Thug Burglars: Tunnel Vision and Stress

Sometimes during a dangerous or life-threatening situation it simply becomes impossible for you to attend to all the stimuli coming at you simultaneously. A temporary blindness or deafness effect can take place as a result. A variety of factors that include high levels of adrenaline in the body from stress or anger cause inattentional blindness--a temporary loss of peripheral vision, also referred to as temporary tunnel vision. Inattentional blindness is a psychological lack of visual perception that is not associated with any vision defects or deficits. Inattentional deafness is a similar phenomenon that affects hearing and is not associated with any hearing defects or deficits.

Everyone’s reaction to a life-threatening situation will be somewhat unpredictable. Although many accounts of a traumatic incident have similarities, no two are the same. People working in the military, police, fire, or medical fields have experienced numerous sensory distortions including tunnel vision while under stress. If you are not aware that you could experience the world in such a bizarre way, it could add to your stress levels.

“I told the SWAT team that the suspect was firing at me from down a long dark hallway about 40 feet long. When I went back to the scene the next day, I was shocked to discover that he had actually been only about 5 feet in front of me in an open room. There was no dark hallway.” 1

In this article, I focus on these sensory distortions--tunnel vision and tunnel hearing.

Tunnel vision can result from the combination of a fear-induced adrenaline dump associated with a specific, dangerous threat. Because kind of danger you have to be in to experience a fear-induced adrenaline rush isn’t something we can practice in a safe training environment, it is important to study the symptoms so we can recognize them when they occur.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University ran a series of tests on human subjects with a goal of measuring the loss of visual acuity while engaging them in activities designed to narrow attention. The experiment was designed to cause tunnel vision—and it did. However, while the subjects experienced tunneled vision, they also experienced decreased auditory attention (tunnel hearing?). 

Researchers discovered that visually focusing on something intently led the audio cortex to turn down the volume as well. According to Drs. Yantis and Shomstein: "Our findings support several conclusions. First attention affects early visual and auditory  sensory responses. The “push-pull” effect of switching attention between vision and hearing suggests that focusing attention on auditory input (e.g., a cellular telephone conversation) can impair the ability to detect important visual events (e.g., driving an automobile). When attention is directed to the visual system the strength of audial attention is compromised (and vice versa) leading to potentially significant behavioral impairments." In other words, a person intently focused on something visual could have diminished hearing. 2 Conversely, a person intently listening to audible cues such as a radio or cell phone could have diminished visual performance. 

Look at the sequence of pictures below. In this incident, 3 armed individuals invade a home. As they are searching through the house, they awaken a woman who steps into a doorway. One of the home invaders notices the woman (white hat & jacket), points his pistol at her, and begins moving toward her. She opens fire with her pistol. Surprise! 

Invaders #1 & #2 immediately begin scrambling to escape through the door they kicked in to gain entry. The woman advances toward the escaping home invaders and fires another shot. As she does this, home invader #3 comes running out of a hallway to the woman’s left with his pistol pointed toward her (see movement 1). As he careens past, at one point his pistol is pointed toward her head while her pistol is simultaneously pointed at him (movement 2). Their arms collide as invader #3 continues running—deflecting both pistols—neither fire (movement 3).  

Invader #3 continues running toward the back door (movement 4) while she continues advancing and shooting at invaders #1 & #2 who are firing back at her without even glancing at invader #3 (movement 5). 

Based on the video, I believe the woman and invader #3 were both experiencing tunnel vision. I doubt they even noticed each other at all.  She was focusing on the two invaders to her front who were also shooting at her and invader #3 was fixated on escaping (he ran through the glass door at the rear of the kitchen). The video is available here: Home Invasion

These psychological and physiological reactions to dangerous events have worked very well to ensure the survival of our species. Maintaining an intense and narrow visual focus on a cave lion spotted in the brush may have been a very good survival mechanism for the early modern human. Individuals with these traits survived encounters with wild animals and their families benefited from the increased safety in the immediate environment and more protein available in their diet. This increased their chance of passing their genes onto modern humans. 

So, are we are stuck with a genetic predisposition that prevents us from dealing with dangerous modern emergencies? No, because we can learn, remember, adopt and practice a plan to deal with emergencies. As a young paratrooper with the 82^nd Airborne Division, I once had a double inversion malfunction during a jump. That basically means you have very little canopy to slow your fall. I remember looking up and seeing other jumpers with small parachute canopies in a line on either side high above me. Without hesitation, I immediately deployed my reserve parachute. Good Army training.

