We had a great Basic Defensive Carbine class last weekend. The skill level of attendees ranged from a first time carbine operator to an active duty soldier who has seen multiple combat tours. Everyone learned (including me!), everyone worked hard, everyone had a great time. More of the Lessons Learned in the next newsletter.
This Introduction to Handgun class will be held at Fludd’s Gun and Pawn, 2049 West Evans Street in Florence. If you have any questions, you can reach Derrick or Daniel at 843-669-7363.
IH-1 is designed for the new or prospective first-time handgun buyer (or someone who just wants to become more knowledgeable). We’ll handle different types of revolvers and pistols. We’ll discuss how they work, practice loading and unloading (with dummy ammunition), learn what the various parts are called, etc.
A quality handgun is an investment in more ways than one. Don’t get the wrong gun when it can so easily be avoided. A little knowledge can go a long way toward keeping you safe and not wasting money.
If you already have a handgun and want to learn more about, by all means bring it!
This is a non-firing class and no live ammunition is allowed in the classroom.
Cost: $50
Time: 6pm to 10pm
Situational Awareness Tip
Situational awareness is not just a crime prevention technique. Being aware of your surroundings can help make the world – life – more interesting. It can also help you avoid the results of someone else’s carelessness:
Watch as the driver of the vehicle approaching from the left side of the screen moves to avoid getting caught up in the impending semi crash. Now, imagine that’s you stuck at the crossing fiddling with the radio in your car. Or, making a call on your phone.
Would you have noticed what was coming in time?
We all do that kind of stuff. The key to living through it is to not get so fixated on some Tier 2 task we forget our first priority when around strangers: To know who is around us and what they are doing.
Tier 1 tasks:
1. Know who is around you and what they are doing;
2. Maximize your ability to see and move;
3. Know where you would go and what you would do (have a contingency plan);
4. Honor your instincts.
At Paladin Training we call those four items the Fundamentals of Situational Awareness.
Tier 2 tasks:
Anything that is not necessary for your immediate survival that distracts you from a Tier 1 task.
The point: We train ourselves to constantly maintain situational awareness. When that becomes a habit – a lifestyle – we’ll feel so uncomfortable while doing those other, less important, tasks that we’ll continually break away from them to scan our surroundings.
Napoleon is credited with saying, ‘A commander may be forgiven for being defeated, but never for being surprised.’
A strange thing happened to me today: I saw someone Paying Attention. I was walking across the post office parking lot toward my truck and I passed a man who was staring intently at something or someone off to the side.
I make eye contact with everyone I come near. Most people are either doing the Zombie stare straight ahead or looking down at the ground. To see someone actually looking around at their surroundings is odd.
I never did see what caught his intention. Yes, I looked.
And don’t let a stranger’s apparent focus on something out of your range of vision prevent you from keeping one eye on him!
Urban Break-Contact, Carbine class update
The 3 Day UBC class scheduled for 18 – 20 NOV 2011 is full. I’ve had to turn away so many that I’m seriously considering adding a second class right away. If you’d like to participate in this training but didn’t get in to the inaugural class, contact me ASAP and tell me your preference:
UBC in DEC 2011 or JAN 2012?
Successful completion of our BDC or equivalent is a pre-requisite to attend UBC.