This book is dedicated to Mark Dawson, who devoted his life to the protection of the innocent. He led his community (Key West, Florida) in developing programs for Hunter Safety and Firearms Safety training for people of all ages. Before long, he had branched into training private citizens who kept firearms for self defense against violent criminals, and into teaching police officers the advanced subtleties of gunfight survival. His finely-honed combat shooting skills were combined with practical, common-sense awareness of the tactics, the dangers, and the enormous responsibilities involved in such undertakings.
No one will know how many lives were spared from tragedy by Mark's tireless efforts. We only know that the number will ultimately be fewer than it should have been.
On the 14th of December, 1984, Mark Dawson knowingly sacrificed his life to save that of a police officer. Those of us who knew him will never forget Mark, and will never fully get over the loss...but his memory and what he stood for will live each time this book keeps an innocent person from suffering a firearms accident or the violent depravations of a lawless criminal who can be restrained in no other way but with defensive, deadly force.
The man you will see illustrating the techniques in the following pages is Mark, his image drawn lovingly and accurately by his mother, Zel Bandler Dawson. Visualize him each time you pick up your gun---not only to make sure your technique is as good as his role model, but to remember the awesomeness of the power and responsibility that deadly weapon represents...and strive to know it as well as Mark Dawson did.
Massad Ayoob
Concord, NH
January, 1986