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A Lookback: From Google to Guns- Part 1

6/20/2013

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It's been one year since I quit my job at Google to pursue my professional marksmanship contract with Bass Pro Shops full time. Going from Google to Guns has been quite the fun career transition, and I want to share some of the highlights and insights I've gleaned over the past year.

1. The shooting community is a group of amazingly kind people. From military, to law enforcement, competition shooters, and casual shooters alike, I've met some really fantastic people. It's a community where if you need help, there are always people who are willing to step up. Gun malfunctioning at the range? Someone will come and help you. Airline lose your shooting gear? Fellow competitors are quick to loan their gear without hesitation. 

There's a stereotype of a gun owner being a mean ol' redneck, so first let me tell you that my redneck friends are very friendly and that you should take stereotypes with a grain of salt :) The shooting community is more diverse than I previously thought with many women, political stripes, ethnicities, orientations, and professions all represented. Lawyers, doctors, school teachers, tech people, accountants, you name it, the list goes on - there are gun owners of many stripes. 

2. I've had an incredible amount of fun. Many of us search for a career where you get to do something you're good at, which leads to the fulfillment of happiness. I can't believe that for the past year I've been building a new career out of shooting guns, promoting gun safety and the shooting sport, and having the time of my life. I've shot alongside U.S. Olympic gold medalists Vincent Hancock and Glen Eller, got to meet some of the industry titans such as Ronnie Barrett (owner of Barrett Firearms), David Keene (NRA President), and am featured in a gun documentary called Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire, alongside Ice-T and Ted Nugent. 

World champion shooters Robert Vogel, Julie Golob, Taran Butler, Keith Garcia are just a few of my many peers who have been super helpful in welcoming me to the shooting community, and it's been an honor having a lot of fun getting to shoot with them. 

I've fired more machine guns then I ever thought would be possible for someone with my background (no military or law enforcement experience):

I also got to film an incredibly fun basketball trick shot video with The Legendary Shots. 

3. Competitive shooting is challenging. Top Shot was a unique type of competition because it was about marksmanship in the most general sense. It's not just a firearms competition, but knives, slingshots, blow darts, atlatls, compound bows, and other weapons are part of the mix. Having a generalist background is a distinct advantage on Top Shot. 

However, becoming a specialist in "normal" competition sports such as 3-gun, IDPA, USPSA, and trap/skeet shooting is a huge benefit. I've been on a steep learning curve over the past year to learn the nuances of different shooting sports. Some of the competitors have been in the game for more than two decades, refining and honing in their skills. 

The challenge has been a part of what drives me to excel. I have never been one to shy away from something that is hard, and not being good at something is a good way to remain humble. Putting in the time, work, and energy into becoming good is a reward that is personally fulfilling.



These are some of initial thoughts and perspectives I wanted to share in Part 1. Let me know in the comments if there are other aspects you'd like to know about in the life of a professional marksman, and I'll write about them in Part 2! 
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Shotgun and Basketball Trickshots with The Legendary Shots

6/17/2013

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The Legendary Shots is a YouTube Channel composed of a bunch of friends who started doing trick shots back in 2006 when they were all in Junior High School. Seven years later, they have made commercials for the NBA, NCAA, Hampton Inn, and other national brands. The Legendary Shots have also been featured on ESPN and other media outlets. They are close to 21 million views on YouTube.

Read more at http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/06/02/legendary-shots-shotgun-edition.


ADDED 6/23/13: Photo album with behind the scenes pictures. 

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Chris Cheng in Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire documentary

6/17/2013

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This Thursday at select theaters nationwide, a new gun documentary called Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire will be premiering. Emmy Award winning director Kris Koenig heads up this documentary which takes a look at both sides of the gun rights/gun control debate. I reached out to Kris back in October 2012 to see if he was interested in having me in the film. I was excited when he replied that he was, and so I drove up to Chico, California where we filmed my part of the documentary. My goal in participating is to provide my perspective of gun control and how it’s usually well-intentioned, but often misses the point of reducing gun violence. It’s my hope that Assaulted will be an educational experience for all sides interested reducing gun violence.

Narrated by Ice-T, and featuring Ted Nugent as well as prominent gun rights and gun control representatives, the documentary goes into how gun control has oppressed certain minority groups, and its effect on civil rights and liberty. Perspectives from both sides discuss how America should move forward.

The official trailer:

If you’re interested in seeing a showing,  “Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire” will be playing in limited release across the United States of America in more than 15 markets, including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, San Jose, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, among others. For a list of theaters, please visit www.AssaultedFilm.com.

You can buy tickets or request a viewing in your area by going to http://www.tugg.com/titles/assaulted-civil-rights-under-fire.



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Your thoughts on Episode 2

6/6/2013

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Before getting to your thoughts on Episode 2 last night, here's a quick update on what I'm up to right now. I'm actually on the road cycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles this week, helping raise money to provide HIV/AIDS services to those in need. It's called the AIDS LifeCycle, and it's the third year I've participated. Seeing California from the seat of a bike for 545 miles over seven days is quite the fun experience.

I've been helping fight the good fight against HIV/AIDS since I was the Co-Chair of an event called the UCLA Dance Marathon back in 2003. For me, it's all about helping others in need, and providing others with more time to live - to share more happy moments. I'm thankful that I'm in a position to take a week of my life and dedicate it to people who will benefit from the money we are raising this week. Thank you to my friends, family, former Google colleagues, and Top Shot fans who have supported this great cause.

Follow my updates at Facebook.com/cheng66 or @chenger.

So since I'm on the road, I unfortunately won't be able to see Episode 2 until Monday or Tuesday. All I know is that this trick shot episode featured some of the most difficult trick shots in Top Shot history (OK- and the internet already told me who won). Splitting a bullet on an axe to pop two balloons, shooting a rifle with your back to a target, and hitting flying paint cans were all in last week's preview.

One of my favorites was the paint can shot from Season 4 where Gary Shank went three for three. It's an incredibly difficult shot, and one I still need to try. Here's the episode if you want to re-watch it. I'm excited to see how this All-Star cast does on this set of trick shots. 

What were your favorite moments, and do you have any favorite competitors to take the whole enchilada?

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