Some time ago, I attended a lecture by Ed Head, the former president of Gunsite Academy. Before devoting himself to firearms training, Ed was a border patrol agent for many years. The biggest thing he said that stuck with me was something to this effect:
“During the first ten years of my career, I got in several gunfights. Then I learned how poorly trained I really was, and sought additional training. After learning how to properly handle my weapon, I never got in another gunfight again.”
There were two things that struck me about this statement.
“During the first ten years of my career, I got in several gunfights. Then I learned how poorly trained I really was, and sought additional training. After learning how to properly handle my weapon, I never got in another gunfight again.”
There were two things that struck me about this statement.
First was his tacit admission that the border patrol hadn't properly trained him to use his firearm. Second was the idea that proper training led to getting into fewer gunfights (in fact, zero gunfight in the second half of his career).
It might seem counter-intuitive to think that the more well-trained you are with your firearm, the less likely you are to get into a gunfight. However, my experience tells me this is exactly right. It's a great paradox: The more prepared you are for a gunfight, the less likely you'll get in one.
Why is this the case? Let's look at three reasons why.
#1: You know your capabilities... and your limitations.
Being only slightly trained can be just as dangerous, or even more so, than being completely untrained. Why? Because when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If you have a gun and an inkling of how to use it, you're more likely to start shooting as soon as things start going sideways. In my opinion, this is part of why we see a disturbing number of police officers in hard-to-justify shootings; they are insufficiently trained, and therefore are more likely to shoot sooner, even though they probably had other options available to them.
On the other hand, the more training you undergo, the more you understand what situations do and do not merit shooting. You start to realize what other options you have at your disposal, and how to recognize when the situation has devolved to the point where shooting is your only option.
Imagine that you're on a speeding train. This train will continue to accelerate until you pull the emergency stop cord next to your seat. How fast would you allow that train to go before you pulled the cord? It would probably depend on how familiar you were with the train and its route. If this is your first time on the train, you will probably pull the cord pretty quickly. The more time you had spent on that train, and the more familiar you were with the track and the train's capabilities, the more comfortable you would be allowing it to travel faster. If you've ridden this train many times, you will have a good sense of how fast it can safely travel.
Firing on another human being is like pulling the emergency stop. It's a last-resort measure used to save your life or that of someone you love. But if you don't know how fast the train can go, you're likely to pull the cord too quickly. Only this time, pulling the cord can ruin your life, instead of saving it.
Push your limits in training, until you know where they are. If your training isn't pushing your limits, it isn't sufficient.
#2: Bad guys are less likely to mess with someone who is prepared
As part of my preparation for a convoy security mission in Afghanistan, I watched several captured videos Taliban fighters had taken of their attacks on US and NATO convoys. One theme quickly emerged: They chose targets who appeared least prepared to fight back.
I attribute a large part of my platoon's success in Afghanistan to our defensive posture. Before every mission, I would emphasize to my soldiers: “Don't let yourself think that this is just another mission. The enemy is looking for a weak target. As soon as you let your guard down, that's when they'll hit you.” Our gunners were always ready to fight, our drivers always diligent, and our truck commanders always alert. This led to safe and successful convoys.
Criminals in the US are very similar to Taliban fighters in this regard. They want a victim who is going to put up as little resistance as possible. And believe it or not, most of them are pretty good at reading people. They can tell whether you're ready to fight back or not. If a situation begins to escalate, they can tell whether you have the ability to back up your words with effective action.
Being well-trained changes how you carry and conduct yourself. This, in turn, tends to cause criminals to look elsewhere for a victim.
#3: Your awareness becomes enhanced
Arguably the most important skill for success in self-defense is situational awareness, the ability to see what is happening around you and anticipate what is about to happen in order to avoid or prepare for an imminent criminal act.
Any good self-defense training program should spend time helping you develop your situational awareness. But even if it doesn't, you almost can't help but become more attuned to potential danger around you if you train regularly.
Did you ever test drive a car, and then suddenly it seemed like everyone around town was driving that model? In truth, the number of those cars on the road didn't magically triple overnight. You just focused on it, and therefore became more likely to notice it.
It's the same dynamic here. The more you train in self-defense related subjects, the more your mind becomes aware of the considerations involved in identifying and avoiding danger.
None of us should want to be in a gunfight. Even if you win, your life will never be the same. It's why I sign off all of my classes by telling my students “May you never need your gun”. And yet, I spend a large part of my life preparing for a gunfight, and preparing others to succeed in a gunfight.
