Greetings Sheepdogs,
Table of Contents:
Prevention
Mindset
Situational Awareness
Safety
Training
Practice
Intervention
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
Postvention
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
Education
Legal
Instruction
Gear
We drink sweet tea. We don't drink socialist Kool-Aid.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of sections:
Mindset
Safety
Training
Practice
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset -----
Figuring out the correct way to think.
The unofficial DTI Motto is: Nemo Curat. Latin, and loosely translates to
"Nobody Cares". We use it to remind students when their gun breaks,
they run out of ammunition, they forget to chamber a round, it's raining,
it's cold, their feet hurt, or their underwear is too tight that
“NOBODY CARES! GET BACK INTO THE FIGHT!”
-- John Farnam
"Gun Killer Instinct. Gun Survival Instinct" by Hock Hochheim
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpts:
There are numerous people who know they cannot shoot anyone and couldn’t do it.
There are numerous people who know they cannot shoot anyone, but they were wrong
because later they have. There are people who think they can, but couldn’t. Those that
think they can and have. And those that don’t ever think about it all and just go shooting
at ranges. For them its an abstract question. They can’t personally relate to actual
experience and aftermath and just don’t think much about it.
Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute,
explained in a position paper about “shooting to wound.”
“Hands and arms can be the fastest-moving body parts.”
“For example, an average suspect can move his hand and
forearm across his body to a 90-degree angle in 12/100 of a second.
He can move his hand from his hip to shoulder height in 18/100 of a second.”
“There is no way an officer (person, soldier) can react, track, shoot and
reliably hit a threatening suspect’s forearm or a weapon in a suspect’s hand
in the time spans involved.”
---
[In the Armed Forces, very few are in any combat arms MOS (military
occupational specialty). So very few actually kill people. Most jobs in the
Armed Forces are exactly like jobs in the civilian sector. Only in the
Marine Corps is every Marine expected to be a rifleman.
-- Jon Low]
"Your gunfights will always be anomalies.
So are those of all the instructors you venerate.
It’s useful to keep those facts in mind."
-- Greg Ellifritz
---
In a previous blog posting, I wrote about a gentleman who interviewed suspects and
convicts (as part of his job). He told me of a mass murderer who de-selected a facility
because of the way the flag poles were maintained (indicating persons at the facility
with military experience that the mass murderer did not want to encounter). A reader
mentioned that that was not statistically significant. It is true that the incident was not
statistically significant. But in our business, it is very difficult to get data. So, while
the incident is not statistically significant, it is a verified datum point. As Greg says
above, all incidents are isolated datum points. So it is incumbent upon us to learn as
much as we can from the sparse data that we have.
If we can cause psychological stops by appearing to be prepared for combat, we
should. Because stops using force are dangerous for everyone.
‟We don’t decide what is necessary to survive a
lethal force encounter initiated by someone else.
That person decides what’s necessary for us to survive.”
– William Aprill
"Kansas church's attendance doubles after 'blessing' congregation with firearms"
by Scripps News Kansas City
Self-defense is Biblical. Self-defense is good. Arms are tools used in self-defense.
So arms are good and Biblical.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples,
whoever does not have a sword should sell his coat and buy a sword.”
– Book of Luke 22:36, New Life Version of the Bible
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, U.S. Navy
“If I take a round in the heart, I will use that 10 to 20-seconds I have left before
the oxygen shuts off to my brain to avenge my widow and orphaned children.”
-- Doc Gunn
(Hat tip to John Farnam)
‷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
"Don’t Forget to Have Fun" by Uncle Zo
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
“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.)
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- Lt. Gen. David M Shoup, USMC Commandant 1960-1963
"INTEGRITY"
27 January 2000-Speech at the US Naval Academy
Given by General Charles C. Krulak
We study and we discuss ethical principles because it serves to strengthen and
validate our own inner value system . . . It gives direction to what I call our moral
compass . . . It is the understanding of ethics that becomes the foundation upon which
we can deliberately commit to inviolate principles . . . It becomes the basis of what
we are. Of what we include in our character. Based on it, we commit to doing what
is right.
We expect such commitment from our leaders. But most importantly, we must
demand it of ourselves. Sound morals and ethical behavior cannot be established
or created in a day, a semester, or a year. They must be institutionalized within our
character over time. They must become a way of life. They go beyond our
individual services and beyond our ranks or positions; they cut to the heart and
to the soul of who we are and what we are and what we must be -- men and women
of character. They arm us for the challenges to come and they impart to us a sense
of wholeness. They unite us in the calling we now know as the profession of arms.
Of all the moral and ethical guideposts that we have been brought up to recognize,
the one that, for me, stands above the rest. The one that I have kept in the forefront
of my mind is integrity. It is my ethical and personal touchstone.
Integrity, as we know it today, stands for soundness of moral principle and
character - uprightness - honesty. Yet there is more. Integrity is also an ideal.
A goal to strive for. And for a man or woman to "walk in their integrity" is to
require constant discipline and usage. The word integrity itself is a martial word
that comes to us from an ancient Roman Army tradition. During the time of the
12 Caesars, the Roman Army would conduct morning inspections. As the inspecting
Centurion would come in front of each Legionnaire, the soldier would strike with
his right fist the armor breastplate that covered his heart. The armor had to be
strongest there in order to protect the heart from the sword thrusts and from arrow
strikes. As the soldier struck his armor, he would shout "integritas" (in-teg-ri-tas),
which in Latin means material wholeness, completeness, and entirety. The inspecting
Centurion would listen closely for this affirmation and also for the ring that well-kept
armor would give off. Satisfied that the armor was sound and that the soldier beneath
it was protected, he would then move on to the next man.
At about the same time, the Praetorians or Imperial Bodyguard were ascending into
power and influence. Drawn from the best "politically correct" soldiers of the Legions,
they received the finest equipment and armor. They no longer had to shout "integritas"
to signify that their armor was sound. Instead, as they struck their breastplate, they
would shout "Hail Caesar," to signify that their heart belonged to the imperial
personage - not to their unit - not to an institution - not to a Code Of Ideals.
They armored themselves to serve the cause of a single man.
A century passed and the rift between the Legion and the Imperial Bodyguard and
its excesses, grew larger. To signify the difference between the two organizations,
the Legionnaire, upon striking his armor would no longer shout "integritas,"
but instead would shout "integer" (in-te-ger). Integer means
undiminished - complete - perfect. It not only indicated that the armor was sound,
it also indicated that the soldier wearing the armor was sound of character. He was
complete in his integrity. His heart was in the right place. His standards and morals
were high. He was not associated with the immoral conduct that was rapidly
becoming the signature of the Praetorian Guards.
The armor of integrity continued to serve the Legion well. For over four centuries
they held the line against the marauding Goths and Vandals but by 383 AD, the social
decline that infected the Republic and the Praetorian Guard had its effects upon the
Legion. As a 4th century Roman General wrote,
"when, because of negligence and laziness, parade ground drills were abandoned,
the customary armor began to feel heavy since the soldiers rarely, if ever, wore it.
Therefore, they first asked the Emperor to set aside the breastplates and mail and
then the helmets. So our soldiers fought the Goths without any protection for the
heart and head and were often beaten by archers. Although there were many disasters,
which led to the loss of great cities, no one tried to restore the armor to the infantry.
They took their armor off, and when the armor came off - so too came their integrity"
it was only a matter of a few years until the Legion rotted from within and was unable
to hold the frontiers. The barbarians were at the gates.
INTEGRITY. It is a combination of the words, "integritas" and "integer." It refers
to the putting on of armor, of building a completeness. A wholeness. A wholeness in
character. How appropriate that the word integrity is a derivative of two words describing
the character of a member of the Profession Of Arms. The military has a tradition of
producing great leaders that possess the highest ethical standards and integrity. It produces
men and women of character. Character that allows them to deal ethically with the
challenges of today and to make conscious decisions about how they will approach
tomorrow. However, as I mentioned earlier, this is not done instantly. It requires that
integrity become a way of life. It must be woven into the very fabric of our soul.
Just as was true in the days of Imperial Rome, you either walk in your integrity daily,
or you take off the armor of the "integer" and leave your heart and soul exposed.
Open to attack.
My challenge to you is simple but often very difficult. Wear your armor of integrity.
Take full measure of its weight. Find comfort in its protection. Do not become LAX.
And always, always, remember that no one can take your integrity from you. You and
only you can give it away! The Biblical book of practical ethics - better known as the
book of Proverbs - sums it up very nicely:
"The integrity of the upright shall guide them:
but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them."
(PROV. 11:3)
Thank you.
(Hat tip to John Farnam)
"Overriding Your Instincts
There’s a reason some call it the “gift of fear.” "
by Jeff Gonzales
Excerpt:
"A common obstacle for some is the notion that by using violence,
you are a violent person. This couldn’t be further from the truth."
***** Situational Awareness *****
How to avoid being taken by surprise.
Use what's at hand (in your hand). No hesitation. Strike!
“You need to have the capacity for danger. You need to be ‘dangerous’.
Yet, you need to learn how to not use it except when necessary.
And, that is not the same thing as being harmless.
There's nothing virtuous about harmlessness.
Harmless just means you’re ineffectual and useless.”
-- Jordan Peterson
"The Creeper In The Woods — A Lesson In Situational Awareness"
by Eve Kulcsar
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
See Creepy Man → Avoid Getting Close to Creepy Man = Self-Defense.
"Jeff Cooper's Color Code exists to help you get your head
around the need to kill someone in the immediate future."
-- John Hearne
---
Jeff Cooper's Color Code of Mental Awareness (as originally taught)
UNAWARE - of what's going on around you. (White)
AWARE - of who is around you and what they are doing. (Yellow)
ALERT - to a potential threat and taking action to avoid the threat. (Orange)
ALARM - by a real threat and taking action to escape the threat,
which might include shooting to PREVENT the attack. (Red)
COMBAT - front sight, press. Shooting to STOP the attack. (Black)
"A Sharp Mind" by Steve Tarani
"Anatomy of an Assault: The 5-Step Attack Cycle" by Steve Tarani
https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2019/8/2/anatomy-of-an-assault-the-5-step-attack-cycle/
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
*************************************************************************
----- Safety -----
How to prevent the bad thing from happening in the first place.
How to avoid shooting yourself, friendlies, and innocent bystanders.
How to prevent unauthorized persons from using your guns.
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.
"Mob-Attack!" by John Farnam
"It's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble."
-- Claude Werner
"Commentary: Data is clear: Permitless carry keeps us safe"
by Ashley Widener
Excerpt:
When Gov. Henry McMaster signed the landmark permitless carry law earlier this year,
making South Carolina the 29th state to adopt permitless carry (better known as
constitutional carry) legislation, I [Ashley Widener] joined tens of thousands across
the state in celebrating that historic moment.
A new study released in May 2024 by independent researchers,
Colorado State University professor Young Sung Kim and
K. Alexander Adams from the University of Wyoming,
looked at crime statistics from all 50 states and the District of Columbia
between 1980 and 2018. More than 30 variables were considered in the study,
including population density, poverty rates, alcohol consumption and other
gun-control measures. Their findings were clear:
"Constitutional Carry does not lead to large-scale changes in homicides or
firearm suicides. The doomsday scenarios of constitutional-carry opponents
are not supported by social science."
Well, to quote President Ronald Reagan, “facts are stubborn things.”
From an email from Stephen P. Wenger --
Rules Violation: On Friday, July 26th, at around 10:30 pm, Yavapai County [AZ]
Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott
after receiving a call from a man saying a weapon had discharged and his friend was
shot in the abdomen. When Deputies got to the hospital, they found the victim had
been initially stabilized but had complications on the flight to a Phoenix-area hospital.
During the initial investigation, Deputies learned the victim was going to be the
shooter’s best man in his upcoming wedding. Those involved told Law Enforcement
they were from the Phoenix area but staying at the UCYC Camp in Prescott.
The parties, who were from the Phoenix area but staying at the UCYC Camp in Prescott,
went to a secluded area of camp and were shooting and “hunting skunks.” When they
got back to camp after sunset, one of them was standing by a vehicle while the victim
stood across from him, and when trying to make sure their weapons were clear, the
shooter was pointing his weapon across at the victim and after pulling the charging
handle back several times, the shooter “thought” the weapon was empty and pulled
the trigger firing a .22 caliber round into the abdomen of the victim.
In the early hours of Saturday, July 27th, YCSO Detectives were told the 22-year-old
victim succumbed to his injuries and died after going through surgery.
[If the shooter's claim is accurate, low light may have made it difficult to see that
a round was in the chamber and the ejection port may have been too small to insert a
finger for a tactile check. Either way, there seems to be no excuse for pressing the
trigger with the muzzle pointed at a companion. “UCYC” is United Christian Youth
Camp, offering youth pastors and similar leaders retreat programs for youngsters.
-- Stephen P. Wenger]
-- Stephen P. Wenger
Hypothermia takes a long time. Cold water shock is instant.
“Routine” by John Farnam
---
"I don't have to worry about that sort of thing. It would never happen to me.
That sort of thing only happens to other people.
I'm the star of the movie. I can't die."
"House Judiciary report:
Biden-Harris admin releasing known, suspected terrorists into US"
by Bethany Blankley
Cited document,
"TERROR AT OUR DOOR: HOW THE BIDEN-HARRIS
ADMINISTRATION’S OPEN-BORDERS POLICIES UNDERMINE
NATIONAL SECURITY AND ENDANGER AMERICANS"
by House Judiciary Committee and its
Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement
[The government is intentionally releasing terrorists into CONUS.
So it's up to you to protect your loved ones from the terrorists.
Well, you and your militia, of course. Wouldn't expect you to do
it by yourself.
-- Jon Low]
John Farnam's rules to keep you out of trouble:
Don’t go to stupid places.
Don’t associate with stupid people.
Don’t do stupid things.
Have a “normal” appearance.
Be in bed by 10:00 PM (your own bed).
Don’t fail the attitude test.
*************************************************************************
----- Training -----
Figuring out the correct tasks to practice.
“Training deals not with an object, but with the human spirit and human emotions.”
--Bruce Lee
Balance
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)
"When Your CCW Will Fail You (and How To Fix It)" by Mike Boyle
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpt:
Some might consider training to fight through an injury a waste of time,
but I strongly disagree.
Serious students of personal defense incorporate shooting support hand only
into their training regimen.
. . . firing from the ground. This should not be confused with traditional
prone firing positions, but rather instances where being pushed, slipping or
sustaining an injury has taken you to the ground and there is a viable threat
in close proximity.
---
[Notice the photo in the article where you're on the ground and the bad guy is
above you preparing to strike with a shovel. This would require you to shoot up.
Not something you could easily practice live fire. That's why dry practice and
visualization is so important.
In my classes, the students practice shooting from their backs into the 2π steradian
hemisphere above them. With dummy guns.
-- Jon Low]
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
From John Farnam's
"DTI Instructors Manual, V 1.4" --
Hot Ranges - Some may wonder why this topic is listed here - The answer is simple:
We run hot ranges out of respect for our students. Respect for them as adult human beings,
and respecting them enough to provide the most efficient and realistic training environment
as we can.
It has been said that if you treat people like children they will act like children;
we treat all of our students as adults until they prove otherwise. “Trusting” them
with their own loaded weapons may seem risky to some. However, we consider it
their Birthright.
DTI Staff get nervous around “unloaded” guns because that is when cavalier,
careless weapons handling ensues. When all weapons are assumed loaded, not
only are accidents kept to a minimum, but a sense of serious professionalism
permeates though the students. It also keeps us, as instructors, from falling into
careless practices on the range.
-- John Farnam
“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
"Olympic Pistol: What's The Deal?" by Bloke on the Range
We can learn a lot from the Olympic shooters.
A broad skill set.
"Safe gun handling and knowing how to operate the gun competently is one thing.
How to fight with the gun is a whole other plane of knowledge."
-- Tiger McKee
Neuro plasticity exercise.
If that's too easy, try it with your feet.
"I don't shoot with my feet."
This is a brain exercise, not a shooting exercise.
"Those motivated by a desire to improve their
gunfighting skills as opposed to a quest for trophies,
must be willing to bleed ego on the match results
to avoid shedding blood in combat."
-- Andy Stanford
Revolver benefits.
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
"The 4 things it takes to be an expert" by Veritasium
1. Repetitions with feedback.
2. Valid environment.
3. Timely feedback.
4. Don't get too comfortable. [Practice at the edge of your ability. Outside your comfort zone.]
Deliberate practice.
"Train and practice so that you can stay in your rational mind,
and force your enemy into his emotional mind. The emotional
mind makes bad judgments which will allow you to win."
-- John Hearne
"How Fast is Too Fast?" by by William G.
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
--- Classes and Conferences ---
Rangemaster-Certified Instructors
In case you're looking for an instructor.
FPF Training
Defensive Training International
Rangemaster
Trident Concepts
KR Training August 2024 Newsletter
Primary Pistol and Backup Gun SKILLS and DRILLS ! $80
Instructor: Randy Harris - https://harriscombative.com/randys-bio/
Location: Phillips/Edwards Farm - 763 County Rd 332 Pisgah AL 35765
(Location is a private location about 40 minutes from downtown Chattanooga TN
and about 10 minutes from Ider High School)
Saturday August 31 2024
9:00 to 3:30pm CENTRAL
Randy Harris
Harris Combative Strategies
Just a quick heads up and a reminder about the Training Group coming up on
August 31 in Pisgah Alabama at Brian's Mom's place. That one will be primary
handgun work in the morning and backup gun work in the afternoon ...info is here....
Then on Saturday Sep 21 we will be in Cisco GA at the Cohutta Pines Shooting Range
doing my one day shotgun class Real World Shotgun Skills......
Price is discounted to $180 form the normal $200 AND the range fee is included in that (basically I'm paying your range fee out of my end) .
In other news I was just in the inaugural offering of the
Rangemaster Advanced Shotgun Instructor Class last weekend at that range at
Cohutta Pines and am one of the newly minted "Advanced Shotgun Instructors".
I shot the class with a Beretta 1301 and finished 3rd overall in the aggregate scoring
for the class thanks to a malfunction on the Casino Drill and a "mental malfunction"
on the Static Thunder drill. Of course they both happened when we were running
them for score .... oh well, such is life... I shot 100 on the Qual Course for the class
and that is probably how my score was still good enough to capture 3rd place.
In other news I 'll be shooting the IDPA Nationals this weekend so wish me luck !
I am still looking at scheduling for about 3 more classes this year so keep an eye
on your email and on Eventbrite. !
Randy Harris
Harris Combative Strategies
Mead Hall Range 2024 Schedule (including prelim)
Bill Armstrong,
bill.armstrong@meadhallrange.com
Sentinel Concepts – Steve Fisher – 2 day Handgun – 28-29Sept2024
RangeMaster – Tom Givens – Master Instructor Development – 4-6Oct2024
Tim Herron Shooting – Practical Performance – 26-27Oct2024
Citizens Defense Research – Melody Lauer and Chris Cypert – 8-11Nov2024
8-9 Oct. The Armed Parent/Guardian
10-11 Oct. Contextual Handgun: Public Encounters
John Holschen – Applied Defensive Handgun Skills – 16-17Nov2024
Cougar Mountain Solutions – Erick Gelhaus – 6-8 Dec 2024
Red Dot Instructor Course
As usual Will Andrews will be out here as well during the times of the year
he prefers to teach 😊
Oct12, Nov23
DFW Defensive -Guy Schnitzler – Monthly Training Group
Dates:
The Focus for each month:
August 17: Pre-Assault Indicators along with defensive and offensive techniques.
September 14: Body Locks and Stand up clinch work
October 12: Infight Tools Access
November 23: Blunt Trauma Tools (go to https://sapsandblackjacks.com/legality-of-saps-and-blackjacks/ before class to research current law in your area)
December 21: Point Based Tools access and use
January 18 2025: Capstone
Class Duration 10am-2pm (ish on end time)
Class Cost: $100 due in cash at beginning of class
If you have your own training “tools” that you want to bring you are welcome
to do so but they must be inspected to insure everyone's safety. If you do not,
those portions using “tools” there will be loaners available.
Overall Description for this cycle of DFW Monthly Combatives Group
Description:
This coursework on "Dominating the Entangled Fight" is designed to address
the challenges of surviving and overcoming an entangled fight against opponents
who may be younger, bigger, faster, stronger, or armed with a concealed weapon.
Here’s an overview of the topics and key concepts covered:
Course Overview
Objective:
Equip participants with the tactics and skills necessary to survive an entangled fight.
Teach methods to regain the initiative to either break contact or dominate the fight.
Focus on gaining positional dominance or accessing a weapon if needed.
Key Features:
Extreme Close Quarters: Techniques and strategies for encounters within 0-5 feet.
Empty Hand Defense: Defense techniques without weapons.
Small Impact Weapons/Knives & Pistols: Handling scenarios involving small weapons.
Infight Weapons Access (IFWA): Strategies for accessing weapons during a fight.
Course Nature:
Low impact
Emphasis on controlled contact and moderate cardio output
Drills can be performed at individual pace
Topics Covered
The Fence:
Establishing a non-aggressive but ready stance to manage distance and reaction time.
Surviving Sucker Punch/Default Cover-Drive:
Techniques to protect oneself from unexpected attacks.
Cover-drive strategies to transition from defense to offense.
Stand-Up Clinch/Grappling:
Techniques for close-quarters grappling.
Methods to control or neutralize an opponent’s movements.
Gaining Positional Dominance:
Strategies to achieve and maintain a superior position in a fight.
Techniques to control the opponent and reduce their ability to attack.
Infight Weapons Access (IFWA):
Methods to safely access and deploy weapons during an ongoing fight.
Considerations for maintaining control while accessing a weapon.
Weapons and Gear Consideration for IFWA:
Discussion on appropriate gear and weapon choices.
Practical tips for carrying and deploying weapons effectively.
By the end of this coursework, participants will have a thorough
understanding of how to manage and survive close-quarters encounters,
handle weapons during a fight, and make strategic decisions to either
disengage or dominate the opponent.
Outpost Armory
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
In case you missed how grotesquely stupid the International Olympic Committee is.
It's not boxing's fault. The IOC would not allow the international governing body for boxing,
International Boxing Association, to participate in the 2024 Olympics. The IBA does not
allow men to compete in women's boxing.
*************************************************************************
----- Practice -----
How to get proficient at that task.
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
Timing your shots. An important skill?
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
The sub-second draw to first shot. Is this ever achieved anywhere other than a square
range when properly dressed, prepared, and eagerly anticipating the audio signal?
How long does it take you to decide that the situation will require lethal force?
Having made that decision (if you make it), how long does it take you to decide to
apply lethal force? (As opposed to running away, moving to cover, using pepper
spray or improvised weapon, or some other response?) [Short circuiting the OODA
Loop can be problematic. Going directly from Observe to Act, without Orienting
and Deciding is not good guy behavior.]
"I took a class at the Los Angeles Sheriff's department. They taught, "break leather
early". Never rely on your quick draw." -- Audy Kimura
Proper grip established while the pistol is in the holster. (Cover garment defeated.)
Pistol out of holster in a hidden position. (Holster retention devices defeated.)
Pistol pointed at the target in a hidden position. (Movement reduced to pressing the trigger.)
Compressed ready position. (Allowing view of the enemy's hands and waist.)
Pointed in. (Sights aligned. Slack out.)
Have you practiced de-escalating (not shooting) from these positions? What visual cue
would cause you to do so? Are you capable of seeing that visual cue? (If you pistol,
hands, and arms are blocking view of the target's hands and waist, you are not capable.)
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
‟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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, Escape
Table of contents:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy -----
Deciding on the end state and how to achieve it,
which tactics to use, which includes walking away.
"Have your affairs in order."
-- John Hearne
"Active Killer Advice Compendium" by Greg Ellifritz
You don't want to evacuate into a parking lot because it's hard to get a big bomb into
the building, but it's easy to get a truck bomb into a parking lot. The purpose of the
attacking the building is to get the victims into the parking lot. That's how terrorists
think.
“How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.”
-- John Farnam
"Armed Citizens Are Successful 94% Of The Time At Active Shooter Events [FBI]"
by Jacob Paulsen
Those are excellent odds. They certainly help me make my decision as to what to do.
Of course, I have nothing to lose. No wife or kids to take care of. No assets that could
be seized in a civil judgment. Life is good!
"Having a gun is important. But knowing WHEN to use it is even more important."
-- Greg Ellifritz
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics -----
Maneuver and fire in support of your strategy.
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
STOP! and take deep breaths. This will improve your judgment.
Good judgment is more important than any of your tactical skills.
"You brought a gun to the fight. That doesn’t mean it’s YOUR gun.
The gun belongs to whomever can keep it. Think about that before intervening
in other folks’ problems. When is the last time you practiced your in-hand weapon
retention skills?"
-- Greg Ellifritz
---
". . . if the assailant has a gun, it may actually be the easiest gun for you to access,
if you know how to take it from him."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
---
When is the last time you practiced your in-holster weapon retention skills?
If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to take a class. Gun grabs
are a common thing.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
"You often don't know where the bad guy is who is shooting at you."
-- Phillip Groff
“When you’re in the dark, stay in the dark;
when you’re in the light, light up the dark.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques -----
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
"Guest Shot: The Semi-Auto Grip" by Dave Spaulding
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpts:
The problem is that the eyes have nothing to do with shooting the gun.
Shooting is a kinesthetic exercise and it should be thought of as such.
All any sight system does it tell you where the muzzle is pointed,
which is certainly required to fire an accurate shot. That said, at close range
it is very possible to fire a combat effective shot by pointing the pistol in the
direction of the target without sight confirmation. Again, the felt aspects of
shooting are grossly under-rated.
Regardless of sight use or not, the gun must be PLACED on target.
. . . the father of front-sight focus, Jeff Cooper, stated,
“The body aims, the sights confirm.”
---
[As an exercise in kinesthetic awareness, present from the holster to the target
and shoot 1 shot. Repeat 6 times, with eyes closed on every other shot. Closing
your eyes eliminates the distraction of visual cuing, allowing you to really feel
what's going on with your body. (If you can't close your eyes, don a pair of
shooting glasses with translucent scotch tape over the lens to obscure the target.)
You will be pleasantly surprised. You might even have an epiphany.
Thanks to Nancy Myrick, archery coach. (Yes, the Nancy Myrick.)
-- Jon Low]
"The foundations of your grip are established
before you even draw the pistol from the holster."
-- Tanner Denton
"Coat Pocket Carry:
Just Like The Movies?"
by Roy Huntington
A situation in which you can't use your sights.
If you're going to use a pocket holster,
you better be able to pull the pistol far enough out of the holster to fire it.
A hammerless revolver would be best, as nothing will get fouled in the clothing.
"Grip first, then press [the trigger]."
-- Mike Seeklander
"Alternative Pistol Grip Methods: Post and Hook ATL |
Learn Better Accuracy with USPSA Grandmaster"
by Rob Epifania
Yet another muscle tension to use in your shooting platform.
This is the same as what we taught at Front Sight (a big gun school in Pahrump, Nevada).
[Outside of Las Vegas there is Pahrump. Outside of Reno there is Sparks. Get it?]
Use what's at hand (in your hand). No hesitation. Act!
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Postvention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to treat your wounds or the wounds of your loved ones.
Suggestions on how to avoid prosecution, conviction, and prison time.
Suggestions on how to avoid the civil law suit and judgment.
Table of contents:
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
*************************************************************************
----- Aftermath -----
You must be alive to have these problems: criminal and civil liability.
Better to be alive looking for a new job than dead.
Fired because he had a gun on the job. Oh, well.
“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
A lot of instructors teach that you should stay at the scene of the self-defense incident
because flight indicates a guilty state of mind. The only exception would be if the
scene is not safe for you. The scene is NEVER safe for you. So these instructors
are wrong. You should always leave (even if it's your own home).
The bad guy's fellow gang members will want revenge. They're looking for you.
The cops won't recognize you as the good guy, so they will mistakenly but justifiably
shoot you. Lots and lots of documented cases -- in Pheonix, AZ, even after the wife
told the responding officers that her husband was holding the home invader at gun point,
the officers entered the home and shot the husband to death. Because they saw him
pointing a gun at a man on the floor. The husband never pointed his pistol at the officers.
The officers were protecting the life of the man on the floor (the home invader).
Ruled justified by the prosecuting attorney. [This happened while I was drilling
in Phoenix, Arizona.]
Call your attorney on retainer (your self-defense insurance policy should have
provided one for you). Let your attorney call 911. Let your attorney call the police
or prosecutor and make arrangements for you. The cops and gang bangers can't shoot you,
if you're not there.
You should go to your nearest emergency room to get checked out for stress related
injuries, as well as all of your physical injuries. It's unlikely you've gotten out of the
fight unscathed. You may have serious injuries that you are unaware of. No, really!
People have been cut and shot and not known it. High stress will cause your body to
release all kinds of chemicals and hormones into your blood stream.
Leave the scene immediately and go to the hospital emergency room. This way,
you also avoid talking to the cops. Always a good thing. [No, your favorite bookstore
or coffee shop is not a good place to retreat to. Go to the hospital emergency room,
go directly there, do not pass GO.] You can leave your pistol in the trunk of your car.
Your attorney will probably show up before the cops. You can give your pistol to your
attorney.
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the address,
"Armed 77-Year-Old California Homeowner In Jail After Shooting Home Invasion Robbers"
by Colion Noir
The cops said they arrested the home owner because he didn't give a statement.
That's why you must have an attorney on speed dial who will show up before
the cops show up, and give a statement for you. [Police response time is long, especially
in a city like Oakland, CA. An attorney on retainer is able to talk to the cops as soon as
you call him on your phone. So, he's there instantly. In reality, he'll show up at the scene
before the cops do. Sorry, that's just reality.]
You don't have such an attorney? Well, then you better get a self-defense insurance
policy that gives you one.
In the right hand column, click on the link labeled "Self Defense Insurance".
Or, the link is,
Read this before you buy insurance. You need to make an informed decision.
The various policies are drastically different.
"You need to read the fine print." -- Massad Ayoob
"Top Self Defense Insurance Programs: A Detailed Comparison" by ConcealedCarry.com
"Best CCW Insurance: Protecting Yourself After You Protect Yourself [2024]"
by Ryan Cleckner
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Medical -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
How not to kill yourself.
Stretching your feet.
*************************************************************************
----- Survival -----
Exercise is always good.
The scenery in yoga studios is awesome.
"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
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Education ***** ***** *****
Table of contents:
Legal
Instruction
Gear
*************************************************************************
"You will never get smarter or broaden your horizons
if you're unwilling to learn from others and read."
-- Becca Martin
What does AR-15 mean?
Active Response Training
Weekend Knowledge Dump
Greg point out articles that are complete bullshit. As he says, vet your sources.
ConcealedCarry.com articles
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum." (I think, therefore armed am I.)
-- John Farnam
*************************************************************************
----- 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
You are a free American. You have the freedom to move from state to state.
You don't have to live in these states. You don't have to visit these states. You
vote with your dollar.
State Restrictions on standard-capacity magazines:
California 10 round limit
Colorado 15 round limit
Connecticut 10 round limit
District of Columbia 10 round limit
Hawaii 10 round limit
Maryland 10 round limit
Massachusetts 10 round limit
New Jersey 10 round limit
New York 10 round limit
"Self-Defense and the Law:
Is Shooting Long-Distance in Defense
Defensible in Court?"
by Massad Ayoob
Mas cites 7 cases in which the answer is YES!
"Minnesota Court DESTROYS Right To Self Defense" by Actual Justice Warrior
Presenting the weapon, not using the weapon, not causing any injury with the weapon.
Just causing fear in the criminal who is attacking you. The Minnesota Court of Appeals
drastically expanding the "duty to retreat".
Court ruling,
Minnesota, another state you don't want to visit or live in.
---
From email from Andrew Branca --
Hello Jonathan,
Two days ago the Minnesota Supreme Court filed its ruling in the case of
State v. Blevins, a case in which the defendant pulled out a machete on a train
platform and brandished it at several people.
Today we read the DISSENT of that ruling.
We previously read the majority opinion of that ruling,
The defendant was charged with felony assault, and raised the legal defense
of self-defense. At a bench trial the judge ruled that the defendant's conduct
could not qualify as self-defense because he failed to satisfy Minnesota's generalized
legal duty to retreat in the context of self-defense.
Minnesota is, indeed, one of the small minority of states (eleven) that impose
a generalized legal duty to retreat before deadly force can be used in self-defense --
but never before has this duty been expanded to include the mere threat of deadly
force, as opposed to the actual use of deadly force.
In today's LIVE show we read through the DISSENT of State v. Blevins,
consistent with our mission at Law of Self Defense of basing our understanding
of the law of self-defense on ACTUAL law.
Meat starts at 5:17.
"Law of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca
(free book, just pay for shipping so you don't have to go to Colorado to pick it up)
Summary for Secure Storage Requirements (by state) by ConcealedCarry.com
Be careful. Just because there are no laws in your state concerning storage
of your firearms does not mean you cannot be sued. Some states have strict
liability (technical legal term, ask your attorney).
"The 5 Elements of Self Defense" by Andrew Branca (free of charge)
"MAJOR BREAKING 2A NEWS:
FEDERAL JUDGES CAUGHT INTENTIONALLY MANIPULATING 2A CASES..."
by The Four Boxes Diner
The meat starts at 9:04.
" Federal Judge Strikes Down Maryland ‘Gun-Free Zones’ " by Jake Fogleman
Primary source document,
Hate speech laws are unconstitutional, as they conflict with the 1st Amendment.
Hate speech laws are vague so that they can be used against any political opponent
for saying anything. Which is their purpose.
"8th Circuit Court of Appeals grants injunction against ATF’s pistol-brace rule"
by JohnHarris
"The ATF Raid You Never Heard Of" by Liberty Doll
Because the ATF has always been corrupt. And has been raiding the homes of
law abiding citizens and shooting them for decades. Oh, you weren't aware of that?
This is in the Legal section because the ATF always claims that they were
executing a legitimate warrant, they identified themselves as federal agents, and
that they shot in self-defense. And the injured citizens always claim that the
shooting was an abuse of power under color of law and outside the job description
of the agents.
“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
*************************************************************************
----- 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."
May I invite your attention to John Farnam's Quip of 20 June 2005 A.D. found at
about ¾ down the web page. These older Quips didn't have titles.
It's about the relationship between teacher and student.
"The limited time you spend with students may be the only training they ever receive!"
-- John Farnam
----- Instructors -----
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
When the student asks you a question, repeat the question LOUD so all of the students
can hear you [The only exception would be a single student class. If the student's parents
are present, repeat the question for the parents' benefit.], before answering the question.
And then answer the question LOUD, so all of the students can benefit from the question
and answer.
The students will Oooo and Ahhh at you because such is the behavior of a competent
instructor.
May I invite your attention to John Farnam's Quip of 21 April 2005 A.D.
"Task Vectors"
about ¾ down the web page.
It's about training to be able to make changes in pre-defined sequences of actions
as the situation changes, as opposed to being trapped in finishing a sequence before
being able to deviate from the sequence. Dustin Salomon's stuff is not new. There
is nothing new under the sun.
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
"Teach to the problem instead of teaching the tools." -- Elon Musk
"You must teach skill sustainment as part of training."
-- John Hearne
----- Students -----
I know training can be difficult. Let me share some words of encouragement that
my teacher told me, that I believe apply to all training regimens.
"Keep in mind that this is some seriously next level material. It is totally normal
that the first time you see this stuff, you find it confusing. You find it difficult to
understand. So, confusion should not discourage you. It does not represent any
intellectual failing on your part. Rather, keep in mind that it represents an opportunity
to get even smarter."
– Tim Roughgarden, Professor of Computer Science
and other stuff at Stanford University
"It's better to be wrong than to be vague." -- Freeman Dyson
If you are wrong, the instructor can correct you. If you are vague, no one can help you.
----- Andragogy -----
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to take
place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
*************************************************************************
----- Gear -----
And the safe storage thereof.
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
"STOP Wearing your duty rig until you do this test!" by ShivWorks (Craig Douglas)
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Can someone with slender fingers fire your pistol while it is in your holster?
Lots of holsters fail this test. Lots of incidents of this actually happening with
chicks and kids firing the pistol in the resource officer's holster.
Lots of people are interested in how well defensive ammunition performs through
drywall. Most of those folks are thinking of shooting in their own homes and want a
load that doesn’t penetrate deeply in drywall. That is a very misguided approach to
self defense. I can penetrate several layers of drywall with my fist without hurting
myself. If a bullet doesn’t go through a significant amount of drywall it isn’t likely to
penetrate deeply enough to incapacitate your attacker.
-- Greg Ellifritz
"Easy-to-Handle Defensive Handguns Buyer’s Guide" by Patrick Sweeney
We pick top defensive handgun options for the less physically capable.
Perfect is the enemy of good. Do good by your Nana,
and don’t try to saddle her with perfection.
"Trigger Tips
The Man/Machine Interface"
by Massad Ayoob
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
This is why proper storage of your firearms is so important.
From an email from Stephen P. Wenger --
A 2½-year-old boy shot himself in the stomach [!] with an unsecured gun at his
babysitter's house Saturday evening in Warren, police said. At approximately 6:06 p.m.,
in the 11000 block of Edgemont Street, near Stephens and Hoover roads, Warren [MI]
police were dispatched to a residence regarding a toddler who shot himself. The boy
was being babysat by a 42-year-old female, a resident of the home and a CPL holder,
who had two handguns at the her residence, police say. Authorities say the babysitter
left the handguns in the unsecured area and the toddler was able to access to one of the
handguns and shot himself in the stomach. The boy was taken to an area hospital where
he is listed in stable condition and is responsive and alert, authorities say. Investigators
say it does not appear that more serious foul play is involved, and they will examining
the details surrounding the safe and secure storage of the handgun as part of the
investigation . . .
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"How To Buy A Home Defense Handgun" by Colion Noir
"How To Buy A Gun Checklist" by Colion Noir
Because, if the gun makes you smile, you are far more likely to practice with it.
Which includes dry practice. You don't have to go to the range. You don't have to
spend money on ammunition. There is nothing wrong with fondling your gun as
you practice presenting from the holster, reloading, clearing malfunctions, and
marksmanship (sight alignment, sight movie, and trigger control). Groping your
gun is a good thing. It's familiarization. You must be intimately familiar with your gun.
I buy my guns at Friends of the NRA banquets, Tennessee Firearms Association
banquets, Ducks Unlimited banquets, etc. Generally speaking you can get guns
at below retail. Sometimes way below retail.
I buy my guns at pawn shops. Selling to pawn shops is a bad idea. Buying from
pawn shops is a good idea. Inspect the gun carefully. They MUST let you dry fire
the gun, otherwise walk away. [Bass Pro won't let you dry fire any of their guns.
They have trigger locks on all of their guns and won't take them off to allow you to
dry fire. Walk away.]
I buy my guns at gun shows. (In the show, not out in the parking lot. The guy
in the parking lot is an ATF agent or ATF informant.)
I buy my guns at gun club swap meets. As Malcolm X (Malcolm Little) said,
"Buy guns, join gun clubs." (If nobody knows who the guy is, he's an ATF agent
or informant.)
"DTI courses are designed to push gear to its limits. It should be the ultimate desire
of all of us to see EVERY student have some sort of equipment failure during class.
Nothing teaches a person more about their mortality, nothing makes them realize that
this isn't a game, more than guns malfunctioning and all the gadgets they invested in failing."
-- John Farnam
Wolff gun springs, frequently asked questions,
"Optics In Adverse Condtions: Trijicon Acog, Red Dot, Variable, and Iron Sights"
by lothaen
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
FlexCCarry℠ Solutions
Off body carry solutions and training.
IWI MASADA $389.61 new in the box
9mm, 4.1" 2-17rd Semi-Auto Pistol,
Optics Ready Pistol, Optic plates for Sig Romeo, Trijicon RMR,
Delta Point, Vortex Venom, 2 extra back straps. Made in Israel
CCW Minute: What You Really Need in a Concealed-Carry Gun
by Kevin Creighton
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
"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
Cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law, ITAR,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That means cryptosystems are
covered by the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Never let the
government infringe on your right to keep and bear cryptosystems, to
include home made cryptosystems.
From an email from Elliot Schneider --
It's one of the first things you learn in an E&M (electricity and magnetism) class:
the principle of superposition. It says that if you want to find the electric field of a
bunch of charges, all you have to do is add up the individual fields that each of
them produces. That might seem "obvious"—how could it work any other way?
And yet, among the fundamental forces of nature, electromagnetism is the only
one that obeys this property. Mathematically, it's due to a critical feature of the
equations that govern electromagnetism. They're linear.
It didn't have to be that way, though. Linearity is a very special property of
electromagnetism. In fact, it's the exception. The equations of the other fundamental
forces of nature are non-linear. Einstein's equations for gravity, for example, are
highly non-linear. If you know two solutions to Einstein's equations, you can't add
them together to find a third.
-- Elliot Schneider
---
Lazy cryptologists use linear equations. Cryptologists who are not afraid of doing the
calculations, use non-linear equations. Because they are much harder for the enemy
to cryptanalyze.
"Never memorize anything. Rather, study it until it becomes obvious."
-- Prof. Norman Christ, Physics Department, Columbia University
Applies directly to all self-defense theory and practice.
A visualization exercise.
---
From "Elementary Concepts of Topology" by Paul Alexandroff
translation from Russian to English by Alan E. Farley --
Perhaps the easiest way to embed the projective plane topologically in R⁴ is as follows:
first, it is easy to convince oneself that a conic section decomposes the projective plane
into an elementary piece of surface (a homeomorph of a circular disc), and a region
homeomorphic to a Möbius band; indeed, the part interior to the conic is the elementary
piece of surface, while the exterior part is topologically equivalent to the Möbius band
(this is seen most easily if -- choosing the line at infinity -- one thinks of the conic section
as a hyperbola).
Then one considers four-dimensional space R⁴ and in it an R³. In the R⁴ construct a
Möbius band. If one now chooses a point O in R⁴, outside the R³, and connects it by
line segments to all points on the boundary curve of the Möbius band, an elementary
piece of surface is formed which is joined to the Möbius band along its boundary and
together with it forms a surface which is homeomorphic to the projective plane.
---
As opposed to,
"What Happens in a Mind That Can’t ‘See’ Mental Images" by Yasemin Saplakoglu
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
"Divine high PHI: The power of AB=A+B (Mathologer masterclass)"
by Mathologer
"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Life is not easy for any of us.
But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.
We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing must be attained."
-- Marie Curie
"PETR'S MIRACLE: Why was it lost for 100 years? (Mathologer Masterclass)"
by Mathologer
Decomposition.
Prof. Burkard Polster asks, what can you do with this. You know.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
"Light sucking flames look like magic" by Steve Mould
Ya, the diagram showing circular electron orbitals is WRONG!
But it is otherwise correct.
"You don't need to memorize theorems, because you can always derive them
from first principles."
-- Prof. Sven Hartman, Physics Department, Columbia University
Similarly with all self-defense theory and practice.
"The Amazing Physics Of The Wilberforce Pendulum" by The Action Lab
---
"Any synchronized systems can be used as a cryptosystem." -- Gunny Wheeler
NTTC, Cory Station, Pensacola, Florida
Do you know of synchronized systems? Do they carry encrypted information?
You bet. Who would waste such a channel? Better than reading a list of numbers
on the radio.
The systems may not be obviously synchronized. They may be coupled.
Have fun.
***** Signals Intelligence and Ground Electronic Warfare, Cyber Security,
(sometimes Air Electronic Warfare too) *****
“Your character is what you do when no one is looking.”
-- Thomas Jefferson
"Decrypting SSL to Chinese Cloud Servers - Hacking the VStarcam CB73 Security Camera"
by Matt Brown
You may have to magnify the window to see the text.
It's not for the device, it's for the technique.
The device is smart enough to swap to a higher speed WiFi connection? How about
that?
Failure to authenticate certificates for TLS comms.
---
"DEF CON 31 -
certmitm Automatic Exploitation of TLS Certificate Validation Vulns -
Aapo Oksman"
Breaking Defense has a weekly newsletter, "Networks & Digital Warfare" at
Crypto-Gram by Bruce Schneier
‟If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it.
The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury.
Therefore what he must fear is his victim.”
-- Col. Jeff Cooper, "Principles of Personal Defense"
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
Gathering, Analyzing, Disseminating
"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
The art and practice of Intelligence is an arm protected by the 2nd Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution. Never let anyone infringe upon your God given right
to keep and bear intelligence. (The enemy, foreign and domestic, will try to dumb
you down. Resist!)
You might want to contact Kerry Sleeper. Never know what networks you might
need in the future.
Contact information -- SCN refused to give me his contact information. Oh well.
That in itself is important information.
“Amateurs talk strategy and professionals talk logistics” — Omar Bradley
From Jim Dunnigan's Strategy Page
8/9/2024
*********************************
Logistics: Russian Army Transport Disaster
August 9, 2024: Truck transport has always been a problem for Russian forces.
Since World War II, trucks have been essential to provide supplies for major
military operations, especially offensives. This was seen during the early stages
of their invasion of Ukraine. This attack was launched into northern Ukraine
in an attempt to capture the nearby capital Kyiv. The attack failed and Russian
forces withdrew and moved to eastern Ukraine to resume the offensive. A major
reason for the Russian defeat in northern Ukraine was the Ukrainians concentrating
their attacks on Russian supply trucks. Without these, the Russian armored
vehicles soon become immobile because of lack of fuel. Trucks also carried
munitions and other supplies as well as troops and support personnel.
Since 2022 Ukraine has continued its war on Russian truck transport. Recently
long-range Ukrainian UAV attacks into Russia hit three Russian truck
manufacturing plants. Without trucks Russian forces cannot move, and if enough
trucks are destroyed, Russian troops can’t survive in Ukraine and must withdraw.
The most potent weapons Ukraine received to oppose the Russian 2022 invasion
armed its resourceful and determined Anti-Tank Teams that managed to destroy
thousands of Russian armored vehicles and hundreds of trucks carrying supplies
to the Russian forces. The Ukrainian war on Russian supply trucks continues.
NATO supplies area-attack missiles to attack lots where Russian trucks are parked.
Ukrainian partisans and civilians rarely miss an opportunity to sabotage Russian
trucks. This can be done by putting water in the fuel tank which will damage or
destroy the engine. Russian fuel trucks are a favorite target. A partisan disguised
as a civilian can fire an RPG rocket at a fuel truck to cause a large explosion and
loss of all the fuel on the truck. This occasionally happens as Russian trucks,
including fuel trucks, roll through Russian-occupied Ukrainian towns or villages.
Ukrainian forces distributed many RPG rocket launchers and rockets to civilians
willing to take a covert shot at Russian trucks passing through. Elderly Ukrainian
civilians often used these RPGs at night or whenever an opportunity presented
itself. No one expects grandparents to be lurking in the shadows with RPGs.
The Russians tried to retaliate by rounding up some random civilians and killing
them, just like the Germans did during World War II. This proved
counterproductive and the Russians concentrated on other methods for keeping
their trucks out of harm’s way.
Ukrainian trucks operate among a friendly civilian population and are driven
by Ukrainians. Russian owned and operated trucks are considered prime targets
and Russia has lost so many of them in the last two years that they are now seizing
all manner of civilian trucks including delivery vans and civilian ATVs
(all-terrain vehicles). This hodgepodge of vehicles quickly turned into a logistical
nightmare because they required so many different spare parts and types of tires.
Within a year these vehicles were increasingly useless because there were no spare
parts, especially replacement tires. Recent Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian truck
manufacturing plants means fewer new trucks and that won’t change for a year as
the plants are repaired. There is no guarantee that the Ukrainians won’t attack again.
NATO countries maintain truck fleets consisting of over half a million vehicles.
The U.S. Army alone has over 230,000 trucks. Ukraine will never be without
enough trucks as long as NATO nations are supplying them.
American allies always demand trucks along with other military supplies.
Twenty years ago the Afghan army obtained over 5,000 Ford F 350 SORV/Severe
Off Road Vehicle pickup trucks. These four wheel drive vehicles are based on
Ford’s F-250/350 commercial pick up, which has been the bestselling line of
pickup trucks in the U.S. since the 1980s. The Afghan army trucks were built at
a Ford factory in Thailand. The SORV was provided in five variants, cargo,
emergency response, personnel/tactical and personnel/command trucks, and
maintenance van. The SORV truck comes with a diesel 300 horsepower engine.
Costing about $40,000 each, the 4.5 ton vehicle can carry about two tons of
personnel and cargo, and tow up to eight tons. It has a 144 liter fuel tank.
Depending on the version, the SORV can seat up to eleven people. Afghans
are accustomed to cramming as many people as they can into pickups and SUVs.
The Afghans mounted weapons on some of the SORVs and gave these vehicles
a workout that Ford engineers never imagined. The Afghans were also unable
to properly maintain the trucks. There were many vehicle mechanics in
Afghanistan but over the last twenty years many of them have fled the country
with their families and skill at maintaining trucks. The current Taliban
government in Afghanistan has to deal with a severe shortage of trucks.
There are no railroads in Afghanistan and few navigable rivers. This means
the current government’s armed forces are largely immobile. If they seize
the trucks that Pakistani and Afghan entrepreneurs use to bring goods into
the country, that source of supplies for landlocked Afghanistan will cease.
Many armed forces, especially those on a low budget, use commercial
vehicles, particularly the Ford F-250/350. The Irish army uses SORVs for
recon units. In Afghanistan, the Ford, and other pickups are very popular,
especially if they are four-wheel drive. Equipping the Afghans with the SORVs,
instead of hummers, meant the Afghans received familiar vehicles at less
than half the price of the hummer. That worked until a new, Islamic
fundamentalist government took control in 2021. Never underestimate the
importance of trucks.
-- Jim Dunnigan
“Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics” — Napoleon
"THIS Technology Could REVOLUTIONIZE Airline Safety!" by Mentour Now!
Gyroscopes → Ring Lasers Gyroscopes → Fiber Optic Gyroscopes → Quantum Gyroscopes
It's important to catch lies.
Because it's important to know who the liars are.
SCN BULLETIN:
On 31 July, the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a targeted strike
while visiting Tehran, Iran, for the inauguration of Iran’s new president,
Masoud Pezeshkian. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli officials have
not claimed responsibility for the attack, but numerous international officials have
attributed the strike to Israel. Haniyeh has led Hamas politically since 2017 and
was a prominent figure in the group’s ceasefire and hostage release negotiations.
Haniyeh has held multiple roles within Hamas, including the Prime Minister in
Gaza from 2007 to 2014.
This follows the assassination of Hezbollah’s Senior Military Commander,
Fuad Shukr, earlier on 30 July in a residential building in the Haret Hreik
neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon. The IDF has claimed responsibility for the
drone strike that killed Shukr and at least two others, citing retaliation for the
27 July attack that killed 12 Druze children in Majdal Shams, Golan Heights,
for which Shukr was deemed responsible. Fuad Shukr was a senior commander
and advisor on military affairs to Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
Shukr served on Hezbollah’s Jihad Council and played a significant role in
Hezbollah’s military campaign in Syria and the 1983 bombing of the
U.S. Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 U.S. military personnel.
. . .
At Shukr’s funeral, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah declared
that Israel has “crossed a red line” and should expect “rage and revenge on all
the fronts supporting Gaza.” He stressed that Shukr’s killing was not a response
to the Majdal Shams attack but rather an act of war, and announced Hezbollah’s
shift from supporting Gaza to engaging in “open battle on all fronts.”
Likewise, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered attacks
on Israel in retaliation for Haniyeh’s assassination. This directive has been
confirmed by three Iranian officials, highlighting Iran’s intent. The Iranian
Foreign Ministry has also asserted its right to respond to Haniyeh’s killing and
accused the U.S. of being a “supporter and accomplice” of Israel, which could
further mobilize domestic efforts.
"Iran plans to attack Israel on Tisha B’Av - the Jewish day of disasters,
Western intelligence says"
by JERUSALEM POST STAFF
From an email from Michael G. Masters --
. . .
This past month we announced a first-of-its-kind intelligence and information-sharing
partnership with the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago (JUF). By placing
a dedicated full-time Intelligence Analyst focused on the specific security needs of
Chicago’s Jewish community within SCN’s Chicago-based National Jewish Security
Operations Command Center (JSOCC), JUF and SCN will be working more closely
than ever to identify issues, threats, and events that may impact the Jewish community
in Chicago and coordinate with key partners, like law enforcement, to address them.
. . .
This model, which will increase the safety and security of our Jewish community,
is one we hope to replicate with other partners.
. . .
Stay safe,
Michael G. Masters
National Director & CEO
Secure Community Network
[I hope your organization is taking similar actions. You must have the intelligence
to interdict before the enemy attacks. Reacting to the attack is a failure. As Michael
Mann says, "Prevention, not reaction." -- Jon Low]
"Jesse Watters: Secret Service makes 'shocking admission' after Trump assassination attempt"
No counter-snipers.
"SCARY Data Found On The Trump Shooter's Phone Reveals Something Dark |
Joe Rogan & Bridget Phetasy" by University Of JRE
I was walking around the Green Hills Mall with a female friend. We entered Victoria's Secret
so she could look at stuff. We didn't buy anything. We didn't do anything online while in the store.
Upon leaving the store, she started getting advertisements for items in Victoria's Secret on her
phone by text message.
[Always cite open source.]
Love often blinds us.
From an email from 1440, https://join1440.com/ --
"Ukraine's Cross-Border Push"
Ukrainian armed forces have pushed through two defensive lines in Russia's
southwestern Kursk Oblast since the operation began Tuesday. The cross-border
incursion—9 miles into Russia—is Ukraine's largest since the war began 30
months ago, involving an estimated 1,000 soldiers in dozens of armored vehicles.
The operation comes amid mostly stalemate conditions along the two countries'
600-mile front line. Analysts say Ukraine has captured roughly 50 square miles
of territory, including a Gazprom-owned gas metering station, the Russian town
of Sudzha, and at least 11 other settlements (see map). Images showed US-made
equipment in use in the operation, though American officials stated the incursion
did not violate its policies around the use of US weapons in the war.
Analysts say the sudden move into Russian territory could be designed to
divert forces from current hot spot areas of the conflict. A Ukrainian adviser has
indicated the move was designed to help Ukraine's position in potential negotiations
with Russia.
"Vox Day: Technology Changes War" by Docent
Cited article,
"Technology Changes War"
Cited video,
"Col. Douglas Macgregor : Is Israel On the Ropes?" by Judge Napolitano
at 27:19.
You think you're all secret and covert sneaking into a foreign country, and then
BANG! You all get ambushed and killed. What have we learned? What are we
going to do in the future to avoid a similar outcome? Why hadn't we done that
left of bang?
Why didn't our intel warn our infantry of satellite surveillance? Why didn't our
infantry move after sunset, before moon rise, in the dark? Why did our operators
go in as infantry, instead of as civilian businessmen or tourists or missionaries
(feeding the starving), etc.? Clandestine. [Peace Corps won't accept you if you
have any intel in your background.]
Why didn't we hack into the supply chain and sabotage the delivered missiles?
Why didn't we poison the food of the crew served weapons?
What the hell is the CIA doing? Oh, ya, their going to diversity classes,
sensitivity training, and learning about their white privilege. You think I'm joking?
You think I'm lying?
"Ukraine expands offensive inside Russia" by Good Morning America
Always cite open source.
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
"The Merge"
Breaking Defense
Intrigue
1440
I saw a sign that said, "Yart Sale".
Was it a misspelling? Was it an immigrant in my neighborhood whose first language
is not English?
Was it a joke? If so, what cultural background would be needed to get the joke?
Which languages would one need to be familiar with to get the joke?
Sorry, Google won't help you.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** After Thoughts, Politics, and such ***** ***** *****
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."
-- (Mary) Flannery O'Connor
"1984" by John Farnam
“It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.”
-- George Orwell, from ‶1984″
Dear Jonathan:
We have two new original research reports. We have looked at the FBI's newest
Active Shooting Reports for 2023 and compiled all their reports from 2014 through
2023.
The FBI has missed 165 cases over those ten years, and virtually all of those
are instances where law-abiding citizens legally carrying guns stopped active shooting
attacks. That makes a big difference. Instead of the FBI's claim that civilians legally
carrying guns stop 4% of active shooting attacks, the correct number is at least 35%.
Excluding gun-free zones, it averaged over 51.5%. But no one needs to take our
word for these errors as we provide each of the missing cases as well as links to the
underlying news stories so that people can check whether they meet the definition
of active shootings.
I am sure that a quick look will confirm that we have put a lot
of work into these reports.
John R. Lott, Jr.
Crime Prevention Research Center
P.O. Box 2293, 1100 W Kent Ave, Missoula, MT 59801
johnrlott@crimeresearch.org
(484) 802-5373
" ‘Your favorite rappers are only alive because of our sacrifices’:
the secret life of rap bodyguards "
by Thomas Hobbs
Excerpt:
“I might make $500 for the whole day, at best,” says Samson Dread
Rather than buying jewelry, you should invest in security,
because it will keep you alive.”
I like archery.
"Supreme Court Issues Surprise 5-4 Ruling" by Roman Balmakov
Applicable to all entrepreneurial businesses and personal relationships.
“You can’t truly call yourself ‘peaceful’ unless you are capable of great violence.
If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful, you’re harmless.
Important distinction.”
-- Stef Starkgaryen
Deep truth.
Ya, cooking bacon on my suppressor.
"Janja Garnbret finishes FOUR TENTHS away from perfect score in bouldering semis |
Paris Olympics" by NBC Sports
If you search Indeed.com you will find jobs for "Activist".
Friends traveling to Guatemala, which is at a level 3 warning by the U.S. State Department.
My advice --
Make sure to check in with the
U.S. Embassy Guatemala City
Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Telephone: +(502) 2354-0000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(502) 2354-0000
AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov
when you get there.
I assume your passports are in order.
Don't travel with cash. $10,000 or more will raise questions and
cause problems. When I returned to the U.S. from Riyadh, I was
carrying $87,000. If I hadn't had a courier card, there would have
been problems. The law enforcement officers love to do civil forfeitures. And the
attorney fees to get the money back is often more than the money
stolen by the law enforcement officers.
In case you all get yourselves killed or captured, leave detailed instructions
on what to do. Who gets custody of your kids? Contact information for the life
insurance policies. Contact information for whoever is holding your wills. Etc.
Be responsible parents. Have the conversations.
I have students tell me,
"I only carry a gun when I go to places that I might need one."
To which I respond,
"If you wouldn't go there without a gun, you should not go there at all."
"School Resource Officers In Memphis Strike For Higher Pay And Safer Conditions"
by The Tennessee Conservative Staff
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
Trying not to forget all the German I learned in high school and college.
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