CWP, 1 October 2018 Anno Domini

Greetings Sheepdogs,
     I am trying to get a few people together for a
Defensive Training International
Instructor Program
(Taught by John Farnam.) in the Nashville, TN area in 2019 A.D.
The course description is about 3/4ths down this web page,
http://defense-training.com/training-courses/
If you would like to attend in 2019 or know anyone who would,
please let me know.

***** Mindset *****

Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation
-- John Farnam

[With apologies to Clive Staples Lewis]
     You don't have a soul.  You are your soul. 
You have a body.  You are not your body.  Consider
Helen Keller or Stephan Hawking.
     You have tools.  Your tools do not define you. 
They may say something about your taste or what you
can afford.  But, that really is insignificant.
The surgeon is not known by his scalpel.
He has no favorite scalpel. He has a skill,
any scalpel will do. (I have seen a tracheotomy
preformed with a steak knife grabbed off a
dinner table.)  Similarly, you should concentrate
on honing your skill, any pistol will do. 
A person will become comfortable with anything
he practices. Sentimental or personal preferences
have no place in combat preparation.  You may not
have a pistol, any knife will do. What is the
best way to hold a knife? The way you are holding
it in the fight. Don’t change grips. Don’t throw
your knife. Lead with the knife, as a fencer,
with your other hand covering your carotid
arteries in your neck (Thanks to Sensei Cat
Fitzgerald). You may not have a knife, a pen will do.
You may not have any weapon, your hands will do.
Concentrate the strength of two of your hands
against one of the enemy's hands or one of his fingers,
and continue to twist; don’t stop when something
breaks. Stomp on his foot over the arch (not the
toes, as he may be wearing steel toed shoes),
the small bones in the foot are easily broken.
Gouge his eyes, if the enemy is wearing glasses
or goggles, gouge up and under the glasses.
A blood choke will incapacitate a person in
8 seconds (often much less than 8 seconds).
(An air choke is ineffective because a person
can hold his breath for a minute or more.)
If you don't know what I'm talking about, ASK!
Keep fighting. As long as you maintain a combat
mindset, you can win.
     If you think you are better off submitting,
you are statistically wrong. May I invite your
attention to “More Guns, Less Crime” by John R. Lott Jr.,
ISBN: 978-0226493640;
and you would be doing the criminal’s next
victim a grave disservice.
     In the May 2011 issue of the American Rifleman
on page 83, Criminology Professor Gary Kleck of
Florida State University concluded from a study of
National Crime Victimization Survey data that
“Robbery and assault victims who used a gun to
resist were less likely to be attacked or to
suffer an injury than those who used any other
method of self-protection or those who did not
resist at all.”

Position Before Submission – The BJJ Approach To Combat
http://www.iacombatives.com/2018/08/24/position-before-submission-the-bjj-approach-to-combat/
Excerpt: 
Position before submission.  Essentially what this means is
to have good positional dominance and control before
thinking about the finish. That keeps you conscious, mobile,
and in the fight, and allows you to go to the correct
ending move without risking yourself losing.

     We carry to protect our loved ones and our community.
Family resources spent on your training are to protect your
family.  When my children turned 14 I took them to Front
Sight for a 4-day Defensive Handgun class. When they were
old enough to carry, I bought them pistols expecting them
to protect me (and their loved ones).

Five NEVERs of Self-Defense
http://weaponsman.com/?p=17511

     “The familiar clause, ‘It's better to be lucky than good’
is the most ridiculous homily ever uttered!
In any competitive endeavor, you have to be damned good,
before ‘luck’ can be of any use to you at all.”
-- International Grand Master Garry Kasparov

     "You have to be lucky to win, and the more your practice,
the luckier you get." -- Col. Lones Wigger (1937 - 2017),
a friend and mentor

Force!
http://defense-training.com/2018/force/
Excerpt:
     “Shoot, when you have no choice!
Don’t, when you have other choices that are reasonably safe.
     When you have no choice except to shoot,
who cares if it’s ‘legal?’
     When you don’t need to shoot,
who cares if it would have been ‘legal?’ ”
-- Frieling
The foregoing quotation, from a celebrated lawyer,
represents his inevitable answer to the naive question:
“Can/should I shoot someone if they ....?”

Nobody Cares!
http://defense-training.com/2018/nobody-cares/

The “long game” of self defense
http://www.grantcunningham.com/2018/09/the-long-game-of-self-defense/

     We are alive today because our ancestors lived long enough to procreate.
We are of the social and economic status that we are because of the decisions
of our ancestors.  Never break the chain.

"Time unwinds.
Love's a state of mind."
-- Fleetwood Mac (Rhiannon)

Situational Awareness
http://privateerpublications.com/situational-awareness/
Excerpts:
     All self-defense instructors I have spoken to agree
that a confident, alert demeanor will discourage most
opportunistic criminals from choosing you as a target.
If they do, you should have some warning and be able to
take evasive action.
. . .
     "When you’ve got an instinct or a feeling something’s
wrong, don’t simply dismiss it, check it out. It could be
something. That’s what I’ve learned: to always trust your
instincts on something like that. . . . "
-- John Long

     “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is
the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing,
and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
-- President Theodore Roosevelt (NRA Life Member)
[This is also taught at Marine Corps Officer Candidate School.]

How do you win a gunfight? Don’t be there.
-–John Farnam

***** Enemy Mindset *****

They Are Not You: The Mindset of Hate
https://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/article/they-are-not-you-the-mindset-of-hate/

They Are Not You: Preconceptions as Deadly Misconceptions
https://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/article/they-are-not-you-preconceptions-as-deadly-misconceptions/
Excerpt: 
"Behavior and demeanor often reveal true purposes;
looks seldom do the same."

Complacency kills.

***** Safety *****

     Failure to obey safety rules gets people killed.
https://www.pottsmerc.com/news/state-police-corporal-faces-charges-in-shooting-death-of-state/article_337d872b-5f91-5a2a-9199-206358a4d3dc.html
     So, the next time someone violates a safety rule,
tell them.  They may take offense and tell you to fuck off. 
But, you will be doing the right thing, and perhaps saving a
life (maybe yours).

     Failure to watch what you're doing when holstering causes
injuries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrJMQupYxaw
     Holster carefully and gently.  Check to be sure nothing is caught
in your holster.

     Check for friendlies down range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=42&v=HUzTIKAbI3k

Penetration Testing And Using A Car As Cover Part 1&2
http://looserounds.com/2018/08/23/penetration-testing-and-using-a-car-as-cover-part-12/
     The authors did the experiments and give you the data.

***** Training *****

    “When you aren’t skilled and confident,
you get scared and you over react.”
-- Greg Ellifritz

     Gunsite is teaching the 250 Pistol Class
https://www.gunsite.com/classes/nashville-250-pistol-class/
four times a year at the Royal Range in Nashville, TN
https://www.royalrangeusa.com/
December 3, 2018 - December 7, 2018
March 4, 2019 - March 8, 2019
June 3, 2019 - June 7, 2019
September 2, 2019 - September 6, 2019
December 2, 2019 - December 6, 2019

Body language and threat recognition
http://www.backwoodshome.com/body-language-and-threat-recognition/

Marc MacYoung, September 1, 2014 (Facebook posting)
     Rule number one about teaching self-defense:
Do NOT teach anything that will get your students killed.
     Rule number two:
Do NOT teach anything that will get your students put in prison.
     Rule number three:
No matter how much they want to learn other stuff,
focus on rules one and two.

Wilson Combat's Going Tactical with Mike Seeklander (12 episodes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4idEuv4A5n4&index=2&list=PLFJTW6YkjgiS4wK2WdG2ONgvgIVFSbWuG&t=12s
     Nice techniques.  Pay attention to the details.
In some of the episodes, he's using a pistol with a compensator,
which blows gasses upward.  This is going to throw burning powder
into you face when shooting from a close contact position.  So,
you should never use a pistol with a compensator for self defense.
     Mr. Seeklander talks about using a short barreled rifle. 
This weapon requires special licensing.  There is another
alternative, bullpups.  Moving the receiver back to the butt
plate gives you a short rifle with a rifle length barrel.
     Lead with your eyes.  Eyes, Muzzle, Trigger.  Drive your
gun with your feet.  Good techniques.

In Pursuit of Better Practice (an Interview with Claude Werner)
https://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org/in-pursuit-of-better-practice
Excerpt:
Training is not an event: it is a journey.

