Greetings Sheepdogs,
FREE WEBINAR
Tuesday, December 12th, 6 pm Central
Join us for an in-depth exploration of the critical components of expert witness
and investigator fees in legal proceedings. In legal cases, the expertise of
professionals such as expert witnesses and investigators is indispensable.
We have the Active Self Protection team joining us to share their knowledge
on this topic and present real world examples/experiences.
Register at
Table of Sections:
Prevention
Intervention
Postvention
Education
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of contents:
Mindset
Safety
Training (training to avoid the fight)
Practice (practicing to avoid the fight)
Your self-defense instructor should be teaching you how to avoid the fight.
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
"Jeff Cooper's Color Code exists to help you get your head around the need to
kill someone in the immediate future."
-- John Hearne
We don't kill out of hate. We kill out of love. We kill to protect what we love:
our loved ones, our community (including unborn babies), our country (including
those practicing religion who would otherwise be murdered by the FBI or other
federal law enforcement agencies), and our conservative Christian way of life.
Cling to your God and your guns. Otherwise, your descendants will be living in
Obama's transformed America. (Ya, I know Barry. He was two years behind
me at Punahou and he was two years behind me at Columbia. He is pure evil.)
Well, actually, we don't even intentionally kill. We use whatever force is
necessary to stop the attack. The condition of the bad guy is incidental to our
goal of stopping the attack. Of course in the real world, force often leads to
death. But that was the assailant's choice, not our choice.
‟We don’t decide what is necessary to survive a
lethal force encounter initiated by someone else.
That person decides what’s necessary for us to survive.”
– William Aprill
"The Martial Marksman Mindset: A Deeper Dive"
by Matt
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
". . . consistency is accuracy."
". . . exactly the same every time."
"The third circle is the self-image. It encompasses everything about
how you view yourself and what you believe you are capable of.
This is the circle that separates champions from the skilled."
"The Martial Marksman’s mindset is one that dictates pursuit of
excellence in all things. He rejects mediocrity because he knows it
is a creeping force that slowly erodes the value of his work and training.
He is not happy with only maintaining homeostasis,
but seeks opportunities to introduce controlled stress to see where he stands."
"When you rationalize the creeping tyranny of “good enough” into
your training, what was once a noticeable and temporary deviation
slowly becomes the new normal . . . What matters is not the individual
deviation. It’s the gradual shift in baseline behavior that becomes the
problem. Missing a single workout or having a single junk meal,
in the big picture, really will mean nothing. But if you look at where
you are now compared to the standards you set for yourself when
you began this process and realize that you’re now OK with things
that you never would would have called acceptable in the beginning,
then you’ve fallen victim to decrementalism. The creeping,
banal evil of mediocrity."
-- Building the Elite
---
Guys who have to shoot a qualifying score in this course of fire
to get the job or to keep their job are under a lot more stress than
otherwise.
If you're hunting for food, you'd better bring some food home.
Otherwise, the wife may take the kids and find a better hunter.
If you're driving a van with a bunch of lady passengers in a riot
in Riyadh, you'd better demonstrate some cool competence,
otherwise the ladies will bail out and scatter.
Yes, you are responsible. Yes, it is your duty. Yes, everyone
is looking to you for leadership. Lead by example! Lead by
competence!
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
‷If you look at someone bigger, faster, and stronger and immediately think,
‶I'm at a disadvantage″,
I have news for you: you are.
But that's only because you just put yourself there for no reason.
The truth is that anyone can do debilitating violence to anyone else.
Your size, your speed, your strength, your gender --
all the factors that untrained people think make the difference when it comes to violence --
all matter far less than your mindset and your intent.‴
-- Tim Larkin
***** Situational Awareness *****
How to avoid being taken by surprise.
An officer may be forgiven for loosing a battle,
but never for being taken by surprise. That's why
the Commanding Officer of Pearl Harbor was
court martialed after the surprise attack that took
us into World War II.
"What We Look For
There are a lot of things to watch out for
before, during and after a violent attack."
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
Excerpts:
"We don’t just shoot at the threat;
we shoot at a particular spot on the threat that is most likely to stop the attack."
". . . there is no such thing as too much training and practice."
"The 5 Stages of Situational Awareness - Critical Mas EP 72"
“You need to have the capacity for danger.
You need to be ‘dangerous’. Yet, you need to
learn how to not use it except when necessary.
And, that is not the same thing as being harmless.
There's nothing virtuous about harmlessness.
Harmless just means you’re ineffectual and useless.”
-- Jordan Peterson
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.)
Jeff Cooper′s Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER
ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER
UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
[Another version of Rule III: Keep your trigger finger in the register position
(with tactile index on the frame or the slide). Only move your trigger finger
to the trigger when your sights are on the target and you have decided to fire.
When finished firing, immediately return your trigger finger to the register
position.
-- Jon Low]
"Between the Lines!" by John Farnam
The enemy exists. Be aware and prepare.
‟If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it.
The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury.
Therefore what he must fear is his victim.”
-- Col. Jeff Cooper, "Principles of Personal Defense"
Why did the bad guy, who committed the mass murder on the University of
Nevada at Las Vegas, choose the UNLV campus? Because it was and is a
gun-free-zone. NEVER send your children into gun-free-zones. All mass
murders occur in gun-free-zones. Anyone with two neurons can figure out
why.
