What Have You Done Today?

As I was writing this article one of my friends just called and said, “Antifa is coming to my town Saturday night.”  Talk about timing.   

What have you done today?

As I was walking out of my home, getting ready to go teach a level two Pistol class, I took one last look at my kids.  I was struck by what I saw.  It was early morning; the kids -- all eight of them (that’s right, I’m a Breeder, and proud of it) were still in their PJs and all captivated by the TV. What were they watching?  What were they learning? All of them, including the 19-month-old, were watching Mythbusters and were learning how to up-armor a car using phone books.  My first thought was, “Wow, nothing that cool was on when I was a kid.”  My next thought was, “If my 2 year-old is learning how to do that, what are the real world threats that are in our own backyards learning?” 

Criminals and other threats are getting more sophisticated.  They are constantly evolving and improving techniques and equipment.  If my kids know how to up-armor a car, is it a stretch to think that more threats will wear body armor?  Is it a stretch to think that threats are doing their own training?  I had already known that this was true, but that morning as I looked at my kids, the reality of it hit me like a lightning bolt. 

It is a well-known fact that gangs and other organizations have sent members into the military to learn, and improve the overall abilities of their groups.  Some of them are probably reading this right now.  That’s why it’s important to live in the real world, and not treat life like it’s a video game.  What have you done today to improve yourself? 

There is so much that you can do.  It is all about getting the right mindset.  “Better today than yesterday, Better tomorrow than today.”  It can be as simple as dryfire practice, going for a run, or spending time at the range.  Turn off the cellphone games, stop watching Netfix for an evening, stop living in the fantasy world of your own creation and live in reality.  Can “it” happen to you? You bet it can.  I have already heard from more than one of our alumni who have had to use things they have learned in class to keep themselves or their loved ones safe from a very real threat.  

That day, the students didn’t know it, but they got a little more for their money than the last class. We covered the same material as the before.  The difference was that I approached the class with an increased intensity and drive to ensure they understood what was being taught.  Because, as I told that class (and every class), there is a real chance that your threat is wearing body armor.  That’s why, as examples, for this drill we are shooting center of mass and then head, or for that drill we are shooting center of mass then pelvic girdle.  Train realistically -- as the world truly is, not as you wish it would be.  There are no cheat codes or spawning points.

So, I ask the question again, what have you done today to improve yourself?  There are always things you can work on.  Remember the lesson I learned that morning: if my 19-month-old now knows how to armor up a car, what does your threat know, and what is he doing today with that knowledge?

.  .  .  .  .

 I wrote the above almost 4 years ago.  It is more relevant today.  The world is even more crazy than it was back then.  We now have trained communists and their useful idiots rampaging on the streets all over America.  Uniformed police officers are targets of ambush.  Yes, the threats are very real, and they are getting training.  If your friends and family haven’t woken up yet, it’s time.  We have just gone through one of the most record-breaking periods of first-time gun buyers.  They need to learn how to use what they purchased.  We also need to make sure we are training up the next generation as well. 

Thanks for reading,

Jared