I went to the range this week like I do just about every week. While there I was doing some extra work during my workout. I was doing what we call in the military, “cornering”. This is something I learned working with infantry guys and guys that clear buildings. I did not do that for Uncle Sam, but I learned how. In the military we work in teams and life is much more bitter/sweet working with a team. In my house I only have my wife. Which is great! I love her dearly but I’m pretty sure she won’t “leap frog” with me down the hall covering each other. Now we have talked about the “what if” of me having to leave her to “recon” what’s going on somewhere else in the house. She can shoot, she has a good light, and she has a cell phone. She also has been briefed on what a “fatal funnel” is and how to work through one.
The grim reality of defense is actually doing it. Actually stammering out “Don’t come any closer! I’ll shoot!” and then dropping the perp and moving the butcher knife that was in his hand far away from his reach. I have never done this in real world, but have done it in force on force training. It’s not the same as real world but it’s as close as I can get! I’ve thought a lot about this and other scenarios. It’s necessary to build a “what if” file in your head, but really, that’s all it is. When it goes down the attacker won’t always respond like you think they will. I think sometimes we think that well placed double tap will do what it is designed to do and stop the threat. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it takes a few more.
People who are out of shape, depressed, surprised, expecting to die, or have watched a lot of television murders… those people can be killed more easily. People who are in shape, feeling up, anticipating the challenge, have something to live for… people who are angry about being shot… that type are going to be harder to kill.
There was a WW1 British Lieutenant shot thru the hand while making the “follow me” wave. He looked at his wound and died.
A man in North Carolina was shot roughly 20 times in 1995 and lived to tell about it. The rapper 50 Cent was shot nine times in 2000 and has since released three albums. And in 2006, Joseph Guzman survived 19 gunshot wounds during the 50-shot fusillade by police detectives that killed Sean Bell.
While surviving numerous gunshots could be a miraculous feat, doctors who have treated gunshot victims say that being shot is not automatically a death sentence.
When major organs — the heart and brain especially — and blood vessels are avoided, the chances of survival are good, they said. The catch, of course, is that there is no science to preventing a bullet from hitting a vital part of the body.
These are only a few examples of how difficult, or easy, it is to kill a human. So when you think that guy who just broke into your house and is determined to do what he pleases to the occupants, will fall at the first shot of your 4 and half inch barreled, 9mm or .40 caliber handgun, think again. This is why I emphasize practice and training. This is why I never stop. Being a responsible person means doing what it takes to be a true defender. Going out to the range 3 times a year won’t cut it. To be honest, I feel I have extensive experience and training in shooting guns, but I wonder if I’m actually ready to face the grim reality of killing another human being effectively.
There are about 55 million gun owners in the U.S. Problem is, there are not 55 million people going to the gun ranges in the U.S. If they did, we’d need three to four times more ranges in this country. You know what that means? My guess is, and it’s only my guess, that 30 to 40 million gun owners practice with their guns on a regular basis. I spend a lot of time at a particular shooting range. It is the only range in the small rural town I live outside of. I know who goes there on a regular basis because I am there a lot. Often the faces I see haven’t been to the shooting range in some time. It’s kind of like exercising. We know we need to do it, and once in while we actually do it, but getting into the habit is sometimes a challenge. Like exercise, a training program needs to be planned and then implemented. Even a seasoned shooter needs to be familiar with a weapon before shooting it. I feel pretty confident that I can pick up any weapon and figure out how it operates in a few minutes safely. But that is several decades of experience. I’m sure I could be stumped! There are some guns I’ve never shot! (I’m working on that…) But for someone who doesn’t shoot but 2 or 3 times a year, they could have some questions. Here is a scenario that is based on a true situation.
“Imagine, for a moment, that you are a young, single woman living alone. On your way home from work, you spot a strange man walking around in your neighborhood. He’s not exactly doing anything wrong at the moment, but something about him just seems off. You’re glad to be passing him in the car rather than walking by him on the sidewalk. You make the final turn onto your street, park the car, and go inside.
About half an hour later, your eye is drawn to movement outside your front window. You look through the blinds, and there he is–the same man you passed on the street earlier. He’s only walking down the sidewalk, albeit slowly, and doesn’t seem to be paying any particular attention to your house. Still, you can’t help but feel vulnerable. As your mind runs through a hundred “what ifs,” you take great comfort in knowing you have a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the bedroom. Better get it out, just to be safe.
