Commentary - Obama, simply lost

 

I try to keep this blog focused on the “new and inexperienced” shooter – trying to share little bits and pieces of what I consider important in the hopes of smoothing a defensive shooter’s path. But there are things that affect us all, that put us all at risk both domestically and on the global stage. These risks demand attention, influence our daily life, the lives of family and friends and force upon us choices and decisions that in more peaceful times we might otherwise forgo.

I had a thought pass through my mind a day or so ago that I will share in a bit. It entered my world as I watched video of the slaughter going on in Iraq, listened to the commentary surrounding the downing of the passenger liner over the Ukraine, began to hear the concern in the voices of the world health organizations about Ebola in Africa, heard the rage in the voices of those on the border states expected to support tens of thousands of illegals crossing our border . . . . we are entering gravely perilous times for our nation and the world.

In recent days around this, the middle of August 2014, parts of the heartland have exploded in violence that has more to do with an unfortunate opportunity to riot, loot and burn than an expression of the shooting of a young black man by a police officer. Shouts of “No Justice No Piece” and “Kill the Cops” only act to heighten tensions, increase threats and virtually guarantee more confrontations and death.

I watch as the central core of the Islamic world is in flame. Along the equator’s path from western Africa, through the Mideast, Afghanistan and Pakistan, into Malaysia and the Philippines – the Muslim faith is turning from the illusion of a “moderate” core to the reality that it has always been a faith dedicated to conquest, domination and the submission of those outside of its beliefs. It’s estimated that there are 1.6 Billion Muslims in the world and ONLY 25% or so are radicalized . . .that equates to 400 MILLION intent on the killing, or submission by those who do not recognized the Muslim version of Allah as their god. The growth of ISIL is a natural evolution that, left undefeated, will burn the Mideast to the ground.

And let’s not forget Putin’s taking of the Crimea, the first such conquest of part of a nation in over 50 years. China is also adding to the mix of things by their increased aggression in the Pacific. Their expansion of their territorial waters defies all international law and sets the stage for the taking of resource rich islands as well as their final goal – the “return” of Taiwan.

When taken in, in a single breath, it should send a shiver down the spine of the strongest among us. We are being presented with a terrible “plate” that will need to be dealt with at some point in time. These are obviously threats, challenges, issues to be dealt with at a national level. With the exception of store owners arming to defend their own very small piece of the global stage in Missouri – we all look to our federal government to fulfill its most very basic task . . . to keep our nation, and those areas of strategic importance to our nation . . . safe.

And that’s when a thought . . . the actual realization in the pit of my stomach occurred . . .

Our President . . . the commander and chief of our armed forces . . . the “leader of the free world” . . . is so profoundly out of his depth that his only response to the “world on fire” is to . . . play a round of golf . . .

And I realized that in a very real sense, the man with a finger on “the button” is simply trying to – literally – remain sane while the world explodes. He’s going to his “quiet place” to wrap on another layer of duct tape as his head edges towards an explosion.

As clarity came – comments I’ve made in the past fleshed things out. He has no management experience. His early comment of “I won” in response to early Republican proposals laid the groundwork for the dysfunction you see today. He’s virtually never experienced “stress” other than a college final – let alone the publicized slaughter of thousands in the ditches of Iraq. Or the burning of parts of a city in Missouri as a method of dissent.

He actually believes the power of his spoken word can stop a Putin or a madman he chose to release from an Iraqi prison as he packed our bags and took us home.

I listened to the report on how Robin Williams died . . . with a belt around his throat while the other end was lodged between a door and its jam. And I wondered about the demons that would drive a man to such depths. We lose thousands of vets a year because of their demons – and I wondered . . .

And that is when THE thought occurred to me . . . drifted in and, frankly, has taken up residence in my mind . . .

Obama simply can’t handle the world as it is today . . . the vacations, the golf course, the fund raisers . . . it’s not a callus man’s actions . . .

They’re a terrified man’s actions . . . an out of control man’s actions . . . a profoundly depressed man’s actions . . .

They’re the actions of a man so overwhelmed by the world around him that he is on the very brink of a mental break . . .

