From John Farnam's Quips:
June 10
"... going to guns!"
In any domestic personal-security emergency, where a deadly-force response
is clearly indicated, or reasonably anticipated, getting pistols deftly
drawn from concealment and aimed, or at least leveled, at the threat(s)
requires a finite amount of time, usually exceeding a second, and for many,
approaching two.
But, that is the fastest component!
We must add the time it takes us to mentally go from condition "yellow,"
through to "black," so our deadly-force response can even download, and
ultimately initiate.
It is here that denial, indecision, and dithering represent fatal errors.
You can practice extensively, responding to a whistle or any other signal,
drawing and firing. And, as you progressively eliminate unnecessary parts
and motions, you can get your times down to about as short as they will
ever be. And, without doubt, we should all do that!
However, without the addition of scenario-based exercises, dithering will
still predictably add as many as five seconds to your response time,
rendering your lightening-draw, and the balance of your finely-tuned physical
skills, all but irrelevant!
Through scenario-based training, we learn what to look for. We also learn
how to integrate verbal, postural, movement, observational, and
deadly-force skills into a coordinated strategy.
We learn how to disrupt our opponent's plan, slowing his ability to
concentrate, disturbing his focus, dis-coordinating his deception scheme, and
delaying/befuddling his physical attack.
These skills are every bit as important as gun-skills, and, like
gun-skills, must be hard-wired through extensive practice.
Just because you skillfully operate a toaster, doesn't necessarily mean you
can "make breakfast!" "Making breakfast" calls for a number of
integrated skills, of which "operating a toaster" is, for all its grandeur, only
one.
By itself, "operating a toaster," no matter how masterfully, will not get
breakfast served!
/John"
Word.
Michael Brown
June 10
"... going to guns!"
In any domestic personal-security emergency, where a deadly-force response
is clearly indicated, or reasonably anticipated, getting pistols deftly
drawn from concealment and aimed, or at least leveled, at the threat(s)
requires a finite amount of time, usually exceeding a second, and for many,
approaching two.
But, that is the fastest component!
We must add the time it takes us to mentally go from condition "yellow,"
through to "black," so our deadly-force response can even download, and
ultimately initiate.
It is here that denial, indecision, and dithering represent fatal errors.
You can practice extensively, responding to a whistle or any other signal,
drawing and firing. And, as you progressively eliminate unnecessary parts
and motions, you can get your times down to about as short as they will
ever be. And, without doubt, we should all do that!
However, without the addition of scenario-based exercises, dithering will
still predictably add as many as five seconds to your response time,
rendering your lightening-draw, and the balance of your finely-tuned physical
skills, all but irrelevant!
Through scenario-based training, we learn what to look for. We also learn
how to integrate verbal, postural, movement, observational, and
deadly-force skills into a coordinated strategy.
We learn how to disrupt our opponent's plan, slowing his ability to
concentrate, disturbing his focus, dis-coordinating his deception scheme, and
delaying/befuddling his physical attack.
These skills are every bit as important as gun-skills, and, like
gun-skills, must be hard-wired through extensive practice.
Just because you skillfully operate a toaster, doesn't necessarily mean you
can "make breakfast!" "Making breakfast" calls for a number of
integrated skills, of which "operating a toaster" is, for all its grandeur, only
one.
By itself, "operating a toaster," no matter how masterfully, will not get
breakfast served!
/John"
Word.
Michael Brown