The purpose of gun-free-zones is to create unarmed victims for armed
criminals to prey upon. Such is the grist of the Democrat propaganda machine.
Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) can't figure out why the signs posted around the campus
didn't prevent the bad guy from bringing a gun onto the campus. She doesn't
have two neurons.
“The ‘Victim Mindset’ dilutes human potential.
By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances,
we reduce our power to change them.”
-- Steve Maraboli
"More Victims!" by John Farnam
Jordan Peterson and many other firearms/self-defense instructors teach that to
avoid the protesters/rioters do your business in the morning. Peterson schedules
his lectures at 08:00 because the lazy protesters won't wake up early;
they can't, they've been up all night doing drugs and such. Criminals, generally
speaking, conduct business late at night and in the hours just past midnight.
So they are all sleeping when the sun rises. So you should be doing your stuff
when the sun rises or soon thereafter.
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don’t go to stupid places.
Don’t associate with stupid people.
Don’t do stupid things.
Be in bed by 10:00 PM. (Your own bed!)
Don’t look like a freak.
Don’t fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to practice) -----
You need training because:
You don't know what you don't know.
Much of what you know is false.
It's good to the have the answers before the criminal tests you.
-- Claude Werner (paraphrased)
--- Start of Classes ---
"DTI, 2024" by John Farnam
FPF Training
--- End of Classes ---
Bear with me as I attempt to explain something, because it does relate
to our firearms training (and all training for that matter).
Hat tip to Red Pen Black Pen.
"My son's third grade teacher taught my son that 1 divided by 0 is 0.
I wrote her an email to tell her that it is not 0.
[Division by 0 is undefined. -- Jon Low]
She then doubled down and cc'ed the principal. The principal responded
saying the teacher is correct . . . What do I do now?"
Original reddit post,
You may be thinking, "Well, that's just a stupid 3rd grade teacher and
a stupid elementary school principal in a public school." But it is more
pervasive than that. I was teaching physics at Middle Tennessee State
University in Murfreesboro, TN as an adjunct (part time, sometime)
physics professor. A tenured professor (at the rank of full professor,
as opposed to associate professor or assistant professor) said in one of
his lectures that the square root of 4 is 2, which is false. The square
root of 4 is ±2 (positive 2 or negative 2). I explained this to my students
when they told me about what the other professor said.
2 × 2 = 4,
-2 × -2 = 4,
so the square root of 4 is either 2 or -2.
Even after this explanation some of my students refused to believe me,
instead insisting that the higher ranking professor must be right. After
all I was only an adjunct.
Similar crap goes on in our firearms training community and is widespread.
You must be careful.
---
Let me give you a concrete example. (I assume you have good vision
in both eyes. If you don't, you won't have this problem.) With both eyes
open, look at a distant target. Stretch out your arm and stick your thumb
up. Your thumb is your front sight (or the virtual image from your concave
reflector sight).
Focus on the target. You will see two thumbs.
Focus on your thumb. You will see two targets.
Murphy's Law guarantees that you will be using the wrong image when
aiming in a high stress combat situation. (Eye dominance is psychological,
not physiological. It is studied in the realm of psychology, not optometry,
not ophthalmology.)
And yet, many instructors teach their students to keep both eyes open
when aiming and releasing the shot. This is guaranteed to cause hits on
innocent bystanders.
---
Another example would be the surprise trigger break. As explained by
Col. Jeff Cooper, it is (after taking the slack out of the trigger) increasing
pressure on the trigger while holding the sights on the target without
intentionally firing the shot. Eventually, the pressure is sufficient to release
the sear and the pistol fires. But because you did not intentionally fire
the shot, it took you by surprise. Because you didn't know exactly when
the pistol will fire, you will defeat all of your autonomic nervous system
responses to the report and the recoil, such as flinching, freezing, jerking,
pushing against the recoil (which causes the low left scattering for
right-handed shooters, and low right for left-handed shooters), etc.
The technique of the surprise trigger break has been known for a long time.
In archery, it was taught 5000 years ago, just as my archery coach taught
it to me in 1977.
And yet, many instructors don't teach it. Or teach techniques contrary
to the surprise trigger break. Such as intentionally making the pistol fire
when you want the pistol to fire, which will cause all of the autonomic
nervous system responses to the report and recoil.
---
Another example would be teaching that on long range pistol shots
(beyond the pistol's zero at 2 or 3 yards), say out at 25 yards, the shooter
should aim high (above the intended point of impact) because the bullet is
dropping under the influence of gravity. This is obviously wrong because
the bullet starts below the line-of-sight (LOS), because the muzzle is below
the sights. So the bullet has to travel up to cross the LOS. This first
crossing of the LOS is the first zero. There is a second zero around
100 yards down range, where the bullet crosses the LOS going down.
So from the first zero at 2 yards to the second zero at 100 yards, the
bullet is above the LOS. So the shooter must aim low (below the intended
point-of-impact, POI).
For example a copper jacketed round nose 45 ACP with muzzle velocity
of 850 feet per second (the standard military loading) when zeroed at 2 yards
will impact 5 inches above the LOS at 25 yards. So if you're shooting to
the center of an 8 inch plate (4" radius) you bullet will be passing 1" over
the top of the plate.
And yet, many incompetent instructors teach students to aim high,
so of course the poor students miss and can't figure out why.
---
Oh, I could give you many many more examples. But if I did,
I'd never be able to get a ticket to the conferences where all the cool
kids go. And I'd definitely never get an invitation to the seminars where
all the cool instructors meet.
