I admire you for that admission and rest assured, you are in good company. I have been shooting for 52 of my 56 years, but I didn’t give the first thought to tactical shooting until a few tense days in Houston in 1968. Since then, I haven’t fixated on self-defense, but I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t.sparx wrote:I told you there was plenty I didn't know!! :-)
Some of that knowledge came from personal experiences, but the vast majority of it came from the experience of people who were willing to share with others. Sometimes sharing is easy, sometimes it is not. Not all “war stories� are stories of victory and gallantry; some are stark descriptions of what people can go through in a fight, or what they believe will be a fight, for their lives.
Whether it’s the experience of Clint Smith or the other instructors at Thunder Ranch, the writings of knowledgeable people in the field, or the candor of a new “kid� in this forum posting about an event that scared the snot out of him, it all becomes part of our body of knowledge, if we are willing to listen and learn. I truly believe that one of the greatest aspects of this forum is the vast experience its members have to offer, coupled with the willingness of people to ask and pose topics of discussion that are relevant to real-world issues. It takes a certain amount of courage to tell of an event you encountered, then ask for a critique of your performance. But that willingness to present one’s thought process, planning, actions and reactions to the group for discussion is invaluable not only to the one seeking opinions on their performance, it also provides an opportunity for all of us to consider and learn from a scenario we did not face ourselves. And by the way, there's still plenty I don't know either!
Regards,
Chas.
