In the interest of raising attention to conditions that can exist after we get our permit and equipment and before we open the door to enter today’s real world, here are some extracts from a Jeff Cooper pamphlet. (Firearm Conditions 0-4 and Color Codes, White, Yellow, Orange, and Red are from Jeff Cooper’s writings.)
Principles of Self Defense by
Jeff Cooper, 1972,1989
IntroductionViolent crime is feasible only if its victims are cowards. A victim who fights back makes the whole business impractical. cal. It is true that a victim who fights back may suffer for it, but one who does not almost certainly will suffer for it. And, suffer or not, the one who fights back retains his dignity and his self-respect.
AlertnessTwo rules are immediately evident: Know what is behind you, and pay particular attention to anything out of place.
On the street, let no stranger take your hand. To allow a potential assailant a firm grip on your right hand is to give him a possibly fatal advantage. Use your eyes. Do not enter unfamiliar areas that you cannot observe first. Make it a practice to swing wide around corners, use window glass for rearward visibility, and get something solid behind you when you pause.
DecisivenessShort of extensive personal experience, which most of us would rather not amass, the best way to cultivate such tactical decisiveness is through hypothesis: "What would I do if ... ?" By thinking tactically, we can more easily arrive at correct tactical solutions, and practice even theoretical practice tends to produce confidence in our solutions which, in turn, makes it easier for us, and thus quicker, to reach a decision.
Aggressiveness"The best defense is a good offense." This is true, and while we cannot apply it strictly to personal defensive conduct, we can propose a corollary: "The best personal defense is an explosive counter-attack.
But never assume that simply having a gun makes you a marksman. You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar.
If it is ever your misfortune to be attacked, alertness will have given you a little warning, decisiveness will have given you a proper course to pursue, and if that course is to counterattack, carry it out with everything you've got! Be indignant. Be angry. Be aggressive.
SpeedThe perfect fight is one that is over before the loser really understands what is going on. The perfect defense is a counter-attack attack that succeeds before the assailant discovers that he has bitten off more than he can chew. Therefore, if you are attacked, retaliate instantly. Be sudden. Be quick. Speed is your salvation.
CoolnessIt's a matter of will. If you know that you can keep your head, and that you must keep your head, you probably will keep your head.
RuthlessnessLet your attacker worry about his life. Don't hold back. Strike no more after he is incapable of further action, but see that he is stopped. The law forbids you to take revenge, but it permits you to prevent.
The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury Therefore what he must be taught to fear is his victim.
SurpriseAs we have seen, what he usually least expects is instant, violent counterattack, so the principle of aggressiveness is closely tied to threat of surprise.
A Final WordThe principles herein enunciated are the result of a great deal of study and consultation, plus a fair amount of actual experience. Taken to heart, they may save your life. There is always an element of luck in any sort of conflict, and I know of no way to guarantee success in every instance. What I do know, however, is that if the victims of the dozen or more sickening atrocities that have gained nationwide fame in recent years had read this book, and had heeded what they read, they would have survived those actions. Additionally, a small but select number of goblins would not be alive today, bounding in and out of courts and costing us all money that could be much better spent.