Your Mental Training Scenarios?

What different what would you do mental training type scenarios do you frequently go through?

One I go through often is walking into a convenience store (that was the subject of the Proving Ground I was in). And it’s a different scenario every time.

Post the scenario you go through mentally below - I’ll be using the ideas for upcoming What Would You Do posts. :wink:

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One time I was with my 2 little girls at an amusement park. One was in a stroller. A large fight broke out right behind me. My first instinct was to get my girls out of there to a safe area, which I was able to do. From that experience, when I am with my family I tend to look around to determine where I can get them behind cover should something happen.

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I was in the sound booth in our church one Sunday and a guy I didn’t recognize came in and sat at the far side of the sanctuary, maybe 60’ away with a lot of people between us. He was acting strange and I just kept watching him. I’ve run that what-if scenario in my mind many times. What if he stood up and started shooting? If everyone got down, should I try to shoot from 60’? Should I retreat without regard to my fellow church members? Should I leave the booth and try to work myself closer? If I did shoot and missed, what are the chances someone would be in the hallway on the other side of the wall?

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I look at the places I go on a regular basis and consider those… gas station, which pump? what if approached? What if an altercation?
Market or home improvement store … where to park, what if approached while loading groceries or garden supplies? What if an issue in the store?
Post office, where I cant carry inside…
Illinois where I cant carry outside the car…
Stopped at a light in traffic…
Work where I cant carry …
Restaurant. Which is about the only crowded place I go…

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Just as a function of my years of training I’m looking for threats and playing out, “What if scenarios” everywhere I go. I will also occasionally take individuals, facility groups or small groups of students out with me and we discuss them as we drive around, go through “shopping trips” in various stores, Walmarts, malls etc.

Your first weapon in self defense is mental preparedness.

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I’m glad you noticed him, @Trmptr64! Is there anyone from the security team who could go up and welcome him to the church? That may be an option to find out his intentions.

Bad people don’t like being noticed - they want easy targets.

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Interesting scenario. I work with a lot of churches teaching them how to plan ahead to avoid ever having an active shooter event and how to deal with them in the case they do.

The most obvious and simplest thing to do is limit access. Secure the doors so that only the main entrance of the worship hall is accessible during services. It’s fine to have locks that allow for easy/instant access from the inside in case of emergency but that don’t allow for easy access from outside.

Position at least two ushers at the entrance and have them greet people as they enter. It usually doesn’t take long to figure out if someone is mentally unbalanced or has ill intent when you make eye contact, greet them with a smile and reach out to shake their hand.

If you’re going to have a problem, the vestibule is the place you want it happening.

Having at least two additional people you can rely on close to the entrance aside from the ushers is also a very good idea.

Four to one is very good odds if the four are of the right mindset to prevent bad things from happening.

If someone seems questionable but obviously not a problem, someone should escort them to their seat and join them. You don’t have to be overly obvious about it but vigilant.

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We have people that welcome people as they come in the doors and a couple people from our security team are always in the front lobby. I’m assuming he was greeted when he came in, but when I saw him, I wasn’t in a position to be able to talk to him. I totally agree, though, that striking up a conversation with someone is important, first to just make them feel welcome, but it can also give some insight as to why they came to visit. Anxiousness or irritability on their part may indicate a potential problem.

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We’ve implemented a lot of that, but that is definitely good information. I like the idea of having people available to sit with new people coming in by themselves. That gives an excellent opportunity to have someone make them feel welcome and introduce them to other people, but also gives an opportunity to discern a potential concern.

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My two things I am always training myself mentally for.

  1. Coming home and my wife and/or daughter are in danger from someone, who is already in the home. Or hearing something from my daughter’s room.(I don’t want to get more graphic or detailed)

  2. Someone holding my wife and/or my daughter hostage. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve seen that happen. It weighs on my mind. I used to not care, when I was younger. But I have so much more to lose now. As I have said before “statistics are not kind to women who get taken from one crime scene to a secondary crime scene”.

I game those scenarios quote frequently, In my head and at the range.

I’ve probably shot that scenario a few thousand times. I’ve hit the hostage once (I knicked the left ear).

Do you also train with your daughter and wife, @Zavier_D?

Due to the layout of my home and where my daughter and granddaughters rooms are, my daughter and I will probably end up in the hall at the same time. There’s no way she’s not going to go to her daughter and I won’t let her go to her daughter without some sort of coverage from me.

As my daughter is 21, it’s time to do some serious defensive shooting training with her and get her CCW.

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@Dawn,

Actually I do. I have a fairly largish house. But to get up to where the goodies are at (people and property). There is only one route up (yes that’s deliberate), I have a 300+ pound granite and steel island on wheels at the top where I can block the stairs if I need to. Every room upstairs has a hidden chain ladder so we can egress, while I hold off anyone long enough for them to get out.

As far as training them
I have taught them over and over if someone ever grabbed them to go completely limp and be a dead weight. Dead weight requires a lot more strength to hold up so should open up a better target if need be.

I train this, but I would only use for my wife or daughter. As I am not willing to take the risk from taking that shot. I would rather try to keep the hostage taker talking in hopes 911 would get there.

That is my one non negotiable rule. I will not let my wife or daughter be taken from one crime scene to a secondary crime scene.

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^^^ Planning level: Expert
Nice Work!! :+1: :+1:

One book - “Strong on Defense” - defined that as a primary rule … no matter how bad Crime Scene A is, Crime Scene B will always be worse.

Zee, you need to shoot my LE Lasershot simulator. You will not have to do the mental exercises. It feels real, and life changing. I had people tell me they didn’t sleep the night of training. Find one somewhere and do some senarios if you can

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@Rick11 I would love to do that… awesome training. I haven’t been able to find anything like it around here.