The Right to Bare Hands

Do you need empty hand self defense if you carry a firearm? Is strapping the "great equalizer" on all you need to ensure your safety? The popular belief that firearms enthusiasts from cops to citizens feel is that since they carry a gun, they have no need for empty hand tactics so why bother ever learning?

The people who say this are for lack of a better word, lazy. They have convinced themselves that being able to hit a target with a bullet is all they need for self defense. Their ability to survive depends directly on access to their weapon. In a perfect world, this works. Unfortunately real life situations don't happen in a vacuum. The circumstances that surround their need to draw a firearm, acquire the target and fire boils down to one factor TIME.

Will you have time to recognize a threat, draw your weapon and acquire the target? Will your weapon function correctly and will you actually shoot and stop your target with the ammo you have? If you don't you're in a world of proverbial shit as your firearm is magically transformed into a club. The only question to ask is NOW WHAT?

What happens if you don't have access to your weapon or your enemy is so close you don't have time to draw.

A lot can go wrong and it usually does. You will be taken by surprise, you will have the "OH SHIT" moment (that second when your brain finally processes the attack) and unless you get the jump on your enemy, it's a street fight. I once heard that "Everything outside 10 feet is a gun fight and everything with in 10 feet is a street fight" I think this statement is accurate (give or take a few feet).

Listen, there is no either or argument since ITS ALL SELF DEFENSE!

If you want to maximize your chance of survival you need to adapt a "Whatever it takes and by whatever means" attitude. Your bare hands, your boot a rock or a firearm, survival is what counts. You don't get any points for style.

This month The Self Defense Training System received an incredible review from the US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) a group of citizens dedicated to protecting their rights by keeping people like you well informed and well trained.

These people get it. Even though they spend hours and countless rounds preparing to defend themselves against violent attacks they're not leaving anything to chance. They know that self defense is RESULT DRIVEN not MEANS DRIVEN. In other words, it doesn't matter HOW you get there only that YOU GET THERE.

Hey, I have firearms, I have pepper spray, edged weapons and a whole other host of nastiness waiting for any scumbag who decides to pick my house and my family as a target. This is the driving force behind The Self Defense Training System. You must condition your self to take advantage of ANY AND EVERY opportunity. You must be willing to do whatever it takes because believe me, that piece of shit who is standing in front of you trying to take what's yours has already demonstrated that he has no regard for your safety and well being.

This is the problem with most people, they can't imagine the reality of violence. Law abiding, good people imagine that their attacker has the same reasoning, logic and values. They imagine the firearm or the fact that they study a martial art is going to be enough. But it's not. The most important skill to develop is your will to survive at all costs. Don't try to project your thought process into the mind of your attacker. It does not work. You are a law abiding upstanding citizen, he is a ruthless animal. You would just as soon reason with a rabid dog than you would a crack head.

Firearm or no firearm, you must be prepared to do whatever it takes period.

Damian Ross
The Self Defense Company
The Self Defense Training System