THE Most Important Element in Self-Defense?

If you had to choose, what is THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL element in self-defense?

  • Situational Awareness

    Votes: 159 88.3%

  • Gun/Caliber selection

    Votes: 1 0.6%

  • Shooting skill

    Votes: 8 4.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 12 6.7%
  • Total voters
    180
In my mind situational awareness is a totality of the circumstances and incompasses many different things. Your consciousness of your surroundings, your observation skills of those very surroundings, your willingness to avoid those situations (if possible), your willingness to use other options than your gun, your willingness to use the gun if necessary, your proficiency with the gun. I voted situational awareness but in my mind there is much more to it than that.
 
oh wait - everyone seems to have forgotten the most important element of self defense:

don't ignore intelligence and warnings of an impending attack for 8 months.*








*just joking - please don't kick me out
 
i voted awareness but there's alot to be said for training. ie; being able to use your weapon like you were born with it in your hand!
JMHO
tom
 
i agree with mind set. however saying situational awareness is not bad as most people who have situational awareness also have the proper mindset to defend themselves or not be in a bad situation in the first place.
 
I voted for other. I do feel situational awareness is one of the most important aspects. If you can avoid trouble, so much the better. However, I consider mindset ultimately to be the most important. You can have all the awareness you want but, I think there is still always going to be the possibility of something completely unforeseen occurring. Mindset is ultimately what matters most IMO as, if you are attacked, you need to fight for your life with everything you've got and NEVER give up. 9 times out of 10, in my opinion, mindset is the one major factor differentiating losers and winners, in any context.
 
self defence

Clearly a willingness to defend yourself. Situational awareness prevents the other guy getting you first, but unless you have the willingness to defend yourself and kill- and a lot of people do not have this, you will not succeed.
 
situational awareness dosnt mean your in condition red 24-7 as Barney fife would say "A coiled spring ready to act"
One can not stay in red like that it would /will wear one out.
That said awareness is the primary skill.
 
Clearly a willingness to defend yourself. Situational awareness prevents the other guy getting you first, but unless you have the willingness to defend yourself and kill- and a lot of people do not have this, you will not succeed.
Click to expand...

Yet not being aware to what is coming will kill you while the aware person who may not have the drive to kill or be killed can avoid the vast majority of situations based on awareness alone.

Like the car commercials stressing safety, the safest way to survive an accident is not to have one. Likewise with life threatening self defense scenarios.
 
Awareness helps us stay out of combat envelopes

Rule # 5. The BEST gunfight that ever was, was the one that never happened!

If that fails, Awareness and alertness may help us with the next task, decisively and aggressively attacking our opponent.

Good Luck & Be Safe
 
Gun centric folks usually choose awareness, because it suggests they won't ever succumb to distraction or surprise, and thus be in a position to either leave or deploy their firearm in a timely manner.

But... that's not always the case.
 
And that said, I voted "other" with mindset in... mind. Hit 'em, stab 'em, shoot 'em to the ground. What ever it takes to carry the day from your compliment of knowledge, skill, and ability. DOn;t have much of a compliment? Well, everyone starts somewhere. I sugegst you start today.

Oh, and don't get me wrong, situational awareness is important and refining and practicing it are quite valuable.
 
Erik, I can't speak for others but the reason I chose situational awareness is because all my tactical training and shooting ability goes out the window when I'm starring down the barrel of a 45. You will not get the chance to deploy your "other" if the bad guy gets the drop on you. Tactics and training are also very important.
 
all my tactical training and shooting ability goes out the window when I'm starring down the barrel of a 45
Click to expand...
:eek:

I have always said that there is something about looking down the barrel of a 12 gauge double-barrel shotgun that strikes fear into the heart of any man. The barrel of a .45 is similar and tends to make most forget anything they ever knew. :) I have never had that experience and do not want it but I think you are on to something in trying to avoid it if at all possible. :cool:
 
Situational awareness is the key! You can be the fastest gunslinger and the sharpest shooter in the world but if you have no clue what's going on around you...R.I.P.
 
Situational awareness.

I have never been in a confrontation I didn't want to be part of (except in the military).

I believe you can usually see this stuff coming from a long ways off, and take measures to slow its approach enough to extricate yourself from the scene of an impending crime, if you want to.

In fact, if you SUDDENLY find yourself in an uncontrollable situation, you likely were not as aware as you thought.

Now understand I'm sure there are things you can run into on the street that develop beyond your field of vision and suddenly blind-side you, however in the wide view I believe it comes down to percentages like: how often do you choose to be in "that" part of town. etc.
 
I couldn't resist

"Gun centric folks usually choose awareness, because it suggests they won't ever succumb to distraction or surprise, and thus be in a position to either leave or deploy their firearm in a timely manner." Or, being loaded for mice find themselves facing a wolf.
 
kind of a loaded question isn't it?

I voted SA but that of course is no argument against the others. The question that remains is how do you train SA and when does it become paranoia. I think people spaz about the other aspects because they are easier to quantify and control.

Just read a few threads and you will see stuff like:
What caliber is better?
What bullet is better?
I am shooting off to the left, help me out.
I have yet to see the post "should I stare off and daydream or pay the f#@^ attention.

Stay alert stay alive:)
 
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