Hi Sheepdogs,
The Warrior's Prayer
Dear God,
Please give us discernment to distinguish
friend from foe from innocent bystanders.
Give us clear vision so our aim is true.
Give us calm so we execute correctly.
Give us spiritual maturity so that we stop the enemy's attack
without excessive force, without revenge.
In Jesus name, Amen.
This newsletter is continuing education for my students and friends. I am
constantly getting new students. So, stuff in this newsletter is repeated from
previous newsletters. I could cite links to articles in past newsletters, but that
would make reading difficult. If you have ever read laws, you know what I mean.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
"Better to stay out of trouble than get out of trouble."
-- Tactical Professor (Claude Werner)
"Refuse to Be a Victim: I Object to Your Objection" by Kristin Benton
Excerpt:
"It would be irresponsible of me to teach anyone how to shoot without also giving
them the skills to not have to."
Kristin's home page,
Avoidance, Deterrence, Escape
The goals of civilian self defense are avoidance, deterrence, and escape.
If you avoid, you don't have any problem. You win! (Read Farnam's rules below
on how to avoid just about all problems in your life.)
If you fail to avoid, you should deter; and then you don't have any problem.
You win! If you get expert training and practice what you have learned, your
personality will change, your body language will change, your posture will change,
your mannerisms will change. The criminals may be crazy, but they are not stupid.
They will take one look at you and decide that you are a hard target. And they will
move on to an easier target. Criminals are not looking for a fight. They are looking
for a victim. They are looking for easy money or easy sex. They are looking for
someone who will submit immediately and not cause them any problem.
If you fail to deter, you have a problem. Now your goal is to escape.
The pistol is an emergency rescue tool used to prevent anyone from interfering with
your escape.
If you have to use lethal force to stop the attack, you have to make the
decision to use deadly force. You have to be decisive. If you dither, you will die.
If you obey John Farnam's rules, you will avoid almost all problems in life.
The stuff in parentheses is my 2 cents.
Farnam's rules for safety:
Don't go to stupid places. (Including all political rallies, protests, riots, looting events.)
Don't do stupid things. (Including everything illegal.)
Don't hang out with stupid people. *
Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed. **
Don't look like a freak. (No, it's not self expression. It's an invitation for violence.)
Don't fail the attitude test. (If you're rude, you deserve the beating you get.)
-- John Farnam
* Breonna Taylor was living with / sleeping with a convicted drug dealer. So, when the
police raided her home to arrest him, she got killed. "Don't hang out with stupid people."
Yes, dealing drugs is stupid. Drug dealers, generally speaking, statistically speaking,
get killed, usually by other drug dealers, sometimes by customers, rarely by police.
Stupid people will drag you down with them, just like addicts. Dave Ramsey says, drug
addicts steal 100% of the time and lie 100% of the time. Dave always sees the good
side of people. What drug addicts do when they are not stealing and lying is really bad.
** The defendant, Robert D. Williams, sat in jail for 4 years awaiting his acquittal.
Basically because he violated Farnam's rule:
"Be in bed by 10 PM. Your own bed."
Appellate Court ruling --
[Williams was in bed with a female stranger who had only minutes before sent him a text
message to come over for sex. When the female's boyfriend comes home, Williams has to
shoot the boyfriend in self defense.]
“You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol
than you are a musician because you own a guitar.”
from Principles of Personal Defense by
Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, (1920 – 2006 A.D.)
Thought experiment -- There is a mosquito on your arm. What do you do?
You have determined that it is carrying the West Nile virus. What do you do?
Your child is near you. What do you do?
At one end of the spectrum there is the Christian who believes God has given him
dominion over all creatures on Earth and so immediately kills the mosquito.
At the other end, there is the vegan pacifist who holds the mosquito's life in
such high esteem, that he would allow it to bite his child, which results in his child's
death. It is important for you to know where you are on the spectrum. Because eventually,
you will be tested. And it's always better to know the answer before the test.
I [Stephen P. Wenger] rank my priorities as follows:
Mental Awareness: Know the current status of your surroundings and its occupants.
Take note of people and things that depart from normal patterns. You should actually
be able to avoid most unpleasant encounters.
Mental Preparedness: You must decide in advance what circumstances will trigger
your use of deadly force; you cannot wait until you are threatened to make the decision
that you will respond with such force. Once you recognize that you have become a
target you must become proactive.
Tactics: In the simplest terms, this is using common sense to take any "unfair"
advantage which will help you under the circumstances. While most instructors
emphasize use of cover, most attacks come at close range, where side-stepping,
coupled with deflection of the attack, are the crucial tactics that can give you the time
to access your firearm.
Skill: For the shooter this includes being able to place shots where you need them
in a reasonable time frame, one-handed, with either hand, if need be. This is but the
lowest-common-denominator example.
Choice of Equipment: Last on the list is the actual choice of the gun and its
ammunition. It's on the list, but the other issues are more crucial.
"A WINNING ATTITUDE" by Stephen P. Wenger
Excerpt:
My late friend and mentor, Jim Andrews, who had to kill men while wearing the uniforms
of his country and those of a few law enforcement agencies, repeatedly told me that it had
been a totally different experience killing men in a military environment and in a civilian
environment. When pressed for an explanation, he responded that in the military the soldier
has his enemy systematically dehumanized for him in the training process, whereas in civilian
life, "a human being suddenly turns into a monster before your very eyes."
"You Are Always the First Responder to Your Personal Emergency" by Paratus (South Africa)
Excerpts:
"Guns are the Most Effective Personal Defence Tools"
"Stay Safe. Be Dangerous. Be your own First Responder."
