Seeing is the key

Many times I hear folks talk about eye dominance or ocular dominance as it relates to shooting. How important it is to be a good shooter. Honestly, it has very little to do with being a good shooter. There is an eye preference, a tendency to prefer from one eye or the other. However, the more important question is can the shooter see their front sight. Do they know specifically what they are looking for or the object of their focus. When using binocular vision there is an effect of parallax. In this case the brain relies on the dominant eye for precise positional information, something important in shooting. The real question is when shooting does knowing which is is dominant really matter.

Show me the how and what

Some will try and get a new shooter or novice shooter to identify their dominant eye as if the key to being a marksman. Instead of worrying which eye is dominate they should be worried with the subject of their focus. In other words, when it comes to their focus, it is more valuable to provide instruction on the how and the what. Not knowing what to focus on is the most common sighting error we see in classes. I spend a great deal of time helping students focus on the square shape over the round shape within their front sight. That is the what, as for the how I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve. My go to tip was showed to me by my shooting coach when I was on the junior national pentathlon team (yah, that’s a whole other story). He would have me stretched a piece of string out about 10 yards with knots at various distances. I would start with the knot furthest and in a specific sequence work through all the other knots. These days I take a different approach and have the student extend their arm, then focus on various features of their arm leading to their finger tip. I ask them to intently focus on these features to the point they could describe them to me and it helps. It is awesome when a student comments how they walked down their arms to the sights as what helped them draw their focus to the front sight post.

Down the road with binocular vision

Do I want students shooting with both eyes open, using binocular vision. Of course, but I find it more valuable for the new shooter to learn principles of marksmanship and work towards binocular vision. When it is determined a student is having difficulty with both eyes open my solution is simple. Close the eye opposite of the gun hand. If they are a right handed shooter, then close the left eye. By eliminating the eye dominance issue all together the student is able to concentrate on the principles of marksmanship. Learning the how and gaining confidence in properly using their sights seems so simple. But, believe it or not many beginner and even intermediate students have difficultly with this seemingly simple task.

When we minimize distractions and increase concentration as it relates to sight focus the results speak for themselves. You don’t need to know what eye is dominant, worry about that after you have perfected seeing your sights.

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The ugly truth

First off, as a student I don’t really care for your opinion. I don’t care for much the same reasons I don’t care for the opinions from anti-gun organizations. They are based on fear and fallacy, they lack logic and facts. It is an inanimate object. If we are really worried for our teenager’s safety then we would ban cell phones. We would start by banning these items while driving. Let’s be honest, if we really cared about the safety of our fellow human we would ban them from everyone while driving. They account for 1.6 million crashes every year. Let that soak in for a moment. That means approximately 1 out of 4 car accidents are caused by texting and driving. While these statistics are broad let’s look at a survey conducted by AAA; which says “94% of teen drivers acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, but 35% admitted to doing it anyway.” You want more scary, 21% of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their cell phones. Yeah, don’t pretend this is about their safety. This is about restriction, ultimately leading to confiscation. If you are a teenager I hope you can hear this clearly, if you participated in any walkouts to support gun control as opposed to prohibiting cell phones you are a idiot to the tenth degree.

Violence empowering zone..

You want to talk about safety in school. You better be talking about abolishing “gun free” zones. It is not until we address this issue we will see any measurable efforts. Why? Simple, unless you are willing to tackle the dumbest thing first, don’t waste your time with other measures. Not to mention, no school shooting incident was EVER thwarted by a sign that read “gun free”. If you cannot address this issue then your logic or more likely your feelings are misguided at best. If you truly want to address violence directed at our children you will be discussing two very important topics; mental health and bullying. You need to consider the poor mental health conditions of just about every violent act used to champion the anti-gun movement. Bullying is really about weakness, it is about picking on the weak because you, yourself are a coward. Standing up to bullies, having a zero tolerance to chronic bullying should be a top priority. With two kids in high school I can tell you it is not; it is swept under the rug rather than swiftly dealt with and you wonder why we have these issues. Some will suggest violence to fight back against bullying. All I can say is your right to self defense should never be denied and I’m talking to you schools. If you are afraid of being beat up and live in daily fear then tell someone, share it with someone who can help.