Training and practice pay benefits. Going through any simple series of motions causes the neurons in your brain that control that movement to fire in a particular sequence. The Army pounded emergency malfunction drills into our pea brains through repeated training and repetition. The more often you repeat a physical sequence, the more “automatic” the sequence becomes. Just thinking about making those movements stimulates both the neurons in the brain that control those movements as well as the neural pathways in the muscles that command the muscles to move. Research has shown that visualizing emergency procedures is almost as good as actually performing them. 

The first step in dealing with narrowing attention is understanding that it can happen as your stress level rises and your body does an adrenaline dump in response. Being able to control your stress is one of the best ways to combat the ill-effects of the hormonal chemical dump that changes your psychological, cognitive, and physical performance. Breathing techniques are very effective if you have time. If you find you are fixating on one sound or one task, make a conscious effort to unlock your senses from it and force yourself to scan your environment. It may also help combat the effects of tunneled senses if you ask yourself: What am I missing?

Look at the video at the link below. The gentleman in the black shirt with a white stripe on the shoulder is an off-duty police officer who chooses to engage a robbery team at a supermarket. The wisdom of engaging in a gunfight with numerous children in the vicinity notwithstanding, the officer does not become so fixated on the bad guys to his front that he fails to notice shots coming from behind him. In other words, he does not succumb to tunnel vision nor tunnel hearing. He immediately moves to a cover position and confronts the threat behind him in response to the unexpected sound of shots to his rear (at the 24 second mark in the video). Another example of good training. Supermarket video: Supermarket

Practicing reactions to emergencies increases our confidence and increased confidence lowers the stress response of our bodies when we actually face dangerous situations. Our field of vision is not as narrow as it might be otherwise and our tendency to fixate on a “fear object” diminishes. Because our brain is in a more relaxed state, it is more able to dedicate resources to creatively addressing new challenges (for example, incoming gunfire from an unexpected direction). If we practice the right thing instead of simply allowing our natural reactions to rule the situation we are better able to successfully manage our behavior. 

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1 Anecdotal statement from a Law Enforcement Officer. Perceptual and Memory Distortion During Officer-Involved Shootings by Alexis Artwohl, Ph.D. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, October 2002/18 

2 Control of Attention Shifts between Vision and Audition in Human Cortex, Sarah Shomstein and Steven Yantis Journal of Neuroscience 24 November 2004, 24 (47) 10702-10706

The proper draw with a cheap holster

For reasons I’ve never understood, I often see a student arriving for a class or a competitor for a match with an acceptable pistol they plan to carry in a cheap holster, on a flimsy belt. I once had a student show up with a high-end, $2000+ Wilson 1911 and proceed to put in it a cheap generic nylon holster on an old dress belt less than an inch wide.

The video link below (click on the picture title) shows a competitor in a Short Range Match demonstrating the proper draw with a cheap holster. Clearing the holster attached to the muzzle of his pistol cost Mike 1.28 seconds. A long time in a match and perhaps a lifetime in a violent encounter. We occasionally beat our competitors in the Short Range Match to provide a little distraction which probably did not help.

Mike Demonstrating the proper draw with a cheap holster

Many who are new to the shooting sports or concealed carry want to go cheap when buying a holster; however, a solid holster and semi-rigid belt are just as important as the pistol. Although an acceptable pistol can provide you the ability to defend yourself or compete, the holster enables you to have the pistol when and where you need it. 

Without a good holster, you either will not carry the pistol or you won’t be able to draw it effectively. Further, cheap holsters can cause more problems than they solve. A generic holster may not properly retain the pistol creating the possibility that it will fall out at the most inopportune moment. An improperly fitting holster can pose another challenge if the user attempts to force the pistol into it and thereby causes an accidental discharge. Stray straps and accouterments can find their way into the trigger guard and create the same outcome if the user is not careful.

In addition to the holster, a proper, purpose-designed gun belt is absolutely essential for carrying a holstered handgun effectively. A proper belt must be stiff enough to support the pistol’s weight and provide the rigidity necessary to keep it from flopping and shifting about while at the same time being comfortable enough to actually wear all day. You must mate your holster and belt carefully. A proper pistol belt should fit the width of the slots or loops on your holster. Blade Tech, Comp-Tac and other brands often have adjustable belt loops depending upon the holster design that make this easier. 

