The Over Complication of Personal Protection

Personal protection and concealed carry have become very popular. There’s no doubt more folks are legally carrying today than ever before. As with anything that becomes popular, whether it is Kim Kardashian or defensive handguns, the media (Yes, I’m part of the media.) tends to gravitate to the subject and expand on every nuance. This is because there’s a tremendous demand for information. You either write about what folks want to read or no one reads what you write.

Folks unfamiliar with a topic tend to believe the topic is complicated. For example, I know very little about cooking, it all seems very complex to me. When something appears complicated, many look for complicated explanations. Eventually, they turn to the dummy’s guide to what ever they are interested in.

With personal protection and defensive handguns we have not got to the dummy’s guide yet. In fact, its possible we never will; no one likes the idea of a dummy with a gun. Right now we are wallowing in a sea of over complication. Too many tactards and want to be experts are preaching sermons that make personal protection with a handgun as complicated as Chinese arithmetic.

Well, it’s not.

Just the other day I shared a video on Facebook where some urban ninja was crawling around and falling out of his truck in an effort to demonstrate a tactical principle. No doubt, some who watched thought it was high speed, low drag advice. And, at its completion they quite possibly felt they were way behind the curve with regard to defensive handgun knowledge. Similarly, there are those who espouse that you should carry a handgun, a reload, a back-up gun, pepper spray, an impact weapon and maybe even wear soft body armor. Others “experts” condemn you if you carry a handgun in your pocket or don’t prescribe to their doctrine.

Do you need to go round during your daily routine like a SWAT officer preparing to kick down a door? Not if you live where I do. Would you be safer if you did? Maybe. Then again, after a week of lugging all that stuff around you might get frustrated and give up on the concept completely.

Personal protection with a handgun is not rocket science.

• You need to have a gun.
• You need to have it with you.
• You need to know how to operate it.
• You need to know how to present it in a hurry.
• And, you need to be able to hit stuff with it, quickly.

For the novice, it will take more than a week of instruction and practical exercise to get a handle on those things. It will also require at least monthly refreshment practice just to maintain those skills. Combine those basic skills with smart decisions and awareness and you will be better off than 95% of gun carrying civilians and a good portion of armed professionals.

One of the best things you can do with regard to personal protection is to read COL Cooper’s book, Principles of Personal Defense. It cost less than a box of ammo and if you take it to heart, it’s better than a case. Of course, if you have more time to devote, by all means, do so. Most regular folks don’t; they have lives, jobs, spouses, kids, pets, and chores that eat up the conscious time they are not using to dream about looking like or fondling Kim Kardashian.

There’s lots of good information out there and there’s lots of smart folks sharing it. However, until you have the basic skill set to graduate a course like the 250 Pistol at Gunsite, don’t get caught up in all the over complication.