Thursday, January 30, 2020

CWP, 31 January MMXX Anno Domini

Hi Sheepdogs,
     We are God's hedge of protection around our loved ones,
neighbors, and community.  (allusion to what Satan says to God
in the book of Job)  When the angels are busy, God uses humans.

*****     *****     ***** Software *****     *****     *****

     "Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.

----- Mindset -----

“Cleanliness and order are not matters of ‘instinct.’
They are matters of education, and like most great things,
you must cultivate a taste for them.”
-- Benjamin Disraeli

     ". . . don’t put yourself in a position where you’ve unnecessarily
increased your prospects for getting shot and killed, even if your
killing is later determined to be unlawful, and that you were “in the right.”
You’ll still be “in the ground.” And that’s not a win."
--  Andrew Branca

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

     ". . . I don’t care how long you’ve been doing this,
get out and train with someone else. Pick up some new tricks,
knock the rust off, and see what goes on outside your own
organization." -- Tom Givens

"Destiny doesn't make appointments,
nor does she waste her time with the naive and unready!" 
-- John Farnam

     “Grass-eaters are easily identified and selected for their
chosen status of victimhood.  On the other side of the ledger,
we Operators have audaciously claimed our own image and likeness
to our Creator.
     Being barely alive, but on your own terms, is better by far
than living a bloated half-life on someone else's.”
-- Anon

----- Safety -----

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.
-- John Farnam

The Spellcheck Problem (Explained Discreetly)
https://www.corneredcat.com/the-spellcheck-problem-explained-discreetly/
Excerpt: 
     "This is also why potential students should look very suspiciously
at any program that has novices-watching-novices as a part of the safety
protocols.  People cannot see whole categories of our own mistakes, and
naive observers are also unlikely to catch those same mistakes when
others make them.  Because of this, setting novices to watch novices may
help the observers learn to see the errors, but it does little or
nothing for safety among those who are handling the guns at the moment."
     [This is why I no longer attend Front Sight and no longer recommend
Front Sight to others.  In the beginning (1995), it was a wonderful
gun school, with a policy of at least one instructor for every five
students.  But, as the school grew, they could not hire enough instructors. 
So, they implemented a policy of pairs of students watching each other
and coaching each other.  But, a novice student has no business watching
for safety violations and certainly no business coaching anyone. -- Jon Low]

SAFETY RULES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVzziCOcVUY
     Invite your newbie friends to watch this, before taking them to the range. 
They may then ask you safety questions that you can't answer.  Shame on you. 
So, maybe you should view the video. 

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

----- Training -----

"Reasons for training: 
1.  You don't know what you don't know.
2.  Much of what you know is wrong.
3.  It's good to have some of the answers to the test before taking it."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor

Cops aren't shooters, but they should be
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/training/articles/cops-arent-shooters-but-they-should-be-cJnbtzz0se3aBlk7/
Excerpts: 
     "While offering trigger time and rounds down range,
qualification holds no training value." 
     ". . . some administrators fail to see the value of providing training
above what is mandated." 
     ". . . cops aren’t shooters . . . but they should be."
     [Over the decades that I have taught self defense with a pistol,
I have approached law enforcement officers, given them my card, and
offered them training.  (Especially those sitting in restaurants
with their backs to the doors, or in condition white.)  Zero have
contacted me.  As opposed to hundreds of civilians who find out
through casual conversation that I am an instructor and follow up. 
Cops used to be warriors.  Now they are social workers. 
Because that is the voter's choice. -- Jon Low]

     "The real value of training, though, is that it improves competence,
which leads to a higher level of confidence." 
-- Rehn & Daub

