Concealed Carry

All posts tagged Concealed Carry

Buzzwords: “Train like you fight”

Posted by Adam Markesbery on February 26, 2016
Posted in: Buzzwords, Carrying a deadly weapon, Defense Mentality, Hand to Hand, Self Defense, Training, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment

“You gotta train like you fight!” This vague phrase that gets so many worked up and causes us to go over the top at times. But, what does “training like you fight” really mean? Is it gear and equipment, or environment, or what?

In my personal and professional experience when people talk about training like you fight, they often mean wear a bunch of gear, and look “tacti-cool”. Going to the range to sling some lead wearing a leg rig, armor, and a helmet makes you look super cool, but do you wear that when you go to the grocery, or out for dinner? There is a time and place for such a load-out, but self-defense in public is not it.

Where else do some claim you have to “train like you fight”? How about in hand to hand defense? Oh yeah, I have heard too many times that you have to train like you fight when going hands on. Let me tell you something, I pity the poor soul that is on the receiving end of my “training” if we are going all out. I do not trade punches. Through extreme violence of action, I am going to do as much damage as needed to end the threat as quickly as possible. However, I spend time sparring, and working on my skills. This allows my muscles and mind to get used to the right movements, so when the time comes, I can go full-out and win the fight.

Ok, we have looked at a couple of examples of what people think “training like you fight” looks like. Now, let us look at what training like you fight should properly look like, shall we?

In order to understand how we can train for a fight, we have to learn what our fight will look like. It will likely be over in just a couple/few seconds, someone is probably going to be injured, and the threat will not announce it self and you will not have time to plan.

In order to prepare yourself for a real world threat in a safe training environment, there are some simple steps to be taken. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but, is a place to start. These steps are simple and anyone can do them.

  1. Mentally prepare yourself
    • While driving to work you can perform mental rehearsals, learn more about that here. You have to get your mind in the right place for combat before you are in it.
  2. Put everything you have into your training, regardless of the topic (ie: hand to hand, knife, gun, etc.)
    •  Putting everything we have in our training is free, and will automatically up our game. I assure you, when your life depends on it, you will not be engaging haphazardly. Note: This does not mean go 100% on your training partner, this means engaging yourself in the training and giving it everything you have, every time.
  3. Train with the tools you will actually have on hand ( your concealed carry load out)
    • When you are grocery shopping, what do you carry? A compact handgun, and an extra mag in your pocket? If so, train just like that, how fast can you get that mag out of your pocket? Learn your abilities and bottlenecks, then start removing bottle necks.
  4. Get good quality training.
    • There are a lot of good trainers out there, find one, and get trained! Do your homework first to ensure they are certified and a good instructor, running good, modern tactics.
  5. Don’t waste your time on worthless drills, techniques, and popular Tacticool methods.
    • For example; engaging a target with one or two shots, whipping the gun back to compressed ready, and whipping your head around, “scanning” for additional threats is a waste. You are building training scars into your training. Work the fundamentals, then start to add effective tactics.

The five points above are an outline, and they may take numerous different forms and combinations. We are all only have 24 hours in a day, between work, sleep, and life, we do not get as much time as we may like to train, we have to make the most out of our time and training.

What can we learn?

Training like you fight is a buzzword. If you are making the most of your effective training, you are preparing for the fight.

Not all “training” is created equal, some is a waste of time; don’t waste your time.

There is no way to account for every potentiality. Master the fundamentals and basic tactics, and they will give you the advantage in a fight.

Use the 5 tips above to improve your skills starting today!

 

Stay Sharp,

Adam

 

 

Buzzwords: 21 foot “rule”

Posted by Adam Markesbery on February 17, 2016
Posted in: Buzzwords, Carrying a deadly weapon, Defense Mentality, Hand to Hand, Intermediate Weapons, Self Defense, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

March 1983 was revolutionary for Law Enforcement Tactics, but should it have been? Dennis Tueller a now retired Lt. with the Salt Lake City Police Department, developed and conducted a drill to find out How close is too close? Today, the Tueller drill has become more than was ever intended, and not in a good way.

