Photography by Corey Lack and Henry Z. De Kuyper
A Top Trainer Gives the Lowdown on How to Build Skills for a Deadly Encounter
Safety Disclaimer: The concepts and techniques shown here are for illustrative purposes only. When handling firearms and training tools, always observe all firearm safety rules. Seek professional instruction before attempting any techniques discussed or shown in this story.
Gallons of ink and thousands of trees have been consumed to provide tips on concealed carry. This is not one of those articles. In the grand scheme of things, learning how to analyze a problem is a much more important skill to have than simply becoming proficient at producing a particular outcome. What to learn is less important than how to learn.
There are fundamental concepts and processes that must be followed in order to find success in any training program. If you are going to practice (we use the word practice and train interchangeably here, but realize that “practice” is often done alone whereas “training” might be done with a teacher/instructor), then you must address the end goal first. For example, if your goal is to be able to fly an airplane, then your training and practice should address the skills necessary to fly. Since this article addresses training for a fight, it might be important to dissect the fight we are preparing for. In this case, the “fight” is an unavoidable encounter where your life is threatened and deadly force is justified.
To understand this fight better, it’s helpful to refer to a document and information shared by Tom Givens, owner of Rangemaster in Memphis, Tennessee. Tom has done significant research in how civilian (and plainclothes law enforcement officer) gunfights occur — and has had at least 64 of his own students involved in “defensive gunplay.” His research points out what happened in real-world gunfights, and is key in figuring out how to train for them. Here is what his data shows:
Tom advises, “Early in your training, I would suggest that the student direct his or her efforts toward mastery of the core skills listed. I consider that the best approach is to model our training to match what we see occurring over and over again in the field, rather than hope what happens in the real world mirrors what we like to do on the range.”
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