Ironic, perhaps. But as George Washington said, “There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet an enemy.”
Want to avoid a fight? Get trained. Not bare-minimum training. Not a one-day overview class. Not even standard law enforcement training, like that which Ed Head received. But comprehensive and in-depth training that makes the fundamentals of shooting second-nature to you, and prepares you for a wide range of defensive situations and considerations.
Click here to find out more about how the Guncraft training program gives you a new level of training and preparation.
It might seem counter-intuitive to think that the more well-trained you are with your firearm, the less likely you are to get into a gunfight. However, my experience tells me this is exactly right. It's a great paradox: The more prepared you are for a gunfight, the less likely you'll get in one.
Why is this the case? Let's look at three reasons why.
#1: You know your capabilities... and your limitations.
Being only slightly trained can be just as dangerous, or even more so, than being completely untrained. Why? Because when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If you have a gun and an inkling of how to use it, you're more likely to start shooting as soon as things start going sideways. In my opinion, this is part of why we see a disturbing number of police officers in hard-to-justify shootings; they are insufficiently trained, and therefore are more likely to shoot sooner, even though they probably had other options available to them.
On the other hand, the more training you undergo, the more you understand what situations do and do not merit shooting. You start to realize what other options you have at your disposal, and how to recognize when the situation has devolved to the point where shooting is your only option.
Imagine that you're on a speeding train. This train will continue to accelerate until you pull the emergency stop cord next to your seat. How fast would you allow that train to go before you pulled the cord? It would probably depend on how familiar you were with the train and its route. If this is your first time on the train, you will probably pull the cord pretty quickly. The more time you had spent on that train, and the more familiar you were with the track and the train's capabilities, the more comfortable you would be allowing it to travel faster. If you've ridden this train many times, you will have a good sense of how fast it can safely travel.
Firing on another human being is like pulling the emergency stop. It's a last-resort measure used to save your life or that of someone you love. But if you don't know how fast the train can go, you're likely to pull the cord too quickly. Only this time, pulling the cord can ruin your life, instead of saving it.
Push your limits in training, until you know where they are. If your training isn't pushing your limits, it isn't sufficient.
#2: Bad guys are less likely to mess with someone who is prepared
As part of my preparation for a convoy security mission in Afghanistan, I watched several captured videos Taliban fighters had taken of their attacks on US and NATO convoys. One theme quickly emerged: They chose targets who appeared least prepared to fight back.
I attribute a large part of my platoon's success in Afghanistan to our defensive posture. Before every mission, I would emphasize to my soldiers: “Don't let yourself think that this is just another mission. The enemy is looking for a weak target. As soon as you let your guard down, that's when they'll hit you.” Our gunners were always ready to fight, our drivers always diligent, and our truck commanders always alert. This led to safe and successful convoys.
Criminals in the US are very similar to Taliban fighters in this regard. They want a victim who is going to put up as little resistance as possible. And believe it or not, most of them are pretty good at reading people. They can tell whether you're ready to fight back or not. If a situation begins to escalate, they can tell whether you have the ability to back up your words with effective action.
Being well-trained changes how you carry and conduct yourself. This, in turn, tends to cause criminals to look elsewhere for a victim.
#3: Your awareness becomes enhanced
Arguably the most important skill for success in self-defense is situational awareness, the ability to see what is happening around you and anticipate what is about to happen in order to avoid or prepare for an imminent criminal act.
Any good self-defense training program should spend time helping you develop your situational awareness. But even if it doesn't, you almost can't help but become more attuned to potential danger around you if you train regularly.
Did you ever test drive a car, and then suddenly it seemed like everyone around town was driving that model? In truth, the number of those cars on the road didn't magically triple overnight. You just focused on it, and therefore became more likely to notice it.
It's the same dynamic here. The more you train in self-defense related subjects, the more your mind becomes aware of the considerations involved in identifying and avoiding danger.
None of us should want to be in a gunfight. Even if you win, your life will never be the same. It's why I sign off all of my classes by telling my students “May you never need your gun”. And yet, I spend a large part of my life preparing for a gunfight, and preparing others to succeed in a gunfight.
Ironic, perhaps. But as George Washington said, “There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet an enemy.”
Want to avoid a fight? Get trained. Not bare-minimum training. Not a one-day overview class. Not even standard law enforcement training, like that which Ed Head received. But comprehensive and in-depth training that makes the fundamentals of shooting second-nature to you, and prepares you for a wide range of defensive situations and considerations.
Click here to find out more about how the Guncraft training program gives you a new level of training and preparation.