"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

"The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
- Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774-1776

"There's no such thing as a good gun. There's no such thing as a bad gun. A gun in the hands of a bad man is a very dangerous thing. A gun in the hands of a good person is no danger to anyone except the bad guys." - Charlton Heston

"The police can't stop an intruder, mugger, or stalker from hurting you. They can pursue him only after he has hurt or killed you. Protecting yourself from harm is your responsibility, and you are far less likely to be hurt in a neighborhood of gun-owners than in one of disarmed citizens - even if you don't own a gun yourself." - Harry Browne

Good and evil are strictly a human condition and do not apply to inanimate objects nor animals. Therefore, when someone says that guns are evil or bad, they are trying to impose a strictly human condition onto an inanimate object. An obvious sign of ignorance at the least and utter insanity at its worst. Firearms are an integral part of American history, and culture, and are so important to our freedoms that they were included in the Constitution. Why do you think that our founding fathers put such emphasis on the personal possession of firearms by the common man? Certainly not for hunting, competition, or sport, but instead as a deterrent against a tyrannical government.

Firearms (rifles, shotguns, handguns, etc.) are necessary for the safety and protection of ones self and ones family from not only a tyrannical government, but also from any person or group that would attempt to cause them harm. As with any and all armed and unarmed self-defense techniques, one must be careful to only use those techniques or tools that are appropriate for the situation and to use no more force than is necessary to ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones. Ignorance of the law is not a legitimate defense! Know the laws in your area and abide by them!

Handgun combatives are to be taken very seriously as they can have life changing consequences if you ever are forced to use them. They are an integral part of the curriculum taught here at Reno Krav Maga and go hand-in-hand with firearm defense and disarming. An individual can not reach their true potential at one if he isn't equally well versed in the other. Here are just a few of the many things we teach in our various handgun combatives courses.

* #1 Top Priority; SAFETY!
* Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals
* Proper Two-Handed and One-Handed Grip
* Legal Issues
* Malfunction Drills
* Live Fire Training
* Realistic Scenario Training
* Proper Cleaning and Maintenance
* Reloading (semi-auto and revolvers)
* Integrating Handgun Skills with Empty Handed Skills
* Emergency First Aid
* Defense Against Multiple Attackers
* and much, much more!

Reno Krav Maga instructor, Shawn Kovacich, has a wealth of experience with the use of firearms both in training in a controlled environment and also under real world conditions. He is a NRA certified firearms instructor, as well as, being certified by both the State of Nevada and the State of Utah as a concealed carry firearms instructor.