Here are a few links to articles and videos I found interesting this week. Some are intellectual. Some are informative. Some are just fun. If you have some free time, check them out this weekend.
Spot shooting
“When I explain this concept to students in my Defensive Pistol classes, I reference the Internet meme “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” Whenever I hear that meme, I ask “What are the elements of your plan?” I have yet to receive any meaningful response; it’s just a platitude that people repeat to sound like they’re ‘switched on.’ I tell my students that one element of my plan is that as soon as I meet someone, I pick out the spot on their body that I am going to aim at, should it become necessary to shoot them. Then I describe to each person in the class what the aiming point for them would be. This tends to generate considerable discomfort but makes the point very clear. Most of the class is shot on dot targets. Only when the students shoot the qualification course do they shoot at a silhouette, which has a discernible aiming spot on it.”
Claude’s interview about active shooter tactics is a goldmine of useful information as well.
What to Consider When Buying a Rifle Scope
A rifle scope tutorial…
1-5 AR Drill!
A fun rifle drill…as long as someone else is buying the ammo!
Announcing You Are Armed
Important things to think about.
This Week In BJJ Episode 61 with Rickson Gracie
Rickson shows some “invisible jiu jitsu” and body posture to resist forward aggression. Hands up, shoulders forward of hips, weight on the balls of the feet. Those who have trained with me have seen this before. Here’s a slightly different perspective.
Gunhandling
Claude’s experiments with condition three (chamber empty) carry.
“What I found was that chamber empty was not only slower (0.48-0.67 seconds) but somewhat less accurate than having a round in the chamber. I had to work really hard to get the front sight on target after loading the chamber. Unlike a smooth loaded chamber drawstroke, there’s a lot of rotational movement of the pistol going during the period of driving the gun to the target.”
Don’t carry with the chamber empty.
I’m Feeling Apocalyptic…
Marcus Wynne’s emergency preparedness checklists and a plan to improve your disaster readiness. A short and worthwhile read for anyone.
Running just 5 to 10 minutes a day will lengthen your life
This study supports Art Devany’s statement (paraphrased) that “if you are running more than 20 minutes, three times a week, you are doing it for some reason other than prolonging your life.”
From the article:
“Lee then broke his data up according to the number of minutes a week that the runners ran. When he did that he discovered that the group that ran for 51 minutes or less a week was just as well protected as the groups that ran for more minutes.”
Poseurs who teach
Poseurs are everywhere! My advice to instructors is post your (accurate) credentials on your website. If you need more credentials, seek more training/experience; don’t make shit up.
My full resume, list of training courses completed, and CV are posted on my site. Students know exactly what they are getting (and the lineage of my techniques) when they take my classes. If your instructor doesn’t share such information, maybe you should look for someone who does.
AVOIDING DISASTERS
Massad Ayoob talks about some of the warning signs of a suicidal individual that all gun owners (and especially those who work in a gun store or commercial shooting range) should recognize.
The 915 Workout Program
This one looks like an effective program to add some strength in a short period of time. I may be giving it a try.
The Box O’ Truth #29 – The Helmets O’ Truth
Have you ever wondered what type of bullets a Kevlar helmet might be able to repel? Check out the article and find out. When we got a bunch of surplus helmets at the PD about 15 years ago, I did a similar test…with similar results. Mine also repelled 00 Buck as well.
Your Next Big Life-Changing Breakthrough is Already Happening
“When we constantly seek the next epiphany or the next breakthrough to “fix” ourselves, really all we’re doing is reaffirming a belief that we’re already broken. The desire for the singular breakthrough that rewrites our identity and remixes our entire lives is a subtle but persistent attack on our own self-worth: a seemingly noble desire on the surface that reverberates “I’m not good enough, I’m not good enough,” underneath.
Because nobody ever changes completely. And nobody changes all at once. Change is gradual. Breakthroughs are gradual, measured in decades and not moments.
There is no big breakthrough. Our breakthrough is now. This moment. And the next. And the next. Our life is a never-ending series of micro-breakthroughs, some of them obvious and consciously impactful, others subtle and unnoticeable.
And as long as we’re fixated on our next big life-changing moment, we’re likely to miss all of the small ones happening right now, right in front of us.”
Self Defense and Weapons Paul Sharp’s MDOC
Paul Sharp shares an incredible amount of combative knowledge in this video. Critical viewing for anyone interested in learning mid-fight weapons access.
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