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GUNS ALONE ARE NOT SELF-DEFENSE!
By Michael VanBlaricum
There exist an extremely dangerous
and ill-conceived idea among some gun enthusiasts that simply having
a firearm will provide all the self-defense protection a person
will need. Just this past weekend I had a gentleman who stopped
by my booth at a trade show commenting, "yeah I don't need any
self-defense training because I have my Permit to Carry". I
asked this particular gentleman if he had participated in any additional
training after taking his State Mandated Permit to carry course,
such as Tactical Pistol, Knife Defense Training, Weapon Retention,
etc. The gentlemen responded that he had not. I continued on to
ask if his Permit to Carry Instructor taught him how to properly
carry his firearms, draw from his holster, how to perform emergency
reloads and how to use cover and concealment in a gunfight. This
gentleman simply responded, "I don't need any of that fancy stuff,
I have been around guns my whole life". As the conversation unfolded
the gentlemen volunteered that he does not practice drawing from
his holster, does not practice his reloading skills or even dry
fire exercises. The final straw was when he commented he only live
fires his carry weapon about twice a year. I politely removed myself
from this particular gentleman and continued with the business
of the day knowing that some people prefer to live in the self-deluded
belief that they could protect themselves if the time came to it
without any realistic training.
The art of self-defense combines
the aspects of biomechanical techniques, mindset, training and
tools. Without in-depth knowledge and training in all these areas
of self-defense, a person is unprepared for the reality of violence.
Guns, knives, Martial Arts, violence awareness and prevention seminars,
etc are simply tools that one can use in a self-defense scenario,
but by themselves alone they are not the embodiment of self-defense.
Now I love a person with
confidence as much as the next person but let's be honest, self-confidence
is one thing, self-delusion is another. Just because I've been
driving the majority of my life, does not mean I can win a NASCAR
race. Throughout my career as an instructor I have always been
amazed that there are some people who prefer to ignore reality
and believe that some small token of training or purchase of a
weapon is all they need, ignoring the fact that any self-defense
skill is perishable and may not have been appropriately understood
in the first place. Many people buy a firearm for either home or
self-protection and believe that just having the gun on their person
or in their home is the only self-defense measure needed, ignoring
the fact that anyone can have their own weapon turned against them.
My experience as Law Enforcement,
self-defense and firearms instructor for the past 20 years has
taught me many lessons and I feel I can no longer ignore these
dangerous myths and misconceptions that have already cost people
their lives. For some, it has become more convenient to believe
a fallacy then to take action and train and prepare.
Myth 1: "I have a gun and
that is the only self-defense I need"(or "I have a permit to
carry.")
A gun by itself is simply that;
a gun, a tool and nothing more. Loading the pistol and firing at
a stationary target is not self-defense. Having a Permit to Carry
a Pistol alone is not self-defense. From 1993-2002, in the United
States, there were 636 Police Officers feloniously killed in the
line of duty
Myth
2: "I'm a combat vet and I saw the worst fighting..
it's like riding a bike"
Fact:
All self-defense skills are perishable. You will
respond in a life and death situation the way you train. If
you are negligent in your self-defense handgun skills training,
you and your body will respond in such a manner. Surviving
wars, fights or earning a black belt, etc. alone does not prepare
us for the ever-changing brutal reality of violence unless
we are constantly training and updating our skills. Surviving
such situations does give us insight into the reality of violence
and life or death situations, but it does not make us impervious
to bullets. If we ignore the lessons of the battlefield and
consciously choose not too train in a realistic and effective
self-defense manner we are ignoring a life lesson imparted
upon us. Many Heavy Weight Boxing Champions have shown
us the dangers of complacency. Many past Boxing Greats have
rested on their laurels, accomplishment and egos and allowed
themselves the luxury of slacking off on their daily training
regiments believing that their past greatness will still win
the day, only to be shocked and dismayed when some unknown
under-rated boxer steals the world title from them. A gunfight
is no different. Just because you survived a War does
not mean you will survive the crack head breaking into your
house at 2 in the morning.
Myth
3: "I carry a gun every day, so I have nothing to fear
from knives"
Fact:
Under 21 feet a knife will win every time against an untrained
shooter. Many people refuse to believe this until they
see an actual demonstration. Time after time, Many instructors
in the law enforcement community demonstrate the "Tueller" drill
and watch as the faces of our officers show concern and fear
because their myth of "a gun as a superior weapon" was demolished
by this simple demonstration where a knife wielding attacker
covers the 21 feet and cut the officers throat with a training
blade while they fumble with their weapon. Knives are actually
one of the biggest threats to officers. Knives are a dangerous
weapon that can be employed at point of contact, creating massive
permanent wound cavities, causing mechanical and biological
trauma with excessive blood loss leading to shock and death.
10% of all officers who are shot in the line of duty die whereas
30% of all officers attacked with a bladed weapon die[3].
These facts become truly terrifying when we also consider that
the majority of all self-defense shootings occur under 10 feet,
which is well within the kill zone range of bladed weapons.
Dealing with bladed weapons is actually an extremely important
training aspect for Law Enforcement Instructors and we must
constantly be training ourselves and our officers on the latest
techniques and procedures so we can defeat the knife-wielding
suspect while on duty, especially since most knife attacks
against officers occur either during the interview process
within the personal space or during an attempt at arrest.
The
essence of self-defense is the ability to defend oneself against
an attacker using any and all necessary violence of action to
end the threat against ones life. Any weapon is just a tool that
we use in defending ourselves. Whether one uses their own body,
a knife or gun to defend themselves, the principle remains the
same, that to survive an attack on your life, one must realistically
train and be honest with oneself about their self-defense skills.
A
gun is a tool that can be used in self-defense, not self-defense
itself. People who have guns and do not receive additional
training are a danger to themselves and others. Law abiding gun
owners in America have a moral and ethical responsibility to
train themselves and acknowledge the fact that a gun is a tool
that can be used to protect or harm the innocent. Unrealistic
self-defense ideologies only add to the gun problem in America
and these misguided beliefs only get people killed, they do not
save lives.
About
the Author: Michael Andrew Lord VanBlaricum is a Certified Law
Enforcement Instructor, Certified NRA Instructor and Master Black
Belt Instructor in Hapkido Hoshinsul and Owner and Chief Instructor
of LordVan Tactical LLC. To contact Michael or learn more about
LordVan Tactical LLC self-defense philosophy or seminars visit www.lordvantactical.com or
call 651-324-6854.
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