Ben Pifher/MDN Jason New teaches students the basics of a home defense plan and being prepared for emergencies in the home.

An instructor with a national self-defense organization said it’s crucial to educate people on practices to make their daily lives a little safer.

The organization, known as the U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA), put on the class with the help of the Minot Rifle and Pistol Club on Tuesday.

Jason New, the class instructor, has been part of the Minot Rifle and Pistol Club for about 20 years.

A recurring conversation in the class was training is a crucial part of defense, whether it be for preparing for the worst, to recovering from a situation and defending oneself legally. There are three fights people speak of in a self defense situation, New said, “First, fight for your life, then fight for your freedom in court, then be protected in lawsuits with civil protection.”

New said the classes are not meant to be about the use-of-force, but are meant to give insight into avoiding situations where someone may be forced to defend themselves.

The USCCA is a membership-based organization with more than 830,000 members, according to Taylor Jones of the Minneapolis area. Jones has been a member of the USCCA since 2020 and is the North Central District manager for Delta Defense L.L.C., a service provider for the USCCA.

New said the Rifle and Pistol Club sponsors the USCCA with the facilities to teach the courses, and there are other classes as well, taught by both organizations. He said the main point of Tuesday’s course was informational and to teach students things like “getting people off their phones, making them situationally aware of their surroundings.” He said the classes help keep people safer and give them an education on avoiding unsafe situations.

During the class, New also spoke of starting small and getting the basics of a task and practicing them, so the more complex situations can be dealt with in manageable parts.

The USCCA has curriculums that cover a wide range of course content, according to Jones, including how-tos and weapons drills, concealed carry classes and content on how to make the home a “hard target.” A hard target is a location that presents itself as somewhere that is “undesirable for someone to target for an attack or a burglary in the first place,” as defined by Jones.

He also spoke about aspects of a lifestyle where situational awareness is a key aspect of daily life, and explained the “training and education can help people avoid danger, avoid situations where they’d have to defend themselves with force.”

Jones said “guns are sometimes treated as talismans,” referring to people thinking a firearm in itself is a deterrent. “We are very strong believers in the second amendment, but if you’re going to carry a gun or have a gun, you need to know how and when to use it. If you’re ever in a situation where you are forced to defend yourself or the people you love, you should have the training and an understanding of how to apply the skill effectively.”

New said a free “Women’s Safety Event” taught by the USCCA will be held Sept. 19. Contact the Minot Rifle and Pistol Club for information.