     As an intelligence analyst, it is my job to filter information
for you.  I read a lot of stuff and filter out the rubbish, and
present what I believe to be useful information to you in this
blog.  However, I feel compelled to mention the fact that a
firearms instructor is teaching unsighted fire at
non-close-contact ranges (20 feet).  I believe unsighted fire
at ranges where you could use your sights is wrong. 
You have a duty to fire accurately, because every miss is
damaging property and injuring bystanders, maybe killing them. 
In order to shoot accurately, you must use your sights. 
You must correctly align your front and rear sights. 
You must focus on the front sight (hard focus,
see the serrations and the scratches on the front sight).
     Unsighted fire is intentional negligence. 

Fit Enough to Fight
https://www.t-nation.com/training/fit-enough-to-fight
     A few years ago, I got stabbed in the thigh. 
It didn't hurt.  I carried on.  Training does work. 
You too can get this effect.

     Using pistol matches for training: 
     Move slowly enough to see the edge of your target before it sees you.
(If you are racing to win the game and run past a target without
seeing it,  it shot you and you lose.)  And shooting the edge when it
comes into view.  Don't wait till you have a center of mass shot. 
Because by then the enemy has a center of mass shot on you.
     Don't muzzle the no shoot targets.  (Pointing a gun at someone
without justification is aggravated assault.)
     Stay back away from corners.  (There is a bad guy hiding behind
every corner.  Always a good assumption.)
     Stay back away from walls.  (Bullets don't ricochet off
walls the way light reflects off a mirror.)
     Don't game the scenario.

The Essential Guide to Banjo Jamming
https://fingerstylebanjo.com/jamming/
     Yes, this relates directly to your self defense training. 
Every combat situation is you playing a song you don't already
know.  Do you see the beauty? the elegance?

5 Things to Master for Weak-Side Shooting
https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/articles/2018/9/18/5-things-to-master-for-weak-side-shooting/

Shoot Straight: Breaking Out of the Square Range Rut
https://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/breaking-square-range-rut/

ADVICE TO THE FIGHT-FOCUSED GUN STUDENT
http://blog.suarezinternational.com/2018/09/advice-to-the-fight-focused-gun-student.html
Excerpt:
     The lack of physical fitness in the gun world is shameful and
embarrassing and indicative of a culture of self-gratification and
a lack of self-discipline. One is unfit because one chooses a
lifestyle that gets [one] there.
     It is not about gun SPORT. Any martial science that is turned
into a sport loses a great deal of [its] martial value.
See Olympic fencing.
     When you come to class, please come prepared.
. . . do not show up to an advanced level class when you have not
been to a basic level class.

"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock

***** Tactics *****

". . . personal defense is a lifestyle, not a hobby."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson

MINDSET AND LIFE
http://looserounds.com/2018/08/20/mindset-and-life/
Excerpt:
"Manage the Clock. Most criminals stay up late and
sleep late, too. If you have unavoidable business
in their precincts, do it at seven o’clock in the
morning when they’re down for the count, not at
midnight when they’re just warming up."

Tatiana Whitlock demos some options when you have to fight with family around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQq7ao6vsH8

     Never fire warning shots!
http://lawofselfdefense.com/law_case/williams-v-state-2018-ga-lexis-584-ga-supreme-court-2018/
     As Andrew Branca explains in this case, the firing of a
single warning shot resulted in a felony murder conviction
and life sentence.  Which was upheld by the Georgia Supreme
Court upon appeal.
     The defendant didn't shoot at anyone.  He didn't hurt anyone. 
He fired a warning shot, which was deemed aggravated assault (a felony)
by the jury (the finders of the facts).  And because someone died
during the felony, he was convicted of felony murder.
     Acts of criminal stupidity are very expensive. 
Never fire warning shots!

Contact Distance Shooting . . . Rescuing a Friend or Family Member
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/contact-distance-shooting-rescuing-a-friend-or-family-member#comments
     Ralph Mroz, in his Close Quarter Combat with pistol course,
teaches to lock up with your partner or the enemy, and then
attempt a contact shot from the side of the neck down into
the torso of the enemy.  (That's why you need to take a close quarter combat
class.)

Stepping to the Side While Drawing
http://privateerpublications.com/stepping-side-drawing/
Excerpt:
"The situation dictates what you do. So practice different options."
-- Dean Thompson

BREACH OR BYPASS - ARMOR SOLUTIONS
http://blog.suarezinternational.com/2018/09/breach-or-bypass-armor-solutions.html
Excerpt:
The face . . . the face . . . nothing but the face.

Only those who risk going too far can
possibly find out how far one can go.
-- T.S. Elliot

***** Techniques *****

Don't go to stupid places. 
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
-- John Farnam

How gauche
https://www.corneredcat.com/how-gauche/
     Bad habits result in injury and death. 
The subject formed the bad habit because he
didn't know any better, because he did not
invest in competent expert training.
He didn't know what he didn't know.

Potty Training
https://www.corneredcat.com/potty-training/

Craig Douglas of Shivworks talks about how to manage a strangers aproach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwCtu79iMDs

Overlooked Training Tactics – Blade Deployment | JTT
https://www.breachbangclear.com/overlooked-training-tactics-blade-deployment/
     Greg Ellifritz doesn't like the author’s
“thumb on the spine” knife grip.  But, having
been a fencer for many years, I do.  Being
able to push the cutting edge of your blade
with your thumb is what saber fencers do. 

Carrying Crossdraw: Don't
https://www.integratedskillsgroup.com/blog/crossdraw

     Carry your concealed pistol in a high quality
inside the waistband holster (no retention devices)
on a high quality belt (stiff) on your firing side
at the point of your hip.  Anything else is wrong,
for many reasons.  For details, ask me for a copy
of my book "Defensive Pistol" and read the section
on holsters.  You can contact me at Jon_Low@yahoo.com

Why it’s time to ditch small of back carry
https://www.guns.com/2018/08/30/its-time-to-ditch-small-of-back-carry-and-this-is-why/
     Going to the ground in a fight is common. 
If you fall on your back (voluntarily or involuntarily)
you risk spinal injury.  Even if you go to your back
correctly as taught in martial arts classes, such as
Aikido.
     In a seated position, unless you are on a stool
without a back rest, any kind of back rest encumbers
your presentation from your holster.

These Mistakes Make Your Pistol Red Dot Sight Deadweight
https://guerrillaapproach.com/pistol-rds/
     Head up!  Not tilted.  Your inner ear is in your
head.  If you tilt your head, you destroy your inner
ear balance.  (Not tilted forward.  Not tilted to the
side.  Not tilted at all!)
     Shoulders down and relaxed.  Tense muscles are
slow muscles.  Relaxed muscles are quick. 
     Lean forward from the hips, not the waist. 
Arch your back.  Throw your chest out.  Don't slouch!
     If you practice this in the mirror, you will
immediately see your mistakes and automatically
correct them.  Mirrors don't lie.  Without mirror
practice, you will tell yourself all kinds of
ridiculous lies and believe them.  It's true. 
I've been coaching for decades.  I've seen it in
children and adults.  You're probably not practicing
at an Olympic Training Center, so you don't have
videos of yourself to analyze.  But, mirrors work. 
That's why dance studios have mirrors on the walls.
Even if someone is recording you on their phone,
it's not immediate feedback.  The mirror is
immediate feedback.

Single-Handed Shooting: Why Practice It?
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2018/9/4/single-handed-shooting-why-practice-it/

Pistol Trigger Control Tips (but it works for rifle too)
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/9/4/pistol-trigger-control-tips/
Excerpt: 
     “It takes a lot of self discipline to watch your sights
drifting ever so slightly. Your natural inclination is to
try and wait until your sight picture is perfect and then
squeeze off your shot, but that never works,” said Hemphill.
     This is truth.  It never works.  So, if you are doing
this, you are wrong (and always will be, you can't make
such a technique work).  Smoothly continuously increase
pressure on your trigger to achieve a surprise trigger break. 
[If you don't believe the surprise break will work for you,
you need to fix your attitude.  If you think you can
intentionally fire the shot when you want to, and get
accurate shots, you are wrong.  You are human. 
Therefore, you have an autonomic nervous system.  Your
autonomic nervous system responses to your intentional
shot will defeat you every time.  That's how God designed
your autonomic nervous system.  For good natural purpose. 
Shooting is not a natural thing, as throwing a rock is.  So,
you have to defeat your autonomic nervous system to
get good shots.  That's just truth.  It's not good or bad.
That's just the way the human brain works.]

