activeselfprotection.com uses the above video from a Mesquite, Texas armed robbery to make some points about self-defense. Their advice was not what I was expecting . . ,
Empty-handed skills are absolutely critical for self-defenders. First of all, more conflicts you will encounter as a self-defender will require empty-handed skills than will require firearms skills, simply because more self-defense encounters are physical than deadly. Second, since a firearm is a tool of last resort, self-defenders need to have non-lethal options that include empty-handed skills to protect themselves from likely incidents. Third, in the moment of the encounter you may not have the time to get to your gun before you can fight your way to it. This clerk absolutely needed to be able to fight in an enclosed space.
Huh, While there’s plenty of truth to that and their other advice (e.g., keep your gun on your person), this clerk was facing three armed robbers. Somehow I don’t think he was going to repel/survive the encounter with empty-handed skills. A promptly presented pistol – or better yet a shotgun – would have been extremely helpful in that regard.
And let’s face facts: most people are not going to train to the point where their non-firearms close-quarters combat skills will get them out of a situation where they face the threat of grievous bodily harm or death. A lot of people can’t due to age, size, infirmity or obesity.
As for “most” encounters with bad actors requiring less than lethal force, I’m not so sure. Sure, speed, surprise and violence of action is the way to go, whether you’re armed or not. But it’s better to be armed than not, and prepared to loose the ballistic dogs of war. Every time. Yes?