“No passion so effectively robs the mind of all it’s powers of acting and reasoning as FEAR.”   Edmund Burke                                                                                                     Fear is a necessary emotion but one that must be controlled and one whose affects we must acknowledge. In training we learn to work through and gain control of our fears. We learn to perform tasks even when fear is there on our shoulder shaking our bones. The bad affects of fear can be conquered but fear also is part of keeping us functioning with regard to what is happening around us. Fear has a profound affect on how we perform in a critical life threatening incident. Stress also has a significant affect on how we perform. We can inoculate ourselves to stress through scenario training and force on force training. With fear and stress comes the “Adrenaline Dump”. It is capable of robbing the body of essential functions for survival in a critical incident. It is essential to recognize that the effects of adrenaline and other “stress chemicals” released in a demanding or critical incident can have positive effects on strength and performance. Most of us have heard the stories of “Superhuman” acts and feats of strength shown by someone in a emergency or critical incident. There is a need however for understanding and controlling these effects, as it is necessary to insure that the impact of the adrenaline dump is performance enhancing rather than performance destroying. Yes, the adrenaline dump can destroy performance. Here again we prepare ourselves for dealing with these effects through formal and informal defensive training, stress inoculation through scenario based training, arousal control techniques, tactical breathing (centering as in martial arts), stress management, competition at some level, and physical fitness. Taking on a mindset and preparing the mind to deal with the events leading up to, during, and the aftermath of a critical incident will increase our chance of survival as much as physical training. The facts are that when we encounter a life or death survival situation or combat there are things that can and most certainly do happen. The bowels may release, uncontrollable urination, some will freeze in place, some will run away, some will fight and act, some will even act without regard for their own safety. We know these things happen because of research and the interviews of soldiers, law enforcement officers, and private citizens who have been in and survived combat or critical life threatening incidents. Physiological and psychological affects. Knowing they happen and accepting them is part of preparation and developing a defensive mindset. Training the mind is as important as the physical training. Physical training aids in developing the survival/defensive mindset needed in a critical incident because, if you don’t have the physical ability to fight it will affect your confidence and your ability to fight back. Your ability to survive a critical incident and the aftermath will depend on training, mental toughness (mindset), your ability to control fear and the adrenaline dump, your will to live no matter what injuries you receive or how grave (mindset), and physical fitness. Book after book, article after article. New studies and statistics are coming out all the time on how and what affects us in a life threatening defensive situation. As time goes on we learn more and some of the studies, statistics, and other information of the past have been updated with new material and others just proven wrong or it has been found that they were poorly presented and misinterpreted. Others have just been used wrong to sell something. These things are talked about in the training industry over and over. None of this is new, but it is something we need to be reminded of from time to time. You are best served by knowledge, preparation, and training. As instructors we can only try to help and reach those who are willing to be reached, willing to learn, and willing to be taught. A final thought; “The fight or flight mechanism is for animals or the untrained, not a warrior prepared for death or danger.” Not sure where that quote is from.                  

I just read an article written by Dick Metcalf in the Guns&Ammo magazine. A magazine that I have been a subscriber to for many years.  Mr. Metcalf is the technical editor for the magazine and has been well known in the firearms industry for many years. In this article he discusses his thoughts and standing on the 2^nd Amendment and the semantic argument over regulation and infringement of the 2^nd Amendment and firearms ownership. He starts off with the passage; “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”  First, if you look at firearms laws on the books, many of these laws are an infringement at some point of the “Right to Keep and Bear Arms”. Look at the passage Mr. Metcalf points to in his article as it reads. Regulated here is directed at a State Militia not the regulation of the individual. “Regulated Militia” Then we see the part about infringement; “The right of the people shall not be infringed.” Infringed is directed at the people not the state Militia. “The Right of The People” The 2^nd Amendment, “Right of the people to Keep and Bear Arms” has been infringed upon many times under the terms of regulation. No where in the 2^nd Amendment does it specify the type of arms or any regulations on them (I.E. magazine capacity, caliber, arms type, training requirements, and so on). In resent years we have taken back some of the regulation/infringement on our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Today every state in the union has some type of concealed carry law allowing the individual to go armed for the purposes of defense. We have come a long way and we are gaining back some of the ground lost through “Regulation”. Granted we do need laws. We are a nation of laws. In truth, the right of the people to keep and bear arms has been infringed upon many times. When it comes to training the amount and level of training a person needs should be left to the individual. Training requirements are regulation and are infringement. Once the minimum amount training has been received to meet the regulated requirements it is up to the individual to continue with the training and preparation for an event we hope never happens in our lives. It goes to the level of personal responsibility and the level of internal motivation to train within all of us. As a trainer I believe we should all, as responsible gun owners, train to attain the highest level of proficiency and preparedness as possible within our means.  The problem comes when bureaucrats go to excess to make it more complicated, and for some near impossible, for the responsible people to acquire a permit to carry in an attempt to limit. My thoughts are that Illinois has done just that with the 16 hours training requirement and high cost. Any regulation or restriction is infringement. I disagree with Mr. Metcalf. I won’t boycott the magazine or call for his dismissal but he has stepped out of the room on this one.

From Tim:

Because of a new policy at Tri-State Gun Club and the changes in the rules prior to it I made the decision a few weeks ago to build a range on my property to teach defensive shooting classes. Tri-State’s new policy and some of the restrictions; Shooting ranges will be available to organized shooting groups or instructors by appointment only. Dates and times must be approved by the board. New Range fees, restrictions on reserving the range to one eight hour per month, 30 day application before board approval (board meets once a month), reservation must 30 days in advance, the board to determine range fees on approved reservations, $40.00 minimum fee on reserved range, Reservation policy applies to law enforcement as well but the fee will be waived. This is the short side of the policy. The policy takes effect October 07, 2013. It was not delivered to me but placed in my mailbox. Because of the policy I would not be able to teach one on one classes or multiple classes in a month. So I have built the place and it is a private range not open to public. I believe in what I teach and I am completely for promoting firearms safety and safe gun handling skills and responsible gun owners and Carry Permit Holders. With the building of this private range the price listings for classes will remain where it is. If I should teach at Tri-State I will have to increase the cost of classes which would make it unaffordable for many who want defensive firearms training. So here it is! The T-M Firearms Training Range is ready for students! This could be the step to bigger things down the road!