Paper Cutter Choke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=96&v=6sOChetcV_M

Pistol Whip: When You Should Use a Handgun as an Impact Weapon
https://www.ballisticmag.com/2018/08/29/pistol-whip-technique-impact-weapon/
     This article advocates pistol punching under certain
circumstances.
     You must keep your trigger finger in the register position. 
A finger in the trigger guard will eventually get broken when
the pistol rotates.
     In close quarter combat training, we cut the trigger
guards off of the plastic dummy pistols to avoid breaking
fingers.  (Now, the pistols won't holster properly, but
it's a trade off.)

Friendly fire is never friendly
https://www.strategosintl.com/blog/2018/9/13/friendly-fire-is-never-friendly
Excerpts: 
     Our best advice is to draw your weapon only until the threat is mitigated,
then immediately holster it.
. . .
     Law enforcement wants to see your empty hands raised in the air.
. . .
     If your weapon is drawn while you scream “I am a good guy!” then
confusion, chaos and tragedy are likely outcomes.

     John Farnam apparently does not like the chamber check
taught at Front Sight (and by others).
     "Up until now, Glock’s legal department recommended against
forward slide serrations, and anything else that would temp
fingers and hands to get near the muzzle. Apparently, they were
overruled this time, in an attempt to attract non-serious
shooters and others who own guns for non-serious purposes.
     I think the legal department was, and is, right!
     During reloading and stoppage-reduction, hands should not
go forward of the ejection port, nor is there any legitimate
reason for hands to be there.
     Who grab slides forward of the ejection port invariably
drape fingers over the muzzle!
     Not smart, and not necessary!"
Source:
http://defense-training.com/2018/g45/

“The fast and/or emphatic reholster is an
awesome way to shoot yourself.”
-- Chuck Haggard

***** Gear *****

“Arms are permissible, when there is no hope except in arms.”
-- Niccolo Machiavelli

What’s a Holster For?
https://www.corneredcat.com/whats-a-holster-for/
Excerpt:
     ". . . Carrying the gun on your belt is not
equivalent experience to actually using the
holster for its intended function."
-- attribution not given in the article

Downloadable targets
https://www.slytactraining.com/learning-center/fundamental-targets

Tips On Buying Used Handguns
https://survivalblog.com/tips-buying-used-handguns-pat-cascio/

The Best .38 Special Defensive Ammunition (and other stuff)
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-best-38-special-defensive-ammunition

Reducing White Space For Better Accuracy
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/9/4/reducing-white-space-for-better-accuracy/

Friends Don’t Let Friends Open Carry
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/friends-dont-let-friends-open-carry

***** Instructors *****

Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God’s gift to our students.
Our students are God’s gift to us."

Developing an Emergency Response Plan for the Training Environment
https://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/article/developing-emergency-response-plan-training-environment/

"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch

***** Pedagogy *****

     If you are helping someone and expecting
something in return, you are doing
business, not kindness.

Cognitive Load: How Does This Affect our Shot Process?
https://primaryandsecondary.com/cognitive-load-how-does-this-affect-our-shot-process/
     When teaching your students, be careful not to
cause a cognitive overload.
     Teach your students how to avoid cognitive overload
in self-defense situations.
     You are teaching correctly if your students teach
their friends and relatives in such a way so as to
avoid cognitive overload.

***** Education *****

Dirty Little Secrets
https://www.corneredcat.com/dirty-little-secrets/
Excerpt (paraphrased):
". . . women will more often need to defend
themselves from people they [know]."

     When I was military police (I always make the distinction
so the LEO's won't point out that I was never a "sworn officer".),
anytime anyone was injured, we would always find and question
the spouse (boyfriend, significant other, etc.), even if the
victim swore it wasn't him (especially if the victim were dead). 
Because, it was almost always him. 
     Let me share a letter with you --

Dear Mothers, Sisters and Daughters,
     May I invite your attention to the article,
"Human Predators: Four Features and Four Phases of Assault"
http://www.kristinprentissott.com/human-predators-four-features-and-four-phases-of-assault/
    If you pay attention, you can avoid the attack.
    Never submit to attack.  Statistically speaking, you
have a much better chance to avoid getting hurt if you
fight back with an explosive counter attack.  To submit
does the criminal's next victim a grave disservice.
    You must immediately tell the police.
You must sign the complaint.  You must testify.
    You may be wondering why claims of sexual assault are
viewed skeptically by law enforcement.  Let me explain.
    Every time we answer a domestic and find the guy beating
the gal, we arrest the guy.  We ask the gal to sign the
complaint.  Sometimes she refuses to.  If she does sign it,
at trial she says that he did not attack her, and sometimes
that the cops caused the fight.
    Every time we answer a domestic and find the guy not
beating the gal, the gal will claim that the guy was beating
her and she will use magic words such as "he was choking me".
Which under Tennessee law forces us to arrest the guy.
The magistrate always warns the gal that if she is lying,
she will be prosecuted for filing a false report.  At trial,
she will not show up, or if she does show up, she will say
that he had not attacked her.
    Statistically speaking, half of all rape complaints are
false.  This is true in the Armed Forces and civilian worlds.
(We don't mean insufficient evidence to prosecute.  We
mean the complaint is false.)
    Greg Ellifritz tells of a domestic he responded to.
The guy had shot the gal in the head.  The bullet entered
her forehead, split the two lobes of her brain, and exited
the back of her skull.  She did not die.  She did not lose
consciousness.  Greg interviewed her immediately after
the shooting.  She refused to press charges, because she
loved him and she knew he loved her.
    Yes, there really are such people.  (You've probably
never met such persons, because your parents protected
you from such social circles.)  If you practice such
stupidity, your children will learn it from you.
    If he hits you, you must immediately leave and break
off the relationship.  Because if you don't, he now knows
that hitting you is an acceptable part of your relationship.
Domestic abuse always escalates until the victim is dead
or the victim decides to leave.
Sincerely,
(a conglomeration of magistrates, law enforcement
officers, and firearms instructors)

Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, Inc. newsletter,
https://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org/september-2018-front-page

"Veni, vidi, Deus vicit".
(I came, I saw, God conquered.)
-- King Jan Sobieski of Poland, September 11th, 1683 A.D.
The Polish Warrior King Jan Sobieski defeated the Moors at the gates of Vienna.
     Compare to Julius Ceasar (correctly pronounced in Latin
it's euphonic), "Veni.  Vidi. Vici." (I came.  I saw.  I conquered.)
[For those who have not studied Latin, the "V" is pronounced
as an English speaker would pronounce a "W".]

Rack, Rack. Who’s There? Shotgun Myths, Misconceptions, and Truths
https://www.swatmag.com/article/rack-rack-whos-shotgun-myths-misconceptions-truths/
     Brownells sells an excellent recoil absorbing stock.
[I couldn't find the one that I bought on the Brownells web site. 
I guess they don't sell it anymore.  But, here is one example,
https://www.brownells.com/shotgun-parts/stock-forend-parts/buttstocks/mossberg-500-knoxx-specops-geniii-buttstock-prod103578.aspx
]
I installed it on my (then)girlfriend's Mossberg and she was
able to shoot it happily.

     Concerning self defense insurance --
If the policy only reimburses you if you are acquitted,
the insurance company has a huge financial incentive
to ensure you are convicted.  One would politely call
that a conflict of interest.  That's the problem with
the NRA Carry Guard policy and others of that ilk.
     You want a policy that pays your attorney up front,
because legitimate attorneys insist on payment up front,
because they know you will lose all incentive to pay
them once you have been acquitted (or convicted). 
     You also want a policy that will pay to bail you
out of jail.  Spending time in jail exposes you to rape,
sodomy, battery resulting in permanent debilitating
injury, infection with nasty diseases, etc. 
     Spending time in jail disqualifies you from
donating blood, for good reason.  Just as male homosexual
intercourse disqualifies you from donating blood. 
In matters of life and death, there is no room for
political correctness.
     You also want a policy that will get you competent
expert witnesses to testify for you. 
     One of the fringe benefits of taking a class from
Massad Ayoob (and others), is that he will testify for you
in the event you are prosecuted.  I consider it my duty
as an instructor to testify for my students.
     I would consider
Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, Inc.
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/
as I am familiar with several of the board members.

Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States 2018
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3233904

How a Botched Study Fooled the World About the U.S. Share of Mass Public Shootings:
U.S. Rate is Lower than Global Average
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3238736

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017
     Tom Givens comment on the report --
 You do realize these numbers are total bull, right?
This is a voluntary reporting system. Of 14,000 police
agencies in the US, about a third don't report info
to the UCR. In my metro area, for instance, the metro
population is 3,083,660. The UCR only lists the crimes
from 4 cities in that metro area, with a total
population of 847,095. That means the crimes affecting
the other 2,236,565 residents were not counted. My town,
for instance, is in that metro area. We had 5 homicides
and almost 200 Aggravated Assaults, but they are not
included in the UCR. This means the violent crime
totals for the US in the UCR are grossly under-reported.

HANDGUN WOUNDING FACTORS AND EFFECTIVENESS
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/fbi-hwfe.pdf
Excerpt:
     Choosing a bullet because of relatively shallow penetration
will seriously compromise weapon effectiveness, and needlessly
endanger the lives of the law enforcement officers using it.
No law enforcement officer has lost his life because a bullet
over penetrated his adversary, and virtually none have ever been
sued for hitting an innocent bystander through an adversary.
On the other hand, tragically large numbers of officers have
been killed because their bullets did not penetrate deeply enough.
. . .
     Those who disparage science and laboratory methods are either
too short sighted or too bound by preconceived (or perhaps proprietary)
notions to see the truth. The labs and scientists do not offer sure
things. They offer a means of indexing the damage done by a bullet,
understanding of the mechanics of damage caused by bullets and the
actual effects on the body, and the basis for making an informed
choice based on objective criteria and significant statistics.
. . .
     Kinetic energy does not wound. Temporary cavity does not wound.
The much discussed "shock" of bullet impact is a fable and "knock down"
power is a myth. The critical element is penetration. The bullet must
pass through the large, blood bearing organs and be of sufficient
diameter to promote rapid bleeding. Penetration less than 12 inches
is too little, and, in the words of two of the participants in the
1987 Wound Ballistics Workshop, "too little penetration will get
you killed."  Given desirable and reliable penetration, the only way
to increase bullet effectiveness is to increase the severity of the
wound by increasing the size of hole made by the bullet. Any bullet
which will not penetrate through vital organs from less than optimal
angles is not acceptable. Of those that will penetrate, the edge is
always with the bigger bullet. 

     [What is the logical conclusion?  Shoot a copper jacketed
round nose bullet (for maximum penetration) in .45 caliber
(for maximum hole size).  -- Jon Low]

The Science of CQB, Gunfighting, and Not Getting Shot
https://www.tierthreetactical.com/the-science-of-cqb-gunfighting-and-not-getting-shot/

***** News, Legal, Philosophical, and Political stuff *****

Civil War happens when the victimized are armed.
Genocide happens when they are not!
-- A.E. Samaan

My paraphrase of Andrew Branca's report on 
State v. Scott 2018 South Carolina --
     South Carolina man standing on the porch of his house (curtilege)
[I used to teach the South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit course.]
shot at a group of people in multiple cars who were shooting at his
house in an attempt to kill his daughter who had retreated into his
house.  His bullet kills one of the people in the cars.  State attorney
charges him with murder.  He claims self defense.  The trial judge
grants him immunity from prosecution based on self defense.  State
attorney appeals.  Appellate court affirms the trial court decision
granting immunity.  State attorney appeals.  Supreme court affirms
appellate court decision to affirm trial court decision granting
immunity.  Huge legal fees?  Not in this case.  Defendant had a public
defender all the way to the Supreme court.  Yeah, South Carolina!
http://lawofselfdefense.com/law_case/state-v-scott-2018-s-c-lexis-105-sc-supreme-court-2018/
     You think this would happen in Florida?  Massad Ayoob is still
waiting for reimbursement from Florida for a case he testified in
as an expert witness.  Florida is supposed to reimburse the defense
costs if the defendant is acquitted. 

“You get to have your own opinion, but not your own facts!”
http://defense-training.com/2018/you-get-to-have-your-own-opinion-but-not-your-own-facts/

NRA’s List of Anti-Gunners
http://www.2acheck.com/the-boycott-list/nras-list-of-antis/
     Because it's not on the NRA-ILA web site anymore.

France is proposing to give all local cops guns
https://qz.com/1386042/france-is-proposing-to-give-all-local-cops-guns/

Crime Wave United Kingdom:
Govt Moves to Stop Knife Sales as Blade Crime Hits 7-Year High
https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/09/15/govt-restrict-knife-sales-blade-crime/
     Contrast with the state of Tennessee in the U.S.A. where
there is no such thing as an illegal knife.  Yes, you can
walk into Wal Mart and buy a fully automatic knife (switch blade).
You can also mail order such.  No age limit.  No ID required. 
     In the UK, they don't understand freedom.  No knife sales to
individuals.  No whittling.  No carving.  No shaving.  Going
to have to wax.

Few tyrants argue for 'slavery of the masses.'
Instead, they argue for the power to
'protect people from themselves.'
-- AE Samaan

***** Survival Tips *****

"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House

69 Timeless Travel Tips and Tricks | After 4+ Years On the Road
https://www.nomadichustle.com/timeless-travel-tips/
     Tip number 4 really works.  During Operation Iraqi Freedom,
some bad guys approached a local to gather intel on me.  The
local was a guy who worked with me at the Royal Saudi Air
Force Base in Riyadh.  He told the enemy terrorists to leave me
alone.  So, they did.  (At least until the attacks on May 11th
2003.)  [Ya, there's a lot more to the story.]  I had talked to him. 
I had found out that his son was studying computer science.  So, I
gave him a copy of "The C++ Programming Language"
by Bjarne Stroustrup for his son.
     Make friends.  You never know when it will save your life.

Pat McNamara Offers 2 Unique Takes on the ‘Bug Out Bag’
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2018/09/pat-mcnamara-bug-out-bag/

***** Basics *****

"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses." 
-- Tom Givens

Guns of ISG: Why the Handgun?
https://www.integratedskillsgroup.com/blog/guns-of-isg-handgun

"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN

***** Miscellany *****

"Militum semper memento"
(Always remember the soldiers.)
 
3D Animation Showing How IWI Tavor X95 Rifle Works
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/09/21/3d-animation-showing-how-iwi-tavor-x95-rifle-works/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=ZMjrI-55fYw

     This morning I was sitting in McDonalds eating
breakfast, when I heard a little girl asking her
mother for a Happy Meal.  She could pronounce it
correctly.  She knew exactly what it was.  I've
worked for McDonalds (flipping burgers and mopping
the floors in high school).  I've done statistical research
for McDonalds.  All I could think was that all that money
spent on research, marketing, advertising, etc.
worked.  McDonalds got that little girl to eagerly
ask her mother for a Happy Meal.  It wasn't an
accident.  It wasn't incidental.  It was planned,
executed, and achieved.
     If you live in our society, and have a craving
for something, it is almost certain that that craving
is the fruition of a well financed marketing plan.
     Yes, it works in the firearms industry.  Yes,
it works in the self defense training industry.

     For the latest version (it changes almost daily)
of my lesson plans for my NRA Defensive Pistol course,
send me an email.  Jon_Low@yahoo.com

Cheers,
Jon

CWP, 1 September 2018 Anno Domini

Greetings Sheepdogs,
     I've been reading through The Cornered Cat blog.
Lots of good stuff.
https://www.corneredcat.com/

***** Mindset *****

Avoidance, Deterrence and De-escalation
-- John Farnam

GUARD YOUR MINDSET.
https://www.corneredcat.com/one-piece-of-advice/

     "The sword is more important than the shield
and skill is more important than either.
The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental.”
-- Steinbeck

Escalate the violence?
https://www.corneredcat.com/escalate-the-violence/

Sad but true.
https://www.corneredcat.com/sad-but-true/

THE JUSTIFICATION WINDOW!
http://blog.suarezinternational.com/2018/07/the-justification-window.html

Always
https://www.corneredcat.com/5219-2/
Excerpts:
     . . . the instructors in that class were indicted —
one of them for Reckless Homicide, and the other for Negligent Homicide.
     NRA rule: “ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.”
     . . . don’t let anyone point a gun at you. Even if it is ‘unloaded’. 
     “The Responsibility of the People to keep the
Gun Pointed in a Safe Direction Shall Not Be Infringed.”
     Follow the rules even when they seem redundant.
Follow them *BECAUSE* they are redundant. That redundancy
is our backup for when we turn out to be human after all.
     Related news articles:
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/06/18/police-1-dead-accidental-clermont-co-gun-shop-shooting/86085726/
https://www.wlwt.com/article/ccw-instructor-assistant-indicted-in-fatal-gun-store-shooting/3568518
https://www.wlwt.com/article/ccw-instructor-daughter-plead-not-guilty-in-gun-shop-owner-s-death/3568769

Carry where?
https://www.corneredcat.com/carry-where-2/
Excerpt:
     Carry your gun. It’s a lighter burden than regret.