"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
"Do One Thing Everyday to Make Yourself Better at Personal Defense" by STEVE TARANI
----- 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
Problem I, the physical battle
You have to get expert training, and practice what you learned in training.
(This takes a great deal of self discipline.)
Otherwise, you lose the fight, and you don't have problems 2 and 3.
You only have problems 2 and 3 if you are alive.
Court martials are only awarded to the survivors. (Yes, court martials are awarded.)
Problem II, the criminal legal battle
You will be arrested and held in jail. The police will approach you with a document
to sign, just a formality, to get you released. Don't sign it. It is a confession to all
kinds of crimes. Once you sign it, you will immediately be re-arrested; and you will never
get out of jail.
"Life is hard. It's even harder if you're stupid." -- John Wayne
Yes, as a matter of fact, police use this trick all the time. The U.S. Supreme Court has
ruled on many occasions that the police may lie to you.
When the police ask you, "Do you understand your rights?", your response is,
"No, I do not understand my rights."
If the police ask, what you don't understand, your response is,
"I don't understand anything."
"I want my attorney."
By law, the police are forbidden from continuing to question you after you request your attorney.
But, if you start running your mouth, you effectively waive your right, and anything you say,
will be used against you. It may not be electronically recorded, so it's your word against
the police officer's memory (real or fabricated). If the police officer wrote it down, it's
your word against the police officer's contemporaneous notes. Think about that.
"I do not consent to a search."
Your attorney can fight a search warrant. Your attorney cannot fight your stupidity in
consenting to a search.
"But, I got nothing to hide."
That may be, but the police may plant drugs and incriminating evidence in their search.
Remember, getting evidence is how the policeman gets promotions and raises. It's not wrong
to expect the worse from the police. Remember, we are all sinful creatures.
Remember Michael Drejka. The responding officers declined to arrest, because
it was self defense. The Sheriff declined to press charges, because it was self defense.
This should have been the end of the story. But then, Drejka talks to the police without
an attorney. The video recording of Drejka's two hour interview with the police was
played at his trial. And he was convicted of manslaughter.
Learn from the mistakes of others. Keep your mouth shut. Let your attorney talk for you.
There are many effects of a high stress situation. False memories. Temporary amnesia.
Auditory exclusion. Tunnel vision. And a long list of others.
So, if you talk to the police, you won't be able to get the facts right. This will be used
at trial to prove that you lied to the responding officers and will indicate a consciousness of guilt.
Police officers involved in a shooing are not questioned for up to 72 hours, at least
not before they get a good night's sleep. So, why in the world would you talk to the
police after what was probably the most traumatic event of your life? You would have to
be criminally stupid to do so. Ask for your attorney and shut up.
Any competent attorney will demand payment in full up front. Because after the case
is finished, you will have no incentive to pay the attorney. You may even be suing your
attorney for "Ineffective assistance of counsel". So, you better have insurance that will
pay your attorney in full up front. And if you're smart, you will have insurance that
will pay for expert witnesses, private investigators (because the police are not on your
side and will withhold exculpatory evidence, remember they are looking for promotion and
raises), and expert consultants (subject matter expert attorneys to help your attorney).
If you have an insurance policy that reimburses you for legal expenses only if you are
acquitted, you have committed an act of criminal stupidity. Your insurance company (NRA
Carry Guard, Lockton, etc.) has a huge financial incentive to ensure you get convicted.
You need the money up front to hire the experts who will testify for you. The money
doesn't do you any good after you win at trial. And you don't get anything if you lose
at trial. So, no attorney is going to work for you based on the fact that he will get
paid some small portion of his fees, if he gets you acquitted. And if he is willing to,
you certainly don't want him working for you.
Problem III, the civil legal battle
In America, you may be sued for any reason, with or without merit. Even if you
are acquitted of all criminal charges. In a criminal trial, the prosecutor has to convince
the jury beyond a reasonable doubt. In a civil trial, the plaintiff only has to convince
the jury to a preponderance of the evidence. So, it is fairly easy for the plaintiff
to win a civil law suit. That's why insurance companies settle with the plaintiffs, rather
than go to trial. That's why O.J. Simpson won the criminal trial but lost the civil trial.
And that was significant. He lost all of his assets. Could you take care of your family,
if you lost all of your assets? Your home, your savings, your cars, all of your other
possessions?
The rules of evidence in a civil trial are very different from that of a criminal trial.
So, you better get rid of all those bumper stickers on your car. (I don't call 911.)
You better get rid of all those tee shirts. (Kill 'em all. Let God sort them out.)
You better stop making stupid posts on social media.
Because they will be used to prove that you are an extremist.
"But, I have the Constitutional right to free speech."
Yes, you do. That means the government cannot censor you. But, actions have
consequences. Your exercise of freedom of speech could easily contribute to your
ending up destitute.
The plaintiff's attorney will work on contingency. So, the plaintiff doesn't have
to pay any money up front.
Your defense attorney will not work on contingency, because there is nothing to win.
Any decent attorney, that you would want to hire in the first place, will not work for you
until you pay in full up front. Because after the case has ended, you will have no
incentive to pay your attorney. And good attorneys aren't stupid.
So, you better have insurance that will pay your civil attorney up front in full.
So, I encourage you to buy life insurance, medical insurance, and insurance for
legal expenses. Because neglecting to do so is irresponsible and immature.
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----
(how to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders)
Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.
