I saw one of them yesterday, one of those "open carry" types, get out of a vehicle at a shopping mall. He was young, clean cut, casually-but-nicely dressed and with a young lady. I spotted it as he walked by. I also saw that he was looking around as if expecting some trouble. He didn't look mean, just wary. Last time I saw a couple indiscreetly carrying guns – this time both man and woman were armed – they were also casually dressed and shopping. They also seemed wary. I'm not sure where they're getting the idea to be cautious, but bravo for them. We all need some orientation to an armed lifestyle – and if you're going to start carrying a gun, hidden or otherwise, on the job or otherwise, it's a lifestyle change. Believe me. It's a mindset and an understanding that things can go wrong. If you found out someone was carrying a trauma kit would you think them paranoid – or smart? Tom Givens, longtime owner of the much lamented Rangemaster range in Memphis, Tenn., has trained many people over many years. And if you think Memphis is a stroll through paradise, you should reconsider. I was told some years ago that a Memphis cop, in a reflective move, noted that no cops who'd retired over the preceding number of years got to retire without being involved in at least one shooting during their careers. That's a high-action location. Likewise, Tom Givens has had students – some 63 or so – who's faced deadly encounters. Of the 60 who were armed when they were selected for termination, 60 won their fights. Not a bad record. He must be doing something right. His book, Fighting Smarter: A Practical Guide for Surviving Violent Confrontations, is in its revised and updated 3rd Edition. I just finished reading it and I wish I'd had something like this when I first came onto the job in 1977. A rounded examination of the armed lifestyle for the beginner – there are things to learn for the rest of us as well – he begins with the "why?", discusses legal issues in the carry (let alone the use) of the gun, an appropriate use of force discussion, Cooper's Principles of Personal Defense and Color Code – just for starters. Incidentally, he relates the Color Code just right. There are no extraneous additions or other nonsense – it's awareness level all the way and he explains it well. His mnemonic for the "when to used armed physical force" is great – IDOL: Immediate Defense Of Life." That's good shorthand and tells a lot right away. He is a proponent of visualization, using scenarios you see on television, in the movies, on various surveillance and patrol car videos and asking "what if?" Play the scenario out and cover the ground in advance of needing it. "Situational awareness is often situational dominance," he writes. Absolutely. He covers the psycho-physiological aspects of lethal force encounters – so you won't be surprised if you experience those things during an attack. Likewise he performs an analysis of shooting incidents involving FBI, DEA and Rangemaster students. As the FBI and DEA work predominantly in plainclothes, there should be some carry-over in results. Recently, FBI changed their handgun qualification to make it more reflective of the likely use of the pistol. He selected a sample of his students' shootings and found the following. Around half of the sample were victims of armed robbery attempts with one or two perps. Nearly a third of the events occurred in parking lots. Nearly all of them occurred inside the length of a full-size car or SUV. The average number of rounds consumed was 3.8, with a low of 1 round and a high of eleven. Comparing federal law enforcement with the students, he found that the FBI's shootings tended to occur in 6-10 feet, the DEA averaged around 14.6 feet and Rangemaster students mostly occurred between six and fifteen feet separating them from their attackers. Most occurred in public venues. He has a recommended reading list, goes into sidearm selection – including a discussion of action types and he notes that high capacity autoloaders allow you to reload less often. The book details holster selection – about which we can't cover too much. Tom also gives an excellent safety discussion. You'll also find the shooting fundamentals worthwhile to explore. He adds practice guidelines – continuing education is required of us all and that includes practice. What else can I tell you? Oh, the print is large and I can certainly appreciate that at my age . . . I can also tell you that reading this book is critical to understanding living an armed lifestyle. It has a place on my bookshelf and I've been doing this a long time. If you have less time into it, you'll learn a great deal. If you're just considering whether or not to get that permit or to carry a gun for personal protection, Fighting Smarter takes you further than the CCW class will. Order from Createspace. -- Rich Grassi