Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Back-up Iron Sights Buyer’s Guide All of my red dot equipped fighting rifles have backup iron sights. Yours should too. Defensive Shooting Myths and Misconceptions: “I shoot that gun really well.” A […]
2015 Training Year in Review

By Greg Ellifritz Ever since I started training people in the fighting arts for a living, I have kept very meticulous records. Not only is it important for potential future legal action, it’s a great marker for tracking progress and improvement. Each year at this time, I do a review of what I […]
My Best Writing 2015

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last week, I posted an article linking to my most popular posts in 2015. In that article, I discussed how my “most popular” articles where not the same as my “best articles.” I liked many of the most popular articles (listed by page view), but I think other articles that […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- January 1, 2016

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. IN EXTREMIS COMMUNICATION, PART 1 One of the biggest problems I have with my students is training them in the VERBAL aspects of self protection. This article provides phenomenal information from my friend Larry Lindenman […]
Fighting Smarter

My friend Tom Givens recently sent me an updated version of his extremely useful textbook on handling violence. I have been recommending the earlier editions of this book for years. After re-reading it, I’m happy to say that I’ll be recommending the latest version for years to come. It’s a great book. Tom’s description […]
Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2015

Written by: Greg Ellifritz Seth Godin made a very powerful statement in a recent blog post. “My most popular blog posts this year…weren’t my best ones. As usual, the most popular music wasn’t the best recorded this year either. Same for the highest-grossing movies, restaurants and politicians doing fundraising. “Best” is rarely the […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- December 25, 2015

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Mental Health Reform Will Not Reduce US Gun Violence, Experts Say “But while few people would disagree with the need for mental health reform, scientists who study gun violence say it won’t make much […]
Back From Brazil and Uruguay

Written by: Greg Ellifritz If you noticed some of the recycled content last week, it was because I was traveling again. We wanted to get away from the cold weather, so we took a short trip down to South America. Brazil is one of my favorite countries and I absolutely love Rio de Janeiro. […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- December 18, 2015

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. What to Do in an Active Shooter Situation This isn’t a bad article. I have some issues with the statement “Running away should always be your first line of action.” If the author said […]
10 Lessons For Armed Citizens

With the crazy increasing frequency of active killer events worldwide, I thought I’d re-share this piece I originally posted almost three years ago. The excellent article you see below was written by Ed Monk, a tactical instructor, police officer and retired Army Colonel. I met Ed several years ago at TDI and have always […]
Dot Torture Shooting Drill

One of the shooting drills I like to use to hone my trigger control is called “Dot Torture”. It’s relatively well known among the competitive shooting community, but many recreational or defensive shooters may have never seen it. The drill was originally developed by David Blinder at Personal Defense Training. It involves […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- December 11, 2015

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Building a Bolt Bag: Being Prepared to Go At Any Moment Do you have a “bolt bag?” This article from ITS Tactical explains the concept and why you may need one. While you are […]
Your Tactical Training Scenario: Street Mobs

Take a look at the video below. Watching the whole video will be useful, but if you just want a basic idea of the events, fast forward to the three- minute mark. The driver of the white car ends up surrounded by a crowd of people celebrating in the roadway. The people aren’t […]
Criminals and the Guns They Carry

Written by: Greg Ellifritz “If you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.” Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu said this over 2000 years ago in his book The Art of War. It’s hardly new advice. Yet it is just as useful now as it was […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- December 04, 2015

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. The Legality Of Carrying Within 1000 Feet Of A School Zone Concealed Nation takes a look at the Federal laws in place that govern carrying deadly weapons in a school safety zone. It’s worth […]
The Triple-Threat Assessment

I’ve been reading James LaFond’s writings for a long time. James lives in inner-city Baltimore, Maryland and writes about the gritty violence that occurs where he lives and works. James has an unconventional approach, but a way with words and an analytical mind. I first read James’ book The Logic of Steel, soon after it […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- November 27, 2015

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Lumens Matter, But they Don’t Some incredibly sensible information about flashlight selection from Dave Merrill. Take Instructor Gun Recommendations with a Tactical Grain of Salt Mark makes some excellent points in this […]
“Counterinsurgency”

Written by Greg Ellifritz First off, let me wish all my American readers a happy Thanksgiving holiday. I hope you are spending it eating good food and spending quality time with the folks you love. I’ll be spending my holiday in a police cruiser. I work all the holidays so that my coworkers with […]
Suicide Bomber? Better Make it a Head Shot

This is a guest article from retired Police Chief Jeff Chudwin. Jeff sent an initial draft of this information out to an email police firearms instructor list and I contacted him to ask permission to reprint it. He graciously agreed and re-wrote his draft, proving even more information for you. If you are unfamiliar with […]
Weekend Knowledge Dump- November 20, 2015

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. I Used To Hate Shotguns But Now I Don’t Can a small woman shoot a shotgun well? Read Melody’s article and decide for yourself. I agree that the shotgun is an under-appreciated weapon. Shot […]