     I attended an active killer seminar presented by Brink Fidler of
Defend Systems.
https://www.defendsystems.com/
These are some of the things I learned: 
     Always have a plan, in every situation, in every location. 
If you have a plan (a script), you will execute to your plan. 
Which means you won't freeze or do something stupid. 
     If you have a plan, you will respond.  If you don't have
a plan, you will react.  Most reactions to high stress situations
are wrong.
     Learn how to stop bleeding.
     When you call 911, give the dispatcher an exact location. 
So, you have to know where you are, where your office is, e.g.
second floor, north-east side of building, third window from
the east corner of the building, at 234 Maple Street.
If you can't give explicit directions on how to find you,
the police and EMS won't be able to find you.
     Untrained people in a high stress situation go through
three stages:  Denial, Deliberation, Decisive Action.  With
training, you can go directly to Decisive Action.
     Attack the eyes of the assailant.
     Make sure your organization has a mass communication and
notification system.  Regularly test the system.
     Security paradigm:  DEFEND
Deter     Be assertive.
Evade     It's gun fire, until it's not.
Fortify   Move to deep corners (not visible from the doorway).
Evaluate  Notify 911:  "Location", "Active shooter".
Defend    Get within one step of the doorway to ambush.
     The police priorities are: 
1.  Stop the killing.  (So, don't expect them to stop to help you.)
2.  Stop the dying.
3.  Evacuate.
4.  Process the scene.
     Trust your instincts.  Don't worry about being rude. 
Don't worry about anyone perceiving you as racist.  The
criminal is manipulating you.  Trust your instincts.
     Have a bag policy at your church or business.  Inspect
all bags before allowing them into your facility.
     Invite cops over to tour your place.  Feed them. 
You want them to know you.  So, they don't accidentally
shoot you when they respond in an emergency. 
     Have removable floor plans posted at all entrances. 
     Arrange for a "Stop the Bleed" class.  They are free. 
https://www.stopthebleed.org/
     Arrange for first aid classes.
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/first-aid
     Take the correct course.  You don't need to know how to take
a person's blood pressure.  You need to know how to stop an
arterial bleed.

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

     I attended a seminar "Providing Physical Security for
Houses of Worship and Ministries" presented by Michael Mann
of Michael Mann Security Services. 
https://michaelmannsecurityservices.com/
Some of the things I learned: 
     "Violent attacks committed against churches, houses of worship,
Christian schools, and other ministries are not random or unpredictable. 
There are pre-incident indicators that can be identified and used to
assess risk and prevent attack."
     Our primary purpose is to prevent, not to respond.  If we
have to respond, we failed to prevent.
     The gun and uniform do not prevent.  The assertive questioning
attitude prevents.  Greeting deters. 
     Maintain three layers:  Outside in the parking lot, at every
portal, and inside.
     Recruit volunteers.  [Paid security are mercenaries.  They
don't necessarily love your people.  And may not be willing to
sacrifice their lives for your people.  (Remember Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida?) -- Jon Low]
     Mitigate liability by training and certifying your volunteers,
in medical, hand-to-hand combat, less than lethal weapons, and
firearms skills.
     There is risk.  So, the organization (church), must have insurance
that covers the volunteers.  The individual volunteers must have
pre-paid legal coverage (it's not really self-defense insurance,
see the articles comparing pre-paid legal coverage in the Legal section below).

"The real value of training and practice isn't gaining technical competence,
it's achieving confidence in your abilities."
-- Claude Werner the Tactical Professor

Top 9 Mistakes I See In Training Classes
https://www.shooting-performance.com/top-9-mistakes-i-see-training-classes/
Excerpt: 
     "Sometimes what you need to hear is not what you want to hear, . . ."
[I don't agree with everything in this article.  But, it is critically
important to read differing points of view.  Because it might work for you.
-- Jon Low]

The Handgun Skills Triad – The Key to High Performance Shooting
https://www.shooting-performance.com/the-handgun-skills-triad-the-key-to-high-performance-shooting/
Excerpt: 
     "Be careful you don’t get caught in the trap of repeating the same
wrong technique over and over because the subconscious mind has
programmed that routine (although wrong) from countless repetitions. 
How do you know if you are doing something wrong?  Shoot video!" 
[Practicing in front of a mirror also works well. -- Jon Low]
     "My buddy Rob Leatham says it best:
“You can’t learn to run by trying to walk fast,
they are completely different movements!” "
[I don't agree with everything in this article.  But, it is critically
important to read differing points of view.  Because it might work for you.
-- Jon Low]

"Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner

----- Practice -----

      Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III

     Marksmanship is a perishable skill.  So, yes, you have
to practice regularly (at least dry practice weekly and
live fire monthly). 
     "The only purpose of live fire practice is to verify
what you learned in dry practice." -- Dr. Ignatius Piazza
     The recency of your practice is far more important
than the volume of your practice.  Practicing beyond your
attention span has diminishing returns.  Practice that
occurred recently (you still feel it in your soul) has
exponential returns.