Lessons from the Headlines: Abduction Attempt
https://www.corneredcat.com/lessons-from-the-headlines-abduction-attempt/
     Yes, it can happen to your child in broad daylight
in a crowded store.  Accept it.  Prepare for it. 
Regret is a heavy burden.

Lesson from an old guy (Jim Cirillo)
https://www.corneredcat.com/lesson-from-an-old-guy/

YOU CAN BE WRONG AND YET STILL BE JUSTIFIED
http://blog.suarezinternational.com/2018/08/you-can-be-wrong-and-yet-still-be-justified.html
     As Andrew Branca says, "You don't have to be right.
You have to be reasonable."

Shoot to kill?
https://www.corneredcat.com/shoot-to-kill/
Excerpt:
It’s not enough to be right at the beginning of the fight.
You have to be right at the end of the fight too. You
need to stop at the right time. And that means guarding
your mindset. From start to end, you truly are shooting
with the goal of stopping the threat. Nothing more,
nothing less, nothing else.

Could You Really?
http://www.corneredcat.com/article/mindset-facing-fear/could-you-really/
Excerpt: 
     I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness,
nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for
his glory.  I love only that which they defend. 
-- J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Two Towers"

Nightmares and Dreams
http://www.corneredcat.com/article/mindset-facing-fear/nightmares-and-dreams/

"Amateurs talk tactics.  Professionals talk logistics."
-- Napoleon

"Beginners talk hardware.  Professionals talk software"
-- Jeremy Clough
https://americanhandgunner.com/you-dont-need-that/

On Avoidance
https://americanhandgunner.com/on-avoidance/

Young Wolfhounds
http://defense-training.com/2018/young-wolfhounds/

Four stages of denial
https://www.corneredcat.com/four-stages-of-denial/

Fear and the freeze response
https://www.corneredcat.com/fear-and-the-freeze-response/
Excerpts:
     “How is it that no one in the restaurant knew what
was going on? [Woman being abducted by adult male]
And why wouldn’t you call out or cry for help when
there were so many people around?”

Big Gains in Personal Safety
https://www.corneredcat.com/big-gains-in-personal-safety/
Excerpt: 
. . . All the biggest gains in personal safety don’t happen
on the firing range. They actually happen inside your own mind.

Complacency kills.

***** Training *****

"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses." 
-- Tom Givens

"Like swim lessons for little kids,
the purpose of a defensive handgun class for adults
is to teach you how to do some things
you do not already know how to do." 
-- Kathy Jackson

Self Defense Quiz (free)
http://selfdefensequiz.com/
     After 10,000 unique tests, the average score of people
who have regularly carried for 5 years or more is 5 out of 10.
As our President would say, "Sad."

Claude Werner offers the following to you free of charge,
because he believes it is important for you to know. 
"Indoor Range Practice Session 11 (flashlight shooting)"
http://store.payloadz.com/results/337896-tactical-professor
     In particular so you don't shoot friendlies.

10 Pro Shooting Tips, From 10 Top Shooters
https://www.concealedcarry.com/firearms-ownership/pro-shooting-tips/

Defensive Handgun Training: 3 Critical Fundamentals
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2018/7/31/defensive-handgun-training-3-critical-fundamentals/

"14 Defensive Handgun Carry Commandments" from Ken Campbell
https://www.ballisticmag.com/2018/07/27/defensive-handgun-carry-tips/
Excerpts: 
". . . we like to think a tool will circumvent our need to train,
learn or practice. It won’t."

Oh my people . . .
https://www.corneredcat.com/oh-my-people/

"Dabbler"
https://www.corneredcat.com/dabbler/
Excerpt:
     There’s a level of joy, of wonder, that’s never available
to the casual hobbyist. A level of delight that most don’t
even realize exists until they’ve already done the work it takes
to get there. And it’s most visible in the areas of physical
skill. There’s a wild sense of elation, even abandon, that goes
with struggling through a tough spot and reaching the other
side successfully. That’s a type of joy that mere dabblers
never can feel even though they, too, might be having fun
doing the same basic activity.
     The article by Kruger and Dunning referred to by the author,
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=AED01A7A5AF8399548D66CEF525CC845?doi=10.1.1.64.2655&rep=rep1&type=pdf

     You won't have a deep enjoyment of cardiovascular
activity until you break through the pain barrier. 
And you need that to be able to lower your blood
pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and most
importantly to be able to relax during the high
stress situation.
     You won't have a deep enjoyment of the positions
until you can achieve them correctly, which means
having them well within your range of motion, which
means stretching, which means breaking through the
pain barrier of stretching your muscles so that you
can relax in position.
     You won't have a deep enjoyment of shooting until
you master trigger control, so that you can achieve
the surprise break epiphany.  (And you won't achieve
this until your optical system is in order.  Yes, you
have to be able to finely resolve your front sight. 
Because your brain uses your sight movie to control
your muscle tension, muscle tonus, and trigger
pressure.  Visual aids are legal and are encouraged
by your coaches.  But, if you don't get an eye exam,
no one will have the information to help you.  And if
you don't give the doctor's report to your coach,
your coach won't have the information to help you.)
     Only when you are able to execute good shots on
demand will you break through the psychological
barrier to confidence.  The surprise break will give
you the ability to do this.
     That is the beauty of our endeavor,
gunfighting is completely objective,
a perfect meritocracy.  Doesn't matter who is morally
good or bad.  The more highly trained, more practiced,
more skilled person wins.
     At the beginning of every American Legion
meeting, we ask God to make our might right. 
But, whether we are right or wrong, we are
going to win the fight.  Because we are better
fighters.  It doesn't matter what kind of
horrific childhood the enemy had, we are not
going to allow him to hurt our people.

Growth
https://www.corneredcat.com/growth/
Excerpt:
So . . . do you want to be better at protecting yourself and the people you love?
Do you want to be a better shooter?
Do you want to be better at identifying danger? And better at avoiding it?
Do you want to have a more solid understanding of the legal realities of self defense?
How far outside your comfort zone are you willing to move,
and how long are you willing to keep pushing through your limitations?

Why Practicing Gun Handling is Critical
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2018/8/9/why-practicing-gun-handling-is-critical/

Context matters
https://www.corneredcat.com/context-matters/

Lessons from a close encounter
https://www.corneredcat.com/lessons-from-a-close-encounter/
Excerpt:
What’s the lesson, here? It’s this: If you are ever involved in a
high-stress situation, and your gun sounds funny to you, don’t
quit! Keep doing whatever you need to do to survive. Odd-sounding
gunfire just seems to be part of the package. Don’t let it throw
you for a loop.

Decisions and Drawstrokes – What’s really important?
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/decisions-and-drawstrokes-whats-really-important/
     The cited articles are well worth reading.

Accuracy Class
https://www.corneredcat.com/accuracy-class/
Excerpt: 
     . . . Focusing on the fundamentals tends to bring out
the best in shooters. This is true no matter what your
existing skill level might be. But you have to reject the
idea that you already know everything, if you are ever
going to learn anything. That, too, goes back to fear and
insecurity. If you want to learn, you cannot be afraid
that others will see you learning.

Training Rant
https://www.corneredcat.com/training-rant/
Excerpt:
. . . when you practice without training first,
you will often practice the wrong things.
You will also often fail to practice some of the
right things.