Lt. Tueller’s findings were first published in SWAT Magazine. The intended audience was, and to a certain degree is still, law enforcement. However, the principles and tactics apply well to your self defense. I highly encourage you to read Lt. Tueller’s article from the March 1983 issue of SWAT magazine titled, How close it too close?, find it Here.

The Tueller Drill was intended to answer two questions: How fast can the average officer (person) draw their firearm, and what distance can a threat cover in that time? A great drill and great questions! However, it is far from being a rule! Yet, there is this HUGE misconception that this drill constitutes a rule, even among leaders and professionals in law enforcement and law.

Here is why the drill is great, but, the “rule” is bogus:

Bogus Rule:

  • Each person is different. Tueller’s findings were based on a class of a couple of dozen new recruits he had in his firearms course. This is an extremely small test pool.
  • The 7 yards/21 feet was arbitrary, for all intents and purposes. It was a distance they were comfortable at and had the availability to use.
  • The drill was conducted for the benefit for his class; it was not scientific and conducted in laboratory conditions.
  • The time that was determined to draw and put two rounds on paper at 7 yds was determined to 1.5 seconds. The time to cover 21 feet was determined to be an average of 1.5 seconds. This is a good baseline, but in no way assures stopping the threat. They are literally on top of you in that 1.5 seconds.Even if you make those two rounds count and the threat is killed instantly, they are likely to fall on top of you and still cause injury.

Great Drill:

  • In conducting your own Tueller drill, you can determine your personal reactionary gap (the distance that can be covered in the time it takes you to recognize and react to a threat.)
  • You can gain a good understanding of your skills as they pertain to drawing and engaging a threat.

Points of interest and of note

It is important to note that in 1983, almost all police departments we using revolvers, leather holster with snap retention exposed on their hips, and the tactics were vastly different. Here are some things you need to know as a citizen who carry’s a concealed handgun legally for self-defense.

The draw dynamic is quite different for you than an officer. Officers have retention holsters and carry them openly, you likely do not on both counts. You have to consider the time it takes to recognize a threat, present your handgun for access, draw, and get on target, and fire. Officers just have to overcome the retention, and they may even already have their sidearm drawn due to the nature of the call.

Tactics have changed too. How we draw and shoot have evolved over the last 33 years. You can even get training for reactionary/reflexive, etc. shooting (close quarters emergency shooting, typically a “point and shoot” training, not much sight work)

Physical ability varies from person to person. The drill was conducted by people who had to meet certain physical requirements. Your right to self defense has no minimum requirements. If you have a handicap that prevents you from drawing your handgun like Billy the Kid, then you need to know and understand that.

Cover/Concealment is a basic and fundamental part of combat. Where the rule is, the more bulletproof the better; in the context of a hand held threat, any trip hazard is a help. Putting furniture, a fence, etc. will slow them down and give you time

What can we learn?

Do your own Tueller drills and get a good grasp of your own time, and get a distance. This should become your “hazard zone”

Use cover and concealment. Any object you can place between you and the threat will slow his time and in turn give you more time to act and react.

There have been many, more scientific, tests and studies performed since 1983, I recommend you poke around the internet and look into “The Force Institute”. They have turned out some great studies.

Don’t get caught up in buzzwords. The Tueller drill is a great tool, but it is no rule!

Stay Sharp

Adam

Buzzwords: Train(ing)

Posted by Adam Markesbery on February 10, 2016
Posted in: Buzzwords, Defense Mentality, Training, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

We all train, and we do it often. How you and train and what you train for may not be what your intended goal is. When we go the range, we call it training. When we study in martial arts, we call it training. Both of these things are good things, I actively participate in both, and I recommend you do the same.

But! When you go the range and train, what are you training for? How are you training? By definition training is the action of teaching someone something. For those of you with kids, or if you have ever been around kids for any amount of time, you will see them learning, they are always learning. Always… They learn by doing, seeing, and hearing. Of course, seeing us do something and repeating the action themselves is the most prolific way children learn.

So, what changes as we grow up? Nothing. We still learn by performing a task more than any other method. This very much carries over to our training. We go to the range, or to a class with the intent of learning. We have engaged our mind and body to accept a task and perform it over and over.