[Oh, you are not aware of the nasty politics in the industry?
May I invite your attention to,
"More Bans and USPSA Loses a Section" by Ben Stoeger
]
"Are you saying that it's not just the lower level instructors that are
teaching things that are wrong?"
Well, as John Farnam says,
“Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something.”
-- John Farnam
The problem of course is that some instructors refuse to entertain the
possibility that they may be teaching crap.
"Those who think they know everything, irritate those of us who do."
[That's a joke.]
That's why it is so important for instructors to adopt Tom Givens'
practice of taking classes from others, as in attending as a paying student
at least once a year.
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
“The secret of success is this.
Train like it means everything when it means nothing –
so you can fight like it means nothing when it means everything.”
-- Lofty Wiseman
"The Wild Boar & the Fox" by Æsop
Preparedness for war is the best guarantee of peace.
[If you spend your time training and practicing,
you will probably never have to use your skills. -- Jon Low]
“You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol
than you are a musician because you own a guitar.”
from Principles of Personal Defense by Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, (1920 – 2006 A.D.)
It takes a lot of expert training, dedicated practice,
effort, and time to become armed.
It doesn't happen when you buy the gun.
"Safe gun handling and knowing how to operate the gun competently is one thing.
How to fight with the gun is a whole other plane of knowledge."
-- Tiger McKee
"Those motivated by a desire to improve their
gunfighting skills as opposed to a quest for trophies,
must be willing to bleed ego on the match results
to avoid shedding blood in combat."
-- Andy Stanford
Accelerated heart rates and high emotional arousal do not necessarily predict
poor performance. Join Dr. Bill Lewinksi in this week’s Force Science News,
where he summarizes his presentation at the 2023 IACP Conference and continues
to challenge the myth that high heart rates equal cognitive collapse.
"Accelerated Heart Rates and Elite Performance" by Dr. William Lewinski
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
And practice is the preparation for combat. Self-defense is combat.
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get competent at that task) -----
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- Lt. Gen. David M Shoup, USMC Commandant, 1960-1963
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
Why practice?
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment
when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and
offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique
to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if
that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that
which could have been their finest hour.”
-- Winston Churchill
‟Be careful what you practice.
Because you will do in combat
whatever you have practiced,
no matter how ridiculous.”
-- ‶Shooting in Self-Defense″ by Sara Ahrens
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Table of contents:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it,
which tactics to use, which includes walking away) -----
“How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.”
-- John Farnam
Your goal is prevention, not reaction. The preemptive strike is necessary.
If you let the bad guy strike first, you're dead or incapacitated; and unable
to defend your loved ones.
"But I'll be prosecuted if I shoot first."
You have to be alive to be prosecuted. Avoiding prosecution by being
dead or permanently disabled is suboptimal.
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (maneuver and fire in support of your strategy) -----
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, Escape
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"Skillset: Don’t Go Out" by Rich Grassi
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
"Stupid Active Killer Advice" by Greg Ellifritz
"Shooting quickly in a staged environment under no stress
does not make you tactically proficient."
-- John Hearne
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques -----
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Skill Set Classics by Tiger McKee: Fighting Stance
Editor: Today’s classic is from our March 23 2011 Edition.
Excerpt:
The combative stance is also critical to our mental attitude. We know the
mind tells the body what to do, but the body influences what and how the mind
is operating. An aggressive physical posture helps us mentally stay plugged
into the fight. Try this: Stand up and assume an aggressive fighting stance
and see if -- mentally -- your attitude doesn’t change.
"You are not target focused" by Ben Stoeger
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postvention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to treat your wounds; avoid prosecution, conviction, and prison time.
Table of contents:
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath -----
You must be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him,
but because he loves what is behind him.”
― G.K. Chesterton
"Self-Defense: The Post-Incident Environment" by John Murphy
In the right hand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the direct link is,
Read this before you buy insurance. You need to make an informed decision.
The various policies are drastically different.
"You need to read the fine print." -- Massad Ayoob
Hello Jonathan,
Back on April 2 of this year DoorDash delivery guy Alan Colie found
himself confronted in a shopping mall food court by two aggressive
pranksters, the leader of whom was one Tanner Cook. Colie would
ultimately shoot Cook once, causing serious but not fatal injuries.
Colie would be charged with malicious wounding, firing of a firearm
in the commission of a felony, and and discharging a firearm in a
building -- all felonies. Colie's sole legal defense to all three charges
was the justification of self-defense.
In September Colie was acquitted by jury of the malicious wounding
and use of a firearm in commission of a felony charges, but found guilty
of the lesser discharging a firearm in a building charge. The trial judge
declined the defense request to dismiss the conviction on the grounds
that it was inconsistent with the acquittals, which necessarily required
the jury to find self-defense.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 21, and Colie is looking at a
maximum of 5 years.
I originally did a legal breakdown of this event in the Law of Self Defense
Show of October 2, but I return to the event today for reasons having less to
do with the legal merits of the case and more to do with the role that
"self-defense insurance" company USCCA may have played -- or, rather,
may have refused to pay.
Evidence in this case suggests that Colie was a member of USCCA
at the time of the shooting, that Colie called USCCA immediately after
the shooting (as USCCA instructs its members to do), and that USCCA
may have refused to honor its purported commitment to Colie to cover
his legal expenses in this self-defense trial.
