https://greyhive.com/videos/watch/6d6faa61-ff0e-4da6-978c-7221272a99ed What does it really mean to be prepared to defend yourself? In this episode of Making Shooters Better, host Terry Vaughan sits down with John and Vicki Farnam, veteran defensive firearms instructors whose decades of experience have shaped how armed citizens, law enforcement officers, and fellow instructors think about preparedness. Their approach goes well beyond marksmanship. John and Vicki explain why good judgment, observation, avoidance, communication, and understanding your own decisions are every bit as important as knowing how to operate a firearm. Vicki also shares lessons from teaching instructors how to better communicate with female shooters, along with the extraordinary story of facing a charging 700-pound wild hog and discovering firsthand what repeated training can mean when a decision can no longer be delayed. In this conversation: • Why carrying a gun does not automatically mean you are prepared • Why avoidance can be one of the most valuable defensive skills • How everyday observation can be deliberately trained • The difference John and Vicki draw between force and violence • Why students need to believe their own lives are worth protecting • How to balance awareness without living in constant fear • Why defensive training must address judgment as well as shooting • How instructors can adapt their communication to the student • What Vicki learned from teaching firearms instructors to better reach female shooters • Why techniques and teaching methods should continue evolving • How repeated training helped Vicki respond to a charging 700-pound hog • Why some of the Farnams’ most meaningful student success stories never involve a shot being fired This episode is a reminder that responsible firearms ownership is about much more than what happens on the range. The decisions made before a confrontation may be the ones that matter most. Watch the full conversation, subscribe to Laser Ammo for more episodes of Making Shooters Better, and share this episode with a shooter or instructor who values practical, responsible training. Follow John and Vicki Farnam and learn more about their courses: https://defense-training.com/ https://dtiwomen.com/ #MakingShootersBetter #LaserAmmo #JohnFarnam #VickiFarnam #FirearmsTraining #DefensiveTraining #SituationalAwareness #ResponsibleGunOwnership #SelfDefenseTraining Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:40:45 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://greyhive.com https://greyhive.com/lazy-static/avatars/5746210d-885d-44b2-9be0-92bf1e4d34df.webp https://greyhive.com/videos/watch/6d6faa61-ff0e-4da6-978c-7221272a99ed All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://greyhive.com/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.