Last weekend I taught a few classes at the annual Rangemaster Tactical Conference . It’s one of my favorite training events. This was my 9th year teaching there. I taught two sessions of my new lecture class “Safe Travels in Dangerous Places.” I also taught a beginner’s live fire class covering pistol retention shooting. I […]
Teaching Tips- Process Before Product
Written by: Greg Ellifritz It’s common that instructors will occasionally have frustrated students who “aren’t getting it.” The students may actually even be proceeding at a normal rate, but feel bad because other students are performing better. Most instructors find it’s hard to help a student in this situation. The student’s frustration creates a continuing […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- April 2, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Why “Gray” Is the New Black: Assessing Baseline and Blending In Daisy discusses why it’s important to blend in and how to achieve the “gray man” look. Chumming For Monsters Michael Bane […]
Free Books- Part 224
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 […]
Shooting Drill: The Cloverleaf
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I first shot this drill in a speed shooting class I took with Rob Leatham. Rob thought it was a fun drill and a very good test of trigger control. I agree. It’s one of my favorite drills to shoot, being both fun and frustrating at the same time. Master […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 26, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Molotov Cocktail 101: How They’re Made & How to Defend Against Them Some strategies for dealing with Molotov Cocktails. Dry Practice on the Road Claude Werner’s tips for conducting dry fire practice while […]
Why the Hammer Pair?
This is a guest post from my friend Darryl Bolke. Darryl is currently writing a book about the history of formal firearms training throughout the 20th century. I’m very excited to read his book when he gets it on the market. Until then, follow Darryl’s writing at DB’s Shooting Adventures on Facebook. -Greg […]
Your Tactical Training Scenario- “I’m going to kill anyone who breaks into my house”
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Read the first article on this page. Imagine a similar scenario. You hear noises in your house at night. Upon investigation, you find a man you don’t know sleeping on your couch. What do you do? The homeowner in this story shot the intruder. No doubt many of […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 19, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. If You Go to Guns You Failed “If you go to guns you failed” means that you failed multiple opportunities to take preventive measures in ensuring your personal security and that of those who […]
Happy Nine Year Blog-iversary
Written by Greg Ellifritz This week marks the completion of nine full years of blogging about self defense, firearms, and personal safety topics. I started this website on March 18, 2012 and have posted 2071 total articles since then. The average novel is somewhere around 100,000 words. In the last nine years I’ve […]
The Psychology of Previous Investment
Written by Greg Ellifritz I was recently listening to a podcast where the host was interviewing noted author and speaker James Howard Kunstler. Mr. Kunstler is well known in the fields of permaculture, architecture, and sustainable living. He has written several excellent books, with The Long Emergency and World Made By Hand likely […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 12, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Chauvin Trial Attorney Andrew Branca is providing legal analysis on the Chauvin trial in Minnesota. His summary of the first day’s proceedings is very thorough and insightful. I think a lot of you might […]
Free Books- Part 223
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 […]
My Favorite Inside-the-Waistband Holsters
Written by Greg Ellifritz I get a lot of questions about holsters. It seems that a lot of folks wants to know what holsters I wear and which holsters I consider “best.” Most folks who have been carrying for awhile will gravitate towards the inside-the- waistband (IWB) holster for optimal comfort and concealment. […]
Cross Draw Holsters
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Recently, a couple of readers asked my opinion of cross draw holsters for carrying a small defensive revolver on the belt. The readers noted that this style of carry is comfortable and very easy to access from a seated position in a vehicle. Those are certainly worthy attributes of the cross […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 5, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Sometimes You Gotta Think Outside The Box Students in my classes regularly ask me about the viability of tossing a wallet or car keys in the direction of the attacker and running away. Here’s an […]
PHLster Enigma Holster Chassis System
Written by: Greg Ellifritz In 2016, I was teaching a close quarters gunfighting class in Virginia. One of my students showed up wearing a Runcible Works belly band. It performed admirably during the class and I wrote up the details in my post A Couple Gun and Gear Comments. Soon thereafter, Runcible Works […]
The Role of the Semi-Automatic .22 Long Rifle Carbine for Home Defense
This is a guest post from my friend Steve Moses, owner of Palisade Training Group. I’ve taken several of Steve’s classes at the Rangemaster Conferences we’ve both taught at over the years. Steve is a very thoughtful and competent instructor and I recommend his material highly. If you are down in Texas, check out some of […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 26, 2021
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. How to improve your situational awareness with natural threat detection mechanisms A situational awareness primer. For more information, check out PREPARATION: THE BEST COMPLEMENT TO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. Robbers Lose To Officer With […]
Free Books- Part 222
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 […]