During a lethal encounter, getting to your defensive pistol under your cover garment must be performed fast and flawlessly. Defeating your cover garment becomes the first priority.
Painted into a corner
Creating a clothing specific techniques to defeat your cover garment is a big mistake. It forces you into a corner, one where you often don’t realize the fact you are in a corner. You keep living the lie without realizing you don’t have to or more importantly you shouldn’t. If you look at the same clothes on the clothing rack, if you wear the garment until it is falling apart or if you refuse to wear anything else then I’m talking to you. At some point your “uniform” gives you away, it will attract attention or focus. It gives people an excuse to look more closely and possibly be discovered.
Professional globe trotter
You want to invest in a defeat methodology for all garments. One technique to defeat whatever you may wear, forced to wear or happen to be wearing. I learned this early in my career. Traveling all over the globe I could not count on one thing to solve my cover garment situation. I had to invest in a technique that would ensure a fast and flawless draw. I played around with a lot of techniques and settled on the one. I settled on one with the highest success ratio regardless of the garment. It didn’t matter what I was wearing, a T-shirt, polo, dress shirt, suit, sports coat or jacket. I had the confidence of knowing it would not be the cover garment to hold me back.
Attacking the weak link
The technique is also dirt dog simple, you are attacking the natural curvatures in your body where you can expect a gap between your garment and body. Next, you always attack the base garment. Should you adult in cold weather wearing multiple layers is an everyday occurrence. Attacking the base ensure the rest are defeated. You come at it with a horizontal thumb up the mid drift. Then you go vertical, clearing the garment away from the holstered defensive pistol. Location is not an issue if it is along the waistline, other carry techniques require slight changes or additions.
Wardrobe challenges
I’m getting ready to attend a major function where some have deteriorated to slumming in their dress. It is hard to take you seriously if you look like trash no matter how cool you think you look. I agree, it can be easier to conceal so most find themselves at crossroads. How do I look professional and still carry my blasters. I am confident regardless of the cover garment, my defeat methodology is solid. This confidence allows me to expand my horizons. I literally was standing over my wardrobe choices and matching them to carry methods. In some cases, I will go with my backup and secondary carry choices. It is for this reason I have a primary, secondary and backup. In those rare circumstances I the wardrobe challenges force me to adapt.
Blending in, looking normal is a tenet for concealed carry practitioners. Don’t paint yourself in a corner with a one trick pony for clearing your cover garment.
