Sometimes, the floor is the safest place to be, and other times, it can be the least.  If you are in a closed area (such as court or an office) and you hear gunfire, you should drop to the floor with your feet pointed towards the source of the shots.  This will minimize the area where you could be hit, and reduce the exposure of your most vital areas.  If you are in an open area (such as a park) and you hear gunfire, you should seek cover if possible (and not just concealment -- read more here), and then drop to the ground if necessary.

In arm's-length combat, however, you should avoid the ground if at all possible.  It is common to hear that "90% of all fights end up on the ground."  This "statistic" comes from a study performed by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1997 (read more here), and is not at all accurate.  While it is true that being trained in ground combat techniques can help minimize injury when you find yourself on the ground, you should not prefer this scenario.  I know some martial arts instructors who will teach their students to take an opponent to the ground and then join him* there.  I would strongly advise against this.  Putting an assailant on the ground is a great idea, but you should keep your feet if you can -- this makes it easier to escape or to capitalize on your opponent's disadvantaged position.  In addition, your assailant may have friends nearby, and voluntarily "going to the ground" puts you at their mercy.  By all means, learn to fight on the ground, but use those skills only as a last resort.

A new report from the Pew Research Center (link here) indicates that the primary reason that people own guns is for self protection. Whether or not you choose to own a gun for protection -- and if you do, please learn how to use it responsibly -- you should not let it give you a false sense of safety. As with any tool or security measure, a gun should not make you drop your guard because you feel safe. You should remain vigilant even in situations where you know you are protected by security, or when you have the means to defend yourself from attack. Weapons and security measures can fail, and if you are counting on only them to protect you, you will be without protection.

A tragic example of such a situation may be found in the recent death of Greg Rodriguez (story here). While the reports that I have read do not indicate whether or not Mr. Rodriguez was armed at the time he was shot and killed, it seems likely that he could have been -- he was an outspoken advocate of Second Amendment rights, as was the friend he was with at the time of his death. While we cannot say what might have happened had the circumstances been slightly different, this story serves as a sad reminder that even when we might otherwise feel safe, we should always be ready.

In short, do not rely on a gun, or pepper spray, or a knife, or a security guard, or anything else to be safe -- rely on yourself. With the exception of a spouse or family, nothing else will be as concerned for your survival as you are.

For those who may be nervous about going to court after the last post, there's good news! The Department of Homeland Security has some good training resources for active shooter scenarios, which can be found here: http://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness

For those of us who regularly attend court, we usually think that the courthouse is a gun-free zone. Maybe not. A recent incident shows that even with security personnel and full-body metal detectors, it can be relatively easy to get a gun into a courthouse. Because security staff may be lax at times, it is important to keep aware of potential threats. Read the article here.