Hi Sheepdogs,
God promises to provide for you. That does not mean that God is your
magic piggy bank.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
----- Basics -----
"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
Why good guys lose fights in order of statistical importance:
1. Decision. Failure to make the decision to use force. (Because they did not
understand what was going on, because they were not aware of what was going on.
Because they were not aware.)
2. INTENSITY. Failure to fight with intensity, because that's how they trained.
[You really will fight the way you have trained.]
3. Windows and Timing. Failure to be patient (as God teaches) to wait for
windows of opportunity and failing to time their counter-attack correctly.
[Tolerance is not the same as patience.]
4. Skill. Failure to have the necessary skill required for combat, because of
lack of training and lack of practice.
From an email by Patrick Kilchermann, founder, Concealed Carry University
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM. (If you want peace, prepare for war.)
"Beginner's Guide to Pistol Ammo" by Chris Baker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp4jdViz5R0
22 LR means .22 caliber Long Rifle.
"Those of us who maintain a dangerous lifestyle will experience fear and anxiety.
But to do so, allows us to join a fraternity of those who have, since the
beginning of time, endured. They endured. We endured. It's the cost of the
privilege of such company."
- Paul Whitesell
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
----- Aftermath -----
(You have to 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
Please check out the web page "Self Defense Insurance" by clicking
on the link in the column to the right.
“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
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"What Time Is It?" by Brian Enos
https://brianenos.com/what-time-is-it/
Excerpt:
"When attentive: you know what you are doing — you cannot be improved."
"There are no victims, only volunteers.
You volunteer by looking uncertain and afraid.
You volunteer by being, as grass-eaters invariably are,
unprepared to confront the hazards of life."
—Jeff Cooper
"Intended Victim not ‘Subject’ " by tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2021/08/29/intended-victim-not-subject/
If you don't know what's going on around you, you are not paying attention.
This results in all kinds of bad things. PAY ATTENTION!
What is situational awareness?
Who is around you and what are they doing?
Always be aware of who is around you and what they are doing.
That is Situational Awareness.
Wow! This is a really useful article.
"How To Be An Expert: 8 Proven Secrets To Superior Skill" by Eric Barker
https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2016/08/how-to-be-an-expert/
1. Make a long-term commitment to learn the skill.
2. Find a mentor (not necessarily an expert in the field) and
be willing to question him.
3. Start with what's important. [For us, safety is important.]
4. Train like you fight.
5. Use “Desirable Difficulty”. You need to struggle.
6. Get Fast, Negative Feedback.
7. Study Less. Test More.
8. Naps Are Steroids For Your Brain.
As Bobby Knight once said,
“Everybody has the will to win;
few people have the will to prepare to win.”
"Front Sight Reality Check #84"
https://www.frontsight.com/fsrc84/patriot-tbd.asp
5 elements of winning a gunfight:
Color code of mental awareness
Combat mindset
Gun handling
Marksmanship
Tactical movement
"It’s not about the odds, it’s about the stakes."
The probability of you being attacked may be very low. That does not matter.
What you will lose, if you are not prepared, not aware, and don't act immediately
and decisively, is all that matters.
*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----
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.
"LAPD Saga!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/lapd-saga/
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
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)
"Pistol Small Arms Firing School
$50 Annual Training Course at the National Matches"
by Serena Juchnowski
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/exclusives/pistol-small-arms-firing-school/
Excerpt:
"Federal law actually requires pistol and rifle SAFS
[Small Arms Firing School] to be held annually during the national matches."
"Where else can you get training from members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship
Unit (USAMU) with loaner firearms, ammunition provided and a T-shirt for $50?"
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner
"Armed Self-Defense in America, the Year 'American Handgunner' Was Born"
by Massad Ayoob
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/armed-self-defense-in-america-the-year-american-handgunner-was-born/
Excerpt:
"Jodi M. Brown and Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D. later wrote in 'Policing and
Homicide, 1976-98: Justifiable Homicide by Police, Police Officers Murdered
by Felons' that in 1976 14% of slain officers were killed with their own weapons,
a trend that peaked in 1986 at 23%."
[This is why weapons retention training is essential. Yes, as a matter of
fact, the bad guy will attempt to take your pistol and shoot you and your loved
ones with it.]
“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
"Self-Defense Training on a Budget" by Chris Baker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr569MLCgWk
referenced book
"Fighting Smarter" by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/fighting-smarter/
Out of print, but available at various places online.
A Kindle version is available at Amazon.com,
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Smarter-Tom-Givens-ebook/dp/B00T3KNDVG/ref=sr_1_1
'The "Three S" Test' by Dave Spaulding
https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/three-s-test
Excerpt:
"Never base a decision on how to deal with an armed opponent by
applying YOUR logic or feelings as they don't think like you do."
SIMPLE Is the technique being taught simple to execute or perform?
SENSE Does it make sense?
STREET PROVEN Has the technique been used in actual combat of the type you may face?
I just finished a Counter Terrorism course by Michael Mann Security Services.
One of the things we learned was that the Chief of Police of the Metro Nashville
Police Department instructed his officers to "avoid all proactive policing. They
could respond to calls, but don't initiate anything." Did you notice the wording?
"could respond" not "must respond".
Having been a cop, that's about the craziest thing I have ever heard.
Another thing I learned was that 85% of critical infrastructure in the U.S.
is protected by private security, because it is owned by private corporations.