And I realized . . .

He’s not going to make it . . .

Training - Scan and Assess . . .

 

Scan: to look carefully usually in order to find someone or something

Assess: to make a judgment about (something)

“Don’t forget to scan and assess after each drill. I don’t want you to just turn your head . . . I want you to learn something about someone on the line!”

It’s early on in the Combat Focus Shooting course and Rob Pincus is attempting to work out some old and bad habits that most of us have accumulated over the years. At this particular instant we are fleshing out the “scan and assess” process.

Read virtually any account of an assault regardless of the type of weapon – be it a firearm or a balled fist – on one thing becomes apparent very quickly. In the majority of cases there is more than one attacker. And they are not all guaranteed to be directly in front of the victim, they could come from virtually any direction. An individual needs a method to help them pickup other possible attackers and a way to evaluate their environment to determine their level of safety. Hence . . . the “scan and assess” portion of a shooting drill.

The shooter “scans” the area and then “assesses” the situation to help them determine if they’re safe, should they move, are there more potential threats . . . and then they act accordingly.

How this has shaken out in far too many “tacti-cool” range drills is a shooter in the High Compressed Ready taking a quick glance left and right, returning to the front and then reholstering their weapon, confident they are done with the drill. Next time you see someone do this walk up and ask; “Hey, what is the color of the ball cap on the girl three positions to your left?” My suspicion is that they will have no clue.

In all too many cases shooters on the range go through the process of looking . . . but they simply don’t see . . . and that’s a problem.

The other issue that can crop up here is doing a complete 360 degree scan while not muzzling the line, your spouse or kids. That too can be a real problem, especially in an amped up encounter with adrenaline roaring through your body and a bad guy on the floor in front of you.

So let’s work through the scan process in two steps. First, a 90 degree scan left and right and then complete the scan to extend fully to your rear.

The mechanics are simple and familiar – come to the High Compressed Ready and turn your head left and right while keeping your weapon pointed forward – at your primary threat.

Like I said, the mechanics are simple . . . the process is more difficult. It is so much more than just turning your head. In this moment you must quiet your mind, focus and actually SEE what you are looking at. Is there anyone else? Where can I move to in need be? Is anyone else hurt? It can be a difficult thing – made that much more difficult by a “range habit” of looking left and right rather than actually SCANNING left and right and truly seeing what you are looking at.

This is a place where a training partner can come in handy. After they run the drill, and as you are doing your scan and assess, they can hold up fingers or different items and then quiz you what they held up. Or, in a training environment, the instructor can quiz individual shooters on what the noticed about the shooters on the line with them.

The key is noticing DETAIL and not just the general texture of your surroundings.

Once you move past the 90 degree point you will need to physically turn your body. Keep your feet planted – simply turn at the waist. This brings up the next issue – muzzle discipline. If you maintain a High Compressed Ready position and turn at the waist you will sweep everyone in front and about 45 degrees on either side of you. NOT GOOD.

The solution to this is the use of the Sul position. Sul means “south”. South in this case means you point your weapon down while keeping it close to your body.

Place your support hand flat on your chest and lay your weapon across its knuckles. The importance of this position is that the muzzle is in a relatively safe position allowing you to turn your body to “check your 6”.

Should you need to move and use your support hand to gesture, keep someone away, control a child . . . a one-handed Sul position will serve the same purpose – keeping your weapon pointed in a safe direction.

At this time you can complete your scan by turning your body at the waist far enough left and right to see the entire 360 degree environment.

While scanning, you also need to be rolling through an assessment of your situation. Are there other threats? Where are the exits or direction of egress? Is anyone else hurt? The process of slowing your brain down during your scan will aid you in making a clear and well-reasoned assessment of what the heck is going on around you.

Remember – the best way to win a fight is to avoid it. If you can’t . . . make sure you aren’t blind-sided by a second or third attacker.

Work on this the next time you training at the range. Get rid of the “tacti-cool” quick glance and truly scan for problems, SEE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT, and make good choices during your assessment.

Surprises in gunfights can be the end of a very bad day!

Training – Drive to the threat . . .