This rings all too consistent with how USCCA similarly refused to
cover USCCA member Kayla Giles after she claimed self-defense
following the shooting of her estranged husband in September 2018.
Giles would later be found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced
to life plus 30 years, a conviction later affirmed on appeal. To what
extent her conviction was the result of her being denied desperately
needed legal resources by USCCA can never be known.
This was all brought to my attention again in recent days by
Law of Self Defense Member Floyd, who linked me to an interesting
discussion of the Colie case and the relevance of USCCA to that
case on the video channel of Attorneys Marc Victor and
Andy Marcantel -- both of whom I've had personal conversation in the past,
and who strike me as smart and capable attorneys. Floyd also linked
me to some news stories that raise similar questions.
So, did USCCA refuse to cover another of their members in a
self-defense case? In today's show we'll take a look at the available evidence.
Stay safe!
-- Andrew Branca
“Be CAREFUL About WHICH "Self-Defense Insurance" Company YOU Trust!”
Cited video,
"Did USCCA Drop Coverage for YouTube Prank Victim Alan Colie?"
by Attorneys On Retainer
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the direct address
“Your understanding and consent are not required
for someone to take your life, kill your loved ones,
and destroy all you hold dear.”
-- William Aprill
*************************************************************************
----- Medical -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
*************************************************************************
----- Survival -----
"If you stay fit, you do not have to get fit.
If you stay trained, you do not have to get trained.
If you stay prepared, you do not have to get prepared."
-- Robert Margulies
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- Legal -----
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798
"North Carolina High School Stabbing: The Ugly Truth of Self Defense"
by Mitch Goerdt
Greg Ellifritz comments --
A 14- year old boy was attacked at his high school. He was sucker punched,
knocked to the floor, and being stomped and kicked by multiple attackers.
He drew a knife, cut some of his attackers and escaped. The boy is being
charged with murder. See what I mean when I say “the rules have changed?”
This was a completely justified and legal use of force. Why do you think
your self defense situation is going to turn out any differently?
I wonder what would have happened had the boy used pepper spray?
He certainly wouldn’t have caught a murder charge.
I bet 75% of the audience reading this page,
has a pocket knife on their person right now. I bet fewer than 5% have some
POM Pepper Spray. If that describes you, fix your shit.
-- Greg Ellifritz
---
That's why you must have an insurance policy that will actually pay
your legal defense up front in full. Some won't (Kayla Giles, Alan Colie, et al).
And in case you get convicted, you must have an escape plan.
Birth certificate (someone born about the same time as you, who died
at or near birth, death certificates are not associated with birth certificates),
Social Security card, driver's license, passport, etc. based on the birth
certificate. You must have an alternate abode, job, social network, etc.
to escape to. Having a bug out bag is nice, but you must have somewhere
to go, to live, to thrive; on a permanent basis. If you haven't done this,
you're not really a prepper. You're just a Dreamer. Liberal politicians
love Dreamers, because they are helpless waifs dependent on Uncle Sam
for sustenance. You, on the other hand, are a rugged individualist.
So, as Greg says, fix your shit.
"Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2023"
by John R. Lott, Carlisle E. Moody, and Rujun Wang
The paper is free to download.
You might want to read, Chapter 3,
III. THE CHANGING GENDER AND RACE OF PERMIT HOLDERS
Page 30.
You will be pleasantly surprised.
It is good to see states reducing fees for permits, and reducing or eliminating
training requirements. Being forced to pay to exercise a Constitutional right
is wrong. Being forced to take training to exercise a Constitutional right is
wrong.
---
Excerpt from email from John Lott --
As a warning, without even knowing it, you might be like me in regularly
using symbols that the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Symbol’s Guide on
Militia Violent Extremists uses to identify domestic terrorists. The symbols
and phrases that catch the FBI’s attention are “2A” and “the right to bear arms.”
I should warn that they are also looking for people who show the Betsy Ross Flag.
"The FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Symbol’s Guide on Militia Violent Extremists
includes “2A” and “the right to bear arms.” "
[Do we need any more evidence that the FBI is corrupt? -- Jon Low]
---
"Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 25 Cases During August 2023"
There are way more law-abiding-civilians carrying than police, so we would expect
civilians to be doing most of the shooting of criminals. There are way more private
security officers than police officers, so we would expect private security to be doing
more shooting of criminals than police. And in fact, this is true. But, you'd never
know it from the mass media news reports. It just doesn't fit the narrative.
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca (free book, just pay shipping)
Handgunlaw.us
"The 5 Elements of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca (free of charge)
"Personal Defense And The Law
Knowledge of self-defense involves more than knowing
how to draw your firearm or marksmanship."
by Sheriff Jim Wilson
---
Hello Jonathan,
Today I read through a recent #NRA magazine article by Sheriff Jim Wilson --
whose work I much enjoy, including this piece I'll be treating with some modest
criticism.
Sheriff Wilson has much good advice and accurate observations in this article,
but nevertheless falls prey to perhaps the most common failing in otherwise
well-informed people when it comes to the legal use of force -- the conflation of
weapons law, on the one hand, and use-of-force law on the other.
Treating these two entirely distinct areas of the law as if they overlapped
or are in any substantive manner related can only foster confusion in the mind
of the public interested in being able to defend themselves, their family, and
their property from criminal predation, and diminishes the clarity of
understanding necessary to remain within the legal boundaries of both.
