Being An "Expert" Instructor: Tips For Teaching Shooting

 Many years ago, I had an opportunity to train military pilots in how to shoot a pistol. After going to a gun show last weekend, I was reminded of some of my experiences training pilots.

I love to teach about guns and shooting. I love to learn about guns and shooting. Regardless of my years of experience and age I know that there is many, many, many things I don’t know. Shooting is very personal. You can teach basics of grip, stance, breathing, trigger control, etc. but it really can come down to personal style. I’ve seen people shoot well in ways that if it was me, I could never hit the broad side of a barn with those techniques. When I was younger, I played a lot of basketball. I was an adequate player. I remember watching Rick Barry shoot free throws underhanded. Underhanded in the NBA! We called that “granny” style when I was a kid. He led the NBA in scoring for many seasons and when he retired in 1980 held the record for free throw percentage with .900. Learning the basics and finding a successful way of doing things is not wrong or bad, it’s just what works for you!
As I was at this gun show looking at guns I ran into many personalities. Some were very friendly and did not talk down to anyone. Others were know-it-alls with a narrow view of what is and is not. As I was talking with a particular guy we did not agree on a particular point. I tried to explain that this particular shooting style has been adopted successfully by many young shooters. He insisted it was wrong and that with his “experience and vast knowledge” of shooting that he knew this particular point. I told him I disagreed and as we talked we realized that many years before he and I competed against each other. We figured out a particular match that I used the style we were disputing and beat him and won the match. We should always be careful about “what we know.”
Anyway, in teaching pilots to shoot I ran into some real hot shot go-getters who were arrogant and overconfident. They thought they knew best in how to shoot without yet mastering the basics. Often, they would fail their qualifications, which would stop them from flying. Flying was their lives, and I was the cause of their not being able to fly. It wasn’t until they had been humbled a little, would acknowledge some weakness, accept constructive criticism, and make the corrections that would re-qualify them.
There are few jobs in the world as influential as a firearms or combat instructor.
Unlike any other subject, the teaching of dangerous or even lethal force carries a responsibility like no other topic. Add to that the fact that students taking these courses could be called on to use the information provided within hours. This is a serious dose of reality and a reminder that lives can be at stake.
Teaching can appear to be an easy gig. You just stand there and tell people how to do things. While this is an oversimplification of the attitude, it is essentially true. Few will see the methodology used to pass on this critical information in a relatively short amount of time. While the core of this section could fill an encyclopedia, there are certain areas we can focus on, and they are known as the three “P’s.”
The Three P’s
Presentation of the given material must follow a logical and methodic path. Skills and principles should build successively on each other until the student has been exposed to
multiple layers of information. A great way of putting it: Make the pieces of information bite sized so they are easily taken in.
Professionalism has become a cliché in much of life, but it is a cornerstone to building solid shooters. Unless it is a military course, boot camp is over. Yelling and screaming accomplishes nothing other than boosting your ego. Treating students as professionals is the best way to develop a solid product. Be firm, consistent and develop a strong rapport with students.
Performance is the final part of this trilogy. As a professional instructor, you should be able to do anything you ask your students to do cold. This means that, without any warm-up, you should be able to walk to the line and perfectly execute whatever it is that you are teaching. This is a standard that I hold myself to, as does every other serious professional in the training business.
Keep Your Edge
The refinement of technique and philosophy should be at the forefront of every instructor’s mind. Times change, weapons improve, and society evolves. What was very good information 20 years ago can in many cases now be antiquated. It is important to make sure you are teaching students the most current and relevant information available. To do that, you must continue to train yourself. We need to park our egos and put our “student hats” on as much as possible. Seeking out training by a variety of respected instructors around the country. While there are many big names on this list, do not be quick to dismiss smaller instructors who quietly provide world-class training. In many cases these instructors will be much more current in related techniques and tactics.
These skills are perishable and must be maintained. Even beyond taking part in other courses, master instructors need to practice the craft that they are teaching. Once again, we will look at one of the “P” principles: performance. This does not happen magically. It can only be managed through serious training and repetition. Holding yourself to a high standard will not only put you in elite company, but it will also make you a strong role model for students in your classes.
Be Constructive
