Glenn G. is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who lives in Alabama.

One Sunday afternoon around 5 P.M. Glenn met a man to discuss purchasing a utility trailer.

Glenn had interacted with the man on Facebook and was interested in purchasing the trailer.

When they met up, the 21-year-old man told Glenn that the trailer was for sale, but he didn’t have it with him.

He told Glenn they would need to drive to another location to see the trailer.

Glenn knew something was off, but Glenn offered to drive to the location to see the trailer.

The 21-year-old man got into the truck with Glenn, and as they were driving, the man put a knife to Glenn’s throat.

“Give me your money or I’m going to kill you,” the man said.

Unbeknownst to the man, Glenn was carrying concealed.

A struggle ensued, and Glenn drew his firearm, firing a single shot at the suspect.

But Glenn’s pistol jammed, and during the struggle, the gun fell out of the truck.

The suspect picked up the gun and shot Glenn three times. He was shot in the stomach, leg, and shoulder, but miraculously lived.

“He came to execute me,’’ Glenn said, “but God had a different plan.”

The suspect was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery.

Thankfully, Glenn was prepared by carrying concealed, even though it jammed.

It’s hard to train for the stress that a life-and-death encounter creates, not to mention clearing jams during an armed struggle.

Considering this, here are a few drills that can help you be better prepared for the stress of a deadly encounter.

Timer:

A shot timer will add stress to your firearm training by creating a sense of urgency.

You can compete with other shooters.

Shooting competitions force you to perform under pressure with an audience.

You won’t be perfect. But you will feel the rush and learn how to adapt to the physical effects.

Start from the holster, draw, and fire in a set amount of time. Add penalties for missed shots.

Let’s get physical:

Adding physical exertion can help your body deal with stress during a shooting incident.

Exercise will elevate your heart rate and simulate adrenaline spikes.

When you are at the range try to do something physical before shooting – anything from burpees to jumping jacks to sprints.

For example, you could do 20 jumping jacks and then immediately move to the shooting line to fire your shots.

Mind games:

When at the range you can add tasks like solving a math problem, or identifying targets based on colors or shapes.

Someone could call out, “Red 11” and then you would need to identify and shoot the target that corresponds to the callout.

This training will incorporate decision-making into shooting and help you stay focused, engaged, and mentally sharp during chaotic situations.

Shout it out:

During a stressful encounter, it’s important to remember to communicate with the threat.

For instance, if you are involved in a self-defense situation you want to yell, “Drop the weapon!” or similar type statements.

This way, if you end up shooting your firearm, a witness could say you yelled for the bad guy to drop the weapon.

When you are at the range it’s a good idea to verbalize your actions as well, as it creates multitasking under pressure.

Look, it’s impossible to recreate a real-life gunfight at the training range.

But these tips can prepare your body and mind to deal with the stress and adrenaline surges of a life-or-death scenario.

And if you train this way, it’s how you will react when it’s a real-life encounter.

But don’t forget to train in “irregular” ways.