"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee

Getting the Most Out of Practice
https://files.constantcontact.com/af94ab47001/39463469-73f1-40a6-8dfe-2753a1e3c325.pdf
     Yes, this is an archery article, but applies directly to you.

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

Shooting From the Ground
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/shooting-from-the-ground
     Greg gives us important awkward positions to practice
presenting from.

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

Dry practice builds manipulation skills.
Live practice builds shooting skills.
-- Mike Seeklander

     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

----- Techniques -----

"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee

Why ‘point shooting’ doesn’t work on its own
http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/why-point-shooting-doesnt-work-on-its-own/law-enforcement-defense-security
     This is deep truth that you need to understand. 
I don't teach shooting without using the sights, because
in a critical high stress situation, you have to guarantee
hits.  Because every miss is damaging property, injuring
innocent persons, maybe killing them.  You can't guarantee
hits if you don't know where your sights are. 
     If you are so close to your target that you can
guarantee hits, and sticking your pistol out in front of you
would allow the enemy to grab your pistol, then you
wouldn't use your sights.

What To Do When Your Pistol Doesn't Fire
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/24/what-to-do-when-your-pistol-doesnt-fire/

Coaching for Accuracy: Improving Your Trigger Technique
https://thecmp.org/coaching-for-accuracy-improving-your-trigger-technique/
     This directly applies to defensive pistolcraft. 
     You have to have your trigger finger in the correct
position relative to the trigger and the barrel.  If not,
have your gunsmith move the trigger.  Yes, as a matter of
fact this can be done on any pistol.
     You have to trap your trigger to the rear after the
shot and hold the trigger there until you get your sights
back on the target (the one you just shot, not the next
one) for your second sight movie.  This is an essential
part of your follow through.  If you think you can go
faster by skipping this step, you're right.  But, you
will be lowering the probability of hitting your intended
target.  Oh, you'll definitely hit something.  Because
you won't be on a multi-million dollar range with soft
dirt berms to catch your bullets.  The choice is always
yours.  Choose wisely. 

Trigger Finger Placement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36zA3jNC1Zs

Off Hand Fending Position by Craig Douglas of Shivworks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGODxQH_b-I

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

Craig Douglas teaches How to draw a firearm while standing in a crowd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZwYmNwlVi8

Jennifer Barretta's 3-Rail Kick System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOctfGqCJRc
     As Jennifer says, "It's not magic, it's knowledge." 
(Just like our surprise trigger break.)
You can't test the table (the environment that you are
operating in), but you can test all of your equipment. 
Notice that she knows what is important (the vanishing point)
and what is not important (the position of the cue ball). 
Similarly for pistolcraft.  Sight alignment is important. 
Sight movie, not so much.  Because everything will be moving
in a combat situation.  Stance, platform, body position, etc.
don't matter.
     The reason the guy couldn't make the shot is because he is
grossly inconsistent, so his adjustments don't matter. 
It's as a shooter making sight adjustments when he's not
grouping in the first place, a waste of time and ammo. 
     They don't mention it, but the harder you hit the ball
into the rail, the sharper the angle of reflection (all
other things being equal).
     The masse shot is generally driving the cue ball into the
table to get it to bounce off the slate, as a trampoline. 
But, Jennifer is simply using the shot to get the correct
English on the cue ball.
     I used to play at Skyline Billiards in my misspent middle age. 
Fond memories.

