Firearms, Fitness & Personal Protection
There is an old saying “God created man, but Sam Colt made them equal.” Unfortunately, many gun owners believe that just having a gun prepares them for the many threats they may face in life, but true personal protection is much more than just acquiring a firearm. You must also have the physical, mental, and even spiritual “fitness” necessary to protect yourself and your family.
Physical Fitness – Are you fit enough? You don’t have to be Rambo to be better prepared to save your own life or the life of your family. There are some threats in life, which can’t be solved by the use of a firearm. Are you fit enough to escape from your car in an emergency, run to find cover, or overcome a barricade or obstacle? Here is a great video by our friend Dave Spaulding called “Are You Fit Enough?”
Mental Fitness – We talk a lot about situational awareness in our classes, but mental fitness is much more than just being aware of your surroundings. True mental fitness is observing things in your surroundings and visualizing how you would overcome them if the need arose. This has been in practice for years in the sports arenas. An article from Brian Baxter gives some good information on how athletes use visualization to better prepare themselves to perform. But mental fitness doesn’t begin when you go into orange status, you can mentally prepare from the comfort of your own home or office. Simply staying abreast of current events and threats people face as reported in the news or on social media is an opportunity to “what if” different scenarios and visualize how you would overcome a particular threat.
Spiritual Fitness – Sometimes bad things happen to good people Unfortunately, no matter how much we try to plan or prepare for what life may throw at us, sometimes bad things happen to good people. In a recent event in Mississippi, a concealed carry permit holder found himself in a gunfight with a bad guy that was threatening his wife and child. The permit holder did what any husband and father would have done and protected his wife and child. However, in the chaos of the gunfight, this hero lost his life protecting the ones he loved. While Sam Colt’s invention has definitely leveled the playing field and saved many lives, we must avoid lulling ourselves into the belief that a firearm is all the security blanket we will ever need.