There are many schools of thought on teaching methodologies. Regardless of what style is being used, it is essential to provide the students with feedback. If your students are professionals to begin with, you will rarely gain any ground with them by being demeaning and loud. These people have already been through their basics and should be treated as such. As you work the class through drills, you must provide students with feedback on their performance and how it rates in comparison to what you require of them. Make corrections and keep them on track for success. Be quick to praise and slow to punish. The mistake you just saw a student make may have been the only one they made up to that point, but you happened to be there to witness it. If it becomes a pattern, make corrections. Students undeniably respond better to positive contact than negative. Do not confuse this with coddling students, which is equally destructive and builds a false sense of confidence. But, in simple terms, let them know when they are doing it right. Set high expectations and show the students how to meet those expectations.
Run It Right
When you run a training course, you must be serious about what you are doing. Having set beginning and end times as well as lunch breaks is essential to building a sense of professionalism in the class. Once again, you are setting the standards that many of these students will emulate. Being late to class, having extended lunches or running late is simply unacceptable. A phrase I consistently live by is, “If you are five minutes early, then you are ten minutes late.” Instructors need to be in the class long before the first student arrives. This not only sets a good example, but it also allows the instructor time to get everything set up for the class. It can also prove to be a very useful time to get your head in the game. While some will just “wing it,” you will be better served by taking time to review the curriculum and revisit your game plan to get it covered.
Follow Up
Take time to follow up with your students when possible. More importantly, make yourself available for questions after your students move out into the training field. You can be an exceptional resource for them in dealing with challenging students and situations. By offering this assistance, you once again put yourself at a level of professionalism that can be rare in today’s world. More importantly, you could end up helping an instructor teach a student that may have never succeeded without you.
What you say as an instructor matters. While you may think it is an off-the-cuff remark, people will remember it. The standards that instructors are held to are much higher than anyone, and rightly so. The consequences for poor instruction can cost someone their life. Be thoughtful and humble about your techniques. Always remember that a student might be called on to fight for their life with your training. This should never be forgotten.
Finally is safety. This is what I do. I have a chart with the safety rules that I go over when I start the class. I have the students repeat the rules several times. These are the rules I use:
1. All guns are always loaded. Act accordingly with them.
2. Never let the muzzle cover (point at) anything which you are not willing to destroy
3. Keep your finger OFF the trigger and out of the trigger guard until ready to shoot
4. Always know your target and beyond
I talk about those rules a little. I explain that rule 1 is the most important. The other 3 rules are in support of rule 1:
“Why do you keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot?” “Because rule 1.”
“Why do you keep rule 2?” “Because of rule 1.”
Then randomly through the class I “quiz” students on the rules. I make sure that during that class they know, and follow, all 4 rules. Some instructors add rules to this. I do not. I want to keep it as simple as possible so they can actually remember and apply these rules. I have certain policies that I emphasize. Use the proper ammo. Maintain your guns. Never shoot and drink. Use eye and ear protection always. These are some of the policies I use, and some can be linked to the safety rules. “Always keep your weapon pointed downrange because of what rule?...”
“Rule 1 and 4.”
To help them to understand the seriousness of the rules I give what I call the “3 Strikes plus.” I will give you 3 infractions of the rules, after the 3rd you’re out of the class. The plus is up to the range safety officer or instructor. If I deem your violation to be of such serious disregard or negligence, you may be asked to leave right away without discussion. Generally, rules 2 and 3 are the ones that are broken, which of course breaks rule 1. If I see someone breaking a rule with total disregard for their or their fellow students, I will expel. I’m not a jerk about it, and I’m not crazy strict, but sometimes you see people who are adults, and I know they know better, being stupid and dangerous. In my time of instructing I’ve only ousted two people for not being safe. Only a few more have received 2 strikes, and many have received 1 strike. Of the 2 expelled, 1 thought they knew it all and the other just didn’t care. I was actually caught once breaking rule 3. In my defense I had been handed a gun unsafely and was trying to manipulate it to be safe.
I try to inject as much humor as I can into the class. I’m serious when it is serious but having a professional humor puts people at ease and makes them want to stay.
Being an instructor of something that enables others to take care of themselves is very fulfilling.
If you're interested in becoming an instructor contact the NRA. They have a very thorough training program for instructors.

Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn

Modern Technology Dead Drops

 The internet has changed the way we share information, but what if you wanted to share files anonymously, without relying on the cloud or centralized servers? This is where Dead Drops come in. A mysterious network of hidden USB drives embedded in public spaces, waiting to be discovered and used by those who know where to look. But where are these Dead Drops located, and how can you find them?

The idea was simple: embed USB drives in public spaces, such as walls, lamps, or benches, and let people find and use them to share files. The project was meant to democratize file sharing, bypassing online surveillance and censorship.

The first Dead Drop was installed in New York City, and soon the concept spread to other cities around the world. Over the years, hundreds of Dead Drops have been installed, but their locations remain largely unknown, adding to the allure and mystery of the project.

Dead Drops can be found in various locations, from urban centers to rural areas.  While the exact locations are not publicly disclosed, we can give you some hints on where to start looking:

Many Dead Drops are located in urban centers, particularly in cities with strong art and cultural scene. Look for them in:

·         Alleyways and side streets, often near popular tourist attractions or public art facilities.

·         Old buildings, bridges, or other infrastructure with easy access.

·         Parks and public gardens, especially those with sculptures or other art pieces.

 Dead Drops can also be found in rural areas, often in places with limited internet access or strong online restrictions. Keep an eye out for them in:

·         Main streets, near public buildings or local landmarks.

·         Parks, rest stops, or other public areas along highways.

Dead Drops might be hidden in remote areas, such as:

·         Hiking trails, mountainous regions, or other areas with limited connectivity.

·         Deserted buildings, ruins, or abandoned infrastructure.

Finding a Dead Drop requires a combination of detective work and luck. Here are some tips to increase your chances of stumbling upon one:

Monitor online forums, social media, and blogs dedicated to Dead Drops. You might stumble upon hints, clues, or even exact locations shared by other enthusiasts.

Connect with other enthusiasts through online forums or social media groups. Share your own findings and learn from others who have successfully located Dead Drops.

If you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a Dead Drop, remember to:

Be respectful: Treat the location and the device with care. Avoid damaging the surrounding area or the USB drive itself.

Explore the contents: Plug in your device and browse the files shared by others. You might find interesting content, art, or even cryptic messages.

Contribute to the network: Add your own files, stories, or art to the Dead Drop. This helps keep the network alive and fosters a sense of community.

Similar to physical dead drops and the above non-internet drops, dead drop messaging on the internet is a unique way to share information.  These are sites where you can write a encrypted message, receive a link to share with your recipient, and also a password to share.  Don’t share the password with the link.  I emailed the link and texted the password.  You can choose how long the message stays on the server.  Usually for an hour, a day, or a week.  After the designated time the message is deleted.  Below is an example of a few of these sites:

https://deaddrop.commvault.com/

The encrypted message will be deleted automatically after:

One hour One day One week

 

One-time download

 

Generate decryption key

 

https://dead-drop.sentinelone.net/

 

Need to send some data securely? This is the place.

Here's why your message is safe:

• Your message is not transmitted unencrypted
• Your message is not stored unencrypted
• Your encrypted message is stored for 24 hours, then deleted
• Once your message is retrieved, it is deleted
• If there is a problem retrieving your message, including an incorrect password, it is deleted.
• We cannot decrypt your message, we simply don't have the password

The security of the encryption used is handled by the Symmetric Encryption engine developed at Stanford university.