"Consider that the primary function of a safety belt is to keep you from being ejected
from the vehicle, while that of an airbag is to limit how far you can be thrown inside the vehicle."
-- Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA
"Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a
weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he
worked." -- Nehemiah 4:17-18
"... each had his weapon, even when he went for water." -- Nehemiah 4:23,
New International Version Bible
Scripture used by the 14th Marine Regimental chaplain in a sermon urging us
to carry our weapons at all times.
Crime Prevention Tip of the Week: Shatter proof film for glass windows is a great way
to help prevent a burglary or slow the suspect down to give a victim time to defend
themselves and police to respond. On a recent burglary attempt, we saw a suspect hit
the glass with a hammer. The glass broke but the window held together because of the
film. Discouraged, he moved on. He could have broken through, but it would have
taken much longer. When properly installed, you can’t even tell it’s there.
-- Sgt. John Bourque
West Precinct Community Coordinator [Metro Nashville Police Department]
5500 Charlotte Pike Nashville, TN 37209
This is why you have to have situational awareness. There is time to escape, if you
are paying attention to your surroundings.
"Driver of rampaging SUV that tore through Waukesha Christmas parade leaving
at least FIVE dead and 40 injured was 'fleeing a knife crime':
Cops hunt 'second suspect' after taking one person into custody and refuse to rule out terror"
By ARIEL ZILBER and CHRIS PLEASANCE
"Whether or not the driver had a valid license – as many Progressives demand
even to own a firearm is likely to be of little concern to the injured and to the families
of the deceased. It's unclear where the shot[s] fired by the officer struck but it's
very challenging to try to stop a moving vehicle with gunfire."
-- Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA
"10 Tips for Surviving a Terrorist Vehicle Attack" by Greg Ellifritz
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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Law of Self Defense ADVANCED Live Online Course
Saturday, January 8, 2022
9AM-4PM Mountain time
The Guardian Conference 2022
September 16th - 18th, 2022 in Oklahoma City
Early Bird Price: $650
Standard Price: $750
Tactical Conference 2022 (sold out, but you can get on the waiting list)
Friday to Sunday, March 25-27, 2022. Classes run all day, from 8am to 6pm.
Dallas Pistol Club
1830 W Belt Line Road
Carrollton, TX 75006.
ACTIVE SELF PROTECTION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022
Sept. 24-26, 2022
Outside of Manhattan, KS
Primary & Secondary Training Summit 2022
May 20 - 21, 2022
Cache Hunter Education Center, 2851 W 200 N, Logan, UT 84321
$1100 for general entry.
P&S Training Summit 2022 Schedule
2022 TFALAC Annual Event will be Saturday, September 3, 2022
Tennessee Firearms Association
at the Farm Bureau Expo Center, Lebanon, TN
$60 per person. Groups of 6 are $350 per group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“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
In a past Tactical Professor blog posting, Claude Werner notes that there are millions
of defensive gun uses every year in America, and in the vast majority of those incidents
the good guy defender has had no training what so ever. This is also well documented on
John Lott's web site. Far from an argument showing that training is not necessary, what
this shows is that training prevents the incident in the first place. The training changes the
person's choices, behaviors, body language, and such. So, when the bad guy looks at
the trained person, the bad guy immediately decides that the trained person would not
make a good victim, and moves on to easier prey. And the trained person WINS! (And
probably never notices that an incident has occurred.) The criminal predator then goes
on to victimize the untrained person, who might have a gun. It's really easy to distinguish
between trained and untrained persons.
Tom Givens keeps records of his students who have been involved in gunfights,
and notes that 26 have won and 2 have lost by forfeit in the sense that they were not
carrying their guns at the time of the incident and so could not defend themselves.
What is impossible to record is the number of times bad guys have decided not to
attack the students. So, what this unfortunately demonstrates is that there are incompetent
criminals who will attack trained persons. So, training isn't enough, you have to carry
your gun.
The NRA statistics, taught in the Personal Protection class, say that upon competent
presentation of your pistol to the ready position, the criminal will flee 90% of the time.
This means that 10% of the incompetent criminals are also stupid and will continue to
attack you, forcing you to shoot them to stop the attack. So, you have to carry your gun!
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
"Pepper Spray" by John Murphy
I often cite information that I don't agree with, because I believe in diversity of thought
and I believe that you should get the information and make up your own mind.
I don't carry pepper spray because it debilitates me, and it is ineffective on 10% of the
population. In my experience, it is ineffective on 50% of the young, strong, aggressive,
criminal population. I've seen Marines fight through CS tear gas, which is much worse
than pepper spray. The criminal predator who will be attacking you will not be a weak
wimp. He will be a big strong tough guy. The time it takes to deploy pepper spray and
find out that it is not working, might be all the time you have. Pepper spray requires a
head shot into the eyes. Can you make such a shot?
All kinds of neat training videos on Recoil TV.
Rangemaster newsletter December 2021
Excerpt:
“Training” [only] every two years is criminally negligent . . .
"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
Broko's 6 second drill
This is quite challenging.
From standing, go prone and fire as many shots as you can into an 8 inch circle at 20 meters in 6 seconds.
From prone, stand up and fire as many shots as you can into an 8 inch circle at 20 meters in 6 seconds.
From standing, kneel and fire as many shots as you can into an 8 inch circle at 20 meters in 6 seconds.
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
"HOW TO PRACTICE DEFENSIVE SHOOTING . . . WITH PURPOSE" BY TIGER MCKEE
Excerpts:
"Practice is performed slowly, methodically working through the various steps
of a sequence. Speed is your worst enemy. If you’re making mistakes, slow down.
