Hi Sheepdogs,
Man's most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe.
-- Euripides
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----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
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.
Take your ear buds out! Now! Right now! Never walk around with ear buds in.
Pay attention to what's going on around you. You can't hear.
Take off your scarf! You are effectively wearing blinders. You have destroyed your
peripheral vision. NO! It doesn't make you look cute. No, it is not fashionable. It's
dangerous. Don't wear scarfs.
Do not wear high heels. Wear running shoes. Yes, you can find running shoes in colors
and styles that would be appropriate. I know you will have to search. Try Sketchers. Try
Hoka. Try Solomon. They exist.
High heels will sprain or break your ankle in combat. You can't predict when combat
will occur. It's just not worth the risk.
High heels scream, "I'm vulnerable! I'm fragile!" Wrong body language.
"Boundary Setting" by Rory
https://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2017/05/boundary-setting.html
Excerpts:
The pattern is simple:
State boundary
Repeat boundary (Louder)
State penalty
Apply penalty
I normally avoid the words always and never, but this one comes close. Deviation from
this pattern turns the boundary setting into something that is not boundary setting. If you
need to set a boundary, doing something else rarely works.
If you just keep repeating the boundary, it's a broken record and meaningless. No one
respects it. Empty noise.
If you state the penalty but can't bring yourself to apply the penalty, it's just posturing,
an empty threat. Not only does this erase the boundary, the person now knows you to be
just an empty threat. All of your boundaries disappear.
If the threat ignores you (some will, most won’t) and you fail to follow through, you will
have marked yourself as easy meat.
Looking around doesn't cost anything and is a health habit.
-- Joe Foss
"Woman credited with stopping mass shooting at apartment complex in West Virginia"
by NBC News Channel
https://www.wral.com/woman-credited-with-stopping-mass-shooting-at-apartment-complex-in-west-virginia/20306891/
The point is that the bad guy has a long violent criminal record and yet he had possession
of a rifle. So the gun control laws did not prevent him from possessing a gun. People who
claim that gun control laws prevent criminals from possessing guns are lying. Intentionally
lying to advanced a political agenda that has as its end state your death. Don't believe
that? Study history. Every people that has been disarmed has suffered genocide at the
hands of the government that disarmed them.
"The Genocide Chart © JPFO.org 2002"
http://jpfo.org/pdf02/genocide-chart.pdf
"You have to be wearing your seatbelt when the car crash occurs.
You can't wait until the crash starts, then call someone to travel to your
location and buckle your seatbelt for you."
-- Ed Monk
"Crime Prevention Tip of the Week:" by Sgt. Matthew Valiquette, Metro Nashville Police Dept.
Remember to always park smart. [Under lights. In a visible area. In a high traffic area.]
The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any
valuables---especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS.
So far this year, 625 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville. More than 70% of
ALL guns reported stolen in 2022 (873) were taken from vehicles. Last week, 21 guns were
stolen from cars and trucks.
Going hand in hand with vehicle burglaries is vehicle theft. A review of last week’s stolen
vehicle reports in Nashville shows that 64% of the automobiles taken (28 of 44) were easy
targets because the keys were left inside or made available to thieves.
Just like guns taken from vehicles, these stolen autos are also routinely involved in criminal
activities, including carjackings and robberies.
There has been an increase in the number of burglaries recently. One thing to help combat
this is to have the police be contacted when an alarm is activated. A number of these burglaries
were discounted as false calls by the property owner, resident, or business. Please have an up
to date list of people who can respond in the event you have an actual burglary at your home
or place of business. If possible, please have at least 2 people the police can contact should
one not be able to respond. Please check with the alarm company and have them first call the
police followed by a call to the locations’ owner. By doing this, you save valuable time in
having police notified.
"Gas Station Protocol" by Craig Douglas
https://www.facebook.com/martin.riggs.33/videos/1061119724828468
Don't leave your car door open.
Stand back by the bumper, so you don't trap yourself between the gas pump and your car,
and so that you can see around you.
Hat tip to Aqil Qadir.
"Irregular Lines of Movement" by Evan Dzierzynski
https://novaselfdefense.com/blog/irregular-lines-of-movement
Another pre-assault indicator.
Man's most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe.
-- Euripides
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Software ***** ***** *****
*************************************************************************
----- Safety ----- (How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
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.
Take your ear buds out! Now! Right now! Never walk around with ear buds in.
Pay attention to what's going on around you. You can't hear.
Take off your scarf! You are effectively wearing blinders. You have destroyed your
peripheral vision. NO! It doesn't make you look cute. No, it is not fashionable. It's
dangerous. Don't wear scarfs.
Do not wear high heels. Wear running shoes. Yes, you can find running shoes in colors
and styles that would be appropriate. I know you will have to search. Try Sketchers. Try
Hoka. Try Solomon. They exist.
High heels will sprain or break your ankle in combat. You can't predict when combat
will occur. It's just not worth the risk.
High heels scream, "I'm vulnerable! I'm fragile!" Wrong body language.
"Boundary Setting" by Rory
https://chirontraining.blogspot.com/2017/05/boundary-setting.html
Excerpts:
The pattern is simple:
State boundary
Repeat boundary (Louder)
State penalty
Apply penalty
I normally avoid the words always and never, but this one comes close. Deviation from
this pattern turns the boundary setting into something that is not boundary setting. If you
need to set a boundary, doing something else rarely works.
If you just keep repeating the boundary, it's a broken record and meaningless. No one
respects it. Empty noise.
If you state the penalty but can't bring yourself to apply the penalty, it's just posturing,
an empty threat. Not only does this erase the boundary, the person now knows you to be
just an empty threat. All of your boundaries disappear.
If the threat ignores you (some will, most won’t) and you fail to follow through, you will
have marked yourself as easy meat.
Looking around doesn't cost anything and is a health habit.
-- Joe Foss
"Woman credited with stopping mass shooting at apartment complex in West Virginia"
by NBC News Channel
https://www.wral.com/woman-credited-with-stopping-mass-shooting-at-apartment-complex-in-west-virginia/20306891/
The point is that the bad guy has a long violent criminal record and yet he had possession
of a rifle. So the gun control laws did not prevent him from possessing a gun. People who
claim that gun control laws prevent criminals from possessing guns are lying. Intentionally
lying to advanced a political agenda that has as its end state your death. Don't believe
that? Study history. Every people that has been disarmed has suffered genocide at the
hands of the government that disarmed them.
"The Genocide Chart © JPFO.org 2002"
http://jpfo.org/pdf02/genocide-chart.pdf
"You have to be wearing your seatbelt when the car crash occurs.
You can't wait until the crash starts, then call someone to travel to your
location and buckle your seatbelt for you."
-- Ed Monk
"Crime Prevention Tip of the Week:" by Sgt. Matthew Valiquette, Metro Nashville Police Dept.
Remember to always park smart. [Under lights. In a visible area. In a high traffic area.]
The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any
valuables---especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS.
So far this year, 625 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville. More than 70% of
ALL guns reported stolen in 2022 (873) were taken from vehicles. Last week, 21 guns were
stolen from cars and trucks.
Going hand in hand with vehicle burglaries is vehicle theft. A review of last week’s stolen
vehicle reports in Nashville shows that 64% of the automobiles taken (28 of 44) were easy
targets because the keys were left inside or made available to thieves.
Just like guns taken from vehicles, these stolen autos are also routinely involved in criminal
activities, including carjackings and robberies.
There has been an increase in the number of burglaries recently. One thing to help combat
this is to have the police be contacted when an alarm is activated. A number of these burglaries
were discounted as false calls by the property owner, resident, or business. Please have an up
to date list of people who can respond in the event you have an actual burglary at your home
or place of business. If possible, please have at least 2 people the police can contact should
one not be able to respond. Please check with the alarm company and have them first call the
police followed by a call to the locations’ owner. By doing this, you save valuable time in
having police notified.
"Gas Station Protocol" by Craig Douglas
https://www.facebook.com/martin.riggs.33/videos/1061119724828468
Don't leave your car door open.
Stand back by the bumper, so you don't trap yourself between the gas pump and your car,
and so that you can see around you.
Hat tip to Aqil Qadir.
"Irregular Lines of Movement" by Evan Dzierzynski
https://novaselfdefense.com/blog/irregular-lines-of-movement
Another pre-assault indicator.
I got the following off a web site that I don't think you can get to, so I am reprinting
it here.
Kyle Eastridge says, [edited for clarity] (Hat tip to Tom Givens.)
I’ve investigated or assisted on several abduction cases and came up with a few
observations. These are not meant as victim shaming or criticism . . . but there are lessons in
them. This topic might seem sexist by today's standards but they are as true today as they ever
were.
#1: Shopping malls are common locations for sexual assaults, robberies and abductions.
Predators shop at the mall also . . . they are shopping for victims. They are watching and
evaluating potential targets. Parking lots are dangerous places. It’s a common tactic by
criminals, especially during the holidays, to follow shoppers home and rob them . . . or worse.
I investigated the abduction murder of a lady kidnapped from Shepherd Mall. She was forced
into her own car and driven to western Oklahoma where she was murdered.
#2: Compliance is not an option. You must not go with them. Nothing the assailant does to
you in the attempt, will be as bad as what he has planned for you. I investigated the attempted
abduction of a lady near Piedmont who was approached at the curb as she was collecting her
mail. The assailant gave up and left after she balled up in the fetal position and screamed.
Dead weight is hard to over come. If you’ve ever tried to carry an uncooperative toddler, you
get it. The same suspect later attempted to abduct a lady in Shawnee at the Walmart. He was
attempting to tie her up in the parking lot when an oil field worker full of toxic masculinity
intervened and saved her.
#3: Culture and attitude is important. A Japanese student disappeared while attending OCCC.
Her skeletal remains were found a few years later near Camp Kickapoo by some Boy Scouts.
Her murder has never been solved although there is a suspect. The person that was believed to
have abducted her, was caught when he attempted to abduct a young Vietnamese girl near
I-240 & May. He strangled her with a necktie to the point the whites of her eyes were bloody.
She fought and grabbed his glasses from his face and kicked his ass. She wasn’t armed or
very big but she fought him. He ran blind down the street until the police grabbed him.
#4: Be situationally aware. When you are driving in your car pay close attention to others
while at a traffic light, parking lot, and gas stations etc. Those are transitional spaces where an
assault is more likely. Remember that in traffic you are on display to other drivers. Heavy tint
will help keep your identity private. When sitting at a traffic light, position your vehicle offset
to other vehicles. When parking, park close to the building, in well lit areas and avoid walking
alone. Walk with a purpose and keep your head on a swivel. Put your phone away and avoid
distractions while in transitional spaces.
#5: Have a buddy. Never go to a club, party or social event alone. Never accept a drink from
anyone but a close friend. Watch each other’s drinks for attempts to “Roofie” also known as
spiking the drink with drugs. Don’t allow any in your crew to be cared for or alone with a
stranger if that friend is intoxicated. If your gut is telling you that a guy is sketchy . . . trust it.
Groups are better . . . look out for each other.
#6: Never meet anyone you don’t know to purchase or sell something from social media.
Never have them come to your home and definitely never go to their home. Facebook market
place etc. Police station parking lots are excellent places to make those transactions. When I
was in Homicide one of the other teams investigated the murder of a young lady trying to sell
her Xbox. She was asked to meet at a convenient store where she was killed and robbed.
#7: Buy a firearm, train with it, and carry it. I’ve never investigated the abduction murder of
an armed woman. Facts are facts. A firearm changes the equation. If you are fundamentally
opposed to firearms, get some good pepper spray. Just remember that any weapon carried for
self defense can be taken from you and used on you without training and practice.
#8: Train yourself. Know how to get out of your own trunk. There’s an emergency trunk
release in all cars made after 2002 . . . they are required to have a glow in the dark trunk
release. Keep your cell phone charged and let someone know what your plans are that day.
Don’t drive on a nearly empty tank. Always keep your vehicle fueled up.
This is about the safety of kiddies at summer camp.
"Children And Staffers Saved After Cops Shoot Gunman Who Fired Inside Summer Camp"
by Binitha Jacob
https://www.ibtimes.com/children-staffers-saved-after-cops-shoot-gunman-who-fired-inside-summer-camp-3538163
Funny how none of the mass media articles about this incident mention that the camp
counselor had a Texas License to Carry, was in fact carrying at the time, and shot at the bad
guy. She did not kill the bad guy (the cops did that), but she did slow the bad guy down
enough to get her children out of harms way.
What is not reported is much more important than what is reported. That is propaganda.
That is censorship.
This is about the safety of women who make bad choices in domestic partners.