The largest threat associated with this method is having your message and password both intercepted and retrieved before your intended recipient has an opportunity to retrieve it. You should be mindful of how you transmit these pieces of information and ideally send the password separate from the link.

 

Cyber dead drops can be a secure, handy way to communicate or share information.

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

 

 

 

How To "Make" Someone (Tell If Someone Is Carrying a Gun)

 Repost from April 4, 2014

Ever wonder if someone is carrying? I notice the people who look at others to see if they are carrying a weapon are those that carry themselves or law enforcement. Others do not. I’m not saying those that don’t carry are sheep, but many are. The sheepdogs are those who take notice of others in this way.
I just had an e-mail discussion with an old friend of mine. We met in jump school in the military. He works now for church security but is ex-FBI. We originally were talking about concealed carry but then we got on the subject of recognizing when someone is armed. These are some of what I learned.
These are common behavioral indictors of an armed person. Namely (and paraphrased):
1. Security Check - instinctively checking and rechecking to see if their weapon is still there.
2. Un-natural Gait - moving unnaturally due to being uncomfortable.
3. Jacket Sag - pistol in a pocket causing the coat to hang unusually.
4. Hunchback Stride - Stock of the long gun protruding from the armpit.
5. Bulges and Outline/Weapon - The imprint of the weapon against clothing.
6. Visible Weapon – My friend had a partner who once called this being over exposed.
7. Palming - Concealing the weapon from frontal view; hiding behind the leg.
These are the ABC’s response
A - Stands for Action; this consists of #2, 4 and 7 gunman signs.
B - Means Behaviors; Gunman characteristic #1, or anything else relating to it like looking to see repeatedly if a weapon is in their waist band. Other suspicious mannerisms count as well.
C - Denotes Clothing the suspect is wearing; #3, 5 and 6.
Applying the seven characteristics of a gunman to the first three letters of the alphabet allows for the rapid recall, and affording a life safety reaction quickly.
Being aware of others in certain situations is something I’ve talked about a lot. Situational awareness is something few practice, but most of us should. Especially in places we are comfortable.
I’ve talked about the Cooper color code. Here’s a reminder.
CONDITION WHITE- White is the lowest level on the escalator. In Condition White one is unaware, not alert, and oblivious. This state can be characterized as "daydreaming" or "preoccupied". People in White tend to walk around with their heads down, as if watching their own feet. They do not notice the impending danger until it literally has them by the throat.
CONDITION YELLOW- This is a relaxed state of general alertness, with no specific focal point. You are not looking for anything or anyone in particular; you simply have your head up and your eyes open. You are alert and aware of your surroundings. You are difficult to surprise, therefore, you are difficult to harm. You do not expect to be attacked today. You simply recognize the possibility.
CONDITION ORANGE- This is a heightened state of alertness, with a specific focal point. The entire difference between Yellow and Orange is this specific target for your attention. Your focal point is the person who is doing whatever drew your attention to him. It might be the fact that he is wearing a field jacket in August. It might be that he's standing by a column in the parking garage, instead of going into the building, or getting in a car and leaving. It might be that you have been in five stores at the mall, and saw this same guy in every one of them. His actions have caused you to take note of him, so you must assess him as a potential threat, just as the fighter pilot assessed the blip earlier.
CONDITION RED- In Red, you are ready to fight! You may, or may not, actually be fighting, but you are MENTALLY PREPARED to fight. In many, or perhaps even most, circumstances where you have gone fully to Red, you will not actually physically do anything at all. The entire process of escalating from Yellow, to Orange, to Red, then de-escalating right back down the scale as the situation is resolved, occurs without any actual physical activity on your part. The key is that you were mentally prepared for a conflict, and thus could physically act if the situation demanded.
Unfortunately we can be in white too often. Some places may include, our living room, at church, at work, or at school. Places that are very familiar we need to ensure we are alert and have situational awareness. When someone is out of place, or seems wrong, that’s when we should be ready for anything and applying the ABC’s above.
My friend “Choirboy” knows firsthand the dangers of complacency. He was caught unaware at a restaurant in Salt Lake City. An armed man tried to rob the register. He said he was lucky he was semi-concealed from the man and was able to draw his weapon and stop the situation from getting worse.
Remember to keep your eyes open and always have a plan. Stay in Yellow.