Efficiency, not speed, is the goal. Slow, deliberate, mistake-free practice with no
wasted motion makes you efficient. Speed or quickness develops with time and
repetition.
"Dry practice is your “homework.” Range trips are “tests” to confirm
the dry repetitions are paying off.
"Three Skills Every Officer Should Have" by Lindsey Bertomen
Excerpt:
1. Headshot at 7 yards
(Again, the psychology is much deeper than the author lets on.)
2. Negotiate, communicate while staying on target
(The author doesn't go deep into it, but the psychology is very deep here. For those who
have read "Dune" by Frank Herbert, consider the "voice". Everything in science fiction
has a basis in reality. Otherwise, it wouldn't be science fiction, it would be fantasy.)
3. Ability to operate with elevated vital signs
"Exercise is inoculation against stress, increases survivability, and reduces depression."
[I often tell the athletes that I coach, "If you exercise, at the end of the match, you will be
thinking, 'That was fun. Let's do it again.' If you don't exercise, you will be thinking,
'I'm sore. I'm tired. I want to go home.' Exercise affects attitude. Exercise affects
ability. -- Jon Low]
"BACK TO BASICS WITH JEFF GONZALES EPISODE 8: DRY FIRE"
https://ccwsafe.com/blog/35293
"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
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy (deciding on the end state and how to achieve it) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"The Four Modes of Combative Pistolcraft" by Dave Spaulding
Military.
Law Enforcement.
Felons.
Armed Citizen -- armed citizens ARE NOT DUTY BOUND TO APPREHEND,
ARREST AND CERTAINLY DO NOT WISH TO KILL . . . THEY WANT TO
REPEL AN ATTACK AND GET THE ATTACKER TO STOP.
You win gunfights by not getting shot.
-- John Holschen
----- Tactics (tasks that you should strive to be able to do in support of your strategy) -----
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
“Because automatic processing is not attention demanding,
it allows performers to focus on other tasks, while executing basic
skills, and to do several tasks at the same time. Not only do athletes
need to be able to perform basic skills without conscious thought,
they need to be able to make smart decisions automatically as well.”
-- Burton et. al “Sport Psychology for Coaches”
"There’s a game I teach my students to help develop observational skills.
I call it Starbucks Stalker. The game is easy. Every time you walk into a
Starbucks (or Coffee Bean, or McDonalds, or however you roll), look
around the interior and make a note of how many males and how many
females there are. Write the numbers down in a small notebook (or enter it
into the notes on your phone). This forces you to not only scan the room
(analyze, or break down the information into easily understood parts), but
to actually recognize what you’re looking at (synthesize the information,
gather the important parts and re-assemble it so it’s useable). As the game
gets easier, you can scale the difficulty up by adding other small details,
such as how many women have blonde hair or how many men are wearing
hats. After a couple of weeks, you’ll be surprised with how much
information that you’re analyzing and synthesizing without even thinking
about it."
-- Jeremy Stafford
From "Just The Tip: Situational Awareness"
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
----- Techniques (ways to execute a given task, skill, or tactic) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"THE ROLE OF THE WRIST" by Stephen P. Wenger
"POINT SHOOTING" by Stephen P. Wenger
This is deep and detailed and so will take time to digest.
Mr. Wenger doesn't go into detail about how fields of vision are processed by the
brain and refers to the processing as being in the field of biology. But, it is studied in
the field of psychology. And the details are that the right field of vision of both eyes
is processed by the left hemisphere of the brain, and the left field of vision of both
eyes is processed by the right hemisphere of the brain. Of course, it is way more
complicated than that.
Concerning your pistol when in your car --
"Mine is removed [from my holster] at every use of a drive-up ATM or drive-through
food/drink operation.
I will also do so when stuck in a traffic jam, such as a railroad crossing, or accident ahead."
-- List Member of the Defensive Use of Firearms emailing list
". . . deputies with whom I used to ride who'd unbuckle the safety belt before
the unit had even come to a stop at the scenes of calls." -- Stephen P. Wenger
"SHOOTING WITH FLASHLIGHTS" by Stephen P. Wenger
If you think that shooting one second splits (one second between shots) is hard,
you are wrong. Because your perspective is wrong. Firing on the count, as you count
"1-one-thousand, 2-one-thousand, 3-one-thousand, . . ." will give you one second
splits. Firing on the count, as you count "1-and, 2-and, 3-and, 4-and, . . ." will give
you half second splits. Firing on the count, as you count "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . ." will
give you quarter second splits. As with other techniques, you will be able to do it
by talking yourself through the drill, by counting aloud or silently to yourself as you
shoot.
Going faster than 4 rounds per second is fine for competitions, but is probably
shooting faster than you can think. Which in combat is a problem. Because you
might shoot the guy in the back (even if you thought you were shooting him in the
front), which is always difficult to explain to a jury, without an expert witness. And
just because your expert witness explains it to the jury, doesn't mean they are going
to believe the explanation.
Massad Ayoob has written several articles on this problem and has testified as
an expert witness in such cases. So, this is a real problem. That's why using
automatic fire for self defense is criminal stupidity. Automatic fire, even from the
very slow UZI, is 600 rounds per minute, that's 10 rounds per second. Much faster
than any human can think. If you think you can control automatic fire because you
can modulate the trigger of an UZI, you don't understand. If you release a 3-round
burst from your UZI while the bad guy is facing you and advancing toward you,
you can still end up with 1 or 2 bullets entering his back. Because that's how fast
he can turn.