"Wife says she tried to warn police before deadly shooting"
by Stefanie Dazio and Christopher Weber
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jun/16/wife-says-she-tried-to-warn-police-before-deadly-s/
"Across the nation and at SCOTUS, courts have ruled that police have no duty to protect
individual citizens. It's common practice, when a woman calls 911 to report a threat by an
estranged domestic partner to be told to call back when he arrives at the home. It's unclear
whether the woman had reported the previous attack. Spousal battery is a presumptive felony
in California, to force officers to make an arrest even if the victim is not desirous of
prosecution. Note that Flores seems to have had no difficulty obtaining firearms both with
prior felony convictions and with his probation for a related charge. I suspect that he never
obtained the required Firearm Safety Certificate nor went through the ten-day waiting periods."
-- Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA
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.
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----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
If you look at someone bigger, faster, and stronger and immediately think,
'I'm at a disadvantage,'
I have news for you: you are.
But that's only because you just put yourself there for no reason.
The truth is that anyone can do debilitating violence to anyone else.
Your size, your speed, your strength, your gender --
all the factors that untrained people think make the difference when it comes to violence --
all matter far less than your mindset and your intent.
-- Tim Larkin
People make decisions emotionally and then justify them with logic.
There are two emotional motivators that drive every single decision we make as humans.
1.) The primary and strongest motivator that drives any decision is to avoid pain.
2.) The secondary motivator that drives every decision people make is the pursuit of pleasure.
Tim Larkin offers you his Master Class on the tool of violence, free of charge.
SurviveViolence.com
which resolves to
https://timlarkin.com/
Mr. Larkin shows a video of a police officer pepper spraying a suspect and then walking
away (confident that the suspect was incapacitated). The suspect then shoots the officer to
death. Pepper spray does not work on 10% of the general population. Pepper spray does not
work on 50% of young healthy males. Pepper spray does not work on 100% of dedicated
enemies. Why did we have to deploy the U.S. Armed Forces to quell the Los Angeles riots?
Because pepper spray didn't work on Rodney King. If you want to carry pepper spray, that's
fine. But, don't expect it to work.
No matter how much your enemy works out, he can't make his collar bone (clavicle) any
stronger. He can't make his eyes any stronger. He can't make his ear drums any stronger.
He can't make his groin any stronger. His knees, ankles, etc. are all weak points that you can
exploit in your enemy. God made joints to move in certain ways. Bend in a way that it is not
designed to and it will break, easily. Causing your enemy to slip (moving his feet forward out
from under his center of mass) or trip (moving his feet backward out from under his center of
mass) will always work. All throws are either slips or trips.
Injure the bad guy first. Self-defense is the use of force to prevent your injury.
Attack first. Injure the bad guy NOW! Don't worry about getting hurt. Yes, you're going to
get stabbed. Yes, you're going to get shot. But, you'll only survive if you ATTACK!
From an email by John Murphy --
It is an absolute truth that very time you touch a gun, you are handling a lethal instrument.
A split second of inattention can end, or severely alter, lives. If we have adopted the
independent, armed lifestyle, we must also adopt a mentality that understands this inherent risk.
Never allow yourself to be hurried while handling a weapon, there is always time to do it
right. If someone hands you a firearm, insist that the action be opened, and that both of you
have visually and physically inspected the chamber as empty. Even then keep the muzzle
pointed in a direction that mitigates risk and do NOT touch the trigger unless engaged in a
deliberate act, such as dry firing. Never allow contempt borne of familiarity, fatigue, distraction
or inattention open the gap into which immediate, and potentially irrevocable, consequences
enter your life. Bottom line: Fully engage your brain, and then be about the purpose until the
object is again safely at rest.
Remember that you are a human being, subject to all the frailties of our kind. You may, in
fact, one day inadvertently drop or fumble with a pistol. And on that moment of that day, you
must be disciplined enough to not snatch for the gun while it is falling, or even after it has hit
the ground. The trigger will function regardless which of your digits provides the pressure,
and the the bullet will fly in whatever direction the muzzle is pointed at that instant. When the
inevitable happens, let the gun come to rest, deliberately orient the gun in the safest possible
direction, establish a grip with the trigger finger properly indexed and then recover as the
situation dictates.
The trigger is the mechanism of your weapon of the highest consequence. The original
designer of your pistol put a lot of engineering effort into making that system reliable . . . both
in operating when properly manipulated and in NOT functioning unless certain mechanical
requirements are fulfilled. These parameters are well known to the original manufacturer.
Aftermarket parts may emphasize performance in ease of operation, lessened length of
travel, faster reset or all three. This may afford you a "shootability" benefit, making the gun
easier to shoot faster and accurately. But these benefits potentially come at the significant cost
of rendering your pistol no longer drop safe. (See above paragraph.) Staying within the
design envelope may not facilitate 0.15 second splits, but it will go a long way towards saving
you from life changing events.
The bullet never misses. Never. It ALWAYS hits something. May every shot you fire be
intentional, and may every round hit the mark.
-- John Murphy
https://www.fpftraining.com/
"Never Give Warnings Or Fire Warning Shots: Just Shoot The Threat" by Sam Hoober
https://www.usacarry.com/never-fire-warning-shots/
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
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"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
----- 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)
Tim Larkin offers you his Master Class on the tool of violence, free of charge.
SurviveViolence.com
which resolves to
https://timlarkin.com/
Training recommendations from Robert A. Sadowski.
Chuck Taylor’s Small Arms Academy
www.chucktayloramericansmallarmsacademy.com
Location: Prescott, AZ
Front Sight Firearms Training Institute
www.frontsight.com
Location: Pahrump, NV
Gunsite Academy
www.gunsite.com
Location: Paulden, AZ
InSights Training Center
www.insightstraining.com
Locations: Seattle and Bellevue, WA; Harrisburg, PA; Rochester, NY; Winchester, VA;
Atlanta, GA; Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth, TX
I.C.E.
www.icetraining.us
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Magpul Dynamics
www.magpuldynamics.com
Location: Boulder; CO
Shootrite Firearms Academy
www.shootrite.org
Location: Langston, AL
Sig Sauer Academy
www.sigsaueracademy.com
Locations: Epping, NH; Orlando, FL; San Bernardino, CA; Midland, VA
Tactical Firearms Training Team
www.tftt.com
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Thunder Ranch
www.thunderranchinc.com
Locations: Lakeview, OR; Mt. Home, TX
-- from "Shooter's Bible Guide to Combat Handguns" by Robert A. Sadowski.
"Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something."
-- John Farnam
"Last Resort Training Schedule" by Ed Monk
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222053062221910&set=a.1111449672757
In your next class, ask questions. You can always ask "Why?"
-- Jeff Gonzalez
Excerpt from an email from Mike Ox --
A study was done on soccer goalies where they studied how explosive their movement
was. What they found was that the goalies who were most explosive and could get to the
side of the goal quickest took LONGER to start their movement as an opponent was charging
the goal.
This was a good thing. It gave them more time to take in visual cues from their opponent
and they were able to predict their opponent's actions more accurately and block more kicks.
A similar phenomenon happens in every walk of life . . . the higher your level of skill, the
calmer you can be and the more restraint you have.
Youth rattlesnakes supposedly release a higher percentage of their venom when they strike
than an adult . . . because they lack poise and self control and go "straight to 11." Young
officers who haven't played contact sports or had a rough-and-tumble youth tend to
go-to-guns or other kinetic options quicker than an officer who has been in the mix more.
Someone with little experience or confidence with a firearm is likely to point the gun like
a talisman, shut their eyes as they shoot, and miss one or multiple intruders in the same room
with multiple shots.
On the flipside, someone who is confident, smooth, and consistent with their technique
can oftentimes stop a violent attack by simply presenting their firearm to a low-ready/guard
position and issuing verbal commands. (low-ready, in this case, is pointed down, at roughly
a 45 degree angle, at the ground between you and your threat so all you have to do is raise
the muzzle and shoot, if needed) Similar to the soccer player, shooter who has more skill
can oftentimes buy themselves more time or even "intimidate" their way out of needing to
shoot at all.
What's this mean for you?
If you own a firearm for serious purposes, you need to practice with it. Until you're smooth,
consistent, and accurate. Not necessarily for hours at a time or sending 10s of thousands of
rounds per year downrange, but enough of the RIGHT kind of training to be smooth and
consistent at different angles, while moving, and while making good shoot/don't shoot
decisions based on what you see in front of you.
You probably can't do this at your local range.
Even if you could, you can't learn these skills safely with live fire.
-- Mike Ox
“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
"Pepper Spray: 10 Reasons NOT to Use It" by U.S. Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/pepper-spray-10-reasons-not-to-use-it/
I know many instructors who advocate the carry of pepper spray. I have never. I don't
recommend pepper spray. I have witnessed its ineffectiveness on enemies, and my
debilitation when it blew back in my face. So, I don't carry it.
"Expectations vs. Reality In Firearms Training" by Frank Melloni
https://www.ssusa.org/content/expectations-vs-reality-in-firearms-training/
Excerpts:
"In general, gun owners fall into one of three groups.
GROUP NO. 1: They understand that they weren’t born knowing the fundamentals of
marksmanship before taking their first shots.
GROUP NO. 2: Upon unsatisfactory results after taking their first shots, they realize this
information and seek help.
GROUP NO. 3: Despite unsatisfactory results, they refuse to accept that there are avenues
for improvement that involve personal development.
Sadly, most gun owners fall into the last group. Group No. 3 types are satisfied with
rudimentary marksmanship, and as long as they’re safe, more power to them. They are
about as good as they’ll ever be and have learned everything they could ever know."
"Companies that really want participants to receive the right fit will post videos of actual
course footage and maintain a direct pipeline to the folks that will be running the course."
---
When someone inquires about taking a course from me, I will send them all of the
documents that I use in the course (except some of the lectures, as I have permission to use
them, but don't have permission to copy and distribute them) including a course outline
that describes in detail what we will be learning, the order that we will be learning it in,
and the drills we will be doing in order to learn the material. In this type of training, there
are no surprises, no high stress, and we go very slowly. I learned that from Tim Larkin.
Train slow. If the student's fundamentals are correct, speed will take care of itself.
"Handgun - AIWB (Appendix) for Competition and Concealed Carry!" by Mike Seeklander
https://www.facebook.com/events/549524380182227/
Seeklander is wrong when he states that we shooters cover ourselves all the time in his
attempt to justify covering yourself when carrying in the appendix position. You can't draw
your pistol from the appendix position while you are in a seated position without muzzling
yourself. So, appendix carry violates our safety rule.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
That's why I don't teach or use appendix carry. It really is that simple. But, I love citing
opposing opinions.
When Seeklander says, my battery is dying. That is significant.
"IDPA is not a training method. It is a testing method." I agree. One should test equipment
and techniques often.
Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
Perfect practice makes perfect. Imperfect practice engrains bad habits that must be broken
in order to improve performance. Perfect practice is slow. Because if you do it fast, you
won't be able to recognize your mistakes. With slow practice (also called deep practice) the
athlete will often automatically correct errors in form. I've been coaching for 3 decades. I have
seen this. I know this to be true. For instance, teaching breath control is needless and counter
productive. Because the U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit in the 1970's demonstrated
that with practice the shooter will automatically release the shot during the respiratory pause
between the exhale and the inhale. With more practice, the shooter will automatically release
the shot between heart beats. This is without instruction to do so.
Gun schools that teach you to shoot fast are WRONG. Bill Rogers et al are wrong.
They are basically teaching you to shoot at movement. Which violates safety rule IV.
Tim Larkin (When Violence Is the Answer) says practice slow.
Daniel Coyle (The Talent Code) says practice slow.
Slow is smooth (because you can understand what you're doing)
Smooth is efficient (because elegance automatically removes inefficiencies)
Efficient is fast (because there is no wasted motion)
Fast is deadly. (because whoever hits first usually wins)
Kyle Eastridge says, [edited for clarity] (Hat tip to Tom Givens.)
I’ve investigated or assisted on several abduction cases and came up with a few
observations. These are not meant as victim shaming or criticism . . . but there are lessons in
them. This topic might seem sexist by today's standards but they are as true today as they ever
were.
#1: Shopping malls are common locations for sexual assaults, robberies and abductions.
Predators shop at the mall also . . . they are shopping for victims. They are watching and
evaluating potential targets. Parking lots are dangerous places. It’s a common tactic by
criminals, especially during the holidays, to follow shoppers home and rob them . . . or worse.
I investigated the abduction murder of a lady kidnapped from Shepherd Mall. She was forced
into her own car and driven to western Oklahoma where she was murdered.
#2: Compliance is not an option. You must not go with them. Nothing the assailant does to
you in the attempt, will be as bad as what he has planned for you. I investigated the attempted
abduction of a lady near Piedmont who was approached at the curb as she was collecting her
mail. The assailant gave up and left after she balled up in the fetal position and screamed.