Now, let’s use the range as our example. When you are at the range “training”, what are you training yourself for? If you use an indoor range, to shoot at paper, in climate controlled area, with safety equipment, from the low or compressed ready, you are training for that scenario unless you have a predetermined training goal.

We will discuss “training like you fight” in more detail in another article. So we will not go into detail here. What we are going to discuss is having a training plan. Going to the range “to sling lead” is fun, but if you are calling it training, please stop. Correction: do not consider it productive training, you are training, but it is not productive.

Keeping with our range example: there are many a good training that come from those nice indoor range days. You must have a predetermined training plan going into the range if you expect to be productive however. Go with the intent to work on one or two things, Trigger Control, Sight alignment/picture, reloads, shooting both eyes open, etc. are some examples of training areas that can be honed in such an environment.

In martial arts, if you go with the intention of self-defense training, be sure you are getting what you are going for. A fancy sport in which you perform no hand cartwheels, and spinning back kicks has its place; self-defense is not that place. There are many good martial arts out there that have both, traditional martial arts require years of study before you really get into the meat and potatoes. If you are going just for self-defense look for self-defense training, boxing, Krav Maga, or something of the sort.

Our time is valuable, every second spent is one you are never going to get back. Make your training count. Don’t waste time and money of on some fly by night training or method. Invest yourself into the process and put everything you have into everything you do, especially those things in which you may trust your life to someday.

What can we learn?

We are always training, be sure your training is effective and of quality.

Don’t waste your time or money on junk. If you are going to go to the range, or a class, be sure to make the most of it.

Put everything you have into your training; trust me when your life hangs in the balance you will be fighting with everything you have.

Get training. Guns are great, but we don’t need a $3000 rifle, we need a $1000 rifle and $2000 of training!

–

Stay Sharp

Adam

Buzzwords: Situational Awareness

Posted by Adam Markesbery on February 3, 2016
Posted in: Buzzwords, Carrying a deadly weapon, Defense Mentality, No-Gun Defense, Self Defense, Training, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

If you have spent any time in the defensive realm, you have heard two words at least once: Situational Awareness. In every discipline I have studied in whether it be martial arts, executive protection, firearms, etc., every one of them not touches but drives home the concept of situational awareness.

This concept sounds cool, and it flows off the tongue in an exquisite manor; but what is it exactly? What it is, and what it has become may be two different things.

What it has become: A buzzword. It is great to say and when you do, you are speaking the language of the defensive community. A newbie can sound like they belong in about 3 seconds! But in all the times I hear the phrase, I never get a good definition and explanation of what it is. I think many instructors take for granted that both words are common and easily defined. However, when put together they become more than the sum of their parts. This brings us to what it actually is.

What it is: Critical! Situational Awareness (SA) is far more than is often let on. Typically when it comes to firearms training, situational awareness is limited to that 1 second of scanning performed after target engagement. Knowing what is going on around an engagement, but that is putting it far too small a box.

Knowing what is going on around you (situational awareness) is not limited to threat engagement. Employed properly, SA will prevent a threat! This however takes more than looking around. It requires being engaged in your environment and planning ahead. Walking down the street at night, you see a few people lurking around just hanging out. You could continue to walk right to them, watching their hands, or: you could cross the road! When you park your car at the movie theater and it is daytime and when you come out you know it will be dark; park accordingly. Don’t park in a dark corner. Find a light post and park close enough that your car and the surrounding area will be well lit.

I propose here and now a change in phraseology from Situational Awareness to: Environmental Engagement; and here is why:

  • Situational assumes intangibles. You find your self in awkward or uncomfortable situations. Situation implies a moment in time and emotion. Environment mandates, by definition, mandates tangibles. Environment is people, buildings, cars, etc., etc.
  • Awareness is superficial. I am aware there is a suspicious looking character approaching me, but unless I am engaged, I do nothing about it. Awareness does not require action.

Situational awareness is an important concept, and needs to be a part of your repertoire. But, you must insist on expanding it beyond what is currently accepted. I recommend using the term Environmental Engagement. This, through simple change of terminology, changes your perception and approach of the concept.