Private security gets a bad rap because the level of training is very low.
But, that's at the entry level, because the companies don't give their officers
much training. The reality is that the level of training of the private security
officers in the "real" jobs is very high, because the companies hire persons who
already have the training. For example, G4S (before it was bought out by Allied)
had a level of security officer that had as a prerequisite: so many years of law
enforcement experience or so many years of active duty military experience (with
an MOS in combat arms). And then their are those private security officers who
guard nuclear power plants and refining facilities, who have extremely high
levels of training.
"WW2 1911 .45 CAL Pistol Training"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP7J-JNSUu4
What a classic.
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"No Bang For Your Buck: Why You Should Dry Practice" by Justin Carroll
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/no-bang-buck-dry-practice/
"No Bang for Your Buck Part 2: How to Dry Practice" by Justin Carroll
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/no-bang-buck-part-2-dry-practice/
Whoa! This stuff is deep. Better have your reference books
next to you when reading this. If you aren't a true believer in dry
practice after reading this, something is wrong with you.
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
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"Concealment is a Verb: Re-holster Immediately Following Violence" by Salvatore
https://www.usacarry.com/re-holster-immediately-following-violence/
"Pre-attack indicators: Conscious recognition of telegraphed cues" by Lt. Jim Glennon
https://www.police1.com/police-products/training-products/articles/pre-attack-indicators-conscious-recognition-of-telegraphed-cues-lHaGNktGomYevmQE/
"Pre-Assault Body Language Indicators" by Matthew Schafer
https://schaferselfdefense.blogspot.com/2014/02/pre-assault-body-language-indicators.html
"Dan Brokos Gives TFB Some Quick Tips for Improving Your Pistol Game" by Luke C.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/09/02/dan-brokos-tips/
1. Stick with One Gun and One Trigger
2. Prioritize Accuracy over Speed
3. Practice your Lower Body Stance
"Head Buttin Time! How to Head-butt A Bad Guy Real Good" by Michael Kurcina
https://spotterup.com/head-buttin-time-how-to-head-butt-a-bad-guy-real-good/
1. Prepare for action. He’s likely to step into you.
You want to get the jump on him before he has time to do something.
2. Get stabilized with your feet. You’re about to deliver a head-butt and
you need good energy to inflict damage. It will be like a whiplash motion.
3. As he begins to move you simply place your hands on his chest.
Don’t grab around his neck to pull him into you. If you pull him first,
instead of pushing first then he will reflexively tense up his shoulders,
resist and try to pull away from you.
4. So, with both hands on his chest, simply push him back while you hold
onto him. As he becomes unbalanced, you will have control of him, and
this is the time to pull him sharply forward into you. He’ll be like a
rag doll.
5. For a good, effective head-butt don’t just tilt your head backwards as
you pull him towards you. Tuck your chin to your chest.
6. Make timing and physics work for you. Snap down with your torso AND the
crown of your head onto his, while stepping into him. It’s done almost as
if you are rising, this way you can hit him from a higher vantage point.
Target the sensitive areas of his face and head; his cheeks, temples, nose,
top of his eye sockets or lower-forehead. He should feel the damage.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"New Study: Grip Strength and Shooting Performance" by Von Kliem, JD, LL.M
https://www.forcescience.org/2021/09/new-study-grip-strength-and-shooting-performance/
Excerpts:
". . . researchers determined that grip strength in the range of 80 lbs and
125 lbs was needed to score approximately 85% and 90% on the pistol qualification
test. The average grip strength for the female officers in the study was 77.5lbs,
while the average for the men was 121.5lbs."
"78% of the females and 92% of the males passed the qualification test
(22% and 8% failed respectively). Researchers observed that, for every pound
below the average grip strength required to score between 85% and 90%, the odds
of an officer failing the pistol qualification increased by 2%."
" “In our study, higher rates of failure appeared to be correlated with
lower grip strength.” Brown continued: “Agencies should consider minimum grip
requirements based on the issued duty pistol trigger weight. Although grip
strength issues might disproportionately impact female officers, strength
training may help to mitigate grip-related deficiencies regardless of the
officer’s gender.” "
"Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute,
supports Brown’s recommendations and was encouraged by the NYPD’s move to a
lighter trigger pull weight: “We often hear that higher trigger pull weights
can provide increased decision-making time for officers. The research does
not support that position.” Dr. Lewinski explained: “Even the heavier
triggers can have a travel time as quick as 6/100 to 8/100 of a second.
If the decision to pull the trigger has already been made, the travel time
of the trigger isn’t going to result in sufficient time to change your mind
and stop that action.” "
Primary source document,
"Examining the impact of grip strength and officer gender on shooting performance"
by AndrewBrown, Simon Baldwin, Brittany Blaskovits, and Craig Bennell
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003687021001836?via%3Dihub
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"A New Epiphany!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/a-new-epiphany/
This article is about trigger weight. But, I'm going to go off on a tangent.
Excerpt:
"Mathematics is no refuge! Our naive hope for certainty is dashed as we discover
that even mathematics is neither complete, nor consistent."
I assume John is referring to the "Gödel Incompleteness Theorem"
by Kurt Friedrich Gödel, November 17, 1930;
"On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems".
I've read the proof (and understood it), so I sort of know what I'm talking about.