A holster is not a fashion accessory, it is a critical piece of life saving equipment. The traditional strong-side hip holster (either outside or inside the waistband) is most often the holster of choice for a reason. It’s comfortable, can be easily concealed, and provides a natural draw stroke. Specialized holsters such as shoulder and ankle holsters and other esoteric designs have their place for well-trained people who know what they’re doing; however, they are not suitable for normal concealed carry. 

Choose your holster based on its safety, usefulness, and comfort. The strong-side hip holster is a good choice for those new to the shooting sports or concealed carry. As you gain experience and competence you can try another style as appropriate. Regardless of the style you chose, always train with the holster you carry. Chest rigs, drop-down leg holsters, etc. look cool to some; however, it provides no benefit to train with a holster if the only time you use it is on the range.

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Oafish, illiterate, gun-nut buffoons? Ummm. . . . No.

A friend of mine recently made a comment about the demographics of the people participating in our monthly Short Range matches. His comment prompted me to write this note concerning the career focus of our Short Range match participants.

1 Retired Army General Officer

1 Active duty Army Colonel

1 Active duty Marine Captain

1 Active duty Air Force 2nd Lieutenant

4 Retired Army Colonels

1 Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer

1 Retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant

1 Cardiologist/Heart Surgeon

1 Radiologist

1 Retired University Professor

1 Lawyer

3 Senior Business Executives

1 Freelance photographer

1 Pharmacist

1 Dentist

1 Geologist

2 Retired Commercial Pilots

1 Freelance writer

1 Police Officer

1 Nurse

2 Information Technology professionals

In addition, there were several adult children of the individuals listed above and several individuals whose career fields I have yet to learn. As you can see, San Antonio is a military city so it is not surprising to see a number of military and retired military participating in the shooting sports. However, when I actually began considering the professional demographics of our Short Range match I was struck by the contrast between reality and how the mainstream media often portrays people who enjoy the shooting sports. Are the individuals I have described above a bunch of illiterate, oafish, gun-nut buffoons? Ummm. . . . No. They are the people defending this country, creating jobs, providing medical care, educating our children, and generally being productive, professional citizens.

For more information go to: www.sensibleselfdefense.com

The Short Range Match is a monthly event at Cedar Ridge Range in San Antonio Texas. The short-range course of fire match follows IDPA-style safety principles and generally will have all targets at no more than 10 yards. Most stages are based upon real-life events that were recorded on video and adapted for a square range. Otherwise, it is a regular course of fire, with many stages requiring a reload. A short-range course of fire match makes carry-suitable handguns more competitive. Ideally, shooters will use a pistol they carry to shoot the match. All pistols may be loaded to capacity and the match may have reloads on the clock.

Low Light Practice

Down 3 Points

Research indicates that criminals often choose the darkness or low light conditions to pursue their nefarious profession. A significant number of shootings involving police officers happen at night as well. Criminals view darkness as an asset and use it as an advantage against those whom they would victimize. These realities mean that if you are forced to defend yourself odds are it will be under low light conditions; however, few people pursue low light training even where the opportunity exists.

We’ve finished the Low Light Classes and practices for the year. Although shooting accurately with a flashlight is much more challenging than simply using a normal two-handed stance, our shooter’s improvement over the past several years is impressive. Accurate shot placement is becoming the norm rather than the exception. 

This session we fired the modified Texas LTC qualification course. We stayed within Texas LTC time limits; however, we used an anatomically correct picture target and scored based upon the hit’s probable effectiveness (i.e. central nervous and critical circulatory system hits counted higher that lung hits). In some cases, this meant that a shooter who didn’t have a perfect group actually earned an acceptable score. Shooters started all strings of fire with flashlight in hand, drawing from the holster with the exception of the 2 second strings. 

The second qualification was the Texas Department of Public Safety qualification course. This course of fire is much more involved and challenging than the LTC qualification with some movement, reloads, and distances out to 25 yards. (see video)

We’ve learned that practice shooting and manipulating the pistol with the light in hand and recovering the light dangling from the lanyard (reloading) is crucial. Happily, this can be done in daylight on the range and in our dry fire practice. Although shooters initially tend to discount the Rogers/Cigar/Syringe (call it what you wish) technique, they often find that it is necessary to use it while shooting around the side of cover to prevent unacceptable reflection.  

You must practice low light techniques to have any hope of

using them under stress. As we’ve discovered, students simply don’t master the low light techniques from class--you cannot practice it once and get it down pat. Using a light in conjunction with a handgun is difficult and it requires practice. Thankfully you can practice the techniques with live fire during daylight if your range won’t allow night shooting. 