To be effective you must become engaged. Understand what is normal and familiar to your common environment, and look for differences. Don’t just be aware of your surrounding, but engage in them. Wolves prey on those who look like they are not engaged in their environment. Playing on your cell phone requires you to be oblivious to your surroundings, making the wolves job much easier.

One of my favorite Sherlock Holmes quotes is: “You see, but you do not observe”. He tells this to Watson numerous times when Watson does not observe the infinitesimally small details that Sherlock sees in his environment. This is a perfect example of the difference in one who is aware and one who is engaged.

What can we learn?

  • Situational awareness has become a buzzword, but for good reason. It is an important part to our overall defense strategy.
  • SA is more than what is often taught. The term itself may be to blame for this anemic application.
  • Consider transitioning to Environmental Engagement. This term is better suited to the reality of what is needed.
  • Engage in your environment, don’t just be aware of it

 

Stay Sharp

Adam

 

 

Buzzwords: Stopping Power

Posted by Adam Markesbery on January 27, 2016
Posted in: Buzzwords, Carrying a deadly weapon, Self Defense, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a Comment

They say there are three things you don’t talk about: Religion, Money, and Politics. The logic behind this is that these three topics are very sensitive to people and they become very passionate about them, as we hold them all dear.

However, I am would like to propose an amendment to this phrase, to include, Caliber selection! If you are itching for a good old fashioned heated debate, go to a group of “gun guys or gals” and state matter of factly what caliber is the best. Then, stand back and watch the show! We all have a preferred caliber for one reason or another.

The one phrase that comes up constantly is: stopping power. “.45 ACP is the best because of the stopping power!”; “.380 is junk because it has no stopping power!” I can almost guarantee that you will here these two things said.

That begs the question what is stopping power? Well, we will define it as follows for this discussion: Stopping power is the ability to end a threat with the minimum amount of effort or rounds on target.

Ok, so now that we know exactly what we are talking about, why does this matter? I’m glad you ask! It doesn’t! Yeah! I said it! Stopping power, as it is used is a statistical farce for the most part. I guarantee you I can find 5 cases of a single shot from a .22lr neutralizing a threat, and 5 cases of a .45 ACP not stopping the threat in just a few minutes.

A couple years back an older gentleman shot and killed 1 of three intruders in his home with one shot, from a .22lr rifle he uses for squirrels. This happened in the town over from me. Well, how about that for stopping power!

Let’s take another look at our definition above: Stopping power is the ability to end a threat with the minimum amount of effort or rounds on target. I think that .22 has plenty of stopping power, wouldn’t you agree.

Stopping power has become a buzzword among the gun community, often misused and misunderstood. Too many people believe that stopping power looks like Hollywood depictions of a guy getting shot with a shotgun and flying backwards through the wall… Newtons 3rd law of physics tells us that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, in order for the “bad guy” to go flying backward, the same amount of force would be placed on the one pulling the trigger. So, even the .45 acp only hits as hard as you feel in the recoil. Granted, the .45 has a lot more recoil than a .22, but nothing that will stop a man in his tracks.

Here is what is important. Forget stopping power, think shot placement. What stopped the intruder in his tracks in our story above, was shot placement. The round was perfectly placed, right in his heart. One officer shot a man 14 times with a .45 acp, six of those rounds were supposed to be fatal, and he kept coming! This is an extreme case but, it drives home the point: Shot placement, not stopping power. Had one of those rounds struck his heart, or ended brain activity, that would have been the end of that.

What can we learn?

Next time you hear someone say something about stopping power, remind them that shot placement far supersedes “stopping power”

The only way to stop a threat “dead in his tracks” is to turn out the lights. Shut the body down and prevent it from functioning.

This mythical illusion that shooting someone with a .45 acp will knock them backward and kill him instantly regardless of shot placement is a farce and should be ignored.

Larger calibers have their advantages, as do smaller calibers. However, it is not all about calibers. If you only can carry a .22 lr or .380 acp, than go for it, it is better than nothing. Be sure to use top quality ammo and practice practice practice!