The theorem only says that there there exist statements that can be formally stated in
any system of mathematics that cannot be proved to be true, and cannot be proved to
be false. That is to say the truth of the statements are indeterminant. But, this
would only be meaningful in a self consistent system of axioms. So, the statement
that all systems of mathematics are not "consistent" is wrong.
Using the term "complete", as in all systems of mathematics are not "complete"
is a little tricky. Mathematicians use the word "complete" to refer number systems,
such as "the Complex number system is complete because any operation on numbers
as input will result in an output number in the Complex number system".
So, what he really means to say (I think) is "There are statements that can
neither be proved to be true nor proved to be false in any self consistent system
of axioms." Or, more succinctly, "There exist indeterminant statements in any
axiomatic system."
"Stop Worrying About Overpenetration" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/stop-worrying-about-overpenetration
Excerpt:
"Your misses are what will cause damage to innocent people.
Instead of worrying about carrying the latest under-penetrating
“super bullet”, spend your time improving your accuracy and speed
so that you can reliably hit your attacker.
Stop worrying so much about overpenetration. In real tissue,
it rarely happens with well designed hollow point bullets."
T1 Ammo
https://t1ammo.com/
5% discount to active and retired members of the Military and Law Enforcement community.
You have to scan and upload your military or law enforcement ID. If you've never
served, contact me and I will give you a discount code.
They presently design, manufacture, and sell .223, 9mm ball, and 9mm hollow point.
But, I'm sure they will expand. The company is owned and operated by ladies,
who have a well defined sense of customer service.
Subsonic 9mm Hybrid Hollow Point - Self Defense - Box 50, Factory New, Brass Case
124 GR – $62.50 ($1.25/rd)
147 GR – $72.50 ($1.45/rd)
Subsonic 9mm 124 Grain Total Metal Jacket, Factory New, Brass Case
Box 50 – $32.99 ($0.66/rd)
Bulk 250 – $152.99 ($0.61/rd)
Subsonic 9 mm 147 Grain Total Metal Jacket, Factory New, Brass Case
Box 50 – $35.50 ($0.71/rd)
Bulk 250 – $168.25 ($0.67/rd)
They also sell .223 rifle ammo.
Muzzle velocities and such are listed on the web site.
Steel City Ammo
https://www.steelcityammoco.com/
Has all kinds of ammo in stock. In case you're living in an ammo desert.
Palmeto State Armory
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 9mm Pistol with Manual Safety
$449.99
https://palmettostatearmory.com/smith-wesson-m-p-shield-ez-9mm-pistol-with-manual-safety-black-12436.html
No promo code needed.
Louis Awerbuck recommended the Springfield Armory XD. I have found them to
be reliable. It's been on the market long enough for Springfield Armory to have
worked out all the bugs. I am sure you have seen the problem with buying the
latest pistol adopted by the Armed Forces or that large police department. Even
after the testing, the Sig had major problems (and law suits). Pistols are like
software; if you are a first adopter, you are the beta tester. And there are
always bugs in the system that need to be fixed. Better to go with something
that has been peer reviewed for many years. Especially if you are going to bet
your life on it. Especially, if you are going to bet the lives of your loved ones.
“Your car is not a holster.” -- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"Magazine Maintenance – Part 1" by Drew Forge
https://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-armorer-magazine-maintenance-cleaning-pmag-ar15-part-1/
"Magazine Maintenance – Part 2" by Drew Forge
https://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-armorer-magazine-maintenance-cleaning-ar15-glock-pistol-riflepart-2/
I have found that cutting those tabs off of the Glock magazines makes
them much easier to disassemble in the future. They are redundant to the
button that protrudes out the bottom of the base plate.
Handgun magazine springs -
https://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazine-parts/magazine-springs/index.htm
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
"Dealing with Cross-Dominance Issues in Students" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Yesterday, a young lady in class told me, "That's how they do it in the movies."
I explained to her that movies are not real. She gave me a bewildered look and
wondered why I would lie to her in front of all these witnesses.
Not everyone lives in the same world you do.
A little girl [I have no age limits on my students.] was pointing her pistol
to the left of her (as opposed to down range). So, I told her to keep her pistol
pointed down or down range.
She told me, "It's okay, it's not loaded."
I told her, "That is a bad attitude. All guns are always loaded."
She got offended and started to cry. [Now mind you this was after the safety
lecture and an explicit explanation of the safety rules.]
Mental maturity is not correlated to chronological age. Some girls will
cry for no apparent reason.
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 Solomon
My hypocrisy comes back to bite me. I teach, "Do not teach or coach anyone
whom you are emotionally attached to." Because this is what will happen.
After giving a brief on why we separate spouses, boyfriend/girlfriends, etc.
on the line, because we don't want one person doing for another person (as opposed
to helping the other person), because that prevents the other person from learning
the skill, as people learn by doing, not just watching. A young (26 year old)
lady is having difficulty with a task, so I help her. She starts screaming,
"Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" The 14 year old little girl on the line next to
the young lady starts freaking out, thinking that I was molesting the young lady.
I made the mistake of asking the young lady to calm down in a rather crude way that
demonstrated undue familiarity. She responded with a threat of physical violence.
It degenerated from there.
A middle aged lady consoled me by saying, "It wasn't your fault. She clearly
did not read the documents that you all had mailed out before the class. Because
they clearly state that if you don't want the instructors to touch you, you have
to tell them before the start of class." And that too was part of the problem.
