Eye Square Martial Arts

Cultural Preservation… with Bruises (sometimes).

Tag: armed citizen

  • Training, Safety, and Mindset: What Responsible Carry Really Means

    Training, Safety, and Mindset: What Responsible Carry Really Means

    It’s one thing to own a gun. It’s another to carry it daily. And it’s something else entirely to be prepared—mentally, physically, and morally—to use it.

    A gun doesn’t make you safe. Training does. Judgment does. Self-control does. Without those, a firearm can turn from a life-saving tool into a liability.

    Mindset First, Always

    Before you think about tactics or gear, you need the right mindset.

    • Carrying a gun means you’ve accepted a level of responsibility most people will never understand.
    • It’s not about being the hero—it’s about avoiding trouble whenever possible and stopping a threat only when there’s no other option.
    • The gun is the last resort, not the first move.

    If your ego is driving you to carry, you’re doing it wrong.

    Training: More Than Just Marksmanship

    You don’t rise to the occasion—you fall to the level of your training.

    That means:

    • Drawing from concealment under pressure
    • Moving and shooting with awareness of your surroundings
    • Target discrimination (knowing when not to shoot)
    • Scenario-based decision-making under stress

    Dry fire practice, range time, and force-on-force training are all part of the puzzle. And if you haven’t trained since your concealed carry class? You’re overdue.

    Situational Awareness > Speed

    Most violent encounters are won—or avoided—before the first shot is fired.

    • Can you spot a threat before it’s too close?
    • Are you tuned into your environment, or buried in your phone?
    • Do you know where the exits are when you walk into a store, restaurant, or parking lot?

    Awareness buys you time. And time buys you options.

    Safe Storage = Smart Ownership

    Not every threat is external. Especially if you have children, roommates, or visitors at home, safe storage matters.

    Options include:

    • Lockboxes or safes with quick-access
    • Trigger locks for backup storage
    • Keeping carry guns on your person—not loose in a drawer (or in a purse)

    The goal isn’t paranoia—it’s preventing tragedy.

    Closing Thought

    Carrying a gun doesn’t make you dangerous. But carrying one without training, discipline, and humility just might.

    In the next post, we’ll dive into the common arguments for and against civilian gun ownership—and how to respond with respect, logic, and facts.

  • Mutual Combat vs. Sudden Assault: What Defensive Gun Use Really Looks Like

    Mutual Combat vs. Sudden Assault: What Defensive Gun Use Really Looks Like

    When most people imagine using a gun in self-defense, they picture something from a movie—a standoff, a gunfight, or a dramatic chase. But in real life, defensive gun use (DGU) is rarely that cinematic.

    It’s fast. It’s messy. And it usually doesn’t involve a shot being fired at all.

    What Counts as Defensive Gun Use?

    A “defensive gun use” doesn’t require pulling the trigger. It simply means using a firearm to stop or deter a threat to your life or the life of another.

    This could include:

    • Drawing a firearm to prevent an assault
    • Displaying a weapon to stop a robbery
    • Firing a warning shot (though not recommended)
    • Actually discharging a weapon in self-defense

    The vast majority of DGUs don’t make the news—because nothing dramatic happened. The threat ended the moment the gun appeared.

    How Often Does It Happen?

    There’s controversy around the numbers, largely due to how “defensive use” is defined and reported. But here are the major data points:

    • A CDC-commissioned report cites estimates ranging from 60,000 to 2.5 million DGUs per year, depending on the methodology. (Source)
    • The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) consistently reports about 100,000 DGUs per year.
    • A 2000s study by criminologist Gary Kleck—widely cited in 2A circles—estimated closer to 2.5 million annually.

    Even using the most conservative number, that’s roughly 275 people per day using a gun in self-defense.

    Real-Life Encounters: What They Teach

    What’s consistent across real-world incidents is this: self-defense happens fast, and the defender is often reacting to a sudden assault.

    Key lessons:

    • You won’t have time to rack a slide, unlock a safe, or “gear up.” Preparedness means accessibility.
    • Most confrontations happen at close range (7 yards or less).
    • The attacker usually has the advantage—they chose the time and place.

    This is why mindset, situational awareness, and training matter more than the gear you carry.

    Mutual Combat vs Sudden Assault

    There’s a big legal and moral difference between getting into a fight and defending yourself from a violent assault.

    • Mutual Combat: Both parties are willingly engaged—think road rage or bar fights. If you escalate, your legal defense may fall apart.
    • Sudden Assault: You’re targeted unexpectedly and must respond with appropriate force to stop the threat. This is where most DGUs fall.

    If you’re carrying, your job isn’t to “win a fight”—it’s to survive a threat and stay within the law.

    Closing Thought

    Guns aren’t magic wands. They don’t guarantee safety. But in the hands of a trained, law-abiding citizen, they can stop evil in its tracks.

    Next time, we’ll explore how to prepare for that moment before it happens—through training, mindset, and responsible carry habits.