What are the answers

What can we do to help protect our children. Understand it is not an easy task. You cannot waive a magic wand and expect one measure to work. It must be a multi-layered approach. You cannot rely on armed law enforcement in every school. That is mathematically and financially an impossibility. Where will they come from, who will pay for them and how will the vacuum created affect these very school communities. Arming teachers is a bad idea. Who do you think is responsible for indoctrinating our youth with stupid these days. Teachers, faculty and administrators are predominately liberal. However, those who voluntarily want to be armed should have that right. Metal detectors, school badges and other force protection measures are feel good at best. They are still not treating the cause, only the symptoms.

The bottom line is we and when I say we, I’m really talking about the anti-gun groups, are not serious about protecting. As for the children, get back in school. Educate yourself and vote…unless we decide to change the voting age to 21; which may not be a bad idea considering.

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High performer

I am fortunate to work with so many people of varying skill level. By far, the group I enjoy working with the most are high performers. A high performer is defined as someone who strives for superior results through calculated effort. You have them in each class and over the years I have been able to recognize them fairly quickly. While some students associate failing as a negative, a high performer will see it as part of the process. They recognize the road towards their goal will be littered with failures. They are okay because it does not define who they are as a person. When they recognize their goal they are more focused on achieving the positive outcome versus the negative response.

Don’t judge

The problem I see and what I have to work really hard at is helping separate the identity. Self doubt is insidious and it wrecks your confidence. When someone ties their identity to their performance they often times have self confidence issues. They are more worried about the outcome than the process because they judge themselves by the outcome. It’s all about the process and a high performer recognizes the difference. It is one thing to mentally plan on avoiding failure, but it is the wrong attitude. Instead, you want to focus on achieving a good outcome. A good outcome will have failures along the way so be ready for criticism.

The ostrich syndrome

This is another area as an instructor you have to be a higher level of understanding. Each person will respond to criticism differently. What I have seen is the overachiever will do anything to avoid criticism. While some see that as a good thing, all they are doing is avoiding failure. They practice only what they are good at because they do not want to face criticism that can question their self confidence. At some point you have to place yourself in those awkward positions that typically bring criticism to the table. The anxiety you feel is based on the future outcome and not the present performance.

Stay focused

I see this so often in classes. Many students are more worried about the future outcome than the present progress. You will find it easy to worry about the future in a class where standards are present. You know they are looming in the background. Rather than focus on the present and let the chips fall where they may, they work themselves up into a state where anxiety affects their performance. It prevents them from making the changes in behavior that equal improved performance. Formalized instruction is designed to achieve improved performance, but you have to stay in the present to reach the positive outcome.

The path less traveled

The high performer will look at each of these obstacles as an area of improvement. An overachiever looks at them as an area of weakness. I can see how at first glance they can seem the same, but they are not. Areas of improvement are tasks you have failed to master to a prescribed standard. You are working towards the goal. When you look at them as areas of weakness you avoid them. These areas are recognized as elemental to your master, but you have avoided them. Another way to look at this is you have focused only on what you are good at so you don’t have to worry about failure.

As an overachiever, when you tie failing to your identity, you see yourself as a failure. As a high performer, you recognize it as the process, embrace and even welcome the challenge.

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Why did you fail

Many times students become enamored with a piece of gear despite it’s faults. They believe if something did not go to plan, such as hitting the target, it is because it failed. The problem with this thinking is it stunts growth, it limits your potential. If you want to improve, failing with be a part of the process and understanding why you failed is the path towards improvement. You have to take a step back, be impartial and objective. Why did I miss? Narrow down to the specific reason and then focus on correcting the flaw.

How to see things grow

We do a lot of diagnostic work in our classes because of their innate ability to help students. I don’t think you can overdue precision work. It must be balanced with the rest of your skill development and we do it better hands down. It is all about the process, building technique then testing the durability of said technique. Not only is it important you know what you are doing wrong, but what you do right. Shooting precision groups at distance is a great example of this task. When you combine the task with an evaluation system or standards that allows you to systematically identify, isolate and replace the error you have growth on your hands.

Live in the present

Not everyone can experience the positive growth at first. There is a lot of frustrations as you begin to learn what is right and what is wrong. The problem I see is sporadic performance, where there is just enough positive to give the impression nothing is wrong. How people will ignore the wrong even when the instances of wrong outweigh the instances of right. When we push people during diagnostic drills or precision drills at distance some are open to the corrective strategy and make incremental progress. Others are still myriad in their former self’s performance. Reminiscing about that one time they nailed it and they are having a bad day. No, you are not having a bad day. Your technique is filled with flaws you don’t want to recognize.

