{"id":1705,"date":"2023-12-07T23:51:18","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T23:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1705"},"modified":"2023-12-07T23:51:18","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T23:51:18","slug":"this-is-how-you-would-lose-a-gunfight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1705","title":{"rendered":"This Is How You Would Lose a Gunfight"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Mike Boyle<\/a><\/p>\n

O<\/span>ver the years, many individuals have tried to come to terms with and describe what is generally known as the concept of the \u201ccombat mindset\u201d. When you face a deadly threat, exactly what sort of mental focus is needed in order for you to survive?<\/p>\n

While there may not be a magic formula that will work for everyone, mental conditioning for conflict resolution needs to address two areas. The first is awareness. If you don\u2019t have a clue as to what is going on around you, you will be at a serious deficit in dealing with any sort of threat in your immediate environment. To meet with success, you also have to be willing to respond.<\/p>\n

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Knowing how you might lose a gunfight can help you survive one should it ever be forced upon you. Image:\u00a0Adobe\/wetzkaz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John Steinbeck nailed it many years ago when he said, \u201cThe final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental\u201d. Quite frankly, if your head isn\u2019t in the game, you will lose. This is true both in armed and unarmed combat. Many well-intentioned folks tend to put a disproportionate emphasis on equipment and skill, but forget about the need for proper mental preparation. At best, your firearm is an extension of your will. It simply doesn\u2019t matter what sort of gun you have or the fact that you have a high degree of proficiency if you don\u2019t see a threat unfolding, or you fail to take action you are at serious risk.<\/p>\n

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Situational awareness can keep you safe in most cases and inform you of when it is time to draw your defensive pistol in an unavoidable conflict.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I put in a long career as a law enforcement trainer, and one of my tasks was providing instruction on use of force, including firearms. It was my observation that in some of the police academies I worked at that there was a great emphasis on the mechanical aspects of running the gun, but very little on the mental side of the equation. More recently, force-on-force, scenario-based training that helps address this has become more popular, but we still aren\u2019t there yet. I found that I had to take a somewhat different approach to my own in-house training with new recruits.<\/p>\n

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One of the first rules to street survival is awareness. Crime can happen at any time, like when you are grocery shopping.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0Exactly how do you take people who were butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers just a few weeks ago and turn them into someone who could prevail in a life-or-death situation? My goal was not to turn them into paranoid \u201cwarriors\u201d, but rather to keep them \u201cswitched on\u201d to the business at hand while giving them the tools to prevail. I felt that by providing confidence in their skills, their minds would be more focused on what is unfolding before them and lead to correct decisions.<\/p>\n

Switched On<\/h2>\n

As indicated earlier, awareness is the key to conflict resolution. One model often cited is Colonel John Boyd\u2019s OODA loop, which is an acronym for observe, orient, decide and act. I would submit this is a much-simplified version of Boyd\u2019s original concept, which evolved from his experience as a Korean War fighter pilot. But, it remains very relevant to any form of personal conflict. In short, Boyd reasoned that the pilot who was able to cycle through this process the fastest was likely to be the victor. In other words, the sooner you spot the problem and put your plan into action, the better chance of prevailing.<\/p>\n

\"awareness\n<\/picture>
Awareness when riding public transport is important. If you are waiting for a subway train, do you stand where you could be attacked?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Say for example, some night you spot an individual walking toward you on a deserted street, and they are making you a bit nervous. To avoid contact, you cross the street to the opposite side only to note this guy does the same thing as he continues to close the distance. Is it just a coincidence? What do you do now? Do you run away, move your dominant hand to your holstered pistol, or discreetly access a less-lethal weapon? The bottom line is, you had better have a plan. I would submit that many street encounters unfold in the blink of an eye, but a great many can be entirely avoided if you are tuned into your surroundings.<\/p>\n

Situational Awareness<\/h2>\n

A very popular model of situational awareness is the Color Code conceptualized by Colonel Jeff Cooper<\/a>. With the Color Code, Cooper describes four different mental states and how they might impact on one\u2019s ability to react to a threat. They are as follows:<\/p>\n