SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING: ARE YOU TRAINING TO LOSE TOO?

Self-Defense TRAINING

Wes Doss, a prominent instructor in the law enforcement community, passed away earlier this year. Author Paul Pawela had the privilege of working with him several times over the years.

ARE YOU TRAINING TO LOSE TOO?

‘Every human being can learn from defeat; in fact, it often makes us stronger.’

STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAUL PAWELA

Several years ago, a book came out titled Train to Win by Wes Doss. At the time, I thought the notion of a book with this title was kind of silly because as law enforcement officers or civilian CCW permitholders, we always train to win and never train to lose.

For the record, Doss, who passed away earlier this year, was one of the best instructors in the law enforcement community. He went above the call of duty, traveling across the country with his free law enforcement training events, titled Lights, Sights & Lasers. However, even in his book, he does not address the subject of losing.

As a lifelong trainer in both firearms and martial arts, we rarely talk about losing the fight, whether it’s military, law enforcement or civilian engagements. But unfortunately, sooner or later, it is going to happen. The best way to deal with it is to recognize it when it is happening, regroup and reassess to live to fight another day.

Not long ago, one of the most dominant females in mixed martial arts to ever step in the ring, Ronda Rousey, was upset and soundly defeated by a former World Boxing champion named Holly Holm. Holm had also been welltrained in kickboxing and grappling, and it showed in her fight with Rousey.

Most of Rousey’s fights before Holm did not go more than one round, as Rousey usually dominated her opponents in short order. Thus, she never lost. In fact, she had never lost in an MMA fighting setting until her match with Holm.

Afterwards, Rousey was whisked from the ring with her head tucked down and with a hoodie covering her face in disgrace. Here’s the real problem: Sometime later, Rousey publicly admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she contemplated suicide because the loss devastated her so much.

Let that sink in. One of the best fighters in the world considered taking her own life because she never lost a fight and was crushed when she did.

HOW DOES THAT translate to the job of law officers or for the armed citizen?

Over three decades ago, I was intimately familiar with a case where a young, well-trained SWAT officer was doing a high-risk warrant. He cleared a room and told his backup partner so. What the young officer did not know was that when he kicked in the door, there was another door behind it with a bad man lying in wait.

In a matter of seconds, the bad guy was able to get the drop on both police officers. He was able to shoot both of them, killing the backup officer instantly and hitting the other in the chest. Luckily the young officer had a vest on and returned fire, killing the suspect. Upon confirming the suspect was dead, the officer immediately started first aid on his partner, all the while knowing it was in vain.

The department had never had a shooting before. All other raids had been successful (wins) up to that point. In a state of shock, the 23-yearold officer was checked out by his teammates for any other wounds, then one question was posed to him: “What happened?” With the overwhelming guilt of losing a friend and brother officer, the young officer replied, “I missed the freaking door!”

There it was, an admission of wrongdoing, so they had someone to blame, but no one could hold the surviving officer more accountable than the officer himself. Eventually, the SWAT commander had five local teams create the same scenario. Every team missed the door – every single time.

This scenario changed the entire law enforcement community as to how they do room clearing, and eventually, the scenario made it onto the big screen in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movie, Sabotage.

WHY IN THE law enforcement community, or any endeavor in lethal training, are we afraid to talk about losing? Why is the very topic not discussed in any self-defense training? Law enforcement has the reality of big losses. The New Hall massacre in California, the FBI shootout in Miami and the BATF raid in Waco, Texas, to name a few.

Let’s face it: no one likes to lose, especially cops; they do not even like to bring the subject up. The question that needs to be answered is, why not?

Nothing is more demoralizing to the emotional stamina of an individual police officer, a tactical unit or a department than to lose a fellow police officer in the line of duty. No matter how it went down, it is considered a loss. Losing a fellow officer in a deadly force encounter causes secondguessing of one’s actions, which turns into a loss of confidence, which could turn into hopelessness and despair, which could quite possibly turn into suicide, and then you have the cycle repeating itself all over again.

Hand Built For Hardcore Use

(559) 478-5475 www.taprackholsters.com

Tap Rack Holsters is a leading provider of premium American-made gun holsters and knife sheaths. Our products are the result of 40 plus years of combined experience in the military and law enforcement field using American made materials. Every Tap Rack holster and sheath is handcrafted using extreme care, precision and built to last because we’re dedicated to providing premium quality products our customers can rely on.

aPREMIUM QUALITY aFULLY FUNCTIONAL aLIFETIME WARRANTY aCUSTOM BUILDS aBUILT FOR EXTREME USE aMADE IN AMERICA aBUILT WITH AMERICAN MATERIALS AND PARTS aMADE BY AMERICANS AND VETERANS

And what is the reason for all these emotions that run rampant when faced with loss? Simple. No one ever trained and prepared for the possibility of losing. Fellow trainers and administrators often violate the first rule of tactical training, which is “Never assume anything.”

One of our nation’s finest warriors who ever lived, founder of the Navy’s counterterrorism unit SEAL Team Six and Red Cell, Richard Marcinko, had this to say on the subject: “Plan your tactics as if everything would go wrong. Why? Because things always go wrong. Mr. Murphy is always coming along for the ride.”

