![]() ![]() Aggressive action is far more important than perfection. “You can’t lock in to a detailed plan from start to finish, and you should not expect that whatever you do will be perfect. You’ll have a greater sense for what will work and what won’t, based on previous results. The more exposure you have, the more likely you are to recognize a potential threat situation and relate it to something you’ve already confronted and controlled in the past. “Extensive and varied scenario training, like real-life time on the street, adds to that diversity. “The more diverse your experiences, the more sophisticated you’re likely to be in analyzing and reacting to what you see. “You view the world through a filter that’s composed of your collective life experiences,” Farnam says. The same with a gangbanger who’s with a group of his peers versus one who’s alone when you stop him.”įarnam says that you “need to avoid imitating an alcoholic, pretending reality isn’t true, and face the situation squarely, whatever the circumstances.” In truth, suspects are likely to be more dangerous in that circumstance because by backing down they risk embarrassing humiliation in front of people who are important to them. The officer may not face up to pre-attack behavior exhibited by the suspect, thinking he wouldn’t try anything because he’s with his wife and kids. “Take a scenario in which an officer confronts a bad guy who’s with his family. Sometimes denial and delay are rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature, Farnam believes. So they make excuses in their mind: ‘Yeah, this looks bad but it isn’t, really,’ because they don’t want it to be.” Officers may see danger signs compounding but they don’t want to confront what they’re seeing. In his scenarios, as on the street, “denial is often a problem. “Developing the skill to rapidly size up threatening situations is important,” Farnam says, “but the key is then having the courage to admit the facts even when you don’t like them.” You want to perceive as far in advance as you can anything that might represent a threat so you can alter your behavior to protect your best interests.” Distinguish the significant from the insignificant. Develop the habit of paying attention to things you may have to react to quickly. “What you need to know when you’re out in the world is what affects your safety and your continued existence. Some of it may be interesting, but not important. “Most of this information is worthless distraction. “As you work your shift or move through your daily life off-duty, you’re bombarded by visual and aural input,” Farnam says. Your eyes should be busy feeding you information, not tracking your fingers.” “You need to practice in the dark so you can smoothly do everything that’s necessary to keep a gun functional without having to look at it. That seems to be very natural but it’s also very lethal. Look to each side and behind you.įarnam says that in his training shootouts, “if something unexpected happens, like a stoppage or running out of ammunition, many officers plant their feet in cement and gawk down at their gun. ![]() You need your eyes up, watching other people and what they’re doing. “When you’re in public, whether you’re on duty or off duty, you’re in a dangerous place. ![]() They probably had their head down and missed seeing danger cues, and the assailant was just waiting for that distraction. “Officers often say an attack ‘came out of nowhere,’ ” Farnam says. In his mind, these comprise critical habits you need to develop and continually drill in order to win on that fateful day when you face a determined armed adversary for real. “There are certain lessons officers report over and over again,” he told Police1. When you fail to use good tactics, you get slammed with sham rounds that punctuate your mistake and teach you not to make it again, especially in a genuine gunfight.Īfter wrapping up a recent Airsoft training day in which officers encountered role-players in increasingly complex shoot / don’t shoot situations - in both on-duty and off-duty settings - Farnam reflected on what he most often sees trainees learning from such scenario experiences. John Farnam is a nationally-known firearms trainer who is fond of saying, “We learn more from our failures than from our successes.” And that’s why he’s a strong proponent of live-action scenario training that incorporates simulated ammunition. To learn more about training with John Farnam, go to or e-mail him at. Farnam’s training and tips (as well as his “Quips” e-mails) provide valuable food for thought for cops. Editor’s Note: In the article below, PoliceOne Senior Contributor Chuck Remsberg speaks with John Farnam, an occasional contributor to PoliceOne and president of Defense Training International, based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
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