Is your primary method of defense a firearm? For some, this may be necessary. If you are physically incapable of defending yourself due to illness or injury, then that's logical. However, if you are a physically capable individual, you shouldn't be relying solely on a firearm for self protection.
-What if you aren't near your gun when you need it?
-What if you are in a location that doesn't allow you to have a gun?
-What if you are physically in a position that won't allow you to deploy your gun?
-What if you drop your gun or it becomes inoperable?
This list could go on and on. Go online and watch videos of self defense situations and you will quickly see that the use of a gun isn't always the right choice or available choice. That being said, what should you be doing to protect yourself and others? Training in some form of self defense method is crucial to your safety and possibly survival.
Not all self defense training is created equal. Sadly, I have seen video after video, instructor after instructor who teach self defense methods that are down right dangerous. They give you a false sense of security and can ultimately get you injured or killed. When looking for a self defense course, seminar, or class, you need to be looking specifically at the instructor and their background. You also need to look at the method with which they teach self defense.
What To Look For In A Self Defense Course/Seminar/Class
If the course/seminar/class promotes that the instructor(s) or platform are law enforcement or military based it does not mean that you will learn effective self defense techniques. You as the customer need to do your research into who the instructors are and what they teach. A few things to look for in a course include:
-Who is the instructor, what is their background and how long have they been teaching? Just because the person has a flashy biography does not mean that they will be an effective instructor. I've seen plenty of people who peddle their military/law enforcement background as credentials who couldn't teach a dog how to lick their own butt.
-What techniques are they teaching? Are they using well known, verifiable self defense techniques that have been proven in real life situations? As a neophyte you may not know what is useful or not. If at any point while being instructed you think to yourself, "There is absolutely no way that this is practical or could work," you are probably in the wrong place. Techniques should be effective, repeatable, easy to remember and usable across multiple attacks.
-Is the instructor "guaranteeing" that you will be able to protect yourself? Sadly, there is no Lemon Law for self defense. If you get sold a bad product, it could cost you a lot physically, mentally and emotionally. There are no absolute guarantees in self defense. If a person blind side punches you from behind, your instructor can't guarantee that you'll be able to protect yourself.
-During a course/seminar/class, are you going hands on with other students or the instructor practicing the skills you are being taught? This is typically called Force-on-Force training. Punching the air won't teach you what it means to punch another individual. If you are being taught how to gouge eyes, you obviously can't do that in practice but you can put your hand on the person's head and fingers near their eyes to simulate the defense. You should be performing hands on movements so that you are realistically training.
My Experiences
I personally have 20 years of wrestling, grappling, basic Army combatives, jiu-jitsu and Krav Maga experience. My wrestling and grappling background come from scholastic wrestling in middle school and high school. I then went on to coach for another 10 years at the middle and high school level. My jiu-jitsu experience came through formal and informal training during and after the UFC started to increase in popularity in the late 2000's. I then joined the Army Reserves and completed basic Combatives training then went on to start training in Krav Maga for the last 3 years.
Overall, my experiences across all of these platforms have helped me become more efficient in self defense. My training in Krav Maga the last three years has greatly enhanced my abilities and I find it to be the best all around self defense platform if instructed properly. My time learning Krav has included a combination of punching, kicking, elbow work, ground work, weapons defenses and more. Again, this only applies if instructed properly by someone who is solely focused on self defense and not in giving you a cardio class. Although there is a belt based system I do not follow the belt program. I have been instructed on what is necessary to help protect myself and others by causing the most damage to the aggressor.
Conclusion
Relying solely on your firearm for self defense is fine if you have some sort of physical handicap that would preclude you from effectively protecting yourself or others. If you are physically capable, you need to take the time to train outside of the firearms realm. You will be doing yourself a great service by learning how to use your body as a weapon in case you find yourself separated from a firearm.
Stay safe. Stay educated. Stay practical.
-Pat
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