I shared this video the other day being a little funny, but I wanted to revisit this and share a few thoughts with you: I always tell my students that just a little bit of extra training will put you leaps and bounds above the average bad guy in a heads-up gun fight when it comes to shooting skill. Bad guys tend not to train very hard. Just as you can guess from watching this video, there are not a lot of serious gun skills collected in that room. However, where most good guys would be at a disadvantage is –MINDSET-. While it’s safe to say that the majority of CCW license holders and gun owners are decent people who were raised to believe violence was something to avoid and who do not typically want to hurt or kill others, the bad guy is quite likely the opposite. They do not have the reservations about violence that we do. They most often have grown up in environments where violence was not something to avoid, it was actually glorified. A violent home, the hard street life, gang or thug culture, serious abuse as a child; whatever the reason, you can bet they do not have the same aversion to actual violence that you do and THEY ARE LIKELY MORE EXPERIENCED AT IT THAN YOU ARE. They may also have a healthy dose of projected hate for you that will assist their decision in eliminating you to get what they want. This is a street version of the combat mindset, and it can be hardcore and ruthless when mixed with the experience and hatred of a criminal mind. Understanding these facts about the lack of preparation that just owning a gun or having a qualification gives you, and the seriousness of the threats you may face out there, it is imperative that you be willing to train just a little bit harder and subject yourself to some induced stress to prepare for that potentially fatal event. But all training cannot just focus on shooting skills. Like I often say in advanced classes, you can be the fastest, most accurate and flashiest shooter on the range and it will all mean ZERO if you are frozen in fear or fumbling in a panic in a life or death situation. That is why in our courses we have sections that deal with having a Lethal Force Mindset on tap for a deadly force confrontation. When your life is threatened, and all 3 criteria for lethal force have been met (you: a) have not created or escalated the situation, b) have a reasonable belief in serious bodily harm or death and c) have no avenue of safe retreat) then speed, efficiency and ruthlessness better be all that are on your mind. The only way to clear your mind of everything else and be able to focus on your job is to train yourself to that automatic level, both mentally and physically. Competency increases Confidence, and Confidence reduces the effects of fear. Take a good hard look at the level of criminal animal that is out there. They have less fear than you. They have more violence in their veins than you do. More battle scars than you have. They may be sociopathic, psychopathic, or simply have their entire ego invested in their “street cred” (which they will add to by victimizing or eliminating you.) Trust me, less of you are ready to hit that head-on than you think. Even if you are a decent shooter who, like our students, have done some stress inducing drills, shooting skill is about 20% of winning a gunfight. The other 80% is Mindset, and that is what brings you home safe at the end of the day.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 02:44:19 +0000
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