One of the many problems I see with law enforcement firearms training, or civilian firearms training in general, is too much time spent on the combat shooting triad – marksmanship (the ability to hit the target quickly), tactics (the use of position, movement, cover and concealment) and weapon presentation (drawing and reloading the weapon) – when most often very little of this has anything to do with the actual armed encounters police or civilians are likely to face.

The nature of law enforcement gunfights today has changed very little from recorded gunfights of the 19th century – and the same goes for the civilian. Most occur at close proximity, usually under poor lighting conditions, often there is a foot chase involved, and usually the officer has to deal with inadequate facts of the situation, as well as the problem of having innocent bystanders to be concerned with.

Given this information, what is missing in the training part of the equation? The topic of losing. Because regardless of how prepared you are to win, sometimes you lose anyway – that’s just a fact of life.

If police officers, and especially civilians, are not exposed to defeat in their training, then this can lead them to believe they are undefeatable. It could give them a false sense of confidence and extreme case of tombstone courage, which could not only lead to deadly consequences unto themselves, but very likely be a safety hazard to others as well.

EVERY HUMAN BEING can learn from defeat; in fact, it often makes us stronger. This is not a new or radical concept, but one that has been tested by every great warrior who ever lived. One of the greatest warriors of all time was Attila the Hun. On defeat, he supposedly had this to say: “Sooner or later, it will happen. If you recognize you’re losing in a fight or negotiations, don’t deny it, face it and take immediate actions to minimize your opponent’s gain and get back to your cause. Learn to pass through your misery. Think about what happened and why but don’t dwell on it. Consider all the potentialities of battle and negotiations before entering them.

ALFORD DESIGNS LIMITED

Dr. Paula Alford has been a part of the shooting industry for over 20 years. She has been a competitive trap shooter for decades, as well as a coach. “When I first started competing, I could not find a shooting vest that fit me. Most gun shops only carried men’s shooting vests, so I decided to make my own,” she explained. Dr. Alford continues to make custom shooting vests for individuals and can also make custom vests for teams. Taking it a step further, she started Alford Designs Limited back in 2015. “When I could not find any fashionable leather concealed carry purses for myself, I decided to make my own,” said Dr. Alford. “When I started carrying my new leather purse I designed and made, people complimented, so I decided to set up at a local gun show and showed a couple of designs, and made my first sale.” She continued, “Since that first design, I have come a long way by improving our purse designs and adding new designs.” Some of the new designs incorporate technology that makes the straps cut-resistant, while others include RFID material to protect people from theft from scanning credit cards. Dr. Alford continues to select and design up-to-date fashion for women who like beautiful yet practical fine leather purses, bags, satchels and matching accessories, made in the USA.

In addition to selling her leather goods online, Dr. Alford also sells at some of the large gun shows. Alford Designs will be a vendor at the USCCA Expo in October 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas. Stop by and see first-hand some of her original designs made with beautiful leathers. All are made in the USA! Her bag, purse, satchel and briefcase designs can be customized to include or not include a holster, and some can be personalized.

Contact Dr. Alford directly for pricing for custom one-of-a-kind or team shooting vests. Wholesale pricing for stores is also available for fine leather concealed carry purses, bags, satchels, matching accessories and other items. Email Dr. Alford at AlfordDesignsLimited@gmail .com. Visit their online shops at: etsy.com/shop/alforddesignsltd or alforddesignslimited.com.

The author is pictured with the late Wes Doss (far left), along with eighttime MMA World Champion Shannon Ritch, Ranger Hall of Famer Gary O’Neal, and Delta Force/CIA Operator Dale Comstock, all legends in their respective fields.

Rehearse them in your mind. Think of the consequences that may result from your actions. This will allow you to be better prepared for the worst to come.”

We are all human and we all make mistakes. So why can’t we train for lethal encounters with that in mind? It is better to train for a possible sting of defeat than to admit it for the first time on the street. And that is my two cents!

This article is dedicated to Master Trainer Wes Doss, who imparted to all his warriors to win always – even if you lose, give it your all in one hell of a fight – and he led by example even till the end. Until we meet again, Wes Doss. Rest easy, Warrior!  Editor’s note: Paul Pawela is a nationally recognized firearms and self-defense expert.

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

The Southern Trapper, based in coastal South Carolina, specializes in leather holsters, wallets, slings and other products that are crafted using humanely sourced materials.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL LEATHER GOODS

At Dane Schemel’s The Southern Trapper, ‘nothing is mass-produced and nothing leaves my shop unless it represents our very best work.’

