How Do You Decide What to Train For?

And take a First Aid/TCCC course.... If the goal is to keep yourself and your loved ones alive, then it's kind of silly to spend $300-$500 on a single firearms course, but not know how to apply a tourniquet or give CPR.

That's actually a really good question and brings up a lot of points.

#1 training element for me is getting my mind right to do what I have to do.
It is my opinion that this is the hardest to train for and yet is the most important.

Facing off against a violent attacker or someone one endangering the people you care about is a really scary thing. And fear has a nasty tendency to make performing tasks difficult.

#2 is awareness.
Just practicing taking note of my surroundings, people coming/going, exits, etc is something we can practice everyday all the time. The faster we can identify a dangerous situation the better off we will be. Still not great, maybe, but better.

#3 Weapon deployment and proficiency.
If drawing from concealment, it takes time to get whatever weapon you have out and engaged.
That means that techniques to create distance to buy you time are important. It takes upwards of 2-3 seconds to get a gun from a concealed location. If you can buy even an extra second or two, it's worth it.

From-the-holster-to-the-target practice, one handed shooting, using concealment/cover, moving and shooting, etc. are all things I try to practice whenever I can.

This is one that gets practiced the most because it is very enjoyable to do so.

#4 is Emergency and medical.
If you are going to be making holes, its a good idea to know how to plug them.
Basic knowledge of artery locations and how to stop bleeding is a really good start, imo.

While not actually the "worst," generally I try and train for the bad and hope that real life is better.

Generally this means training from the holster, at multiple targets, as fast as I can accurately hit them. If all my shots are center mass or head, I speed up until I start to screw up and then I slow down. When available I do this in low light settings.

To make it simple; I primarily train for 2 different environments. Home defense and out in public.

As far as threat, I typically train for the (realistic) worse-case which is multiple armed opponents. By realistic worse case, I'm talking criminals or 1-2 active shooters, not the 1/1,000,000 odds major coordinated terrorist attack. I train both H2H and with firearms, close quarters since the odds are overwhelming it will happen w/in 5yds to contact range.

That said, I also work on handgun and carbine skills at distance, it just isn't a priority. The basics of marksmanship, weapon handling, and striking will be the same no matter what anyway.

freyasman said:

And take a First Aid/TCCC course.... If the goal is to keep yourself and your loved ones alive, then it's kind of silly to spend $300-$500 on a single firearms course, but not know how to apply a tourniquet or give CPR.

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I took a SD firearms class this past spring with a nationally known instructor class and he made this exact point. Kind of shocked the chit out of me. He made it a point to let the students know what he had for a 1st aid/blow-out kit, how he carried it with him always and mentioned that the odds are we'd all make better use of a kit, and some 1st aid training than defensive firearms training.

Chuck

Chuck R. said:

I took a SD firearms class this past spring with a nationally known instructor class and he made this exact point. Kind of shocked the chit out of me. He made it a point to let the students know what he had for a 1st aid/blow-out kit, how he carried it with him always and mentioned that the odds are we'd all make better use of a kit, and some 1st aid training than defensive firearms training.

Chuck

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I had some training on this stuff when I was in the army, but the last time was probably a decade ago. I just got re-certified on CPR and the AED a couple weeks ago, and there is a TCCC course going on near me this Saturday that I will be at if they have any slots left open. $130 for an all day course and they are even going to provide lunch.... that's cheaper than most any decent pistol course I know of. And the skills are more useful; a guy I know on another message board had his life saved after a motorcycle accident by a bystander that improvised a tourniquet from a shirtsleeve and a pen, to keep him from bleeding out from a torn brachial artery.
Another thing I don't see many folks talking about, is how to spot a predator, what William Aprill calls a "Violent Criminal Actor" (VCA),or even how to recognize when they are in a more likely environment for a predatory assault, such as a "robbery corridor". Being "aware" of what's around is good, but if you don't recognize who is a potential predator, that doesn't really help much. They will be on you really fast.... you need to see them coming from as far out as possible. I check the local news every morning for crime, and I pay attention to any video footage; I want to know who, and what sort of behaviors to watch out for.
Then there is all the "Conflict Communication" stuff; https://www.amazon.com/Conflict-Communication-ConCom-Paradigm-Conscious/dp/1594393311
Can't recommend this book highly enough..... great stuff there.

You cannot train specifically.for every possible situation. The variations are endless and my wallet isn't. And neither is my time.

