BACK UP, MOTHERFUCKER!

or

BACK THE FUCK UP!

or

BACK UP!

or

Hey can you back up?

Is there a difference? Yes there is.

This past weekend I was assisting with classes at KR Training. One of the skills taught in Defensive Pistol 1 is issuing verbal commands. For instance, “STOP! DON’T MOVE!”. And yes, you must find your inner drill sergeant when you issue that command. The use of verbal commands is an attempt to control the situation as an alternative to and avoiding the use of deadly force. The issuance of commands isn’t black and white, there is a continuum.

You want to start out with the least amount of assertion, while still giving a firm command. “Hey, can you back up?” is an example. You’re telling the (potential) VCA what you want them to do, but you’re being reasonably polite about it. If they comply, great. The situation remains calm and they are doing what you want. If however they do not comply and the situation warrants, you may need to step up your command to gain compliance, perhaps yelling “BACK UP!”. Now you’re not asking, you’re telling, and with a louder, more commanding tone. One additional benefit of escalation is that of witnesses. Compare how it looks to uninvolved bystanders (potential witnesses) if you went from 0 to 100, especially if 100 didn’t balance out with the way the VCA was acting at the time, vs. if you went from 0 to 25 to 50 to 75 to 100, especially if the VCA’s actions were continued and non-compliant?

But this is where we get to the topic of profanity. It always happens in the DPS1 class, that someone will yell their flavor of command with a “fuck” or “fucker” or “motherfucker”. While we suggest something like “stop, don’t move”, in the end you need to find a command set that works best for you (and it may be more than one). So yes, people get creative as they work to figure it out the first time. In this particular class I was working the small range but came over to the main range to fetch a student. The class had just learned about verbal commands and students were back at the fumble tables reloading magazines, discussing, and joking about the use of profanity. I spoke about this with them, and figured it’d make something worth writing about. Hence. 🙂

The choice to use profanity is up to you. The use of profanity certainly adds a stronger tone. Compare “Back up!” to “Back the fuck up!”, and the latter is certainly a stronger command. As well, consider that criminal element likely understands and utilizes profanity themselves, so consider this in your choice. I personally will avoid the use of profanity, unless it escalates to a point where that additional emphasis is required.

If you choose to use profanity, you must be careful in your choice.

What’s the difference between “back the fuck up” and “back up motherfucker”? The first is a strong command, the second is an insult. The first just said what to do. In the second, you called the VCA a “motherfucker”… and now, you have escalated the situation, you have pissed him off more. I hope you can see how this could be a dangerous and bad thing.

Some may shrug that off as that you can’t control what comes out of your mouth when the flag flies. I won’t deny that. However, we can work to practice our scripts beforehand. Find the command set that works for you (I do like using “back up” and variants, thank you SouthNarc). When you are working on your dry fire practice, issue verbal commands. Work to find your script. Rehearse your script.

We all love working those hard-skills that involve throwing lead downrange, because that’s fun. But well-rounded self-defense should strive to avoid slinging lead as much as possible. There are other skills vital to learn, issuing commands is one of them. To use profanity in those commands can be an integral part of the command continuum, but you must be aware of the nuances and work accordingly.

This past weekend at KR Training I was assisting with classes, one of which was Basic Pistol 2. There were numerous women enrolled in the class, one of which stood out to me.

This woman was tiny.

I’d say she was 5′ nothing, if that. Very petite size, maybe weighed 80-90 lbs, if that. I mean, she was small; nothing unhealthy, just the way God made her. Plus, she was an older woman, probably in her 50’s. She came to learn how to shoot, and she did fairly well in the class.

You know what? I’m glad she’s learning to shoot, and shoot defensively.

Why?

Consider me. I’m easily twice her size. I’m 6’3″, 210#. I’m somewhat young, strong, skilled in martial arts. For someone built like me, someone like her is no physical match. It wouldn’t even matter if she was a 100th degree black belt ultimate supreme grandmaster in every martial art out there…. I’d still be able to flick her aside.

What good is pepper spray or a whistle when physically overpowering her would take almost no effort on my part?I doubt she could swing a baseball bat at me in a way that would do much to stop me. Heck, I’m not even sure she could kick me in the balls hard enough to make me fall over.

But I do know she can press the trigger on a gun, and that would do a lot more towards making someone built like me fall over.

A gun is a force equalizer. She is put in a God-given position of disadvantage. Should she be satisfied and forever relegate herself to being in the “easy prey” and “victim” category? Or should she be happy that Samuel Colt gave her the ability to be equal?

I fail to understand why there are people in this world hungry to deny women like her the ability to retain their humanity and dignity. To those people I ask, if you succeed in banning guns, what is she supposed to do? Look her in the eye and tell her.

A Ladies Only Pistol Course, taught by Lynn Givens of Rangemaster and Penny Riggs of KR Training will be offered at KR Training on Saturday May 21, 2011.

The course is designed to introduce ladies to the realities of self defense with handguns, and to give the student a firm foundation upon which future skill can be built. It looks like it should be a good course. I’ve trained with Lynn and her husband Tom, and they are top notch people and trainers. I do my best to not miss opportunities to train with them.

If you don’t know who Lynn Givens is, here’s some of her story:

Some years ago, before becoming Mrs. Givens, Lynn was stalked by a mentally disturbed man who threatened her life and the life of her young son. Eventually, that person committed suicide, ending that particular threat. However, as Lynn researched personal security issues in response to that threat, she learned about the actual level of criminal violence and the need to be self sufficient in terms of personal safety and security.  That led Lynn to a dedicated study of personal self defense, and she has since accumulated almost 1200 hours of formal training in firearms and other self defense topics.  Lynn has trained extensively with Rangemaster; John Farnam; Massad Ayoob; Rob Pincus; Michael DeBethencourt; Southnarc; and other well known instructors.  She holds Instructor Certifications from Rangemaster, the NRA, and the State of Tennessee, and is a Surefire Low Light Technology Specialist. She is the Primary Instructor among the group of female firearms instructors at Rangemaster.

My understanding is the class is half-full, and I expect it will sell out. The sooner you sign up, the better your chances of making the class!

(Full disclosure: I am an assistant instructor at KR Training… but regular blog readers ought to know that)

Anti-gun folks keep touting that concealed handguns only lead to more crime, more violence, that there’s no proof they actually do anything good to stop crime.

So I offer you this recent news item:

HOUSTON – A burglary suspect was shot in the stomach Tuesday after a couple caught him in the act, police said. (h/t Tim)

Police said the man was going office to office on the fourth floor, looking for things to steal, when insurance business-owner Sherri Jones found him rummaging through her purse. Jones confronted him, but she said the suspect threatened her. That’s when her husband intervened.

Investigators said Gary Jones warned the suspect he had a concealed weapon, but the suspect continued to struggle with him.

“He told him, ‘I have a pistol I don’t want to have to pull it on you,’ and the guy just kept on and kept on until he said he just wasn’t gonna take a beating anymore,” said Terry New, a witness.

[…]

New added that he thought Tuesday’s incident showed the importance of the concealed handgun license.

“The police can only do so much to protect us,” he said. “Sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands and this was one of those times.”

[…]

11 News Legal Analysis Gerald Treece said the shooting was justified in more than one way.

“Justification in self defense, justification in defense of his spouse, and the fact that a crime was being committed,” Treece said.