A while back, I ruffled a few feathers in the gun world when I argued that far too few instructors aren’t touching on the complete package of personal defense. They teach how to use a firearm, which is great, but there’s little emphasis being put on things like physical fitness or hand-to-hand techniques.

I had some politely point out that they do precisely that. Others were…less than polite.

No big deal. I can take it.

However, I do think that far too few of us really understand that personal defense isn’t just a case of “carry a gun.” After all, not every situation requires a firearm and, well, we can’t carry a firearm legally everywhere. So what’s a person to do?

A women’s shooting group in Lubbock, TX apparently learned a few things along those lines recently.

The Lubbock chapter of the shooting organization ‘A Girl and A Gun’ got together with some friends to learn some other forms of self defense this week.

Christina Scott, a facilitator with the chapter, knows that anything can happen at any time and she wanted members to grow their skill sets.

“I wanted girls in the group to be more prepared when we don’t have a firearm with us,” Scott said.

Martial Arts Instructor, Larry St. Clair, from Martial Way Legacy, came all the way from Austin to teach the class.

“We’re looking at self defense as a whole thing, whether you’re eating right, sleeping right, drinking right, being active, all of those types of things. Specifically, we picked on some themes today. The first thing we did today was improvised weapons – which is basically looking around at household items, items around the office, things like that, things that we could actually defend ourselves with if something bad happens,” St. Clair said.

Now, I won’t opine on the training they underwent because, well, I wasn’t there for it. What I will say, though, is that last paragraph sums up my personal philosophy beautifully and I’m really glad to see others embrace that as well.

Scott’s comment about being prepared when one doesn’t have a firearm with them is spot on as well. While it’s easy to say you’ll just always carry, that’s not always an option. For example, the local courthouse has metal detectors at the door. You can’t enter while armed, even if you’re willing to break the law. What are you supposed to do if you encounter a threat in such a place?

What you can’t do is look at your gun as a talisman, a device for warding off evil. It’s a tool that’s incredibly effective in a wide variety of circumstances, but not all cases.

These ladies learning martial arts-based techniques are going to be far better prepared should something happen should they find themselves unarmed for whatever reason.

Of course, this doesn’t surprise me. In my experience, women are more open to learning this kind of thing than most guys. Men often have this macho “I know how to handle myself” thing going for them to the point that they won’t seek out this kind of training. Many do, anyway. Not all.

Women, on the other hand, tend to not have those kinds of hangups and are willing and even eager to accept instruction in these kinds of things.

To the ladies in Lubbock, I say good on you for expanding your toolbox. Keep it up.