Dead weight is hard to over come. If you’ve ever tried to carry an uncooperative toddler, you
get it. The same suspect later attempted to abduct a lady in Shawnee at the Walmart. He was
attempting to tie her up in the parking lot when an oil field worker full of toxic masculinity
intervened and saved her.
#3: Culture and attitude is important. A Japanese student disappeared while attending OCCC.
Her skeletal remains were found a few years later near Camp Kickapoo by some Boy Scouts.
Her murder has never been solved although there is a suspect. The person that was believed to
have abducted her, was caught when he attempted to abduct a young Vietnamese girl near
I-240 & May. He strangled her with a necktie to the point the whites of her eyes were bloody.
She fought and grabbed his glasses from his face and kicked his ass. She wasn’t armed or
very big but she fought him. He ran blind down the street until the police grabbed him.
#4: Be situationally aware. When you are driving in your car pay close attention to others
while at a traffic light, parking lot, and gas stations etc. Those are transitional spaces where an
assault is more likely. Remember that in traffic you are on display to other drivers. Heavy tint
will help keep your identity private. When sitting at a traffic light, position your vehicle offset
to other vehicles. When parking, park close to the building, in well lit areas and avoid walking
alone. Walk with a purpose and keep your head on a swivel. Put your phone away and avoid
distractions while in transitional spaces.
#5: Have a buddy. Never go to a club, party or social event alone. Never accept a drink from
anyone but a close friend. Watch each other’s drinks for attempts to “Roofie” also known as
spiking the drink with drugs. Don’t allow any in your crew to be cared for or alone with a
stranger if that friend is intoxicated. If your gut is telling you that a guy is sketchy . . . trust it.
Groups are better . . . look out for each other.
#6: Never meet anyone you don’t know to purchase or sell something from social media.
Never have them come to your home and definitely never go to their home. Facebook market
place etc. Police station parking lots are excellent places to make those transactions. When I
was in Homicide one of the other teams investigated the murder of a young lady trying to sell
her Xbox. She was asked to meet at a convenient store where she was killed and robbed.
#7: Buy a firearm, train with it, and carry it. I’ve never investigated the abduction murder of
an armed woman. Facts are facts. A firearm changes the equation. If you are fundamentally
opposed to firearms, get some good pepper spray. Just remember that any weapon carried for
self defense can be taken from you and used on you without training and practice.
#8: Train yourself. Know how to get out of your own trunk. There’s an emergency trunk
release in all cars made after 2002 . . . they are required to have a glow in the dark trunk
release. Keep your cell phone charged and let someone know what your plans are that day.
Don’t drive on a nearly empty tank. Always keep your vehicle fueled up.
This is about the safety of kiddies at summer camp.
"Children And Staffers Saved After Cops Shoot Gunman Who Fired Inside Summer Camp"
by Binitha Jacob
https://www.ibtimes.com/children-staffers-saved-after-cops-shoot-gunman-who-fired-inside-summer-camp-3538163
Funny how none of the mass media articles about this incident mention that the camp
counselor had a Texas License to Carry, was in fact carrying at the time, and shot at the bad
guy. She did not kill the bad guy (the cops did that), but she did slow the bad guy down
enough to get her children out of harms way.
What is not reported is much more important than what is reported. That is propaganda.
That is censorship.
This is about the safety of women who make bad choices in domestic partners.
"Wife says she tried to warn police before deadly shooting"
by Stefanie Dazio and Christopher Weber
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jun/16/wife-says-she-tried-to-warn-police-before-deadly-s/
"Across the nation and at SCOTUS, courts have ruled that police have no duty to protect
individual citizens. It's common practice, when a woman calls 911 to report a threat by an
estranged domestic partner to be told to call back when he arrives at the home. It's unclear
whether the woman had reported the previous attack. Spousal battery is a presumptive felony
in California, to force officers to make an arrest even if the victim is not desirous of
prosecution. Note that Flores seems to have had no difficulty obtaining firearms both with
prior felony convictions and with his probation for a related charge. I suspect that he never
obtained the required Firearm Safety Certificate nor went through the ten-day waiting periods."
-- Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA
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.
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset (figuring out the correct way to think) -----
If you look at someone bigger, faster, and stronger and immediately think,
'I'm at a disadvantage,'
I have news for you: you are.
But that's only because you just put yourself there for no reason.
The truth is that anyone can do debilitating violence to anyone else.
Your size, your speed, your strength, your gender --
all the factors that untrained people think make the difference when it comes to violence --
all matter far less than your mindset and your intent.
-- Tim Larkin
People make decisions emotionally and then justify them with logic.
There are two emotional motivators that drive every single decision we make as humans.
1.) The primary and strongest motivator that drives any decision is to avoid pain.
2.) The secondary motivator that drives every decision people make is the pursuit of pleasure.
Tim Larkin offers you his Master Class on the tool of violence, free of charge.
SurviveViolence.com
which resolves to
https://timlarkin.com/
Mr. Larkin shows a video of a police officer pepper spraying a suspect and then walking
away (confident that the suspect was incapacitated). The suspect then shoots the officer to
death. Pepper spray does not work on 10% of the general population. Pepper spray does not
work on 50% of young healthy males. Pepper spray does not work on 100% of dedicated
enemies. Why did we have to deploy the U.S. Armed Forces to quell the Los Angeles riots?
Because pepper spray didn't work on Rodney King. If you want to carry pepper spray, that's
fine. But, don't expect it to work.
No matter how much your enemy works out, he can't make his collar bone (clavicle) any
stronger. He can't make his eyes any stronger. He can't make his ear drums any stronger.
He can't make his groin any stronger. His knees, ankles, etc. are all weak points that you can
exploit in your enemy. God made joints to move in certain ways. Bend in a way that it is not
designed to and it will break, easily. Causing your enemy to slip (moving his feet forward out
from under his center of mass) or trip (moving his feet backward out from under his center of
mass) will always work. All throws are either slips or trips.
Injure the bad guy first. Self-defense is the use of force to prevent your injury.
Attack first. Injure the bad guy NOW! Don't worry about getting hurt. Yes, you're going to
get stabbed. Yes, you're going to get shot. But, you'll only survive if you ATTACK!
From an email by John Murphy --
It is an absolute truth that very time you touch a gun, you are handling a lethal instrument.
A split second of inattention can end, or severely alter, lives. If we have adopted the
independent, armed lifestyle, we must also adopt a mentality that understands this inherent risk.
Never allow yourself to be hurried while handling a weapon, there is always time to do it
right. If someone hands you a firearm, insist that the action be opened, and that both of you
have visually and physically inspected the chamber as empty. Even then keep the muzzle
pointed in a direction that mitigates risk and do NOT touch the trigger unless engaged in a
deliberate act, such as dry firing. Never allow contempt borne of familiarity, fatigue, distraction
or inattention open the gap into which immediate, and potentially irrevocable, consequences
enter your life. Bottom line: Fully engage your brain, and then be about the purpose until the
object is again safely at rest.
Remember that you are a human being, subject to all the frailties of our kind. You may, in
fact, one day inadvertently drop or fumble with a pistol. And on that moment of that day, you
must be disciplined enough to not snatch for the gun while it is falling, or even after it has hit
the ground. The trigger will function regardless which of your digits provides the pressure,
and the the bullet will fly in whatever direction the muzzle is pointed at that instant. When the
inevitable happens, let the gun come to rest, deliberately orient the gun in the safest possible
direction, establish a grip with the trigger finger properly indexed and then recover as the
situation dictates.
The trigger is the mechanism of your weapon of the highest consequence. The original
designer of your pistol put a lot of engineering effort into making that system reliable . . . both
in operating when properly manipulated and in NOT functioning unless certain mechanical
requirements are fulfilled. These parameters are well known to the original manufacturer.
Aftermarket parts may emphasize performance in ease of operation, lessened length of
travel, faster reset or all three. This may afford you a "shootability" benefit, making the gun
easier to shoot faster and accurately. But these benefits potentially come at the significant cost
of rendering your pistol no longer drop safe. (See above paragraph.) Staying within the
design envelope may not facilitate 0.15 second splits, but it will go a long way towards saving
you from life changing events.
The bullet never misses. Never. It ALWAYS hits something. May every shot you fire be
intentional, and may every round hit the mark.
-- John Murphy
https://www.fpftraining.com/
"Never Give Warnings Or Fire Warning Shots: Just Shoot The Threat" by Sam Hoober
https://www.usacarry.com/never-fire-warning-shots/
"Panic is simply the lack of preprogrammed responses."
-- Tom Givens
*************************************************************************
"Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans."
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
----- 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)
Tim Larkin offers you his Master Class on the tool of violence, free of charge.
SurviveViolence.com
which resolves to
https://timlarkin.com/
Training recommendations from Robert A. Sadowski.
Chuck Taylor’s Small Arms Academy
www.chucktayloramericansmallarmsacademy.com
Location: Prescott, AZ
Front Sight Firearms Training Institute
www.frontsight.com
Location: Pahrump, NV
Gunsite Academy
www.gunsite.com
Location: Paulden, AZ
InSights Training Center
www.insightstraining.com
Locations: Seattle and Bellevue, WA; Harrisburg, PA; Rochester, NY; Winchester, VA;
Atlanta, GA; Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth, TX
I.C.E.
www.icetraining.us
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Magpul Dynamics
www.magpuldynamics.com
Location: Boulder; CO
Shootrite Firearms Academy
www.shootrite.org
Location: Langston, AL
Sig Sauer Academy
www.sigsaueracademy.com
Locations: Epping, NH; Orlando, FL; San Bernardino, CA; Midland, VA
Tactical Firearms Training Team
www.tftt.com
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Thunder Ranch
www.thunderranchinc.com
Locations: Lakeview, OR; Mt. Home, TX
-- from "Shooter's Bible Guide to Combat Handguns" by Robert A. Sadowski.
"Take training from different instructors.
We are all wrong about something."
-- John Farnam
"Last Resort Training Schedule" by Ed Monk
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222053062221910&set=a.1111449672757
In your next class, ask questions. You can always ask "Why?"
-- Jeff Gonzalez
Excerpt from an email from Mike Ox --
A study was done on soccer goalies where they studied how explosive their movement
was. What they found was that the goalies who were most explosive and could get to the
side of the goal quickest took LONGER to start their movement as an opponent was charging
the goal.
This was a good thing. It gave them more time to take in visual cues from their opponent
and they were able to predict their opponent's actions more accurately and block more kicks.
A similar phenomenon happens in every walk of life . . . the higher your level of skill, the
calmer you can be and the more restraint you have.
Youth rattlesnakes supposedly release a higher percentage of their venom when they strike
than an adult . . . because they lack poise and self control and go "straight to 11." Young
officers who haven't played contact sports or had a rough-and-tumble youth tend to
go-to-guns or other kinetic options quicker than an officer who has been in the mix more.
Someone with little experience or confidence with a firearm is likely to point the gun like
a talisman, shut their eyes as they shoot, and miss one or multiple intruders in the same room
with multiple shots.
On the flipside, someone who is confident, smooth, and consistent with their technique
can oftentimes stop a violent attack by simply presenting their firearm to a low-ready/guard
position and issuing verbal commands. (low-ready, in this case, is pointed down, at roughly
a 45 degree angle, at the ground between you and your threat so all you have to do is raise
the muzzle and shoot, if needed) Similar to the soccer player, shooter who has more skill
can oftentimes buy themselves more time or even "intimidate" their way out of needing to
shoot at all.
What's this mean for you?
If you own a firearm for serious purposes, you need to practice with it. Until you're smooth,
consistent, and accurate. Not necessarily for hours at a time or sending 10s of thousands of
rounds per year downrange, but enough of the RIGHT kind of training to be smooth and
consistent at different angles, while moving, and while making good shoot/don't shoot
decisions based on what you see in front of you.
You probably can't do this at your local range.
Even if you could, you can't learn these skills safely with live fire.
-- Mike Ox
“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
"Pepper Spray: 10 Reasons NOT to Use It" by U.S. Law Shield
https://www.uslawshield.com/pepper-spray-10-reasons-not-to-use-it/
I know many instructors who advocate the carry of pepper spray. I have never. I don't
recommend pepper spray. I have witnessed its ineffectiveness on enemies, and my
debilitation when it blew back in my face. So, I don't carry it.
"Expectations vs. Reality In Firearms Training" by Frank Melloni
https://www.ssusa.org/content/expectations-vs-reality-in-firearms-training/
Excerpts:
"In general, gun owners fall into one of three groups.
GROUP NO. 1: They understand that they weren’t born knowing the fundamentals of
marksmanship before taking their first shots.
GROUP NO. 2: Upon unsatisfactory results after taking their first shots, they realize this
information and seek help.
GROUP NO. 3: Despite unsatisfactory results, they refuse to accept that there are avenues
for improvement that involve personal development.