Ana P. Vazquez v Valentina A. Giraldo – recurve junior women gold | World Youth Championships 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilA-uusMHis
     Notice that Valentina is closing her non-aiming eye to
eliminate the double image, to ensure she is shooting at
what she thinks she is aiming at.  So, she gets 10's.
Ana has both eyes open and is getting shots off to the left. 
Why?  Because she is shooting at the wrong image.  This is
common for right handed shooters who shoot with both eyes
open.  (Remember, this is a high stress situation.) 
For them it's just points.  For us, it's hitting innocent
bystanders.  That's why keeping both eyes open when you
fire your shot is criminal stupidity.  And teaching
people to shoot with both eyes open all the way through the
shot process is criminal negligence.
     No, it's not a matter of sight settings.  Unfortunately,
Ana makes sight adjustments between the first and second set,
because her coach does not understand what's going on.  He
needs to be fired.
     Notice that Valentina uses the classic anchor at the
center of the chin and center of the nose.  Easy to maintain
consistency.  Consistency is precision.
     Ana uses a side of the jaw anchor point.  Much more
difficult to maintain consistency.  Yes, there are reasons
to use such, but none in her case that would override the
need for consistency.
     You should always strive for consistency.  Lives depend
on it.
     Notice that Valentina has her riser in line with the bones
of her bow arm.  Ana does not.  Ana's coach needs to be fired. 
We always teach that the axis of the bore of your pistol must
be in line with the bones of your firing side arm.  Otherwise,
the wrist will bend on every shot.  And attempting to prevent
the bending with muscle tension will just cause uncontrollable
torquing in the wrist.
     Notice they are wearing breast protectors and arm guards. 
(Just as we always wear ear and eye protection when practicing.)
I have seen American archers at the International level
not wearing such.  Criminal stupidity.  Coaches that should
have been fired.  But, Olympic sports have far more politics
than merit; especially in the U.S.
-- Jonathan D. Low, Level III Coach, National Archery Association

Former FBI Agent Explains How to Read Body Language | Tradecraft | WIRED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jwUXV4QaTw

Why the Flex is Best
https://gunsmagazine.com/handguns/why-the-flex-is-best/
     I don't agree with Mas, and I don't teach this. 
But, it's critically important to read, study, and understand
things that you don't agree with. 

6 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Recoil Control With A Handgun
https://www.shooting-performance.com/tips-to-building-the-perfect-high-performance-grip-handgun/
     I don't agree with Mike.  But, it's critically important to read,
study, and understand things that you don't agree with.  That's sort
of the definition of an open mind.

     I believe it is essential to trap the trigger to the rear
after the shot and get the sights back on the target you just
shot for the second sight movie, before you reset the trigger
and before you move your eyes to the next target.  Getting the
second sight movie with the trigger still trapped to the rear is
"follow through". 
     Sight alignment and sight movie control where the pistol
is pointed when the firing pin hits the primer.  Follow through
controls where the pistol is pointed when the bullet exits the
muzzle. 

     I often read or hear instructors telling their students
to press the trigger without disturbing the sight alignment
and sight picture.  But, they don't explain how to do that. 
The answer to the question HOW? is "Surprise Trigger Break". 
The surprise break defeats all of the shooter's autonomic
nervous system responses to recoil and report.  Because the
shooter's brain does not know exactly when the pistol will
fire, the pushing, jerking, freezing, flinching, etc. all
happen after the bullet has already exited the muzzle.

     In the above article, the author says that the right
handed shooter scattering his bullets low left is because the
shooter is jerking the trigger.  I believe that is an incorrect
analysis.  The bullets are scattering low left because the
shooter is anticipating the recoil and pushing against it. 
The anticipatory push forces the bullets low left.  (Low
right for a left handed shooter.)

     The surprise break is not easy to achieve, because it is
counter intuitive.  The shooter naturally wants to "make the
pistol go bang".  But, that is wrong on many levels.  There
is nothing natural or instinctive about shooting.  Shooting
is a learned mechanical skill, as is driving a car. 
     So, how does one achieve the surprise break? 
After you have the correct grip, correct trigger finger placement
in the register position, sight alignment, and sight movie: 
1.  Touch the trigger.  Because you don't know where the trigger
is.  Especially in a high stress situation where you grabbed
the pistol from an awkward position. 
2.  Take the slack out of the trigger.  Because yanking through
the slack is not conducive to accurate shooting. 
3.  Do not fire the shot. 
4.  Smoothly increase pressure on the trigger. 
The pistol will fire, and because you did not intend to fire,
you will have achieved a surprise break.  In a high stress
situation with adrenaline in your blood stream, the pistol
will fire much sooner than you expect, because you will be
much stronger than you normally are.
     Of course, there are situations where you would not
use the surprise break.  Everything is situation dependent.
     The surprise break is not new.  Col. Jeff Cooper taught
it decades ago in the modern technique.  It is alluded to
in the Tao Te Ching (Taoist philosophy) about 2600 years ago
and in Zen Buddhism about 1900 years ago.  It has been taught
in archery at least since 1545 A.D. when Roger Ascham
published "Toxophilus".  And was articulated explicitly in
"Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel in 1948 A.D.

