My thoughts on how proffesional warriors should act and train-
Thanks- If you are reading this you are probably a current or former law enforcement officer, military member, or a law abiding citizen who takes responsibility for protecting yourself and others. I would like to take the time to say thank you for your service, to those who are in or have been in the military or law enforcement, and to those civilians, thank you for stepping up to the plate and preparing to protect the weak and innocent. God knows we need people like you all during these times. There are those who will stand up for what is right, and those who like to talk about it and complain about how a police officer, military member, or citizen in a self defense situation acted too violently. Thanks for being one of those who stand up for what is right!
Responsibility- This is the key. I have see countless police officers and members of the military who accept and believe that the skill level they have when they leave the academy or boot camp is acceptable to save their lives. I say NO! The first thing I would challenge anyone who works in the fields of warriorship to do is take responsibility for their own survival! Give your time, and yes money to train in your combative skillsets as much as you can. I despise the attitude of "I don't have time to train" or "my agency does not give me enough ammunition to practice with". If you are one of those that think that way, slap yourself silly. Please, I ask you, take responsibility for your own survival. TRAIN LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!
Fitness- I spend a good deal of time around guys that are good with guns. One comment I hear often is "I don't need to be able to run, I'll just shoot his ass". This is in response to a question about how often the person spends time doing cardiovascular work (running is the most common) to enhance their ability to fight. To those who say that their fitness level is something they aren't concerned with, I doubt they have been in a real fight for their life. Fitness is everything in a fight, especially for those who work in close proximity to their opponents. A sniper may be able to stop the fight from a distance, but most other fights will eventually end up with some sort of close contact. Even if we don't have to rely on our fitness level from a phycisal standpoint, I have never heard of a person in a gunfight with a normal heart rate. A high level of fitness will allow a warrior to be more effective with all of their weapon systems, because their heart rate will be lower and their body will be able to handle more stress. Most gunfights are running fights, and a warrior must be very fit to survive these circustances. If you consider yourself to be a warrior, get your A$$ to the gym. Spend time developing cardiovascular fitness as well as strength and flexibility.
Specialization- Don't specialize! When designing your training, make sure you schedule training sessions for each/all weapon systems you have in your arsenal. Spend time training with all of your weapons to form a layered system that allows your to flow from one to the other without hesitation. Know your rules of engagement and or policy's that allow you to utilize your different weapon systems. Train yourself in advance to flow from one tool to the next by engaging in reality based scenarios, or at a minimum visualization of different scenarios. Spend a relatively equal amount of time training with all weapons. If you have weaknesses, please take time to fix them before they cost you or your partner your life.
Mindset- This is the key area to work on during your training. Develop a "never quit" attitude. Don't even think about allowing yourself to quit during a drill or repetition during a training session, even if no one is looking fight through the mistake. Visualize yourself in bad situations where you are at a disadvantage, and see yourself winning the fight, even if things are real bad. See yourself getting hit and fighting through the pain to deal death or damage to your opponent. Develop that "switch", the one when flipped turns you into an unstoppable, thinking warrior intent on surviving by making sure your opponent does not. Accept and embrace the violence you may have to bestow upon someone before the fight happens, so you are mentally ready when it does.
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