• HOME
  • ONLINE TRAINING
  • JOIN US
  • CONTACT US

Self Defense Tutorials

Learn self-defense quickly and efficiently

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Lt Colonel Dave Grossman on Killing

December 1, 2016 By Eva S

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • reddit
  • Google+

 

Lt Colonel Dave Grossman talks with Alan Gregg about the act of killing another human being.

 

“On Killing”- the real deal from Lt. Col Dave Grossman

In this fascinating interview Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman talks about the reality of killing another human being.  Through years of research in the armed forces, Grossman has developed a big picture of the actual process and cost of using lethal force.  Here are the highlights.

First, killing doesn’t come easily—even to trained soldiers.  There is an enormous social taboo, reinforced all our lives, that combat requires them to overcome.  In fact, prior to Vietnam, most battles had a high percentage of soldiers shooting above the enemies’ heads or only pretending to shoot.

What changed?  The military refined its training methods, successfully increasing the shoot to kill rate from 15% to 90%.  This change occurred because they did a better job of desensitizing soldiers to violence and shooting at other human beings before combat.  He calls it “operant conditioning” and basically it is to train a reflex of violence and killing that is activated in a combat situation—using human-like targets and training.

Grossman says there are two filters in the brain that have to be crossed before a person will kill someone else.  The first is the forebrain—the conscious rational mind that enters combat knowing what is necessary.  The second is the midbrain, which is activated under stress.  It is an animal brain, driven by the body’s stress response signals, and it’s anything but rational.  Prior to the change in military training, this second filter was what was preventing soldiers from deliberate killing.

Alarmingly, Grossman claims that we are currently desensitising our society to acts of violence in the same way the military did.  By associating images of human suffering and death with entertainment, through movies and first person shooter video games, we are removing that second filter in the brain and conditioning an indifference that makes it easier to take aim at other human beings.  This, according to Grossman, explains the spiralling rates of school shootings, homicide and assault in America.

So what does all this have to do with self defence?  Lots.

First, it is important to recognise that despite identifying a dangerous situation with your logical brain, you may still have trouble using the necessary force to defend yourself.  How easy is it for you to deliberately cause injury to another human being?

Second, the chances that you may find yourself in a situation where it is necessary to defend yourself are on the rise.  Pretending that bad things only happen to other people is not a useful response.  How ready are you to deal with a physical threat to yourself or a loved one?

Third, your best response is conscious and deliberate preparation.  This does not mean playing lots of first person shooter games.  That’s not likely to be relevant unless you pack a gun everywhere.  It means practicing physical self defense scenarios regularly and conditioning a response that allows you to take violent action in the right circumstances.  Spar with someone who is actually trying to hit you.  Roll with someone who is actually trying to choke you out.  Get used to being in situations where you have to move and think quickly to protect yourself.  It may just save your life.

 

Comments

Filed Under: Featured, Lethal Force Tagged With: Dave Grossman, Interview, mindset, psychology, video

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

SELF DEFENSE TUTORIALS

Detailed Self Defense Tutorials coming soon - click here for more info

Recent Articles

Fighting in the UFC and Inside Your Head, with Eliot Marshall

Fighting in the UFC and Inside Your Head, with Eliot Marshall

Eliot Marshall is BJJ black belt and a former professional mixed MMA fighter who also appeared in Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter show. In today’s episode of my podcast (The Strenuous Life Podcast) we talk about how to run a successful BJJ school, the financial incentive structures in MMA fight teams, the physical and mental attributes you […]

The Simplest Guard Pass for Self Defense and MMA

The Simplest Guard Pass for Self Defense and MMA

In the old days, two guys fighting would typically back up, square off, and swing for the fences until one of them went down. The whole idea of taking the fight to the ground, passing the guard, securing a good position, and using ground and pound to finish a fight or set up a submission […]

The Perfect Head Positioning for a Headbutt KO

The Perfect Head Positioning for a Headbutt KO

The headbutt is an incredibly vicious and effective way to KO someone in a self defense situation even though it’s illegal in most martial arts. But if you use it incorrectly you can hurt yourself as badly as your opponent.  So it’s worth thinking about how to do it properly! How NOT to Headbutt! The […]

The BJJ Guard for Self Defense… on Your Phone!

The BJJ Guard for Self Defense… on Your Phone!

I’ve just released the Self Defense Guard as a 2 module instructional for iPhone and Android. It covers the techniques and strategies from the bottom of guard that are most useful in a real fight.  From defending yourself against strikes, to getting back to your feet, to choking your opponent out or sweeping him and […]

Recent Articles

  • Fighting in the UFC and Inside Your Head, with Eliot Marshall
  • The Simplest Guard Pass for Self Defense and MMA
  • The Perfect Head Positioning for a Headbutt KO
  • The BJJ Guard for Self Defense… on Your Phone!
  • BJJ in a Streetfight, the Merciful Option

ARTICLE INDEX

  • Advanced Tutorials (2)
  • Conditioning (4)
  • Featured (86)
  • Firearms (1)
  • Grappling (30)
  • Lethal Force (5)
  • Mindset (16)
  • Product Reviews (2)
  • Self Defense Basics (70)
  • Self Defense Tutorials (5)
  • Striking (37)
  • Weapons (14)

Go Shopping

Self Defense Products on Amazon

Other Great Sites

Grapplearts

Resources

Striking
Grappling
Weapons
Mindset
About Us
Privacy Policy
Contact Us
©Stephan Kesting, All Rights Reserved