Written by Greg Ellifritz Read the article linked below. Taxpayer funds earmarked for Punta Gorda police chief’s defense Insane. The Florida Police Chiefs Association made the comment below after a police chief was criminally charged following an incident where a community member was negligently killed by one of the chief’s officers. […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 24, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Shooting Under Pressure: Lifesaving Tips for Surviving a Gunfight Massad Ayoob discusses some lessons learned from stress inoculation during training. I second his recommendation of the book Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights. Jim Cirillo was […]
The “Freeze” Response
Written By Greg Ellifritz Last weekend I presented a block of instruction at the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. When I wasn’t teaching, I tried to attend as many classes as I could. In many classes, the topic of fear and “freezing” came up. I saw a couple of “freeze” moments while observing the force […]
Happy Five-Year Blog-iversary!
Written by Greg Ellifritz Today marks the completion of five full years of blogging about self defense, firearms, and personal safety topics. I started this website on March 18, 2012 and have posted nearly 1100 total articles since then. Over the course of the last five years, the website has seen more than […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 17, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Armed at Home: Strategic Realities Everyone who owns a firearm should read this interview with Massad Ayoob. Bad things can happen when you answer the door with a gun in your hand. […]
Police Training Tragedy
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Did you read about last year’s negligent shooting in Florida where a police officer shot and killed a member of his community during a training demonstration? According to THIS ARTICLE here’s how it happened: “There is no evidence that Officer Coel intended to use lethal ammunition while participating in […]
Back from Iceland!
Written by: Greg Ellifritz It was Lauren’s birthday last week, so I took her to Iceland for a long weekend to celebrate. It was a country that both of us were interested in visiting and one that neither of us had already traveled to. She found a whirlwind four-day tour of the country and […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 10, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Former Green Beret Reveals #1 Shooting Drill You Aren’t Doing Right (or Enough!) This may be the single most important drill to practice with either a handgun or rifle. Specimen Rory […]
Five Lessons Learned from the California Chicken Plant Shooting
Written by Greg Ellifritz: On the morning of November 6, 2012, an employee at a California chicken processing plant drew a gun and shot four of his co-workers (killing two) before shooting himself. Initial reports classified this as an active shooter event, but upon further investigation it seems that the people who were […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- March 3, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. EMPTY LOADS Clint Smith drops some knowledge about reloading an AR-15 rifle. Appendix Carry vs. Hip Carry: Weighing the Pros and Cons Massad Ayoob talks about advantages and disadvantages to carrying a […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 24, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Math for Marksmen: The Speed Vs. Accuracy Equation The Mountain Guerrilla weighs in on what he thinks is the optimal balance between speed and accuracy. You should also read his followup article on Calling […]
#Don’tDigTheRig- Part 8
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. All are carried by someone. Unfortunately, some of the choices are less than […]
Civilian Gunfighter Blog Reviews Two Recent Classes
Written by Greg Ellifritz Last weekend, John Murphy of FPF Training hosted me for two training classes near Washington D.C. I taught a Saturday Tactical First Aid class followed up by a Tactical Groundfighting class on Sunday. Both classes were fun and Murphy’s students are always a joy to teach. I was happy […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 17, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Armed Citizen Considerations in the Time of the Active Killer Some things you should be considering before engaging an active killer. Chinese Tokarev Pistols–Military And Commercial Models Everything you could possibly want […]
Hardwired Tactical Snubby Super Test
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I got this drill from Wayne Dobbs and Darryl Bolke at the Hardwired Tactical Facebook page. Wayne and Darryl are both experienced retired police officers and firearms instructors. They put out top-notch information. This is the drill they developed for testing one’s competency with a snubnose revolver. Here […]
More Thoughts on Shooting Demonstrations During Training
Written by Greg Ellifritz A couple weeks I wrote an article encouraging instructors to do shooting demonstrations in front of their classes. I think the best learning for the student occurs after he or she actually has a visual model of the drill the instructor is asking the student to perform. Visual models created […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 10, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. A Stark Reminder to Keep Your Defensive Firearm Chambered For those of you who carry chamber empty, watch the video. Here is video evidence of a man shot by robbers as he attempts to […]
The Reality of the Knife Attack
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I was recently watching the video Real Fight: Belt vs Knife on the Active Self Protection website. In that video, one man attacks another with a belt. The victim here responded by drawing a knife and stabbing the attacker one time in the neck. The man who was stabbed […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- February 3, 2017
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Using an Inner Tube as a Knife Mount A handy option for mounting a low-profile fixed blade to your belt. Read his updated suggestion as well. Skill Set: Knives for Self-Defense I […]
Teaching Tip- Shooting Demonstrations
Written by: Greg Ellifritz If you are a shooting instructor, do you demonstrate your shooting drills in front of your class? I strongly believe that you should. If you disagree, you might want to check out an article I recently read: Six Things You Should Know About How Your Brain Learns The […]