Recent Home Defense Seminar

I taught an LTAC Home Defense Series - Part One class to a full room this past weekend.  It was a privilege to spend Saturday afternoon with that group. It also was one of the best seminars that I have taught.  What made it so good was that the attendees came prepared to learn.  Two of the things that stood out was: one, the number of questions, and two, there were more couples in class than ever before. 

The questions were almost nonstop.  That is the way to get the most out of one of our classes.  It is so important to understand the why as much as the how.  When it comes to room clearing, there is just so much garbage out there. We have been indoctrinated by movies, TV, well-intending people who have no real clue, and then there are just the flat-out charlatans.   A great example is keeping that pistol underneath your chin at chest level while you search and clear, not thrust out in front of you, even slightly dipped as some teach.  If it’s thrust out, it limits your situational awareness by having that object in your face.  It makes your reaction time slower by swinging the pistol to a threat if needed, instead of pushing out to it.  It can be taken from you or pushed off line much easier if it’s not back and protected by your body.  Even though I taught all of this, it was the repeated questions that ensured that the students understood better.

It was a joy to see so many couples taking this seminar together. To be honest, single-man clearing sucks.  At some point, even after you have “pied” as much as you can into a room, if you must go in, you must.  That means entering the room with your back turned to an unknown for as brief a period of time as possible, but your back is still to an unknown.  If you find yourself in the situation where you have to move in a home invasion, working with someone is, by far, much more desirable. 

With couples taking the class together, they not only ask me questions, but then they had conversations right there as they thought about the layout of their homes.  They discussed how they would apply the principles I was teaching to their own lives.  If you can’t get your significant other to come to class, then you must at least have a conversation with them.  They need to know what you intend to do and how they should respond.  With the increased chaos in this world, even the most hardened advocate for putting one’s head in the sand and ignoring the real world is being forced to face reality.  Now just might be the time to attempt that conversation with them again. 

Few things in life can be more frightening than waking up from sleep to a noise, then the realization that someone is inside your home.  You need to start making a plan now.  Plan now so that you will better be able to deal with whatever comes your way in the future.  Ask yourselves the hard questions: Why would someone break in? How would they enter? Do I know my neighbors?  What room would make the best safe room? What firearm would I choose (out of what you own) to defend myself.  Can I actually use the firearm under stress?  Do I have friends that could help until the police arrive?  Am I someone that others would call on to help?  If I’m not, what do I need to change in my life to become that?

These questions are just the beginning.   

Jared