Should you get training?

[Retread]

Do you really want to pollute the military with draftees? Also, gun handling in the military wasn't that good in my era. Don't know about now. I saw guys (tankers, MI & psyops) playing "Army" in the Army. The only reason there aren't more accidents in the Army is because of ammo security, the shooting positions and gear at the range, and the RSO's with their cleaning rods.

USMC didn't have that problem that I saw.

There was a story of 2 SSG's during Nam at the Camp Schwab gate having a cowboy gunfight. That's the story I was told as to why they didn't carry any ammo on duty.

 

[attison]

Do you really want to pollute the military with draftees? Also, gun handling in the military wasn't that good in my era. Don't know about now. I saw guys (tankers, MI & psyops) playing "Army" in the Army. The only reason there aren't more accidents in the Army is because of ammo security, the shooting positions and gear at the range, and the RSO's with their cleaning rods.

USMC didn't have that problem that I saw.

There was a story of 2 SSG's during Nam at the Camp Schwab gate having a cowboy gunfight. That's the story I was told as to why they didn't carry any ammo on duty.

Doc, have you seen some of the ones in the ermy now? We had neck tats, gang tats, gold pot leaf teeth and everything else. I know and see what your talking about as far as polluting the military, and these days I agree. But, if they would go back to how it was 20 years ago, there would be a change. I remember my first 15 seconds off the bus at PI, I got my nose broke by a pissed off DI. I told the corpsman I fell, not that I was clicking my heels together and the DI punched me lol. But now days, I call it pussification. There is a lax in discipline in the military, some branches more than others. So, let me digress and say not the military option but I'm going to stick to the others.

 

[Retread]

I hope he was gentle with the butter knives. I don't think today's kids would be able to see the value of the experience.

I knew a Marine who wanted to apply as an Embassy Marine. Had tattoos cut off his forearms just to apply. Don't know if he made it.

Pulled a Marine from the NTA on the Rock. Fell on a punji stick. Through the eyelid, but slid around his eye. Guy wanted to pull it out and stay in the field.

They go on and on. Never got the same from the Nav or the Army.

 

[attison]

I hope he was gentle with the butter knives. I don't think today's kids would be able to see the value of the experience.

I knew a Marine who wanted to apply as an Embassy Marine. Had tattoos cut off his forearms just to apply. Don't know if he made it.

Pulled a Marine from the NTA on the Rock. Fell on a punji stick. Through the eyelid, but slid around his eye. Guy wanted to pull it out and stay in the field.

They go on and on. Never got the same from the Nav or the Army.

I agree. I saw the value of my few experiences, even learned the definition of the word belligerent, the hard way lol. But I know what it is, problem was I couldn't fix it fast enough lol. Had a Gunny who took a round in the face when he was recon in 68, told us the next day he was in the same rice paddy with a mouth full of gauze. He was a hard cores n and could down a handle of Jack in two pulls. He caught us drinking out in the head at 29 stumps during desert storm. Came in, took one of handles and downed it! Then sat down and told us about real recon and "the old Corps" and how he was ready to retire after this little war. He did two years later. Don't make em like that any more.

 

[Retread]

You talking about chasing down your dinner? Heard about it, but never saw it. If so, had to taste better than those nasty bugs and worms in the PI. My wife's Korean. she brought home some silk worm pupa the other day. They haven't improved over the years either. I think they grossed out my kid.

Only things I've turned down for lunch over the years were balut and kay-go-gi. Just wasn't hungry enough. Strangest food: fresh raw octopus. Cut up, but still moving as you ate it.

Barbequed eel is great.

 

[Wheeler]

Then as long as anyone who intends you harm telegraphs their intent enough to allow you to draw, you should be fine.

Awareness is the key, not ninja skills.

 

[CQB27]

Awareness is the key, not ninja skills.

Nobody is 100% aware 100% of the time. Ninja Skills, I know nothing about that.

 

[Wheeler]

Nobody is 100% aware 100% of the time. Ninja Skills, I know nothing about that.

