Proactive or reactive fight?

[Lowdown3]

Most shooting schools and gun classes seem to focus heavily on just the PRO ACTIVE fight.

This is where YOU have the aforementioned plans of the bad guy in mind and are ready for him and YOU pick the time to start the fight.

But is that really realistic?

Sure for a Seal Team or a SWAT entry team that's usually the case- they are taking the fight to the enemy pretty much always.

But for the civilian?

We can discuss situation awareness till the cows come home, and while I agree it's 100% important, it will not always keep you out of trouble. Things happens, distractions are there, your mind is occupied on other things. And THAT is usually when the bad guy will come at you.

So the training that focus strictly on you being ahead of the power curve and being always the proactive one, is that enough?

I don't think so.

Anyone who has done a good amount of force on force/sims training knows that it's impossible to ALWAYS keep the initiative in every single situation.

What is a more realistic way of starting a simulated "fight" in training- JoeBit*hing guy standing there 5 yards from the target with his holster unsnapped and his hand twitching near his pistol squared up with the target OR getting slammed on the ground or punched and the fight starting there?

I would submit to you that we need to train for BOTH likelihoods. One is definitely more fun to train for than the other :)

Lowdown3

[Hawkeye]

I would agree. One needs to be versed in Offensive/Pro-Active skills, as well as Defensive/Reactionary skills.

On a semi related note... folks need to also learn that once defensive/reactionary skills have been employed, to go on the offensive as soon as possible and put your attacker on defense.

[BigJohn]

I have seen a lot of guys come unglued in combat because of this. Sometimes an enemy is going to come at you when you least expect it. (He always will if he can manage it.) It takes a lot of training to teach someone to react explosively to unexpected attack. Most people are not willing to go around ****ed and locked all the time.

[BigJohn]

Wow. I just got censored by the blog.
Honest, I didn't say any bad words.

[Lowdown3]

No problem, we have had that happen before. I'll add another word to straighten out in the filter

[Bearman202]

I think a lot of this is attitude. There is no way to be prepared for anything all the time. The thing to do is plant in your mind that if something does happen, you WILL react. Like Hawkeye says, first you stop the attack, then you IMMEDIATELY go on the offensive. The emphasis on defensive training here is on stopping the attack. Too many people freeze up, and fail to act, which gives the attacker the distinct advantage. Remember the saying; The attacker must win the attack, the defender must only survive.