Semper Paratus

Burn

Air Marshal Course of Fire Review: The Toughest Out There!

  This is a review for the federal Air Marshal service.  This course of fire is supposed to be the toughest course out there in the military and law enforcement world.  I admit, it was tougher than anything I’ve shot so far in my experiment.  I still did alright.  I ran it twice and scored 140 and 137.  It was a challenge, but it was fun.  I got hung up in the mag change for some reason.

I challenge you to try to ace it.  Some of you should be able to…

Air Marshal Pistol Qualification Course of Fire

All targets set at 7 yards. QIT-99 target. Score 5 points inside the inner zones and 2 points anywhere in the bottle. Requires 135 / 150 to pass with no single stage time overage or re-shoot.

Drill 1 (2 Rounds)

From concealment, hands at sides

Draw and fire one round

Repeat

Time: 3.3 seconds total, 1.65 second average per shot.

Drill 2 (4 rounds)

From low ready

Raise the gun and fire two rounds

Repeat

Time: 2.7 seconds total, 1.35 second average per shot.

Drill 3 (6 rounds)

From low ready

Raise gun and fire six rounds

Time: 3 seconds total.

Drill 4 (4 rounds)

From low ready

Fire one shot, reload, fire second shot

Repeat

Time: 6.5 seconds total, 3.25 second average per string.

Drill 5 (4 rounds)

Set up two targets, 3 yards apart

From low ready

Raise gun and fire one shot into each target

Repeat

Time: 3.30 seconds, 1.65 second average per string.

Drill 6 (6 rounds)

Three targets three yards apart

Start from concealment, facing away from targets

Draw and fire one round at each target

Repeat and turn in the opposite direction

Time: 7 seconds total, average of 3.5 seconds per string.

Drill 7 (4 rounds)

Set up the gun with one round in the chamber and an empty magazine loaded

From low ready

Raise gun and fire one round, drop to one knee while reloading, fire a second round from the kneeling position

Repeat

Time: 8 seconds total, average of 4 seconds per string

 

I’d like to know what the average is for Air Marshals on this test.  Can they take it more than once?  And if not right away, then how much time do they give you in between qual times?

I’d be interested!

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

FLAG Post: Eating Healthy

  

 

     Eating healthily needs to be a lifestyle and a change of thinking.  A person can go out to eat and enjoy the company of friends and eat healthy.  When ordering a salad, ask for extra veggies to be added and for them to put the dressing on the side.  This way you can add a smaller amount of dressing just enough to give it a little flavor.  Salads are very nutritional, but the downside is the salad dressing.  Loaded with fat.  If a meal comes with fries, ask if you could replace the fries with baked or mashed potatoes. 

     Sometimes when adding more fiber and product to diet, we can sometimes add extra gas into the digestive tract. This can make someone feel miserable, but this shall pass as your body adjusts to the higher fiber diet.  Sometimes changing our eating can be overwhelming and seem boring after a while.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with healthy ingredients and come up with your own recipes.

     Remember you are eating healthily to help your body and mind function properly.  Don’t get caught up with the scale and think all your work is doing nothing.  Our bodies go through times when we retain water.  We retain water because we are not drinking enough water.  One of the ways a body protects itself when feeling a famine, it will hoard.  So, if not eating properly, your body feels like it’s experiencing famine because of lack of nutrition.  Your body will start storing fat. Fat is a double-edged sword.  Being overweight can cause serious health issues but if your body doesn’t turn the bad waste into fat, you will get sick.  Fat helps keep toxins from your vital organs.  Your body can also retain water if you have too much salt in your diet.