The young lady has a key to my apartment, one of my credit cards in her
wallet, and baskets of clothes piled up all over my apartment. So, she was not
a stranger to me. She meant, "Don't help me! Don't do it for me!", but it came
out "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" Which started a horrendous chain reaction.
Professional distance and objectivity are essential. If you are friendly
with someone in the class that you are teaching, STAY AWAY FROM THEM. Learn
from my mistakes. I'll make more of them for your edification.
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Political (legal), Religious, and Philosophical ***** *****
"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
"Livestock!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/livestock/
You may be young and so have never seen this socio-political nonsense
before. But, I assure you it is periodic. Teach your children freedom.
Because we are never more than one generation away from slavery.
"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
"Proportional Response: Understanding Self-Defense Statutes" by Andrew Branca
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2016/08/proportional-response-understanding-self-defense-statutes/#self-defense-3-2
Excerpt:
". . . the Supreme Court long ago recognized that
“detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife.”
Brown v. United States, 256 U.S. 335 (1921).
"Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"The Expert Witness and Trial Strategy" An Interview with Massad Ayoob
Interview by Gila Hayes
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/the-expert-witness-and-trial-strategy
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."
-- Patrick Henry, speech of June 5, 1788 A.D.
"Militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves . . .
And include all men capable of bearing arms."
-- Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on "militia" in the 2nd Amendment
"SEVEN BUSES of American Female Citizens Taken by Taliban,
NO MEDIA COVERAGE By Biden Media (Including FOX News)" by Pamela Geller
https://gellerreport.com/2021/08/seven-buses-of-american-female-citizens-taken-by-taliban-no-media-coverage-by-biden-media-including-fox-news.html/
The busses had made it to the Kabul airport but were not allowed in.
No, they are not dead. They are sex slaves. Reports of their death is
to allow those responsible (Biden administration) to claim that it's
not worth risking American lives to recover bodies.
When I was considering joining the Armed Forces, my father told
me to go next door to speak to BGen. John Gorman, who had been a U.S.
Army Infantry officer during the Korean War. Gen. Gorman told me that
when they were retreating from the Chosin Reservoir, the U.S. Army
left their dead behind like trash. But, the Marines brought all their
dead out. He told me to join the Marines. So, I did.
It is quite damning of the Biden administration that they will not
rescue American citizens.
[Tell the insurance company that if they are going to rescue one, they might
as well rescue them all. They will be heroes. They will be able to use the
rescue in their advertisements for decades to come. They will set a precedent.
And mercenaries are cheap and expendable. There is always credible deniability.]
"Vice President Joe Biden was kicked off the team to kill Osama Bin Laden."
-- CWO5 Doug Englen, U.S. Army Special Operations.
The one of the reasons so many American citizens are still trapped in
Afghanistan is that no one in President Biden's chain of command gave the
evacuation order. So, no one was given warning to evacuate. So, none of the
equipment (armored cars, helicopters, night vision, guns, ammo, etc.) was
destroyed before being abandoned.
Another reason is that U.S. forces used Hamid Karzai International Airport
instead of Bagram Air Base which is on a high plateau and much more easily defended.
According to a U.S. Army Intelligence officer.
Oh yes, elections have real consequences.
“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 an dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
While in Hawaii, I had lunch with an old high school buddy. He's telling me
he and the wife golf, and he loves drinking scotch and smoking cigars. He's telling
me that he's getting old and can't drive at night, because he can't see. So, I send
him an excerpt from Major Plaster's book, "Ultimate Sniper",
“A pack-a-day smoker builds high levels of carbon monoxide in his blood,
which reduce 20 percent of normal night vision at sea level, an effect that
increases with altitude; by 10,000 feet, he’s lost 40% of his night vision.”
– “The Ultimate Sniper” by Maj. John Plaster, U.S. Army retired, Paladin Press,
Revised edition January 2006, page 8. ISBN-10: 1581604947, ISBN-13: 978-1581604948.
He responds by saying, "Yup, won't drive at night anymore."
I respond, "No, no, drive at night. Stop smoking."
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Miscellany / History / War Stories ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
All kinds of neat stuff at:
Stephen P. Wenger (you can download his books free of charge, as they
are presently out of print)
https://www.spw-duf.info/
Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/evolved-training/blog/
Michael Bane
https://www.michaelbane.tv/category/blog/
Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
https://www.youtube.com/c/MiculekDotCom/videos
OODA Loop
https://www.oodaloop.com/
Active Self Protection YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsE_m2z1NrvF2ImeNWh84mw
Michael Mann Security
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com
YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxi2b2Q-RK0G3U1gLPE9Cmw
Guardian News Podcast
https://guardian_news_podcast.buzzsprout.com/
“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
God promises to provide for you. That does not mean that God is your
magic piggy bank.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
----- Basics -----
"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
Why good guys lose fights in order of statistical importance:
1. Decision. Failure to make the decision to use force. (Because they did not
understand what was going on, because they were not aware of what was going on.
Because they were not aware.)
2. INTENSITY. Failure to fight with intensity, because that's how they trained.
[You really will fight the way you have trained.]
3. Windows and Timing. Failure to be patient (as God teaches) to wait for
windows of opportunity and failing to time their counter-attack correctly.
[Tolerance is not the same as patience.]
4. Skill. Failure to have the necessary skill required for combat, because of
lack of training and lack of practice.
