Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman: Bulletproof Mind

It’s safe to call Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman a legend in the military and law enforcement community. Col. Grossman is the author of “On Killing” and “On Combat.” Arguably two of the most advanced and influential books on the psychology and physiology of the down and dirty business of making the world a safer place.

I had the honor and pleasure of attending one of Col. Grossman’s seminar’s earlier this month; after years of hoping for a geographically reasonable distance for one of his popular training sessions my expectations were high, and I can honestly say they were met and exceeded on every level.

A reasonable review of the seminar is simply not possible in a short post, but I’ll attempt to capture some of the flavor and essence of the subject matter for those who may have an interest in attending one of Col. Grossman’s training seminars.

Title – Bulletproof Mind: Mental Preparation for Combat

Duration — 8 hours POST certified training (where applicable)

Subjects Covered:

• The consequences of denying and ignoring the violence in our society.
• School violence and the simple steps needed to deter the threat.
• Violence in media and its affect on children.
• Violence in video games and its affect on children.
• “Terror at Beslan” John Giduck’s telling of the Russian terrorist attack that Giduck thinks may have been a training run for future attacks on the United States.
• The Israeli model of security and threat elimination.
• The duty and responsibility of legal CCW permit holders, off-duty law enforcement, and any other responsible citizens to ensure the safety of our schools, workplaces, public transit, etc.
• Mental preparation for combat, and the sheepdog mindset.
• Preparation and stress inoculation to help with the physical reaction to combat situations and the after effects of combat and killing.
• Combat Breathing, applications and advantages.
• Resources and bibliography for further research and learning.

While this is a very condensed (and subjective) view of the Bulletproof Mind seminar, I think it presents a good teaser for those who may have been thinking about attending one of Col. Grossman’s training sessions.

I’ve attended hundreds of hours of training and instruction, and can honestly say that my time spent in the Bulletproof Mind seminar is among the most educational, motivational, and inspirational time on that list.

One last note on a point made by Col. Grossman that really keeps popping into my head: Col. Grossman is a hardcore advocate of concealed carry. Col. Grossman’s point was that our military brothers and sisters are thousands of miles away keeping the enemies of America away from our kids and families; while their families are back here on U.S. soil. Therefore, CCW holders and off-duty law enforcement have a duty and responsibility to help keep those military families safe while the soldiers are away. In short, carry at all times where legal.

Information on Bulletproof Mind and other Col. Grossman seminars as well as access to the books and literature referenced at the seminar can be found at www.killology.com and www.code4.org