At some time in our life, we have heard the old saying, “Beware of Cheap Imitations!” This old saying not only applies to tangibles, those things readily identified as real, but also to intangibles. For example, the perception that training could really take place.
I was once told that everything can be used for something; If nothing else, as a bad example. There are many firearm and martial arts videos on the World Wide Web and those available for purchase, which expound on a certain technique taught by a self-proclaimed “expert”. Many of these “training” videos, presented under the guise of “For Information Purposes Only”, may not only get you killed at most but prosecuted fully by the law at least.
One such video addressed shooting an armed attacker from your vehicle and then simply “driving on your merry way”, as it was put by the presenter. As a responsible firearms owner and carrier, I hope that you can see the repercussions of this type of action, should you “drive on your merry way” after a lethal force encounter.
Rather than selecting U-Tube videos as sources of training, select a firearms training school or course that is, by the way, a responsibility that all firearms owners should bear. Watching a video on U-Tube does not fulfill this responsibility.
Recently, Matt Schlueter authored an article on choosing firearm-training classes, which provided some good basic information (see: 3 Tips on Choosing Firearm Training Classes).
Some states require taking a mandatory Firearms Safety Training course that will satisfy one of the requirements for firearms ownership under law. Other states have no such requirement for training and leave it up to the gun owner to seek training as a personal responsibility. A good place to start is with one of the many NRA courses presented by certified NRA instructors. The NRA provides a website where you can perform a search for NRA instructors in your area for the various courses (NRA Instructor Search). Note also that the USA Carry website offers a listing of firearm instructors; one or more of which may be in your area.
From basic firearm handling to advanced handgun and long-gun training, some firearm training businesses may offer multiple levels of training according to your needs and/or requirements. Some might say that some training is better than no training. While this may be true, some bad training can get in the way of a controlled response to a threat by providing preconceived actions that may be detrimental rather than helpful.
As a last note, you may have realized that the more training you receive the more responsible with a firearm you must become. It is up to the individual to continue training with his or her respective firearm(s) as much as possible. Firearm training courses are expensive and you may have to save a while to attend one. Range time may be expensive and you may have to put off buying something you want in order to afford something you need. When you attend training or when you are simply practicing, make it quality time and not just a cheap imitation.
Photo by alexkerhead
