Greetings Sheepdogs,
I have registered for the 2018 Tactical Conference,
http://rangemaster.com/2018-tactical-conference/
07:00 on 16 March 2018 to
17:00 on 18 March 2018 in
North Little Rock, AR at the
Direct Action Resource Center.
You should register now, because every year it sells out
a month earlier than in the previous year. The 2017
Conference sold out 6 months before the events. For under
$400 for 3 days of intense, high information density,
useful training, it is by far the best training deal in
the country. I love the conversations with the instructors
between the scheduled classes. Everyone is so open and
willing to answer questions.
I saw, Palmetto Gun Club Instructor Bill Hayes at
this past conference.
***** Mindset *****
What wins fights?
"The will to win and execution of fundamentals."
-- Clint Smith
As opposed to fancy stuff, taught in many schools to
entertain their students. Because they want your
repeat business and they want you to tell your friends
how much fun it was.
Gun schools that teach you to win in combat
are not adventure summer camps. Drilling in the
fundamentals until you cannot do it wrong is tedious
and boring. It takes determination and focus.
G. Gordon Liddy would sign his letters to his
children with the complementary close, "Win".
(Liddy was not a very good intelligence analyst.
He thought Sec. Alexander Haig was Deep Throat.
It was actually Federal Bureau of Investigation
Deputy Director William Mark Felt, Sr.)
Firearm Training: Why Humility is Necessary
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2017/4/7/firearm-training-why-humility-is-necessary/
***** Training *****
How do you know if you’re getting good training?
https://www.agirlandagun.org/how-do-you-know-if-youre-getting-good-training/
Have you noticed that most of the good gun schools
are run by students of Col. Cooper or students of
students of the Colonel?
I teach self defense. Self defense is combat.
I have been in combat training. Almost all persons
in our society have never been in combat training.
How do you know if you are in combat training?
You get dirty, you sweat, you get injured. Because,
it is realistic and intense.
I love Front Sight. I learned a lot there:
safe gun handling, marksmanship, tactics, laws of
self defense, how to handle the aftermath including
the police and the justice system, etc. I have taken
many friends and relatives to Front Sight. Guys
will take their wives, girlfriends, and daughters
to Front Sight because the instructors are professional,
courteous, and there is never any foul language.
As Dr. Piazza likes to say, Front Sight is a resort
for gun lovers. You don't get dirty. You don't
sweat. You don't get injured. (Unless you shoot
yourself, which I have seen.)
They do not do combat training. None of the civilian
gun schools that I have attended do combat training.
None of the civilian law enforcement classes that
I have attended did combat training. Police departments
are, in general, risk averse. They have a very low
tolerance for injury in training.
When I was at 1st Radio Battalion, Fleet Marine
Force Pacific, our detachment went to the California
deserts to support a combined arms exercise.
One of the facets of intelligence is weather.
We informed Lt. Gen. Klingston that the winds were
too high and advised him to postpone the jump.
He rightly ignored us. He ordered the 82nd Air Borne
to jump. Every lieutenant on ever aircraft ordered
his soldiers to jump. (If you're not willing to
give the order, you have no business being an
officer.) They all jumped. They suffered 3% casualty
and 1% fatality. (My numbers may be wrong. It was a
long time ago.) In combat training, you suffer
training injuries. This is necessary. Failure to
train properly insures that everyone dies in combat.
Proper training insures that not only do the soldiers
survive combat, but more importantly they accomplish
their mission. We are not there to survive. We
are there to win.
Training injuries are common. Training injuries
are normal. In recruit training, we were on a run
and a Private collapsed. The Corpsmen, who were
following us in a Jeep, picked him up, stuck an IV
in him, and drove him straight to Balboa
(Naval Medical Hospital). He died.
I don't train law enforcement Special Weapons
And Tactics persons. I don't train military special
operations individuals. They can take care of them-
selves. I train young ladies and old ladies (many
with disabilities) because they are the primary
targets of criminals. The problem is, the ladies
are extremely reluctant to engage in combat training.
Some will drop out of the class, because "It's too
intense." This usually refers to the lectures and
discussion in the classroom, not the physical
training.
I once attended an ASSERT training class in
which a female had a bit of a break down. I didn't
know how to help her. I'm not a comforting,
hugging sort of person.
I'm not writing this to offer solutions.
I don't have any. I don't like the ones that I
been able to find in the literature. I'm just
writing to let you know, you're not alone. Yes,
it is difficult. You have to keep trying. You
have to keep encouraging your children to keep
trying.