"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee

----- Tactics -----

You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen

Texas Church Attack: Post-Shooting Procedures
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/texas-church-attack-post-shooting-procedures
Excerpt: 
     The church needs to invest in a quality trauma first aid kit
that should be centrally-located and available to the team “medics.” 
There should be at least as many medically trained individuals as
gun carriers on your security team.  After all, medical emergencies
are far more commonplace than church shootings.  Make sure your
church is prepared to handle medical issues as well as security
threats.

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

"Audacity wins."
-- Carl von Clausewitz

----- Education -----

"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin

Lexipol article,
"Understanding Excited Delirium: 4 Takeaways for Law Enforcement Officers"
https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/understanding-excited-delirium-4-takeaways-for-law-enforcement-officers/
and webinar,
https://info.lexipol.com/webinar-excited-delirium-ty
     Because you might run into these persons.  They hang out
in Wal Mart parking lots. 

Mike Seeklander's blog, all kinds of interesting articles.
https://www.shooting-performance.com/mikes-blog/

"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 -----

"Gadgets don't win gunfights!  Skill does."
-- Mike Seeklander

"Preparation doesn't assure victory.  It assures confidence." 
-- Amit Kalantri

How to inspect your duty ammunition
https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/accessories/ammunition/articles/how-to-inspect-your-duty-ammunition-9Fl7lLIogrmhkxlB/
     Yes, ammo manufacturers make mistakes.  Don't lose your life
over such a mistake.

Evaluating handguns for YOU
https://tacticalprofessor.wordpress.com/2019/08/18/evaluating-handguns-for-you/

Red Dots vs Holographic Sights: What’s Best For You?
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/red-dots-vs-holographic-sights/
     If your internet connection is slow, you might have to wait
a few minutes for all the pictures to come up.  But, it's worth
the wait.

Comfort & Concealment
https://gunsmagazine.com/handguns/comfort-concealment/
     A lightly disguised advertisement for N82 holsters.
https://n82tactical.com/

     I bought another pistol. (I can't help myself.  It's an addiction.) 
I cleaned it.  I took a wood file to the polymer frame to removed areas
that have historically given me blisters.  My friend, Aidan, machined
out the rear sight, opening it up by 2/100ths of an inch.  (I'm old.  My
eyes are bad.  I need more light around the front sight in order to be
able to see the front sight.  And so do you in low light conditions.) 
I dug out the white paint in the sights and painted both sights flat black. 
(The silhouette of the sights is one sighting system.  Which is the only
one visible in low light conditions.  The white dots are a second
sighting system.  It is highly unlikely that they have the same point
of impact.  Having two sighting systems is wrong.  Because it takes
time to decide which one to use.  Remember Hick's Law?)
     I live fire tested it with factory new ammo with copper jacketed
round nose bullets. 
     From my two handed standing position it grouped 5 rounds in a
2 inch diameter circle at 5 yards (slow fire) consistently.  So,
precision is okay.  (If not, I would give it to a gunsmith to see
if anything could be done.)
     The center of mass of the group was at the point of aim
(top of the front sight).  So, accuracy is okay.  (If not, I would adjust
the sights.)
     I fired 50 rounds without malfunctions.  So, reliability is okay.
     I inspected the shell casings.  The firing pin drags along the
primer a little bit.  The side of the cases showed residue indicating
some gas was getting into the chamber between the cartridge case
and the chamber.  So, the case was not expanding and sealing the
chamber completely.
     I inspected the pistol.  Everything appeared to be in good working
order.
     I now consider it acceptable to be loaned to a student,
or given as a gift to a friend or relative.

