More Weekend Reading

Jon Low has published a new Defensive Pistolcraft newsletter.  Near the top, he links to the transcript of a podcast on the topic "The goal of self-defense is to break contact." I would say that is generally correct so long as you recognize that sometimes it is not possible or desirable to break contact. One of the participants, Steve Moses, explains:

    ... And break contact to me is that I do something or cause an action that prevents myself and the other person from having physical or immediate physical contact. So breaking contact can be that I can cause a pause in the action to the extent that I can create distance or get behind a barrier or inside a room (Find your hard corner #29), lock the door, drive off. To my mind, that’s always preferable.

    And if that is not available, then it may be that I have to take an action, whether it’s verbal (De-escalate with verbal cues #19) or physical, to stop that person from making contact with me. It may be that he or she or they just stay in place so I can then get away or something that creates an impulse on their part to get away themselves. And many times you’ll see that in street encounters, as well as in home invasions and burglaries, when the armed defender responds and responds appropriately. 

This is the first of "36 Lessons for Armed Defenders". Jon has included a bunch more links to articles that further discuss the subject of breaking contact.

    Jon relates:

     According to the Dallas Morning News, at trial, the prosecutor asked, “When you aimed and pulled the trigger at Mr. Jean — shooting him in center mass right where you are trained — you intended to kill Mr. Jean?”  

     “I did,” Guyger replied.  It was the wrong answer.   

He explains: "We, self-defenders, never intend to kill.  We shoot to stop the attack.  Our intent is to stop the attack.  The condition of the attacker is incidental to our purpose of stopping the attack."

     A couple points from "Active Shooter Training Tips" by Ride Or Die Gun Training LLC to keep in mind for active shooter events, particular for those that feel obligated to carry around a larger weapon in a pack in the event they have the misfortune (or perhaps fortune from their perspective) of being caught up in such an incident:

1.  ANYONE NOT wearing a law enforcement uniform is viewed as a potential threat.  

2.  ANYONE NOT in a law enforcement uniform & carrying a weapon in hand is viewed as an imminent & deadly threat.  Proceed with extreme caution!!!

You might want to revisit the basic point above that the goal of self-defense is to break contact. 

    I don't regularly carry pepper spray, but I have a canister on my "bump in the night" belt. Jon comments: 

     "Pepper spray only works on people we don't care about." 

      In Marine Corps military police training, we were taught that pepper spray does not work on 10% of the population.  It worked on none of the young healthy dedicated Marines in the military police training platoon.  Every one of them fought through it.  

     It is unlikely that the thug attempting to abduct you in the Wal Mart parking lot is a pussy who will be detered [sic] by pepper spray.  And his accomplice won't be detered [sic] either.  

    Sorry, that's just reality.  

 A lot more there, so be sure to check out the whole thing.