Trigger Awareness Exercise --
     TAE #1: Feel The Trigger
https://www.corneredcat.com/trigger-awareness-exercise-1-feel-the-trigger/
     If you do this exercise correctly (as specified in the text),
you will have an epiphany.  If your trigger is not perfect, ask your
coach for help.  Yes, the problem can be fixed.  You wouldn't drive
a car with faulty brakes, would you?  Why would you use a trigger
that wasn't working correctly?  Mr. Scott Pilkington and Mr. Buck Parson
can fix your trigger.  Just ask.  Suffering in silence is an act
of stupidity.
     TAE #2: Watch the Wobble
https://www.corneredcat.com/tae-2-watch-the-wobble/
     The incompetent right handed shooter scatters low left and
the incompetent left handed shooter scatters low right, because
he is anticipating the recoil and pushing against the anticipated
recoil before the projectile has exited the muzzle.  The surprise
break solves this problem (and many others, as it defeats your
autonomic nervous system responses to your stress and stimuli).
     TAE #3: Save Your Pennies
https://www.corneredcat.com/tae-3-save-your-pennies/
     TAE #4: Whistle Stop
https://www.corneredcat.com/tae-4-whistle-stop/
     TAE #5: Random Whistle Stop
https://www.corneredcat.com/tae-5-random-whistle-stop/
     TAE #6: Feel It on the Range
https://www.corneredcat.com/tae-6-feel-it-on-the-range/
     TAE #7: Follow Through
https://www.corneredcat.com/tae-7-follow-through/

"You train for the people who love you."
-- Tatiana Whitlock

***** Tactics *****

". . . personal defense is a lifestyle, not a hobby."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson

     “In asocial or predatory violence, particularly in a predatory ambush,
the purpose of presence and verbal skills is to keep you off the victim
list. As such they must become habits. You may never even know if they
worked. If a predator scans you – which will happen several times a day
in the crowded part of a big city – and decides to pass, chances are
good that you will not even notice. Success, in this subject, is often
invisible. If your habits of presence — how you walk, how you scan,
what you do with your positioning and your hands — are good, the bad
guy quietly moves on, never even coming to your attention.”
-- Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane
"Scaling Force: dynamic decision-making under threat of violence"
ISBN-10: 1594392501
ISBN-13: 978-1594392504
https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Force-Dynamic-Decision-Violence/dp/1594392501#reader_1594392501

Only those who risk going too far can
possibly find out how far one can go.
-- T.S. Elliot

***** Techniques *****

Don't go to stupid places. 
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
-- John Farnam

Keep the Muzzle Below the Berm
https://www.corneredcat.com/keep-the-muzzle-below-the-berm/
     . . . when reloading, when clearing malfunctions, when
performing after action drills, etc.  You don't shoot
at aircraft with pistols.  Your muzzle flash will draw
their fire.  You take cover.  Running to cover is always
a smart move.

     We are practicing combat shooting in adverse conditions,
not target shooting in pristine conditions.  So, open up
your rear sight (one or two hundredths of an inch should be
sufficient).  The rear sight is a window.  You look
through the rear sight to see the front sight.  The front
sight is the object of interest.  Yes, I know that's
counter intuitive.  You're thinking the bad guy should
be the object of interest.  But, if you focus on the bad
guy, the front sight will wander off and you'll never
notice it.  (Inattentional Blindness, if you don't focus
on it, you won't see it.  So, you can't aim.)  Then you'll
wonder why you're not hitting where you are aiming.  It's
because you are not aiming.  Focusing on the front sight
is aiming.  Focusing on the threat is what scared bunnies do. 
Don't be a scared bunny.  Be a competent operator.
     "One ringy dingy.  Two ringy dingy." 
-- Lily Tomlin
     I was an operator for AT&T.  We roamed the world
on the telephone systems.  Those were the days.  We played
on the cables that the Charlie Brown laid.
     We understood the code that ran on the GTD-5's and
DMS-100's.
     The MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) for
Signals Intelligence in the Marine Corps isn't 2600 by
accident.
     Security clearances are for consumers.  So, they can
read what the producers wrote.  The producers don't need
security clearances and don't care whether or not some
bureaucrat grants them one.  Be a producer.  Consumers
are easily swayed and deceived.

     The Weaver platform is still taught and practiced.
http://olegvolk.net/gallery/friendsandstrangers/insun/insun_P9_7545web.jpg.html

I would prefer the thumbs high,
http://olegvolk.net/gallery/models/erika_hana/erika_2557.jpg.html
and the support side index finger under the trigger guard,
but it's hard to achieve perfection.
Click on photos to enlarge.

Are we clear?
https://www.corneredcat.com/are-we-clear/
     Protocol for gun handling.

Squib
https://www.corneredcat.com/squib/
Excerpt: 
     However (and this is important!), if you ever hear that
weird-sounding phthpht or pop sound [indicating a squib]
in real life, when you are defending yourself from a violent
criminal, you should keep shooting. Why? Two reasons.
. . .

     In his book The Art of Modern Gunfighting (Pistol), Reitz writes:
“It is very difficult to fine tune a trigger press if all one does
is to press the trigger rapidly. You can never learn the nuances
and idiosyncracies of a particular trigger at great speed.
This knowledge will only come at a slower speed and then
will be built upon from that point.”

Poker
http://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2017/11/poker.html

Easy Mark
http://injennifershead.com/?p=3113

***** Gear *****

     If you don't have a support side holster,
you're wrong.  God's not going to give you two
weeks advance notice of the injury you're going
to have.
     Remember what Sherman says, "If you prepare
for the emergency, it ceases to be an emergency."

     Read this.  This is vitally important!
"Winning Vision Revisited" by Dr. Norman H. Wong in
Shooting Sports USA magazine, pages 24 to 33
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nra/ssusa_201808/index.php#/24
     Dr. Wong speaks the truth.  Get an eye exam!
Make sure your athletes get an eye exam before the start of every
shooting year.  And anytime they start to have problems or
complain about vision related problems.  (If they have money,
they access to medial doctors.  If they don't have money, they
have TennCare.  There is no excuse.)
     "I recently had an eye exam, Coach."
     No, your optometrist's or ophthalmologist's prescription
may not be correct.  That's why you have to get a second
opinion.  Always get a second opinion.  Humans make mistakes.
And a lot of humans are involved in making your vision
correction devices.
     "My vision is perfect, Coach.  I don't need glasses." 
Perfect vision means you meet an arbitrary standard for
resolution at an arbitrary distance (20/20 vision), and your
eyes focus to infinity when relaxed.  So, your vision is
not perfect for shooting.  Your eyes don't focus at your
front sight when your eyes are relaxed.  Read the article!
     Monocular vision is different from binocular vision.
This is not obvious.  This is deep and difficult to understand
without years of medical training.  That's why you have
to believe what Dr. Wong says.  Don't ignore him.
     If you don't understand what Dr. Wong is saying,
ASK ME!  This is critically important!
---
     There is also an article about sports drinks in
this magazine.  Do not drink sports drinks.  They will
disturb your body chemistry.  (We learned this at the
coaches course at the Olympic Training Center in
Colorado Springs, CO.  It's true.)  Do not drink caffeine. 
Do not drink sugar. 
     "What does that mean, Coach?" 
     No soda pop.  Not before the match.  Not during the
match.  Not after the match.  Not ever.
     If you are in a leadership position, never
drink such things in front of your athletes.  All
leadership is by example.

1911 Disassembly and Deep Clean
https://www.range365.com/1911-disassembly-and-deep-clean
     I disagree with the author. 
     You must use a bronze bore brush.  A nylon bore
brush is too soft to remove the copper and lead fouling. 
There is enough heat and pressure in your bore to
chemically bond the fouling to your bore.  So, you
need a bore solvent and a bronze brush to get it out. 
A steel brush is too hard; it will scratch your bore.
     A toothbrush made for humans is too soft to do
what you need to do.  Yes, I know toothbrushes used to
be made of boar bristles.  But, modern dentists
generally agree that your toothbrush should be soft. 
Your gun brush needs to be very stiff.  A stiffness
that would destroy your gums.

AR-15 Cleaning & Maintenance: A Complete Guide
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2018/8/4/ar-15-cleaning-maintenance-a-complete-guide/
     When I was assigned to Mike Battery,
3rd Battalion, 14th Marines in Chattanooga, TN,
it was easy to distinguish between the Marines
with combat experience and those without.  Just
watch them clean their rifles.  If your life has
never depended on your rifle functioning correctly,
it's hard to get motivated to do a detailed cleaning. 
It's just another irritating chore. 
     To pass inspection, some of the guys would
use carburator cleaner (or other such chemicals). 
Resist such urges.  Clean and dry will rust.  An
oily rifle is a happy rifle.