     Wow, so many pistol debuted at the Shot Show.  John Farnam cites the: 
     "Mossberg MC2 Pistol, 9mm, 14/16 shooter depending on the magazine
used (you get one of each with the pistol). It’s a double-column version
of the single-column MC1 Pistol 7/9 shooter."
and the
     "FN 509 pistol can be had in full-sized (G17), medium-sized (G19),
and compact (G26)."
as being worthy of your consideration.

Visit To The Gunshop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68I549o0Tc
     Good advice on buying guns by Mike Seeklander.
"The gun may not be effective for you."
"Try before you buy."
"Don't let comfort be your sole or primary consideration."
"Seek out someone with knowledge to advise you."

5 Best Shooting Gloves [2019 Hands-On Test]
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-shooting-gloves/
     I appreciate a nice pair of gloves.  The skin on
my hands is getting weaker with age.  Callouses develop
more readily.  Got to compensate for time on Earth. 
Or, as Deborah Harry says, die young stay pretty.

----- Technical -----

"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen

     Eric explains how to build an AR-15, with lots of photographs.
How to Build an AR-15 Upper Receiver: Ultimate Visual Guide
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/build-ar-15-upper-receiver/
How to Build an AR-15 Lower Receiver [Ultimate Visual Guide]
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/build-ar-15-lower-receiver/

*****     *****     ***** 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

     Novices learn.  Journeymen practice.  Masters teach.
The master has a duty to teach.  Otherwise, the art dies.

     "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
     Do you make your students pick up brass after
every string of fire?
     Do you have your students holster immediately
after every course of fire?
     Do you have your students stand still when
presenting to the target?
     If so, it's time to correct your curriculum.

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

----- Pedagogy -----

Teach positive.  Teach what to do.  Don't talk about what not to do.
-- John Farnam

An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented. 
-- "Building Shooters" by Dustin Solomon

*****     *****     ***** Legal, Political, and Philosophical *****     *****     *****

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

     Only law abiding citizens obey laws.  Criminals, by definition and experience,
ignore laws.  So, the only people affected by gun-control laws are law abiding
citizens.  This is obvious to us.  But, far beyond the comprehension of the liberal. 
That is why we must defeat the liberals at the ballot box.  Otherwise, the state of
Virginia will be the example for the rest of the United States of America. 
     What can you do? 
1.  Vote for pro-gun candidates.  Yes, you must actually register to vote,
drive to the polling place to vote, and actually vote for the pro-gun candidate. 
(This takes research and thinking.)
Remember the persons who sacrificed their lives to give you this right.
     If no such candidate exists, you must pull the papers, get the necessary signatures,
and run for office yourself.  Yes, I've done it (Hawaii State Senate 15th District,
won the Republican primary, lost the general election), so I can tell you to do it. 
2.  Donate money to pro-gun candidates.  Put your money where you mouth is. 
Yes, I do it, so I can tell you to do it. 
3.  Volunteer to help a campaign.  Yes, I've knocked on doors and it works. 
Did you notice the black senator from South Carolina?  (The one who is not Lindsey Graham
and actually gets things done. [admittedly behind the scenes])  I met him at church
(Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, SC).  We got him elected to the U.S. House,
then Governor Nikki Haley appointed him to the U.S. Senate.  And there Tim Scott
sits, voting for us.  He should have been a preacher.  If you'd have heard him preach,
you would have been impressed.

Foundations: The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law
https://lawofselfdefense.com/foundations-the-5-elements-of-self-defense-law/

     Andrew Branca has a gift for you, an info-graphic
describing the 5 elements of the law of self defense. 
You may download a copy free of charge at
https://lawofselfdefense.com/beginjourney/

     "Be smart and do not conduct yourself in such a manner that
you are handing a prosecutor what they need to see in order to
move you from the “hard to convict” to the “easier to convict”
categories.  The latter is much more likely to get you taken to
trial, where even if you’re acquitted you’ll burn through
potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal expenses.
And acquittal is never certain, so there’s also the possibility
of spending decades or more in prison." 
-- Andrew Branca

Addendum:
http://defense-training.com/2020/addendum/

Will Training Be Used Against Me in Court? (John's Briefs) | Active Self Protection Extra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svz9wgMYujI&fbclid=IwAR09lqzzZku9owGv5X5ObdAw8mX_Pr0A1Q_Bx3R1KnFJFO_nkqNoNrVOgGU

Nevada sheriffs back lawsuit to block 'red flag' law
https://www.policeone.com/gun-legislation-law-enforcement/articles/nev-sheriffs-back-lawsuit-to-block-red-flag-law-r1EMJMPOxSt1cegd/
     It's not just Virginia, Nevada sheriffs are fighting unconstitutional
gun confiscation laws.  This will be coming to a neighborhood near you. 
Be prepared.