However, we can identify some useful skills and train in those, then apply those skills to whatever situation presents itself to us. Let's face it, we're far more likely to encounter a car accident than we are a shooting scene. More likely to have the power go out for days than be attacked by the Mongol Horde. But we like to take shooting classes because they're readily available and fun. I'm just as guilty as anyone else.

But if you asked for my advice on what to train for, I'd begin with a trauma class. Then some basic survival stuff. How to supply yourself with water and shelter if you're stranded somewhere is important. Situational awareness is a huge deal. Whether it's books or a class, get some understanding of what it is and how to apply it to your everyday life. With any kind of luck, that will keep you out of the shooting situations. But I'd still take some classes. If you CCW, start with handgun. Shotgun or carbine for home defense? Find a class that teaches skills in your chosen firearm. And a class that emphasizes retention.

In all honesty, any training is good training (unless the instructor or their method of the week sucks) and the most useful we be what you have the greatest likelihood of applying to life.

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
— Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love[1][2]

hdwhit said:

I was finishing up my second year of medical school when the host country decided I was no longer welcome to stay there. I've always assumed that was good enough to substitute for a first aid class.

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What country and how recent was this? Trauma care has changed a lot in the last 10 years, so while I'm sure you'd know a lot of the background info, it wouldn't hurt to take a refresher on things like TQs and pressure bandages, NPAs etc. Some of the more advanced shooting courses incorporate this into the material as well.

Generally in regards to defensive firearm training, I think there is a functional baseline that you should train to before you start trying to train to specific scenarios based on time of day. I'm not talking about just being able to line up the sights and control your trigger press. I'm looking more at things like can you draw from concealment quickly *safely* and effectively? Do you know how to shoot from retention and then continue shooting as you present your firearm (depending on the distances involved)? Can you do all of this while moving? Can you communicate while you're doing it? Can you shoot from cover? How about from awkward positions on the ground? Can you shoot with your support hand only? Reloads and malfunction drills? Now how about when you get close to an assailant? How's your entangled gunfighting? There's a bunch of stuff that you should be able to do as a baseline that will help in all situations before you start moving to stuff that is tailored specifically to one type of situation.

If you carry a handgun concealed, I would start there with training. If you're out in public, you're much more likely to have that with you than a rifle should something happen. Look for well known schools - most will have a good handgun course. For a first foray into this type of training, I would not try to save a buck and go with a no-name school.

After you get that first level of gunfighting knowledge, do a medical class and a force on force class. FOF is great because you get to work through scenarios with live roll players And developing situations. It's much better than just being on a range with a piece of cardboard where you know that it needs to be shot. One roll player can change from random passer by, to dangerous (but not lethal), to lethal threat, to retreating all in the course of a few minutes. This type of course really makes you think instead of just focusing on the mechanical aspect how to shoot, and is generally the best way to avoid freezing or making the wrong decision.

I'd Take a look at Southnarc's ECQC course - it combines behavioral and verbal pieces with grappling and entangled gunfighting, and has a good bit of force on force work. id recommend taking this after you do an initial course.

While you're doing all of this, also do some reading on pre-assault cues (target glancing, weight shifts, etc) and anything else you can learn about your potential adversaries. Take a look at Active Response Training. Greg has a blog with a LOT of good information about the non-gun side of the equation (he also ha gun stuff too). The "weekend knowledge dump" has a bunch of good links in it.

I don't think there's going to be one magic bullet (if you will) course that you can take to narrowly tailor your training to just your situation. Start with a good gunfighting class based around a concealed pistol and work up from there.

hdwhit said:

I was finishing up my second year of medical school when the host country decided I was no longer welcome to stay there. I've always assumed that was good enough to substitute for a first aid class.

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You're probably good then, as long as you've kept current. But 2 wars have taught us a lot about trauma care.... used to be, a tourniquet was a last resort, now it's used a lot. Take a class anyway.... if nothing else, it will be a good refresher right?

hdwhit said:

I did a search of this forum and while I found lots of posts about the importance of training, recommendations for training classes and opinions about various training techniques, I found scant advice on how someone who has never been in an SD situation goes about deciding what kinds of threats to train for given their particular environment.

So, how does someone go about deciding whether they need to train to deal with a former employer who has returned as a lone active shooter and a trio of thugs who have broken into your house at 4:00 am and ate now between you and your kids?

How does someone identify the threat they are most likely to face? How do they determine whether it will be one or multiple attackers? How do they determine whether the threat is more likely at home, office, or on the street?

Thanks.

