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Issue 34
The Benefits of Advanced Training
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With virtually any activity you pursue,
the more practice-time you put into the activity, the more proficient you'll become.
Sports, singing,
cooking - anything.
But there's a catch: If you're practicing improper techniques, you will usually
end up with unsatisfactory results.
Consider golf. Many people head out to the course a couple times a year
to play at company tournaments, or random get-togethers with friends. They may go to the driving range a couple times
before the games, but if their technique is poor to start with, the result will generally be less than was hoped for.
Their performance stays consistently bad!
Seeing a golf pro and taking
a number of lessons can many times fix bad habits and bring their game up a notch or two.
Firearms or other
personal defense tools are no different. Training and practice will make you better. And just like golf, many
people will purchase a defensive tool, and it will sit, gathering dust in a closet until it's needed.
Where there is a huge difference between golf and defensive weapons is in the end result of bad habits. Clearly, with
a firearm, pepper spray or stun gun, improper use can have devastating consequences.
With any training, you have to set an expected result. For a golfer, you may want a longer and straighter
drive, or the ability to quickly hit out of a sand trap. Personal defense tools the same. You need to know what
you want!
Some people buy firearms to take up shooting sports where the primary purpose is accuracy. Olympic-style
marksmanship or skeet and trap shooting with shotguns are examples. Many people find it very relaxing "plinking"
with a .22 rifle.
The most common reason people purchase a firearm is for personal defense. This is the focus
of our Intermediate and Advanced Pistol classes. We teach the proper, easily repeatable techniques to use a handgun for personal defense under a number of situations.
The core of the classes is safety - getting all shots on target in the least amount of time possible by the student.
We start with the basics of presentation, stance, grip and trigger squeeze, and proceed through multiple targets, rapid fire,
one-handed shooting and shooting from the weak-side.
These are all skills you need to ensure you are able to defend
yourself under virtually any circumstance.
Before you take any sort of advanced
training - be it golf, singing, cooking or personal defense - spend some time talking with the instructor to ensure
that your goals are in sync with the course content.
Then, regardless of the type of training you take, you MUST
practice your skills. Shooting skills, like virtually any skill, are perishable.
If you don't practice regularly, you can't expect to perform at top levels - perhaps when you need those skills the
most.
You can find some advanced tips in our Newsletter archive. Of particular interest may be Proper Stun Gun Usage (issue 12), Reality-based Training (issue 25) and Weak-side Shooting (issue 30).
Next Issue: Road Rage
Bison Risk Management Associates is a Northern California-based company providing Personal Safety and Emergency Preparedness training, workshops and consulting
for individuals, businesses and organizations.
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