From an email by Patrick Kilchermann, founder, Concealed Carry University
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM. (If you want peace, prepare for war.)
"Beginner's Guide to Pistol Ammo" by Chris Baker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp4jdViz5R0
22 LR means .22 caliber Long Rifle.
"Those of us who maintain a dangerous lifestyle will experience fear and anxiety.
But to do so, allows us to join a fraternity of those who have, since the
beginning of time, endured. They endured. We endured. It's the cost of the
privilege of such company."
- Paul Whitesell
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
----- Aftermath -----
(You have to 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
Please check out the web page "Self Defense Insurance" by clicking
on the link in the column to the right.
“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
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"What Time Is It?" by Brian Enos
https://brianenos.com/what-time-is-it/
Excerpt:
"When attentive: you know what you are doing — you cannot be improved."
"There are no victims, only volunteers.
You volunteer by looking uncertain and afraid.
You volunteer by being, as grass-eaters invariably are,
unprepared to confront the hazards of life."
—Jeff Cooper
"Intended Victim not ‘Subject’ " by tacticalprofessor
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2021/08/29/intended-victim-not-subject/
If you don't know what's going on around you, you are not paying attention.
This results in all kinds of bad things. PAY ATTENTION!
What is situational awareness?
Who is around you and what are they doing?
Always be aware of who is around you and what they are doing.
That is Situational Awareness.
Wow! This is a really useful article.
"How To Be An Expert: 8 Proven Secrets To Superior Skill" by Eric Barker
https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2016/08/how-to-be-an-expert/
1. Make a long-term commitment to learn the skill.
2. Find a mentor (not necessarily an expert in the field) and
be willing to question him.
3. Start with what's important. [For us, safety is important.]
4. Train like you fight.
5. Use “Desirable Difficulty”. You need to struggle.
6. Get Fast, Negative Feedback.
7. Study Less. Test More.
8. Naps Are Steroids For Your Brain.
As Bobby Knight once said,
“Everybody has the will to win;
few people have the will to prepare to win.”
"Front Sight Reality Check #84"
https://www.frontsight.com/fsrc84/patriot-tbd.asp
5 elements of winning a gunfight:
Color code of mental awareness
Combat mindset
Gun handling
Marksmanship
Tactical movement
"It’s not about the odds, it’s about the stakes."
The probability of you being attacked may be very low. That does not matter.
What you will lose, if you are not prepared, not aware, and don't act immediately
and decisively, is all that matters.
*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----
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.
"LAPD Saga!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/lapd-saga/
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don't go to stupid places.
Don't do stupid things.
Don't hang out with stupid people.
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed.
Don't look like a freak.
Don't fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training (figuring out the correct tasks to learn) -----
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)
"Pistol Small Arms Firing School
$50 Annual Training Course at the National Matches"
by Serena Juchnowski
https://americanhandgunner.com/discover/exclusives/pistol-small-arms-firing-school/
Excerpt:
"Federal law actually requires pistol and rifle SAFS
[Small Arms Firing School] to be held annually during the national matches."
"Where else can you get training from members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship
Unit (USAMU) with loaner firearms, ammunition provided and a T-shirt for $50?"
"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner
"Armed Self-Defense in America, the Year 'American Handgunner' Was Born"
by Massad Ayoob
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/armed-self-defense-in-america-the-year-american-handgunner-was-born/
Excerpt:
"Jodi M. Brown and Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D. later wrote in 'Policing and
Homicide, 1976-98: Justifiable Homicide by Police, Police Officers Murdered
by Felons' that in 1976 14% of slain officers were killed with their own weapons,
a trend that peaked in 1986 at 23%."
[This is why weapons retention training is essential. Yes, as a matter of
fact, the bad guy will attempt to take your pistol and shoot you and your loved
ones with it.]
“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
"Self-Defense Training on a Budget" by Chris Baker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr569MLCgWk
referenced book
"Fighting Smarter" by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/fighting-smarter/
Out of print, but available at various places online.
A Kindle version is available at Amazon.com,
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Smarter-Tom-Givens-ebook/dp/B00T3KNDVG/ref=sr_1_1
'The "Three S" Test' by Dave Spaulding
https://www.buckeyefirearms.org/three-s-test
Excerpt:
"Never base a decision on how to deal with an armed opponent by
applying YOUR logic or feelings as they don't think like you do."
SIMPLE Is the technique being taught simple to execute or perform?
SENSE Does it make sense?
STREET PROVEN Has the technique been used in actual combat of the type you may face?
I just finished a Counter Terrorism course by Michael Mann Security Services.
One of the things we learned was that the Chief of Police of the Metro Nashville
Police Department instructed his officers to "avoid all proactive policing. They
could respond to calls, but don't initiate anything." Did you notice the wording?
"could respond" not "must respond".
Having been a cop, that's about the craziest thing I have ever heard.
Another thing I learned was that 85% of critical infrastructure in the U.S.
is protected by private security, because it is owned by private corporations.
Private security gets a bad rap because the level of training is very low.
But, that's at the entry level, because the companies don't give their officers
much training. The reality is that the level of training of the private security
officers in the "real" jobs is very high, because the companies hire persons who
already have the training. For example, G4S (before it was bought out by Allied)
had a level of security officer that had as a prerequisite: so many years of law
enforcement experience or so many years of active duty military experience (with
an MOS in combat arms). And then their are those private security officers who
guard nuclear power plants and refining facilities, who have extremely high
levels of training.
