Every time I've seen someone (mainly a female) in the news that was attacked or taken advantage of, my initial response was..."I’d like to see so and so try that with me! That would NEVER happen to me! What an idiot!" I think a lot of us say something similar. It's human nature to think personally, we are equipped to handle a life or death situation with cat like reflexes and the grace of ballerina. Fact: YOU will probably never be fully prepared for an attack.
Let's go back in time 5 years. I was sitting in a CCW class. I thought I knew everything. I scored a 100% on my written exam and even made a perfectly tight grouping on the live fire test, with my shiny new Kimber Custom Shop firearm. I, of course, bought the $88 holster my instructor recommended, and away I went, with the certificate in tow. I was unstoppable. In my head, I was ready for anything. I pitied whoever would try to break into my home, or attempt to harm my kids or myself.
Three years later, and I had no training under my belt, other than some hours spent at the range, reinforcing bad habits. At the urging of my brothers, I decided to look into a defensive firearms course. After researching instructors for several months, I took the plunge and enrolled. I watched countless hours of videos, and read the syllabus. I will admit, I was reluctant to follow through. I finally hyped myself up enough to promise that I would finish the course, regardless how stupid I felt or how much I may embarrass myself. I felt like I owed that much to my 2 small kiddos.
The 2 day course I took honestly changed my perspective on self-defense. What in the beginning was a humble and emotional roller coaster, turned into the biggest dose of self-confidence I've ever experienced. I was far from perfect while participating in the drills, but it showed me what I needed to work on. It challenged me to think outside the box (or indoor range), that I had mastered 3 years previously. Looking back on the experience it taught me that training and education is an ongoing process. Things and people change, so you constantly need to adapt. You will never be fully prepared for an attack, but you should be trained on things like what to look for, how to use different tools for self-defense, first aid, and most of all, be honest with yourself in everything you do. It’s easy to practice things you’re good at, because no one ever wants to fail. Sometimes, failing at something shows us our true weakness. By exposing our flaws, we learn opportunities on how to improve ourselves to be better than we thought we were.
If you do one thing for yourself or family in 2014, I would urge you to take a self-defense course from a reputable instructor. If you carry a firearm, or keep one in your home, then make sure you take a defensive firearms training class. Too many people read a magazine, or watch a YouTube video and consider themselves “prepared”. Take pride and ego out of the equation and realize that you are not perfect. Don’t be afraid to be “that guy/girl” in a class, everyone must start somewhere. Ask questions, do some research and take an active role in your future. You owe it to yourself, and your loved ones.
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| CFS Class Tyler, Texas May 2013 |
