SEALED MINDSET/ARMED AMERICAN RADIO Atlanta Training weekend - brief recap

[RobertNashville]

Hello everyone!

This past weekend (June 18th/19th) I had the privilege of taking a Defensive Pistol course (Saturday) and a Defensive Carbine course (Sunday) with retired Navy Seal Larry Yatch of Sealed Mindset ( Sealed Mindset ). This was done in the Atlanta metro area and we actually used a truly INCREDIBLE firearms store/range called Big Wood's Goods ( BigWoodsGoods ).

Sealed Mindset is headquartered and Larry does most of his training in Minnesota; this training was done in Atlanta in conjunction with "Armed American Radio" (and if you don't listen to AAR on Sunday evenings or by podcast you are REALLY missing some great radio.

Anyway, this training was unlike anything I've ever had anywhere and if there is one thing I learned, it's that most of us who carry a defensive firearm spend far too much time practicing what we most likely don't need to practice. While I can't verify the stat, at least according to Larry, eight out of ten times that a weapon is used for defense, no shots are actually fired yet most of us who carry/enjoy firearms spend almost all our time shooting paper targets rather than practicing the things we should do for the other 80%.

Anyway...just wanted to share a bit with you all...if you ever get a chance to train with Larry, jump at it and for that matter, take any opportunity you can to train - even after eight years active duty and years of firearms experience, I've come to realize how unprepared most of us actually are to handle a real, defensive situation.

[hipower]

How about a little feedback on what the other 80% is?

[Erik88]

How about a little feedback on what the other 80% is?

this^^^^ You just teased us.

[RobertNashville]

I didn't mean to leave anyone hanging...I also can't teach the entire course here; but...

What I'm talking about is that most of us go the range, stand there and shoot a paper target...sometimes (maybe almost all the time) we close whichever eye is not dominant and while we can get pretty accurate; we don't really practice how to approach a possible threat.

As I said in my initial post, 80% of all defensive use of a firearm is done without firing a single shot...so...doesn't it make sense that we spend time practicing what to do to deter a possible threat and not quite so much on how to hit a man-sized target at 15 yards?

The good news is that most of this practice can be done without any ammunition...it's repetition of the right motor skills so that our brains know what to do when we are facing a possible threat because at the moment of severe stress when the threat is upon us, we have to depend on the mental pathways we've (hopefully) built after a lot of dry-fire practice.

Where we put our feet...where our hips should be...strong hand grip...what our arms should be doing...sight picture...trigger press, etc.

I'm sure that a lot of what I've learned may well be "old hat" to many here...the overall point is to get some instruction from a variety of different sources...I'm not discounting range time with live ammo but the more training I take the more I realize that for defensive purposes...for responding to a threat, there is a lot more to consider and train for than accuracy on the range.

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

I can not speak to the training as I have not had it but I am certain that it is excellent and even more sure that I could use a bunch of it myself.

I can however speak to the idea of Armed American radio.

I listen to it through I-Tunes and free pod casts. I also believe that pod casts are available at their site. It is an excellent show and has had guests that include Uncle Ted and Sheriff Joe our own Niki and many others.

www.armedamericanradio.com

I know that a station in the Memphis area recently picked up the show and there was talk of one in the Knox area doing so also. But with the pod casts one can listen at their own convenience. I recommend that all 2-A lovers check it out.