 

The efficient engagement of a threat is a combination of any number of well executed components, along with a handful pieces of well-chosen hardware.

From the hardware point of view there’s a weapon you are intimately familiar with and can run without a second thought. There’s a good holster and belt combination that holds your defensive weapon securely, in the exact same spot each and every time you put it on.

Efficiency also comes through hours of training and consistently performing each individual component required to put combat effective hits on your threat. These include your ability to manage your startle response, to access your weapon, to get a firm grip, to draw and orient it, to DRIVE it to the threat and engage that threat with 3-5 rounds that are combat effective.

The more consistent you are in this process, the more consistent your gear and weapon respond. The better you execute each and every component of this process . . . the more efficient you will be. The more effective you will be. And the better your chances to survive a lethal encounter.

For this post I want to address one very small part of the entire process – the DRIVE. Its duration can be measured in very small fractions of a second – yet it is the defining component of the accuracy of the first round hit.

There is a generalization made in the defensive shooting community that “first hit wins”. While there are certainly exceptions of all generalizations, if we modify it to say “the first combat effective hit wins” and we mean that palm sized region center mass of a lethal threat . . . the accuracy of this generalization increases greatly.

I have seen all kinds of “drives” to a threat but they generally fall into two categories – both related to fishing. There’s “casting”. The muzzle travel is an arc as the shooter extends slightly upward and then drops the weapon onto the target like a fisherman casting bait. And, there’s “setting the hook”. The shooter is at the low ready and quickly raises their weapon to place it on the target. Both have “issues”.

Casting: There are three issues here – first is pointing your weapon into the sky. In a high stress environment it is all too easy for your trigger finger to slip onto the trigger and discharge that first round high over the threat and into God only knows who. Remember, the threat is before you – not the kid on the second floor of the mall.

Next is travel time. Simply put, it takes more time to travel in an arc than a straight line. As they say “time is money” but in this case the “money” is your ability to survive the fight.

Finally, “over travel”. Your gun has significant mass. Once you get it moving it takes time and energy to stop the travel.

Setting the hook: While the chances of an early discharge may be reduced when you are raising your weapon to the threat – it certainly still exists. As the “hook is set” – any trigger press will send that first round anywhere but where you want it to go.

There too – it takes more time to raise our weapon on target reducing efficiency and leaving you open to taking that first round rather than delivering it. And, finally, “over travel” occurs in this direction as well. Gun – mass – momentum . . . it’s simply physics. You will need time and energy to counteract the effect of the momentum of your gun.

I would offer an alternative – that you DRIVE to the threat. The word “drive” implies a couple things. It’s controlled. You have a firm grip on your weapon, you are focused on our threat and you simply use your arm muscles to drive the muzzle of your weapon directly at the center mass of your threat. A minimum amount of time is expended during this time and . . . should you find the need you can press the trigger at virtually any point during your drive, from the high compressed ready position to full extension – and you will have no need to worry about an errant round.

Second, you are on target at the beginning of the drive. No need to come down, go up or settle . . . you are THERE! This significantly increases your opportunity for an ACCURATE first round hit!

Finally, it’s most efficient. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And while it may mean only a few fractions of a second difference – lives are decided every day on fractions of a second. Best the odds are on your side.

I know many folks are limited to ranges with shooting boxes, limited movement and limited number of rounds of engagement. For this very small segment of your presentation – that’s just fine. Next time you go to the range try this drill.

Come to the High Compressed Ready.

At the sound of the timer, DRIVE straight out and press off your round.

Watch yourself. If you start to “cast” or “set the hook” - KNOCK THAT CRAP OFF!!!

Start slow if you need to and work up to full speed. Once you’ve firmly integrated this into your presentation, try pressing the round off sooner. Work at defensive distances – 9-15 feet. Push yourself and find that balance of speed and precision.

Finally, with permission of your range – integrate accelerated pairs into your drill. Watch how well you control recoil for the second shot. Firm up your grip to tighten your grip.

Oh, and make sure you integrate a complete scan and assess after each and every string of fire NOT SOME CRAPPY QUICK OVER THE SHOULDER GLANCE!! A complete scan and assess.

