Written by: Greg Ellifritz
My friends Brian and Shelley Hill from The Complete Combatant have recently introduced a new product that I think many of you will find incredibly valuable. Image Based Decisional Drills comes as a kit which includes:
1 Water resistant carry bag
5 IBDD business cards to pass out
1 Instruction booklet
1 “Options” cheat sheet
21 Image Based Decisional Drill IMAGE cards
1 STREAMLIGHT Microstream flashlight from HK USA (battery included)
1 Stream INERT TRAINING OC/Pepper Spray canister from POM Industries
1 Laminated “Simple Steps to Apply a Tourniquet” from Dr. Sherman House of Civilian Defender and The Complete Combatant
1 Push button phone (prop only)
1 Roll of 1000 target pasters
This kit can be used either live fire on the range or dry fire at home.
To practice, place the flashlight, inert OC spray, telephone, and firearm on your body where you normally carry them. Shuffle the image cards and draw one. What you see is the scenario to which you should respond. Options include verbalization, shining the flashlight, spraying with pepper spray, calling the police, or using lethal force. You can also use your own tourniquet to integrate medical responses as well.
It’s simple. Draw the card. Respond appropriately. That response can be directed at a cardboard target at the shooting range or a photo realistic target hung on a wall if working at home with dry fire.
For more details, watch Shelley’s video about how to use the product embedded below.
Brian and Shelley graciously provided me with one of their kits to try. I received the kit during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The indoor range where I usually practice was closed. I chose to work on the drills at home using my “BOB” punching bag as a target and my SIRT pistol as a replacement for my live gun.
“BOB” punching bag
I got some great reps, shooting, punching, spraying, and using the telephone. I would recommend that you actually use the tools that they have included in the kit. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen in pepper spray class who can’t correctly push a button under stress. I see people fumbling with telephones on almost every 911 call to which I respond. The only way to avoid that chaos is to practice using all of your available response options during training.
The Image Based Decisional Skills kit allows you to do just that.
I’m not the only trainer who endorses the product, watch my friend John Murphy’s recommendation video below.
Besides using the kit for solo training, I think it has tremendous utility for those of you who offer one-on-one or small group CCW training classes. Using the Image cards as a final scenario in such a class would be tremendously valuable for the student.
I heartily recommend the product. You can purchase it at The Complete Combatant.
