What should a defensive artist practice?

[Glamdring]

On another thread Mort agreed with me "that most shooters don't shoot like they realistically ought".

So I figured I would throw this out for discussion. What should someone concerned about self defense, and defense of family/friend that are next to you whenever, practice & study? How should they prioritize these skills? Where do they draw the line between self defense and fun/recreation? Not saying you can't enjoy it but if it is a self defense need then it should receive higher priority on the money & time budget.

Here are some of my thoughts on the topic.

Novice:
Get a weapon. Start with a handgun, since you can carry handgun more places than long guns your more likely to have it if you need it. Practice safe gun handling every day, or at least 5 out of 7 days, so it becomes deeply ingrained [I include loading, unloading, presentation, etc in this...all done safely].

Shoot at least a box of shells [ie 50 rounds] a year. [Remember this is for self defense not gun nuts...for people who think they NEED this to stay alive, etc. they don't always have $ to spend on ammo and range time]. Two boxes of ammo would be better. Don't shoot all your ammo at once. Budget your ammo and shoot once every 3 or 4 months.

Dry fire at least once a month. Practice basics of shooting [ie front site, consistant grip, etc] while you dryfire.

Buy and read Cooper's Principal's of Personal Defense. Read it at least once every 3 or 4 months.

Intermediate:



Advanced

 

[HeadHunter]

Novice: As part of Dry fire, practice running to get the gun out of its storage place and bringing it to another room, since that is the most likely scenario.

Intermediate: Get a CCW license. Practice 50 rounds twice per month. Dry fire every week, including drawing from holster. Take a class, if not required to get license. Shoot some kind of competition at least once a quarter with your own gun.

 

[Edmund Rowe]

The Way of the Warrior?

Hmmmm....

In no particular order, someone concerned with defense should:

-Get his mind right. "Mind-set is the key" as Jeff Cooper said.

-Keep your training, and evaluation of it, realistic. If the first shot out the pipe hits exactly where intended, the shooter is practicing enough. I honestly feel that someone could dry fire twice a week every week and live fire a few times a year and be reasonably good, assuming he had a good foundation to start on. Most people I talk to do not dry fire hardly at all, and to them I say shoot 25-50 perfect rounds every few weeks to keep their skills up.

-Keep your body in reasonable shape

-Constantly study and train in whatever fits your lifestyle to improve in all aspects of fighting: verbal, passive, offensive, defensive, legal considerations, firearms, empty hand, stick, knife, grappling, steel-toed boots, etc.

Edmund

 

[Spectre]

Guy, what is a "defensive artist"? "Why we fight" should be what motivates us, but sometimes waiting is counterproductive. You agree?

 

[Art Eatman]

Spectre, I think that the honest person has an inherent handicap, in that we consider the legal aspects of situations, as well as the physical. Consider how many threads and posts we've had right here on TFL speaking to that very thing. Our legal code--and the mindset of its administrators--is not geared to "pre-emptive strike". Our moral codes, generally, also are not geared to it, either.

Ergo, "self defense" by definition has come to be limited to reacting to hostile action.

The obvious problem is that your "waiting", giving the Bad Guy the first move, can be fatal...As you obviously know.

To me, Israel's 1967 three-day war was a wonderful example of self defense.

Regards, Art