Yep, I know it’s a miniscule part of the entire engagement process. But it is absolutely critical in gaining a quick first round hit.

Work on it!

Commentary – What are the TOP 10 things to remember for an armed citizen?

 

How about a little “bear pokin’”?? What are the TOP TEN things you, as an  armed citizen who has chosen to carry a defensive weapon need to remember . . . least important to most important.

10. Wear “sturdy” shoes.

Your ability to move quickly may well mean the difference between another meal with your family . . . and a meal in the church basement after your funeral. Sturdy, good fitting and supportive footwear goes a long way towards giving you the best chance to run away or stand and fight.

9. Quality holsters and belts matter.

If your holster doesn’t secure your defensive weapon and keep it is a consistent location, you can be certain that you will not be able to get a firm grip for your draw stroke should the need arise. Spend the required amount of money to get a good holster for your defensive weapon and a sturdy belt to secure it to your body.

8. Pay attention – situational awareness is the key to avoiding a fight.

The best way to survive a gunfight is to not get in one in the first place. Whether you use the NRA’s “Levels of Awareness” or Jeff Cooper’s “Color Code” . . . PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU!

And, should a fight be forced upon you – the sooner you see it coming, the better your chances are to be able to effectively respond to it.

7. Conceal your defensive weapon – why give the BG a heads up??

Stop all the open carry crap! Why would you want to give the BG a heads up that you are armed? Why become a “shoot me first” target? Suck it up, make whatever life style changes you need to make and conceal your defensive weapon.

6. Use the largest caliber round you can control.

“If it don’t begin with a 4 . . . it ain’t gonna stop nothin’!” or “I carry God’s own caliber . . . .45 ACP!” It’s the argument that just keeps on giving. Still . . . if you can’t control the handgun. If you can’t manage the recoil . . . when you are going to depend on your defensive weapon to save your life . . . it isn’t going to end well. Find the largest caliber handgun you can control, find a version that fits your hand well . . . and then become the most lethal defensive shooter you can be.

5. More rounds in the magazine are a good thing.

Every bullet you can send down the barrel, every round your weapon can cycle into the chamber is one more opportunity to go home at the end of the day. 7 +1 with two spare magazines is better than 6 in the cylinder. 17 +1 with two spare magazines is 52 chances to see your family again. More rounds are better . . . PERIOD!

4. Accuracy counts more than caliber.

While “spray and pray” may look cool on TV is various and assorted crime dramas, 3-5 rounds placed quickly center mass will take the fight out of the vast majority of threats. If you can’t quickly and consistently meet this most basic of criteria for a defensive shooter . . . rather than spending your hard earned cash on another gun – spend it on some good coursework and a couple thousand rounds of ammunition for individual training on the range. If you can’t hit it . . . you can’t stop it.

3. Your defensive handgun MUST GO BANG EVERY TIME.

You may have the coolest, most tricked out defensive sidearm this planet has ever seen. But if it doesn’t go BANG!!!! Every frickin’ time you press the trigger . . . it may well make you dead someday. You choice is to either take your unreliable gun to a certified armor for that specific weapon . . . or buy a new, reliable defensive weapon. Choosing to carry a defensive weapon that “goes BANG most the time” is simply stupid!

2. Carrying without coursework and personal training is just plain stupid.

Carrying a defensive weapon without doing any course work, on-going course work, advanced coursework is yet another choice that can sent you home in a ZipLoc. Find GOOD coursework; take some sort of class each and every year – at a minimum. Then, bring what you have learned home to your personal training on the range. Set aside a couple thousand rounds each year for solid defensive training. You can’t integragte what you learn without range time. It’s difficult to learn new or advanced shooting techniques without face to face training on a live fire range. Take classes. Go to the range. TRAIN!!

We are talking about your ability to defend your life, the lives of your family or a friend in your charge. There are simply no shortcuts.

