Living It
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peter
Apr 26, 2012, 12:52:53 PM4/26/12
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A year or so ago,one of my training partners, a local LEO, said that we were 'Living it". What he meant was that we had totally incorporated 'being armed' into our lives. We were always armed, always alert, always ready. When we came to the range we could go directly from the car to the line and start training. We had made the commitment to always be able to take care of ourselves, and those around us.
Our training group has taken up the term, and when we see each other, out and about, we will ask; "Are you Living It?"
Last week I attended the ILEETA conference. The International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association is made up of individuals dedicated to pushing the development of our Art, disseminate that development, and bring it back home to share with our people. Our people being the main reason for all the effort. We've made a commitment to do what ever we can so that our people can go home at the end of their shifts.
ILEETA attendees should be the creme de la creme of the law enforcement training community. Alas, I saw a large proportion of them were not 'Living It'. There were many more badges evident, than guns. Even John Steinbeck recognized that "the sword is more important than the shield".
As I rode to the range with another DTI affiliate instructor, to help John Farnam teach a class, we took notice of the Burma Shave type signs along the driveway. Meant to be motivational, they said things like; "The harder you work in training" "The less you bleed on the street". My companion looked at me and said; "How much you want to bet it's a cold range?" I was unwilling to take the bet, which was fortunate because indeed, it was a cold range.
It's hard to 'Live It' when you aren't trusted to have a loaded firearm in the one place it is safe to shoot...
As the students arrived (who presumably are all firearms instructors themselves) I was dismayed (but not surprised) that the vast majority of them showed up, unarmed. Badges on belts, unloaded firearms safely secured in travel cases. 20 minutes of class time was devoted to gearing up. It was obvious that most of these people work on cold ranges back home, and showed up unarmed, with empty weapons because that is what they were habituated to.
If it's not safe on the range, it sure isn't safe on the street.
I don't understand the mindset of wearing a badge and not a gun. Is the badge a magic talisman that wards off evil? Quite the contrary, it attracts trouble. Yet there they were, severly limited in their ability to respond to problems that might require violence to be resolved.
While the gun is the least important part of the gunfighting equation, it does hold a vital position. Mindset and Spirit are the critical components. And the cold range kills Mindset and Spirit. It is the refuge of the lazy, careless, and lacksadasical. You can't Live It, on a cold range.
There was a small and unfortunately conspicous group in that class. They came fully armed, and they had great skill sets. Watching them, I saw Fighters, not shooters. I say unfortunately conspicous because they should illustrate the norm, not the exception.
So, are YOU, Living It?
Our training group has taken up the term, and when we see each other, out and about, we will ask; "Are you Living It?"
Last week I attended the ILEETA conference. The International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association is made up of individuals dedicated to pushing the development of our Art, disseminate that development, and bring it back home to share with our people. Our people being the main reason for all the effort. We've made a commitment to do what ever we can so that our people can go home at the end of their shifts.
ILEETA attendees should be the creme de la creme of the law enforcement training community. Alas, I saw a large proportion of them were not 'Living It'. There were many more badges evident, than guns. Even John Steinbeck recognized that "the sword is more important than the shield".
As I rode to the range with another DTI affiliate instructor, to help John Farnam teach a class, we took notice of the Burma Shave type signs along the driveway. Meant to be motivational, they said things like; "The harder you work in training" "The less you bleed on the street". My companion looked at me and said; "How much you want to bet it's a cold range?" I was unwilling to take the bet, which was fortunate because indeed, it was a cold range.
It's hard to 'Live It' when you aren't trusted to have a loaded firearm in the one place it is safe to shoot...
As the students arrived (who presumably are all firearms instructors themselves) I was dismayed (but not surprised) that the vast majority of them showed up, unarmed. Badges on belts, unloaded firearms safely secured in travel cases. 20 minutes of class time was devoted to gearing up. It was obvious that most of these people work on cold ranges back home, and showed up unarmed, with empty weapons because that is what they were habituated to.
If it's not safe on the range, it sure isn't safe on the street.
I don't understand the mindset of wearing a badge and not a gun. Is the badge a magic talisman that wards off evil? Quite the contrary, it attracts trouble. Yet there they were, severly limited in their ability to respond to problems that might require violence to be resolved.
While the gun is the least important part of the gunfighting equation, it does hold a vital position. Mindset and Spirit are the critical components. And the cold range kills Mindset and Spirit. It is the refuge of the lazy, careless, and lacksadasical. You can't Live It, on a cold range.
There was a small and unfortunately conspicous group in that class. They came fully armed, and they had great skill sets. Watching them, I saw Fighters, not shooters. I say unfortunately conspicous because they should illustrate the norm, not the exception.
So, are YOU, Living It?
nati...@aol.com
Apr 26, 2012, 1:40:45 PM4/26/12
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Just had a wonderful curry chicken sandwich on the west end of the island with my wife and one of my closest friends. The water is flat and blue, and the air is beautifully salty. No training for me today, but I'm "living it"....
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John Fritz
Apr 26, 2012, 3:18:19 PM4/26/12
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Go ahead and rub it in while I freeze my axx off here on hold with vonage for another hour or two. John
From: "nati...@aol.com" <nati...@aol.com>
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Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 1:40 PM
Subject: Re: Living It
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DragonRich
Apr 26, 2012, 7:12:11 PM4/26/12
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I'm "Living it" every single day! Everywhere I go! That is...; everywhere except the Post Office and at my job! :-)
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