Submitted for your perusal and edification just as received in the e-mail to me from Suarez International
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KEEP IT CONSISTENT
Uli Gebhard, Suarez International Staff Instructor - Los Angeles, CA
Ladies, Gents,
Those of us who carry -- let's say -- combative equipment -- usually log quite a few items on a daily basis. Even with just the basics most sheeple would wonder how many goodies are gathered in/on our belt and pockets.
I think the majority of armed people will log their wallet, keys, cell phone, pocket change, a folding knife (or two), pepper spray, flashlight, handgun and spare mags around. Depending on the level of infringement (or the absence thereof) in your state you may add a collapsible baton, taser and a backup gun to that list -- that's a lot of stuff!
I think most of you will have spent quite a bit of time and effort (and money on various holsters) to figure out where to put all this equipment so that it's all easily accessible yet well concealed. It appears that quite a few people on Warriortalk have adopted AIWB (appendix-inside-the-waistband) as their preferred method of concealment. The reasons are obvious and have been discussed in-depth before.
What I would like to ask you is this: do you always carry everything in the same location every time and do you adjust the rest of your gear around this main variable? You should - for a variety of reasons:
The main reason is that under stress, you will always default back to what you trained the most. Let's say you have a small can of pepper spray clipped to your belt as your second line of defense after your awareness. If things go south you need to be able to access it instinctively without derailing your OODA loop by Your cycle should be observing the threat, orienting towards let's say some pepperspray-based attitude adjustment, deciding to hit him with it and acting by grabbing the can and letting him have a face full.
If your equipment is not where you expect it to be you will reset your cycle to observe, the moment you reach for the can.
This goes up and down the list of equipment from things as trivial as a flashlight to the gun and the reloads. Ladies, Gents, I have seen people who were on a roll at the range, shooting the gun to slide lock, reaching for a spare mag and the next thing they noticed was that they tried to jam their cell phone into the magwell! New cool phone, new holder and it went right into the show-off position next to the belt buckle - right where the first spare mag used to be.
The point that I want to make is that whatever equipment you log around - keep everything in the same space at all times and train a lot with this setup. Integrate this basic layout when you add other weapon platforms. I went through Gabe's Shotgun course recently. In previous classes and training, I had used a bandoleer for my spare shells. That was before I used AIWB carry. When I slung the Bandoleer over my shoulder, I noticed that it prevented access to my handgun. As much as I like this type of ammo carrier for simplicity and fast access - it had to go. For the class the shells went into my leg pocket - and one of my next purchases from OST is going to be a small Sneakybag, large enough to hold 25 to 50 loose 12-gauge rounds.
The same goes for my rifle setup - Sneakybag with reloads, trauma kit, and dump pouch goes over my right shoulder and leaves full access for my AIWB pistol. In case I have to transition to my secondary weapon, there is no re-thinking required.
What about situations where your regular carry position is unsuitable?
Are there situations where your "normal" carry method may not work? If you carry AIWB 95% of the time and one day you need to get the suit out of the closet for whatever reason - yes - it will put a kink into your procedures. When that happens, make sure to run a good number of dry training exercises for your weapon access.
To sum things up: Develop your carry system and equipment to fit your day-to-day routine. Once you have your system set up, maintain it religiously and train with it. Train with all your components, not just with the handgun. Practice knife access and transition from handgun to knife and vice versa. Work your way through the entire set of options such as pepperspray or impact weapons. You will find out quickly how useful all your gear is and if you can integrate everything into a useful matrix. In some cases, things may not work out as intended. You may have to switch to a smaller weapon to achieve concealment or that 6" Voyager 2X may have to be substituted with a Benchmade Griptilian - you may be able to upgrade from a Surefire E1 to the larger 6P Defender - which also gives you the option to work as an impact weapon.
Key points for your selection and your training are that you have to find gear that you can keep on you in the same fashion the vast majority of the time. Train with it in this constellation. Once accessing all your gear and bringing it into action becomes second nature, it will not disrupt your reaction to a threat. You can focus on the task at hand - dealing with the threat - instead of finding the right tools to do so. You will be able to get through your OODA loop in a more efficient manner. That in turn, makes you a more efficient fighter.