1. Carry your damn gun!!! EVERY DAY!!!

You would think that #1 would be so obvious, there is simply no need to mention it. Yet . . . how many times have you left your defensive weapon home because it was too much of a hassle to carry it, that it was too heavy, to big, wouldn’t stay in the holster . . . ??? There’s an endless list of excuses. Bottom line . . . you don’t have your gun? You can’t defend yourself. PERIOD!!

Carry your damn gun!!! EVERY DAY!!!

So there you have it . . . my thoughts on the top ten things an armed citizen needs to remember when they choose to carry a defensive weapon. I’d be interested in seeing what your thoughts are!

Training – What’s your purpose in buying a gun?

 

JR: You have a little time to work with me on the range?? I just got a new gun and I’m having a bit of time hitting the target.

ME: Sure – no problem . . .

So, through a couple fits and starts of two relatively busy guys trying to find an evening free . . . we finally got that done this week. I thought a review of how that all went might help all of those out there about to go buy their first hand gun. The choices JR made are very similar to what I’ve seen in other new shooters. Given a little forethought and planning – better choices can be made and – along with those better choices – money can be saved.

There are typically three primary reasons to purchase a handgun. Target shooting (or just plain “plinking”), personal protection or hunting. The specific purpose of the handgun goes a long way towards focusing a person on their purchase. I know . . . there are many posts to be written about handgun selection for each of these choices . . . but JR was past that – he’d picked up a Glock 26 for personal protection . . . so this post will start there.

Once a choice has been made – in this case a Glock 26 for personal protection . . . this begins to focus a new shooter on equipment, coursework and their own individual range training. An instructor really never knows how far along a shooter is in his/her training until they walk onto the range with them the first time. JR has never been a student of mine – friend, yes – but we’d had no time together in the classroom or on the range. As he walked onto the pad I was setting up the Tombstone targets in my current configuration of choice. I have a bunch of these darn things. They have been the target of choice for the NRA personal protection course (though I’ve since moved on to a different LE target) but with my increased emphasis on marrying in balance of speed and precision drills, tombstone targets are lacking just a bit. But, with the purchase of a 5-pack of colored Post-It notes, they turn into a pretty good option.

 

I was prepping a couple when JR arrived. “Oh, I brought some targets for you!” And he hands me a couple packets of typical shooting targets – the kind of thing you see guys using that visit the range a couple of times a year and then they grumble when that “can’t hit squat” as they send their annual 50 rounds down range.

I tell him to save his targets, I had it covered and went on to explain the purpose of how I was setting up the two Tombstone targets that I brought.

When you purchase a handgun for personal protection – that does a great deal to focus your individual training on the range. First, it determines practice distances. Most gunfights – 90% in fact – occur at less than 20 feet. A more recent evaluation of the data breaking it down by the foot revealed that 86% of gunfights actually occur within the 12-15 foot range. Very personal distances. What this means is that if you purchased a handgun for personal defense . . . and you are running a target downrange 30 feet or so and just making holes while standing rooted to your spot . . . your training bears no resemblance to the real world and it will not help you in an actual armed encounter. Nor do real world threats have clearly defined rings and target areas to help with aiming. In fact, with an attacker aggressively closing the distance between them and you – aiming as you would for target shooting is a good way to go home in a ZipLoc.

What this meant for JR was that we would be radically changing the way he conducted his training on the range. The distances would be 12-15 feet and his target for this evening would be the Tombstone target outfitted as shown above.

The second great effect the purpose of your handgun has on a shooter is a selection of gear, specifically belts and holsters. While I was prepping the second target, JR started to gear up. Out of his range box he pulled out a nylon dropdown thigh holster . . . OH HELL NO!!!! So we discussed this a bit while I pulled out my “range holster” a Blackhawk sportster. While not a perfect fit for a Glock 26, it was much better that the thigh holster and we were not going to do any draw-from-the-holster anyway. When you consider a holster – the purpose of your gun (or use that specific day) really drives your options. For every day carry something that holds your gun securely, can be worn comfortably and allows both holster and gun to be concealed well wins the day. For me it’s a Blackhawk IWB leather holster. I ask JR what he had bought for carry and he talked about a nylon IWB for his center back . . . and how poorly that had worked out. So as he put on the Sporster we talked about position, when he would carry (he’s a government employee and no guns are allowed), where he would carry . . . I suspect his next holster choice will work much better.

