Self-Defense Classes: What They Teach & Why You Should Take One

By: Joel T. Nadler

I have been an advocate for taking training in self-reliance since I was young, and as I grew more experienced, I started providing the training as well.  I have been a certified firearms instructor for over three decades as well as first aid, emergency preparedness, and firearms safety. Depending on where you reside, training may or may not be formally required to exercise your 2nd Amendment right to carry a firearm, as the state laws vary substantially. Regardless, I personally believe that carrying a tool capable of deadly force carries with it an obligation to do so competently, legally, and morally.  Thus, if you have decided to regularly have access to a firearm for self-defense, you should train yourself to use it well if needed, understand what you can and cannot do legally in your jurisdiction, and consider what you are willing to do within those constraints.  

Terminology

 Self-defense classes usually fall under the concept of training.  Training is the development of new knowledge and skills related to specific competencies revolving around self-defense. Training often includes structured education but can also be self-taught. Training improves a person’s ability to understand, perform, and make decisions within a given subject. Practice is doing something already learned repeatedly to improve one’s skills. Simple actions are practiced making them second nature (not needing conscious thought). Thus, practice focuses on developing expertise in specific tasks. 

Vince Lombardi is often credited with saying “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”  This quote highlights the importance of training to guide further practice.

Within this framework we train to understand what and how to practice.  We practice to then become proficient in those skills.  One does not work without the other.  The best possible training class can only achieve so much without dedicated time devoted afterwords to practice.  And hours of practice, if not practicing skills correctly can be equally if not more so damaging.  An informal expression in math and science is “Garbage in, garbage out.”  This same idea can be applied to self-defense.  If you have poor information in your training, subsequent practice will be reinforcing poor behaviors and skills.  Thus, it is important to make sure we are practicing what is perfect (at least for us).

The Value of Training 

The importance of training is to make sure the skills and knowledge needed, once learned, are correct and will lead to better practice. This highlights the importance of reliable, high-quality training.  Though not every instructor is of high quality, reviews, certifications, and length of success can all be indicators of a quality instructor. Though knowledge can be trained through self-study, reading, and from other online sources, taking classes in person allows you to interact with the instructor, ask questions, and better assess the quality of the training. Ideally the instruction can also include coaching to better focus your later practice. Even those that are almost entirely self-taught have likely received some in-person instruction to better their knowledge and skills. Thus, though training can be separate from structured classes, often the best focused training is in the classroom.

What Knowledge and Skills Do We Learn in Training

Training is best when it is designed to be 1) adaptable to our personal needs, 2) provides the ‘why’ to what is being taught, and 3) lends itself to clear further practice.  Generally, we take self-defense classes to obtain knowledge and skills.  Knowledge can include information about gear and techniques, understanding of the laws, and what steps should be followed after a defensive incident.  Skills include situational awareness, the fundamentals of defensive marksmanship, and the mechanical operations of our tools. 

Knowledge

Knowledge is the information you gather through experiences including facts and concepts.  Knowledge is less about how you do something as compared to the why you would take certain actions.  Most self-defense classes will include knowledge about various topics including the background or “why” of certain skills.  Knowledge is best practiced through repetition (reading, listening, notes) compared to the more hands-on practice of skills.  Though there are plenty of categories of knowledge that may be discussed in any given class, there are some key areas that we can learn from self-defense classes. 

The first area of knowledge is about gear.  This can include information about different firearms, holsters, and other defensive items such as non-lethal options, knives, and flashlights.  Learning the advantages and disadvantages of various tools can help us make better choices of what is more likely to work for us – and why.  The second broad area includes techniques such as situational awareness and other ideas to reduce the likelihood of us being targeted for violence.  Situational awareness, as well as presenting a confident and alert persona, goes a long way to making sure we are not in a situation to need defensive skills in the first place.  

Legal Issues are the third category we need to understand.  What are the specific laws governing the use of force nationally, in our state, and even our local jurisdiction?  We are not going to recall specific ordinances in a moment of high stress but understanding what legally is and is not allowed helps us to think through what we would and would not do.  Once we understand the legal requirements, we can also consider our own personal and moral standards.  It is important to understand our own thoughts on self-defense and the laws that govern its use.  If an event does happen, having the knowledge of Post Event Responses gives us the ability to avoid common mistakes. The importance of calling the police, what our responses to arriving officers should be, and when to stop talking are all important procedures to learn.

Skills 

Skills are more the application of knowledge in real-world situations. If knowledge is the “why” then skills are the “how.” Skills are often physical behaviors such as being alert, projecting confidence, and mechanical and fundamental use of a firearm.  These skills lend themselves to post training practice. Though skills can cover a wide range of behaviors I tend to break them down into three categories including situational awareness, fundamentals, and mechanics.  Situational Awareness can easily be practiced as a skill, learning to be aware without being paranoid takes effort, but can easily become second nature. Once the knowledge of what constitutes situational awareness has been obtained, it is easier to practice in in our everyday lives.

The Fundamentals of defensive marksmanship include such physical behaviors as breathing, grip, stance, presentation, sights, and trigger press.  Though easy to explain, like a good golf swing mastering all these elements takes time and practice.  Classes provide basic drills and tailored techniques allowing one to become an overall better shot.  What one learns in a class lends itself to practice afterwards. Mechanics in contrast is everything outside of shooting a firearm.  This includes various malfunction clearances, racking a firearm, ways to safely carry and draw, as well as various types of reloading.  Classes provide the basics of these techniques and then provide guidelines for further targeted practice. 

Conclusion

Though the acquisition of knowledge and skills can take place outside of formal classes, there are many advantages to learning in such a format.  In addition to coaching and questions, the focused time on learning, applying those lessons, and suggestions for structuring practice all provide value.  Regardless of your current skill levels, structured classes provide a focused time to better consider all of these issues.  Additionally, if you are ever in a defensive encounter, having evidence you devoted time and effort to structured classes will further your defensive case.  Taking the time to hone your knowledge and skills will make a solid argument that you knew what you were doing, understood the laws, and took the right to self-defense seriously.  Finally, taking classes from different sources will further your own understanding of these important issues, and help you better articulate the choice you have made regarding gear, techniques, and when to use force.