The Basketball legend, Michael Jordan, once said that “The minute you get away from fundamentals — Whether it’s proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation — the bottom can fall out of your game, your job, or whatever else you’re doing.”

It’s no different when trying to become a safe, responsible, and confident gun owner. In fact, with firearms, it’s even more important.

I cannot stress enough how important the right to keep and bear arms is. I, for one, will continue to advocate for and protect it because, as far as I’m concerned, nothing else signifies freedom to the same degree.

However, the responsibility that comes with it is immense because, unlike most games, jobs, and whatever else we’re doing, one little mistake can cause significant harm or death. There is no turning back, getting a do-over, or saying we’re sorry.

And to get to the point where we’re subconsciously able to be impeccably safe, responsible, and confident with a firearm lies in the fundamentals. Nowhere else.

How many times have you watched your favorite athletes perform feats that left you flabbergasted and in complete awe? Like Michael Jordan making that 3-point throw at the buzzer to win the game. Or Tom Brady, make that impossible game winning touchdown pass to win a Superbowl that was all but lost?

How do you think they got that good? Do you think they skipped the fundamentals? Do you think they stopped practicing the fundamentals once they got to be the best?

Absolutely not! They spent more time on the fundamentals than any other skill, no matter the level they reached. Can you guess why?

Because the amount of pressure they are under to perform at the level they play is so immense that in order to perform at that level, their skills have to be developed at a subconscious level. Where thinking has a lesser role than execution. For that to happen, their fundamentals have to be the best part of their game.

The same applies to firearms. If you own a gun, especially if you carry concealed in public for self-defense and have to use it, understand this:

We will almost always be at a disadvantage because as defenders we react to an attack rather than initiate it.

As such, we will have no time to think and will have to make split second decisions that will determine the rest of our lives. If that’s not pressure, I don’t know what is.

Our bodies will function very differently than what we’re used to. If we’re not properly trained to perform the fundamental skills subconsciously, we’ll be in trouble. Why, because I believe that if we’re attacked for real, we’ll perform at the level of our bad practice days. So, the better we make our bad days the better chance we have of surviving a violent attack.

I hate to break it to you, but watching TV shows, movies, and Youtube videos of experienced shooters performing scripted and choreographed moves and skills is not going to help you save your life. Real life is not scripted or choreographed.

I don’t care if you’ve been shooting for decades. If you had no formal training with a Certified Instructor on a regular basis, at least on proper safety protocols and shooting fundamentals, you are not safe enough nor trained enough.

I’ve lost count of the number of times students come to my class telling me they’ve been shooting for years and have no idea how to perform a proper safety inspection, break every safety rule, and have poor fundamentals.

Firearms are not basketballs, footballs or tennis balls. They are deadly weapons, and as a professional I feel a moral obligation to encourage and help as many of you as I can to recognize the responsibility and take the initiative to become safe, responsible, and confident gun owners by getting professionally trained in firearm safety and the proper shooting fundamentals. You can always build on that later.

If what I’m saying resonates with you than find a certified instructor near you and schedule your safety and shooting fundamentals class as soon as possible so that you can become the safe, responsible, and confident gun owner who’s an asset to their family and community rather than a liability.

And if you’re in the Bradenton/Sarasota Florida area please come and see us and we’ll get your firearm journey started right.

Train Hard, Often, and SAFELY, and I'll see you at the range!