We discuss choosing a handgun here: https://strategicdefenseblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/what-gun-is-the-right-gun/

And here: https://strategicdefenseblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/how-to-choose-a-handgun-for-self-defense/

 

Stay Sharp,

Adam

The Law of Self Defense

Posted by Adam Markesbery on January 13, 2016
Posted in: Carrying a deadly weapon, Defense Mentality, Self Defense, Training, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment

Shooting guns is fun! The amount of time and money we spend at the range proves that. Who does not like going to the range for a day and blowing through a few hundred rounds of ammo? Improving our ability with our weapon systems is critical to success. But, is that where we should focus the majority of our efforts?

To say the topic of defense is vast, is an understatement. Marksmanship, however critical, is a minute fraction of what one wishing to become proficient in self defense must learn. (We will discuss in another article about ways to improve marksmanship without going to the range.) There are a great many avenues and facets that we must learn and become at least aware of. One of the weightiest of these facets is: The Law

This topic has the farthest reaching implications. Not only can we face civil and criminal charges, years of imprisonment, and huge financial strain; an incident can effect our families lives.

Operating withing the confines of the law is critical to self defense. If we stray from legality, in the eyes of the law; you, the victim, become the criminal. There are federal laws pertaining to self defense, and each state has its own laws. For example, Kentucky has a stand your ground law that allows one to defend themselves in a public place that they have a right to be. In Ohio, just across the river, you have a duty to retreat; flee is possible and safe to do so. A Kentuckian crossing to Ohio can land in some seriously hot water if they are unaware of these laws.

There are a great deal of resources to use when trying to identify and learn the laws. We recommend going straight to the Concealed Carry Licensing issues agency. In Kentucky, the issuing agency is Kentucky State police, in Florida that agency is the Department of Agriculture. Each state’s issuing agency should be able to supply you with the laws concerning self defense.

Trust me, committing the law to memory is not an easy thing to do. You probably have already mumbled that to yourself as you read this. It takes to things: Patience and time. Read the law, then read it again, and again, and again. Refresh yourself on this often. Not every day, but, once you get a good handle on it, you can go over it every so often, as you feel necessary.

This is certainly not the glamorous facet of self defense. It is dry, boring, dull, and too often convoluted and confusing. Certainly far from being attractive, the law is tiresome. I get it. I don’t enjoy it, but as the old saying goes: “gotta take a little bitter with the sweet”. By all means, spend time perfecting the dual art/science of shooting, it is both fun and important. More importantly, do not allow the less glamorous aspects of self defense go by the wayside, especially just because they are not as fun. Take the legal aspects seriously now, you most certainly will sitting in the courtroom…

What can we learn:

Learn the Law

You can get burned big time here, bother to learn it

Each state has different laws

 

– Stay Sharp

Adam

 

Impromptu Defense

Posted by Adam Markesbery on December 2, 2015
Posted in: Defense Mentality, Hand to Hand, Intermediate Weapons, No-Gun Defense, Self Defense, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment

Let’s face reality, we do not always have a gun on us. There are situation in which carrying a gun is not an option. There are many specific settings, but just use your imagination for this discussion.

You are out in public without your trusty holstered companion, you are suddenly forced to defend yourself. Stop, time out! This is not the time to decide what you are going to do. You should already have a game plan. You have already decided to always carry something that can be used as a weapon. A good metal shaft pen, a solid pocket knife, keys, get creative. You have thought about and practiced using that item as a weapon.

Ok, time in: Now you are left with two choices: Fight or Flight. If you fight you may be going up against a superior weapon, so be aware of your disadvantage here. Fleeing may be the best option, only you will be able to make that decision in the moment.

Without an even match, how can you possibly defend yourself. Well, there are several options here, two of which are instinctive. Run and Hide are always an option and it is a natural response. Now, there are ways to run and hide that are most effective.

Running: A moving target is statistically 4 times more difficult to hit, try it sometime in a safe training environment. So, the simple act of running decreases your chance of falling victim by 75%! But, now you have to know where to run to! The movies will get you killed. I am at an absolute loss as to why people always run up the to roof, or up the stairs etc in movies when they are fleeing, I mean they cannot possibly have a game plan, I digress. Part of being aware of your surroundings means knowing where the exits are. In the mall, stores have a back delivery door, restaurants have a back kitchen door. There are many ways to escape effectively, you just have to know where and how to look.