Stay safe!
--Andrew
Attorney Andrew F. Branca
Law of Self Defense LLC
"Is the NRA a RELIABLE Source for Self-Defense Law? (A: NO!)"
Excerpt:
The law does not mean what the legislature intended. The law means what
the courts interpret it to mean. Big difference. (paraphrased)
"Don't be willfully ignorant."
"Thinking Seriously About Gun Control:
10-Round Magazine Limits Are A Bad Idea"
by Robert F. Turner
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
Yet another study did the math, concluding that it takes 2.45 hits with a
9mm pistol on average to end a threat and 5.55 shots to make a hit.
That adds up to 13.6 rounds fired on average to incapacitate an attacker,
and that's for just one attacker – which is hardly good news if you are
trying to defend your family while limited to a 10-round magazine.
[So you must carry extra magazines on your belt. -- Jon Low]
"Making Statements
An Interview with Marty Hayes, J.D."
Interview by Gila Hayes
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"Hayes: Yes, any statements made pursuant to police questioning
after they have read you your Miranda rights and you have agreed
not to talk to the police, then if they ask,
“One more thing” and you answer, knowing full well that the police
have Mirandized you and you have refused to talk or invoked your
right not to be incriminated by your own speech,
then those would be inadmissible."
[I have learned from other legal experts, such as Andrew Branca and my
sister (prosecutor at federal and state level, and practiced appeals), and
my brother-in-law (prosecutor at state level), and my father (clerk at
federal level, prosecutor, defense attorney, judge at state level),
that once you start talking, you have effectively waived your right to
remain silent. So your statements will be admissible. -- Jon Low]
"Making Statements Pt. 2
An Interview with Marty Hayes, J.D.HayesM"
Interview by Gila Hayes
"Nuns Are Suing Smith & Wesson" by Liberty Doll
Evading the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).
Smith & Wessons produces good and services. These nuns produce
nothing. How do they eat? Their churches provide for them. So the
churches must be backing this ploy. Not all churches are good. Not
all churches do God's work. Ever read Revelation?
“Your character is what you do when no one is looking.”
-- Thomas Jefferson
“Is there no virtue among us?
If there is not, we are without hope!
No form of government, existing nor theoretical, will keep us from harm.
To think that any government, in any form, will insure liberty and happiness
for a dishonorable population represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
----- Instruction -----
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
----- Instructors -----
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
"Getting New Armed Citizens Started Right
An Interview with John Farnam"
Interview by Gila Hayes in April 2022
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpts:
Farnam: A lot of what I am teaching today, I did not teach as recently as last week.
I have been compelled to adopt new ways. The way we were doing this was,
well, “wrong” is probably not the right word, what we were doing was not wrong,
but now it is obsolete. It is out of date; now there is a better way. I did not invent it,
but you know what? I have got to adopt it.
[This is why I hate going to Tac Con or the Guardian Conference or any gathering
of instructors. I am forced to change the curriculum of my classes to incorporate
what I have learned. And then I have to send emails to former students telling them
that there is a better way to do what I had taught them. (Too many former students.
Now days it is up to them to read this blog to discover all the mistakes I had made.)
-- Jon Low]
That is how our art grows. Growth involves us worrying a lot less about our
personal egos and a lot more about advancing the art and a lot more about the
welfare of our students. I teach with a lot of associate instructors who are
instructors in their own right. Sometimes a student says, “He told me to do it this
way and you told me to do it that way.” I regard that as healthy. This art is
developing and evolving. We have not reached the pinnacle of perfection yet.
Well, our students have the same issues. Our students need to understand
that learning this art, or any other art, is admitting to yourself that you have
been wrong or admitting to yourself that there are things that you should know
that you don’t know.
The religious term is “repentance.” Regret is an emotion as common as
it is worthless. When things go wrong, don’t we all regret it? Too often,
though, we don’t change anything. That ensures that it will happen again!
How dumb is that? If you say, “I regret that,” it tells me nothing. If you
want to learn, you are going to have to repent. That implies changing direction.
That implies looking into a mirror and saying, “You know what? I am going
in the wrong direction. I need to change.”
That’s tough. That’s tough, especially for people with big egos but
changing direction may save your life. If you come to a course, you are going
to have a lot of opportunities to repent. You have heard me say to my students,
“Basically, you are here to fail. You are here to fail because when you fail,
that is when you learn.” What do we learn from success? Very little is ever
learned from success. We learn from failure!
I think it is important for students to fail because then they are confronted
with it and have to say, “Do you know what? When I keep doing it this way,
I am going to continue to fail.” As the expression goes, when you keep doing
what you’re doing, you are going to keep getting what you are getting.
When you do not like it, you are going to have to change.
We are here as instructors to guide you. If we say, “Here is the direction
in which you need to go,” then you need to go there. You are the one who
needs to look in the mirror and say, “Yep! I am going the wrong way.
I need to change. I need to repent.” Use whatever word you want to use.
Just as I don’t deliver political lectures in my classes, I don’t deliver
religious lectures.
The goal of the instructor and the student is always the same: the
improvement of the student. We have to do whatever we have to do
so that the students can improve. Often times, the student is not going
to like it; often times it is going to be bitter medicine. I tell students in
advance, “You are not going to have fun. This is not going to be enjoyable.
This is not going to be entertaining. It is going to be work. It is going to
be drudgery. It is going to be frustration and failure over and over again.