Sadly, most gun owners fall into the last group. Group No. 3 types are satisfied with
rudimentary marksmanship, and as long as they’re safe, more power to them. They are
about as good as they’ll ever be and have learned everything they could ever know."
"Companies that really want participants to receive the right fit will post videos of actual
course footage and maintain a direct pipeline to the folks that will be running the course."
---
When someone inquires about taking a course from me, I will send them all of the
documents that I use in the course (except some of the lectures, as I have permission to use
them, but don't have permission to copy and distribute them) including a course outline
that describes in detail what we will be learning, the order that we will be learning it in,
and the drills we will be doing in order to learn the material. In this type of training, there
are no surprises, no high stress, and we go very slowly. I learned that from Tim Larkin.
Train slow. If the student's fundamentals are correct, speed will take care of itself.
"Handgun - AIWB (Appendix) for Competition and Concealed Carry!" by Mike Seeklander
https://www.facebook.com/events/549524380182227/
Seeklander is wrong when he states that we shooters cover ourselves all the time in his
attempt to justify covering yourself when carrying in the appendix position. You can't draw
your pistol from the appendix position while you are in a seated position without muzzling
yourself. So, appendix carry violates our safety rule.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
That's why I don't teach or use appendix carry. It really is that simple. But, I love citing
opposing opinions.
When Seeklander says, my battery is dying. That is significant.
"IDPA is not a training method. It is a testing method." I agree. One should test equipment
and techniques often.
Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice".
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
----- Practice (how to get good at that task) -----
Perfect practice makes perfect. Imperfect practice engrains bad habits that must be broken
in order to improve performance. Perfect practice is slow. Because if you do it fast, you
won't be able to recognize your mistakes. With slow practice (also called deep practice) the
athlete will often automatically correct errors in form. I've been coaching for 3 decades. I have
seen this. I know this to be true. For instance, teaching breath control is needless and counter
productive. Because the U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit in the 1970's demonstrated
that with practice the shooter will automatically release the shot during the respiratory pause
between the exhale and the inhale. With more practice, the shooter will automatically release
the shot between heart beats. This is without instruction to do so.
Gun schools that teach you to shoot fast are WRONG. Bill Rogers et al are wrong.
They are basically teaching you to shoot at movement. Which violates safety rule IV.
Tim Larkin (When Violence Is the Answer) says practice slow.
Daniel Coyle (The Talent Code) says practice slow.
Slow is smooth (because you can understand what you're doing)
Smooth is efficient (because elegance automatically removes inefficiencies)
Efficient is fast (because there is no wasted motion)
Fast is deadly. (because whoever hits first usually wins)
[Whoever hits first, not whoever shoots first.]
We need to injure to debilitate, not cause pain. Pain is useless, as some don't feel or react
to pain.
Train slowly, calmly, and deliberately. Practice slowly, calmly, and deliberately.
Crawl - accurate and correct.
Walk - with stress while maintaining accuracy, correct tactics, and all safety rules.
Run - with stress and disabilities while maintaining accuracy, correct tactics, and all safety rules.
You will have to crawl, even after you run, because combat skills are perishable skills that
must be practiced to perfection in order to work reliably in combat. [Everything that I am
saying is stolen from better instructors than I.]
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"Exigo a me non ut optimis par sim, sed ut malis melior."
I require myself not to be equal to the best, but to be better than the bad.
--Seneca
You better practice with your red dot sight in low light conditions. During combat is the
wrong time to discover that your flashlight held on the crown of your head on pressed against
your cheek causes glare on your red dot sight window that prevents you from seeing anything
through the window.
"I will never have that problem because I use the Harries flashlight technique or I have a
weapon mounted light."
Really? Have you practiced in real world conditions? You might not be able to see your
dot because your flashlight is so bright (relative to the brightness of the dot) that you can't
see the dot.
"I'll just turn up the brightness of my dot."
During combat?
"I'll just leave my dot brightness up all the time."
Really? Does that work in daylight conditions? Or, does the bright dot obstruct your view
through the window? Bright dots look huge and can prevent you from seeing your target.
And they will burn an image into your eye. Try it. You'll see what I mean. [That's why we
teach rifle shooters not to stare at the target through their sights for more than a couple of seconds.
Oh ya, I know what I'm talking about. I'm a Level 3 Rifle Coach, certified by USA Shooting,
the Civilian Marksmanship Program, and the National Rifle Association.]
Of course the solution is a light sensitive sensor on your system that automatically adjusts
the brightness of your dot. Hey, modern cars adjust your headlights, air conditioner, and
windshield wipers automatically. [Unfortunately, the more complex your system, the more
Murphy's Law will ensure it does not work in combat.]
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
"Why snap caps suck for dry fire practice . . . " by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/why-snap-caps-suck-for-dry-fire-practice/
Another problem with practicing with dummy rounds is that the difference between a
"misfire" (click and no bang) and a "squib load" (click and no bang) is subtle and perhaps
indistinguishable in combat. The "immediate action" [Tap the magazine, Rack the slide,
We need to injure to debilitate, not cause pain. Pain is useless, as some don't feel or react
to pain.
Train slowly, calmly, and deliberately. Practice slowly, calmly, and deliberately.
Crawl - accurate and correct.
Walk - with stress while maintaining accuracy, correct tactics, and all safety rules.
Run - with stress and disabilities while maintaining accuracy, correct tactics, and all safety rules.
You will have to crawl, even after you run, because combat skills are perishable skills that
must be practiced to perfection in order to work reliably in combat. [Everything that I am
saying is stolen from better instructors than I.]
Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"Exigo a me non ut optimis par sim, sed ut malis melior."
I require myself not to be equal to the best, but to be better than the bad.
--Seneca
You better practice with your red dot sight in low light conditions. During combat is the
wrong time to discover that your flashlight held on the crown of your head on pressed against
your cheek causes glare on your red dot sight window that prevents you from seeing anything
through the window.
"I will never have that problem because I use the Harries flashlight technique or I have a
weapon mounted light."
Really? Have you practiced in real world conditions? You might not be able to see your
dot because your flashlight is so bright (relative to the brightness of the dot) that you can't
see the dot.
"I'll just turn up the brightness of my dot."
During combat?
"I'll just leave my dot brightness up all the time."
Really? Does that work in daylight conditions? Or, does the bright dot obstruct your view
through the window? Bright dots look huge and can prevent you from seeing your target.
And they will burn an image into your eye. Try it. You'll see what I mean. [That's why we
teach rifle shooters not to stare at the target through their sights for more than a couple of seconds.
Oh ya, I know what I'm talking about. I'm a Level 3 Rifle Coach, certified by USA Shooting,
the Civilian Marksmanship Program, and the National Rifle Association.]
Of course the solution is a light sensitive sensor on your system that automatically adjusts
the brightness of your dot. Hey, modern cars adjust your headlights, air conditioner, and
windshield wipers automatically. [Unfortunately, the more complex your system, the more
Murphy's Law will ensure it does not work in combat.]
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
"Why snap caps suck for dry fire practice . . . " by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/why-snap-caps-suck-for-dry-fire-practice/
Another problem with practicing with dummy rounds is that the difference between a
"misfire" (click and no bang) and a "squib load" (click and no bang) is subtle and perhaps
indistinguishable in combat. The "immediate action" [Tap the magazine, Rack the slide,
Point in (sights on target, slack out of the trigger, assess the situation, and fire if necessary)]
would not be appropriate for a squib.
"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, which tactics to use) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"Ed Monk’s Presentation on Active Killers" by Salvatore
https://reflexhandgun.com/2022/02/04/a-must-watch-ed-monks-presentation-on-active-killers/
Tim Larkin hosts Ed Monk.
The enemy chooses gun-free-zones.
If your goal is zero casualties, you have to interdict before the attack.
Lock down plans are STUPID! Wrong, just plain wrong.
Cops have shot each other. Cops have shot the wrong person. Armed citizens have never
shot the wrong person.
To protect your church, you have to catch the bad guy in the parking lot. You can't let the
bad guy into the building.
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"Explaining the Tough Questions About School Safety" by Ed Monk
https://slowfacts.wordpress.com/2022/06/04/explaining-the-tough-questions-about-school-safety/
I can't get the principal to think about these questions, much less answer them. So, I tossed
it into my boss's lap.
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
"Weapon Handling in an Active Killer Event" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weapon-handling-in-an-active-killer-event
Excerpt:
"In the hundreds of simulated active shooter scenarios I’ve run over the past 15 years,
students have the most difficulty dropping or holstering their firearms after neutralizing the
killers involved."
"In most self defense shootings, covering a down bad guy with a pistol isn’t a bad plan.
It’s not such a good idea in an active killer event with multiple victims and lots of people
on the phone to police."
What Greg refers to as a modified “Sul”, I have also heard referred to as a retention Sul.
In that the support side hand is grabbing the pistol rather than against the chest.
"Pistol vs. Active Shooter With A Rifle? Myths & Facts" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/pistol-vs-active-shooter-with-a-rifle-myths-facts/
Yes, as a matter of fact your pistol is effective out to 100 yards. The question is, are you?
"The 3 “Mass Shootings” you didn’t hear about, but should have . . . " by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/the-3-mass-shootings-you-didnt-hear-about-but-should-have/
"Just because a situation is not ideal or desirable doesn’t mean it’s impossible."
-- Mike Ox
"STREET FIGHTER - PART SEVEN" by Frank E. White
https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/deawatch/white/deafw-29.htm
The other articles in this series may be found at
https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/deawatch/white/deafw.htm
Also other series.
"I have learned through countless firefights that the difference between being a coward
and a hero is not whether you are scared, but what you do when you are scared.
Stay in the fight!" -- Frank E. White
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Harries technique demonstrated by Mike Harries,
"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, which tactics to use) -----
How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.
-- John Farnam
"Ed Monk’s Presentation on Active Killers" by Salvatore
https://reflexhandgun.com/2022/02/04/a-must-watch-ed-monks-presentation-on-active-killers/
Tim Larkin hosts Ed Monk.
The enemy chooses gun-free-zones.
If your goal is zero casualties, you have to interdict before the attack.
Lock down plans are STUPID! Wrong, just plain wrong.
Cops have shot each other. Cops have shot the wrong person. Armed citizens have never
shot the wrong person.
To protect your church, you have to catch the bad guy in the parking lot. You can't let the
bad guy into the building.
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, and Escape
"Explaining the Tough Questions About School Safety" by Ed Monk
https://slowfacts.wordpress.com/2022/06/04/explaining-the-tough-questions-about-school-safety/
I can't get the principal to think about these questions, much less answer them. So, I tossed
it into my boss's lap.
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
"Weapon Handling in an Active Killer Event" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weapon-handling-in-an-active-killer-event
Excerpt:
"In the hundreds of simulated active shooter scenarios I’ve run over the past 15 years,
students have the most difficulty dropping or holstering their firearms after neutralizing the
killers involved."
"In most self defense shootings, covering a down bad guy with a pistol isn’t a bad plan.
It’s not such a good idea in an active killer event with multiple victims and lots of people
on the phone to police."
What Greg refers to as a modified “Sul”, I have also heard referred to as a retention Sul.
In that the support side hand is grabbing the pistol rather than against the chest.
"Pistol vs. Active Shooter With A Rifle? Myths & Facts" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/pistol-vs-active-shooter-with-a-rifle-myths-facts/
Yes, as a matter of fact your pistol is effective out to 100 yards. The question is, are you?
"The 3 “Mass Shootings” you didn’t hear about, but should have . . . " by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/the-3-mass-shootings-you-didnt-hear-about-but-should-have/
"Just because a situation is not ideal or desirable doesn’t mean it’s impossible."
-- Mike Ox
"STREET FIGHTER - PART SEVEN" by Frank E. White
https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/deawatch/white/deafw-29.htm
The other articles in this series may be found at
https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/deawatch/white/deafw.htm
Also other series.
"I have learned through countless firefights that the difference between being a coward
and a hero is not whether you are scared, but what you do when you are scared.
Stay in the fight!" -- Frank E. White
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques (ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics) -----
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
Harries technique demonstrated by Mike Harries,
"Man Open Carrying an AR-15 Get’s Robbed at Gunpoint; Shootout Ensues" by Luke McCoy
https://www.usacarry.com/man-open-carrying-ar-15-robbed-gunpoint/
Open carry invites robbery, as the firearm is a high value item and destroys the tactical
element of surprise. So, open carry is an act of criminal stupidity. It is an invitation for a
gun grab.
"5 Concealed Carry Pistol Laser Sight Myths" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/5-concealed-carry-pistol-laser-sight-myths/
Excerpt:
"You don’t want to use your sights or laser to aim . . .
you want to use them to verify sight alignment."