Secrets of Handgun Grip
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2018/8/8/secrets-of-handgun-grip/
Excerpts:
     Smith & Wesson and John M. Browning both found that
a grip angle of 118 degrees from the centerline of the
barrel to be the most comfortable and natural angle.
     Georg Luger, the folks at Steyr, H&K with its P7,
and Gaston Glock insist that a sharper angle of 122
degrees to be better.
[This measurement is from the barrel axis down and back
to the front strap of the grip.]

Holster retention systems and sloppy research
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/holster-retention-systems-and-sloppy-research/
Excerpt:
A few people drink from the fountain of knowledge but most only gargle.

http://olegvolk.net/gallery/friendsandstrangers/karen/karen4545.jpg.html
Click on photo to enlarge.
Excerpt:
Fashion styles come and go,
but safety accessories are always in season.
Stay safe, go armed.

Check it out (your holster)
http://www.corneredcat.com/check-it-out/

Lessons from the headlines #6: How _not_ to check out your new holster
https://www.corneredcat.com/lessons-from-the-headlines-7-how-_not_-to-check-out-your-new-holster/
Excerpts: 
    Always follow the Four Rules of firearms safety
(even when you have a new holster).
    Never point your gun at your own hand,
or at someone you love, even when you have a new holster.
    Never put a loaded gun into an unfamiliar holster.
Always check it out first.

Why Are Hollow-Point Rifle Bullets More Accurate?
https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2018/8/19/why-are-hollow-point-rifle-bullets-more-accurate/

***** Instructors *****

Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God’s gift to our students.
Our students are God’s gift to us."

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
https://www.corneredcat.com/beginner-intermediate-advanced/

Normalization of Deviance
https://www.corneredcat.com/normalization-of-deviance/
     It's on you.  Even if someone else takes responsibility
for the bad outcome.  It's still a bad outcome that you
should have prevented.
     One of our guard orders was to "take responsibility
for everything in sight."  Maybe you were never on guard
duty.  Maybe you were never a Marine.  Doesn't matter, 
take responsibility for the safety of everyone around
you.  Ignorance is no excuse.

For Instructors – a wake up call
https://www.corneredcat.com/for-instructors-a-wake-up-call/
Excerpts:
     Safety is not “everyone’s job.” 
     It is the job of each one of us, individually. 
This means sometimes we will need to
speak up . . . individually. 
     When we see something that’s not as safe as
it reasonably could be, we have to be brave enough
to step up and change it. Even if other people
have shot in that bay before and “didn’t have a
problem with it.” 
     Part of being a good instructor is learning
how to ‘read’ a range for safety. 
     A medical kit is about as useless as tits on
a bull unless there’s someone there who knows how
to use it. That someone should be you — even if
you always poll your students and find out who
has appropriate medical training so you can
assign the task to the person with the highest
level of training, there will be times when you
find out that you are that person.

What does training do?
https://www.corneredcat.com/what-does-training-do/
Excerpt: 
     Sadly, all too many students quit at step one or two.
Good instructors must motivate students to continue, and
help them understand the value of having well-practiced
skills that will stand up under severe stress.

What I Do
https://www.corneredcat.com/what-i-do/
     Do you have such a list?  Have you thought about
such things?  Have you made decisions about such things?

Tears
https://www.corneredcat.com/tears/

Seeing the baby elephant
https://www.corneredcat.com/seeing-the-baby-elephant/
Excerpt:
“What have you learned?”

Respect, Trust, Growth
https://www.corneredcat.com/respect-trust-growth/

Instructor Ethics 101
https://www.corneredcat.com/instructor-ethics-101/
Excerpt: 
     In order to fulfill my most important responsibility
to my students, I have to risk pushing them beyond their
comfort levels. And I have to do it in a way that will
cause them to work harder rather than to shut down.
If I’m not willing to take that risk for the sake of
my students’ lives, I have no right to call myself a
self-defense instructor.

To have and to have not
https://www.corneredcat.com/to-have-and-to-have-not/
Excerpt:
Fantasy sells, but uncomfortable truths save lives.

Instructor Responsibility
https://www.corneredcat.com/instructor-responsibility/

Crawl, Walk, Run Off a Cliff
http://pistol-training.com/archives/3707

“Can I teach that?”
https://www.corneredcat.com/can-i-teach-that/

Advice to firearm instructors
https://www.corneredcat.com/advice-to-new-firearm-instructors/

"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch

***** Pedagogy *****

“Never stop learning.” That includes following
the news to see what methods the miscreants are
using to harm us. It means staying in contact
with your firearms instructor to discover new
techniques or receive simple reminders. And it
means keeping up with the tools of the trade
that can keep you alive. Not just guns, but
other less-lethal or security devices, too. 
-- Ken Campbell

Mirror, mirror, on the range . . .
https://www.corneredcat.com/mirror-mirror-on-the-range/
Excerpt:
     Instructors who make excuses not to demonstrate
are often allowing their own egos (often, fear of
failure or looking bad) get in the way of their
students’ best opportunities to learn.

***** Education *****

Children and Tragedy
http://drlatebloomer.com/children-and-tragedy/
     For those of you who don't understand how
children think.

Raging Against Self Defense:
A psychiatrist Examines The Anti-Gun Mentality
http://jpfo.org/filegen-n-z/ragingagainstselfdefense.htm
     For those who don't understand why anti-gun
liberals think the way they do.

"Find a good lawyer and visit with them about
the laws in your jurisdiction. . . You need
to talk with a lawyer familiar with criminal
prosecution and defense.  Put their card in
your wallet; it might end up being one of the
most important calls you ever make." 
-- Ken Campbell

JULY 25 - SAINT JAMES DAY
http://blog.suarezinternational.com/2018/07/july-25-saint-james-day.html

Rangemaster newsletter
http://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2018-08_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf

Gun Goddess Learning Center
https://www.gungoddess.com/pages/learning-center

The surprising burden of ignorance
https://www.corneredcat.com/the-surprising-burden-of-ignorance/
Excerpt:
     And especially, that is why people who have never
had serious defensive handgun training think there’s
nothing to learn and no reason to invest in it.

Transliterations into our modern Latin alphabet for English
speakers is always difficult.  The spelling is
first word {mu omicron lambda omega nu}, second word{lambda alpha beta epsilon}
http://olegvolk.net/gallery/friendsandstrangers/jade/molon_labe_0822.jpg.html
Click on the photo to enlarge.

     Taken from Andrew Branca's email letter of 20 August 2018 at 6:41 AM.
Hey folks,
     I caution in every class that just because someone has a certain
job title--firearms instructor, cop, lawyer, prosecutor, judge--
you MUST NOT assume that they know a darned thing about use-of-force
law. They MIGHT know, if they've made a diligent effort to educate
themselves rather than simply re-tell nonsense they've previously
been taught themselves, but you MUST NOT ASSUME that they know,
based on their job title.
     Here's an excellent example of this,
https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/prosecutor-offers-reminder-of-michigan-self-defense-laws
out of Michigan in a news article involving a purportedly defensive
shooting. They manage to get extensive quotes from an actual Michigan
prosecutor, identified as Benzie County Prosecutor Sara Swanson.
Attorney Swanson is quoted as stating explicitly:
"Michigan does not have a 'Stand Your Ground' law like, say Florida has ..."
     In fact Michigan adopted a SYG law almost identical to that of
Florida's and in 2006 only a year after Florida adopted SYG in 2005. 
You'd think a Michigan prosecutor in 2018 would be aware that the
state's had a SYG statute for the past 12 years, but apparently
you'd be wrong.
     For reference: Michigan's law --
http://lawofselfdefense.com/statute/mi-780-972-use-of-deadly-force-by-individual-not-engaged-in-commission-of-crime-conditions/
(1) An individual who has not or is not engaged in the commission
of a crime at the time he or she uses deadly force may use deadly
force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal
right to be with no duty to retreat if either of the following
applies: 
(a) The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use
of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of
or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to
another individual.
(b) The individual honestly and reasonably believes that the
use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent
sexual assault of himself or herself or of another individual.
(2) An individual who has not or is not engaged in the
commission of a crime at the time he or she uses force
other than deadly force may use force other than deadly
force against another individual anywhere he or she has
the legal right to be with no duty to retreat if he or
she honestly and reasonably believes that the use of
that force is necessary to defend himself or herself
or another individual from the imminent unlawful use
of force by another individual.
     EDUCATE YOURSELVES! Assuming that the so-called "legal experts"
around you actually know use-of-force law is
HAZARDOUS TO YOUR LIBERTY!
     Two excellent and free ways to do this is to catch
our weekly "Law of Self Defense Show" at
http://www.lawofselfdefense.com/show
     Also, we do all our blogging on our Patreon page,
with each blog post freely accessible for a week or so,
after which content (including our higher value expert
reports and video and podcast recordings of each week's
"Law of Self Defense Show) is restricted to our paying
patrons:
http://www.lawofselfdefense.com/patreon
--Andrew
Attorney Andrew F. Branca
Law of Self Defense LLC

