New Year’s Resolution For The Concealed Carrier: Part III

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR THE CONCEALED CARRIER: PART III

Happy New Year from CCW Safe!  We hope that you are enjoying this new series from Steve Moses on New Year’s Resolutions.  Today, in part three of this series, Steve wraps it up talking about shooting, and classes, clinics, seminars and programs.  

Shooting Sessions:

I don’t shoot recreationally, which may come as a surprise. Every time I go to a range or a match it is with the goal of leaving as a slightly better shooter than I was when I arrived. I limit myself to 50-100 rounds, and I shoot specific drills taken from some of the courses that I have attended in the past.  In order to perform these drills properly, I use a timer so as to not get a false impression of my performances. Much as it pains me, I avoid shooting drills that I have largely mastered and focus on drills where I perceive myself to be weak.  For instance, my current nemesis is a drill where I am required to draw from concealment and shoot three rounds into a 3”x5” card at seven yards in three seconds or less on demand. Another is one where I start at Low Ready and shoot ten rounds into a 6” circle at fifteen yards in fifteen seconds.  There is a plethora of excellent drills that can be incorporated into similar shooting sessions, and even after some of my worst sessions I still leave the range pleased with the fact that I didn’t have to label myself as a slacker.

Self-Protection Classes, Clinics, Seminars, and Programs: 

One of the virtues of training is the mental aspect.  The very act of being exposed to new information often tends to color the way we view our environment.  It is difficult to participate in a class where the importance of situational awareness is stressed or insight into how violent criminals think, hunt, and attack is presented without becoming better prepared to manage the environment around us.  There are some incredibly gifted instructors whose classes take place in a classroom, and required equipment is only an open mind, a notepad, and a pen.  One of my favorites is William Aprill, a licensed mental health professional who is also a decorated competitive shooter and former deputy sheriff.  Aprill’s course “Unthinkable” is one of the best classes available focusing on the Why, When, and How violent aggressors victimize others along with methods of developing what he describes as the “Armed Mindset.” I have been a firearms instructor for 25 years, and I will take one or two fundamental handgun courses from other instructors in 2019, possibly from trainers 30 years younger than me.  This is an opportunity to identify and correct small technical errors, and I may very well learn something that makes me better prepared to defend myself or benefit me as a trainer.  I now spend less time trying to knock one-tenth of a second off my draw time, and more time on doing the correct fundamentals over and over so that the chances I will fumble my draw or get a lousy first hit are greatly reduced.  To that end, one of my New Year’s Resolutions in 2019 will be to take a class from Karl Rehn (krtraining.com) and at least one other trainer. 

Self-Discipline is critical. There is an old saying that goes: “Trust your body”.  If I did that, I would just sit in my recliner and eat ice cream and forego physical activity and actively seeking knowledge. My body constantly lies to me, as I am frequently tired, sore, or stiff.  I tell new BJJ students that inspiration is a lousy source of motivation. If they wish to be successful, then their motivation should be based upon self-discipline and the joy found in delayed gratification.  When I see family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers setting goals and then following up, I quietly admire them. There is no reason that we too can’t be admired by others for the same reason.   

What resolutions are on your list?