The past six months have been a whirlwind! I didn’t post about it, but I completed my range qualification on November 14, 2023 and picked up my ccw permit on December 3, 2024. Hallelujah!
Since then, I’ve been focused on learning as much as possible about firearms, safety, and self-defense. I purchased a laser training cartridge and a laser target to get in some dry fire practice at home. I’m not sure about other states, but in CA, ammo isn’t cheap and neither is going to the range. I ended the year by taking a gun maintenance course and a beginning rifle course.
Confession time: I’ve always been intimidated by rifles and never quite understood their appeal. However, I love learning. So, I decided to take an intro rifle class anyway, despite being convinced that it wouldn’t be my cup of tea. I couldn’t have been more wrong! It was both exhilarating and enjoyable. I felt powerful, strong, confident, and super bad ass! The best part is that the rifle I tried (Armalite 15) had very little kickback and my accuracy was even better than with my pistol.
But of course, this high was followed by a minor setback. Don’t ask me how…, but towards the end of the class, I managed to throw out my back. I think I tried to adjust my stance and my center of gravity was off. Having a desk job and not hitting the gym often enough didn’t help either.
I always known that self-defense involves physical movement beyond just pulling a trigger (even you’re just running away from a threat). But this little setback was my wake-up call. Since January, I’ve been focused on physical fitness and my overall well-being (like better sleep) in addition to self-defense.
I recently signed up for some more holster classes to fine tune things with my pistol draw. Stay tuned for more updates.
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