Your reaction time to unanticipated stimuli is probably about a quarter of a
second. If you're shooting every quarter of a second, you probably have time to
decide not to shoot him again when you see him turning away from you.
"Vagus Nerve Reset - most effective way to Destress your Body!" by Renee Ostertag
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
A friend of mine, who is a firearms instructor is very proud of his law enforcement background
and proudly displays his badge on his belt during classes. His web site cites his law enforcement
rank and experience. He believes this draws students.
Another friend of mine, who is a firearms instructor, never mentions his military history, his
graduation from West Point, or anything along those lines. He doesn't want to scare off students.
Another instructor never mentions his Jewish heritage.
Some people don't like the military. Some people don't like Jews. Some people don't like cops.
As long as the Dixie Chicks kept their political view to themselves, they made lots of money
and filled concert halls. Now days, not so much. (They even changed their name to the Chicks.
But, no one can really run away from their heritage.) Until Taylor Swift endorsed Bredesen for
governor, she had a strong country following. Now she depends on the pop demographic to buy
her music.
Your students attend your classes to learn a skill. Not to hear your politics. If you run your
mouth about pro-gun conservative issues, you've lost 20% of your potential student population.
". . . 20 percent of gun owners in America self-identify as politically liberal." -- David Yamane from
"Kyle Rittenhouse does not represent American gun owners today"
Also, in the article, "Data from Northeastern and Harvard Universities on the great gun buying spree
of 2020 show that half of new gun buyers were women, 20 percent were Black, and 20 percent
Hispanic. News reports also highlight a surge in gun buying among Asian Americans."
Maybe you don't want them in your class to begin with. You fill your classes, so you don't give
a shit. As we said in the Marine Corps (the old Corps), ATTITUDE CHECK, FUCK THAT SHIT!
The pundits like to say, "Go woke, go broke." But, it works both ways. So, check your attitude.
A little introspection never hurt.
Also, from the article, "Gun trainers I have interviewed report unusually high levels of interest
among people of diverse genders and sexualities. According to membership director Eric Meyers,
as the Liberal Gun Club swelled last year, the proportion of members who identify as L.G.B.T.
also grew."
If you want their money and good word of mouth, keep your politics out of your classes.
Polite to everyone.
Most of my students come to me after some tragedy or close call has forced them to seek training.
I outreach, as I do to you, because I know that if they had the training before the incident,
they would have been able to avoid the incident. The training changes your personality and your
body language. So, when the predator looks at you, he thinks to himself, she looks like a hard target.
And he moves on to find an easier target. You win!
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
"Instructor 101: Answering Student Questions" by Justin
If you're going to say, “I don’t know, but I will find out, and get back to you.”,
you better write down the question in your note book and say something like,
"I will email the answer to everyone." Being anally retentive is essential. In the
Marine Corps they would say "Attention to detail." If you fail to answer the
question, you've missed a detail. And that always reflected in your fitness report.
"The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives."
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
"THE NAKED EMPEROR" by Stephen P. Wenger
A series of informative articles.
I read "Armed Response" by David Kenik. Here are some points I thought interesting,
in the sense that while I might disagree with them, I will have to give them serious
consideration, because Kenik makes cogent arguments. --
Page 18, "A knife threat from 50 feet is not a lethal threat, . . . "
I have to disagree.
Page 18, "If you are threatened as intimidation, you do not have the right to use lethal
force . . ."
I disagree. You would have to be able to read the other guy's mind to know that the
threat was only intimidation and not a pre-assault cue. If a guy threatens to kill you,
you owe it to your family to take him at his word.
Page 21, "If you have a safety or a decocker, engage it."
I don't think you should engage a safety or decock your pistol until just before you holster it.
On the philosophy that your holster is your safety.
Page 24, "I think that half of what I read or hear is not correct, I am not always sure
which half."
Page 25, "Don't believe anything you read or see unless you try it yourself. Many
techniques and products don't work as advertised; many look good in articles or videos
but don't work at realistic speeds; some are just plain bad advice; and even worse,
some are almost willfully wrong."
Page 34, "Rather than program ourselves to respond to a threat based on the severity
of the threat, we should be training ourselves to respond based on the time available to us."
Page 35, "The way we train for reality is, as always, with realistic force-on-force
scenarios . . . If all of our firearms training consists of shooting at targets, then we aren't
really training for engage in a fight, but simply honing our shooting skills."
Page 42, "Do not release the external safety (if your gun has one) until you are on
target and ready to fire."
I disagree. I think the safety should come off as soon as the pistol leaves the holster.
On the philosophy that the holster is the safety. So, your pistol should not have a safety.
Because neglecting to defeat the safety is a common mistake under stress.
Page 43, 'Don't cup your hand over the ejection port to catch the ejected round,
because it might detonate and hurt your hand.'
I disagree. If it is possible for the round to be detonated by being ejected, the design
of the pistol is wrong. And if you are using an incorrectly designed pistol, shame on you.
Page 49, ". . . I now feel that firearms with single action triggers are unsafe for
defense use in all but the most highly trained hands, . . ."
I disagree.
Page 51, ". . . I came across details of a law enforcement study that demonstrates
that under stress, the trigger finger often subconsciously travels to the trigger to
'confirm its position.' Lt. Dave Spaulding, of the Montgomery County Ohio Sheriff's
Office, observed that 632 out of 674 officers tested periodically placed their fingers
in the trigger guard during FATS [a firearms training simulator] training. This is
astounding -- 94% of the trained police officers tested placed their fingers on the
trigger under stress! This number included many highly-skilled and motivated officers.
