You keep (or are considering keeping) a gun to protect yourself and those you love, and for good reason. Without question, a gun is the most effective tool for self-defense available to you. But what else is there? Besides owning a gun, what steps should you take to ensure that you are prepared to use it effectively to defend yourself, should your life or the life of a loved one ever be put in danger?
Are You Prepared?
As a firearms instructor, I’ve talked to tens of thousands of gun owners about this topic and realized that very few people know how to answer these questions. Most gun owners at least recognize that they need to have some level of proficiency with their gun. Perhaps they have a trusted friend or relative teach them how to use it. Maybe they take a class. They may even regularly visit the shooting range for some practice. But is that really enough in a situation requiring self-defense? And how would you know if it’s not?
Given that most people are (thankfully) not required to use their gun regularly to protect themselves, they don’t have a reasonable standard for determining whether they are truly prepared to engage in self-defense. And knowing the answer to that question could literally be a matter of life or death.
Wake-Up Call
If you’ve never had a reasonable standard to determine if you are prepared, you are not alone. In fact, I was once in exactly that situation myself. At the time, I had deployed twice with the US Army to Iraq and Afghanistan. I was an Army-qualified Expert with the pistol and rifle. I thought I was a good shooter, because the Army told me I was. I regularly practiced with my handgun, and carried it with me everywhere I was legally permitted to do so. I figured I was as prepared as someone could reasonably be expected to be.
I was in for a wake-up call. Thankfully, this call did not take the form of a criminal attack. I shudder to think what might have happened if it had. But fortunately, the event that woke me up was attending a class with some highly proficient gentlemen who showed me what true preparation looked like. I was humbled to learn just how much I had to learn. See, the Army hadn’t trained me as well as I thought they had. The truth is that I had received very little Army training with a handgun, and it is both ironic and a sad testament to the low qualification standard that I was able to shoot expert on the Army pistol qualification. This qualification had the effect of building in me a false sense of security. Even the rifle training I had undergone, while more extensive, did still not cover the full range of skills that I needed. I count myself incredibly fortunate that my inadequate training did not cost me life or limb in Iraq or Afghanistan.
It turned out I had a lot to learn. That moment was a turning point for me, and would lead me to devote myself to mastering self-defense shooting and teaching others to do the same.
This is the beginning of a seven-part blog series that will provide you with a very basic, easy guide to getting on the right track regarding personal protection with a firearm.
It draws from the lessons I have learned over the years, both in my own training and from the thousands of students that I have trained. I hope that by following the seven steps that I’ve outlined here, you can avoid the false sense of security like the one I had built and become truly prepared to be successful if you are ever required to use a gun in an act of self-defense to protect yourself or those you love.
Before We Begin
First, you’ll notice that there are 7 “simple” steps, not 7 “easy” steps. While everything I am about to share with you is simple on the face of it, it is not easy. It will require time and effort on your part. It will require you to self-assess and be honest with yourself. It may require you to set aside preconceived notions and misconceptions. It will require you to confront troubling thoughts and make difficult decisions.
There’s a reason that many people prefer to live in the false security of ignorance or willful blindness. But the peace of mind you’ll experience once you are truly prepared is amazing. It’s a sense of security that nothing else can give you.
It’s not easy. But it’s well worth it.
Second, this is not meant to be a replacement for actual training! You will only fully grasp these skills and master them when you practice and hopefully attend a class with professional instructors. We would love to see you out on our ranges!
Think of this blog series as the intellectual preparation before you sign up for a class or start practicing on the range.
Enjoy!
Aaron is a retired Army Reserve officer & a two-time combat veteran (Iraq & Afghanistan). He left a career in IT to become a firearms instructor. In over fifteen years as an instructor, he has trained soldiers and civilians, & attained instructor certifications from Glock, Sig Sauer, & the NRA Law Enforcement division. He also worked for three years as a full-time range master at Front Sight, the country’s largest private firearms school, and has personally trained over 6000 students. When he’s not teaching, he enjoys real estate investing, stock market trading, board games, and ballroom dancing with his wife Brandi.
