Eye opening combatives class last night. I may have to rethink my EDC. Tonight’s class has been in the works for a while. We all had to get training versions of all of our EDC gear before we could run it. The instructor set up 10 self defense scenarios, 5 were ambush scenarios, 5 were escalation scenarios. We each ren through all then, then reviewed video and discussed how things went. The one irrefutable take away from the class is that if you don’t already have it in your hand you cannot use it as an initial defense against an ambush, and anything you can’t get into action very very quickly you probably won’t get to use at all. What has me considering changing my EDC, is that it seems like more defensive options may not be better.
In several incidents, students very obviously hesitated to choose an appropriate response. More than once, students attempted to use one tool, only to then try to change to another. As for me, I completely ignored some of the things that I carry, even when they would have been better in the situation than my response.
I have carried OC for years. I have received over 40 hours of training in its use (I am even on the dept. Of corrections training video in my state). OC would have been an ideal response in 2 of the escalation scenarios, but despite having an inert can, I used empty hand skills only in 1 and hand to hand with my folding knife in the other.
I never touched the training tactical pen I was carrying, even though we use them all the time in class, and I have been carrying one for over a year. I used several of the skills we have trained with the pen, but I used my unopened folding knife for them.
Real time decision making under stress is hard. The only tools I used were my handgun, flashlight and knife, and I never even opened the knife.
Overall I think I did pretty well and learned a lot, but if all 10 incidents had been real, I would have lots of stitches, 3 or 4 stab wounds, and a gunshot wound in my right bicep.
In several incidents, students very obviously hesitated to choose an appropriate response. More than once, students attempted to use one tool, only to then try to change to another. As for me, I completely ignored some of the things that I carry, even when they would have been better in the situation than my response.
I have carried OC for years. I have received over 40 hours of training in its use (I am even on the dept. Of corrections training video in my state). OC would have been an ideal response in 2 of the escalation scenarios, but despite having an inert can, I used empty hand skills only in 1 and hand to hand with my folding knife in the other.
I never touched the training tactical pen I was carrying, even though we use them all the time in class, and I have been carrying one for over a year. I used several of the skills we have trained with the pen, but I used my unopened folding knife for them.
Real time decision making under stress is hard. The only tools I used were my handgun, flashlight and knife, and I never even opened the knife.
Overall I think I did pretty well and learned a lot, but if all 10 incidents had been real, I would have lots of stitches, 3 or 4 stab wounds, and a gunshot wound in my right bicep.