The Missing Ingredient in Self-Defense

I start every one of my concealed firearm classes by saying that it's a basic course. There's only so much I can teach in 7-8 hours: the basics including the laws that apply to personal defense. It might be enough to deal with a rookie crook. But, to ensure coming out on top, we all need a lot more training in all aspects of fighting.

We must understand that the bad guys have no rules. We good guys have two rules:
1 - Use lethal force only when justified - your assailant must have all of the following:
• Ability (weapon or disparity of force) to kill us or cause serious bodily harm.
• Opportunity (close enough) to kill us or cause serious bodily harm.
• Intent to kill us or cause serious bodily harm.
2 - Win (The attitude to merely survive is not enough):
• As long at rule number 1 is satisfied, there are no more rules -- cheat in every way possible to win -- spit, bite, kick the groin, curse, etc.
• We stop fighting only when his attack ceases and rule #1 no longer applies. At that point, we are no longer justified in using lethal force.

The idea that an attacker will toy with you at gunpoint for hours is only for movies. That never happens in real life. Lethal encounters are almost always extremely violent, chaotic, and last only seconds. In order to prevail in a lethal encounter must have adequate knowledge, skill and attitude (KSA) to respond instantly to a threat. So, we must always be building our KSA:
• Get advanced training in all aspects of fighting from someone more qualified than me.
• Practice regularly so that employment of KSA and tools is automatic -- requiring no high-level thought because, when faced with a threat, you will experience tunnel vision, fail to hear things you normally would, loose fine motor skills, and loose the ability to reason.
• Role-play and visualize attacks and responses thereto.

Nobody ever knows how much KSA will be required until the fight is over. So, get all the training you can now, before you need it.

Click here for a good article on the "missing ingredient" in self-defense.

Videos are a poor substitute for hands-on training, but here are three:

Secrets of a Master Gunfighter: Jim Cirillo's Advanced Guide to Combat Shooting and Gunfight Survival (DVD)


Tactical Pistol Training Tips (DVD)


Jeff Cooper's Defensive Pistolcraft Tape Series (DVD)