How to fight back against media misinformation
https://gunsmagazine.com/discover/the-press-perpetuates-prevarications/
     Yes, you can do these things.  Yes, you will make a difference.

Please subscribe to Crime Prevention Research Center, (it's free and numbers matter)
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/subscribe
Please support their scientific research, (as a practicing scientist,
I assure you this is real science)
https://crimepreventionresearchcenter.nationbuilder.com/donate
To see the results of their research,
https://prezi.com/6baszjujoz1m/copy-of-crime-prevention-research-center/

Self defense insurance:  (more correctly, pre-paid legal services)
6 Concealed Carry Insurance Options To Protect Your Six (2019)
https://gundigest.com/handguns/concealed-carry/4-self-defense-insurance-options

Self-Defense Gun Owner Insurance Programs Compared (actually, pre-paid legal services)
https://www.concealedcarry.com/self-defense-gun-owner-insurance-programs-compared/
     This web page, the chart, and the PDF file are updated on a regular basis.

     “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty.
Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.”
-- Patrick Henry

"Trump signs bill to improve security for religious groups
The new federal law provides $75 million a year,
for the next five years, in grants for institutions
to improve security measures"
https://www.policeone.com/terrorism/articles/trump-signs-bill-to-improve-security-for-religious-groups-48hhy9JaRVNW6pyG/
     If you write to President Trump at
President Trump
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20500
the Trump administration will help you. 
They are very good about customer service.
I know from personal experience.

     This is happening in New Zealand. 
Let's work to prevent it from happening
here in the U.S.A.
https://thebfd.co.nz/2020/01/breaking-the-raids-have-begun-all-for-a-22-bunny-gun/

*****     *****     ***** Survival *****     *****     *****

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

3 Tips to Protect Against Home Invasion
https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/14/3-tips-to-protect-against-home-invasion/
Excerpt: 
     "Any cell phone, in a service plan or not, can call 911
and summon help and having a cell phone dedicated to summoning
help in an emergency gives you one less thing to worry about
when your life and the lives of your family are on the line."

*** [This is very important.  Please read this. -- Jon Low] ***
Seven (7) Key Trauma Management Tips and Tools For the Armed Individual
https://www.shooting-performance.com/seven-7-key-trauma-management-tips-and-tools-for-the-armed-individual/
Excerpts: 
     "Since the introduction and popularization of the
Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK), there has been an explosion
in awareness around the necessity for medical kit and training."
[A lot of people get the IFAK.  Not so many people get the
training.  Do your loved ones a favor, get the training. -- Jon Low]
     ". . . at least 75% of those students show up with their
tourniquets still sealed in plastic.  This is simply unacceptable. 
The skills necessary to perform lifesaving first aid on a trauma
victim are not complex, however the time to practice them is not
in the middle of a critical incident.  Just like any other skill
that you want to be able to perform under duress, it needs to be
hard-wired before you need it."
     ". . . they need to be able to stop severe bleeding."
    ". . . tourniquets [are] life-saving, they are safe and
should be considered as first-line therapy for severe bleeding." 
[If you think the victim may lose a limb because of the tourniquet,
your training is obsolete. -- Jon Low]
     "Of all the currently available commercial tourniquets,
I prefer the Combat Application Tourniquet, or CAT." 
[I agree. -- Jon Low]
     "I use Celox in all of my trauma kits."
[If you think Hemostatic Agents will burn your patient,
your training is obsolete. -- Jon Low]
     "The reality is that with Celox gauze, you will likely
have you get most of your hand down into a fist-sized wound
in order to get the best results.  Simply laying the gauze
across the top won’t get the job done."
     ". . . hemostatics are only to be applied after a tourniquet
has failed to control the bleeding."
    "My rule is simple; if victims can’t fight you off when
you try to place the nasal airway, then they need it."
[Using lubricant makes this procedure easier. -- Jon Low]
     "First aid gear is not a good luck charm.
Buying it does not improve your survivability or readiness.
You have to train with it."
     "The focus of this skillset [Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)]
should be winning not only the fight, but the aftermath."
     "Students should be taught self-aid and buddy-aid and
be able to perform these skills in adverse conditions
(e.g. one-handed, in the dark, etc.)."
[Just like your weapon handling skills. -- Jon Low]
     "A class should cover the use of everything in an IFAK
and should address the three most common preventable causes
of death from trauma: uncontrolled extremity hemorrhage,
the tension pneumothorax, and airway compromise."
[Digging the vomit out of his mouth and throat is not enough. 
You have to clear the airway.  He may have swallowed his tongue,
you need to pull it out.  The trachea may be crushed, you
need to open it.  Otherwise, . . .  -- Jon Low]
     "Basic first aid skills are a must for any responsible adult . . ."