PHOTOS BY THE SOUTHERN TRAPPER

With humanely sourced materials, extraordinary handcraftsmanship and unique custom work – think hand-dyed alligator skin holsters – Southern Trapper is not your typical leather goods manufacturer. So it should come as no surprise that the circumstances that led to the company’s formation were also somewhat unusual, albeit quite auspicious. We caught up with owner/operator Capt. Dane Bligh C. Schemel to find out more. American Shooting Journal Tell us a little about how Southern Trapper came to be. Dane Schemel I never imagined that my life’s passion would be working with leather. It all started out while I was mentoring an elementary school student. We both thought that making a wallet would be a fun and “constructive” thing to do. I purchased a leather kit online and we made the wallet together. It looked horrible. The next time that I saw him at school, he told me that he had sold the wallet to a friend so that he could buy a Snickers bar from the school vending machine. I was shocked. I had taught myself how to hand-sew by watching YouTube videos, just so that he could make a buck to get a Snickers bar. He later asked me if I would make two more wallets for his friends. After much reluctance, I agreed to make three more, two for his friends and one for myself.

While making those wallets, I did not envision myself ever making

Big Boss leather rifle sling.

Ranger black elephant holster. anything extraordinary. I thought that after making these, I would go back to enjoying my free time. I was wrong. The small amount of free time that I had would eventually turn into my life’s passion.

ASJ Southern Trapper specializes in leather holsters, wallets, slings and other products that are crafted using humanely sourced materials. Can you tell us more about the process? DS In my opinion, material sourcing is the root of company integrity. Customers deserve to know how and where a product is made. All of our leather has been humanely and sustainably sourced through national wildlife programs. I have great relationships with all of my suppliers; I visit them multiple times a year and I handpick the very best materials. If you asked the tannery owners about me, they would likely tell you that they have gone fishing, hunting or on some sort of adventure with me.

Extraordinary craftsmanship is what we are known for. There is a reason why people with $3,000-plus firearms choose Southern Trapper. Every single holster is entirely handmade for each specific firearm. Nothing is mass-produced and nothing leaves my shop unless it represents our very best work. What sets us apart is our craftsmanship and our unique skill sets. We hand-dye all of our exotic skins entirely by hand from our own unique formulas. Color is super important in my business; the color has to be perfect. The most talented craftsmen in the world choose to work at Southern Trapper because we don’t chase profits, we chase perfection.

ASJ What is the most interesting material you have worked with? DS I get a ton of unusual requests from customers. Recently I had a customer ask that we make him a holster and wallet from snapping turtle and alligator. I didn’t even know there was a commercial market for snapping turtle leather, but evidently there is. I bought

Alligator leather is featured on The Southern Trapper’s new “ultra-exclusive” collection of R8 rifles, which also boast interchangeable barrels and actions for .22 to .300 Win. Mag.

several pieces of undyed snapping turtle and we developed a baby blue color that blew our customer away.

ASJ Have you ever made anything for someone famous? DS My wife would tell you that if Kim Kardashian walked into my office, I would not recognize her name or face. Unless you were Chuck Norris, I likely wouldn’t know who you are. However, I’ll never forget when I got a phone call from someone claiming to be a princess. Initially, I was certain that this was a scammer, but I sent her the invoice for the 30-plus custom alligator goods and a few hours later, she paid. She was not lying. She is actually a princess of a royal family. When her order was ready, she flew on a private jet to pick her order up.

ASJ Do you have any new products you’d like to share? DS The newest collection that we just released is our alligator R8 rifles. This is an ultra-exclusive collection of 10 rifles that are made entirely from genuine American alligator. These magnificent pieces are more than weapons; they’re one-of-a-kind tools that will be cherished and passed down for generations.

The story of the alligator R8 started in 2018 and took over two years to mature into this prestigious state. The memories created while hunting are some of the most unforgettable and are often passed down as family legends. When developing the idea of the alligator rifle, I wanted to build something extraordinary that families would carry with pride for generations. Blaser’s Custom Shop, home to the most talented bespoke firearm craftsmen in the world, transformed this generational concept into the most lavish functional piece of art in the history of weaponry.

If you are not familiar with the

“I really love working with customers to design them something that exceeds their expectations,” says Dane Schemel, company owner/operator.

“I never imagined that my life’s passion would be working with leather,” says Schemel, who came to the career by way of an unlikely path – mentoring an elementary school student with a wallet-making project.

R8, you will be blown away by the functionality and versatility of the rifle. The barrels and actions are interchangeable, so you can shoot anything from a .22 to a .300 Win. Mag. The rifle is perfectly balanced and is very lightweight. This is an exceptional rifle that very, very few people will ever have the pleasure of seeing or shooting. We’ll never make another collection of rifles like these; once they are gone, they will be gone forever.

ASJ What do you think shooters like best about your products? DS When you choose Southern Trapper, you are not only buying the very best quality, you are also buying status. Our patrons wear our work with pride. Buying something off-the-shelf is not special. Working directly with me or my Chief Happiness Officers to build a comfortable holster that is designed for your unique carry preferences and body shape is the standard experience you can expect. There are no cutting corners when it comes to custom leather.

ASJ What is the most fulfilling part of your job? DS I really love working with customers to design them something that exceeds their expectations. Getting them really excited about a project and hearing their response after they received it is so rewarding to me. We have over 1,200 five-star reviews and every day I read the newest reviews out loud to my staff so that they can experience the same excitement that I do.  Editor’s note: For more information, visit thesoutherntrapper.com.