CrossFit subject-matter experts George Ryan and Tony Blauer explain how fear-management and positive action are the keys to any crisis situation.
A feeling of helplessness tormented most Americans in the wake of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. In the face of so much horror and injustice, some argued for more gun control, while others called for a heavier gun presence in our schools. Many brought up the need for better mental-health services.
Our country has been locked in debate on these issues for years. Change, if it comes at all, will be slow and incremental. While we wait, is there anything that can be done to make our children safer? Can the average person defend him or herself against a determined killer with gun?
When Nidal Hasan opened fire on the Fort Hood military base in 2009, he killed 13 people and wounded 29, many of them members of Lumberjack CrossFit. Military personnel attempted to stop Hasan but were shot and killed in the process. How can we expect our teachers to do better?
There are no easy answers, but there are some strategies that can help.
CrossFit works with two experts who teach civilians, military personnel and law-enforcement officers how to deal with attacks. Tony Blauer, the self-defense expert who runs the CrossFit Defense course, has spent his career teaching fear management and personal-defense readiness through his company, Blauer Tactical Systems. George Ryan, a full-time SWAT officer and creator of the CrossFit Striking Trainer Course, has been teaching law-enforcement officers around the country about proper responses to active-shooter incidents since 1999.
Both Blauer and Ryan think there are things we can do. And they say the CrossFit mindset is an important piece of the puzzle.