After spending a couple days in Guayaquil, I was off to a little hippie surf town called Montañita where I was going to spend the majority of my vacation. I had originally planned on going by bus. Long haul Latin American buses are usually fairly comfortable and the bus fares are really cheap. The […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 20, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. What Just Happened? A valuable perspective on Afghanistan from a man who spent two decades of his life fighting in the area. Common Problems & Solutions with AR-15 Barrels A lot of […]
Back from Ecuador- Part One (Guayaquil)
I recently returned from a 16-day trip to Ecuador. As most of you reading this will probably never make it to this gorgeous country, I thought I’d write about some of my travel adventures there. Why Ecuador? I had originally planned a trip to Rwanda and Uganda to see the mountain gorillas in […]
Class Announcement: “Operation Alamo”
I’m happy to announce a collaboration with Lone Star Medics to teach a unique class in the Dallas, Texas on October 2-3, 2021. Operation: “ALAMO” course description When we began talking about a collaboration, we looked at what was happening in the world. – The pandemic was raging, and people didn’t want […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 13, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. PARTICIPATION VS. OBSERVATION IN SEMINARS I think Hock gets this one exactly right. I often feel like I’m wasting my time if I’m watching other students fight one on one in a class. I’ll […]
Free Books- Part 233
Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website. You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day. These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]
“The Snubby Lifestyle”
*This is a guest post from my friend Darryl Bolke. Darryl is a retired big city cop from California who was involved in multiple shootings on the job. He continues to work armed security gigs and teach classes in Texas. He has a very unique perspective on the shooting/training industry. When I saw his post, […]
Traditional Double Action Autopistols for CCW Carry
Written by: Greg Ellifritz There has been a relatively recent resurgence of interest in the defensive use of Traditional Double Action (Also called TDA or Double-Single) autopistols for defensive purposes. I think this resurgence is being driven by two primary factors: 1) The development of lighter, shorter double action triggers. Guns like the […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 6, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Trigger Reset Simplified : 3 (or More) Reasons Why Everything You Know About it is Probably Wrong A sensible look at trigger management. I was taught to pin the trigger and then “catch the […]
Teaching Tip: Avoid “Pseudoteaching”
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Daniel Coyle wrote a great book called The Talent Code. In it he describes the best practice, motivation, and coaching techniques to achieve greatness. I highly recommend the book for students of any endeavor. When the book came out a few years ago, Mr. Coyle was writing some […]
Assassinating Innocents
*This is a guest contribution from my friend Ron Borsch. You’ve seen his writings on my page in the past. Ron is a retired police trainer and one of the foremost worldwide authorities in the field of active killer attacks. He draws an important distinction in this piece. Look for a companion article from me […]
Should Police Officers Carry Fixed Blade Knives?
Written by: Greg Ellifritz The next time you see a police officer, take a look at the pockets in his or her pants. It’s likely you’ll notice the majority of them have a folding knife clipped there. But what about fixed blade knives? There’s a good chance you won’t see anyone carrying a […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- July 30, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Worst Case Scenario: How To Survive A Riot Kevin interviews Michael Bane, Erin Smith, and I about riots survival strategies. Staying Healthy in the Fray: The Impact of Crowd Management on Officers […]
Surviving a Movie Theater Shooting
Written by: Greg Ellifritz It hasn’t been long since movie theaters re-opened after being closed for nearly a year during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Predictably, shortly after re-opening we’ve seen our first movie theater shooting. On Monday night, a suspect shot two people in the head during a screening of, wait […]
Free Books- Part 232
Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website. You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day. These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]
Upcoming Ohio Classes
I just booked some short notice classes that will be running in a little less than a month. I think there is probably enough local demand to fill them quickly. I’m teaching “Impact Weapons for Personal Protection” and “Extreme Close Quarters Gunfighting” at James and Korey Cocking’s private range and training facility in Brookville, […]
Shooting Drill- Viking Tactics Rifle/Handgun Transition Drill
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Viking Tactics owner Kyle Lamb has a very fast paced rifle/handgun transition drill you should be trying if you have a range that allows for forward movement towards the target. The drill covers strong and weak shoulder rifle shooting, sling transitions, and pistol transitions in a very short time frame. You’ll […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- July 23, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Dealing with Challenges in Rainy Weather Part One Four well-known firearms instructors weigh in about the effect rain has on a training class. MA Officers Used LRAD to End Standoff with Rise of […]
“Requiem for an Unsung Hero”
*Last week I was talking to my old friend Andy Stanford on the phone. For those of you new to the shooting game, Andy was a pioneering instructor in the 1990s and 2000s. He focused a lot of his classes on handgun skills and operating in a low light environment. Back in the days […]
Guns vs. The Environment
Written by Greg Ellifritz Here’s the short version of the article: the environment wins. A few years ago, I had serious stomach surgery and couldn’t carry my normal carry guns during my recovery. I had seven incisions in my belly and the biggest one was directly behind my normally appendix carry G-19. There […]