I was originally drawn to IDPA at an affiliated club in my area. I was always interested in the skill of SAFE high speed pistol shooting and gun handling. As an athlete, my traditional sports faded away and IDPA filled my competitive urge along with feeding my long time interest in action shooting. After many years of competing, I have found other benefits of IDPA. I use the sport to introduce others to competitive handgun shooting. With the rapidly increasing numbers of responsible Americans purchasing handguns for protection, most remain casual gun owners/shooters. IDPA is an easy pathway to graduate from a casual shooter into a more proficient and safer gun owner. Â Plus, everyone finds it a lot more fun than static target shooting. A purchase of a handgun provides virtually all equipment needed to shoot a match, so it’s easy to get started. IDPA flourishes at the local club level and I utilize the general stress free environment of IDPA club matches to introduce casual gun owners to the world of competitive action shooting. Many get hooked, and in the process, we have more responsible, skilled, and safer gun owners. Finally, I have made many solid friendships around the US and globally through my travels competing in IDPA.