First and foremost I should clarify that I have nothing against physical fitness. I do take umbrage to the statement that it is necessary to defend oneself with a gun. Statistics prove otherwise. I'll take my chances on knowing when and where to heighten my awareness. To imply that one needs to be fully prepared to engage in some form of hand-to-hand else they will die is misleading. As I stated before thousands of private citizens defend themselves successfully without the benefits of cross-fit, aerobic or whatever. They also managed to do it with increased heart rates and decreased fine motor skills.

Very few of the folks I know classify themselves as warriors, sheepdogs or first responders. They are private citizens who fulfill a useful function in society without partaking in some sort of spartanesque training in order to meet an arbitrary level of physical fitness. To imply that one is unqualified to carry or even own a gun is without meeting those standards is disingenuous at best.

 

[CQB27]

First and foremost I should clarify that I have nothing against physical fitness. I do take umbrage to the statement that it is necessary to defend oneself with a gun. Statistics prove otherwise. I'll take my chances on knowing when and where to heighten my awareness. To imply that one needs to be fully prepared to engage in some form of hand-to-hand else they will die is misleading. As I stated before thousands of private citizens defend themselves successfully without the benefits of cross-fit, aerobic or whatever. They also managed to do it with increased heart rates and decreased fine motor skills.

Very few of the folks I know classify themselves as warriors, sheepdogs or first responders. They are private citizens who fulfill a useful function in society without partaking in some sort of spartanesque training in order to meet an arbitrary level of physical fitness. To imply that one is unqualified to carry or even own a gun is without meeting those standards is disingenuous at best.

First and foremost I should clarify that I have nothing against physical fitness. I do take umbrage to the statement that it is necessary to defend oneself with a gun. Statistics prove otherwise. I'll take my chances on knowing when and where to heighten my awareness. To imply that one needs to be fully prepared to engage in some form of hand-to-hand else they will die is misleading. As I stated before thousands of private citizens defend themselves successfully without the benefits of cross-fit, aerobic or whatever. They also managed to do it with increased heart rates and decreased fine motor skills.

Very few of the folks I know classify themselves as warriors, sheepdogs or first responders. They are private citizens who fulfill a useful function in society without partaking in some sort of spartanesque training in order to meet an arbitrary level of physical fitness. To imply that one is unqualified to carry or even own a gun is without meeting those standards is disingenuous at best.

I never implied "one is unqualified to carry or even own a gun" because they care nothing about maintaining a level of fitness that would improve their fighting skills or "it is necessary to defend oneself with a gun". I simply stated that one would be a better, much better, defender of his life or the lives of those he cares about if ever faced with that situation if he maintained a level of fitness.

The point I am making is simply this, many here talk about honing their defensive skill set. Taking pistol/rifle/shotgun shooting courses is only a small part of that process. As an example it works something like this: I access my individual defensive needs. For me, in the current position I find myself in life my priority goes like this :

1. Physical Fitness
2. Pistol
3. Rifle
4. Combatives
5. Blade
6. Tactics

My Current assessment of those areas I am best trained in, in descending order:

1. Pistol (actually about equal to rifle)
2. Rifle
3. Fitness
4. Tactics
5. Combatives
6. Blade

Any area that is 3 or more spaces out of line from top list to bottom list needs the most attention during my training time. For me that means I need to spend most of my time on Fitness and Combatives (while spending some time on the rest) to balance out my present needs. There is one caveat, Physical Fitness is so key to every other skill that no matter where I find myself in the defensive skill set continuum, it stays on top ALWAYS. Now that does not mean I will not lose physical fitness ability as I age, but it does mean I will continue to work on it or accept that my defensive skill set will slip well below where it could be no matter how I manage the rest.

Fitness improves anyone's ability to defend/fight/shoot/move/communicate/think/survive and win when combined with the rest of the above list. Is it "Necessary" for you or anyone else, a question only you can answer.

I will end with this, ANYTHING that improves ones Lethality and/or Survivability when thrust into a fight for life is necessary. Anything that does not improve Lethality and/or Survivability can wait.

 

[Retread]

I worked with a never-done-anything wannabe, who wouldn't wear anything that wasn't tactical. Claimed to be a 4F, to account for not serving. Memorized stats on military weapons and read tactics. Always talked 10 codes on the phone. Roger this, and ended his conversations with "Out".

OK guys: Instead of hypothesizing, why not get together with a couple dummy knives, coat them in chalk, and spar? See if your technics work in the real world?