Hiding: There is a good way and a bad way to hide. Bad way – collapsing where you are, not taking adequate shelter,making too much noise, etc. Good way – finding secure cover that you can lock down and maintain control of the area. (Quick note: Cover = Bulletproof, Concealment = Not visible but not safe from fire. A good example of cover is a nice thick concrete wall; concealment would be an average wall in your home. ) If you plan to hide and wait the event out, you need to know how to secure and lock down an area the best way possible. Find a small controllable space, Lock and/or barricade the entrance, be quiet, prepare for war and arm yourself and anything you can.

When outmatched with rifles v car keys, I recommend running, however there are times when that is not possible. That is why you learn how to identify weapons in everyday objects and then learn how to employ such items effectively. It is not always a rifle v car keys, sometimes it is just hand to hand. Some basic training, simple techniques, and strategy, can go a long way in hand to hand when practiced and perfected. More on that later.

What can we learn:

There are times in which we cannot employ a firearm for defense

Learn to use the world around you to your advantage. Take cover, hide, create weapons

Train hard

It is ok to run. “He who runs away, lives to fight another day” – Maverick, Mel Gibson

I will leave you with my favorite Bruce Lee Quote: – “If a man comes at you with a sword run; Kung Fu does not always work.” Simply put, there is a time for fighting, and a time for running, learn the difference now, not when your life depends on it

Stay Sharp

Adam

 

How to choose a handgun for self defense

Posted by Adam Markesbery on October 28, 2015
Posted in: Carrying a deadly weapon, Self Defense. Tagged: , . 1 comment

There are as many answers and opinions to this topic as there are handguns themselves. We recommend a three part process when looking for a defense handgun. Those three parts are: Quality, Availability, and personal preference.

Quality: If you are going to carry a handgun, you had better be will to trust your life to it’s quality. There are many quality manufactures out there, do some research and find them. A short (non-exhaustive) list of popular and quality manufacturers are:  Glock, Springfield, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer (in most models). It is up to you to decide what is important in quality and understand what makes a quality gun, and what you are willing to pay. The a fore mentioned manufactures offer some great guns at affordable and reasonable prices. I own and carry a Glock and a Springfield XDm regularly. We do not promote one over another, as each have different aspects that make them attractive, that is where personal preference comes in.

Personal Preference: There are about as many choices out there for a carry gun as there are stars in the sky. Those that pass the quality step still leave you with an overwhelming amount options. You need to decide what you want out of a handgun in order to narrow the field more. Do you want a manual safety? What size frame do you want, full, compact, subcompact? Often, it comes down to looks; we want a gun we like to look at right? Make a list of important features to you and start there, this will remove a vast amount of options and make the search more reasonable. You also must consider the availability of accessories, and parts.

Availability: You need to consider the availability of parts and accessories for the handgun. You may find a quality handgun, that you like, but if it was made in Slovakia in the 1980’s, you are going to have a hard time finding parts should you need it, and forget about a good carry holster. Holster and other accessory manufacturers will make equipment for more common handguns. When it comes to Glocks for example, you are spoiled for choice.

What can we learn:

First and foremost you need to choose a reliable and quality brand that has a proven track record.

Don’t let someone tell you what gun you “need” Just because it works for them, does not mean it will work for them. Itemize a list of specifications that are important to you, and start from there.

Before you commit to a gun, make sure the accessories you want for it are available.

This process is very personal and in some way intimate. Before you let someone tell you what gun you need, or choose one on a whim, do your homework. It does not take long, and it may be a life saving decision.

Don’t forget to like our Facebook page at Strategic Defense (https://www.facebook.com/stratdef/) and follow us for weekly editions of The Sharpening Stone and other self defense related information.

Stay Sharp,

Adam

Mental Simulations and the “What if game”

Posted by Adam Markesbery on October 15, 2015
Posted in: Carrying a deadly weapon, Defense Mentality, Self Defense. Tagged: , . 1 comment

We all worry. It is part of the human condition. Regardless of whether we are in control of a given situation or not, we worry about it. We worry about money and our well being probably more than any other two topics. Now, money is not what we do here, so, that leaves us with well being. This week we will discuss worry and our well being as it pertains to personal safety and protection.

