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This I call situation awareness.
I remember the rule of 7 and I don't ever want to let a threat get closer than 7 yards from me.
In theory this is great. In practice, most people are much closer than this before you have any idea of the person's intent. It also conflicts with yourlater point....
In restaurants I select power positions where I can see the entrance, preferably with my back to a wall.
I like this idea, but in reality, the place is crowded, or the people I am with won't cooperate so I don't make a scene. I always think of Hickok though.
My mindset is that if and when I draw my weapon, I will shoot.
If you practice the code of the samurai and cannot sheath your sword without drawing blood and have a 7 yard radius, you are one scary dude!!! You decide whether your fellow citizens live or die at 21 feet!!!! You don't often know much about someone at 21 feet.
For me, the best retention is to stop the threat before it gets to you.
Those are my thoughts on retention.
I find two types of situations common. One where something is not right and the hair stands up on your neck. If I can, I will discreetly have gun in hand at my side and move to a defensible position. When the person sees me, he knows he is at a disadvantage. Can I help you? or Maybe you should call me and we will see if we can reach an agreement... It gives him an out and they always take it. If you try to be a little more than reasonable, it avoids these things, but sometimes it is not really about you.
The other is at close range and you know that this could go life or death in an instant and if you make a wrong judgement you will just set it off. I have always been able to talk it down. Sometimes it is empathizing with the man and sometimes you must stand up to him to bring him down. Often you are not SURE which is the right choice. Try empathy first.
Someday, I will get it wrong, or there will be no right, and I will be in a life and death struggle. When someone takes your gun away, they kill you with it almost 50% of the time!!!!! This applies only to reported incidents, and murders are almost always reported, disarmings aren't always so the true number cannot be determined.
I have some Krav Maga moves to surprise the surpriser, but I was wondering if any other martial art specializes in firearms. Or some new ideas. Or this kind of actual stories of self defence. Ace