The good bad example

These types of students come in all shapes and sizes, but a pattern I have noticed is firearm related. Yes, there are all sorts of bells and whistles that can enhance your shooting experience. When I get asked if they are worth the purchase I ask the student if their technique is solid. Without a solid technique, one that is observable, measurable and repeatable how will you know if it is helpful or not. Then there are those who cannot see the difficulty of their selection. A good example is a double action pistol purchase. I don’t care how smooth the trigger pull, the fact remains the student must master two different actions. Close range is notorious for hiding the challenge, but precision work at distance brings it to the surface. The question I ask the student is are you not only willing to put the work into mastering, but the harder work into sustaining.

There are lots of reasons why a student will stick to the firearm despite it’s shortcomings. I am not oblivious to them, but it is frustrating to know they are limited in their potential rather than enhanced by their equipment selection.

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Fear is a great teacher

What is interesting is how fear is closely related to learning. Fear causes us to behave both rationally and irrationally. Fear is generally attributed as a response to a perceived threat or risk. What is interesting is how failing can create such a powerful response. Obviously, failing needs to be tempered. It is ill advised to reach a point where your fear becomes more of a phobia. Fear is healthy and necessary, phobias are not. Fear gets such a bad wrap unfortunately, but we need it to evolve. Both as a species and students.

It does the body good

Instructing new students in the sport of shooting is one of the most challenging endeavors you can face. There is a high level of fear for many. As instructors you have to recognize this fear and guide the student so they can make progress at a rate reasonable to their skill and the subject. I firmly believe in my students, I have seen them impress me over and over with their accomplishments. They work hard to manage their fear and with a little guidance on our part they are hugely successful.

Know fear

As an instructor, how can you manage their fears to ensure positive and healthy growth? One suggestion is recognizing when their fear shows physically. Rapid breathing, trembling and eyes dilating are all signs along with verbalizing their fear. I had a student who when approaching the firing line commented about being afraid. There are lots of reason why they may be afraid so listening to what may be causing their fear is the single most important strategy you can employ. Ask them why, give them the floor and listen. Ask follow up questions to get clarity and help bring their fear to the surface. Once they have voiced their fears you can work at addressing them. If they are afraid the gun will jump out of their hands, focus on grip. If they are afraid of the loud noise, suggest double ear protection. If they are afraid they could accidentally shoot themselves review the safety rules. These are all fears I have listened to over the years and many more, they are real first and foremost.

Check your ego at the door

Then there is fear of performance, fearing not doing well or failing. At times this is misguided and the result of incorrect preconceived notions about skill level. You may think you are a good shot, but then find out you are not that good. Again, good is subjective and part of the problem. Standards are the answer, but managing the students expectation is equally important. Standards allow you to evaluate the behavioral change needed to say objectively learning has taken place. Without them, you have no idea how well your students are performing. If it is the first time a student has been exposed to standards it can be a major blow to their ego more than anything. We all have our own self identify, how we see ourselves. The problem is when that image is not the same as our real performance. The hardest part is recognizing the difference. You can either dismiss the results and blame everyone around you. Or, you can evaluate your performance and commit to improving.

In my experience, those who recognize their fears, put their ego aside become competent and safe. We need more competent and safe armed citizens more than ever these days.

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Oh look…ass-clowns

There are also no words to describe the ass-clownery that commences the moment after a tragedy. It took all of a nanosecond before the anti-gun movement began their predictable journey around the sun. I don’t need to hear the empty rhetoric, I don’t need the deception, I don’t need them pissing down my back and tell me it’s raining. I have had enough and I’m more than happy to have a genuine conversation with those who can see past their own emotions. The vast majority don’t want to have a conversation; they quite simply are out to dismantle the constitution. Starting with the second amendment. Stop it, cease and desist…you are not fooling anyone.

