THE ART OF THE DRAW

I've always found this clip entertaining. Due to the frequency that gun owners post it on the internet, I suspect I'm not alone.

I believe the reason it's so popular is because of the scenario it depicts: a close-quarters encounter with an armed opponent. Hollywood has filmed countless gun battles, but typically the scenes range from improbable to completely unbelievable.

Nearly every street encounter that people will experience will be with an armed thug standing within just a few feet, if not right in your face. There won't be any Matrix-type spins and flips along the wall. The bad guys won't be emptying several magazines from their automatic weapons (all bullets missing the hero), while the hero dives to the ground, rolls into a crouching stance and methodically takes each bad guy down with a headshot.

The encounter will be quick, it may be unexpected. The odds are good that your opponent has had these encounters in the past, with other victims. It's quite possible that the opponent has used his weapon before. It's also possible that he's been shot in the past, and doesn't experience petrified fear at the sight of your weapon.

When you practice with your handgun, keep this video in the back of your mind. How often do you practice dry-firing your weapon? How often do you practice your draw? How quickly can you fire from rest and put a bullet in the COM?

In a street encounter, we won't have time to check our shooting stance, correct the grip, double-check our sight alignment and slowly squeeze the trigger. All of those actions must practiced until they are completely automatic.

The thought process cannot contain several sequential steps.

It must be one word: REACT.