On my last article I wrote about Close Quarter Battle, CQB, training and how important this type of training is to the average everyday gun owner. CQB techniques are very valuable during common situations that we might face on a given day.
One of the most important parts of CQB training is the way your mind needs to constantly work and attempt to predict what might happen next. During static range training, you are given a task or a drill, and you can envision that drill from start to finish before the Instructor yells “threat” or before the timer beeps. Then you run the drill hoping nothing unplanned happens that will increase the total time of the drill. During CQB training the opposite occurs. Your mind is constantly running small scenarios in an attempt to be ready for anything that might happen.
When I teach my Scenario Based Training Course, which is a CQB type course, getting students to open their minds and consider every possibility is probably the hardest task I have as a Firearms Instructor. Let me explain…
I and several others who are part of a community awareness group just completed a primitive survival course. Basically, the course was geared toward surviving in the wild with just the cloths on your back and a good knife. Being that I am a 10-year military vet and 20-year retired sheriff deputy, I always carried a lot of gear and most importantly I had a two-way radio to contact someone if I needed something else. This survival course forced me to open up my mind, honestly like I’ve never had too before.
Many of the skills taught during the course were new to me. The course forced me to look around within my current environment and consider how everything around me can be used for my advantage, for my safety and for my survival.
CQB is not that different. When I enter a building or structure with my gun drawn because the scenario dictates that I do, my mind needs to begin the process of looking around within my current environment and consider how everything around me can be used to my advantage, for my safety and for my survival.
If I entered into a room, gun drawn, looking for an intruder, am I doing just that? Or am I looking at doing several different things at the same time. Searching for a bad guy, helping possible victims, using the specifics of the structure for cover or concealment, detecting any other threats such as explosives or other harmful things, etc. etc. etc.
In other words, my mind is not focused on just one thing. It’s contemplating several things at one time. It has to be flexible while considering every scenario that I might be confronted with during the search of the structure.
I find that most people can consider and implement a couple of things at a time but lack the ability to consider all things at all times. Simple example. If I have a student shooting from behind a barrier and they step to the side of the barrier to get shots on target, when they encounter a malfunction with their firearm they fail to step back behind the barrier. They are focused on one thing, fixing their gun. Then the ones that do step back behind the barrier fail to do so in a manner where they can keep an eye on their threat while they fix their gun. If I lose total sight of my threat, when I’m ready to fight again I’m stepping out into an unknown scenario.
This type of thought process takes training and repetition of such training. It takes training your brain in a way that it will process several things at one time and decide on an action quickly. A term used in the tactical world is ODALOOP.
Observe, Decide, Act run in a constant LOOP. You are running a constant loop of observing things around your environment, deciding how those things should determine your actions and then acting upon your decision.
Train your brain to be the best tool that you have on your equipment list.
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JohnsonGroupTAC.com
Oz Johnson/Lead Instructor, NRA Certified
Karin Johnson/Operations Manager
602-410-7355
