Maarten V - Member - The Prepared

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Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 14, 2021

Great advice! I got a CO2 replica of my 1911 with blowback to train inside the house. For many, it’s not worth the investment, but for me it adds several benefits: The blowback ensures proper grip when drawing and firing You can put up paper targets around the house and blast them with plastic BBs. It’s adequately accurate for up to at least 5 meters/yards to simulate bullet trajectory. Wear eye protection and make sure the house is empty, though. Although I don’t shoot BBs inside the house anymore since you’ll still find the plastic rascals everywhere for months after.

Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 13, 2021

Good question! Fortunately for me (but not for the hypothesis), I haven’t really encountered any critical moments to test whether my training made me handle emergency situations better. There was a significant change in managing outbursts of anger, like road rage, however. And it made me a lot more confident on the street and during social interactions. So I imagine it would apply to stressful survival situations as well, definitely. But now, mainly because of COVID lockdowns, I haven’t trained properly in over a year and it has definitely affected me negatively (both physically as mentally), so I can’t wait to start again.

Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 12, 2021

Thanks a lot for your thought-provoking response. And yes, 100% agree with your stance on combat/martial arts training. My first weeks doing Krav Maga not only tested my body, but the “stress drills” were a true gauntlet for the mind as well.

Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 12, 2021

Well written, Ubique!I’d be surprised if you’re not already an established author of realistic thrillers. There’s a part of home defense training I’ve wondered about ever since I read an account on Reddit (unfortunately, I haven’t found it again). It was from a woman who encountered the classic “you hear a noise downstairs at 4AM” and found some guys robbing her place. She grabbed a knife and then… froze. The robbers didn’t attack her, but didn’t run away either. They just carried on, looting her place and ridiculing her. She didn’t know what to do. She felt like she just couldn’t charge at these men and plant a knife into their bodies, potentially killing someone. (that’s why several people on Reddit commented using blunt weapons for home defense instead of edged weapons) So training is a big part of preparedness in such a situation, but how do you deal with those high-stress situations and the idea you may need to take someone’s life? Especially in such a visceral way as using a knife. Especially if that someone is not (yet) an active threat to your person (like in that Reddit story). The old “never brandish a weapon you don’t intend to use” applies here. What if they had attacked her? Maybe that would’ve pushed her through her mental barrier, but maybe it wouldn’t have and they’d used the knife against her. So my question is: How do you know in advance whether you’re capable of using (potentially) lethal force and how do you train that “killer-instinct” properly?

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Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 14, 2021

Great advice! I got a CO2 replica of my 1911 with blowback to train inside the house. For many, it’s not worth the investment, but for me it adds several benefits: The blowback ensures proper grip when drawing and firing You can put up paper targets around the house and blast them with plastic BBs. It’s adequately accurate for up to at least 5 meters/yards to simulate bullet trajectory. Wear eye protection and make sure the house is empty, though. Although I don’t shoot BBs inside the house anymore since you’ll still find the plastic rascals everywhere for months after.

Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 13, 2021

Good question! Fortunately for me (but not for the hypothesis), I haven’t really encountered any critical moments to test whether my training made me handle emergency situations better. There was a significant change in managing outbursts of anger, like road rage, however. And it made me a lot more confident on the street and during social interactions. So I imagine it would apply to stressful survival situations as well, definitely. But now, mainly because of COVID lockdowns, I haven’t trained properly in over a year and it has definitely affected me negatively (both physically as mentally), so I can’t wait to start again.

Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 12, 2021

Thanks a lot for your thought-provoking response. And yes, 100% agree with your stance on combat/martial arts training. My first weeks doing Krav Maga not only tested my body, but the “stress drills” were a true gauntlet for the mind as well.

Reply to: Home Invasion – Preparation that could have prevented or changed the outcome Posted April 12, 2021

Well written, Ubique!I’d be surprised if you’re not already an established author of realistic thrillers. There’s a part of home defense training I’ve wondered about ever since I read an account on Reddit (unfortunately, I haven’t found it again). It was from a woman who encountered the classic “you hear a noise downstairs at 4AM” and found some guys robbing her place. She grabbed a knife and then… froze. The robbers didn’t attack her, but didn’t run away either. They just carried on, looting her place and ridiculing her. She didn’t know what to do. She felt like she just couldn’t charge at these men and plant a knife into their bodies, potentially killing someone. (that’s why several people on Reddit commented using blunt weapons for home defense instead of edged weapons) So training is a big part of preparedness in such a situation, but how do you deal with those high-stress situations and the idea you may need to take someone’s life? Especially in such a visceral way as using a knife. Especially if that someone is not (yet) an active threat to your person (like in that Reddit story). The old “never brandish a weapon you don’t intend to use” applies here. What if they had attacked her? Maybe that would’ve pushed her through her mental barrier, but maybe it wouldn’t have and they’d used the knife against her. So my question is: How do you know in advance whether you’re capable of using (potentially) lethal force and how do you train that “killer-instinct” properly?