His belt for the evening was a wide, fairly thin cotton belt with a cinch buckle. Again, a poor choice but it sufficed for the evening’s work and he left with a much clearer understanding of a proper belt.

As for magazine carriers – I carry in my rear left pocket so the only time I really have one is during course work I take with other instructors. Otherwise there is a spare mag in my rear left – so that’s how I worked with JR.

Next on the list - why you went to the range?? If you find yourself going to the range to make holes on paper . . . please, find a way to expand on that. While I have no particular heartburn with this specific skillset – it typically will not save your life. What will is to be able to draw consistently, orient your weapon on the threat and to put 3-5 combat effective hits on the threat quickly. THAT will save your life . . . holes on paper? Not so much.

My purpose for JR this particular evening was to move him from a target shooter to a defensive shooter. And, to begin to give him a foundation in defensive shooting. We went to the firing line and I handed him my SIRT pistol. I like these things for new shooters. The have a good touch and feel, you can work on mag changes and the student can get “multiple hits” on a target while working out basic kinks in stance, grip, extension, “aiming” and trigger press. And, for very new shooters that have not taken much course work – they’re a great way to take an edge off the nerves.

We started with an “Extend, Touch, Press” drill with the SIRT and went from there. 5 minutes later we holstered an empty Glock 26 and went to the loading table to load two mags with 10 rounds each.

I start new shooters from the Compressed High Ready position. We chat about a typical startle response – how the body will instinctively crouch to lower the center of gravity and the hands will rise to put themselves between the body and the threat. Then, once a shooter’s weapon is in their hands – how to drive out from the compressed high ready and then how to quickly put 3-5 rounds center mass. Also sprinkled in are precision shots with one round to be placed on the called out colored/numbered square. An hour and a half later . . . 150 rounds or so later . . . it was time to call it quits for the night.

I teach for a number of reasons. I like people. And I truly believe they need to know how to defend themselves should the need arise. But . . . beyond that . . . . I like the smiles . . . . “So, did all this make sense JR?” I ask him as we head back to the loading tables. And I am presented with my best reward on the range . . . a big assed grin! “Yep Bill, it all makes perfect sense. I guess I should see if I can take those targets back!”

So, why did you buy that gun? How are you going to use it? How’s all that gear you have workin’ for ya? Is your individual training working? Are you “practicing with purpose”?

If so – good on you!!

If not – today’s a new day . . . make a better choice.

Training – Changes . . .

 

I gotta admit I’m not a big one for “changes”. As decades – not years – flow by I find that characteristic isn’t “changing” much. TheBoy and I had a chat around camp this past week about “the plan”.

ME: “So where are you two going when you leave tomorrow – what’s your plan?”

TheBoy: Eye rolling, his wife smiling just a bit . . . “No idea Pops!”

And so it went. I’m a big “plan” guy. TheBoy and his lovely wife . . . not so much.

My love of “a plan” should be obvious from my hammering you having a “plan” before you go to the range – why you going, what are you working on, what are your success/fail parameters?

I do vacations the same way – there’s a “plan” – departure times, gear lists, reservations, food, books to read . . . just the way I’m wired. In years gone by as I watch my Avionics shop pack for deployments – it was on me to make sure all gear that was needed went, that we had the right people, parts . . . you get the idea. There was a “plan”.

All this said – which I will continue to do BTW – that does not mean that there doesn’t come a time where a CHANGE is necessary, in some cases just to expand what you have/do/enjoy. In some cases it may well be your survival. I want to chat a bit about how this affects your training, your gun handling, your selection of gun, gear, range, training partners . . . and is it working for you?

Let’s start with “the tool” . . . . your gun. I am going to make the assumption (yeah – I know) that you have been carrying this gun for some time, that you do regular range trips with it. You know it, how it works – you have history to draw from. Is it “working” for you? Obviously its primary job is to save your butt . . . and I pray you have never had to walk that particular path. But – on the range, in your course work, during your training – does it “work” for you?

