The value of high-quality training cannot be overstated. Whether it be in sports, music, business or just about anything else; training
is one area where quality AND quantity are equally important. Nowhere is this more important than in self-defense training.
Unfortunately, the majority of people do not seek quality,
professional training. However, this
doesn’t mean they are not being trained.
In actuality, these people are being trained every second of
every waking hour by two of the least quality
trainers there have ever been: Denial and Complacency.
Webster defines Denial as, “a condition in which someone
will not admit that something sad, painful, etc., is true or real.” Some examples of being trained by Denial are:
- “I live in a safe neighborhood.”
- “We have a lot of police presence.”
- “If I don’t go to dangerous areas, I’ll be safe.”
- “If something bad happens, I’ll call 9-1-1.”
- "We have security personnel at my work."
All of these examples are easy for people to
believe. They don’t require any effort
or expense and they are safe, comfortable and comforting. However, they are also completely false and useless notions which can get you killed. The fact is that crime and violence can infiltrate
the most secure neighborhoods. Crime and violence can start
and end in a matter of seconds, long before anyone can come to your rescue. Crime and violence can find you no matter where you are
or where you go. And they can happen no matter how much security is provided for you by someone else.
Webster defines complacency as, “a feeling of being
satisfied with how things are and not wanting to try to make them better.” Some examples of being trained by complacency
are:
- “I bought a gun, that is enough.”
- “I took a class once, when I first bought my gun.”
- "I’ll just rack the slide of my shotgun, that is enough to scare someone away.”
If you speak with anyone who's job involves combat, they will tell you that the most important part of their
professional lives are when they are training. Whether
the training is physical, emotional or intellectual, frequent training is
required to keep your current skills sharp as well as learn new skills.
As a firearms and personal-protection instructor, I spend a
considerable amount of time and expense on seeking out training for myself. This is for my own benefit, so as to make me more
proficient both mentally and physical at defending myself and those I care
about. It is also for the benefit of my
students. I take the best of what I
learned from others and incorporate it into our own training offerings.
I cannot stress enough at how important it is to seek as
much training as you can. Often it takes
a conscious and sacrificial choice to give up something you value such as one or two days of a weekend to take a class or to not buy tickets to a sporting event in order to save the funds to pay for a class. However, it is well worth the sacrifice of a couple of weekends and a few hundred dollars a year in order to take the training, at the end of which you will have gained far more than you lost.
So, whether you like it or not; whether you consciously choose
it or not; you are being trained in vast quantities. The only question is: Will you be trained by Denial and Complacency or will you be trained by quality and
professionalism? It’s up to you.
Be A Bighorn.