So how do you practice engaging multiple and shooting on the move with these techniques? If your local range has IDPA matches, shoot the course of fire using your flashlight if the match director will permit it. Your score won’t win the match; however, you will learn how to shoot and manipulate your pistol under some stress. Practicing how to search a structure (like your house when nobody is home) in the dark is important as well. Do this with AN UNLOADED PISTOL (check it 3 times!). This helps you identify how the various angles and corners in your house make one technique a better option than the other. 

There are several reasons to use a flashlight: to observe and detect, to illuminate and navigate, to eliminate anonymity, and to identify and engage threats. Used properly, a flashlight lets you see danger before it can affect you and it can encourage the danger waiting in the dark to go elsewhere. 

Click here to learn more about low light shooting techniques 

If it Falls, Let it Drop!

Let it Fall!

An oops. We’ve all had them and will likely have them again. I was shooting at stage at the Short Range Match and was drawing my pistol from concealment. I normally carry with a loose-fitting shirt and the shirt tail out covering the pistol so that is how I was shooting the match. The proper way to draw the pistol concealed in such a fashion is to acquire a grip on the shirt with your hands positioned on either side of the pistol, lift outward and upward as high as the shirt will go (ripping shirt and buttons as necessary if you are drawing the pistol to defend yourself). Release the shirt with your primary hand while holding the shirt up with your other hand. Obtain a solid firing grip and draw the pistol.

Note I said outward, and then upward—not straight up. Although I have drawn pistols carried this way literally thousands of times, this time I did not draw the pistol properly. I grabbed the shirt and then vigorously pulled it upward. My analysis of the video of this somewhat less than stellar moment leads me to believe that the shirt cupped around the butt of the pistol and as I pulled the shirt up it drew the pistol upward as well. This pulled the pistol far enough out of the holster that it began to tilt forward, rotating as it fell to the ground. The pistol in question, a S&W M&P is “drop safe” and my carry pistol is mechanically sound so the pistol did not fire.

If it Falls, Let it Drop

If you happen to lose control of your pistol while it is in your hand or if it falls out of your holster or your hand during a draw, let it drop. It is extremely dangerous to try and grab the weapon in the air. There is a chance you will get tangled up in the trigger and pull the trigger in the process causing the pistol to fire. This is a training issue as the natural response for most people is to try to catch something they fumble as Robert Evans did when he dropped his cell phone and a shotgun moments after confronting a thief on his property. 

I mentioned that the S&W M&P is “drop safe.” The vast majority of modern handguns have this “safety” which prevents inertia from driving the firing pin or striker forward and slamming it into the primer. This helps prevent accidental discharges if the gun is dropped. The picture below shows 3 pistol brands (l-r Glock, M&P, XD) and the drop safety for each. The devices on these pistols prevent the striker from hitting the primer unless the trigger is fully to the rear. The XD design on the right shows the drop safety in relation to the striker—in the picture it is engaged. Other pistol manufacturers have solved this problem in different ways.

Some pistols are not drop safe. Many of the older mechanisms that John M. Browning designed are remarkably similar and are not drop safe. The 1911 is sometimes drop-safe and sometimes not depending upon which variation of the design the manufacturer is using. The Colt Series ’80 and later Series ’90 are mechanically drop-safe due to an internal firing pin lock that the trigger system actuates. The 1911 pistols from Para USA pistols use the same Colt safe system, Sig Sauer 1911 pistols use it as well. Kimber uses an internal firing pin safety for its 1911s that works off the grip safety.

Holsters—use one 

“Longtime SWAT Magazine Contributing Editor Steve Malloy was killed in a tragic shooting accident at his home on April 16, 2009. As best as can be determined, Steve had a pistol in his waistband and when he bent over to tie his shoes, the pistol fell onto the floor and discharged—the bullet struck Steve in the chest. He was found in the garage, apparently trying to leave the home to summon aid.”* 

When I dropped my pistol, I had it in a holster—this didn’t stop it from falling to the ground. If you simply put the pistol in your waist band you are all but guaranteeing that you will drop it at some point, perhaps with tragic results. Use a good holster. 

A quick word about belts 

Just as a good house is built on a strong foundation, an effective carry system is built on the foundation of a strong belt. 

I cannot count the number of times that I’ve seen shooters in matches and students in classes trying to get by with wearing a handgun on a flimsy department store belt. This usually leads to discomfort and dissatisfaction with the holster’s performance when in fact the challenges the shooter is facing are the result of a flimsy belt. A department store may belt may be of good quality and hold your pants up perfectly; however, it is not designed to bear the weight of a handgun and spare ammunition. 