Can you get a consistent grip as you begin your draw stroke? Does it leave your holster smoothly? Does it fit your hand? Is your grip consistent, trigger press smooth and straight back? Can you acquire sights easily if necessary? Is the recoil manageable? Are your magazines working with your gun? Can you grab them easily? Can you “run the gun” with your hands? Does it all feel “natural” when the beeper “beeps”, the fire command is given, the SHTF?

If not, perhaps it’s time for a change. If you have reservations about any area we just chatted about . . . please, take some time for honest evaluation of your defensive weapon. Your life depends on it.

How’s that holster working for you? Does it secure your defensive weapon? Does it keep it in the same place each and every time you put it on? Is your draw stroke from the holster smooth? If it’s a holster used for concealment – does it? Does it remain open for easy reholstering? Again – setting aside all the “tacticool” reasons for you using that particular holster – please, if it’s not working for you . . . . perhaps it’s time for a change.

Does your choice of defensive ammunition run in your gun? Never checked it?? Change that! NOW!! TODAY!! If you’ve never run a box of your ammunition of choice to save your life – that needs to change now!

What about your belt? Is your holstered defensive weapon secure? And does it still hold your pants/slacks/skirt up? Is it wide enough and thick enough to insure a secure grip on your holster? I firmly believe your belt is one of the most important . . . and most overlooked . . . pieces of gear. If it’s not working . . . perhaps it’s time for a change.

How about your “knowledge base”? Have you added to it? Read any articles specific to personal defense? Watched any videos and they tried what you saw on your next trip to the range? Train with any new training partners? If you’re stagnant . . . you’re skills are diminishing. Please . . . change that today as well.

Have you varied your range work? Is your range work primarily standing is a stall, driving out from the compressed high ready to engage a target directly in front of you? First – there is NOTHING wrong with this particular type of training . . . as a portion of a training program. Just as there is nothing wrong with dry fire, use of a SIRT pistol . . . or any other training tool. The thing I have issues with is when they become your ONLY training regimen. That’s a problem because your chances of meeting a bad guy standing still, directly in front of you, waiting for you to drive out and engage him with an accelerated pair . . . . is slim. Please – take some time to find a local range you can use periodically that will allow draw from a holster, allows movement and multi round engagements. That is the real world and you need to spend some training time in that world.

Been to a course lately? Find a course that will push your boundaries. Take a high volume of fire course. Take a course with multiple target engagements. Take a course that offers a shoot house. Take a course that pushes your skills, allows you to fail and learn.

Take a few steps back . . . take some videos of you on the range . . . work with training partners . . . wear a helmet cam (they can attach pretty easily to your “ears”) . . . and – finally – be honest with yourself.

Is everything “working”?? If not . . . while change can be a bitch . . . to not change can leave you dead.

Change . . . it does a body good!

Training – Are you preparing to be the Victor . . . or the Victim . . .

 

I mowed the lawn yesterday. Honestly, it’s not something I enjoy. When we first purchased the property I enjoyed the fact it was in the country, in a wood patch and while there are a handful or homes in the wood patch with us – as I look out our front window I seen nothing . . . only our yard and fields to our west . . . for miles. I like it. It comes at a price though, namely the mowing and upkeep of the yard. I mow a tad less than two acres. This time of year I mow frequently . . . We have been through a succession of riding lawn tractors with beds up to nearly 60 inches. It took nearly 2 ½ hours to mow the lawn . . .The killer for me is that my brain simply doesn’t shut off when I do things like that – rather it works on its own projects at full speed as I barrel across the lawn wishing it were over so I could get on with all the “real” projects I have to do. (My wife assures me that keeping the lawn neat and mowed IS A REAL FRICKIN’ PROJECT!)

With time I learned the subtleties of the lawn, ways to do things a bit quicker, faster . . . A few years ago I bought a Zero-Turn lawnmower – HOLY CRAP!! What a difference in mowing time – nearly an hour difference, down to 1 ½ hours to complete the entire lawn. Here the differences are a bit more nuanced – turning is quicker, easier . . . more efficient.

Efficient: capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy

Let’s ponder parts of that definition – without wasting time or energy . . . I like that.