The officers that he observed doing these "trigger searches" had no memory of doing so."
Page 70, "This means that the gun needs to be aimed slightly lower for closer distances,
and slightly higher for longer distances."
This is wrong. Pistols are zeroed at the first crossing of the bullet trajectory with
the line of sight. At this crossing the bullet is going up. So, the bullet will impact
below the line of sight at any distance closer than the zeroed distance, and will impact
above the line of sight at any distance further than the zeroed distance. So, in close
you have to aim above the intended target, and from your zeroed distance to about
50 yards you have to aim below the intended target.
Pistols shooting 230 grain round nose bullets at 850 feet per second,
the standard military load, will be zeroed at 2 yards and 100 yards. Between 0 yards
and 2 yards the bullet will be below the line of sight because the muzzle is below the
line of sight. Between 2 yards and 100 yards, the bullet will be above the line of sight.
Beyond 100 yards the bullet will be below the line of sight. Because the trajectory
is approximately a parabola.
Page 97, "If you don't or can't practice enough with the safety system to achieve
the level of unconscious competence, I strongly recommend using a pistol that does
not employ a manual safety."
That's why 65% of the police in the U.S. use the Glock, and very few of the others
use a pistol with a manual thumb safety. They don't train enough to make the use
of the safety automatic.
"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
"CARRY THE MOST GUN POSSIBLE" by MASSAD AYOOB
"HOLSTER SELECTION" by Stephen P. Wenger
"How to Buy a Used Gun: 5 Tips" by John Zent
A student came to class with a Taurus PT709 chambered in 9mm. The pistol very often
would not extract the spent casing. The extractor claw was trying to do its job, sometimes
ripping right through the brass rim of the case (steel cases, not so much). So, there was
enough movement to give the slide enough momentum to attempt to extract the case and
load another round in the chamber causing a double feed malfunction. Upon examination
of the spent cases, we saw that the cases were bulged. The chamber was not machined
correctly, allowing the case to bulge in the chamber, causing the case to get stuck in the
chamber. The owner is shipping the pistol back to the manufacturer for repair.
Greg Ellifritz did warn us about Taurus pistols.
In my last posting, I recommended that you polish all bearing surfaces in your trigger
mechanism. Please note that by doing so, you may remove any coating that the manufacturer
had put on the surface. So, it may rust if you don't keep it clean and lubricated. But,
this will never be a problem for you, because you clean/inspect your pistol every week
whether it needs it or not. Because cleaning guns is fun.
In fact, you can accurately gauge the maturity of a child/person by their desire to clean
your/their guns. If they come back from the range and don't immediately clean their guns,
you don't want to go into combat with that person.
The Russian Ammo is gone... It will BACKFIRE on the LEFT GLORIOUSLY... Here's how...
God bless our capitalist economy!
"Laugo Arms Alien First Shots: The Future of Handguns" by Honest Outlaw
---
"Laugo Arms Alien 1000 Round Review: Everything You Need To Know" by Honest Outlaw
$4000 for the pistol, $100 for a magazine (the magazines are unique, won't interchange
with any other type of magazine), target trigger (not a combat trigger)
Gas operated. Low bore axis (very little muzzle flip).
---
"Alien Pistol - After Action Report" by Larry Vickers
Glock 43 and Glock 48 type pistols will take the
Shield Arms 15 Round Magazines
and
Shield Arms 20 Round Magazines
If you want higher magazine capacity.
Craft Holsters
For 20% off use code: BLACK20
I have always found the quality to be very good and the customer service excellent.
They start making the holster when you order it, so it takes time.
Tactical Target Systems
FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $40
ALL TARGETS 20% OFF, USE PROMO CODE: CYBER
SALE ENDS MONDAY, NOV. 29TH AT 11:59PM PST
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"FRONT SIGHT MAGIC?" BY ROY HUNTINGTON
Front sight repair, using “Brownells Front Sight Insert Kit.”
"3D Animation: Smith & Wesson M&P (Part 1)" by 3DGunner
"How to Sight In a Red Dot on your Pistol" by Vortex Optics
Excerpt:
You don't have to co-witness the red dot to the iron sights. Because they are two
different sighting systems.
New leather sometimes needs a little push to achieve a glove like fit.
Just like a pair of new leather shoes, the leather holster sometimes needs
to undergo a break-in. Thankfully, leather holster break-in is as easy as
pie & we’ve got some guides for you below. -- Craft Holster
Holster Break-in video
Holster Break-in Guide
https://www.craftholsters.com/break-in-guide
Break-in Guide PDF
"ALIAS by NEOMAG | **NEW** Belt holster system!" by She Equips Herself
10% OFF USE CODE "EQUIPS": https://theneomag.com/ref/53/
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Legal ***** ***** *****
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
It is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other.
-- John Adams, October 11, 1798
"Jury finds Rittenhouse not guilty in Kenosha shootings"
By MICHAEL TARM, SCOTT BAUER and AMY FORLITI
Excerpt:
"Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense
in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the debate over guns,
vigilantism, and racial injustice in the U.S."
Sometimes we win.
A reprint of Dave Kopel's article, "Just Say NOTHING",
that appeared in Dillon Press copyright, 1998 by Dillon Precision Products, Inc.