When do we worry about our personal safety? When we feel in danger of course. We may get into driving in bad weather at some point, but, for this discussion lets use the example of walking down a big city street at night.

You are walking down the street and you worry about that guy loitering, smoking a cigarette, looking right at you, at the door of an obviously closed shop. What are worried about? That he will mug you, he is the lookout for an active burglary? Our imagination has a tendency to run away and go worst case instantly. He might be waiting for the bus, or a friend. The point is, we don’t know, this is why we worry.

As you approach a situation that causes the hair on your neck to stand up, and you begin to worry what is your plan? What if ____(fill in the blank) happens? What am I going to do, who is with me, what are obvious danger signs, etc.

A big part of training and mental preparedness is playing the “what if” game and going through mental simulations. Going back to our example, as you approach this suspicious individual what is going through your head? Do you begin to pray, panic, looking for possible help nearby, or: do you begin to analyze and assess the possible threat? Which of these is most prudent? Ok, that was kinda a trick question, you should throw up a quick “flare prayer” and then begin to assess the threat.

What am I going to do if he starts walking towards me? What if he asks you for change? What if, what if, what if… Let’s begin to break this down. If you find yourself in this position you already want to have played what if, making critical decisions in an adrenaline filled moment, you may get yourself in trouble.

Even in mundane, and known safe situations, run through a what if. At the grocery store, the gas pump, the stop light, etc. Ask yourself, what is that guy pulled a gun or a knife; what if he tried robbing the place; or, what if he started beating his girlfriend? You need to know the laws and your capabilities and apply them accordingly you simulations. Combine that knowledge and play the what if game all the time.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Marine General James Mattis (Ret): “Be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” Chew on this and prepare yourself mentally.

What can we learn:

Play what if regularly and appropriately.

Don’t go overboard. If a bank is being robbed by a 5 man team with automatic rifles, and you are across the street. Be a good witness and call the police. Do not interject yourself into this situation.

Be realistic and mentally prepared for anything!

Stay sharp,

Adam

Am I truly ready to carry a gun for protection?

Posted by Adam Markesbery on October 5, 2015
Posted in: Carrying a deadly weapon, Defense Mentality, Self Defense. Tagged: . Leave a Comment

There are many specific reasons someone decides to carry a firearm. After sifting through all the specifics, it comes down to protection of your self and those you care about.

Do not be fooled by its simplicity. The physical act of strapping on a handgun is simple and takes a few seconds. However, there are two major, life altering, components to carrying a gun that you need to be aware of: Liability, and Mindset.

If you, God forbid, ever have to discharge your firearm in self defense you are liable for every pull of the trigger. This amount of liability is no small thing, you may be taking another human’s life. We will talk more in depth about liability in another post. Suffice it to say, even if every thing was to the letter of the law on your part, and it was a “good shoot” you may be sued civilly. If you are prepared to place your safety, and the safety of those around you, above yourself then you’re good to go; otherwise, leave the gun at home.

As for Mindset, you have to have a sincere conversation with yourself, and maybe with someone else regarding your mental preparedness to potentially defend yourself, or loved ones, with lethal force. This is not a time for ego, or dishonesty. You, and only you, can determine weather or not you are willing and prepared to do this. Should you find yourself unsure of you capability to defend yourself with lethal force, should the situation arise, leave the gun at home. If you hesitate you are more likely to have your own gun used against you than you are to defend yourself effectively.

Along with this, is the long lasting psychological effects. You will relive an event, dream about it, people will react and act different around you, and so on. Your life will forever be different; the benefit is, you will be here with your family to cope with it…

What can we learn?

If you can avoid conflict, then do so, do everything you can to avoid it, however, this is not always possible. Sometimes you have to react violently to save yourself or others.

Am I ready to face the potential liability that comes with defending myself?

Am I mentally prepared to defend myself and those I love with lethal force?

A catastrophic event is not the time to answer these questions; ask these questions now, so you don’t have to when every second counts. You need to train mentally and thoughtfully just as much if not more than at the range

Stay Sharp, Don’t get cut;

Adam