This post came to me as I sat in the mower cage looking at this:

I have a row of three crab apple trees behind my office. They are between me and the lot behind and, as you can see here – they are in bad need of a haircut. So, while my “efficiency” has been significantly increased by the hardware I am sitting on – I have degraded my overall “efficiency” by not tending to these trees as I should have. The result – mowing around them is an tremendous pain in the butt and I once again promised myself I’d remove the branches back to “walking height” before the next cutting is due. I’ve made this promise to myself longer than I’m willing to admit on “paper”.

I am willingly being less efficient . . . and that got me thinking and wondering how many folks are being “willingly less efficient” with their Every Day Carry gear? By the time I finished this small portion of the yard I had an hour of mowing remaining and as I said, my head does have a habit of thinking about things so I put it to work on this post. Let’s chat about gear, weapons, modes of carry and the “efficiency” of it all when it comes to our personal defense. Are you preparing to be the Victor should the need arise . . . or are your preparing to be the Victim?

Efficiency – in a gunfight or a fight for your life – implies that you can employ your defensive weapons quickly, easily. A favorite saying revolving around this concept is “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” – meaning if your rush your actions so much that they become clumsy, they are valueless – and your day will end badly. But, if you slow down a bit, use well practiced motions – while you may well be moving slower physically – your final result will be quicker because of no wasted movements. In other words your “efficiency” improves.

When speaking about your carry weapon, efficiency speaks to both its ability to be presented quickly and consistently and to your ability to “run the gun” smoothly. In my opinion – fewer controls are better. That is why I shy away from handguns with external safeties, de-cocking levers and low capacity magazines. Fewer levers to operate and fewer reloads make me – personally – more efficient and more likely to survive a violent encounter.

If I look at how I react to an external threat – realistic training on the range helps my body remember how to “get the job done” (draw, extend and engage the threat) even though I may be startled initially. When someone talks about “startle response” let’s see if I can set that in a bit more context with this video. Funny – but what if the threats were real?? In my opinion that’s why it’s important to integrate a “startle response” and some movement to your training simply because that’s what your body is going to do anyway – why fight it?

I also watch my mode of carry – if I can’t efficiently draw my defensive weapon – my day will not end well. For me that means strong side, 4 o’clock carry each and every day. And, it also has meant a reworking of my wardrobe . Untucked shirts, shirts that are a bit longer, patterned shirts – all help conceal my defensive weapon.

My holster has also gone through the “efficiency filter” – does it allow me to draw quickly and consistently? Does it firmly retain my defensive weapon and hold it in place? Does it conceal well?

Spare magazines also dial into the overall efficiency equation. For me that means my spare magazine rides in my rear left pocket and provides an additional 15 rounds should I need them.

So how does this transition to range drills or real life? Everyone points to the “Tueller Drill” – you have approximately 2 seconds to respond to a threat that is approximately 21 feet away with a blunt instrument intent on doing you harm. It has morphed into “the standard” of being able to draw and engage a threat in that time. Reality is a bit more messy than that. Hence the integration of a startle response and movement to such an event because that is what your body is going to do anyway.

So how can you “prepare” today . . . to be more “efficient” should the need arise?

Purchase a defensive gun that fits and that you can run perfectly every time you pick it up. Cut back on the controls – fewer buttons and levers means fewer “mistakes” and a more efficiently employed defensive weapon.

Adopt a single mode of carry and then work on it until it is SMOOOOOOOOOTH! And if you simply can’t get there . . . abandon it and adopt one you can make smooth!

Same with holsters and belts – if they are unable to secure your defensive weapon in the same spot each and every time . . . abandon them and find a holster and belt that will get the job done.

Finally – range work. If you go to a range, stand in a little cubical and punch holes in targets . . . the only thing you are doing is working on a very limited portion of your entire defensive response picture. You MUST . . . simply MUST find a range that will allow holster draws, movement and strings of fire on a simulated threat. Because THAT’S the real world . . .

Bottom line . . . what are you preparing to do? Are you preparing to be the Victor . . . or are you preparing to be the Victim?