There is a saying, “you never rise to the occasion, you default to your level of training.” These words are so true, particularly in self-defense situations. But here is another important consideration. When it comes to self-defense techniques, would you prefer they come from trained versus untrained individuals? How relevant is an outcome from an untrained individual when putting in effort to train, prepare and be equipped to deal with a violent, deadly force encounter. I’m not saying there is no value, but how much value is the question. I’m far more interested in an outcome from someone similarly trained and equipped since it more applicable. As such, I believe there is a significant difference between trained and untrained individuals, not just in skill but in mindset, awareness, and response. Let’s break down the key distinctions between trained and untrained people in self-defense situations.
Combat-Ready Mindset
The most fundamental difference between trained and untrained individuals in self-defense situations is the mindset. Trained people develop a combat-ready mindset through repeated drills and exercises that prepare them to respond effectively under stress. Training is designed to conditioned them to be calm and focused when danger arises. Through this form of inoculation the individual becomes somewhat desensitized allowing for an improved response. Untrained individuals, on the other hand, often experience heightened stress, fear, or panic, which can lead to poor decision-making. They are more likely to freeze, hesitate, or react impulsively without thinking through their actions. Take for instance an immediate action drill, commonly performed when a stoppage occurs. The trained individual will perform a conditioned response to remedy the issue in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible. The untrained individual will likely rely on luck to solve the problem. Which is better?
Situational Awareness
A major benefit of training is improved situational awareness. Trained individuals know to observe their surroundings, identify potential threats early, and assess exits or escape routes. This heightened awareness can help them avoid dangerous situations before they even begin. Untrained individuals are often unaware of what’s happening around them and may miss crucial warning signs, increasing the likelihood of being caught off guard. When a stoppage occurs with a firearm, there are two directions one could travel; diagnostic or non-diagnostic. The trained individual is more likely to go non-diagnostically relying on their training. An untrained individual more than likely will be diagnostic, not knowing what’s happening and requiring more information or by pass crucial information. In this case, the stoppage. What caused it? The trained individual is less concerned and will perform a series of actions designed to accommodate as many contingencies as possible to quickly return to the fight. An optimal response.
Controlled Response vs. Reactive Panic
Training is designed to instill control over emotions and actions. When faced with a threat, a trained person’s response is deliberate and measured. They’ve practiced scenarios where they have to decide whether to engage or disengage, how to act effectively, and to de-escalate if possible. What actions to perform and when. Conversely, untrained people often react based on instinct or fear, which can result in wild, ineffective responses. This reactive panic might cause them to miss opportunities to flee or defend themselves in a meaningful way. Video analysis is all the rage these days and before one goes too far down the rabbit hole ask yourself is the individual trained or untrained. I’ve observed enough videos of untrained or better, poorly trained individuals that during a deadly force encounter experience a stoppage. As they draw their handgun to deal with an immediate threat, they fire one shot and attempt to fire more when they realize the firearm is not firing. The cause, the magazine either fell from the gun during presentation or was not fully seated. This is not new, nor is it earth shattering news. It happens more often. During the conduct of thousands of hours of tactical training I’ve seen it plenty of times on the firing line. The immediate action is to tap the magazine, cycle the action and return to the fight. I’ve moved away from calling it “tap, rack, bang” but many know it as this.
Confidence and Posture
Training breeds confidence. A person who knows they have the skills and tools to defend themselves will carry themselves differently. Their posture, eye contact, and demeanor may deter potential violent criminal actors (VCA) from attacking them in the first place. Untrained individuals often exhibit nervousness, unsure body language, or timid behavior, which can make them more appealing to a VCA. The beauty of being non-diagnostic is I don’t need to know what caused the stoppage. Because I have the confidence to know my immediate action drill will solve the problem. I also don’t want to confuse untrained, luck or ignorance for a sound tactic to employ. Just because an untrained individual performed a series of actions with a favorable outcome doesn’t mean it erases thousands of trained favorable outcomes. It is also difficult to analyze all events that occurred without the benefit of video analysis. Just because they were not recorded or reviewed doesn’t mean they are any less valuable.
The gap between trained and untrained individuals in self-defense is stark. Training not only equips people with the physical skills to defend themselves but also instills the mental toughness and situational awareness needed to make quick, effective decisions under pressure. Should training techniques be updated and validated. Absolutely, but are we willing to allow an untrained individual dictate the outcome. Around the 1950’s CPR was codified to include rescue breathing to help provide oxygen to the lungs which is critical to the brain and other vital organs to keep them functioning. But, in 2008 rescue breathing was removed from the protocol. Not because it wasn’t effective, but for two reasons. To overcome concerns of mouth-to-mouth contact and to encourage more people to take action. Again, not because rescue breathing is not effective.
