By Dan Meadows, The Shooting Channel
“No Mind”
As with any type of shooting or hunting sports, regular practice sessions will be your KEY to successful shooting with any type of bow or firearm. A lesser known quality of consistent and regular practice sessions that are developed through this practice is called “No Mind”… This of course does not mean that you are out there hunting, shooting or practicing without any thought of what you are doing, but it is more a sense of knowing what you are doing (through practice) and by applying what you have learned without having to think about what you are doing at that moment of your shot. There are several books out there on the subject. One such book is: “Instinctive Shooting” by G. Fred Asbell at www.gfredasbell.com .
“A Shooters Stance”
“If you cannot stand well, you will not be able to bring your enemy (attacker or an intruder) to their knees”… A shooters stance is so very important while shooting any firearm. As we all know, there are many firearms instructors and coaches out there who will teach you a variety of stances or platforms in their classes or training sessions.
Shooting stances should become second nature, but grappling with an attacker while dealing with another is one seldom taught at the local range.
With all of the stances being taught, we will no-doubt find that there are stances out there that are good, bad and even down-right ugly in their applications or practicality of use. With all due respect to my colleagues, and in my most learned and professional opinion as a long-time trainer, coach and instructor, a shooter should know, train and practice with them all. That’s right, try them all, but only use those stances which are comfortable, usable and effective in your defensive circle.
Through repetition, trial and error, and of course your countless practice sessions and drills “use only what works for you.” Instinctive and reactive positioning will always be the key and shall be dictated by many factors (both in practice and in real world situations or real-life engagements), such as; course of instruction, terrain, weather, mission, mobility, equipment, weapons, engagement, disengaging from threat, proximity to others (team members, principals, target aggressors), etc.
If the situation doesn’t look right….it isn’t.
“Proactive Readiness versus Complacency”
I have held many conversations over the years with military members, police officers, protection specialists and with guards that I have trained. When talking about proactive readiness versus complacency, one’s positioning, stance and pistol shooting skills are extremely important in your day-to-day training, your mission, or in your on-duty readiness. As all are important to us, no one area “alone” will cover all of the “all-protective cone” requirements for our survival by themselves.
Training regularly is the one thing that can save your life.
Each drill, training scenario or mindset preparations that we put ourselves through will be key to our survival success of the mission we serve, or in our on-duty shift performance. Now, as you will soon realize, this is not all that we need to survive-the-threat from others who would do us harm. As a professional trainer, I do not and will not carry “complacency” within my teaching of others, nor will I have it as a part of my own team’s survival structure.
Each year, I am here to report that with much sadness, there are officers, agents, guards, and military personnel whose lives have been lost over their individual complacency, or their on-duty readiness. In our world, there is “no room” for complacency in our lives or in our mission readiness to serve others! As a survivalist, you must always be ready, always be on-the-guard, and always be proactive in each and every training and on-duty readiness performance.
Always know what’s going on around you. Never drop your guard and become complacent.
Yet, unknowingly, there are also unforeseen moments of complacency that we will sometimes fail to realize in our day-to-day activities, as a mission ready or on-duty survivalist. You will find that there are, or can be, unforeseen moments of complacency within our lives that we will deal with on a daily basis, such as; “The Failure to Know Our Enemy”. In other words “those people in our world who would do us or others harm”. As an effort to “KNOW MY ENEMY,” it is my strategic plan and part of my ongoing research and planning to become a “PROACTIVE SURVIVALIST.” I do this by being (PRO-ACTIVE) in my day-to-day training and in my tactical survivability. It is my responsibility to me, my family and towards others to protect myself first, and then protect and serve my community and others within our society.
Being proactive should always be a part of your daily survival plan because anything less could be deadly. Being PROACTIVE is still the best and only offensive or defensive plan for your survivability. Complacency in our lives should never-ever kick in, under any circumstances. Let me repeat that mantra… Complacency in our lives should never never-ever kick in, under any circumstance.
Dan Meadows runs the TAP3X Group of Companies and Co-Host of The Shooting Channel. If you are an archer I recommend Dan’s articles at The Shooting Channel – click here.