(reproduced with permission)
"DEADLY FORCE" by Stephen P. Wenger
When my children were young, they liked to play board games. But, they were too
lazy to read the rules. So, I would not play with them, and they constantly fought
because the other person was cheating. If you don't know what the rules are, how can
you cheat? Eventually, no one would play with them because they were not playing the
game.
In the real world, if you don't know the rules, you won't be able to obey the rules,
and you will end up in prison for the rest of your life. Because it doesn't matter how
righteous you think you are. All that matters is what the prosecutor or jury thinks.
So, you better know the law.
"But, my buddy told me . . . "
"But, I read on the internet that . . . "
Such statements are indicative of criminal stupidity. Don't be that guy.
If you make a mistake, you may not be able to bring up the legal defense of
"self defense". The judge may forbid it. The judge may refuse to read the self
defense instruction to the jury. It happens all the time. Don't let it happen to you.
Acquire a copy of the book, "Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca.
Law of Self Defense Principles Softcover $24.95
Law of Self Defense: Principles eBook $14.95
If you are too lazy to read, you can get this info graphic free of charge,
But, looking at pictures is not really the same as reading.
“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
"Crime Prevention Research Center"
Kyle's Law
Please sign up to support this grass roots effort.
"Jury got it right finding Rittenhouse not guilty" by Tulsi Gabbard
If you're stupid enough, you can turn a justified self defense incident into
multiple murder convictions.
"Men who killed Ahmaud Arbery doomed by their own words" by RUSS BYNUM and KATE BRUMBACK
Excerpts:
"Greg McMichael, who was in the bed of a pickup truck when his son killed Arbery,
told police the Black man "was trapped like a rat" and he told Arbery: "Stop, or I’ll
blow your fucking head off!”
“It’s those statements that screwed the defense more than the video. If they had
never talked to police and they said we saw him taking something from the property
and running — there’s an OK shot the jury might have acquitted them," said appellate
attorney Andrew Fleischman, who followed the trial from Atlanta.
"The shooter, Travis McMichael, his dad, Greg McMichael and neighbor
William “Roddie” Bryan all spoke extensively and candidly with Glynn County
investigators just hours after Arbery was killed in their Brunswick, Georgia,
neighborhood in February 2020."
"That left the attorneys for the men to struggle to explain away their statements."
“You only have a handful of defenses to deal with what is basically a confession,” Page said.
District Attorney Jackie Johnson handed off the case to an out-of-town prosecutor,
who cited the citizen's arrest law in recommending no charges. A third prosecutor
was reviewing the case when the video surfaced and handed it off to the state.
---
Talking to police is an act of stupidity. Talking to police "just hours after" the
extremely high stress incident is an act of criminal stupidity. NEVER TALK TO POLICE!
Invoke your right to counsel, and shut the fuck up. If you run your mouth, your
attorney can't fix all the stupid things you said. Yes, as a matter of fact, everything
you say will be used against you at trial, as in will be used to convict you. No, as
a matter of fact, you ain't that smart. No matter what you say, you will talk yourself
into a conviction.
"I've got nothing to hide.", "I was justified.", "I want to tell the cops what happened.",
etc. are the words of idiots. Keep your mouth shut. If you start talking, you have
waived your right to remain silent. Everything you say will be twisted, taken out of
context, mis-interpreted, mis-remembered, mis-recorded, and used against you.
You would be better off, biting off your tongue, than talking to the cops.
The video did not "surface". The moron defendant published it on YouTube.com.
If you've got video of the incident, give it to your attorney. DON'T RELEASE IT
TO THE PUBLIC! That is criminal stupidity. Prosecutors have to give the defense
counsel copies of all evidence, including exculpatory evidence, during discovery, by law.
Defense attorneys don't have to give the prosecutor anything. Because it is all
work product. It is all covered by client attorney privilege. It's all covered by the
5th Amendment right to not incriminate one's self. If the prosecutor doesn't know
about the video, he can't subpoena it in the first place.
---
"Ahmaud Arbery Case Trial: Final Thoughts" by Andrew Branca
"Ancient Tales of Wisdom: A Dumb Witness" By Epoch Inspired Staff
Another reason to never talk to the police after you have had to defend yourself.
You never want to turn the situation into a he-said-she-said.
My father would tell me, just act dumb.
"Family Concerns for Armed Citizens", Massad Ayoob being interviewed,
Excerpt:
Ayoob: Make sure immediately that you invoke the fact that, “These are my children.
They are juveniles. They cannot be interviewed without my permission. They will be
interviewed only in the presence of defense counsel after we have spoken with defense
counsel.”
This is a really "different" sort of interview. Remember, Mas is not an attorney.
Generally speaking, your spouse cannot be forced by the court to testify against you,
in the sense that the judge is not supposed to be able to hold the spouse in contempt
of court for refusing to answer questions. But, some judges are tin pot dictators in
their fiefdom. So, if you are in jail unable to post the required bail (which can be set
as high as the judge chooses, or denied entirely because you're a flight risk, don't you
know?) and your spouse is in jail for refusing to answer questions, there is a huge
amount of pressure on your family. Who is going to take care of the kids? If you
are not familiar with foster care, let me assure you, as a Court Appointed Special
Advocate for children in the Tennessee Family Court system, that you don't want
your children in state custody.
The prosecutor could charge your spouse with being an accomplice to your
crime. Oh, I'm sorry, you didn't know that that is how prosecutors work? The
prosecutor will threaten your spouse with long prison time and loss of her children
unless she testifies against you. [How do you think the prosecutors got Timothy
McVeigh's sister to testify against him? They threatened her with putting her in
prison for the rest of her life. Would you be able to resist that?]