"Developing A Smooth Concealed Carry Draw" by Kevin Creighton (Karl Rehn)
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/developing-a-smooth-concealed-carry-draw/
Excerpt:
“When helping someone who is unfamiliar with concealed carry,
the first thing I look at is what kind of holster and belt they are using,” said Rehn.
"THIS is the quickest thing you can do to shoot better . . . but you shouldn’t do it." by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/this-is-the-quickest-thing-you-can-do-to-shoot-betterbut-you-shouldnt-do-it/
"THIS" = Closing your non-aiming eye for the fraction of a second it takes you to aim and
release the shot.
Mike says you won't be able to close your non-aiming eye when under stress.
I disagree. But, I love posting opposing opinions.
I teach closing the non-aiming eye because Murphy's Law says that you will be using the
wrong image to aim and hence getting unintended hits on the innocent bystanders to the right
or left of your target.
Don't believe me? Stretch your arm out. Hold your thumb up (that's your front sight).
With both eyes open focus on a distant target. You will see two thumbs.
Now focus on your thumb. You will see two targets. That's just the way human vision is set
up. Are you willing to bet someone else's life on your ability to use the correct image under
high stress?
"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
"How to Become a Firearms Instructor" by Brian Wang
https://monarchdefense.org/2016/08/05/how-to-become-a-firearms-instructor/
Excerpt:
“Once a teacher, always a student.”
"If your student has sat in class for 20 minutes and not touched an object in
demonstration, you’ve gone far too long!"
"We learn best if we can See, Hear, Touch, Do, Write, Read, and Reflect!"
"Lastly, the hardest lesson I ever learned as a self -defense firearms instructor was that
of humility. I was young, skilled, and arrogant; it was a mistake which cost me my reputation,
tanked my business, strained the relationship with my employees and lost the facilities which
I had worked so hard to foster. It was finally my teacher and mentor David Maglio who
drove home the message when he disowned me. That is the cost of being full of yourself.
Be humble." [Wow, I admire a guy who can admit this publicly. And I am impressed
that he learned and recovered. -- Jon Low]
"Advice for the Would-Be Firearms Instructor" by Will Petty
https://www.breachbangclear.com/10-things-for-a-would-be-firearms-instructor-to-remember/
"Even More Instructorship Lessons" by Justin
https://swiftsilentdeadly.com/even-more-instructorship-lessons/
Hat tip to Jody Picou.
Excerpt:
"Don’t Smother the Pretty Student"
[I avoid this by teaching one student classes. Ya, I know that's dangerous too.]
"Though most don’t value it, I value time as my most precious commodity."
---
Prior article referred to,
"Lessons Learned As A Professional Instructor" by Justin
https://swiftsilentdeadly.com/lessons-learned-as-a-professional-instructor/
Excerpt:
"Don’t fall into the trap of assuming because it’s “obvious.” "
"CLEAN YOUR CLASSROOM."
"MAKE THE CLASSROOM LOOK UNIFORM."
"KNOW YOUR CONTENT INSIDE AND OUT" [Prof. Jordan Peterson says you need
to know at least 10 times as much information as you are presenting. This is critical. If a
student's question takes you down a rabbit hole, you have to be able to chase it to a dead end.]
"NEVER TEACH AT THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE."
"ANTICIPATE THE QUESTIONS STUDENTS WILL ASK" [Or better yet, write up
questions and give them to the students to ask during the class. Makes the student look good,
makes you look good, WIN WIN.]
". . . knowing a subject and teaching a subject are two vastly different animals."
"ALWAYS SEEK TO BETTER YOUR CONTENT"
"BE RESPECTFUL OF STUDENTS’ TIME"
"KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, BUT DON’T ASSUME KNOWLEDGE." [In his book, "On
Writing Well" William Zinsser says assume your audience is intelligent, but ignorant of your
subject.]
"Ask probing questions. Interact with your audience."
"If you are too busy troubleshooting a single student to pay attention to the rest of your
class, you have failed the rest of your students."
"DON’T DIP TOBACCO OR ATTEMPT TO EAT ANYTHING WHILE INSTRUCTING."
"DON’T FLIRT WITH STUDENTS."
"STOP TELLING WAR STORIES"
"DON’T GET INTO PISSING MATCHES WITH STUDENTS."
[I would add from my experience, "Don't do anything for the student." You have to let the
student struggle. They learn by doing. If you do it for them, you prevent them from learning.
Don't let any student do anything for any other student (especially couples).]
"REALITY CHECK II | Dangerous People" by Clint Smith
https://americancop.com/reality-check-ii-dangerous-people/
Excerpt:
"I would never let some knuckle-head who calls himself an instructor, or student,
shoot past my head — ever."
I've heard a lot of instructors say, "lock your wrists" when gripping and shooting the pistol.
If you can't explain what it means to "lock your wrist", don't tell your students to "lock your
wrists". If you can't explain how to "lock your wrists", don't teach the technique. You're
just causing confusion.
Which muscle tension is the student supposed to use to "lock his wrist"? The wrist is a
universal joint that can rotate the hand in many axes. There are many muscles around the
wrist joint. There is nothing a human can do to physically lock the wrist joint. Short of
putting a brace on it.
It would be rare to have a student ask "How do I lock my wrists?" The student doesn't
want to appear stupid. The student doesn't want to make the instructor look stupid.
This is a real problem.
"Okay, Staff, so what do we tell the student to create a stable grip?"
If using a two handed grip, push with the firing-side-hand and pull with the
support-side-hand. Trap the pistol in the vice grip between the push of the firing-side-hand
and the pull of the support-side-hand. Or words to that effect.
If shooting with one hand, tell the student to push the pistol into the target. As opposed to
trying to holding it in a static position.
Massad Ayoob teaches to grip with the thumbs down. The theory being that you have a
stronger grip if you grip as you would a hammer or a baseball bat. Strength is important
for weapons retention and creating a stable platform to shoot from, hence accuracy.
Tom givens teaches to grip the pistol with the thumbs high. The theory being that this
position keeps the wrists straight, which allows for a stronger grip. (Pointing the thumbs
forward twists the support side wrist out of its optimal position for strength.)
I would add that high thumbs mitigates the instinctive milking action that humans have
when gripping with all five fingers. That's why when the Drill Instructor places the hand-
grenade in your hand, the spoon is in your palm, not against your fingers.
If you grip anything hard enough, long enough, especially under high stress conditions,
you will find that your grip strength is not constant. You will end up milking the teat of a
cow. High thumbs mitigates this effect.
I think you need to practice different techniques enough, so that you teach intelligently,
in an informed manner.
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
"Affirmative Coaching" by Aaron Jannetti
https://aaronjannetti.wordpress.com/2022/06/03/affirmative-coaching/
"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
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- 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
Stay mentally present. There are more threats. Keep your eyes open. Seek cover and
safety. After you feel you are safe, and only then, will you call 911.
The 911 call --
"911 what's your emergency?"
"There has been a shooting at 123 Main Street." HANG UP!
No, you don't need to identify yourself. No, you don't need to ask for an ambulance.
No, you don't need to ask for police. No, you don't need to establish the dynamics of
the situation. SHUT UP! HANG UP!
If you feel safe, holster your pistol.
Call your attorney.
-- Firearms Legal Protection (a self-defense insurance company)
Obey all commands of responding officers.
"I acted in self-defense. I want to speak to my attorney."
You say "I acted in self-defense." so the prosecutor can't claim that you never said anything
about self-defense and you're only claiming self-defense at a later date.
Talking to the responding officers is an act of criminal stupidity. Don't do it. Just ask for
your attorney, that prevents the police from questioning you (legally). But, it does not
prevent you from waiving your right to remain silent by talking. So, shut up!
If there is anyone with you, tell them to shut up and wait for your attorney. The police will
separate you all and question you all separately. Don't allow that to happen. Teach your
friends and loved ones to never talk to the police.
If you talk to the police, you will be arrested and prosecuted. Sorry, that's reality. Even if
you get the charges dismissed, you will have spent at least $50,000 in legal fees. Even if you
get acquitted at trial, you would have spent at least $250,000 in legal fees. But, there is a 10%
chance that you will be convicted, even if you are completely innocent. As Andrew Branca
says, that's just the level of noise in the system. (Juries are of made up of people who were not
smart enough to get off jury duty. Those who feel that it is their civic duty to serve on a jury
are, generally speaking, dismissed from jury duty. {Speak to a jury consultant for details.}
If you live in an urban area, you can expect your jury pool to be composed of flaming liberals,
who don't believe in the right to self-defense. If you live in a state with Democrat political
leaders and prosecutors, you're screwed.)
"That's so unfair!"
Oh no, it is actually quite fair. Talking to the police is an act of stupidity. The consequences
of stupidity is losing a lot of money and spending time in prison. How to avoid such? Don't
be stupid, which means don't talk to the police. Actually, it is more than that. Don't talk to the
police or anyone else, except your attorney.
Never talk to anyone who is in jail with you.
Never talk to your spouse about the incident. No matter how much your spouse loves you
now, it may be years before the incident comes to trial. In that time you may have a nasty
divorce. Especially when she finds out about all of your sordid affairs. Don't take that chance.
Talk only to your attorney about the incident. Never talk to anyone else. It really is that
simple. Not easy, simple.
"Why is it not easy?"
Because high stress causes diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain.
"How could talking to the police hurt me? I would only be telling the truth."
NO! You are WRONG! The high stress and trauma (whether you are aware of it or not) will
cause false memories and temporary amnesia. You need at least two sleep cycles to allow
your brain to sort things out. If you talk to the responding police officers at the scene, you
will be telling all kinds of lies, which will indicate your consciousness of guilt. And at trial,
the prosecutor will be able to say that not only does the state think you're guilty, but you
think that you're guilty as proven by your false statements.
US Financial Education Foundation estimates there are over 40 Million lawsuits filed
in the US every year. So, you can rest assured that you will be sued after the incident.
[Jack Wilson (West Freeway Church of Christ shooting) killed the bad guy and saved many
lives. Three persons in the congregation sued him. Wilson saves their lives and they sue him.
Even in a church congregation, there are scum bags.]
One of the contributing factors to the huge amount of lawsuits every year is how attorney
fees are handled during lawsuits. Most lawsuits are brought on what's called contingency,
which means the attorney is paid a percentage, usually 30-40%, of the amount awarded.
This means, the plaintiff (the person bringing the lawsuit) is not paying their attorney
fees out-of-pocket.
Guess who's paying your attorney fees if you're the one having to fight the lawsuit?
That's right, YOU ARE! This is why so many people end up taking a settlement for the
$100k equity in their house or retirement account, etc. because it's often cheaper and faster
than hiring an attorney and fighting the lawsuit in court.
Where's the justice in that!? You're absolutely right, there isn't any!
As if the criminal side wasn't bad enough, now we have the civil side on top of it.
-- FIREARMS LEGAL PROTECTION
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the direct address
https://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/never-talk-to-police.html
In the righthand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the direct link is,
http://defensivepistolcraft.blogspot.com/p/self-defense-insurance.html
My dementia is getting bad, so I don't remember if I published this before.
II. If I am forced to incapacitate an assailant, what should I do next?
In the aftermath of a lethal force encounter --
Never talk to the police! Ask for your attorney and shut up! The police will
lie to you. Don't believe them. Don't listen to them. There are many U.S. Supreme
Court rulings saying that it is perfectly fine for the police to lie to you. (Of course,
if you lie to the police that's a crime.) The high stress of the violent encounter will
cause you to have false memories and temporary amnesia. So, if you talk to the
police, your statement will have all kinds of errors. And once you are caught in
one lie, nothing else you say will be believed. Your lying will be used as evidence
of your consciousness of guilt.
Instructors who teach "talking to the police" are WRONG!
May I invite your attention to
"You Have the Right to Remain Innocent" by James Duane on YouTube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FENubmZGj8
If you talk, you will be convicted because the police don't care about your
innocence or guilt. All they care about are their promotions and raises.
Arrests count. Convictions count. Exonerations don't count.
Say "no" when the police ask for permission to do anything. Just say, NO.
May I invite your attention to
"Busted! How to Handle the Police Until You Get a Lawyer" by Mary Griego
on YouTube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmtIizXdh88
"Shut up! Please shut up."
I can beat an illegal search. I can beat a search warrant. I cannot beat your
stupidity in giving the cop permission to search. Of course, they are going to
plant evidence. They aren't stupid.
Talking to the police is criminal stupidity. Don't do it.
Giving the police permission to search is criminal stupidity. Don't do it.
Some instructors teach, point out evidence. If you do that, the police will say
that only you knew where the evidence was because you put it there. And similarly
for other things you say. Your statements will all be twisted and used against you.
That's why so many innocent people are in prison. They aren't guilty. They are stupid.
