The original question is why I originally wanted to start this thread, however, I also wanted to ask what the cutting edge techniques of the time were, why you think they changed, which ones you came from, and why you adapted to new techniques.
Thanks for any reply. 
I learned combat shooting, and really any shooting from the SEAL Teams. What you’re mostly talking about, I think, I learned from John Shaw, Ross Sanders, Jerry Barnhart, and some pipe hitting frogmen.
Cutting edge and the time? Hose clamps to hold mag lights on, double taps, slingshot reloads, and a handguard rail system to mount your laser.
Things changed to better suit the end result of a better gunman, albeit slow sometimes, especially in the military. SOCOM units made adjustments quicker and easier than conventional. From switching to red dots, using suppressors, different bullets, etc. Very, very slow, but eventually what needed to happen did. There are still people that do things the industry and this forum would view as fucked up. Pride, egos, and some weird SOP policies make it that way.
I come from every type of shooting technique ever taught to me, even the bad ones. That way I know what doesn’t work. I learned from both the competitive guys and the Vietnam bets. One advantage my generation has is that we were the most trained troops ever and *now, especially for those of us that have been to OEF/OIF, we have a better understanding of what to spend time on and what to not waste our time with. We’ve also had plenty of time and targets to find the best of, and what worked the best with, everything from bullets, barrels, optics, tactics, medical, and comms.
Me and my bros adapted to new techniques so we could better kill bad guys. Plain and simple. Some of it isn’t sexy, but done correctly, works very well. Without guys like John Shaw, Ross Sanders and Jerry Barnhart, this website, this industry, me, and a lot of other good dudes wouldnt be here today. At least not in the form it’s in.