Then you might learn something.”
---
Fortunately, there are enough serious students to support serious instructors,
such as Farnam. Because I would venture to say that the vast majority of
firearms classes in the industry, above the level of state-handgun-permit-classes,
are entertainment. Because the instructor is striving for return business
and referral business. "Bitter medicine" is hard to swallow and not conducive
to repeat business.
I remember telling a lady that because of her vision, the length of her arms,
and the size of her sights, we would need to either replace her front sight
with a thinner blade or machine out the rear sight notch or shorten her arms
(said facetiously). She thought the obvious solution was to bend her arms at
the elbows. Which worked. In the sense that she was not scattering horizontally
any more, because she could center her front sight in her rear sight notch.
I told her that Aidan would machine out her rear sight notch. But she could
not entertain the idea of modifying her pistol. That's how God created her
pistol. It was not her place to modify it. [You think I'm joking.]
"You must teach skill sustainment as part of training."
-- John Hearne
"Instructors – Qualified vs. Certified: Striking the Right Balance"
by Brian C. Smith
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
"I firmly believe in the wisdom of Richard Henry Dana’s quote:
“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
---
I confess, I have attended Traffic Court. (Many times, and attended
Traffic School many times. It's not my fault. It's a genetic defect. I'm
a victim. What's the woke term for not being able to show up on time
for your job? Well, I've got a similar thing. I can't drive 55.)
In the civilian world, I have never pointed my pistol at anyone in
a self-defense situation. But, I have cleared my concealment garment
and established a grip on my pistol. Which is not unusual. Statistically
speaking, the vast majority of self-defense situations are resolved
without a shot being fired. So successful self-defense incidents are
vastly under reported. Because the good guy is afraid the cop is going
to turn around and arrest the civilian defender. And then the prosecutor
is going to charge the civilian defender with aggravated assault with a
firearm. Who wants that headache?
Be careful what you teach.
Because your students will do in combat
whatever you have trained them to do,
no matter how ridiculous.
-- "Shooting in Self-Defense" by Sara Ahrens
----- Andragogy -----
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
That's why you absolutely must give your students handouts before the class.
John Farnam, Vickie Farnam, and Tom Givens have books which the student
is expected to read before the start of class. Andrew Branca would email the
slide pack to the students before the start of class.
If you're not going to email the handouts before the class, the handouts
should be on the desk when the student arrives for class. John Hearne passes
out copies of the Power Point slides of his presentation, which is great.
Forcing the student to try to take notes while you are talking prevents
the student from listening to you. The student should not have to take notes.
Everything that he would have taken notes on, should be in the handouts.
And you should make this clear at the beginning of class.
"Don't take notes. Look at me! Listen to me! Ask questions NOW!
Don't wait till the break. Don't wait till the end of class. You will forget
and the value of your question will be lost to the other students."
Yes, of course, there are stupid questions. But, your questions are
not stupid. Your questions are deep, profound, and meaningful.
As Prof. Baltay (Columbia University, Physics Dept.) would say,
"I think you asked a stupid question to play a joke in class. But I will
have the last laugh, because I will assume your question is deep, and
I will answer that question."
"The Gnat & the Bull" by Æsop
We are often of greater importance in our own eyes
than in the eyes of our neighbor.
The smaller the mind the greater the conceit.
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
You can get really stuck if you don't study the writings of others,
if you don't attend the teachings of others. It's really easy to develop
a cult-like devotion to an instructor. It's not necessarily a weakness
of mind. Sometimes it's just a lack of exposure to other instructors.
And I can understand that. It's really easy to get jaded. Some of
these instructors that show up at these conferences are fucking idiots.
*************************************************************************
----- Gear -----
And the safe storage thereof.
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
This issue of the Tactical Journal is worth looking at to see what equipment
the top competitors are using.
"Finding The Right Pistol For Your Hand Size"
by Steve Tarani
---
And now for the specifics. (If you don't know what I mean by "correct",
please take a class from an expert.)
When gripped correctly, your middle finger tip should be pointing back at you.
When gripped correctly, with the slack out of the trigger, you should be
pressing the trigger straight to the rear; no vector component of lateral force.
With a correct two handed grip, point in to the target, close your eyes; imagine
the target is moving up, keep your pistol pointing at the target; imagine the target
is moving down, keep your pistol pointing at it; imagine the target is back where
it was when you started, open your eyes. If your pistol is pointed down below
the target or up above the target, the grip angle is not correct for your natural
point of aim.
Yes, the grip size can be adjusted. Yes, the trigger can be moved forward or
backward. Yes, the grip angle can be adjusted. A competent gunsmith can do
this for you. If the required adjustment is beyond the pistol, you will need to
get a different pistol. Just do it. As Tarani points out, an ill fitting pistol may
cost you the life of a loved one.
"Concealed Carry Corner: My Most Used Carry Guns" by Matt E.
Some pistol recommendations.
"Concealed Carry Corner: Most Overlooked Problems With Carry Guns" by Matt E.
Replace your springs! Replace your carry ammo!
"Concealed Carry Corner: Everyday Carry Examples" by Matt E.
Your gear has to fit YOU. Not your buddy, not your spouse, YOU!
I ordered a bunch of ETS magazines for my Glock 21. One of them cracked and
caused a failure to fire malfunction. When I ejected the magazine, it hit the ground
and shot all of the remaining cartridges up into the air in front of me.
