Anyone who has studied the science of self protection for a long time will recognize the name Marc “The Animal” MacYoung. I first started reading MacYoung’s books when I was in high school. Back in the late 1980s, he was one of the few authors who wrote about real life street combat and the psychology […]
Can a Walking Cane be an Effective Weapon?
I’ve taught hundreds of people how to fight with a cane. I genuinely believe that a cane can be an excellent “low profile” weapon in the right hands…assuming the person wielding the cane has a little training or practice. Before I talk about how best to use the cane, let’s take a look at […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 15, 2019
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. CHAIR QUAL:Barricade Skills Using a Folding Chair I did this drill for the first time almost 20 years ago in an NRA patrol rifle instructor class taught by the now-departed Clive Shepherd. I used […]
The Serpa Compendium
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I listened to an excellent podcast yesterday. The episode was from Civilian Carry Radio, discussing an incident where a heroic female security guard stopped an active killer outside of a dance club. The security guard was an Army veteran and had some military firearms training. She also passed her state armed […]
Tactical Training Scenario: Fighting Against a Taser or Stun Gun
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Have you ever thought about what you would do if a criminal threatened you with a Taser? I’ve been seeing criminals use electric shock weapons with increased frequency recently. I did a quick google search and found 20 separate Taser crimes in the last two months. Five years […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 8, 2019
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. One-Handed Shooting and Why You Should Learn How to Do It Efficiently A lot of people don’t put in enough time practicing single hand shooting drills. Fix that. How to Spot Cheap […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 1, 2019
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. International Travel’s Biggest Risks I discuss this issue at length in my upcoming third-world travel safety book. If you die overseas, it won’t be from a terrorist bullet or an infectious disease. It will […]
Tactical Training Scenario- Violent Car Jacking Attempt
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I was scanning my online news feeds yesterday and found this interesting account of an attempted carjacking. Read about it at the following link: Cowardly carjacker brutally punches woman, 62, knocking out several teeth It was almost one a.m. when a 62-year old woman parked her car in her […]
Don’t Dig the Rig #20
Written by Greg Ellifritz Concealed Nation has a regular feature on its website called #DIGTHERIG. It consists of reader submitted photos about their individual chosen concealed carry weapon and holster choices. A huge variety of guns and holsters are featured. Real people carry each of these gun and holster combinations. Unfortunately, some of […]
The New FBI Qualification Course
Written by: Greg Ellifritz In 2014, the FBI made a historic change in their qualification course by making the qualification stages more similar to the types of threats that agents face. I detailed the change and described the utility of the qualification course in this article. My friend Tom Givens (who has trained […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 22, 2019
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Flock protection or personal protection? A critically important distinction to make. Shooting With One Eye or Two Eyes Open: Which is Correct? Good advice here: “Do what is necessary to achieve the desired […]
Dangerous Inanimate Objects?
This is a guest post from my friend and well known mass killing researcher Ron Borsh. Ron has some thoughts about the demonizing of inanimate objects following several high profile killings and the insidious purpose that such demonizing actually serves. Some of you will enjoy this one. -Greg DANGEROUS INANIMATE OBJECTS? Copyright […]
Cartels, Drugs, and Human Trafficking in a Vacation Paradise
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I spent part of last week vacationing in Mexico. I know some of you are shaking your head and saying you would never visit such a location because of the high level of cartel violence. That tells me that you haven’t been there. While there are certainly some places in […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 15, 2019
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Red Dot Sights versus Scopes [LPVO] Chris and John provide some perspective on which optic type is optimal for defensive use. I’ve gone to a LPVO on my work rifle and am glad I […]
The Asian Bistro Active Killer Attack
Written by: Greg Ellifritz On Tuesday, a man shot up a restaurant in San Diego. He fired through the windows from outside the restaurant. Although he fired approximately 20 rounds out of an AR-15 rifle, miraculously none of the nine restaurant patrons were hit. The gun was recovered and the suspect was arrested a […]
A Study in Situational Awareness and Preparation Failures
Written by Greg Ellifritz A Massachusetts woman was stabbed and her young child was briefly held hostage by a knife-wielding criminal outside of a grocery store. The entire incident was caught on surveillance video. Before reading any further, click on the link below and watch the short video. This crime was tragic, but […]
The “Bag of Doom”
Written by Greg Ellifritz I’ve heard people refer to a “Bug Out Bag”. I’ve even heard of a “Get Home Bag”. I’ve written about both HERE and HERE. I thought I knew my bags. So I was surprised when reading a SWAT magazine article by Pat Rogers and learned that there was […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 8, 2019
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. 9 Lifesaving Self Defense Tips From Pat McNamara Pat Mac’s advice for staying alive. Shooter’s Tips: Learning the Red Dot I am not a red dot pistol shooter and claim absolutely zero […]
Marcus Wynne’s “Accelerated Learning” Pistol Shooting Drill
Written by: Greg Ellifritz My friend Marcus Wynne has recently decided to carry a brace of revolvers for self protection instead of a single large autopistol. In some recent emails he explained the drill he created for optimal practice of the skills needed to successfully defend yourself with a snub-nosed revolver. Here are Marcus’ […]
Your Tactical Training Scenario- Shot Through the Door
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last week, I was reading some of the court documents regarding the Jayme Closs kidnapping. If you are unfamiliar with what happened, a man saw 13-year old Jayme Closs getting off the school bus one day. He decided that he had to have this girl. Later that night, he appeared […]