The Value of Training

Are you willing to bet your life upon what you know about gun fighting? With all the personal, legal, and financial risks that accompany the use of a firearm for personal defense, are you prepared to engage in a situation that could result in your death, disability, or a prison term?

A recent article published in the Washington Post illustrates the difference in how people react to a violent attacker. The scenarios depicted in the article demonstrate the difference between someone who has not had personal defense training versus individuals who have had some training.

Observe the illustrations on the right. Good training can easily mean the difference between life and death should you be confronted with a situation such as an armed robbery, mugging, road rager, or home invasion.

There are plenty of examples where people have been hurt or killed because they did not know how to fight with their firearm. In this example, an unarmed convenience store clerk fought for control of an assailant’s gun. He was fortunate not to have been killed. However, this individual who was armed and had a permit to carry, was unable to deal with a stoppage and was subsequently murdered by the man who had been stalking her.

If you’re not trained, your likelihood of success in a fight is greatly diminished.

The next example is the exception that proves the rule. This individual was forced into her house by a violent criminal. When she fought back and the attacker dropped his gun, she retrieved it and was able to stop the threat. She is a hero and a fighter for taking advantage of an opportunity to stop the threat.

With determination and some luck, she was able to prevail. However, I would not recommend depending upon a lucky happenstance to be able to effectively deter an attacker.

What is the value in training? It provides the opportunity to draw upon the experience of many who have gone before us and have the practical experience of what works. Taking what you learn from hands-on training and practicing what you’ve learned will give you proficiency and consistency in the skills you acquire.

Allow me to illustrate. In professional golf, there are the occasional hole-in-one shots that are both exciting and spectacular. However, it’s not those shots that win the tournament. I will paraphrase the great professional golfer Hubie Green, It’s not the great shot that wins the tournament, it’s the little mistakes that lose the tournament for you.

In the same way, it’s not the lucky shot that will save your life, it’s avoiding little mistakes that will get you killed.

Hubie also often quoted the old saying, “The harder I practice, the luckier I get”. Training and hard work will bring success in life. So will it bring you success when you have to fight for your life.

What can you do? Take the next step, go beyond the permit. Attend a defensive firearms course. Practice what you have learned. Work your way up to unconscious competence. Make your own “luck.”

You Are the One who must choose between being the Victim or the Victor. Don’t bet your life on luck. When the effort is made to train and practice, you will be able to depend upon the mindset, tactics, and skills you have worked hard to acquire to win the fight and avoid prison, permanent disability or death.