Rangemaster newsletter
http://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2018-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf

***** News, Legal, Philosophical, and Political stuff *****

Civil War happens when the victimized are armed.
Genocide happens when they are not!
-- A.E. Samaan

     Your safety and the safety of your loved ones is your
responsibility.  You think the police, fire, or ambulance
services are going to respond to your emergency?  How can
they when they never get the message?
"911 Emergency: Call Centers Can’t Find Workers"
https://www.wsj.com/articles/911-emergency-call-centers-cant-find-workers-1533398401
     You are on your own.  Prepare.

Police chief: Officers warned Colorado homeowner to drop gun
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/02/police-chief-officers-warned-colorado-homeowner-to-drop-gun.html

Texas Tech police say the campus carry law makes Tech safer
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/kamc-news/tech-police-say-the-campus-carry-law-makes-tech-safer/1335470065

Florida armed bystander stops gunman at crowded back-to-school event at park, police say
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/06/florida-armed-bystander-stops-gunman-at-crowded-back-to-school-event-at-park-police-say.html

Freudian Slip
http://defense-training.com/2018/freudian-slip/

17.25 million concealed handgun permits, biggest increases for women and minorities
https://crimeresearch.org/2018/08/new-study-17-25-million-concealed-handgun-permits-biggest-increases-for-women-and-minorities/
Excerpt: 
     "Despite 14 states that don't require licenses in all or
virtually all their states, there are now over 17.25 million
permits, an 890,000 increase over the past year. Again, the
biggest rates of growth for permits were for women and minorities.
-- Dr. John Lott
John R. Lott, Jr.
President
Crime Prevention Research Center
http://crimeresearch.org
johnrlott@crimeresearch.org
(484) 802-5373
     Look at the graph at the bottom of the article.  This is
why it is so critically important to leave Hawaii.  Get out
while you still can.  The taxes and cost of living are sky high. 
The government regulations are so onerous, small businesses
like VeriFone, Inc. have fled to California (not much better,
but better).

Why the Gun is Civilization
http://www.corneredcat.com/article/ethical-questions/why-the-gun-is-civilization/
Excerpt:
     . . . [the gun] removes force from the equation . . .
and that’s why carrying a gun is a civilized act.

Stop I-1639
http://olegvolk.net/gallery/technology/arms/No_to_I1639_0929web.jpg.html
Excerpt:
At age 18:  Adult enough to marry.  Adult enought to join the military. 
Adult enough to sign a contract on a car or house.  Her vote counts as
much as anyone's.
I-1639 proposes to treat her as an incompetent minor and keep her
defenseless till age 21. 
No to discrimination against young adults:  Stop I-1639!

Civilian Carry Radio
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtV-rvhm-7YA2bZGLGQ1fxw

ACLU Fighting California Democrats over Gun Control
https://www.breitbart.com/california/2018/08/24/aclu-fighting-california-democrats-gun-control/

A hero in Clackamas
https://www.corneredcat.com/a-hero-in-clackamas/

Evil
http://defense-training.com/2018/evil-4/

How a Botched Study Fooled the World About the U.S. Share of Mass Public Shootings:
U.S. Rate is Lower than Global Average
https://crimeresearch.org/2018/08/new-cprc-research-how-a-botched-study-fooled-the-world-about-the-u-s-share-of-mass-public-shootings-u-s-rate-is-lower-than-global-average/

A course explaining self defense insurance.
https://lawselfdefense.org/self-defense-insurance-explained-preorder

Knowing the tune but missing the music
https://www.corneredcat.com/knowing-the-tune-but-missing-the-music/

Few tyrants argue for 'slavery of the masses.'
Instead, they argue for the power to
'protect people from themselves.'
-- AE Samaan

***** Survival Tips *****

"Militum semper memento"
(Always remember the soldiers.)

     Do you have the willingness to acknowledge what you are seeing
and more importantly, the courage to act immediately?
"Reprogramming the Lay Rescuer Psychology to Cardiac Arrest"
https://www.jems.com/articles/2018/07/reprogramming-the-lay-rescuer-psychology-to-cardiac-arrest.html
Excerpt:
. . . the willingness to acknowledge what she was seeing
and more importantly, the courage to act immediately and
without hesitation. 
. . . reprograming the lay rescuer mindset from a “wait for help” mindset to the “be the help.”

9 Life-Saving Reasons I Try Not To Judge People
https://jamesaltucher.com/2018/07/life-saving-reasons-judge-people/

"Marked for Mayhem" in Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200901/marked-mayhem
Excerpts:
     "If I saw a pair of construction boots, for example,
out on the porch or on the landing, I walked right
on by. In fact, I think if women who live alone
would put a pair of old construction boots - or
something that makes it look like a physically fit
manly-type of guy lives with them - out in front of
their door, most rapists or even burglars wouldn't
even think about trying to get into their home."
     Women who are the victims of rape tend to be
less able than average to interpret nonverbal
facial cues - which may render them oblivious to
the warning signs of hostile intent and more
likely to enter or stay in dangerous situations.
     Predatory men can accurately identify submissive
women just by their style of dress and other aspects
of appearance. The hallmarks of submissive body language,
such as downward gaze and slumped posture, may even be
misinterpreted by rapists as flirtation.
     [Note that the "Cooperate" advise at the end of
the article only works when the attacker's only intent
is to get your stuff.  It doesn't make sense to cooperate
with rapists, murderers, batterers, etc.  And you never
know what the attacker's intent is. -- Jon Low]

Emotional Self Care
https://www.corneredcat.com/emotional-self-care-2/

Weight loss motivator
https://www.corneredcat.com/weight-loss-motivator/
Excerpt:
The latest research indicates that losing weight
might help you make faster, better, and more accurate
survival choices when your life is in danger.
     "Latest research" refers to
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19015661

New FBI Data on Active Shooters Shows the Importance of Armed Citizens
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/05/fbi-active-shooter-data-shows-importance-of-armed-citizens/
Excerpt:
Be a lifesaver. Carry a gun.

"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House

***** Basics *****

"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN

Safe Holstering
https://gunsmagazine.com/safe-holstering/#.W2hf5su0SqY.facebook

Safety Matters: How to Use a Belt Holster
http://www.corneredcat.com/article/holsters/safety-matters-how-to-use-a-belt-holster/
    Lots of useful pictures.

Safety Matters: How to Use a Shoulder Holster
http://www.corneredcat.com/article/holsters/safety-matters-how-to-use-a-shoulder-holster/
     Better yet, don't use a shoulder holster.

How a gun (Colt M1911) works! (Animation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjQrhDKDWFk

“Watch your front sight.”
https://www.corneredcat.com/watch-it/

***** Miscellany *****

Blondie's ode to armored car drivers,
"Blondie - The Hardest Part"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEjCDriXwnI

Babes with Bullets
http://babeswithbullets.com/about-us/
     What a neat concept.

"People who think they know everything
irritate those of us who do." 
Think about it.  It's actually funny on
many levels.

Thanks to Oleg Volk
http://www.corneredcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/train11771.jpg
Click on photo for a magnified view.
Fascinating gallery at
http://olegvolk.net/gallery/main.php

Basics of the Shotgun Games: American Skeet
http://blog.beretta.com/basics-of-the-shotgun-games-american-skeet
Basics of the Shotgun Games: American 16-Yard Trap
http://blog.beretta.com/basics-of-the-shotgun-games-american-16-yard-trap

     For the latest version (it changes almost daily)
of my lesson plans for my NRA Defensive Pistol course,
send me an email.  Jon_Low@yahoo.com

Cheers,
Jon