Safety tips

If you want to have a genuine conversation you need to abide by these simple tips. Don’t lie to me, don’t try to come at me with some heart string tugging when you only want gun confiscation. Be honest, I will respect you more. Don’t try to compare yourself to me. You are not, you never will be. You will never amass the knowledge I have regarding firearms, their judicious use, their history, our history and our national security. If you think you can match wits with me in those arenas you are an idiot. So, I don’t care if you own guns, believe in reasonable anti-gun agendas or just want a civil conversation that only includes your viewpoint. It’s not going to happen until you take the time to educate yourself on those subjects. Make no mistake, I have educated myself on your agenda, motives and tactics. Don’t try to belittle me or my beliefs because they don’t match your anti-gun agenda. You better respect them if you want any chance of a genuine conversation. Don’t try to blame me for the actions of a psychopath. Don’t blame an inanimate object that is incapable of independent thought or action. Don’t try to talk over me, try to drown me out with slurs or insults and definitely do not label me or associate me with the acts of a psychopath. If these helpful tips are put into practice I can envision a genuine conversation.

Focus on the real problem

If you want to have a genuine conversation don’t start it with gun violence. Gun violence is not the problem and if you believe that, you are an idiot and refer to the previous paragraph for tips on how not to be an idiot. If, however, you want to talk about violence. You will have my undivided attention. I will lay into you about how the decay of our society has given rise to the decay of human worth. How pervasive violence is in our society. How society has be brainwashed through television programs, movies and video games to devalue human life. You want an honest discourse, you better educate yourself on this subject. You better come at me with something related to this moral decay, acknowledging it is the first step. Don’t for a moment come at me with anything remotely close to anti-gun rhetoric because I will call you out for what you are; an enemy to our constitution and way of life.

Now you know

If you truly care about how pervasive violence is in our society then you better educate yourself on the subject. What you might learn is violence is on a downward trend and has been for a while. Crimes such as murder, aggravated assault, rape and robberies are declining across the country. You better do your research, be ready to state your sources because I am happy to fact check. Here is a news flash, I don’t care about other countries. I don’t care what they do, what they say or what they think because they are not Americans. They have no business in my business. The reason I don’t care what other countries think is simple. The Constitution of the United States! Yeah, it sucks to be you, to not have inalienable rights bestowed upon you by God so keep out of my business.

Keep these tips in mind and you’d be surprised at what good would come. Make no mistake, I’m open to genuine conversation, but my conviction and resolve to protect our constitutional rights is steadfast.

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Qualified for the basics

Before everyone starts foaming at the mouth let’s address a few facts. There are more “basic” students than there will ever be advanced. The “tacticool” crowd makes up an infantile percentage of our industry, yet look at how firearms classes are marketed. These days, there is a push from students and instructors to be advanced. As if teaching the basics is not cool. A confession on my part, I spent the majority of my instructing career teaching the top tier students from all walks of life. I honestly placed a lower priority on the basics. With limited training time I focused on those students with the understanding there were plenty of other instructors who could handle the basic workload. The truth; there is not. Not because there isn’t enough instructors, but because there isn’t enough qualified instructors to teach basic classes.

Shallow, but honest

Because I made my living traveling, teaching the shorter basic classes was less profitable. I know that seems shallow, but like others I have a business to run. I would be remiss if I didn’t make smart business decisions. When I did run the occasional basic classes I found myself challenged as an instructor. Not because I wasn’t challenged with the advanced students, but because there were assumptions I could no longer make at the basic level. This and a few other reasons are why I don’t believe it is wise for a “new” instructor to start at a basic level. Of paramount importance is the ability to manage a safe training environment.

Herding wet cats

Managing a safe training environment is not something you can truly learn in a class. You can learn protocol and policies, but it really does take experience to understand the lurking dangers. I have posted several blogs relating to students and instructors lately. Partly because we are in the middle of an instructor selection process. The main reason though, is I am keenly aware of what is lacking in the basic firearms instructor pool. I remember reading an article from an individual who conducts training, but who I do not consider an instructor. They commented how if the instructor was not comfortable with a certain technique or piece of gear maybe they shouldn’t be instructing. That comment screamed how ill prepared that individual was and how they were not able to see the big picture.

Same, but different

Teaching a basic class is a lot like teaching an advanced CQB course. The students will see one thing, but the instructors must see so much more. As a new student thrust into a new environment safety is always at risk. When we set up a live fire run and specifically target placement you have to consider, what the student will do as planned, unplanned and catastrophic. It is mind numbing when you go through target placement and all the variables, but failure to go to this length can result in an unsafe shot. It is not the student’s responsibility to recognize the unsafe shot. They trust their instructor to have their safety in mind. In a basic firearms class you have a similar scenario. Albeit, less dynamic there is still the requirement to think through each evolution and the planned response, unplanned response and a catastrophic response.