I contacted ETS. They sent me a shipping label, so they paid for shipping
the broken magazine to them. They then sent me two magazines to replace the
one that cracked. Good customer service.
ETS has released a new version called the Omega that has a steel reinforcement
of the feed lips and back of the magazine mouth (which is where mine cracked).
I ordered replacement recoil springs for my SA XD Tactical in 45 ACP from
Midway. When I compared my present spring, which is several years old, to the
new spring, I found that the old spring was about an inch shorter. The pistol will
now aggressively go into battery, even when the slide is pulled back just a little.
All is well.
Also included in the plastic bag with the recoil spring was a spring that drives
the striker forward into the primer. But as my pistol still shoots pencils into my
ceiling, I did not replace the striker spring.
"NIJ Releases New Classifications For Body Armor" by Daniel Y.
"The Stag & His Reflection" by Æsop
We often make much of the ornamental and despise the useful.
[If your pistol costs more than $600, this is you. -- Jon Low]
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe,
and preserve order in the world as well as property.
Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of their use."
-- Thomas Paine
Cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law, ITAR,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That means cryptosystems are
covered by the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Never let the
government infringe on your right to keep and bear cryptosystems, to
include home made cryptosystems. To include publishing cryptology
in the open source literature. Information wants to be free!
"A Hobbyist Just Solved a 50-Year-Old Math Problem (Einstein Tile)"
[Einstein = one stone]
by Jade Tan-Holmes
3:41, 13:23, 14:18
"An aperiodic monotile" by
David Smith, Joseph Samuel Myers, Craig S. Kaplan, and Chaim Goodman-Strauss
"An aperiodic monotile" by
David Smith, Joseph Samuel Myers, Craig S. Kaplan, and Chaim Goodman-Strauss, 2023
"A chiral aperiodic monotile" by
David Smith, Joseph Samuel Myers, Craig S. Kaplan, and Chaim Goodman-Strauss
"A chiral aperiodic monotile" by
David Smith, Joseph Samuel Myers, Craig S. Kaplan, and Chaim Goodman-Strauss, 2023
Do you understand?
The pseudo-random number generator offered in a previous post was a linear feedback
shift register and so has a finite sequence, after which the sequence repeats.
Do you see how you can use an aperiodic tiling to create a pseudo-random
number generator that never repeats?
An infinite cycle length using discrete (not continuous, not floating point) numbers.
Is there only one way to place the next tile? Or, is it possible to get stuck?
(overlap or collide)
What does not having to use the mirror reflection of the tile gain us?
Computational speed, simplicity in the programming, . . . , but not uniqueness.
Do you see why?
Ya, but the tiling displays fractal behavior. That is to say scale invariance
at discrete length scales, not continuous scale invariance. Is that a problem?
Can it be used to break the pseudo-random number generator?
Ya, I could have just cited the papers. But how many would understand?
Jade does us a grand service by explaining to the layman.
"Ein Stein Revisited - The Spectre Tile - CoM - June 4, 2023"
by G4G Celebration
Description of the algorithm for building patches out of the tiles.
Note the overlay of a hexagonal grid, as opposed to a rectilinear grid.
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have
perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must
believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing
must be attained."
-- Marie Curie
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
"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."
-- Second Amendment, U.S. Constitution
The art and practice of Intelligence is an arm. Never let anyone take it from you.
"Russia is hit by second huge train explosion as Ukraine
'moves to block munitions supplied by Kim Jong Un'
Kim Jong Un supplied Putin with vast supplies of artillery shells in September"
by Will Stewart
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
Do you understand what Musk is saying?
"Elon Musk explains why he turned off Starlink in Ukraine!"
(He didn't turn it off. He just kept it off.)
Why was Russia able to jam all communication channels, except Starlink?
Was Musk able to turn on Starlink to the Crimean area? or was he saying
that he wouldn't because he couldn't? You know all of the other questions,
and you should answer them. If not for your own curiosity, for your unit's
intel briefing.
"Deadly Consequences of Intelligence Failures" by Jason Hanson
Before attacking Israel, Hamas carried out a successful deception campaign.
While training for the attack, Hamas gave the impression that they were focused
on improving the economy. One intelligence source said,
"Hamas used an unprecedented intelligence tactic to mislead Israel over
the last months, by giving a public impression that it was not willing to
go into a fight or confrontation with Israel while preparing for this massive
operation."
A spokesperson for the IDF said, "This is our 9/11. They got us.
They surprised us and they came fast from many spots - both from the air
and the ground and the sea."
After the attack, intel showed that Hamas constructed a mock Israeli
town in Gaza. This is where Hamas fighters practiced drills and trained
to storm Israel.
While Hamas was doing this, they worked to convince Israelis that
people in Gaza wanted jobs. An Israeli official said,
"We believed that the fact that they were coming into work and bringing
money into Gaza would create a certain level of calm. We were wrong."
The day of the attack Hamas fired over 3,000 rockets into Israel.
Then, using bulldozers, motorcycles, and hang gliders, Hamas launched
the worst attack against Israel since 1973.
Once the fighters in hang gliders secured the area other fighters
stormed the border. The fighters used explosives to breach walls and
then spread out on motorbikes. The terrorists disrupted communications
along the border and targeted concert goers.
One Middle East analyst said,
"Hamas probably succeeded beyond their expectation.
Now they will have to deal with an Israel determined to decimate them."
