I’ve been teaching Concealed Handgun License classes in Arkansas for 9 years, not as long as some but generally with a LOT more enthusiasm and information than most (or any that I have been told about in the area). I attribute most of my success from the lack of information available in my original class to get my license, my desire to research the information I felt I was looking for (following a few forums on the web, reading the books mentioned here and there, video’s, etc.) and especially seeking the best training I felt was available for me. This all takes a substantial amount of time and I didn’t want the public attending my class to feel the same way I felt about the class I had attended! Sure, they all receive their license to carry but, is this all you are looking for?
Enter Mindset—the first M.
Mindset….we have all heard this term. It is a re-conditioning of the mind. A different way of thinking about our personal safety, the way we think about self-defense, our surroundings, how we look at our preparedness. “The hardest thing to get people to do is to prepare for what they think/hope is not going to happen to them.” How many people do you know that are prepared for a major disaster like an earthquake? There are a lot of fault lines across the USA. (The fact is most states are at risk of major earthquakes, with 39 of the 50 states in moderate to high risk areas for seismic activity, ABC News reports). Does this mean a major earthquake is going to happen in our lifetime? No. Is it a possibility? Absolutely! Isn’t it just like self-defense with your gun? Are we going to need to use our gun for self-defense in our lifetime? We don’t know. Is it possible? I believe this is why we choose to carry a handgun. Yet, approximately 99.5% of the people I get in my renewal classes DON’T practice their draw or practice ‘probably not enough’. This is just one piece of the puzzle that you can do to help prepare yourself, and it doesn’t cost any money! The most important achievement in practicing your draw is the building of Muscle Memory. Muscle memory is the stuff that works when other things don’t—lights, lasers, sights, thought processes. “My Sargent said ‘In combat, you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink the level of your training”. (U.S. Marine in Iraq.)
Enter Muscle Memory—the next M.
Muscle memory is what we develop from repetition. Repetition is what we do when we train and practice. Practice is what we do if we enjoy doing something or want to learn it well. Training is what we do when this mindset starts to develop, the mental conditioning starts to change, the desire to prepare for that ‘worst case scenario’ kicks-in and we understand that just having a license and a gun may not be enough! It is proven that trained people survive more often than those that do not train. When is it time to start training? The time to start training is NOT in the fight! The training I have taken at Suarez International IS the best training available! I use some of the info I learned at those classes in my classes for CCW. The people attending the FOF classes I have put on in the past say they can’t believe how easy, enjoyable, real, useful and totally awesome it was! Professional training is where you learn the proper techniques, mechanics and some of the mindset values to help you build your mindset and muscle memory for that time you believe/think/hope will never happen to you.
