We spend thousands of dollars on ammunition, accessories, tactical gear, range time, and firearms. We spend countless hours refining our skills, doing our best to punch the X in the center of our targets. We time our draw, measure off distances, shoot around obstacles, and do the “tuck & roll”. We are 100% badass, and we…..are….ready.
Well, that is until the time comes that we have to put all of that training into practice. Then we quickly realize that our house is not set up like the range. We remember that there are a couple of kids that weren’t at the range when we were slinging lead and getting our “tactical” on. We remember that the targets at the range weren’t armed with crowbars, knives or guns and that those targets at the range were not trying to eliminate us from the equation. Those targets were not shooting back, hiding in the dimly lit corners, or waiting for us to come to the bottom of the staircase.
But none of that matters….we’re still bad-asses, and everyone else will know it, because our epitaphs will say so.
Now in the real world, tragedy, turmoil, and danger never come to us at the moment of our choosing. They are not broadcast to us in advance, giving us time to prepare. They happen when least expected, and the familiarity we have with our surroundings is often nullified by the element of surprise. It does not matter how well armed you are, or how fast you can get sights on target if you are trying to wrangle up the kids, tripping over the cat, or halfway into your slippers when the bad guys are already in the house.
It’s already accepted that your level of hand-eye coordination and general motor skills will diminish in a crisis situation…given that fact, and the added stress of not knowing exactly what the threat is….you quickly realize that there is a lot to be said about Training Beyond The Range.
Your home is not only your castle, it is your chosen battlefield. You must know every inch of it. Where are your blind spots, your points of egress, points of access? Where would someone hide if they got in and heard you rustling about? Where are you most and least vulnerable? Where in your domicile do YOU have the upper hand if someone were to come in unexpectedly….with violent intent?
Great…you have answered the aforementioned…but what about your family? Do your kids know what to do if you should have to engage a perpetrator? Do they know where to hide, where to run, or in the worst case, how to defend themselves? Does your family know what to do to remain out of the line of fire? Do they know how to get out of the house and to someplace where they can be safe…and what they need to do when they get there?
Yes? No? Maybe? These are all crucial points that you need to be able to address as YOU are the primary defensive weapon for your family. Yes…YOU. Not your handgun, not your rifle, not your shotgun….YOU. All of those are just the tools you may have at your disposal. The most important tool, however, is your plan….the plan you have for peace, the plan you have for combat, and the plan you have for the aftermath.
The better coordinated that you and your family are in the event of an emergency, the more likely you are to come out safe, and alive.
With that in mind, it is your primary responsibility to not only plan for the worst but to practice those plans. The very same way you would run a fire drill, you need to run drills for other threats. Not only do you need to have a plan for being armed, but you also need to consider the times when you might not have immediate access to a means of defending yourself. What do you do if it’s 3 am, your family is all asleep, you’re in your skivvies, and you’re sneaking a snack from the fridge and someone comes crashing through your back door? What is your plan? Have you practiced it?
While it may all be a little overwhelming to try to create scenarios in your mind to account for, and it may also be a little far-fetched to imagine a dozen zombies bursting through your windows all in a search for brains, there are several instances that you can plan for and practice….repeatedly.
The idea is to not only give yourself a level of tactical training at the range but to give yourself as many home-field advantages as possible, and the ONLY way to do that is to put yourself in the mind of the bad-guy, explore your vulnerabilities, and figure out how to limit those vulnerabilities in whatever way you can. This is your life, your family, and your home…all of which need to be able to act together when, and if, the time comes.
The investment in time that you spend on Training Beyond The Range will, heaven forbid you, need to cash in on it, will be the most valuable time you could invest.
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