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When I was an LEO, my gaming was to pic THE WORST scenario I could imagine and then "game it" to win.

When I retired I did the same thing.

My "worst case scenario" is a Mumbai attack in a mall or theater that I am attending with my wife [ and possibly friends ].

I train for 'that' scenario,and I pray that I do not find out how or if I would survive such an attack.

Being a Jew has a lot to do with my choice of scenario's,as Jew's were singled out for "special" treatment during that attack.

What I CCW,how and when I do so is based on that scenario and how I plan to survive it.

GETTING OUT A BACK WAY ,is THE first choice,in case you wondered.

But have a plan B,and a plan C ,etc.

hdwhit said:

Correct.

That's why I asked for guidance in how I should select those scenarios for which I should train.

As well as guidance on how the scenarios might change based on my environment, so that I could adjust my training needs as circumstances changed.

To put the question more directly:

1. If I am in downtown Dallas at 2:00 p.m. on a weekday, what sort of scenario(s) would I expect to face?
   
2. Would it be different than what I would expect to encounter in the suburban city of Frisco (34 miles to the north) while I'm on my nightly walk at 7:00 p.m.?
3. And would either of those be different from what I would expect to encounter on a farm 21 miles outside Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, at 3:00 a.m.?

And if these scenarios are different, how would I expect them to be different?

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This is a hard question to answer. You could do some research into what types of crimes are committed in these areas, and what times they happen most often; you could use realtor websites like trulia or zillow to look at reported crimes by area (type in the address and use the "crime" map they provide). You could also talk to local cops, EMTs, and ER staff (over alcohol, if possible) and get them to tell you about all the stuff that never gets reported.
But that's just part of the picture, because a lot of the factors that determine whether you're targeted, are all dependent upon you.... your appearance, behavior, apparent level of fitness, your awareness, even the way you walk, all play a big part in someone's decision whether or not to attack you instead of someone else.

hdwhit said:

Corporal Agarn, thank you for the detailed and throughful post.

Can you provide any suggestions on how to train - or where to obtain training - that will help to avoid the paralysis caused by the fear, surprise and stress?

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You know, that's a really good question. And I will do my best to put forth some ideas.

Before I continue, I want to start with the disclaimer that I do not claim to be what I would consider an "expert" on mentally preparing for a combat experience.
I am not a combat vet or anything like that and fully accept that there are likely more qualified people to go into this.
I do some studying on this topic but try to keep my violent encounters to a minimum.

I think that understanding some elements of fear will be helpful.

Fear largely comes from 2 or 3 pretty big (broad) areas:
1. Fear sets in because we don't know/understand WHAT is going on.
2. We don't know HOW to deal with what is going on.
3. We don't think that what we CAN do will have any effect the outcome.

Lets break it down with a generic mugging example:
You round a street corner and some goof hops out in front of you and threatens you with a knife.
Most people are confused by WHAT is happening: "I am being mugged???". For many of us this is the first time we have been mugged or threatened with violence. This can generate fear.
(This is why home invasions are so scary to people. If it's night time and we heard a noise, we don't know WHAT is going on down stairs.
If it is during the day, it is unfathomable for this to be happening.)

Next, HOW do I deal with a guy threatening to stab me if I don't give him my money/phone/whatever.
Without some kind of plan, you are likely not going to do well as you will be formulating the plan on the spot. This can generate fear.

Lastly, given what you know you can do, will it change the outcome to your benefit?
The answer here has to be YES. I can win. I can come out of this. I can survive and I will.
Without this attitude/mindset, fear will set in.

How do you deal with these elements?
1. Learn to recognize situations for what they are.
"I am being threatened with a knife." Or, as I like to simplify: "I am under attack".
Criminals in public often behave like predators of the wild. Specifically like sharks.
I really do not enjoy it, but videos of violent encounters can help with behavior studies.

2. Have a plan of action.
Attack! or Run! or comply.
Either one of these can be acceptable and combinations are a good idea:
Donkey punch+run!
Comply+run!
Comply+Donkey punch+Run!

3. Become a vicious savage that is an unstoppable wave of hate and fury.
You can be a 110lb woman and still have a psychological and physical effect on an attacker.
Do a video search for "Honey badger vs [anything]" as an example.
You will deal with this and you will win/survive.

Personally, I see a lot of benefit from mental walk throughs of situations. Some call it the "what if game".
The idea is run through a scenario and prepare your mind/body for your response.