"WW2 1911 .45 CAL Pistol Training"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP7J-JNSUu4
What a classic.
"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"No Bang For Your Buck: Why You Should Dry Practice" by Justin Carroll
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/no-bang-buck-dry-practice/
"No Bang for Your Buck Part 2: How to Dry Practice" by Justin Carroll
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/no-bang-buck-part-2-dry-practice/
Whoa! This stuff is deep. Better have your reference books
next to you when reading this. If you aren't a true believer in dry
practice after reading this, something is wrong with you.
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
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to do that task) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"Concealment is a Verb: Re-holster Immediately Following Violence" by Salvatore
https://www.usacarry.com/re-holster-immediately-following-violence/
"Pre-attack indicators: Conscious recognition of telegraphed cues" by Lt. Jim Glennon
https://www.police1.com/police-products/training-products/articles/pre-attack-indicators-conscious-recognition-of-telegraphed-cues-lHaGNktGomYevmQE/
"Pre-Assault Body Language Indicators" by Matthew Schafer
https://schaferselfdefense.blogspot.com/2014/02/pre-assault-body-language-indicators.html
"Dan Brokos Gives TFB Some Quick Tips for Improving Your Pistol Game" by Luke C.
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/09/02/dan-brokos-tips/
1. Stick with One Gun and One Trigger
2. Prioritize Accuracy over Speed
3. Practice your Lower Body Stance
"Head Buttin Time! How to Head-butt A Bad Guy Real Good" by Michael Kurcina
https://spotterup.com/head-buttin-time-how-to-head-butt-a-bad-guy-real-good/
1. Prepare for action. He’s likely to step into you.
You want to get the jump on him before he has time to do something.
2. Get stabilized with your feet. You’re about to deliver a head-butt and
you need good energy to inflict damage. It will be like a whiplash motion.
3. As he begins to move you simply place your hands on his chest.
Don’t grab around his neck to pull him into you. If you pull him first,
instead of pushing first then he will reflexively tense up his shoulders,
resist and try to pull away from you.
4. So, with both hands on his chest, simply push him back while you hold
onto him. As he becomes unbalanced, you will have control of him, and
this is the time to pull him sharply forward into you. He’ll be like a
rag doll.
5. For a good, effective head-butt don’t just tilt your head backwards as
you pull him towards you. Tuck your chin to your chest.
6. Make timing and physics work for you. Snap down with your torso AND the
crown of your head onto his, while stepping into him. It’s done almost as
if you are rising, this way you can hit him from a higher vantage point.
Target the sensitive areas of his face and head; his cheeks, temples, nose,
top of his eye sockets or lower-forehead. He should feel the damage.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
----- Education -----
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"New Study: Grip Strength and Shooting Performance" by Von Kliem, JD, LL.M
https://www.forcescience.org/2021/09/new-study-grip-strength-and-shooting-performance/
Excerpts:
". . . researchers determined that grip strength in the range of 80 lbs and
125 lbs was needed to score approximately 85% and 90% on the pistol qualification
test. The average grip strength for the female officers in the study was 77.5lbs,
while the average for the men was 121.5lbs."
"78% of the females and 92% of the males passed the qualification test
(22% and 8% failed respectively). Researchers observed that, for every pound
below the average grip strength required to score between 85% and 90%, the odds
of an officer failing the pistol qualification increased by 2%."
" “In our study, higher rates of failure appeared to be correlated with
lower grip strength.” Brown continued: “Agencies should consider minimum grip
requirements based on the issued duty pistol trigger weight. Although grip
strength issues might disproportionately impact female officers, strength
training may help to mitigate grip-related deficiencies regardless of the
officer’s gender.” "
"Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute,
supports Brown’s recommendations and was encouraged by the NYPD’s move to a
lighter trigger pull weight: “We often hear that higher trigger pull weights
can provide increased decision-making time for officers. The research does
not support that position.” Dr. Lewinski explained: “Even the heavier
triggers can have a travel time as quick as 6/100 to 8/100 of a second.
If the decision to pull the trigger has already been made, the travel time
of the trigger isn’t going to result in sufficient time to change your mind
and stop that action.” "
Primary source document,
"Examining the impact of grip strength and officer gender on shooting performance"
by AndrewBrown, Simon Baldwin, Brittany Blaskovits, and Craig Bennell
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003687021001836?via%3Dihub
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Hardware (which includes you) ***** ***** *****
"I would like to see every
woman know how to handle
guns as naturally as they
know how to handle babies."
-- Annie Oakley
----- Gear -----
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"A New Epiphany!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/a-new-epiphany/
This article is about trigger weight. But, I'm going to go off on a tangent.
Excerpt:
"Mathematics is no refuge! Our naive hope for certainty is dashed as we discover
that even mathematics is neither complete, nor consistent."
I assume John is referring to the "Gödel Incompleteness Theorem"
by Kurt Friedrich Gödel, November 17, 1930;
"On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems".
I've read the proof (and understood it), so I sort of know what I'm talking about.
The theorem only says that there there exist statements that can be formally stated in
any system of mathematics that cannot be proved to be true, and cannot be proved to
be false. That is to say the truth of the statements are indeterminant. But, this
would only be meaningful in a self consistent system of axioms. So, the statement
that all systems of mathematics are not "consistent" is wrong.