That's why the Innocence Project has gotten so many people released from prison.
My state senator, Mark Pody, worked on such a case. If the guy had just kept his
mouth shut in the first place, he never would have been convicted. Everyone thinks
they are being a good citizen and helping the police. Ya, you're helping the police
convict you.
Instructors who teach "say little" when interacting with the responding police
officers after a lethal force encounter are WRONG! The instructors teach things like,
"point out witnesses and evidence to the responding officers". Don't!
Keep your mouth shut! Don't write anything. Don't sign anything (American Sign
Language). Don't say anything.
May I invite your attention to
"Don't Talk to the Police" by Prof. James Duane of Regent University School of Law
on YouTube.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE&t=3s
In the aftermath of your self-defense use of lethal force, you may be arrested.
When read your Miranda rights, the police officer will ask you,
"Do you understand your rights?"
Your answer is "NO."
If they ask you what you don't understand,
your answer is "I don't understand anything you said."
Never confirm an understanding of your rights.
You think you're a legal scholar? No, you're not. You don't understand your
rights. If you think you do, you're a damn fool.
In the aftermath of your self-defense use of lethal force you may be jailed.
When you're in jail, you may be beaten and sodomized. In any case you're going
to want to get out. The police will come to you with a paper to sign. They will tell
you that it's just a formality and once you sign it they will release you. DON'T sign it.
It is a confession. Once you sign the confession, you will be arrested and spend the
rest of your life in prison. Yes, as a matter of fact, this sort of thing is common practice.
This is precisely why the State of New York passed a law requiring suspects to be
released without having to post bail.
Another reason to have a self-defense insurance policy that provides your bail
money. If you don't bail out before the first hearing, the judge will impose all kinds
of ridiculous conditions on your release. If you don't have an attorney on retainer,
you'll be in jail for several weeks before you see an attorney.
If you're hiring an attorney on your own without an insurance policy, you'll
have to pay the attorney in full up front. No sane attorney will bill you later.
Because the client has no incentive to pay once the charges are dropped or the
verdict is rendered.
Michael Drejka was violently shoved to the ground in a parking lot of a store by
Markeis McGlockton who was much bigger and stronger than Drejka. Drejka, while
on the ground, immediately shot McGlockton in the front of his chest (not in the back).
McGlockton retreated into the store and died.
The responding police officers declined to arrest Drejka because it was self-defense.
The county Sheriff declined to press charges against Drejka because it was
self-defense.
This would have been the end of it if Drejka had just kept his mouth shut and
gone on with his life.
Then, Drejka goes in to talk to the police for two hours without his attorney present.
The recorded statement was played at his trial to convict him of manslaughter (the unlawful
killing of a human being without malice aforethought). Drejka is now getting beaten in prison
on a regular basis. And will be in prison for the rest of his life.
If you are stupid enough to talk to the police, you can talk yourself into a conviction,
even when you are completely justified, completely innocent of any crime. My father,
who was a prosecutor, judge, defense attorney, et al told me that stupid people get
convicted. Doesn't have anything to do with guilt or innocence. Arrogance is a form
of stupidity. That's why God tells us to be humble.
May I invite your attention to
"D.C. commits to sweeping post-conviction review after report
uncovers breakdowns in city’s forensics arm" by Emily Davies at the Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/12/13/dc-forensic-sciences-report-failures/
Whether corruption or incompetence, the result is the same, innocent persons
convicted. This is why it is so important to never talk to the police. Teach your
children to never talk to the police. You and your children can talk to your attorney.
Then your attorney can talk to the police. But, you should NEVER talk to the police.
Andrew Branca says,
Most people are not at zero knowledge. They are at negative 20, because
they know so much stuff that is false. So, to get them to 100% knowledge is
very difficult. You have to educate them out of all of their deeply held
misconceptions.
“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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
"Tucker Carlson: This is a total lie"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLW40seir8w
Why Red Flag laws are unconstitutional, and why they are being implemented by the
Democrats. To put you in prison, where you can't vote.
The law has nothing to do with justice and
justice has nothing to do with the truth.
We only truly have the rights we can afford to defend.
--Varg Freeburg
In Michigan, a flamethrower is a legal weapon. So we will cover your use of a
flamethrower to protect yourself or others. -- FIREARMS LEGAL PROTECTION
"If you carry a gun, so you're hard to kill, know the law, so you're hard to convict."
Free infographic on the 5 elements of self-defense. Free download.
https://LawOfSefDefense.com/elements/
Free one hour webinar, every Wednesday at 13:00 Central Time, register at,
https://www.hardtoconvict.com/
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
https://lawofselfdefense.com/freebook/
The book is free of charge. Just pay shipping, so you don't have to drive to Colorado
to pick it up.
"Educate yourself. So, you don't spend the rest of your life in a cage."
After the charges have been dropped or after your acquittal, it is essential to get the arrest
record expunged. Then you can legally say that you have never been arrested.
An arrest record can interfere with a security clearance, a job application, getting insured,
getting bonded, getting married (the wife or in-laws may consider it a deal breaker).
"12-Year Prison Sentence for Firing Three Rounds Too Many" by Andrew Branca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEvSf1KcS5U
Jury found that the defendant killing the bad guy was completely justified self-defense.
Acquittal!
Sentenced to 9 to 12 years for firing 3 warning shots. Felonious assault, conviction!
No one was struck by the 3 bullets. Assault does not require anyone to get harmed.
The defendant shot at the fleeing suspect and in the direction of pedestrians.
Firing warning shots is an act of criminal stupidity. Don't fire warning shots. Don't say
that you fired warning shots. Don't say anything. Shut up! Talking to the police is an act
of criminal stupidity.
"What Happens When Your State Goes Permitless" by U.S. LawShield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnI4TCwWPRs
Every state has different qualifications.
Keep your carry permit for reciprocity.
South Dakota has a residency requirement.
South Dakota has a residency requirement.
These laws don't expand rights for those who are prohibited.
If you have a decent self-defense insurance program, they should have a number you can
call to ask questions about gun laws.
"A Pattern of Sexual Misconduct by Louisville Police" by VICE News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HERShPhJwPg
This is the reason there is so much support for "defund the police" policies. As the
detective says, "It's not a bad apple in the barrel as police chiefs like to say, all the apples
in the barrel are bad. It's a culture of corruption and cover up in the police department."
"The police only abuse their power against criminals. So, it would never affect me."
If you think that, you're a damn fool.
“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 a dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
"Sign of the Times!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/sign-of-the-times-2/
"Body Armor for Armed Citizens" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-definitive-body-armor-qa
I agree. The Safariland fits well and is the most comfortable that I have used.
Question from a student (I never use the term "former". Once a student, always a student.) --
After some extensive medical tests for some issues, I have been diagnosed with
Rheumatoid Arthritis. My wrists, hands, and all joints are affected. But the wrists
and hands affect me racking the slide. Do you know of any guns that are Arthritis
friendly? I need to get one in the next few months.
---
My answer --
My sister has a similar problem. I got her a Smith&Wesson M&P EZ in
380 Auto. Though now days S&W makes them in 9mm.
Go to your local gun store and try racking and manipulating the trigger on one.
Might want to call around and find a gun store that has them.
Don't bother going to Bass Pro in the Opry Mills shopping center.
They have trigger locks on all of their guns and won't remove them to allow
the customer to test the trigger.
You should still be able to rack your slide on your holster, belt, edge of
a counter or table, edge of a wall, etc. If not, you need to have a gunsmith replace the
rear sight, so you can.
You can replace the recoil spring on your pistol with a weaker spring.
Brownells has replacement springs in various weights for your pistol.
Of course, you need to test fire your pistol to ensure it still functions reliably
with the weaker spring. It probably will. If not, I know a machinist who can
can machine out sections of your slide to reduce mass or weld on to increase mass.
We can make your pistol reliable with a weaker spring.
There are other options we could explore.
"Best Bullpup Rifles & Shotguns" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-bullpup-rifles-shotguns/
Good so see so many are ambidextrous. Good to see so many are forward ejecting.
Kits to turn your rifle into a bullpup, what a great idea.
Mr. Pike is correct in that practice is necessary. Normal long guns have their center
of mass in front of your hands. The bullpup has its center of mass behind your hands.
Big difference. You have to sling it correctly to get it to hang correctly. I haven't seen
appropriate slings on the open market, so you might have to make your own.
"YOU KNOW YOU REALLY NEED AN AR-15
WHEN YOUR GOVERNMENT TELLS YOU THAT YOU DON'T NEED AN AR-15."
-- Gabe Suarez
"Massad Ayoob:
Three reasons why you need to carry extra ammo and magazines -
Critical Mas Episode 28"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsfGQASU3W8
The gunfight may use more rounds than those in your pistol.
You may need to clear a malfunction.
In a disarming maneuver, your magazine may be ejected.
Norma and Geco 9mm ammunition recall.
https://www.ammoshoponline.com/warning-important-recall-notice-regarding-certain-9mm-ammunition/
"The Thompson-LaGarde Tests (caliber tests conducted in 1904 at the Nelson Morris
Company Union Stock Yards) concluded “. . . a bullet, which will have the shock effect and
stopping effect at short ranges necessary for a military pistol or revolver, should have a
caliber not less than .45.”
from "Shooter's Bible Guide to Combat Handguns" (pp. 15-16) by Robert A. Sadowski.
Col. Jeff Cooper recommended the 1911 in 45 ACP.
Louis Awerbuck recommended the SA XD in 45 ACP.
"Important Safety Notice: FN 502 Tactical Handgun" by NRA Family
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/important-safety-notice-fn-502-tactical-handgun/
I could not find the notice on the FN web site, so I am posting the NRA notice.
Stephen P. Wenger is offering a .32 S&W ("short”) set of RCBS steel dies for the cost of
mailing. Let me know if you're interested and I'll give you his email address.
"Concerning dummy rounds" by Tom Givens
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rangemaster/permalink/10158627109320924/
In case you can't get to the web page.
Extra caution is needed with inert/dummy rounds, especially if used in dry practice in your
home.
Recently, a friend gave me a plastic bag containing some loose rounds of ammunition. In
the bag, I could see one 12 gauge shotgun round, black, all plastic. I assumed it was a dummy
round and planned to add it to my stash of 12 ga dummies. When I removed the round from
the bag, to my surprise it was a live, all plastic birdshot round. Although not overly common,
there are several brands of all plastic shotgun ammunition, and they look just like dummy
rounds. Inspect dummies carefully before use, to prevent mixing live ammo in with them.
Your grip size should be such that the tip of your middle finger is pointing back toward
you when you have the bones of your forearms in line with the barrel. Not parallel to the
barrel, in line with the barrel. Yes, as a matter of fact a competent gunsmith can reduce the
size of your grip. You can remove all of the back straps and side straps, and wrap the grip
with tape as you would a tennis racquet. If that fails, try a pistol with a smaller grip.
Your trigger position should be such that when the middle of your fingerprint is over the
middle of the trigger and you have taken the slack out of the trigger, your trigger finger is
pressing the trigger straight to the rear. No lateral component of force. Yes, as a matter of
fact, a competent gunsmith can move your trigger. If she can't move it far enough, she can
replace the trigger mechanism (there are lots of after market triggers).
It's not you, it's your reticence to make the pistol fit you. If your department forces you
to use the issued pistol and forbids you from modifying it, I'm sorry. Give me the name
and address of the chief and I will write to her. It couldn't hurt. I can make a cogent
argument. I won't mention your name.
I saw an advertisement on the Craft Holster web site that showed a guy drawing from
a shoulder holster and either pointing his pistol at his support side arm or sweeping his
muzzle across his support side arm. So, I wrote to Al (the feedback guy) at Craft Holsters
and he responded immediately saying that he would change that photo. So, communicating
works. Just be polite.
In my beginner classes I tell my students to only shoot ammo that matches the markings
on the pistol. But with revolvers, there are many cartridges that may safely be fired out of
a particular revolver. The NRA Family magazine recently published an article pointing out
that the .327 Federal Magnum, the .32 H&R Magnum, and the .32 Smith & Wesson will all
fire safely out of a revolver whose chamber is long enough to hold the .327 Federal Magnum.
Many practice with .38 Special out of their 357 Magnum, or .44 Special out of their
44 Magnum.
President Biden publicly stated that the 2nd Amendment does not allow us to buy cannons.
So, my friends are holding a cannon shoot. One of my friends is looking for cannon fuse.
I have tried all of the local suppliers, but haven't been able to find any. If you know of a
source, please let me know. [No, we cannot use the cartridges for the 155mm howitzers in
place of cannon fuse.]
If you have a decent self-defense insurance program, they should have a number you can
call to ask questions about gun laws.