Beyond creating (or magnifying) discomfort, a flimsy belt will not provide the stability necessary for the holster to function well. A weak belt will often allow the butt of the handgun to lean out away from the shooter's body and under certain circumstances allow the pistol to drop free.

Conclusion

Consider it an unwritten addition to the four rules of gun safety: never try to catch a dropped or falling gun. You should just let a loaded pistol fall if you drop it. If it is a modern design in mechanically sound condition the odds of it firing as a result of the impact are infinitesimal compared to the odds of you accidentally pulling the trigger trying to catch it. If your pistol is not drop safe perhaps it is time to upgrade to a modern design.

If you would like to read similar discussions, subscribe at the link in the upper right corner of the page or see:

Fundamentals, Polish Your Shooting Skills  

Tap, Rack--Or how Not to Blow Up Your Pistol
 
To train with Sensible Self Defense click here for more information

* Denny Hansen-S.W.A.T. Magazine, 2009

Suarez Red Dot Pistol School

Jon Payne demonstrating the Sul Position

This past weekend I sponsored Suarez International instructor Jon Payne for the Suarez Red Dot Pistol School at Cedar Ridge Range just north of San Antonio Texas. There are some of my observations. 

As Gabe Suarez has stated many times, the red dot on a pistol is not for everyone. Although a quality red dot is not cheap and it does take practice to master its use, the red dot will enhance your capabilities as a shooter beyond what "traditional" equipment will allow. This is what many students in this weekend’s class learned.

Jon started the class with the mandatory medical and safety briefings and then we moved on to the theory and concept of the red dot system on handguns. We spent the first day doing drills and skill building exercises with no sights (i.e. sights taped), iron sights, and ended with the red dot. Jon worked with every student to ensure they understood and mastered their natural point of aim.

One thing that many novice shooters do not understand is that having a red dot sighting system will not fix a poor grip nor a poor trigger press. You must have mastery of the shooting fundamentals of grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture, breathing, trigger press, follow through, and trigger reset. Once you do, the red dot sighting system combines and simplifies sight alignment and sight picture and enhances the shooter’s ability to make precise shots.

Jon then explained the two types of visual focus with a red dot and the visual hand-off between the iron sights and the red dot and we ended the day with additional drills using the red dot.

On day two Jon began with the tips and tricks for RMRs and some other red dot sights. We then continued skill building drills with a primary effort on developing the ability to quickly acquire the dot as you draw the pistol. Jon also had every student confirm their zero with their red dot sights. Figure #1 shows the perhaps the ideal iron sight and red dot relationship. However, you do not necessarily need to have the irons and red dot in exact alignment as many students initially believed. Figure #2 shows the iron sight and red dot relationship on my pistol. You’ll notice they are not in exact alignment; however, my iron sights and my red dot are both correctly, and independently zeroed for point-of-aim, point-of-impact with my carry ammunition—the two just don’t happen to coincide. 

We then shifted to the steel bay and began shooting drills using steel targets. Jon had everyone do a clock exercise with their red dot to demonstrate a point that many students were finding conceptually hard to grasp—that once the red dot is zeroed, it does not matter where the dot appears in the window for you to hit the target. We started with the dot in the upper left as shown in figure #3 firing one shot. We then moved to the 12 o’clock position, then the 1 o’clock, etc. firing one shot from each spot in the window. All the shooter must do is place the dot on the target where she wants the bullet to impact and then properly press the trigger. The bullet will impact exactly where the dot is placed regardless of its position in the window or position relative to the iron sights.
 
Day 3 saw more skill building drills and firing from awkward positions including 12 o’clock prone, side prone, sitting, and even a demonstration of firing the pistol upside down. In every instance, the students discovered that point-of-dot equaled point-of-impact provided the student did their part with the trigger press. In picture #2 you can see a student using side prone with the pistol oriented in a 90-degree angle firing at targets 45 yards away. Hits? No Problem. 

We finished day 3 pursuing one of the class’s stated goals of every student being able to make head shots (a 6” x 6” square) on a silhouette target from 25 yards. Every student met that goal and many surpassed it. Several students were making consistent head shots at 45 yards, some doing it mirror image with their non-primary hand, and a few doing it one handed!

 

All in all, 3 great days of training and skill building. I’ve have taken several Suarez International classes with Jon and highly recommend him as an instructor. If you want to learn more about this class, tune in to episode 408 of Bob Mayne's HandgunWorld podcast which will be available on 26 February 2017. 

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