Using the term "complete", as in all systems of mathematics are not "complete"
is a little tricky. Mathematicians use the word "complete" to refer number systems,
such as "the Complex number system is complete because any operation on numbers
as input will result in an output number in the Complex number system".
So, what he really means to say (I think) is "There are statements that can
neither be proved to be true nor proved to be false in any self consistent system
of axioms." Or, more succinctly, "There exist indeterminant statements in any
axiomatic system."
"Stop Worrying About Overpenetration" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/stop-worrying-about-overpenetration
Excerpt:
"Your misses are what will cause damage to innocent people.
Instead of worrying about carrying the latest under-penetrating
“super bullet”, spend your time improving your accuracy and speed
so that you can reliably hit your attacker.
Stop worrying so much about overpenetration. In real tissue,
it rarely happens with well designed hollow point bullets."
T1 Ammo
https://t1ammo.com/
5% discount to active and retired members of the Military and Law Enforcement community.
You have to scan and upload your military or law enforcement ID. If you've never
served, contact me and I will give you a discount code.
They presently design, manufacture, and sell .223, 9mm ball, and 9mm hollow point.
But, I'm sure they will expand. The company is owned and operated by ladies,
who have a well defined sense of customer service.
Subsonic 9mm Hybrid Hollow Point - Self Defense - Box 50, Factory New, Brass Case
124 GR – $62.50 ($1.25/rd)
147 GR – $72.50 ($1.45/rd)
Subsonic 9mm 124 Grain Total Metal Jacket, Factory New, Brass Case
Box 50 – $32.99 ($0.66/rd)
Bulk 250 – $152.99 ($0.61/rd)
Subsonic 9 mm 147 Grain Total Metal Jacket, Factory New, Brass Case
Box 50 – $35.50 ($0.71/rd)
Bulk 250 – $168.25 ($0.67/rd)
They also sell .223 rifle ammo.
Muzzle velocities and such are listed on the web site.
Steel City Ammo
https://www.steelcityammoco.com/
Has all kinds of ammo in stock. In case you're living in an ammo desert.
Palmeto State Armory
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 9mm Pistol with Manual Safety
$449.99
https://palmettostatearmory.com/smith-wesson-m-p-shield-ez-9mm-pistol-with-manual-safety-black-12436.html
No promo code needed.
Louis Awerbuck recommended the Springfield Armory XD. I have found them to
be reliable. It's been on the market long enough for Springfield Armory to have
worked out all the bugs. I am sure you have seen the problem with buying the
latest pistol adopted by the Armed Forces or that large police department. Even
after the testing, the Sig had major problems (and law suits). Pistols are like
software; if you are a first adopter, you are the beta tester. And there are
always bugs in the system that need to be fixed. Better to go with something
that has been peer reviewed for many years. Especially if you are going to bet
your life on it. Especially, if you are going to bet the lives of your loved ones.
“Your car is not a holster.” -- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"Magazine Maintenance – Part 1" by Drew Forge
https://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-armorer-magazine-maintenance-cleaning-pmag-ar15-part-1/
"Magazine Maintenance – Part 2" by Drew Forge
https://www.shtfblog.com/shtf-armorer-magazine-maintenance-cleaning-ar15-glock-pistol-riflepart-2/
I have found that cutting those tabs off of the Glock magazines makes
them much easier to disassemble in the future. They are redundant to the
button that protrudes out the bottom of the base plate.
Handgun magazine springs -
https://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazine-parts/magazine-springs/index.htm
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
"Dealing with Cross-Dominance Issues in Students" by Tom Givens
https://secureservercdn.net/45.40.151.233/d74.722.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-09_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
Yesterday, a young lady in class told me, "That's how they do it in the movies."
I explained to her that movies are not real. She gave me a bewildered look and
wondered why I would lie to her in front of all these witnesses.
Not everyone lives in the same world you do.
A little girl [I have no age limits on my students.] was pointing her pistol
to the left of her (as opposed to down range). So, I told her to keep her pistol
pointed down or down range.
She told me, "It's okay, it's not loaded."
I told her, "That is a bad attitude. All guns are always loaded."
She got offended and started to cry. [Now mind you this was after the safety
lecture and an explicit explanation of the safety rules.]
Mental maturity is not correlated to chronological age. Some girls will
cry for no apparent reason.
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 Solomon
My hypocrisy comes back to bite me. I teach, "Do not teach or coach anyone
whom you are emotionally attached to." Because this is what will happen.
After giving a brief on why we separate spouses, boyfriend/girlfriends, etc.
on the line, because we don't want one person doing for another person (as opposed
to helping the other person), because that prevents the other person from learning
the skill, as people learn by doing, not just watching. A young (26 year old)
lady is having difficulty with a task, so I help her. She starts screaming,
"Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" The 14 year old little girl on the line next to
the young lady starts freaking out, thinking that I was molesting the young lady.
I made the mistake of asking the young lady to calm down in a rather crude way that
demonstrated undue familiarity. She responded with a threat of physical violence.
It degenerated from there.
A middle aged lady consoled me by saying, "It wasn't your fault. She clearly
did not read the documents that you all had mailed out before the class. Because
they clearly state that if you don't want the instructors to touch you, you have
to tell them before the start of class." And that too was part of the problem.
The young lady has a key to my apartment, one of my credit cards in her
wallet, and baskets of clothes piled up all over my apartment. So, she was not
a stranger to me. She meant, "Don't help me! Don't do it for me!", but it came
out "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" Which started a horrendous chain reaction.
