Diz Sends: Active Shooter Events and You

There has been a major spike in active shooter events during the Obama regime.  There is a toxic mix of crazies, terrorists, and community agitators that has ramped up the level of violence in this country, to levels not seen since the 60’s-70’s.  Skipping over the all the discussions on the why, and all the professional mourning that follows, let’s get down to the what you can actually do to intervene and stop them.

First of all, if ever there was a better reason to attend formal training, I don’t know what it would be.  This is not training for a possible outcome; this is training for a real-world, right now threat.  So if you have decided that you are not going to sit there, and be a victim, then you need to get some training to be able to effectively intervene.

In order to do so, there are some prerequisites I’m going to suggest.  First of all, get a CCW for your neck of the woods.  This going to simplify things vastly if you ever have to kill bad people.  I know some guys insist on being rugged individualists and refuse to ask for the privilege to exercise their right, but my advice is to just suck it up and do it.  It becomes your “credentials” so to speak, and identifies you as one of the good guys, as far as the legal system is concerned.

Since we are discussing pistols here, as this will be the weapon of choice for the vast majority of people, you also need to get out to the square range and get yourself sorted out.  The vast majority of pistol owners can’t shoot worth shit.  That is just a fact.  Even a CCW license test is merely a “fam-fire” event.  If you really want to see what kind of pistol shot you are, go out to the 25 yd line and shoot a string of slow fire.  Most guys shoot close in which tends to hide errors in marksmanship.  At 25 yds, there is nowhere to hide.  Any error will be clearly seen on the target.  This is where stance, grip, sight alignment/picture, and trigger squeeze really come into play.  Work on this shit until you can put ALL shots into a high center mass area, of say 6″ x 6″, like on an IPSC target.

A good drill to support this, is to grab your buddy and let him load your pistol, either with a live round, or empty chamber.  He then hands the piece to you and you aim in and fire.  This will really demonstrate what you are doing, both good and bad.  If you fire a round, call the shot.  Then see where it actually hit.  If not, see if the piece moved around any or was rock steady.  By learning to call the shot, you will learn to be looking at where the sights are when the shot breaks.  By doing the dry fire, you will learn what you are doing wrong, as in jerking the trigger and watching the muzzle flip or dip.

If you will do these simple skill sets, you will not only be head and shoulders above most pistol owners, you will now have the basics down to attend formal training.  There are many who say that’s what I’m paying my money to learn; why should I train on my own first?  Well, the more you know up front, the easier it will be for you to progress, and the further you will progress in the COI.  By having a solid grasp of the basics when you show up, you will now be able to polish those skills, and learn a lot more, than if you’re struggling to keep up.  You will also know your weapon operates reliably, and you will know how to shoot it safely and keep it fed and running.  In my opinion, this is a basic level you need to be at to attend formal training.  Not that Max and company cannot teach you from scratch, they can, but you will learn much more if you have some basis to start from.

So now you are ready to attend formal training.  MVT offers some excellent pistol courses.  Here is where you will really learn to shoot your pistol, under pressure, in a dynamic environment.  Within the context of an active shooter event, accuracy is going to be paramount.  The tendency when training is to go for maximum speed.  Shoot only at the speed where you can keep all your hits in the high center mass area.  You will get all the tools to do this at class; it’s up to you to take them home and practice them.  Then you will gain speed.  Max outlines requirements and suggestions to attend class on his website.  Read and heed before attending.   Have your admin all sorted out beforehand.

After class, what’s next?  This is where most folks fall down.  You need to establish a regular training plan, and practice drills that polish and fine-tune the skill sets you have just been introduced to.  This is what separates the professionals from the amateurs.  You have to put in the repetitions and sweat equity to get a solid level of competence.  And then work to sustain it.  This is a continuous process.  Not one and done.  Pistol skill are especially perishable.  If not practiced on a regular basis, they deteriorate rapidly.  Attending or re-attending pistol classes annually is a very good idea.  This has to be a commitment, not a hobby for when there’s time for it.  Your whole lifestyle has to support your decision to carry and be ready to kill violent people that seek to harm others.

And this brings me to my last point.  You have to be ready to kill, and accept the chance you may be killed in the process.  You really need to do some soul-searching on this.  Make sure you are ready to kill another human being.  This isn’t a hobby or competition, this is combat shooting.  Make sure your headspace is set right.  There can be zero hesitation when your moment comes.  You also need to accept the fact that you may be killed or injured.  Choose your battles wisely.  You may be taking away a husband, father, and provider from your loved ones.  Figure out your priorities; when you will intervene, and perhaps when you will not.

I hope all this has led to your decision to attend some formal training and then practice on your own to get ready for an active shooter event.  Max has an excellent facility and staff for this very purpose.  I would highly encourage those of you that have been sitting on the fence, to come join us.

Diz sends.