Now, if you decide to play the "what if game" it is important to have a realistic assessment of yourself.
For many people just starting these mental exercises their "attackers" are the same size and weight as they are.
It has to do with our point of reference.

Here is an example:
I weigh 135lbs.
I am going to bet that 100% of the people that even consider attacking me are going to bigger than me. If I plan my "what if" solutions around a 135lb dude, I will not be prepared for the (much more likely) 200 pounder that wants to ruin my day.


Stress is another thing you asked about.
Stress does not always have a negative impact on performance, but it can.

In my own practicing, I use time as a way to stress myself. How fast can I perform X task? Is that acceptable? Is my technique for accomplish task X safe and effective?
When I practice, I almost always bring a shot timer.
I shoot a lot of competition shoots like IDPA, USPSA and 3 gun.
Since starting participation in these games I have increased my weapons manipulation, muzzle discipline, trigger finger discipline, and shooting speed/skill by a lot.
It allows me to focus my attention and brain on other things.

Now, is competition or timing myself "training"? No.
Does it help get the motor skills like "draw+shoot+hit" taken care of? Yes.
Can I perform these tasks under stress? Yes.
Is it the same stress as when someone is attacking me? Of course not.
Is it still good practice? IMO, yes.


Surprise is a difficult factor to deal with as well and has a lot to do with what I wrote above and recognizing what is going on.
Some article and writings talk about dealing with the surprise of an ambush.
#1 most important is to have a plan. I recommend keeping it simple.

Usually a surprise puts you at a disadvantage. You may need to comply until you can launch a "counter surprise/ambush".
If you make bad guy feel like he is in control (comply), he may lower his guard and give you an opportunity for a counter.


Finding a reputable training outfit that does Force-on-Force will give you a taste of the anxiety that you may experience in a real life encounter.
I encourage anyone to seek out good outfits and run a class or two. There are good ones and bad ones and different areas offer more/less opportunities.

One thing to help you gauge a good one: Not all scenarios should result in violence. In the world, you can just have some weird guy who looks like a potential threat come up to you and ask you for a smoke... and that's it.
I recommend you treat him like a potential threat, sure, but that doesn't mean he is going to be and legal issues can be nasty should you have a bad plan from misleading training.

Martial arts is also a great way to safely spar and look someone dead in the eyes with the intent of winning.

Just a few of my thoughts.
I am sure there are holes but I am working on it and open to suggestions and counter opinions.

If you read this far, good on you. This could be my longest post on THR.

Once the gun is out of the holster, I prefer general purpose training that will be advantageous in lots of scenarios. Thousands of rounds: IDPA, USPSA, Steel Challenge, custom training from experts, lots of range practice, etc.

But even more important is 1) Avoidance - you win every gunfight you avoid. I spend more time deciding where not to go and what not to do and when it's time to leave iffy situations than I spend training for gunfights. Evade and escape baby. 2) A retired policeman who is a famous trainer told me the secret of success in winning gunfights when the shooting starts is to already have the gun in hand when it starts. There is a sixth sense one can develop and see it coming. As a cop he had to keep going and have the gun in hand. As an armed citizen, we usually can simply leave when the sixth sense kicks in.

If you've never just stopped when exiting a store and waited for the suspicious characters to clear before walking the rest of the way to your car, then you don't know what I mean. If you've never decided to head on to the next gas station because of the creepy characters at this one, then you don't know what I mean. If you open a door before you've seen who is on the other side, then you don't know what I mean. If you post vacation info on social media before you've returned home, then you don't know what I mean. Due diligence can reduce you need of having to be in a gunfight by a factor of 10-100. Training can reduced your odds of losing by another factor of 10-100. You can never train sufficiently to win every one. But you can make your odds very good.

Regardless of the threat we are “most likely” to face, we do not get to choose the threat we will actually face. We do not get to choose the number of attackers. It makes sense to be prepared for a spectrum of possibilities.

The lone “active shooter” at your workplace, and the trio of home invaders, have factors in common, including the presence of innocents/no-shoots, your familiarity with the architecture and landscape, and it being rather obvious who the bad guy(s) are. In the case of the workplace attack, one must be prepared for the possibility, however remote, that the shooter is not as “lone” as you might think. Remember that it was a duo who attacked at Columbine, and the San Bernardino County employee brought his wife along, as a partner in crime.

Tom Givens’ research of his students’ armed encounters indicate that being attacked in such places as parking lots is the most-likely scenario. Workplace violence and home defense were not very common. (Not that I should let my guard down, anywhere, of course.)