There is no question that this was an intelligence failure for Israel.
In fact, here are a few ways Israel’s intelligence gathering failed them
and what we can learn for the future . . .
Hamas didn’t want war:
According to Israeli intelligence, most reports speculated that Hamas
had no interest in war. One reason Israel believed this was because
Hamas had stayed out of previous battles between Israel and Islamic Jihad.
Twice in the previous two years there was fighting between Israel and
Islamic Jihad. The theory was that if Hamas wanted to attack Israel,
they would have taken the opportunity to do it when other terror groups did.
This failure is an example of being overly confident. Confidence is a good
thing but don’t ever let it make you let your guard down, and don’t buy
into intelligence that confirms your own biases.
Tunnels:
Since Hamas attacked Israel, we have heard about the underground tunnels.
In 2021, Israeli forces attacked these tunnels during an 11-day conflict.
At the time, the IDF said they had destroyed most of these tunnels,
which are commonly called “the metro.” Israel said it would take years
for Hamas to reconstruct the tunnels that had been damaged. However,
after the attack, it was clear that Israel didn’t damage the tunnels as
thoroughly as believed, or underestimated Hamas ability to quickly rebuild.
You should never underestimate your enemy.
Prodding: [I think the author means probing. -- Jon Low]
Before carrying out the October attack, Hamas fighters prodded defenses.
They did this by carrying out years of low-key reconnaissance. For example,
Hamas used protests along the border to test the defenses of the border guards.
In addition, Hamas knew that defenses would be impacted by the holiday.
Plus, many Israeli forces had been moved to another area where there were
greater risks. The tactic used by Hamas is no different than a burglar who
watches a house before committing a crime. The everyday burglar might
knock on a door to see if anyone is home or watch who comes and goes.
That’s why it’s crucial to have a comprehensive home defense plan,
put it in place, and then stick to it. Doing this will allow you to think
through issues beforehand, and prepare proper robust solutions catered
to your specific needs. Once your plan is in place, rehearse it and stick to it.
Stay Safe,
Jason Hanson
"Deep Intel on Why ALL Ospreys are Grounded" by Ward Carroll
"Pentagon’s AI initiatives accelerate hard decisions on lethal autonomous weapons"
by Frank Bajak
"The Pentagon is facing hard decisions about letting AI weapons kill
As the "Replicator" program ramps up,
the U.S. military is facing some imminent questions on how to use AI weapons in war."
by Nicholas Slayton
Excerpt:
"Now the question the military faces is how to decide
if or when it should allow AI to use lethal force."
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
"End of an era: The last class of Marine Scout Snipers graduates on Dec. 15
The last HOGs night will take place the night before,
aboard Camp Geiger in North Carolina."
by Joshua Skovlund
As Col. Greg Kitchens says,
"One thing I love about being retired: I can post this on a public forum and
openly say that ENDING THIS SCHOOL IS REALLY DUMB.
It's also nothing new. The Marines had successful snipers fighting in every
war since WW1 and we somehow end the training soon after the wars end . . .
then start them from scratch again for the next conflict."
From a post from Col. Kitchens.
Pearl Harbor Day
December 7
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum
announces a free Memorial Service aboard the USS Yorktown on Thursday,
December 7 in commemoration of the 82nd anniversary of the historic
attack on Pearl Harbor, a pivotal moment in American history. The service,
organized with Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 10624, will take place
at 11 a.m. to honor the 25 known South Carolinians who were killed during
the 1941 attack and will include a wreath-laying, tolling of a bell, and a
traditional gun salute. Museum admission will be waived from 10 to 11 a.m.
for the memorial service.
“Patriots Point is honored to be a place where the community can come
together to pay tribute to those who served and honor this critical chapter in
our nation’s history,” said Allison Hunt, Executive Director, Patriots Point.
The Japanese used more than 350 aircraft during the 75-minute attack on
Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. 2,403 people were killed in the attack,
which includes 2,335 U.S. service members and 68 civilians. In total, more
than 300 U.S. aircraft and 19 Navy ships were destroyed or damaged.
Visitors and locals are invited to reflect, remember, and honor those who
lost their lives on that fateful day.
"Why Railroads Don't Need Expansion Joints" by Practical Engineering
Leadership
Remember, if you shoot first, you hit 100% of the time.
When you're old without wife or kids,
imprisonment isn't much of a deterrent.
"The Plane Tree" by Æsop
Our best blessings are often the least appreciated.
It's always funny to watch liberals betray their true feelings.
"Judge OVERTURNS Election Over Too Many Illegal Votes"
by Facts Matter with Roman Balmakov
Ruling,
In case you don't understand the mass media,
it's a distraction. Because there are lots of problems
Brandon can't figure out how to solve. There just
isn't much brain power at the White House.
"OOPS!! This WAS BROADCAST LIVE EVERYWHERE!!!😂😂"
by BOARD WALK
"California Lawmaker Delivers Brutal Fact Check
Following The Newsom And DeSantis Debate"
by Forbes Breaking News
"Why Are The FBI A Bunch Of Thieves?" by Docent
"Biden Administration Threatens Representatives
If They Don't Approve Money For Ukraine" by Docent
"American Communist Party Claims Another Firearm Manufacturer"
by Guns and Gadgets
“You can’t truly call yourself ‘peaceful’
unless you are capable of great violence.
If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful,
you’re harmless. Important distinction.”
-- Stef Starkgaryen
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