     Also, if you are exercising and building muscle, there could be weight gain.  Muscle adds weight.  If you are exercising for proper health of body, if weight loss does not show because on scale, inches could be shedding off.  DON’T base your success on the scale.  If weight is staying the same or going up. You need to re-evaluate what you are eating, and then the type of exercise you may or may not be doing.  Don’t get discouraged.  Personally, the scale should be thrown away.

 

Here are some healthy meal ideas and recipes.

 

I usually buy a big bag of corn tortillas.  I make my own home-made chips.  I usually take a tortilla, lightly brush olive oil on it so the salt with stick.  I mean about a drop and spread it around.  I will do this with 10-15 tortillas.  I stack them after they are lightly oiled and salted.  Cut them into 4 or 6 parts.  Bake on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. I use my pizza pan with holes in it.  You don’t have to flip them over.  Cook at 350 for about 13- 20 minutes.  Take out and put in place to cool.  These can burn easily.  So, make sure you watch them toward the end of time.   Sometimes I eat a small bowl of them with salsa. Or I will make nacho chips with them. Put the chips at the bottom of a plate.  Sprinkle with heated and thinned out refried beans.  Cut fresh tomatoes, avocado, onions, cilantro and lettuce.  Top with a little grated cheese and eat.  I will also put lots of salsa on it too.  I don’t use liquid cheese because sometimes it is harder to control the amount of cheese added.

 

Tostada - I cook the corn tortilla the same as the chips.  Used canned refried beans with no fat added.  When heating up the beans I usually add seasoning, salsa, taco sauce and onions to give the beans flavor.  Put a lot of shredded lettuce, tomato, and avocado on top and sprinkle a little cheese on them.  I usually buy fine grated cheese, not the thicker grated because it looks like you have more cheese on your food.

 

Bean burritos are another meal we eat but we make them healthy by stuffing them with lots of veggies and a little cheese.

 

Chicken Tacos

This is a meal I make for our family that is healthy and fairly fast.  Take a chicken breast with no skin and fat taken off.  Cut the chicken meat.  In a saucepan sauté onions and chicken in a little bit of olive oil.  Cook the meat until it is almost completely cooked.  Add mixed frozen veggies and sprinkle on some seasoning, especially garlic salt.  While this is cooking.  Heat up corn tortillas on another pan that has a few drops of olive oil.  Cook until lightly brown.  When chicken mixture is done put into corn tortilla.  Avocado can be added, a little bit of mozzarella or cheddar cheese.  Top with green salsa.  It tastes great.

 

Chili

This is a healthy fast chili for college students.  This can be done on a pan on the stove or in a crock pot.  If making it in a pan, sauté all the veggies before adding the rest of the ingredients.

 

½ onion, diced                                                                                     1 bell pepper, diced                 3-4 garlic cloves, mashed, if you don’t have cloves use garlic salt

1 jalapeno, unless you buy ranch or pinto beans with jalapeno added

2 Cans of Ranch Beans           1 Can of Tomato Dices

1 Can of Pinto Beans                          1 Can of Tomato Sauce

2 TBSP Chili Powder                                                                         1 tsp Cumin                             ½ tea Salt

 

If you put it in crockpot, throw all ingredients in to crock pot and simmer on low all day.  If in a pan on stove.  Sauté veggies in olive oil then add the rest of the ingredients.  Heat up chili and simmer on stove for an hour.  If you like the chili a little thinner, add a little water.

 

Smoothie

 

This makes a refreshing snack. I make this every morning for my husband and me for breakfast.  I also make 2 pieces of whole grain wheat toast for my husband with butter spread on it.  You need a blender for this though.

