack time constraints
Decision-making is not part of the scenario structure
By contrast, in IDPA/USPSA formats, shooters must react to different layouts and changing conditions each round, training their subconscious control mechanisms more effectively.
3.3. Institutional and Regulatory Resistance No references to competitive training appear in reviewed documents, reflecting a persistent divide between “sport” and “duty.” In contrast, U.S. and Western European systems embrace learning from civilian sectors. In Turkey, competitive achievement by personnel is often viewed as extracurricular and receives little institutional recognition or support.
Dynamics of Resistance and Recommendations for Reform
4.1. Sources of Institutional Resistance Despite its benefits, competitive shooting meets resistance in military structures due to:
Cultural Resistance: Legacy systems are preserved under the guise of tradition.
Perceptual Resistance: Misconceptions like “competition shooting gets you killed” obscure its marksmanship value.
Structural Resistance: Curricula change slowly due to bureaucratic inertia and budget constraints.
Administrative Resistance: Personnel receive no duty-time credit or logistical support for competition participation.
4.2. International Reform Models
Country / Institution | Reform Practice | Description |
USA – AMU / SOCOM | Competition-based instructor roles | Competitive experience qualifies for instructor assignments |
Norway / Finland Military | Performance tracking via matches | Competition results inform training progress |
Canada RCMP | Authorized participation | Officers permitted to attend competitions on official duty |
France GIGN / Germany GSG9 | Monitored development | Competitor progress formally tracked and reviewed |
Italy – Carabinieri | Institutional shooting teams | Competitive participation encouraged via unit-based teams |
Hungary / Serbia | Shooting tradition + NATO reform | NATO-compatible programs support skill-building; integration initiatives ongoing |
4.3. A Proposed Model for Turkey
Official Competitor Status: Qualified personnel receive formal designation, duty status, and logistical support.
Institutional Teams: Shooting clubs established within JGK, EGM, and TSK structures.
Academic Curriculum Updates: Training modules co-developed with sports scientists and universities.
Incentive Mechanisms: Partial or full cost coverage for competition participation.
Instructor Advancement Pathway: Competitive experience weighted in instructor selection.
Conclusion and General Evaluation
This study has demonstrated the value of integrating competition-based shooting into modern military and law enforcement training. Traditional systems characterized by static routines and limited reflex integration fall short in developing subconscious competence and operational agility.
Competitive shooting is not merely a sport; it is a dynamic performance training model. Shooters who achieve subconscious competence do not just fire accurately they operate faster, smarter, and more decisively. Institutions like SOCOM and AMU show that such methods do not conflict with tactical needs but reinforce them.
5.1. Turkey’s Emerging Example: Burkut Academy and BORAN Matches Burkut Academy’s BORAN dynamic shooting events demonstrate how competition formats can enhance tactical skills. Designed around timed scenarios, multi-target transitions, and rule-based movement, these matches simulate realistic operational stressors.
Personnel who compete in such formats report improvements in confidence, trigger discipline, situational awareness, and rapid decision-making. Expanding and formalizing this model can contribute to building an indigenous dynamic shooting culture.
5.2. National Reform Recommendations
Dynamic Shooting as a Recognized Discipline: Registered under the national sport shooting federation alongside trap, skeet, etc.
Academic Recognition: Developed as a sub-field in sports science faculties with research programs.
Military Education Integration: Taught as a theoretical and practical component in military schools.
Instructor Accreditation: Blending competition experience with pedagogical training for institutional certification.
Final Word
Competition-based shooting is not a hobby it is a precision tool for cultivating reflexive decision-making in high-threat environments. Turkey has the opportunity to lead this transformation, improving not only individual proficiency but institutional capability and national defense readiness.
Abstract
Abstract This study examines the integration of competitive shooting disciplines into the training processes of modern law enforcement and military special forces, through the lenses of scientific theory, international practices, and national field observations. Framed around the concept of “subconscious competence,” the research analyzes the impact of competition-based training on reflexive firearm control, decision-making under time pressure, and operational skills. Turkish case studies, including Burkut Academy and the BORAN dynamic shooting matches, are evaluated to reveal institutional challenges and structural reform needs. The study concludes that dynamic shooting is not merely a sport, but a strategic training approach that significantly enhances professional performance in critical missions.
Keywords: Dynamic shooting, competitive shooting, military training, subconscious competence, Burkut Academy, BORAN, marksmanship, reflex training, operational readiness
Autor
Dr. Selçuk Aksak
Shooting Sport Instructor & Coach
IDPA CSO, Gunsmith
Burkut Shooting Club
References
Enos, B. (1990). Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals. Zediker Publishing.
Fitts, P. M., & Posner, M. I. (1967). Human Performance. Brooks/Cole.
Magill, R. A., & Anderson, D. (2017). Motor Learning and Control: Concepts and Applications (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Morrison, G. B., & Cooper, J. (1991). The Modern Technique of the Pistol. Gunsite Press.
NATO Standardization Office. (2007). STANAG 3797 – Marksmanship Training and Evaluation. Brussels: NATO HQ.
Proctor, F. (2018). Performance Shooting Explained. Way of the Gun Publishing.
TC 3-20.40. (2019). Training and Qualification – Individual Weapons. TRADOC.
US Army. (2016). FM 3-22.9: Rifle and Carbine Marksmanship. Department of the Army.
Wes C. (2020). Competition Will Make You a Better Shooter. Retrieved from
Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı. (n.d.). International Training Catalog. Ankara.
Burkut Academy Reports and BORAN Field Evaluations. (2024). Istanbul, Turkey.
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