Okay, now what? Is it loaded? There’s a magazine in the grip. I think that means it’s loaded. The hammer is cocked, so it should be ready to fire. Now, what about the safety? The safety lever is up. Does that mean it’s off? I think that’s right. But what if it’s not? Maybe I should ask somebody…” This is a story that happened to a student told by an instructor. The student was trained. They possessed a concealed carry license. They took two other gun courses. Yet they were still not sure about their gun because of the inexperience with it. Someone may say “They need training.” Well this student had more training than most. I would say that training is only the start.
More people are being caught with guns in their carry-on bags. (28% increase since 2015) That means more of them are carrying guns in their bags. It also means they forget the guns are there, which is reflective of their lack of seriousness for their mindset about carrying. Someone serious about carrying would not only remove the gun from the carry-on bag, but would also be checking that gun to be able to carry it at their destination, if allowed by local law. TSA did not determine what they meant by “loaded” guns. But suffice it to say they had ammunition in the gun.
The best data that is out there is in the state of Texas. Summarizing the Texas data: 93% of the 3.2 million adult gun owners in Texas likely do not train. 4% of them take the mandatory new permit course, at best 3% of them take some kind of NRA course, and only 1%, less than 30K, take any kind of post-CHL level course or shoot any kind of match, including all kinds of pistol, NRA high power, and all the shotgun sports.
According to National Shooting Sports Foundation research, the top 3 reasons people go target shooting are that they go with family and friends (that means one of their family/friends is highly motivated to go shooting), sport/recreation, and self-defense. That means that motivating people that aren’t currently interested in doing more than the state’s minimum may require appealing to higher level needs as opposed to a fear-based approach that emphasizes “safety” as the main reason to attend.
Being the unusual one is something I’ve always sought for. Even as a kid I did not like to follow the crowd. So maybe that’s why I try to train on a regular basis. Out of stubborn rebelliousness. Find a reason for yourself and follow through.
Facing up to the grim reality of being prepared, and then actually carrying out self-defense is something we all need to prepare better for. If you do not feel you could realistically kill another human who is bent on killing you or a loved one, do not buy a gun. Do not think that maybe you can be reasonable with an attacker and get out of an attack. Do not feel that if you cannot imagine killing someone you will if faced with the situation. The grim reality is you probably will not and thus you will be killed. Anything is possible of course, but do not count on the miracle or the unusual to happen, because it may not. I believe in God and Devine intervention. I also believe that God will help us after all we can do, even though God can do whatever He wants. I believe we must do our part.
In a lecture presented by Massad Ayoob, who is one of the pre-eminent fighting handgun trainers in the world. Ayoob’s methods of reflexive, high speed yet accurate shooting have been adopted by the U.S. Army as part of its standard pistol-training course. Former director of Lethal Force Institute, and owner/operator of the Massad Ayoob Group, he is directly responsible for training thousands in justifiable use of deadly force, safe gun use and effective defense techniques. He offered a frank discussion of how a lethal force incident changes the survivor.
Ayoob defines both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and post-shooting trauma, explaining that the reactions suffered by the survivor stem from how society treats one who uses deadly force to avoid being killed or crippled. He suggests coping strategies for dealing with the distress, explaining, “If you can understand the trauma and the symptoms, you can remedy it,” and adding that knowing in advance innoculates the student to some degree so their responses may be less intense.
Some post-event reactions include:
• Nightmares
• A period of insomnia
• Survivor euphoria and its flip side, self doubt
• Depression
• Appetite disturbance
• Substance abuse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Social withdrawal
• Aggression/avoidance syndrome, and more.
Yes self-defense is a serious business. You must face the grim reality of it and do your best to understand it if you choose to do it, learn to mitigate its effects. I also am a firm believer in doing all we can to avoid ever being in a position to where I must kill or shoot. Avoidance is a large part of training along with situational awareness.
Decide what you can actually do. Sometimes we may never really know until faced with it, but realistically determine what you feel you’re capable of. Once you decide to use fatal force in self-defense, train. Learn all you can about how to defend yourself effectively and efficiently. Then practice, practice, practice! Do all these things realistically and not in word only. Be determined and be willing to part with time, money, and resources that can be life changing. I mean carrying a gun can actually change the way you dress! That is just one detail. There are many others. Then be willing to face the grim reality of your decision.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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