The burden of command

The student must feel comfortable and trust the instructor not only will teach them, but keep them safe. New students are typically nervous, sometimes even fearful and your job is to ensure they can manage their anxiety in a positive manner all while learning a new skill. You have to set a standard on acceptable behavior and then enforce the standards. You have to understand as a new student there will be times they really don’t know what they are doing and before the do something unsafe recognize and intercept it before it happens. You cannot allow the firing line to run amuck, you need to have a firm, yet gentle command over everything that happens withing your sphere of control. You have to accept it is rarely the student’s fault. If they failed to understand the instructions, didn’t know what to do or are doing their own thing it is your fault, the instructors.

Are you up to the task

The hardest part to convey to a new instructor is the consequences for failing in their duties. If they cannot recognize what is at stake or have a blase attitude regarding what’s at stake they are not ready to teach this subject. Their students are relying on them to be prepared for what will be their worse day ever. The worry for an instructor should be did I do everything I could to prepare the student. Did I reach each one as best as I could. When you have the first conversation with a student who survived a gunfight you better be ready because it will change your life.

Nobody said it would be easy, but there are literally thousands of new students everyday who need the best instruction possible. You don’t send new students to unseasoned instructors, you send new students to the best instructors.

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Adult learning

Presuming we are speaking of adults, we all learn differently. There is no single method for teaching that will cover all learning styles in a class. As an instructor you must be able to connect with each student; which means you must use the principle learning styles. If you cannot connect with the student the chances of altering or changing their behavior; which is learning grows less and less. If you cannot reach the student, they will not learn.

Don’t make excuses

Now, you can cry and complain about the previous statement. You can make excuses such as I am only going to target the majority of the class, spend my time more wisely. Or, you can even go to the extreme of they need to adjust to my teaching style. Even better, the student is not trying hard enough. If you hear your instructor utter these phrases or appear to have this attitude then find another instructor. They have only demonstrated to you how weak they are as an instructor. I don’t care how popular they may be, how many YouTube followers or Facebook likes they have, they are not an instructor.

Preferred learning styles

What does this have to do with can your instructor shoot. Demonstration is one of the principle adult learning styles. You have SEEING, reading, hearing and DOING. You will notice how the first and last styles are capitalized. In my experience over the years these two represent the vast majority of the adult learning styles. I have amazed a huge volume of blogs that we share with all new students. I typically will spotlight a few blogs relative to the class and email them in advance as homework. Having this information in advance has helped many students get primed for the class. Then in class they listen to the lecture or brief first. Everyone needs to listen the instructions (see previous blog for details there). They need to be easy to understand and simple to complex.

Standards equals change

That leaves seeing. The instructor must step in front of the class and demonstrate the skill or task to the audience. If not, they will loose out on the ability to reach the majority. Again, you can argue with me all you want, but this is reality. Our goal as instructors is to affect positive change in our students. To see those changes, you will need standards. Folks are quick to beat their chest and claim they can teach without demonstrating. It is easy to make this claim when no one is watching or there are no observable, measurable and repeatable standards at stake. Put them to task and it is a different story.

Breaking it down

If you only had the ability to write your instructions down, you would reach maybe 5% of the class. If you were only able to speak your instructions you would reach maybe 10% of the class. If you were only able to demonstrate you would probably reach 40% or more of the class. Yes, these numbers don’t add up, they don’t because true learning is a multi-sensory environment. When you combine the reading, listening and seeing together you set the stage optimal learning conditions. The last learning style I mentioned was doing; which reaches about 45% of the audience.

Trial and error

Doing is imitation, they need to imitate you and your actions. If they have nothing to see, their accuracy will be reliant on reading and hearing or about 15%. Not the best odds, but then again I’m not surprised. Without standards folks can make claims, but truthfully that is their student learning capacity.  At some point, through reading, listening and seeing the student needs to experiment on their own. Through this trial and error process they finalize the learning, they close the gaps the previous learning styles left open.

Calling yourself an instructor is easy. Truly being an instructor is all together different and should be reserved for those who truly understand the adult learning model.

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Two ears, one mouth

The first point to cover is in order to follow instructions, you have to listen. There is nothing more infuriating than putting out instructions for a high risk evolution and know attention is not a priority. Instead, folks would rather load magazines, play with their gear or even socialize. I get it, being in a training class is fun. I love the experience and I’m passionate about ensuring folks not only learn, but have a good time. Now, I’m going to burst a lot of bubbles here. You CANNOT multi-task. At best, you can “switch task”; which is switching from one task to another. You are not fully engaged in either one, you jump through the middle.

