Note: Image credit for the cover photo goes to Run-N-Gun Nation, who took it at a recent Tactical Biathlon match at the Sawmill Complex


I recently introduced the concept of aretê and agon. The former is an ancient Greek concept of excellence, typically demonstrated through contests (agon) of strength, skill, and combat. I've latched tightly to this concept and how it can help our community grow and become better citizens. To support that, I felt we needed some kind of standardized competition format that covers a range of important skills and attributes required of a martial citizen.

Yes, there are already many competition formats and organized bodies arranged around shooting sports. No, I don't think any of them quite meet the intent I'm going for. So let's set the foundation for why the Rifleman Pentathlon is different and necessary in a world of matches.
The Origin Story
My experience running a tactical biathlon, learning about the Tactical Games, and watching people's experience in the myriad of Brutality matches has been educational. There is clearly demand for shooting competitions that combine physical fitness with marksmanship. There's something primal about it, the gritty reality that maybe this is closer to the "real thing" than a pristine square range shooting high power or a high speed USPSA match. I particularly think the addition of team events is noteworthy, and shows some creative thinking going on.

In ancient Greek athletics, there were no team sports. Every competition was individual as a way to demonstrate one's prowess in combat. The events themselves were directly lifted from warfare: javelin throwing, discus throwing, boxing, wrestling, pankration (essentially ancient MMA), and running were all part of it.



The ancient pentathlon was consistent. Every athlete knew what they were getting into when they signed up. They knew their skill level in each component, and also understood who their competition was likely to be and their capabilities.
The Missing Ingredient
Where I think modern competitions have erred is the very thing that makes them interesting: the unpredictability. You never really know what you're going to face until you show up. At my recent race, for example, there was no stage briefing at all until you arrived at the stage to shoot it. The Tactical Games are somewhat similar in that they are like doing Crossfit workouts with shooting mixed in.

USPSA, PRS, and similar matches send out stage briefs ahead of time. Nearly every match has some different element to it than previous matches. This keeps things interesting for the competitors who show up consistently.

This is fun, of course, but it's not ideal you're the kind of person who wants to consistently work towards excellence and compare yourself to a known mark. You can't set up a quick match some buddies and run through the stages, or approximations of them, and trust that it reflects how you'll do at the real thing.

Contrast that against Olympic events which you could train for year round to the exact rules and conditions of the event.

So I asked myself a question: what would modern Greek games look like for everyday marksmen? What events could we pick that everyone knew would always be there, which meant they could train for them specifically. Furthermore, what events would have a passing carry over to success in a Scenario-X, training courses, and even other competition formats?

In short,