 

In blender: Add about a 1 ½ Cups of 1 % milk.  That is what you should be drinking if you are not drinking skim milk.  I usually use my home-made soy milk.  Don’t buy soy milk in store, too much junk is added to it.  So, 1 % milk will do.  Put in 1 banana and 3 droppers of stevia, or a few teaspoons of sugar.  If the banana is very ripe, sugar may not be needed. Put in about 4-8 spinach leaves. If you don’t have spinach, that’s fine.  I like the extra nutrition it adds to the drink.  If you are not used to the spinach flavor.  Add 1-3 to start off. Blend it.  Slowly add frozen fruits.  They sale strawberry, blue berry, mixed berries or mixed fruit.  I usually make strawberry banana one for my husband and mixed fruit for me.  Once it is thick, don’t add any more fruit.

 

Buy popsicle containers at the store and make them with the smoothie mix.  Freeze. They make great snacks.

 

Stevia: Is a natural, healthy sugar.  It can be purchased at a health food store, whole food store or on amazon. It comes in liquid and powder form.  I usually use the liquid.  It adds sweetness to food but not calories.  It is concentrated so don’t use a lot.  It may seem expensive but a little goes a long way.

 

Popcorn is another good snack.  We use an air popcorn popper because we can control the amount of butter added.  If you buy store-bought microwave popcorn, get plain and add butter or get the lightly buttered one.  We lightly spread butter and mix in through it, so the flavor is spread evenly.  We sometimes sprinkle ranch dressing powder, Julio’s seasoning or garlic salt to give the popcorn a different flavor.

 

I also keep pretzels, the small ones in a sandwich bag and may snack on them with some veggies I have taken with me.

 

Hope you are having some success with changing your diet and eating healthier, being creative and not giving up.  You will notice as you change your diet, that your body starts to adjust. Your body will start craving healthy foods.  Your taste buds will change and come alive, and as your body starts to clean out, as you stop eating things laden with fat, like French fries, you will discover a whole new world of food.

 

Keep up the great job.     

Normalcy Bias: How To Fight It

 What is normalcy bias?  Normalcy bias is the tendency to underestimate the likelihood or impact of a negative event. Normalcy bias prevents us from understanding the possibility or the seriousness of a crisis or a natural disaster.

Some of the most devastating events and disasters in history highlight how common it is to see normalcy bias even in extreme situations.

On the Titanic, many people refused to acknowledge the reality that the ship was sinking for hours and refused to board the emergency lifeboats.  To the extent that the first lifeboat wasn’t even fully occupied when it detached from the main ship.

During Hurricane Katrina, even as it became clear that the storm would have truly devastating effects, thousands of people refused to evacuate, believing that they’d be fine staying in the homes despite repeated warnings to the contrary.

Research has found that during 9/11, almost a thousand people took the time to turn off their computers before attempting to escape. The average person took 6 minutes before heading down the stairs. Many people sought confirmation from colleagues or peers before attempting to evacuate.

In another incident, an airplane engine fire on a Boeing 737 in 1985, a significant number of the passengers were found to have stayed in their seats without attempting any kind of escape even as toxic fumes and smoke killed them.

To be clear, none of this is criticism of the people who were caught in these disasters and reacted in the way they did. Normalcy bias seems to be a part of human instinct for most of us, which means that unless we take specific steps to fight against it, it’s not surprising that it will affect our decision making.

As with most other survival-related dangers, the dangers of normalcy bias can be reduced with proper preparation. This preparation falls into one of two categories. The first is training and resources, and the second is having a defense/preparedness mindset.

The first is easy – actively fight against the instinct that tells you that “everything will be fine”. Don’t ignore the risks that you’re aware of. If you live in an area that’s affected by hurricanes every year, then make sure you have an emergency kit that’s suitable for hurricanes. Avoid high crime areas and make sure if you must go through one or be in it, be legally armed with which ever weapon you choose.  Also, be trained in that weapon and ready to deploy it if needed.  