*****     *****     ***** Miscellany *****     *****     *****

When it's least expected, you're selected.
-- John Farnam

     When I was in grad school, we put monitors on all of the internet backbone
servers.  We found that about 15% of all emails just disappear, no error message,
no bounce back, nothing.  So, the intended recipient never finds out that he
didn't get that piece of email, and the sender never finds out that the email
did not get delivered.  That's why it is so important to ask for confirmation on
any important email, and assume the email did not get delivered unless you get
the confirmation.  UDP over IP is an unreliable protocol by design.  Speed is more
important than reliability, so the designers made the engineering trade off.
     In addition to that, your ISP (internet service provider) blocks any email
they think is spam (because someone complained about it, maybe not you),
inappropriate (porn), illegal (kiddie porn), or politically incorrect (Christian,
conservative, pro-gun, pro-life, etc.); depending on which software they are using. 
[Fazoli's restaurants uses an ISP that uses software that classified Royal Range
(a local gun store and indoor range) as a hate group.  Fazoli's corporate said,
talk to the ISP.  The ISP said, talk to the software company.  The software
company said, pound sand.]  These emails do not get thrown into your spam folder
in your email account; they just disappear.
     In addition to that, the other party's ISP is doing the same thing.
     So, you are not receiving a lot of email that is addressed to you.  Which
is okay, as you probably don't want it anyway.  And emails that you sent
are not getting delivered.  And there is no tracking.  So, in a sense, the
U.S. Postal service is better than email.
     So, make sure to get confirmation on any email of importance to you.

     In butler school, we were taught to anticipate our client's needs. 
(We were also taught never to eat garlic.)
If the client has to ask you for something, or ask you to do something,
you're not really doing your job.  There were many things the school
expected us to do that the client would never notice.  If the client never
notices the butler, you're doing a good job.
     The school only accepted students who had a servant's heart.  I did
not really understand that concept until I studied Christianity.  Perhaps,
that is why all of the students were Christians.  (Every student in my
class at the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center was a
Christian.  At a time when the Corps was trying to diversify.)
     The Headmaster tells me that clients these days are asking for
butlers with competency in protective services.  (Preventing the attack
or kidnapping, as opposed to responding to it.)  The school is not
recruiting prior law enforcement because they are trained to respond,
not to prevent.  If your brain is working and you are taking precautions,
you shouldn't need to use the gun you carry. 
     "The mark of a superior gunman is his superior training,
which alleviates the need for his superior marksmanship skills." 
-- I'm sorry.  I don't remember who said that.
     I find it interesting how the protective services training is
being folded into the service industry.  Those in the Secret Service
or Executive Protection would never consider themselves servants. 
Attitude is everything.
     Jesus said, there will always be poor among us.  But, it is also
true that there will always be rich among us.  The school took care to
always place their graduates with families of stable wealth to ensure
the graduate could spend an entire career in the employ of one family. 
Stable wealth is not the same as old money.  (Every listen to Dave Ramsey?)

Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com

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