You’re All Going to Die!

By Will Farrugia Training Director at Florida Firearms Training

Let’s say you’re going to learn to land a plane (just in case you ever need to in an emergency, like the pilot dies of a heart attack or terrorists have killed pilot etc). So you read a book, ask a few questions on a forum and watch a video or two, maybe you even go to an amusement arcade and fly an F16 video game a few times (I love those games) anyway, research done right!, you got your flying gloves, hat, sunglasses, got your tools...there you go, all squared away and ready now.. right?...of course not.

The same applies to so many threads on gun forums, you tubers, and other instant experts saying they would do this or that or the other in a deadly force confrontation…it’s all theory of course!....it actually amuses me.

The FACT that people think that information gleaned from just books, and videos and the internet is somehow SOLEY sufficient to train a novice to survive deadly force encounters is just funny. Now I agree you might get lucky, maybe theory and luck will triumph for you (anything is possible) but for me and my family, I am not counting on theory or luck.

Ask yourself how will you react under an intense high stress life and death scenario?... And don’t say you will do fine because you took a CCW class and spent an hour on simulator somewhere. Don’t tell me you will rise to the occasion, because that’s just funny and will only make yourself look silly! You will not rise to the occasion, you will default back to your training.

How well do you function when your heart rate hits 180 - 200 bpm? How is your decision making process effected by high stress / deadly force encounters? How does your body (physically) deal with single or multiple imminent threats? How well do you communicate when under an imminent threat? When was the last time you physically had to fight someone and WIN? When was the last time you had to draw your handgun and use it while the BG is trying to stab you, shoot you, drag you into a vehicle?

Come on be honest when? You may of thought through these scenarios and I hope at LEAST you have your own personal action plan worked out in your head!....but have you tried to implement it physically? Have you actually role played it out with someone really trying to WIN against you and your plan?

For those of you that think that you don’t need to because you were in the military a million years ago, or were a cop or were a kung-fu ninja, bad arse etc at some point in the past. Well good for you, but my guess is REGARDLESS of what you did or were, if you do not train to deal with all the above mentioned, and I mean train with some regularity... as in man-on-man, body against body, force-on-force in as realistic an environment as possible with some kind of real pain involved, then... in my best professional opinion…YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

You need to practice sparing. Yes, you might get thrown on the ground, yep, you will get dirty, scratched, might end up with a bump or welt or two or three (OMG how will you survive?). You need to practice problem solving during as realistic perceived high threat scenarios, drawing weapon from concealed at realistic ranges (while the BG REALLY tries to do his job), disarming, strikes, learn how to EARN your draw, communicate, move etc. Unless you are trained in and practice these key skills how can you self-evaluate your competence? How do you know what you need to work on? How do you KNOW what works and does not work when put into practical use?

Thinking I will do this or that because so and so on YouTube said it will work…is just fine…but its theory! And theory is great until reality kicks it in the nuts!

Get out there and do some Force-on-Force, some Martial Blade Concepts, some Room Clearing. Either with us or somewhere else, but stop pretending you’re ready to fight when you have not “tested” the results of your training….Otherwise... You’re All Going to Die! See you on the range!