But, it could be worse. A worst case scenario would be that your spouse willing
testifies against you. If you're in prison, she gets sole legal and physical custody of
the children, which allows her to get a child support order, which allows her to take
all of your assets. Actually, it happens all the time. Especially, if you've married
a foreigner. (She could also take out a life insurance policy on you. People die in
prison all the time, don't you know? And if you're not connected, it could be as
cheap as $1000 or a case of beer.)
"Verbal Warnings
An Interview with Massad Ayoob" by Gila Hayes
Talking is a high order intellectual activity. Answering a question is an engaging high
order intellectual activity. It is impossible to talk and shoot at the same time.
So, the generally accepted and taught method to stop the bad guy holding a hostage
is to ask him a question, "What do you want?" and when he starts to answer the
question, shoot him in the cranio-ocular cavity. When attempting to disarm a person,
ask him a question, when he starts to answer the question, strike. [Never attempt
to disarm anyone. Your mission is to escape. Your pistol is an emergency escape
tool. Use it to ensure your escape. (If you don't have a pistol, you're a damn fool.)]
Unfortunately, the bad guy knows this too. So, he will ask, "What time is it?"
"Could you spare a dollar?", etc. DON'T ANSWER HIS QUESTIONS! In a loud
command voice, say, "Sorry sir, I can't help you." If he continues to approach, say,
"Get back!" If he continues to approach, he has demonstrated malice. If you let
someone (who has demonstrated malice) touch you, you're a damn fool.
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
Free of charge. Just pay shipping.
Educate yourself. So, you don't spend the rest of your life in a cage.
"Info Graphic" by Andrew Branca
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Survival ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Stop the Bleeding!" by John Murphy
Good sources:
North American Rescue
Dark Angel Medical
Mountain Man Medical
Don't buy fake junk on Amazon.
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** War Stories, History, and such ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
Pat Rogers, Rest In Peace
(I didn't know that he had died in 2016.)
The Pat Rogers Memorial Revolver Round Up At Gunsite!
All these years, I had been quoting him as if he were alive.
Tom Givens writes --
People sometimes ask me why we have so many students in Memphis who have been
involved in a defensive gun use. Here is some data from 2020 that makes the reason
apparent. The most dangerous city in the United States was Memphis. Here are the
details:
• Violent crime rate: 1,359 per 100,000 people (18,324 total crimes) (1 for every 74 residents)
• One-year change in violent crime rate: +21.3%
• Homicide rate: 24.2 per 100,000 people (327 total homicides)
• Poverty rate: 15.4%
The Memphis metro area ranks as the most dangerous in the United States.
More than 18,000 violent crimes were reported in the metro area in 2020, or 1,359 for
every 100,000 people. That is more than three times the U.S. violent crime rate.
The number of homicides committed in Memphis climbed by 38%, from 237 in 2019 to
327 in 2020. At 24.2 per 100,000 people, the homicide rate in Memphis is the
second-highest of any U.S. metro area.
"AYOOB FILES: LESSONS FROM A PISTOL-PACKIN’ PRESIDENT
[Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)]"
BY MASSAD AYOOB
I have been to the Hermitage, as it is here in Nashville, TN.
I remember studying President Jackson in high school.
"Your character is what you do when no one is looking."
-- Thoms Jefferson
"Winchester’s 1894 and the 30-30" BY JOHN FARNAM
"STORY OF THE .30-06: AMERICA’S CARTRIDGE" by Wayne van Zwoll
When I shot smallbore rifle in high school (Punahou) and college (Columbia University),
my Anschutz 1407 and 1413 loved RWS (Rheinische-Westphalisch Sprengstoff ) .22 long
rifle ammo.
I went hunting goat in Haleakala crater with a .35 Whelen in the mid 1970's,
when I was in high school. So, I think the author has the date of the Remington
adoption (1987) wrong. Or, maybe the ammo that I was using was handloaded.
Hard to remember, so long ago.
"Kyle Rittenhouse speaks to Tucker Carlson in first TV interview"
Seventeen years old and well trained and practiced enough to apply immediate
action during combat. OORAH!
"Jordan Peterson Educates Climate Activist Student with FACTS and LOGIC!"
"Opinion | Democrats Should Ditch the Anti-Gun Rhetoric If They Want to Survive 2022"
by RICHARD FELDMAN
If you're too lazy to read the article, Langley Outdoors Academy will read it to you.
As the reader mentions, this article was written by a Democrat operative, Richard Feldman.
Politico is a liberal Democrat journal. Do you see what's happening?
I was at Cracker Barrel having Thanksgiving dinner. I did the golf tees in the wooden
triangle puzzle, and completed it. The first time that I have ever gotten down to one golf
tee. The trick is to start with one tee in the middle of a perimeter row, and then run the
algorithm backwards to construct the initial state. So, I guess the trick was to figure out
that the last golf tee has to end up in the middle of a perimeter row. Which I figured out
by imagining the algorithm running forward in such a way so as to make one tee jump
all remaining tees. [That's the train of thought to use to break the encryption you're
working on.]
Denzel Washington: The Only Hollywood Star Telling the Truth About Race | Larry Elder
Let's go Brandon!
I love sleeping. It's like being dead without the commitment.
What did Yoda say when he saw himself in 4K?
"HD am I." (HDMI, get it? You got to say it in Yoda's voice.)
What is a zombie cooking stir fry called?
Dead man wokking. (Wok is the Chinese pan used for cooking.)
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Jon_Low@yahoo.com