"A Pattern of Sexual Misconduct by Louisville Police" by VICE News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HERShPhJwPg
This is the reason there is so much support for "defund the police" policies. As the
detective says, "It's not a bad apple in the barrel as police chiefs like to say, all the apples
in the barrel are bad. It's a culture of corruption and cover up in the police department."
"The police only abuse their power against criminals. So, it would never affect me."
If you think that, you're a damn fool.
“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 a dishonorable population
represents the height of self-deception.”
-- James Madison, 1788
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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
"Sign of the Times!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/sign-of-the-times-2/
"Body Armor for Armed Citizens" by Greg Ellifritz
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/the-definitive-body-armor-qa
I agree. The Safariland fits well and is the most comfortable that I have used.
Question from a student (I never use the term "former". Once a student, always a student.) --
After some extensive medical tests for some issues, I have been diagnosed with
Rheumatoid Arthritis. My wrists, hands, and all joints are affected. But the wrists
and hands affect me racking the slide. Do you know of any guns that are Arthritis
friendly? I need to get one in the next few months.
---
My answer --
My sister has a similar problem. I got her a Smith&Wesson M&P EZ in
380 Auto. Though now days S&W makes them in 9mm.
Go to your local gun store and try racking and manipulating the trigger on one.
Might want to call around and find a gun store that has them.
Don't bother going to Bass Pro in the Opry Mills shopping center.
They have trigger locks on all of their guns and won't remove them to allow
the customer to test the trigger.
You should still be able to rack your slide on your holster, belt, edge of
a counter or table, edge of a wall, etc. If not, you need to have a gunsmith replace the
rear sight, so you can.
You can replace the recoil spring on your pistol with a weaker spring.
Brownells has replacement springs in various weights for your pistol.
Of course, you need to test fire your pistol to ensure it still functions reliably
with the weaker spring. It probably will. If not, I know a machinist who can
can machine out sections of your slide to reduce mass or weld on to increase mass.
We can make your pistol reliable with a weaker spring.
There are other options we could explore.
"Best Bullpup Rifles & Shotguns" by Travis Pike
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-bullpup-rifles-shotguns/
Good so see so many are ambidextrous. Good to see so many are forward ejecting.
Kits to turn your rifle into a bullpup, what a great idea.
Mr. Pike is correct in that practice is necessary. Normal long guns have their center
of mass in front of your hands. The bullpup has its center of mass behind your hands.
Big difference. You have to sling it correctly to get it to hang correctly. I haven't seen
appropriate slings on the open market, so you might have to make your own.
"YOU KNOW YOU REALLY NEED AN AR-15
WHEN YOUR GOVERNMENT TELLS YOU THAT YOU DON'T NEED AN AR-15."
-- Gabe Suarez
"Massad Ayoob:
Three reasons why you need to carry extra ammo and magazines -
Critical Mas Episode 28"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsfGQASU3W8
The gunfight may use more rounds than those in your pistol.
You may need to clear a malfunction.
In a disarming maneuver, your magazine may be ejected.
Norma and Geco 9mm ammunition recall.
https://www.ammoshoponline.com/warning-important-recall-notice-regarding-certain-9mm-ammunition/
"The Thompson-LaGarde Tests (caliber tests conducted in 1904 at the Nelson Morris
Company Union Stock Yards) concluded “. . . a bullet, which will have the shock effect and
stopping effect at short ranges necessary for a military pistol or revolver, should have a
caliber not less than .45.”
from "Shooter's Bible Guide to Combat Handguns" (pp. 15-16) by Robert A. Sadowski.
Col. Jeff Cooper recommended the 1911 in 45 ACP.
Louis Awerbuck recommended the SA XD in 45 ACP.
"Important Safety Notice: FN 502 Tactical Handgun" by NRA Family
https://www.nrafamily.org/content/important-safety-notice-fn-502-tactical-handgun/
I could not find the notice on the FN web site, so I am posting the NRA notice.
Stephen P. Wenger is offering a .32 S&W ("short”) set of RCBS steel dies for the cost of
mailing. Let me know if you're interested and I'll give you his email address.
"Concerning dummy rounds" by Tom Givens
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rangemaster/permalink/10158627109320924/
In case you can't get to the web page.
Extra caution is needed with inert/dummy rounds, especially if used in dry practice in your
home.
Recently, a friend gave me a plastic bag containing some loose rounds of ammunition. In
the bag, I could see one 12 gauge shotgun round, black, all plastic. I assumed it was a dummy
round and planned to add it to my stash of 12 ga dummies. When I removed the round from
the bag, to my surprise it was a live, all plastic birdshot round. Although not overly common,
there are several brands of all plastic shotgun ammunition, and they look just like dummy
rounds. Inspect dummies carefully before use, to prevent mixing live ammo in with them.
Your grip size should be such that the tip of your middle finger is pointing back toward
you when you have the bones of your forearms in line with the barrel. Not parallel to the
barrel, in line with the barrel. Yes, as a matter of fact a competent gunsmith can reduce the
size of your grip. You can remove all of the back straps and side straps, and wrap the grip
with tape as you would a tennis racquet. If that fails, try a pistol with a smaller grip.
Your trigger position should be such that when the middle of your fingerprint is over the
middle of the trigger and you have taken the slack out of the trigger, your trigger finger is
pressing the trigger straight to the rear. No lateral component of force. Yes, as a matter of
fact, a competent gunsmith can move your trigger. If she can't move it far enough, she can
replace the trigger mechanism (there are lots of after market triggers).
It's not you, it's your reticence to make the pistol fit you. If your department forces you
to use the issued pistol and forbids you from modifying it, I'm sorry. Give me the name
and address of the chief and I will write to her. It couldn't hurt. I can make a cogent
argument. I won't mention your name.
I saw an advertisement on the Craft Holster web site that showed a guy drawing from
a shoulder holster and either pointing his pistol at his support side arm or sweeping his
muzzle across his support side arm. So, I wrote to Al (the feedback guy) at Craft Holsters
and he responded immediately saying that he would change that photo. So, communicating
works. Just be polite.
In my beginner classes I tell my students to only shoot ammo that matches the markings
on the pistol. But with revolvers, there are many cartridges that may safely be fired out of
a particular revolver. The NRA Family magazine recently published an article pointing out
that the .327 Federal Magnum, the .32 H&R Magnum, and the .32 Smith & Wesson will all
fire safely out of a revolver whose chamber is long enough to hold the .327 Federal Magnum.
Many practice with .38 Special out of their 357 Magnum, or .44 Special out of their
44 Magnum.
President Biden publicly stated that the 2nd Amendment does not allow us to buy cannons.
So, my friends are holding a cannon shoot. One of my friends is looking for cannon fuse.
I have tried all of the local suppliers, but haven't been able to find any. If you know of a
source, please let me know. [No, we cannot use the cartridges for the 155mm howitzers in
place of cannon fuse.]
Decades ago, I attended an archery tournament and met a Russian gentleman whose bow
limbs were so twisted that the bow string would not return the the groove cut in the limbs for
the bow string. A German lady mentioned this to him. [My coach thought that straight limbs
were essential and would return twisted limbs to the factory for replacement (and both Hoyt and
Yamaha were very good about replacing limbs).] Fortunately, they were speaking in English
so I could eavesdrop. The Russian explained that the limbs being twisted did not matter. What
mattered was consistency and these limbs were consistent. He explained that under different
temperatures, air pressures (altitudes), radiation (sun light) conditions he would get exactly
the same dynamic force to displacement function (as opposed to the static force to displacement
function). The German was not interested in the explanation, but continued to listen attentively.
Fortunately for me, the eavesdropper. I think she thought he was cute and was flirting with
him. He was a physicist. She was in the fitness industry.
"What's the point, Staff?"
Appearances don't matter. Consistency is accuracy. For instance, I had a 1911 that did not
lock up tight. When you pushed on the top of the chamber, it would move down slightly. A
gunsmith told me that he could fix that. But, the pistol allowed me to shoot 5 bullets through
a single ragged hole at 5 yards. So, why would I fix it?
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
----- Technical / Maintenance -----
"Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice."
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, USN
Parts of a cartridge,
From an email from Mike Ox,
The FBI protocol sets a standard for defensive ammunition. Tests are conducted at a
set distance with a block of ten percent ordinance-grade ballistic gel, which simulates human
flesh. The protocol calls for ammunition to be tested in numerous test events through
different material and into gel.
FBI Protocol – Minimum Bullet Requirements
• Minimum penetration into ballistic gelatin of 12 to 18 inches
• Expansion of bullet to at least 1.5 times original diameter
• 100% weight retention of expanded bullet
FBI Protocol – Test Events
1. Bare Gelatin @ 10 feet
2. Heavy Clothing @ 10 feet
3. Steel @ 10 feet
4. Wallboard @ 10 feet
5. Plywood @10 feet
6. Auto Glass @ 10 feet
7. Heavy Clothing @ 20 yards
8. Auto Glass @ 20 yards
-- Shooter's Bible Guide to Combat Handguns (pp. 25-26) by Robert A. Sadowski.
"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
(capitalization as in the original document, militia refers to YOU)
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Personal Security, Medical, Survival, etc. ***** ***** *****
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Dr. Sherman House
"Get free at-home COVID-19 tests"
https://www.covid.gov/tests
"80-Year-Old Tenn. Man Survives Shootout Against 3 Car Burglars at 3 AM" by Luke McCoy
https://www.usacarry.com/80-year-old-tenn-man-survives-shootout-against-3-car-burglars-at-3-am/
I like local news.
"To Close or Not to Close a Wound" by Joseph Alton MD
https://www.doomandbloom.net/to-close-or-not-to-close-a-wound/
"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, Politics, and such ***** ***** *****
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"Privileged Class!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/privileged-class/
Excerpt:
“What is so appealing about feudalism, that so many free citizens of an educated
commonwealth like ours love reading about and picturing life under hereditary lords?
Why should the deposed prince or princess in every clichéd tale be chosen to lead the
quest against the Dark Lord?
Why not elect a new leader by merit, instead of clinging to the inbred scions of a failed
royal line?
Why not ask the pompous, patronizing, ‘good wizard’ for something useful, such as flush
toilets, movable type, or electricity for every home?
Given half a chance, the sons and daughters of peasants would rather not grow-up to be
slaves.
It seems bizarre for modern folk to pine for a way of life our ancestors rightfully fought
desperately to escape!”
--David Brin
"Texas school arms staff and posts warning outside" by Jenny Goldsberry
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/see-it-texas-school-arms-staff-and-posts-warning-outside
Excerpt:
"Attention. Please be aware that Seminole ISD is a guardian school," one sign reads.
"Staff are armed and will use whatever force necessary to protect our students and
employees."
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA.
Illinois police chiefs ranked “recruitment and retention” as their number one challenge in
a statewide survey late last year. To gather data about the crisis, the Illinois Association of
Chiefs of Police polled its members. Here are a few of the comments from individual
agencies about changes in applicants over the past few years:
“We are currently attempting to renew our two-year hire list. After nine weeks, we have
received one application.”
“Our washout rate has flipped. We have gone from 20% - 25% background failure to
70% - 75% failure.”
“The more college graduates that apply, the less likely they are to want to work nights
and weekends. They seem to think they are doing us a favor by wanting to work here.”
— The Police1 Team
"Jewish man arrested for brandishing toy gun in self-defense" by Israel National News
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/328532
Excerpt:
". . . This police response deprives citizens of any possibility of attempting self-defense, . . ."
"Why doesn’t the military ever “assault” with AR-15s?" by Mike Ox
https://dryfiretrainingcards.com/blog/why-doesnt-the-military-ever-assault-with-ar-15s/
Excerpt:
If “hunting rifles” are fine with politicians…
And ARs are extra dangerous and need to be banned because of how much more deadly
they are, then why do Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio,
New Jersey, Washington, and West Virginia all prohibit hunting deer (which generally only
weigh between 100-250 pounds) with the .223 or 5.56 rounds that the AR traditionally uses?
It’s banned for hunting deer in these states because the round is generally considered to
be underpowered and unforgiving unless you have solid placement and does not reliably
kill a 100-250 pound animal quickly enough to be humane without proper round placement.
To be clear, the law is not an indictment against the .223 . . . it’s effective when the hunter
does their job and places the round where it needs to go. As an Idahoan, I CAN hunt deer
with a .223 while my neighbors in Washington a few miles away can not. I simply see this
as a recognition by legislators that Idahoans are naturally superior hunters and marksmen.
The police you see in TV shows and movies are not real. This is an example of real cops.
"Armed Texas Man Says Cops Stopped Him From Confronting Shooter Outside School.
Cody Briseno said he went after the Robb Elementary School shooter after seeing the gunman
crash his truck outside, but police told him to stay back and shut up." by Nina Golgowski
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/funeral-worker-cody-briseno-response-shooter_n_629cf8bee4b07aa9389b196c
So, if you think the cops are going to save you or your children, you're wrong.
Excerpt:
"Gomez said that since the attack she received a call from a law enforcement officer who
warned that she could face obstruction of justice charges if she continues to publicly speak out
about what happened."
Oh yes, this is reality.
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger, W2MRA.
Here's an example of brave police, Nashville Police body cam.
"Video: Police dodge gunfire in liquor store shootout with murder suspect" by Mark Price
https://www.police1.com/officer-shootings/articles/video-police-dodge-gunfire-in-liquor-store-shootout-with-murder-suspect-3Ab2o1Fgf9u0XDjt/
Ah, Frugal MacDoogals, what a great liquor store.
Armed security guard shot with his own gun. The importance of weapons retention
training cannot be over emphasized. It starts with maintaining your distance. As Ralph Mroz
says, the only time you really need a sworn officer is to go hands on. The other things can be
done by other persons. Remember, we are not sworn officers. You better have a damn good
self-defense insurance policy that covers bail, expert witnesses, private investigators, criminal
attorney fees, civil attorney fees, and such if you're going to go hands on. You better have the
training and have practiced a lot if you're going to go hands on. You better be physically fit.
Better yet, call the police and let them handle it.
"Inside Mexico's Most Powerful Drug Cartel (Sinaloa) | Foreign Correspondent"
by ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2IQuXbExjU
The Mexican police and military use to be able to extort bribes from the cartels. Now days,
it's the other way around.
Do you remember when President Trump gave the Mexican Secretary of Defense back to
the Mexican government?
Who is responsible? The people in America who buy drugs. The drug users fund the
violence. They are responsible.
"Breaking the Calabrian Mafia in Italy | Foreign Correspondent"
by ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZSa4B37sZs
Who is responsible? The Europeans who buy cocaine. They are not cool. They are not
chic. They are funding the violence.
U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky says, 47 government agencies have SWAT teams,
including the Department of Education.
There are so many law enforcement organizations that you can't possible know a fake
officer by sight. People at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, NY say they thought the bad
guy was a swat officer. He was wearing a plate carrier and Kevlar helmet.
"Tucker Carlson: What is going on here?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lag8WSbk5B0
For those of you who thought the FBI was apolitical.
"Inside Mexico's Most Powerful Drug Cartel (Sinaloa) | Foreign Correspondent"
by ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2IQuXbExjU
The Mexican police and military use to be able to extort bribes from the cartels. Now days,
it's the other way around.
Do you remember when President Trump gave the Mexican Secretary of Defense back to
the Mexican government?
Who is responsible? The people in America who buy drugs. The drug users fund the
violence. They are responsible.
"Breaking the Calabrian Mafia in Italy | Foreign Correspondent"
by ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZSa4B37sZs
Who is responsible? The Europeans who buy cocaine. They are not cool. They are not
chic. They are funding the violence.
U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky says, 47 government agencies have SWAT teams,
including the Department of Education.
There are so many law enforcement organizations that you can't possible know a fake
officer by sight. People at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, NY say they thought the bad
guy was a swat officer. He was wearing a plate carrier and Kevlar helmet.
"Tucker Carlson: What is going on here?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lag8WSbk5B0
For those of you who thought the FBI was apolitical.
The situation in Ukraine has proven that even against one of the top 2 or 3 militaries in the
world individual citizens with infantry arms are capable of defending their country against a
tyrant.
In America, that tyrant is increasingly our own federal government.
That is why the 2nd Amendment exists.
-- John Harris
My dementia is getting bad. Can't remember if I published this before. Oh well.
III. What credentials give you the best rules of engagement?
Many students in my classes have asked me what credentials they can get
to get better rules of engagement. (Actually, the civilian concealed carry permit
has the best rules of engagement you are likely to get. Police rules of engagement
are much worse.) So, I list some below.
---
Of course, the ultimate would be orders designating an area a free fire zone.
I have never operated in a free fire zone. (I was an intel POG, Personnel Other than
Grunt.) But my son did, as an infantry Marine in Afghanistan. He told me that
after they told the civilians to get out of the village, they led with grenades
(they stood 500 yards off and fired automatic grenade launchers), then they entered
the village with armored vehicles, and shot everything with 50 caliber machineguns.
The Marines suffered zero casualties. Always the sign of a well planned mission.
---
State licensed armed guards.
Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Act (ACIRA) of 1993, amended several times thereafter.
https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/armored-car-industry-reciprocity-act-and-local-law-enforcement
Some jurisdictions won't recognize the law enforcement credentials of other jurisdictions.
But, ACIRA requires every state to recognized the Armed Guard license of every other state.
The magic words are, "We are transporting federal money."
(Isn't all money, federal money? Think about it.
Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's. Give unto God what is God's.)
The cops should leave you alone. If not, eventually an FBI agent
will threaten to arrest the policeman for violating federal law
if the policeman doesn't release you. Some cops are not as legally
educated as others.
---
Bail enforcement agents (bounty hunters).
That's a whole separate lecture. And would require explanation of both state
and federal laws governing that industry. They have a lot of leeway.
---
If you have law enforcement credentials or are retired law enforcement,
you could avail yourself of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA)
that the second President Bush, W, signed into law. But, that would be a whole
other lecture to go over the law and the classes to get that credential.
Greg Ellifritz, who recently retired after 25 years with a police department in a suburb
of Columbus, Ohio, suggests
"Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) FAQs"
https://www.state.gov/law-enforcement-officers-safety-act-leosa-faqs-12202021/
Greg says,
I think it's common knowledge among police officers around the country that current and
qualified retired cops can carry their guns. I've never personally had any problems with this.
I've only been pulled over once in the two years since I retired. It was in Indiana and the cop
didn't even mention the gun. It was assumed as soon as I gave him my credentials.
If the individual cop doesn't know, the worst thing that happens is you get arrested.
The supervisor will then set the cop straight. If that doesn't happen, the prosecutor will drop
the charges. It doesn't seem to be an issue that concerns most retired cops.
But I also live in a constitutional carry state and have a state concealed carry license.
I'm covered multiple ways.
---
Armed Forces Courier Card
On the back of this card are orders from the President of the United States
directing all law enforcement, military, and government employees to render
all aid and assistance to the bearer of this card. When we carried
classified material, we would not surrender to arrest by police or anyone
else. Of course, some people don't recognize the authority of the POTUS.
You just have to shoot them. Because you can't let them arrest you and
get access to the classified material, especially crypto keys.
Some cops are not as legally educated as others.
---
A written contract with the U.S. State Department saying
that you will not be prosecuted for anything you do in this
third world pit. Blackwater had such a contract while providing security
for U.S. State Department employees in the Middle East.
Of course, the U.S. State Department is not trustworthy and you
might be prosecuted. But, then the president might pardon you.
Depending on who the president is at the time.
---
Operating in an absolute monarchy with written orders from
the King (or Crown Prince) is really nice. Hunting terrorist in Riyadh,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ankara, Turkey during Operation Iraqi
Freedom, those were the days.
Much more fun than operating in Korea or Japan.
---
Status Of Forces Agreements (SOFA) with the host country will suffice,
while operating in Korea, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, and such. If the locals
arrest you, they are required to turn you over the the U.S. command.
Of course, you have to survive long enough to be turned over.
---
And then, of course, there is nepotism. We were on the second floor of
Fisalia Tower (a high rise) in downtown Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
On the second and third floors it's a big shopping mall. We were eating at the
McDonalds. Across the courtyard, a Matawa (religious policeman) is beating
a woman with his stick (Matawa only carry sticks.) and screaming at her
to cover her head. (Women exposing their hair in Saudi is pornographic.)
She pulls out a pistol and shoots the Matawa dead. The regular police
(Ministry of the Interior) [Every Prince at the His Royal Highness level
(as opposed to His Highness level) has his own police force or branch of the
armed forces.], armed with submachineguns, immediately show up.
She shows them her ID card, which identifies her as a princess of the al Saud
family (the royal family). The cops let her go. No, I mean totally let her go.
---
Diplomatic passports (especially when issued by the United Nations)
My friend, a U.S. Army officer, who is deploying under the
auspices of a United Nations Peace Keeping Force, has the light blue passport.
Yes, diplomatic immunity. The worst one could legally suffer would be
expulsion from the country as a persona non grata. But, in a contested area,
who is going to expel him? Who would have the authority or inclination to
expel a field grade officer and U.N. Peace Keeper?
---
Written orders based on executive orders (such as President Bush's
executive order authorizing the Global War On Terrorism).
I've operated under written orders that cited the President's executive order
on the Global War On Terrorism (the classified one, not the public one).
The legal problem was that only Congress can declare war, and Congress
never declared the Global War On Terrorism.
Sometimes you get orders that you can't keep. You read them, sign them
to acknowledge having read them, and then the SSO (Special Security Officer)
locks them up in his safe.
Ever see the movie "Spartan" staring Val Kilmer, directed by David Mamet?
---
Letters of marque, such as those issued
by Congress under authority of the
U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 11.
Unfortunately, the modern ones are not public record. But then again, much of
our government's budget is not public record. But, if you follow current
events and notice things that don't make sense or don't logically follow,
you can detect them. That's what intel analysts do. [That's why certain
persons never get arrested or prosecuted, no matter how much trouble they cause.
A necessary evil, perhaps? Ever see the movie "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage?
Or, "Charlie Wilson's War" starring Tom Hanks?]
---
Hey, the best I can do is to cite open source.
---
Most people think that an action is legal or illegal. But that's not true. Federal
law recognizes extra legal actions. Consider the killing of Osama bin Laden or
Qassem Soleimani. Everybody knows that the U.S. President ordered the killing,
but can the trigger pullers be prosecuted?
"It was an act of war."
Well, actually it was not an act of war. Congress had not declared war.
So, there was no declaration of war. It was an extra legal action.
If you commit murder in Antarctica, who is going to prosecute you?
Who has jurisdiction? Actually, no one by the Antarctica Treaty. And those
countries that did not sign the treaty certainly have no claim of jurisdiction.
"Meeting lions!" by John Farnam
https://defense-training.com/meeting-lions/
"Your character is what you do when no one is looking."
-- Thomas Jefferson
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology stuff ***** ***** *****
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe,
and preserve order in the world as well as property.
Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of their use."
-- Thomas Paine
[Remember, cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law.
ITAR, International Traffic in Arms Regulations]
If someone gives you a thing and then on a different occasion gives you the same thing,
the two things are probably different. You might want to use the UNIX difference utility or
the UNIX compare utility on them. (I don't use the correct UNIX names because my dear
readers might not understand or might not care to do the research to understand.) [Ya, I know,
but you get the idea.] This would allow you to extract the capsule. (Might not be a capsule.
Might be dust. As in Cantor dust.)
Opening the capsule would be a different problem. If a key is required, it's cryptography.
If no key is required, it's data processing. The capsule could be a pointer into a code book.
What book would we use? The Bible is the most published book in history. So it is more
readily available than any other (unless you're in North Korea). The more obscure the book,
the more difficult the decoding. Maybe that's what you want. What game are we playing?
The year is 2022 A.D. What is the "book" that we may easily compare to? A picture on a
publicly accessible web site with an extremely high volume of downloads so it's hard to
identify the person of interest who downloaded it. (Yes, porn. There was a CIA agent who
understood this. He was fired by his superiors for searching porn to find the original to do
an exclusive-or against. [If you search, you will find the open source articles.] The enemy
wins again. There is no enemy like a thriving growing bureaucracy. Bureaucrats destroy
agents more efficiently than any enemy could.) Hide in the crowd.
Why do we protect encrypted material? Isn't it unclassified?
The enemy records all traffic, as do we. Stealing keys is difficult. Stealing old keys is less
difficult.
"But, all keys are destroyed after use."
Are they? Do you remember the paper IBM punch cards? We would burn them or mulch
them. (Ya, that's a definition of "mulch" you're not going to find in any dictionary.) How do
you destroy an electronic key on a memory device?
"Overwrite it."
What kind of file system would you need to be able to intentionally overwrite particular
bits on the memory device?
The assumption is that the enemy has the crypto system. Keeping crypto systems secret is
extremely difficult. Some material gets declassified after a period of time. Some after review.
Some never. If a secret is forever sensitive, the key is forever sensitive, and the recording of
the encrypted secret is forever sensitive. Sensitive sources and methods. As James Bamford
would say, too many secrets.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intel stuff ***** ***** *****
“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.)
I love these propaganda puff pieces.
"RMS IWSS SPY-1 Radar Upgrade - Low Noise Amplifier (LNA)" by Lockheed Martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxB0ZqEIY4E
I worked as a software engineer, lead member of the engineering staff, at Lockheed Martin
Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems in Moorestown, NJ. Good times.
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
*************************************************************************
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
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