Set yourself up for success

What are some things as a student you can do to listen effectively and ensure you comprehend the instructions and can achieve optimal performance. Many times instructors will provide important information to a group. The intention is more than one member of the group could benefit so by default it should be put out to the whole group. We use this method for many subjects so if you want to see improvement or make the gains you need to listen effectively. Start by facing the instructor, you don’t have to look them in the eye, but face them. If you cannot hear them, move to a better position. If they are going to demonstrate a skill, move to the best position to observe. Relax, you now need to pay attention and listen attentively. This also means you need to limit distractions, don’t switch task between the instructions and whatever the distraction.

Realize you don’t know

We say it all the time, hell I even list it on the gear list, but keep an open mind. If your mind is closed off to learning then why the hell are you even in the class. No matter the subject, if you are trying to make improvements then you need to remind yourself you don’t know everything. If you could walk into the class with that as your main understanding you are poised to make big gains. When people are closed off, they are closed off to instructions on how to participate in drills or evolutions. You end up having to re-brief or make corrections during. With an open mind you can envision what the instructor is trying to convey, you can see it in your own mind’s eye. When you hear the words, your mind will form the images or thoughts.

Mind your manners

Whatever you do, do not interrupt unless it is absolutely necessary. Chances are the interruption was because you weren’t paying attention or have already put your own filters into the message. Most instructors will ask some students to brief back what they heard. It is a great way to check for comprehension. I do it and it works. When people are placed in a situation they must pay attention, they tend to pay attention. Go figure. It also gives the students or group an opportunity to explain in their own words how they interrupted your instruction. If there is an error important enough you can correct it and move forward with little fanfare. It also keeps you honest, you can’t pretend to know what you are doing when you cannot explain it back sufficiently.

Learning is challenging, but to get the most out of a learning opportunity you have to pay attention. Reduce your own barriers to learning, give the instructor your best effort.

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First time Gun Owner

I worked with a student, an engineer by trade who wanted to improve her ability to protect herself and loved one. We started the class with the typical array of subjects. One subject I find important is Conditions of Readiness. Usually when I get to Condition Three, empty chamber with loaded magazine inserted a few will nod their heads in agreement. I will go on to explain the value of this condition, but not without explaining the risk. For some, they are new to owning a firearm and to ensure unauthorized access will secure the firearm in a storage locker or vault. Typically these are equipped with quick access features to help the new firearm owner and give the intrepid consumer a warm and fuzzy.

To Each Their Own

However, they may take it a step further by storing the defensive firearm in condition three. I have had several families weigh the risks versus rewards who come to the same conclusion. While a home invasion or robber is possible, it is not probable. They have a higher risk of an unauthorized person gaining access, mostly children or young adults. I respect this concern. My belief is each family must conduct similar analysis to determine what is in their best interest giving all the variables. Create their own system, but periodically evaluate it for relevancy and effectiveness.

And Halt…

However, all that stops when you decide to carry the defensive pistol on your body. The justification you may have created for home defense does not carry the same merit when you carry concealed. The biggest concern for this belief is safety. The justification stems from a higher level of safety created in their homes when securing firearms. However, the mistake is believing you will have the time, ability or space to charge the weapon. It is all but wishful thinking and most of the time once I am able to explain the difference between these two situations there is a greater understanding. Most acknowledge the different situations require different systems and techniques. There is no single or simple answer to solve all the problems.

Face Your Fears

There is another reason some will resort to this method of carry. There is a safety concern with a chambered round while on the body, typically inside the waistband. What is often overlooked is the why. Why does this fear exist in the first place. To me, understanding the why is is at the heart of the matter. Rather than ridicule and potentially ostracize a new shooter, we should take a more mentoring approach. What may seem second nature to us, did not materialize overnight. It took time, practice, but most important knowledge. The key to managing this fear is in education. New shooters must be educated on why their anxiety exists. Honestly, it is not unreasonable to have this safety concern as a new shooter. It may also be a signal to the new shooter they need more training, practice and experience.

It is important to emphasize carrying an empty chambered defensive pistol is dangerous. It’s not even a really good hammer.

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