E.M. Burton talks self-defense with combatives experts Jeff Gonzales and Tony Blauer.
This summer I received a Smith & Wesson Model 340 .357 five-shooter as a birthday gift from CrossFit Inc. I’d never touched a gun before, so I decided to learn how to use it.
I contacted Trident Concepts of Austin, Texas, owned by a former SEAL by the name of Jeff Gonzales. With his first available Combative Pistol Level 1 scheduled for late spring, we decided on two days of personal sessions, and we brought Tony Blauer of CrossFit Defense along for the ride.
Before spending two days in the company of the weapons and combatives experts, I asked girlfriends of mine—neither CrossFitters nor trigger pullers—what they would want to ask a guy like Gonzales if they had the opportunity?
Their top three questions:
1. How do you avoid becoming a victim or target in the first place?
2. What three things do you need to know to have the best outcome when defending yourself?
3. What factors determine whether one would stay and fight or try to flee?