Some people survive, some don't. Whatever
you have to do to survive is worth it.
Surviving after you get punched without
warning and stomped by a bunch of predators,
is good.
But, the training allows you to avoid
the incident in the first place, or to
win the fight if you can't avoid it. You'll
still get prosecuted and end up bankrupt, and
perhaps in prison. But, you'll be alive.
And if you've executed your fundamentals properly,
your attackers won't be around to prey on your
children or neighbors. So, you will have
rendered an invaluable service to your family
and community.
In the end, we all answer to God.
"Negligent Discharge" by
Greg Ellifritz at
http://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017-04_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
This article is truth. Just about all the
information on internet forums, TV shows, and
movies concerning police and firearms is false.
***** Tactics *****
SHOOT THEM IN THE CROTCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE9qooFUqsk
Because that's the first place your muzzle
will cover. (Because we all carry in a firing
side inside the waist band holster on a strong
belt, because we are all well trained and
intelligent.) You need to be the first to get
a hit.
When I was in artillery, I actually wore
all of my armor including the crotch panel.
(As a Staff NCO, I had to set the example for
my Marines.) Most of the Marines did not.
Criminals won't be wearing a crotch panel.
So, your shot placement has defeated their
body armor. As Mr. Smith says, level 2 body
armor is easily acquired online and lots of
criminals have used such armor.
Why IACP's recommendation on warning shots is a terrible idea
https://www.policeone.com/chiefs-sheriffs/articles/324035006-Why-IACPs-recommendation-on-warning-shots-is-a-terrible-idea/
In most jurisdictions warning shots are
not legally justified. You will be charged
with "assault with a deadly weapon", "terroristic
threatening", "reckless endangering", or
something like that.
There is no place to safely aim a warning
shot. Anything fired into the ground will
ricochet off the asphalt road, concrete sidewalk,
or rock in the ground and hit someone, maybe you.
Anything fired into the air will come down with
near equal velocity as it came out of your muzzle
(gravity is a conservative field) injuring or
killing anyone it hits.
The only places to aim a self defense shot
are center of mass of the threat, high thoracic
cavity of the threat, or cranio-ocular section
of the head of the threat. Anywhere else
demonstrates a lack of training. This does not
mean you are going to hit that area. It just
means you will be able to justify your action
at trial.
***** Techniques *****
Trigger Stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVFHdH71hEg
The pre-ignition push. (Anticipating the recoil
and pushing against it.) Defeated by the
surprise break.
***** Gear *****
Rangemaster newsletter
http://rangemaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017-04_RFTS-Newsletter.pdf
The article on shotgun ammo for self defense is important.
Old infantry wisdom, carry extra ammo and extra water.
You can drop everything else.
Raw Clint Episode 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVG9D6IVpkQ&index=5&list=PLDhufOZjUdoV4qJFEMyyCrbUdJ6gOSgWg
Bullet Migration in 9mm Revolvers
http://defense-training.com/2016/bullet-migration-in-9mm-revolvers/
Lesson learned, don't use 9mm ammo in revolvers.
***** Instructors *****
***** Pedagogy *****
***** Education *****
Know the Rules
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/standards-part-v-know-the-rules/
You can't play any game without understanding the
rules first. (Not just reading the rules.)
I learned this the hard way playing Monopoly with my
son-in-law. I should have known he was a Monopoly shark
when I noticed that he had all of the cards in the game
memorized.
Self defense is a game that you have to win,
because the stakes are so high.
ANDREW BRANCA’S, “LAW OF SELF-DEFENSE LEVEL ONE CLASS.” A course review
https://revolverscience.com/2017/02/26/andrew-brancas-law-of-self-defense-level-one-class-a-course-review/
I have taken Mr. Branca's level one and level two classes. He also offers a
video simulator session that I have not yet taken. The level one is the laws of
self defense in general in America. The level two class is specific to your
state and the appellate court decisions that interpret the laws in your state.
Thunder Ranch - Defensive Tactics (PART 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0vLitHoRD4
***** Legal and Political stuff *****
Concealed Carry: After the Shooting
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/concealed-carry-after-the-shooting
What happens after the shooting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVeK5GXel58
North Dakota governor approves concealed guns without a permit
https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-dakota-governor-approves-concealed-guns-without-permit-195224219.html
***** Survival Tips *****
***** Miscellany *****
Lesson plans may be found at
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474513
or send me an email requesting the latest
version.
Cheers,
Jon
Jonathan Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