 

Already know the most likely risks you’re facing.  You may not have prepared for them properly yet because there’s a voice in your head telling you that even if it happens, your life won’t be that badly affected. You need to start ignoring this voice and start taking sensible precautions, especially for the “known” risks that are prevalent in your area.

The second thing you need to do is a mental change to work on. Essentially, rather than “freezing”, you need to train your mind to react to danger in a different way. Normalcy bias damages our ability to react because the danger we’re facing is new and we don’t have time to analyze or process it properly. Because stress causes your brain to slow down, you may fail to act appropriately in the face of disaster, often looking for reassurance or following someone else’s lead. To avoid this, you need to avoid the need for reaction/analysis altogether and jump straight into action.

How do we do this? Easy. We drill it into our habits that if scenario A occurs, the proper thing to do is action B.

Think of the “duck-and-cover” drills that schools had during the Cold War, or fire drills that happen in offices every year, or modern-day school drills for what to do if there’s an active shooter. This kind of drilling might seem dumb and pointless most of the time, but in fact the purpose of these safety drills is to try to teach people to overcome their “normalcy bias”. If you’ve been through a drill (and you’re taking it reasonably seriously), when the real thing happens, you won’t need to analyze the situation to see what to do – you’ll know the appropriate course of action and be able to act immediately. In a genuine attack/disaster situation, skipping the analysis stage (which is slowed down by normalcy bias) could be the difference between life and death.

So, how do we apply this to real life? Simple. Drill emergency procedures for attacks/disasters that you’re most likely to face.

Don’t forget that about 70% of people display signs of normalcy bias when faced with attack/disaster, so it’s not surprising that the idea of preparedness throws so many people off.

A last scenario: It’s 10pm on a Saturday night.  You and your best friend have just finished dinner at a restaurant that you have been to many times before.  As you are walking alone towards your car you see a stranger walking in your direction on the sidewalk.  There is something about him that gives you a feeling that he is going to talk to you.  No problem, it’s not unusual for strangers to talk to each other.  As he approaches his focus is on you and he looks quickly left towards the street as he starts to ask you for a cigarette. His hands don’t look threatening but he’s fidgeting with his belt. Your brain starts sending you signals that this is a dangerous situation, but you don’t want to be rude, weird, paranoid or judgy.  While he’s asking for a cigarette, you politely tell him sorry you don’t smoke and have a nice night.  What you didn’t notice is that he has positioned his body between you and the street, putting your back to a wall.  Without any apparent warning, he takes a swing at you and now you’re in a violent robbery.

To most normal people on the street, violence is not normal.  But to an attacker, violence IS normal. 

 

As the unknown contact approaches, your gut is telling you that this is high risk, but your rational brain may be trying to search for reasons to believe that there is nothing wrong here.  There is a fight happening in your brain.  

As the encounter develops, the unknown contact continues to broadcast signals.  Looking around while talking to you, touching his pant line, moving you into a vulnerable position are all pre attack indicators.  But you might be distracted by a very normal question, a request for a cigarette.  As the encounter continues, your options to keep this from becoming a fight are disappearing.  The bad guy is trying to act normal but he’s about to do something very abnormal.  These conflicting signals are going 100 miles per hour in your brain.  

To most normal people on the street, violence is not normal.  But to an attacker, violence IS normal.  For good moral people who are unfortunate enough to have been in violent encounters, it’s much easier to defeat this normalcy bias and to take this situation as seriously as they should.  But if you’re new to the world of violence, your rational brain may be working against you.

Training to be confident in our skills, training in dealing with unknown contacts, to recognize pre attack indicators, training to communicate with skill, and educating ourselves on what violence looks like in the real world will help defeat normalcy bias.  Without having seen the real-world consequences of these encounters, it’s hard to take them seriously.  Thanks to the internet, you don’t need to look very hard anymore.  But you do need the will to learn.  

Don’t let your biases blind you to the world around you.  Take your self-defense training and education seriously.  Train, practice, survive!

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn