Alexis Wilkins
"The Answer to Moms Demand Action w/ Alexis Wilkins"
by Nick Freitas
This discussion is deep and well worth your time to listen to.
Women for Gun Rights.
No one wants to follow a coward.
"AF 397 – Fight The F - Alexis Wilkins" by Ava Flanell Show
"The One About Women and Gun Rights" by Lone Star Outdoor Show
---
I was kicked out of Columbia University for my conservative views.
I was kicked out of the U.S. Marine Corps for refusing to go along with Obama's
diversity program.
I was kicked out of the National Security Agency for speaking against
the incompetent diversity hires.
Oh yes, it is real. I've experienced it.
---
Women for Gun Rights Newsletter - April 2025
Women for Gun Rights New Jersey State Director Theresa Inacker
also National Rifle Association (NRA) Board of Directors
Greetings Sheepdogs,
"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Table of Contents:
Prevention
Mindset
Situational Awareness
Safety
Training
Practice
Intervention
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
Postvention
Aftermath
Medical
Survival
Education
Legal
Instruction
Gear
Cryptology
Signals Intelligence
Intelligence
Religion and Politics
Psychology
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Prevention ***** ***** *****
Things you can do to avoid the lethal force incident.
Table of sections:
Mindset
Safety
Training
Practice
*************************************************************************
----- Mindset and Attitude -----
Figuring out the correct way to think.
"There are no dangerous weapons, only dangerous men." -- Robert A. Heinlein
‟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
"Inside the Mind of a Predator:
Truths, Myths & How to Protect Your Family | Ross Hick | Ep. 143"
by Defenders LIVE (Lora Thorson)
Excerpts:
“People don’t change unless they have to. And most don’t know how to
force themselves to have to.”
“Sex offenders aren’t cured. The best we do is manage it—layered systems
of accountability, for life.”
“If your only plan is to shoot the offender, what happens when it’s your brother,
your dad, or your husband?” — Ross Hick
---
Perpetrator: father or step-father.
Time from sexual assault to reporting: 1.5 years average. Some much more.
Actually, the victim did tell someone immediately. Hick explains what happens
and why it's not reported to police.
Sex trafficking is not stranger kidnapping. Six month grooming process.
---
Ross Hick will be teaching at the
Bullets & Bibles Conference, $750
Friday, September 12, 2025 – Sunday, September 14, 2025
Living Water Ranch, north of Manhattan, KS.
For more information about lodging (free lodging in the dorms) on site or
meals (3 meals a day included in registration fee) or
if you have any questions regarding the event,
contact our Bullets & Bibles Conference Coordinator,
Vonda Copeland
director@fhftc.org
or call 785-293-2449.
"All that we don't know is astonishing.
Even more astonishing is what passes for knowing."
-- Philip Roth
“There is evil in this world. It existed long ago and it will continue to exist far
into the future. Despite all the "feel good" talk and excessive gun laws, as the
saying goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." These laws will
only work if the violent criminal actor chooses to abide by them. Upstanding
citizens obey laws put into place by our elected officials. These laws are
meaningless to violent criminals. They have utter contempt for the law, and
for human life. This is pure evil, and I promise you, it is not going anywhere.
You cannot regulate it; you cannot craft new laws to eradicate it, nor can you
turn a blind eye to it. At some point, you must confront it.”
-- Jeff Gonzales, "Concealed Carry Manual", page 24
---
"Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character."
-- Robert E. Lee
---
Criminals do not have manly character. Criminals do not have father role models
in their lives. The one thing all violent male criminals in prison have in common is
that they had no father while growing up. Because the U.S. welfare system pays
mothers to have children and withholds welfare payments if there is a man living
in the abode.
The politicians that voted for the welfare system are just as evil as the criminals
they created. Perhaps more evil, because they created the system.
"One who exerts oneself, succeeds."
-- Talmud Megillah 6b
"Before all else, be armed." -- Nicolo Machiavelli
"The line between everyday life and sudden violence is thinner than most realize."
-- Tim Larkin
"Firearms are second only to the constitution in importance,
they are the people's liberty's teeth." -- George Washington
Awareness, Avoidance, De-Escalation, Escape
“Happiness is the by-product of achievement” -- Jeff Cooper
"An unarmed man can only flee from evil and
evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." -- Jeff Cooper
---
Some will call the defender a murderer. Some will call the defender a vigilante.
Some will call the defender a hero. In the best of all worlds, no one calls the defender
anything, because no one knows who the defender is.
In the better of all worlds, the police disregard those who accuse the defender
as crackpots. It takes a bit of work and intelligence to achieve this. But I have
seen it done many times. A good reputation helps.
In the good of all worlds, the defender's attorney convinces the prosecutor to
drop all charges. As long as the defender keeps his mouth shut and has the money
for a competent attorney, this can be done. Keeping the defender's mouth shut
is VERY difficult, he will have to work on it and practice it. Affording a competent
attorney means the defender must have bought a legitimate self-defense insurance
in the past. The defender must have bought the insurance policy last year. So it
doesn't look like the defender bought the insurance policy in preparation for the
lethal force incident. (The prosecutor used that argument against Kayla Giles.)
"Superior judgment trumps superior skills." -- Dan Millican
Keep your gun in a separate mental category,
not with your wallet and keys.
"Be so focused on watering your grass that
you don't have time to check if someone else's is greener."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"I do not carry a pistol so that I may impose my will on others.
I carry a pistol so that others may not impose their will on me."
-- Tom Givens
"Survival is a mindset, not a skill set."
-- Greg Shaffer
"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
“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
"Your life is as good as your mindset." -- Nicola Cavanis
‷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
"Have your affairs in order."
-- John Hearne
***** Situational Awareness *****
How to avoid being taken by surprise.
"Many people don't realize that your awareness skills
are more important than your marksmanship skills.
Well, you can't shoot something you don't know is there,
or don't know it needs to be shot!" -- Tom Givens
"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
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)
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
----- 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.
"You are not responsible for negative reactions to your boundaries."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"EDP" (Emotionally Disturbed Person)
by John Farnam
---
A person in a neighboring county is setting up a neighborhood watch team.
He asked me what our protocol is. I told him what the protocol was when I
was in the Marine Corps. Intelligence would gather and analyze the information.
We would then take it to an O-6 or higher (usually a Colonel or Captain,
because the flag officers didn't want to get their hands dirty). If the O-6 signed
a finding that the person was a combatant and posed a threat, we would write
a targeting order and give the order to the trigger pullers.
"Gut feelings are guardian angels." -- Nicola Cavanis
"What can I do to protect my children from mass murders at their school?"
Don't send them to schools that are gun-free-zones. Yes, it is that simple.
"Not allowing law-abiding citizens to carry guns on the pretext of public health
or safety makes as much sense not allowing sober people to drive cars in order
to protect them from drunk drivers."
-- Stephen P. Wenger
"Talking to Kids about Guns and Firearms Safety" by Langdon Tactical
"Safety is something that happens between your ears,
not something you hold in your hands."
-- Jeff Cooper
Jeff Cooper′s Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
If you say, "treat all guns as if they were loaded", then you are pretending they are
loaded when you know that they are not loaded. Hundreds of people in the U.S.
are shot by unloaded guns every year; while cleaning their guns, while showing
their guns to friends, etc. Don't pretend. BELIEVE that
ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING
THAT 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.
---
RULE V: Maintain control of your gun. -- Stephen P. Wenger
If you don't know where it is, you don't have control. If it is not on your body, and not
locked up, you don't have control. If you left it in your locked car, you don't have
control; and about now your car has been broken into and your pistol is stolen, or
your car has been stolen and if recovered won't have your pistol in it.
"It's easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble."
-- Claude Werner
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.
Our DTI Urban Rifle Program is scheduled for Nashville, TN at Terry Lord's
wonderful Outdoor Range on the weekend of 7-8 June 25, and I hope you can
join us there. You can register on-line for this training at our DTI Web Page at:
defense-training.com
When you do, I'll be right back with you with details.
Extremely relevant for our times!
-- John Farnam
"Gunfight Training that Works: A Case Study" by Dustin Salomon
"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
"No Gunfight Was Ever Won With Speed Holstering"
by Suarez Tactics
"Never memorize anything. Rather, study it until it becomes obvious."
-- Norman Christ
"This is very unusual" will continue to be a sorry epitaph etched on gravestones
of the self-deceptive and blithely unprepared!
-- Training axiom
"Another Bear Attack" by John Farnam
“Some are unwittingly blind; others willfully blind”
-- Proverbial reminder
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)
"Gun schools see surge in attendees as Americans prepare for the worst"
by Fox News
"If you’re not measuring your training,
what you’re doing is called playing."
-- Chris Sajnog
---
"In order to measure, we must be able to quantify."
-- Aaron Cowan
Pistol ammunition is ballistically deficient compared to rifle or shotgun ammo.
So, let's say we need 2 hits in a vital area to stop the attack (a realistic assumption).
We are talking about a physical stop, not a psychological stop. Police in the U.S.
average 15% to 20% hits on the intended target. (Depending on which studies
you cite, which department you're talking about, etc.) Let's be optimistic and say
we need 5 shots to get one hit on the assailant's body. The other shots are chewing
up the background, damaging property, and injuring innocent bystanders (maybe
killing them). Because, let's face the truth, we don't practice enough to achieve
any better results in a high stress situation. [We're talking expected value
(L1 norm). Electricians use RMS (root mean squared) to calculate voltage,
which is an L2 norm. So, ya, it makes a difference.]
So, that's 10 shots to get 2 hits on the bad guy's body. So, we may need 20 shots
to get 2 hits in a vital area of one assailant to stop his attack. With multiple
assailants, we are going to need a lot more shots. If the assailants are wearing
armor, high on drugs, or dedicated, we're going to need to do crainio-ocular,
external auditory meatus, or spinal cord shots. Are you capable of such?
We're probably not as competent and calm under stress as Elisjsha Dicken.
So, we probably need a lot more ammunition than he did.
No, as a matter of fact, we're not going to have time to do a safe reload.
There will never be a lull in the gunfight to allow us to take cover to reload.
That sort of thing only happens in the movies. If we are forced to reload,
we'll be doing it during combat, while moving. Can we do that? Have we ever
done that in a competition or during practice? Do we practice that?
How many rounds do our pistols hold? How many magazines do we carry?
In case you didn't notice, the terrorists are coming to our homeland (9/11/2021).
Brandon allowed hundreds of thousands into our country during his presidency.
Be prepared.
As Jeff L. Gonzales says, "high capacity magazine" is a propaganda word
used by the anti-gun liberals to demonize standard capacity magazines.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, a team in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
expended over 600 rounds to get 5 hits on intended targets. None of which stopped
the attackers. Good thing the good guys had handgrenades. Otherwise, the civilian
casualties would have been much worse. Real combat is difficult. Self-defense
is combat.
"When you're training to protect yourself and others, speed always comes last.
In the more than twenty-five years I've been training people in self-protection,
I've never heard from someone who used self-protection tools in the field and
felt like they suffered from a lack of speed at the moment of truth. In fact, I
usually hear the opposite: it's much more common to suffer from a lack of
accuracy or force." -- Tim Larkin
A blind spot is not a place that you know that you cannot see. If you know
you can't see the area back to your left while driving, you can compensate by
turning your head to look.
A blind spot is a place that you don't know that you can't see. So you can't
compensate for the blind spot.
"You don't know what you don't know." -- Claude Werner
How do you defeat blind spots? Training. A competent instructor will explain
to you all the places that you can't see in combat. Self-defense is combat. Visual
blind spots, metaphorical blind spots, metavisual blind spots, etc.
"A mistake that makes you humble is better
than an achievement that makes you arrogant."
-- Nicola Cavanis
Superstitions are not things that you know are false that other people
believe are true. Superstitions are things you believe to be true, that are false.
For instance, there are still a lot of people who believe that if they zero
(point of aim equals point of impact) their pistol at 3 yards, when they shoot
a target at 25 yards they must aim high (above the intended target, because
the bullet drops with distance). This is FALSE. The shooter must aim low
(below the intended target). This is why you will often see pistol shooters
shooting 8 inch plates at a range of 25 yards and consistently missing over
the top of the plate. At 25 yards, the point of impact is about 5 inches above
the point of aim. The radius of the 8 inch plate is 4 inches. So when the
pistol shooter aims at the center of the plate, his point of impact is 1 inch
over the top of the plate.
Not to scale. Exaggerated for clarity.
"Much of what you know is false." -- Claude Werner
How do you defeat superstitions? Training. A competent instructor
will tell you the truth. It is then up to you to accept the truth or to ignore it.
You wouldn't believe the number of people who paid $2000 for a 4-day
course at Front Sight and then intentionally discarded the information.
I know. I saw it first hand. I taught there. As Ignatius Piazza said,
Front Sight is a resort (like a golf resort). It was never intended for serious
self-defense shooters. It was intended for rich people to have fun.
---
"Ada Wong Cosplay- Cyberpunk Stages 1-4 at @InrangeTv's CQB West Brutality 2025"
If you don't understand your bullet's trajectory, you will consistently miss high
on "long range" shots when zeroed with your first zero. Projectiles from firearms
have two zeros: one at close range (that all pistols use) and one at long range (that
all rifles use).
"Fishnet Stockings Aren't Tactical- Story Time with Gun Bunny"
“Training deals not with an object,
but with the human spirit and human emotions.”
--Bruce Lee
"Most deadly force encounters occur spontaneously, without warning and
at extremely close ranges. Realistically, you may not have the time or the
space to effectively draw, no matter how fast your drawstroke."
-- Jeff L. Gonzales
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always
possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Richard Henry Lee
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
Trigger manipulation by Jeff Gonzales --
Step One -- properly contact the trigger and remove any slop or free movement
of the trigger. Double check your finger is correctly placed.
Step Two -- apply initial and light pressure to take out any slack. You want to
be resting right on the sear wall, which is the last position before the sear is
released, thus firing the shot.
Step Three -- continue applying light and constant pressure until the shot is
fired. Maintain positive pressure on the trigger until you begin the follow through
sequence.
“It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first.”
-- Miyamota Mushashi
Follow through by Jeff Gonzales --
Step One -- is through your isometric tension; there should be little, if any,
deviation off the target after the shot breaks. The isometric tension acts as
resistance bands, bringing the firearm back on target or very close.
Step Two -- realign or reconfirm your sights on the intended target. Apply
any corrections necessary.
Step Three -- reset the trigger by allowing it to go forward only enough to
mechanically reset the trigger.
Next, immediately take out the slack, resetting again on the sear wall,
finishing with the final movement of the trigger to break the shot.
"We should not forget that the spark which ignited the American Revolution
was caused by the British attempt to confiscate the firearms of the colonists."
-- Patrick Henry
"In reality, we are training for an unknown event, against unknown threats,
by developing as many known skills as possible."
-- Jeff Gonzales
“Train, Practice, Compete
are the key elements in the development of humans.”
-- John M. Buol, Jr.
"To . . . not prepare is the greatest of crimes;
to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest virtue."
-- Sun Tzu
“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
"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
“If you are reading this and can’t put your hand on your defensive firearm,
all of your training is wasted.” -- Col. Jeff Cooper
"There are three different areas, or disciplines, in which the armed person must train.
These are mindset, gun handling, and marksmanship. Each is equally important, and
you must be at least competent in all three areas."
-- Tom Givens
Kailey Nieman
------------------------------ Conferences --------------------------------
Attending classes and conferences is required for growth.
Stagnation is complacency. Complacency kills.
"The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword;
because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force
superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on any pretense,
raised in the United States."
-- Noah Webster
Gun Owners of America annual meeting, free of charge
Knoxville Convention Center, Knoxville, TN
9 - 10 August 2025 A.D.
---
GOA Defend Her High Caliber Brunch, $15
WHEN: Sunday, August 10th at 11:00 AM during GOALS
WHERE: The Marriott Ballroom in Knoxville, TN.
7th Annual Security Operations Summit (SOS.25)!
July 24-26, 2025 San Antonio, TX
This year's national summit will be in San Antonio, TX at Cornerstone Church.
Law of Self Defense, live online class upcoming dates
September 27, 2025
Bullets & Bibles Conference, $750
Friday, September 12, 2025 – Sunday, September 14, 2025
Living Water Ranch, north of Manhattan, KS.
For more information about lodging (free lodging in the dorms) on site or
meals (3 meals a day included in registration fee) or
if you have any questions regarding the event,
contact our Bullets & Bibles Conference Coordinator,
Vonda Copeland
director@fhftc.org
or call 785-293-2449.
Rangemaster Tactical Conference
TacCon26 is scheduled for
March 27-29, 2026 at
the Dallas Pistol Club in Carrollton, Texas
$639
Guardian Conference, $800
September 19th - 21st, 2025 in Oklahoma City
------------------------------ Classes --------------------------------
Attending classes and conferences is required to avoid teaching obsolete shit.
Stagnation is complacency. Complacency kills.
Keith Tyler and his training company TFI Academy can be found at
Training in Context (Tatiana Whitlock)
Active Response Training (Greg Ellifritz)
2025 classes
Modern Warriors
Rangemaster Certified Instructors
Map of Rangemaster Certified Instructors
Dustin Salomon
KR Training, Karl Rehn et al
Kari Grayson
Citizens Safety Academy, Aqil Qadir et al
Carry Trainer, Mickey Schuch
Paladin Training, Inc.
Citizen-Defender, John Murphy
Virginia Private Firearms Training (for private lessons), John Murphy
Defensive Training International, John Farnam
Quips,
Rangemaster, Tom Givens
Newsletter,
Trident Concepts, Jeff Gonzales
I recommend you read,
"Concealed Carry Manual" by Jeff Gonzales,
published by Trident Concepts, LLC., 2021 A.D.
Apache Solutions, Tim Kelly
Harris Combative Strategies, Randy Harris
Mead Hall Range & Tactics
Two Pillars Training, John Hearne
Mike Seeklander
‟Training is NOT an event, but a process.
Training is the preparation FOR practice.”
-- Claude Werner
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
----- Practice -----
How to get proficient at that task.
"There is no glory in practice, but without practice there is no glory."
-- Jeff Gonzales
Dry practice by Jeff Gonzales --
A common mistake is creating two different modes:
Your dry fire mode, where you practice at a certain speed and intensity.
Then your live fire mode, where the speed and intensity is totally different.
Because of this difference, they no longer support each other.
"Failure is evidence that someone tried to do something."
-- Ingersoll
"You have to be lucky to win. And the more you practice, the luckier you get."
-- Col. Lones Wigger
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
‶Practice is the small deposits you make over time,
so that in an emergency, you can make that big withdrawal.″
-- Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III
"People rust faster than equipment."
-- John Hearne
‟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
"Shoot as much as you want but if you start to get shaky, it’s time to go home."
-- Duaine Zeitz
"Your speed doesn't matter. Forward is forward."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Practice your shooting by doing exactly the same thing, exactly the same way,
every time, until it is completely automatic."
-- Duaine Zeitz
"Remember, growing may feel like breaking at first."
-- Nicola Cavanis
“Willingness is a state of mind. Readiness is a statement of fact!”
-- Lt. Gen. David M Shoup, USMC Commandant 1960-1963
"Remember, the day you plant the seed is not the day you earn the fruit."
-- Nicola Cavanis
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intervention ***** ***** *****
Suggestions on how to deal with the incident that you failed to avoid.
Table of sections:
Strategy
Tactics
Techniques
*************************************************************************
----- Strategy -----
Deciding on the end state and how to achieve it,
which tools to use, which tactics to use,
which always includes walking away.
"Never let fear decide your fate." -- Nicola Cavanis
“How do you win a gunfight?
Don't be there.”
-- John Farnam
"You win gunfights by not getting shot."
-- John Holschen
*************************************************************************
----- Tactics -----
Maneuver and fire in support of your strategy.
"Real fights are short."
-- Bruce Lee
"Bring A Gun To A Knife Fight?
In the battle between a firearm and a knife, the gun always wins, right? Right?"
by Steve Tarani
Hat tip to Greg Ellifritz.
Excerpts:
"Myth 2: If an assailant has a knife, I’ll just shoot them
If you’re about 20 yards away from an attacker armed with a knife, and if you’re
mentally switched on (applying good situational awareness), and if you happen
to observe the attacker moving toward you screaming “I’m gonna kill you,” and
if you have the requisite training, and if you have the subconscious reaction
time, and if you have the commensurate shooting-performance level, and if you
do everything right (make no mistakes such as glitching the draw, bad grip,
trigger freeze, misalignment, etc.), and if you are justified, and if you have a
good backstop, and if there are no “no-shoots” in the vicinity and if you make
effective combat round placement, then yes, you may be successful in utilization
of your firearm in self-defense."
[Self-defense for the good guy is orders of magnitude more complicated than
violence for the bad guy. You must understand this, so that you can intelligently
adapt to this disparity, so you can overcome this disparity. -- Jon Low]
---
Using a gun is lethal force. Using a knife is lethal force. So you may as well
use a gun. It has more range.
Mike Waidelich did the research and analysis. Dennis Tueller published the
results in SWAT magazine in 1983. Since Waidelich is dead, I feel the duty to
correct the record whenever I see the lack of his name in print.
"You often don't know where the bad guy is who is shooting at you."
-- Phillip Groff
Lower positions entail less mobility and more stability, hence better accuracy.
Lower positions allow you to change the trajectory of your bullet to avoid hitting
innocent persons. Going to a lower position reduces the probability of you being
seen, because you are below eye level. No, really, it's true. Remember the context
we are operating in; fast moving chaotic situation. And if the enemy doesn't see
you, he won't shoot at you.
"The shorter the fight, the less hurt you get."
-- John Holschen
Kneeling positions:
Supported kneeling position -- Imagine a line from your firing side foot to
the target. Step forward onto this line with your support side foot. Sit on your
firing side ankle with your tail bone against the heel of your boot. This gives you
skeletal structural support. Firing side foot is vertical, toes down, heel up. The
toes of the firing side foot are bent under, with the pads of your firing side toes
against the ground, ready to push off. Support side crus (lower leg) is vertical for
structural support. Move the support side foot forward as needed to lower the
position. The point of the support side elbow (olecranon) is forward of the knee
cap. So, the back of the upper arm is resting against the front of the knee cap. If
you put the point of the elbow on top of the knee, it’s unstable and will wobble
around. The firing side knee is positioned to maximize the area of the triangle
formed by your firing side foot, firing side knee, and support side foot (so swing
your firing side knee out as far as you can). The upper body and arms are in the
same Weaver position as the standing position. Pivot around the ball of your firing
side foot to adjust your natural point of aim. This is the preferred kneeling position,
because it gives your shooting platform the most stability and hence the most accuracy.
“People shoot you because they see you.
They see you because you let them.
Don’t let them see you.”
-- Clint Smith
Two knee position -- Lean backwards and place both knees gently on the ground.
Sit on your ankles. For more height come up off your ankles. From this position
you may lean around cover on your right or left. Make sure your toes are bent under,
so you can push off and move.
"Without discrimination,
you're going to shoot the wrong person really fast."
-- Paul Howe
One knee position -- This position just lowers your body. But it's useful if you
don't have the flexibility to get into the supported kneeling position. Make sure
your toe is bent under, so you can push off and move.
“Fortuitous outcomes reinforce poor tactics.”
-- Chuck Haggard
Squatting -- (This is the fastest position to get into and out of, but requires
flexibility). From your bladed standing position, bend your knees to drop straight
down. (Don’t move your feet.) Keep your feet flat on the ground. (Don’t let your
heels come off the ground.) Rest the back of your support side upper arm against
the front of your kneecap, just as in the supported kneeling position. The upper
body and arms are in the same Weaver position as when standing. Pivot around
the ball of your firing side foot to adjust your natural point of aim.
“When you’re in the dark, stay in the dark;
when you’re in the light, light up the dark.”
-- Stephen P. Wenger
Prone (pronated on your belly) – Present your pistol to the target first. Drop to
your knees. Place support-side hand on the ground in front of you to guide your
descent. Kick your legs out behind you. Get as low to the ground as you can.
Your arms are in the isosceles position. Bend at your elbows if you need to bring
the gun up to your line of sight. Pivot around your support side elbow by moving
your hips to adjust your natural point of aim.
An alternate prone position where the body is angled at about 45 degrees to
the target line. Extend the firing side arm. Rest the head on the firing side
shoulder / upper arm like a pillow. You ever play golf ? or baseball? Interlock your
firing side little finger with your support side index finger. Support side thumb is
pointing up along the grip. Make a fist with the support side hand to elevate the
pistol. Open the support side hand to lower the pistol. You must experiment
because everyone's anatomy is a little different. Yes, you will be able to sleep in
this position while keeping your pistol on target.
“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.)
Lateral decubitus (lying on your side) aka urban prone – for shooting around
a corner or under a car. Present your pistol to the target first. Drop to your knees.
Use your support side hand to guide you to the ground. Your isosceles standing
position has been rotated 90 degrees (roll, not pitch or yaw), so now you are lying
on your shoulder. Your sights will be sideways, as is the rest of your body. Don’t
try to get the sights vertical. At pistol distances, the sideways sights won’t make
any difference. Spread your legs for stability. Pivot around the shoulder that is on
the ground to change your natural point of aim.
"Be stronger than your strongest excuse."
-- Nicola Cavanis
Supine (supinated on your back) – One foot back, tuck your chin to avoid
hitting the back of your head on the ground, sit, and roll onto your back.
Perform a bicycling motion with your legs to keep the enemy at bay.
Lay legs flat on the ground, turn your feet to get your toes close to the ground
so you don't shoot your toes. Present to the target without muzzling your legs,
and fire.
While on your back, with a dummy gun, engage targets in the hemisphere
above you, while maintaining sight alignment and sight movie.
Sit up, fire. (If you can't do a sit up, start practicing your sit ups a month
before the course so you can do this.) Stand up, fire. (If you can't stand up from a
sitting position on the ground, start practicing your squat thrusts a month before the
course. You can do this.)
‟Fear is an instinct. Courage is a choice.”
-- Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, U.S. Navy
Using a curb as cover – Present your pistol to the target first. Lie flat on your back
on the street using the curb as cover. Turn your feet to get your toes down, so they
are behind the curb. Shoot over the curb to your right using a left-handed Weaver
position. Shoot over the curb to your left using a right-handed Weaver position.
Pull your head up as necessary to get your aiming eye behind the sights.
"Having a gun is important.
But knowing WHEN to use it is even more important."
-- Greg Ellifritz
Fight your way up. Starting with your pistol in your holster in the lower
position, draw and fight / shoot your way to a standing position, and then move
to cover.
"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 was last time you practiced your in-holster weapon retention skills?
Have you taken a class to learn such techniques?
*************************************************************************
Sarah should be Pope.
*************************************************************************
----- Techniques -----
Ways to execute a given task in support of your tactics,
especially when disabled or under stress.
"Ineffective and potentially dangerous, point shooting should be avoided at all costs
and aimed fire employed in any lethal-force scenario."
-- Massad Ayoob
"The Real Threat Isn't What They're Holding" by Tim Larkin
The threat is the brain, not the gun.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
"Pressure is applied from the pinkies. That's right; you want to generate
a lot of power from these little-used digits, so start working now to perfect
this. It is harder than you think."
-- Jeff Gonzales
[This is because the pinkies are farthest away from the fulcrum where the
pistol pivots, so they have the longest lever arm, so they have the most leverage
to mitigate muzzle flip. It's just physics.
There are internet gurus who teach that the pinkies don't matter. There are
gun store clerks who have told my students that the pinkies don't matter.
Teaching is hard because most persons are not blank slates. They are slates
covered with graffiti. And so must be disabused of their false notions.
-- Jon Low]
"Much of what you know is false."
-- Claude Werner
"Grip first, then press."
-- Mike Seeklander
". . . the next step is muscle recruitment. The goal of this concept is to recruit and
employ as many muscles as possible. The firearm should become an extension of
your body. By recruiting muscles, you create a rigid shooting platform. It doesn't
take much, and those with good body awareness [kinesthetic awareness] will gain the
most from this concept. If you start from the firearm and work backward, this will
mean a crushing grip, leading to flexed arms, leading to retracted shoulders, leading
to engaged back, and ending with a solid core. I know it seems like a lot, but if you
work on it constantly, it becomes much easier and eventually habit."
-- Jeff Gonzales
[There are those for whom this is obvious and automatic. "How else would one
do it?" Other's need a coach to explain and give / show examples. You are some
where on this spectrum. Be patient with yourself. God made you perfectly.
-- Jon Low]
"Use only that which works,
and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee
". . . You need to create a hard break from what you were just doing [shooting
to protect your loved ones] to what you want to do at the moment. A hard break
is a period where you transition from shooting to NOT shooting. The first thing
you need to do is assess the situation."
-- Jeff Gonzales
"Denn jedes Mal, wenn was geht, ist Platz für Neues.
Und wenn es gestern nicht sein soll, dann klappt es heut 🦋"
-- Nicola Cavanis
There are many techniques for doing any given task.
Search and experiment until you find one that works for you.
⬣ No, you don't need to aim at the target. No, you don't need to take the slack
out of the trigger. No, you don't need to fire. Those are all actions based on
decisions that you make based on what you see. To automatically shoot as part of
your presentation from the holster to the target is WRONG! If you practice
shooting on every presentation, engraining that behavior, striving to achieve
a subsecond first shot, you will be shooting faster than you can think. You need time
to abort the shot when you recognize the silhouette is your teenager sneaking back
into your house in the middle of the night. Oh yes, lots of documented cases.
Tragic.
"The foundations of your grip are established
before you even draw the pistol from the holster."
-- Tanner Denton
Details are very important.
Presentation from the holster to the target –
1. Clearing.
Clearing the concealment garment. Grab the concealment garment with both hands
at the firing side hip. Pull the garment out away from your body (so you don’t catch
the handle of the pistol as you pull up, another good reason to adjust the holster to
cant the pistol grip forward) and pull the garment up into your arm pit.
The support-side hand holds the concealment garment up and out of the way.
2. Grip.
Firing-side hand establishes a high tight grip on the pistol with the trigger finger in
the register position. The high tight grip must be established before the pistol is
withdrawn from the holster, otherwise you will eventually lose control of the pistol
in a high stress situation; maybe even dropping it on the ground. (Oh, ya, I've seen
it happen in matches.)
3. Pull.
Yank the pistol out of the holster. The muzzle must completely clear the holster.
(If you don't clear your holster, when you rotate to point your pistol at the target,
the holster will twist your pistol out of your hand. Yes, inadequate training and
insufficient practice cause all kinds of problems in combat.) The support-side
hand is holding the concealment garment out of the way. (This also ensures you
don't shoot your support-side hand. You think I'm joking, but it happens all the
time.) In a high stress situation, easy things become difficult and difficult things
become impossible. Therefore, you must practice yanking hard and completely
clearing the holster until it is easy. Keep the pistol in close to your body, touching
your body. The pistol slides up along the side of your body. (That ensures you
are never pointing your pistol at yourself.)
4. Rotate.
Close contact position. Pull your firing side elbow as far back as you can.
Point the pistol at the center of mass of the target (or down into the pelvic region
so that you bullet is going down, in case the bullet passes through). You may need
to fire from this position. If there is a thumb safety on your pistol, thumb the safety off.
Keep your firing-side hand or the bottom of the grip pressed tightly against your rib cage.
Tilt the top of the pistol away from your body to prevent the hammer or slide from
snagging your clothes when you fire from close contact. The support-side hand is
still holding your concealment garment. If you don’t hang onto your concealment
garment with your support-side hand, the support-side hand will end up in front of
your body and you may shoot your support side hand. I know this sounds stupid,
but it’s true. [If your body proportions are such that you fear shooting your breast
from the close contact position, rotate (yaw) your body so that your chest is facing
the target and tilt the pistol further out away from your body. But keep the bottom
of the grip pressed firmly against your rib cage. (Or use a pistol with a longer barrel.
So, the muzzle is out in front of your breast. Or move the pistol forward so the
muzzle is in front of your breast.)]
5. Join.
Establish a correct two-handed grip in the close contact position with both of your
forearms tight against your rib cage. (If your breasts are getting in the way, press
your forearms tight against your breasts.) Keep the pistol pointed at the center of
mass of the target. You may have to shoot from this position. You must establish
the proper two-handed grip before pushing the
pistol out to aim. Otherwise, it will be easy for the enemy to disarm you.
6. Extend.
Push your pistol straight to the target. Your eye will be able to pick up the sights
before your firing side arm is fully extended. Bend your knees slightly, lean forward
from the hips, keep your back straight, weight on your toes and balls of your feet.
Close your non-aiming eye to eliminate double images. Align your sights on the
target. Take the slack out of the trigger. Keep your head erect and your shoulders
down and relaxed. Practice in the mirror. (You will see your goofy awkward
position and will automatically correct yourself. Instructors can always tell when
their students have neglected to practice in the mirror.)
You’re not scooping with a shovel. You’re not fly casting. That may look
cool in the movies, but it’s inefficient. From the close contact position, push
your pistol straight to the target and your line of sight.
"Why are the little things called little things?
They are everything."
-- Nicola Cavanis
As you can see the presentation from holster to target has a lot of "little things" that
you must do correctly to avoid shooting yourself, dropping your pistol, or missing
your target (which means hitting things other than your target).
“What’s the number one reason for reloading?
Missing the target!”
-- Claude Werner
“Slow is smooth. Smooth is efficient. Efficient is fast.”
Slow is smooth, because you can control what you're doing.
Smooth is efficient, because controlling what you are doing removes
inefficiencies.
"It's not daily increase but daily decrease - hack away at the inessentials!"
-- Bruce Lee
Efficient is fast, because there is no wasted motion.
Fast is good, because whoever hits first usually wins. Which is not the
same as who shoots first. [Missing has no affect on your enemy; and might
be destroying property, injuring innocent bystanders, and maybe killing them.]
"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
Some instructors teach, as the first step in the presentation,
Step to the side and yell "STOP!". Moving reduces the probability of you getting
hit by about 40%. (Citation – Police Officer’s Safety Association lecture)
Yelling, STOP! attracts attention, which you want, and the bad guy doesn’t want.
If you don't practice yelling, “STOP”, who knows what derogatory nonsense may
come out of your mouth during a high stress situation. (Remember how the Bible
tells us to be careful of our tongues.)
I think this is wrong because:
It complicates the presentation. You must keep things simple, especially in
high stress situations, as combat.
Talking is a high order intellectual activity. Most humans cannot talk and
shoot at the same time. So, shut up and think. As a civilian, if you have gone to
your gun, you are far beyond verbal judo. Your voice will betray your fear,
which will embolden your enemy.
It's hard to hit your target when you're moving. Better to stay still, focus on
the front sight, and smoothly press the trigger for a surprise break.
Stepping to the side assumes that the enemy is aiming at you (to avoid hitting
innocent bystanders). This is a false assumption. Thinking that criminals think
the way you think is a fatal mistake. They will be spraying bullets in your general
direction. So, it doesn't matter if you are here or there. It doesn't change the
probability of you getting hit, because you are not dodging aimed fire. This is
not infantry combat. Thanks to Claude Werner, the Tactical Professor.
If you are fighting trained operators, that's a different situation. In that case,
moving makes sense. The Zetas, Mexican drug cartel, were founded by former
Mexican Special Forces and they continue to recruit from their former units.
The Wagner group recruited from Warsaw Pact Special Forces. Blackwater
recruited from NATO Special Forces. Executive Action recruited from
South African and Rhodesian Special Forces.
"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
Holstering –
1. Safety.
Pull back into close contact with two hands. Look around to make sure everything
is copacetic. The trigger finger is in the register position. If you have a thumb safety,
thumb the safety on and then immediately place your thumb on top of the safety in
preparation to thumb the safety off. If you have a decocker, decock your pistol.
2. Chest.
Support-side hand clears the concealment garment. If you don’t intentionally do
something with your support-side hand, you risk muzzling your support-side hand.
If you muzzle your support-side hand, you risk shooting your support-side hand.
I know that sounds crazy, but it happens all the time.
3. Holster.
Watch what you are doing. Carefully and gently, while keeping your thumb in contact
with your body (to avoid pointing your pistol at your body), rotate the muzzle down
and insert the pistol into your holster, while maintaining your high tight grip with
your trigger finger in the register position away from the frame of the pistol (So, that
the trigger finger ends up in the register position outside of the holster.)
(As long as you keep your thumb in contact with your body, you won’t be pointing
the pistol into your body.)
You don't have to look around while you are holstering. You wouldn't be holstering
in the first place if it were not safe to do so.
Dave Spaulding teaches bring the pistol down to the holster while still pointing it
forward, dragging the dust cover over the top of the holster, and rotate the muzzle into
the holster. This allows you to holster without looking at the holster. Try it. See if it
works for you.
If something doesn't feel right, STOP! Bring the pistol back to the close contact
position, clear the obstruction (with your support side hand), and try again.
Only when the pistol is completely in the holster will you release your high tight
grip. If you release your grip before the pistol is completely in your holster, you will
eventually drop the pistol. (I know some people teach that you should holster while
continuing to look around. You would not be holstering in the first place if there were
still a threat. Holstering is statistically the most dangerous operation in your manual
of arms. This is where people most often shoot themselves. So, you must watch
what you're doing. And do it carefully and gently.)
4. Sweep.
Sweep your hand between the pistol grip and your body to ensure that your blouse or
draw string from your jacket is not caught in your holster. (Thanks to Steve Cooper
of Paladin Training, Florence, SC.)
5. Dial 911.
Dial 911 to report the incident. Tuck the arm of your phone hand against your chest,
brace the forearm of your dialing hand against your chest, then dial. Because you
might be shaking uncontrollably, and otherwise may not be able to dial.
(Thanks to Marc MacYoung, "In The Name Of Self-Defense".)
"When in close quarters, edged weapons have many advantages. They don't over
penetrate, malfunction, or compromise your field-of-fire."
-- Jeff Gonzales
*************************************************************************
Air Force / RTX
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** 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.
“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
In the right hand column of this web page, click on "Never Talk To The Police"
or use the address,
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
---
You need to choose an insurance company that actually pays claims. Some don't.
Do your research, ask around. Most in the community know the insurance
companies that deny claims.
Do you know why the CEO of United Healthcare was assassinated? Because
United Healthcare automatically denied ⅓ of all claims (Kim Komando said
so on her radio show. She did the research for you.). That means that all those
persons had to sue United Healthcare to get the money to pay for their medical
care. United Healthcare always won the law suits, because the patients would
die before the case was settled (such cases take years, sometimes decades), and
the judge would rule the case moot. Dead persons don't need money for medical
procedures. The estates of dead persons are not entitled to money for medical
procedures.
When bad persons do bad within the law, what are the people to do? Pray to
God for justice. When all the angels are busy, God uses humans. Everything
that is done is God's will. The fact that it was done, means it must have been
God's will. That is Christian theology.
If you want to avoid the pain and suffering, choose an insurance company
that actually pays their claims. It's not hard to figure out, just ask around.
“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
*************************************************************************
----- Medical -----
"If you prepare for the emergency,
the emergency ceases to exist!"
-- Sherman House
2 day TECC (Tactical Emergency Casualty Care) Course.
June 20-21, 2025
Longhollow Church
Hendersonville, TN
Course will run from approximately 8 AM to 5 PM both days and
you must attend both full days.
You will leave the course with a 4 year certification through the NAEMT.
The link to register is:
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Best,
Tracey Mendenhall | VP of Operations
(Life Saving Ninja)
DEFEND SYSTEMS
(615) 480-7758
If you can't make the above class, you can check below for the next class.
Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course - NAEMT Certified, $495.00
“Your character is what you do when no one is looking.”
-- Thomas Jefferson
*************************************************************************
----- Survival -----
"Survival is a mindset, not a skill set."
-- Greg Shaffer
"Survival is not based solely on technique. Survivability may hinge on the use
of the correct technique appropriate to the environment you are fighting in.
Oh, and yes, marksmanship is always valuable."
-- Clint Smith
"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
"Explaining My Expert Report From A Real Case (Arizona v Elliott)"
Expert report,
$16,500 for the expert witness.
"Do Armed Civilians Stop Active Shooters More Effectively Than Uniformed Police?"
by John R. Lott, Jr. and Carl E. Moody
Open paper in browser,
"Concealed Carry for Women"
Hat tip to Claude Werner.
Active Self Protection
"My Gun Culture" by Tom McHale
Quips, John Farnam
Active Response Training, Greg Ellifritz
The Tactical Professor, Claude Werner
Rangemaster Newsletter, Tom Givens
https://rangemaster.com/newsletter/
MAY 2025 NEWSLETTER
American Handgunner Magazine
Tactical Science
International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors
Alien Gear blog
Shooting Classes Blog
"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
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit just heard arguments in Kipke v. Moore.,
and by all appearances, the pro-Second Amendment side walked in with solid footing—
and walked out with momentum.
"Maryland’s Gun-Free Zones Getting Roasted in Federal Court ~
2A Victory May Be Coming ~ VIDEO" by F Riehl
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Excerpt:
". . . you must look to 1791—the year the Second Amendment was adopted — to find
any valid historical analogs. And in 1791, the only commonly recognized sensitive places
were those where the government provided comprehensive, armed security:
courthouses (with armed bailiffs), legislative buildings (with sergeants-at-arms), and
polling places (guarded by sheriffs). That’s it. So unless the government is actually
doing the protecting, they can’t take away your right to protect yourself.
The brilliance of this argument is its simplicity: calling something a “sensitive place”
isn’t enough. The government must treat it like one — meaning metal detectors,
armed guards, and secured entry. Otherwise, the Constitution wins."
"Chief Justice John Roberts Just Got Hit with His Worst Nightmare -
This is a Gamechanger" by Explain America
Hawaii Declares War On Gun Owners!
Guns & Gadgets 2nd Amendment News
"Ex-Officers WALK FREE In Tyre Nichols DEATH?"
by The Officer Tatum
This is important to understand.
“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
*************************************************************************
Because Blogger.com won't let me post the picture in my blog.
*************************************************************************
----- Instruction -----
"Remember,
the students who require the extra effort
are the ones who need us the most!"
-- John Farnam
----- Instructors -----
“The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other.
Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.”
-- Robert John Meehan
"Thoughts On The Effective Police Firearms Instructor Part 2"
by John Hearne
Colonel Robert Lindsey to his fellow trainers:
"We are not God's gift to our students.
Our students are God's gift to us."
"THE TRUTH ABOUT WHY INTELLECTUALS
ARE OBSESSED WITH SOCIALISM - Here's Why"
by Thomas Sowell
All of us, firearms / self-defense instructors,
need to be careful to stay within our lanes.
Don't confuse your expertise in one field with expertise in a different field.
If you happen to have expertise in another field,
by all means use it to enhance your teaching.
"Every time I teach a class,
I discover I don't know something."
-- Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch
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
"You must teach skill sustainment as part of training."
-- John Hearne
"You don't have to memorize formulae.
Because you can always derive them from first principles."
-- Sven Hartman
---
So teach principles, not formulae. -- Jon Low
"Thinking is the hardest thing a person can do.
That's why so few people do it."
-- Henry Ford
"The limited time you spend with students may be the only training they ever receive!"
-- John Farnam
“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
-- Richard Henry Dana
“The student’s purpose is to expand their body of knowledge and social network.
The instructor’s purpose is to help the student achieve the student’s goals.”
-- Amy Schwartz
----- Students -----
"Failure is an indication that someone tried to do something."
-- Ingersoll
"Growth is uncomfortable because you've never been there before."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"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
"Try.
Try again.
Try once more.
Try differently.
Try again tomorrow.
Try and ask for help.
Try find someone who's done it.
Try to fix the problem.
Keep trying until you succeed."
-- Nicola Cavanis
----- Andragogy -----
‟An instructor should not expect any learning to
take place the first time new information is presented.”
-- ‶Building Shooters″ by Dustin Salomon
"It's better to be wrong than to be vague."
-- Freeman Dyson
*************************************************************************
Ene Kallas
Selfie in a mirror. (Do you recognize the venue?)
*************************************************************************
----- Gear -----
And the safe storage thereof.
“Mission drives the gear train.”
-- Pat Rogers
Ted and Martine de Loach sell targets at
I highly recommend. They also have a bunch of drills free for the download.
"The last 150 years!" by John Farnam
"Traveling With Firearms" by Ernest Langdon
"A simple suggestion: when you replace your smoke detector batteries, rotate,
and replace your defensive ammunition." -- Jeff Gonzales
"Some [secure storage devices] come with interior lighting options as well.
While I initially thought this was a good idea, the light gave away my position
and compromised my night vision when I deployed the firearm in the darkness."
-- Jeff Gonzales
"Are Competition Triggers For Self-Defense A Good Idea?" by Patrick Sweeney
Excerpt:
"Despite giving them a heads-up, there would be unintentional discharges from
the trigger-pull disparity."
[All of your combat firearms should have the same trigger weight, same slack, etc.
-- Jon Low]
"How To Test & Evaluate Defensive Pistols" by Richard A. Mann
Things to test for: reliability, zero, and precision.
". . . you need to test and verify those things with your carry ammo."
If you put your empty magazines in your ammunition can with all your loose
ammunition, your magazines will always be on top of your ammo, because the
magazines are much less dense than your ammo and so will be bouyant and float
to the top. But, if you put your fully charged magazines in your ammo can and
drive around, you won't be able to find your magazines because they will sink
under your loose ammo, because your fully charged magazines are less bouyant
than your ammo. You'll wonder how you lost your magazines.
Density ain't the same as bouyancy. Steel is denser than salt water, but steel
ships float in the seas and oceans.
"Officers Shoot Knife-Wielding Suspect After He Throws Wine Bottles At Them"
by PoliceActivity
The point is, in the real world, Tasers don't work.
"New 320 Angle Just Dropped" by Protraband
⚠️ Safety Advisory:
Immediate Prohibition of the Sig Sauer P320 for Church Safety Teams
by Keith Graves
There is a link to download the primary source report.
“Your car is not a holster.”
-- Pat Rogers
*************************************************************************
When there is pressure to conform — to declare that we are worms —
there is one person in 10 who is brave enough to say, “I am not a worm.
I will not kneel. I will not fly the swastika flag.” In all times and
places, that person is the hope of the future.
-- Dinesh D'Souza
Jun 28, 2020
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Cryptology ***** ***** *****
Cryptosystems are considered "arms" by federal law, ITAR,
International Traffic in Arms Regulations. That means cryptosystems are
protected 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, to include sharing cryptosystems with
others.
"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
Random number generator -- Start a timer, stop the timer, record the 1000ths
of a second digit; repeat. Do not look at the timer unless recording.
Is this random? Pseudo-random? What statistics would it fail?
"Never memorize anything. Rather, study it until it becomes obvious."
-- Norman Christ
"Demystifying Gödel's Theorem: What It Actually Says" by Curt Jaimungal
Well actually, Curt does demonstrate the idiocy of many popular "scientists".
A lot of the stuff on the internet is wrong.
Those who think they know everything, irritate those of us who do.
(I hope that made you giggle.)
"Computer science has nothing to do with computers or science."
-- Donald Knuth
"The Genius Way Computers Generate Big Prime Numbers"
by PurpleMind
---
From "The Surprise Attack In Mathematical Problems" by L. A. Graham --
"How can you find in quickest fashion [minimum operations] one thousand
consecutive integers, none of which is a prime number?"
Take the 1000 numbers starting with 1001! + 2 and ending with 1001! + 1001.
Another solution --
Multiply all prime numbers between 2 and 1001; call this number N. The thousand
consecutive numbers are then
N - 1001, N - 1000, . . . , N - 4, N - 3, N - 2. Also,
N + 2, N + 3, . . . , N + 1001.
Do you see why?
"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
"Something weird happens in dimension 8" by Aleph Sub Naught
Well, no. A Fourier Transform will take you from a sequence of Real numbers
(time domain) to a sequence of Complex numbers (frequency domain).
[Or, Real numbers (wavelength domain) to Complex numbers (wavenumber domain).
Because any experiment in the real world will only give you a sequence of
Real numbers (a time sequence or a length sequence [amplitude sequence]),
and the Fourier Transform will give you a sequence of reciprocal time (frequency)
or reciprocal length (wavenumber) respectively, plus a phase angle, hence the
need for a Complex number for the result of the transform.] Going from sequences of
n-dimensional Real numbers to sequences of 1-dimensional Real numbers is
not something a Fourier Transform will do. So, the narrator's math is sloppy
to put it politely. Because Fourier Transforms operate on sequences
(of Complex numbers), not functions taking n-dimensional Real numbers as
input that output 1-dimensional Real numbers.
[Ya, he might be talking about the magnitude of the Complex number, which
would be a Real number. But I don't think so.]
Note that the Fourier Transform and the Inverse Fourier Transform are
effectively (as in computer source code or hardware) the same transformation.
So it's very much like an exclusive-or, XOR. (The random bit sequence is
replaced by the Nyquist frequency and the resolution of the transform.)
Information preserving; theoretically and practically. Of course, we are talking
about the Fast Fourier Transform and the Discrete (as opposed to continuous)
Fast Fourier Transform, because our digital computers only operate on discrete
objects. See,
"Numerical Recipes in C: The Art of Scientific Computing"
by Teukolsky, Saul A.
ISBN: 9780521431088
Or, later versions of this book.
Cited papers --
"A Conceptual Breakthrough in Sphere Packing" by Henry Cohn
"The sphere packing problem in dimension 8" by Maryna S. Viazovska
"The sphere packing problem in dimension 24"
by Henry Cohn, Abhinav Kumar, Stephen D. Miller, Danylo Radchenko,
and Maryna Viazovska
Sphere packings give us optimal arrays for our error correcting coding
and our modulations.
"Premature optimization is the root of all evil."
-- Donald Knuth
"You don't need to memorize theorems,
because you can always derive them from first principles."
-- Sven Hartman
"Handbook of Applied Cryptography"
by Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot and Scott A. Vanstone
"Computer Security and the Internet:
Tools and Jewels from Malware to Bitcoin", Second Edition
by Paul C. van Oorschot
ISBN: 978-3-030-83410-4 (hardcopy), 978-3-030-83411-1 (eBook)
"An Introduction to Error Correcting Codes with Applications"
by Scott A. Vanstone , Paul C. Oorschot
Research and Publications (P. Van Oorschot)
Alfred J. Menezes
Scott A. Vanstone
Everything is a file.
Northrop Grumman
“Shockingly enough, if we look at it now, that may not be the answer.”
— Gen. Thomas Bussiere, Air Force Global Strike commander,
responding to the service’s assumption 10 years ago that
it could reuse the silos for the new Sentinel ICBM.
The Air Force revealed it must dig 400 new silos for its
Sentinel ICBM program instead of reusing Minuteman III silos as
initially planned.
***** Signals Intelligence and Ground Electronic Warfare, Cyber Security,
(sometimes Air Electronic Warfare too) *****
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined,
but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain
a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them,
which would include their own government."
--George Washington
"A Different Way Smart Phone Apps Can Track You" by Docent
When the aircraft pilot flies his craft through the atmosphere, he is constantly
adjusting his course, as a car driver would on a road. So he doesn't notice the
change in gravity as he travels.
When the high Earth obit satellites, especially the geosynchronous ones, seem
to be in stable orbits, it is because the approximation that the gravitation source
is a point source at the center of the Earth is good.
The humans controlling the low Earth orbit spy satellites never notice the
instability problem, because they are constantly adjusting the orbits of their
satellites to bring them over their targets.
Your problem, the instability of orbits, only occurs with low Earth orbit
satellites in fixed orbits, because the Earth's gravitation is not uniform
over its surface. The geophysical literature has excellent gravity maps,
which you need to take into your calculations. The GPS solution to the problem
is not going to work for you. You must be especially careful over the Indian Ocean,
as it has a low gravity area.
Sometimes having a geophysics background is helpful.
If you had open sourced your calculations, a geophysicist in your community
would have figured this out years ago for you.
"How To Fix RF Noise Problems In Your Ham Radio Setup"
by KB9VBR Antennas
Breaking Defense has a weekly newsletter, "Networks & Digital Warfare" at
Crypto-Gram by Bruce Schneier
2600
‟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"
*************************************************************************
Nicola Cavanis
Nothing like a happy smile.
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Intelligence ***** ***** *****
"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
In case you don't understand what "battle tested" means.
"Why Mossad Killed Their Own Spy" |
Dalton Fischer interviewing Rick Spence
Full interview,
Who's Who in Defense
"The Best Succinct Explanation I've Seen On The Iberian Power Outage"
by Docent
"Coup in China: Chinese Military Turns Against Xi Jinping!" by Business Basics
"CIA Insiders Reveal Frightening Details Behind Trump Assassination Attempt"
by Kiriakou & Bustamante
Danny Jones Clips
It's not a meritocracy. Quality people don't rise up in the bureaucracy.
It's all about finances and retirement.
"ATF agents discussed new suppressors on site they thought was private"
by TTAG Contributor
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
If you're providing intel to the ATF, you're violating your oath of enlistment.
If your company is doing this, you should get off the project or resign. Yes,
it is that simple.
" Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir
says his country can learn from America's gun laws,
'I was surprised by the quantity and types of weapons available' "
by Rachel Wolf
Hat tip to Stephen P. Wenger.
Also, be cautious about the videos you come across. I just saw one trending on X,
claiming it was filmed in Lahore, Pakistan—but it’s actually an old clip from Israel,
showing Iranian missiles being intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome.
--- Global Recap
"Deep Intel on How Truman Lost ANOTHER Super Hornet"
by Ward Carroll
In case you don't understand drone warfare.
"Good habits and skill beat luck every time."
-- Sheriff Jim Wilson
The Dispatch
"StrategyPage"
"The Merge"
Breaking Defense
Intrigue
1440
29155
Global Recaps
Timber Sycamore
Ground News
*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
***** ***** ***** Religion and Politics ***** ***** *****
"I hate it when I'm trying to eat a salad and
it falls in the trash and I have to eat a taco instead."
-- Nicola Cavanis
"Victor Davis Hanson: The Trump-Iran Deal, Explained" by The Daily Signal
"Sowell EXPOSES Why American Education Is a Global MOCKERY"
by Thomas Sowell
We are the IDF (Israeli Defense Force).
"Why Arab countries ban all Gaza refugees" by Ken LaCorte
"Why Can't Arab Armies Beat the West?" by Ken LaCorte
"A Sergeant in a U.S. military unit has more authority than a Colonel in an
Arab military unit." I [Jon Low] have seen this first hand. It is true.
In the Saudi Arabian National Guard (their regular army), the Warrant Officers
do all the work. Officers don't do anything. (In the U.S. military, enlisted guys
joke about the officers not doing any work, by that they mean, no manual labor.
But, we enlisted, understand that the officers are staying up late at night writing
up the plans and orders for the next day, taking care of logistics, etc.) If we run
out of ammo, water, or food, it's the officer's fault. If we (large unit) get lost,
it's the officer's fault. Not so in the Saudi armed forces.
"Progress comes from failure, critiques, and then problem solving." In Arab
culture, they will pretend the problem doesn't exist. Because to fail is to lose
face. Which is not tolerated.
"Inshalla" means "God willing." or "If God wills it.". [But is used all the time
in normal conversation, and means "Ya right. I'm blowing you off." Of course,
the narrator is more polite and circumspect. Ya, I lived in Riyadh for over a
year. I know what I'm talking about. -- Jon Low]
"The U.S. trainer, teaching Iraqis to shoot their rifles, witnessed the Iraqi
soldiers holding their rifles over their heads and firing (not aiming)." Because
the Iraqis believed that God would make the bullet hit the enemy, if God so
willed it. You think the U.S. trainer was joking, but he wasn't. Never think
other people think the way you do. Because they don't.
"That has such people in it." by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
When people imagine a dystopian future, they typically think of the bleak
techno-dictatorship described in Orwell's "1984". This is not without reason:
many of Orwell's predictions have been uncomfortably prescient. However,
despite its many virtues, the vision of the future contained therein (in my opinion)
suffers from one particularly damning feature with respect to its feasibility,
namely: its sheer overtness. How could the citizens of Oceania not have
seen this coming?
This is why – when it comes to distressing glimpses of a possible future –
I prefer Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World". It is, in fact, my favorite piece
of fiction. Rather than be constrained by surveillance and brutality, the people
in Huxley's dystopia are oppressed by pleasure and convenience. All potential
sources of stress and conflict have been systematically eliminated. In the
absence of money, workers are paid in soma, a kind of perfect drug. In the
absence of marriage, young men and women attend state-sponsored orgies.
There is no envy or jealousy, anger or hatred. People are perfectly adapted
to their stations in life, as genetic and social engineering converge.
After detailing the structure and operation of this world, Huxley then
introduces into its midst a young man named John, a “savage” born outside
of civilization. As he explores his new home, he becomes increasingly
possessed of a sense of nausea and disgust, to the consternation of his
well-meaning caregivers. In the end, John provides the reader with a somber
corroboration of Kurt Vonnegut's unsettling observation:
“a sane person to an insane society must appear insane.”
You can pick up a copy here,
Highly recommended.
This week's behavioral experiment:
Consider the ways in which you do not fit into society.
How do you feel about these aspects of yourself ?
Warmly,
Orion
[I read those books in high school. -- Jon Low]
"The Answer to Moms Demand Action w/ Alexis Wilkins"
by Nick Freitas
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (just like quotas and affirmative action)
kills a lot of people. Don't let it kill you or your loved ones. Resign,
call in sick, do whatever you have to do. It's not worth dying for.
"Tulsi Gabbard Declassifies Biden Administration
“Strategic Implementation Plan for Countering Domestic Terrorism,”
Administration Pushed Censorship, De-banking, and Gun Control for
Non-criminals Viewed as Threats"
"Real Clear Politics:
DNI Releases Secret Biden Plan Raising Serious Civil Liberties Concerns"
by Dr. John Lott
"Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 23 Cases During December 2024"
"Defensive Gun Uses By People Legally Carrying Guns: 31 Cases During January 2025"
In case you don't understand the Democrat party.
In case you don't understand how "journalism" works at the local level.
In case you don't understand Green energy.
In case you don't understand the Woke Awakening.
In case you don't understand border walls.
In case you don't understand abortion.
In case you don't understand capitalism or socialism.
In case you don't understand the deportation of illegal aliens.
In case you didn't understand the
2024 Democrat Presidential Primary Election, or lack thereof.
In case you didn't understand the Biden State Department.
In case you don't understand the difference between Republicans and Democrats.
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."
-- Mary Flannery O'Connor
If saving just one life would make it worth it . . .
Eleven persons shot in Myrtle Beach, SC.
I wonder why there were zero news reports in the lame stream media?
No, I don't.
It's a good thing that Merrick Garland didn't get Senate confirmation to
the U.S. Supreme Court. What a scum bag.
*************************************************************************
Saide Newman
Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog)
*************************************************************************
Psychology
"The appreciation gap: how to stop men from cheating"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Loyalty doesn't make women happy.
"How women make it difficult to love them:
make it easy to get what you want"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
Love languages are bullshit.
"The EMOTIONAL GYM: how this reframe saved my life"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
You have to be an active participant in your own salvation.
"Why MEN end up with TRAIN WRECKS:
understanding your contribution to the problem"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"Wrestling with the angel: you have to fight for your life"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
---
"Your Life is Your life: Go all the way" by Charles Bukowski
"How to MAKE FRIENDS as an ADULT:
the best way to make new friends"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
"Some cold facts about math and gender" by Ken LaCorte
"What women want: the answer to the question"
by Orion Taraban, Psy.D.
*************************************************************************
Megan May Williams
Ouch, broke my wrist.
*************************************************************************
"History teaches us that history teaches us nothing." -- James Bachmann
"The Islamic Conquest of Europe and Why It Was Covered Up" by Raymond Ibrahim
And I thought I was good doing 20 pull ups in boot camp.
Your actions speak so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying.
Dea Matrona - Paranoid (Black Sabbath Cover)
“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
Lanie Gardner - Buzzkill (Official Music Video) [Director’s Cut]
"6 Books You Must Read Before You Die" by Ben Shapiro
1. Anna Karenina
2. The Brothers Karamazov
3. Moby Dick
4. Every Man Dies Alone
5. Life & Fate
6. East of Eden
"Taste Buds" by 1440
Semper Fidelis,
Jonathan D. Low
Email: Jon_Low@yahoo.com
Radio: KI4SDN