Professional distance and objectivity are essential. If you are friendly
with someone in the class that you are teaching, STAY AWAY FROM THEM. Learn
from my mistakes. I'll make more of them for your edification.
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** Political (legal), Religious, and Philosophical ***** *****
"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
"Livestock!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/livestock/
You may be young and so have never seen this socio-political nonsense
before. But, I assure you it is periodic. Teach your children freedom.
Because we are never more than one generation away from slavery.
"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
"Proportional Response: Understanding Self-Defense Statutes" by Andrew Branca
https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2016/08/proportional-response-understanding-self-defense-statutes/#self-defense-3-2
Excerpt:
". . . the Supreme Court long ago recognized that
“detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife.”
Brown v. United States, 256 U.S. 335 (1921).
"Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just power from the consent of the governed."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"The Expert Witness and Trial Strategy" An Interview with Massad Ayoob
Interview by Gila Hayes
https://armedcitizensnetwork.org/the-expert-witness-and-trial-strategy
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."
-- Patrick Henry, speech of June 5, 1788 A.D.
"Militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves . . .
And include all men capable of bearing arms."
-- Senator Richard Henry Lee, 1788, on "militia" in the 2nd Amendment
"SEVEN BUSES of American Female Citizens Taken by Taliban,
NO MEDIA COVERAGE By Biden Media (Including FOX News)" by Pamela Geller
https://gellerreport.com/2021/08/seven-buses-of-american-female-citizens-taken-by-taliban-no-media-coverage-by-biden-media-including-fox-news.html/
The busses had made it to the Kabul airport but were not allowed in.
No, they are not dead. They are sex slaves. Reports of their death is
to allow those responsible (Biden administration) to claim that it's
not worth risking American lives to recover bodies.
When I was considering joining the Armed Forces, my father told
me to go next door to speak to BGen. John Gorman, who had been a U.S.
Army Infantry officer during the Korean War. Gen. Gorman told me that
when they were retreating from the Chosin Reservoir, the U.S. Army
left their dead behind like trash. But, the Marines brought all their
dead out. He told me to join the Marines. So, I did.
It is quite damning of the Biden administration that they will not
rescue American citizens.
[Tell the insurance company that if they are going to rescue one, they might
as well rescue them all. They will be heroes. They will be able to use the
rescue in their advertisements for decades to come. They will set a precedent.
And mercenaries are cheap and expendable. There is always credible deniability.]
"Vice President Joe Biden was kicked off the team to kill Osama Bin Laden."
-- CWO5 Doug Englen, U.S. Army Special Operations.
The one of the reasons so many American citizens are still trapped in
Afghanistan is that no one in President Biden's chain of command gave the
evacuation order. So, no one was given warning to evacuate. So, none of the
equipment (armored cars, helicopters, night vision, guns, ammo, etc.) was
destroyed before being abandoned.
Another reason is that U.S. forces used Hamid Karzai International Airport
instead of Bagram Air Base which is on a high plateau and much more easily defended.
According to a U.S. Army Intelligence officer.
Oh yes, elections have real consequences.
“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 an dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Survival, Medical, Security, and such ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
While in Hawaii, I had lunch with an old high school buddy. He's telling me
he and the wife golf, and he loves drinking scotch and smoking cigars. He's telling
me that he's getting old and can't drive at night, because he can't see. So, I send
him an excerpt from Major Plaster's book, "Ultimate Sniper",
“A pack-a-day smoker builds high levels of carbon monoxide in his blood,
which reduce 20 percent of normal night vision at sea level, an effect that
increases with altitude; by 10,000 feet, he’s lost 40% of his night vision.”
– “The Ultimate Sniper” by Maj. John Plaster, U.S. Army retired, Paladin Press,
Revised edition January 2006, page 8. ISBN-10: 1581604947, ISBN-13: 978-1581604948.
He responds by saying, "Yup, won't drive at night anymore."
I respond, "No, no, drive at night. Stop smoking."
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Miscellany / History / War Stories ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
All kinds of neat stuff at:
Stephen P. Wenger (you can download his books free of charge, as they
are presently out of print)
https://www.spw-duf.info/
Practical Eschatology by Docent
https://practicaleschatology.blogspot.com/
The Tactical Professor by Claude Werner
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/
Active Response Training by Gregg Ellifritz
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/
Quips by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/quips/
Rangemaster newsletter by Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/publications/rangemaster-newsletter/
CIVILIAN DEFENDER by Sherman House
https://civiliandefender.com/
Handgun Combatives by Dave Spaulding
https://www.youtube.com/c/handguncombatives/videos
Marcus Wynne
https://marcuswynne.com/blog/
Jeff Gonzales
https://www.tridentconcepts.com/evolved-training/blog/
Michael Bane
https://www.michaelbane.tv/category/blog/
Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
https://www.youtube.com/c/MiculekDotCom/videos
OODA Loop
https://www.oodaloop.com/
Active Self Protection YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsE_m2z1NrvF2ImeNWh84mw
Michael Mann Security
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com
YouTube.com channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxi2b2Q-RK0G3U1gLPE9Cmw
Guardian News Podcast
https://guardian_news_podcast.buzzsprout.com/
“In the long-run, there is no such thing as ‘luck’.
However, the short-run is longer than many individual lifetimes!”
-- Anon
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
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