Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
What we know about a series of attacks that left 2 dead in NE Bexar County, 4 others dead in Austin
Those of you who study active killers should take a look at this one. This might be the best example of the mobile active killers I’ve been writing about for the last few years. He started by killing family members and then randomly shot people at five different sites over two counties and more than 10 hours.
Skills n’ Drills: Line Break
A fun shooting drill you should try. For more fun, try Skills Check: Return to Sender.
Need something more formal? Shoot the Rangemaster Instructor Course Pistol Qualification.
Build a Better Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.)
You should definitely have a Bug Out Bag. My thoughts on the topic are HERE.
Shooting with Xray Vision – Instructor – May 4-5, 2024
My friend Dr. Williams is teaching this excellent class again next year at the outstanding Mead Hall Range. I attended this class earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are interested, check out this AAR review of the class I took. Doc only does a couple of these a year. Jump on it quickly if you want a spot.
The Path Forward
Paul Martin charts a path forward.
Move, Shoot, Communicate
You’ve all heard the saying “Move, Shoot, Communicate.” This article explains how that works in real life.
North Carolina High School Stabbing: The Ugly Truth of Self Defense
A 14- year old boy was attacked at his high school. He was sucker punched, knocked to the floor, and being stomped and kicked by multiple attackers. He drew a knife, cut some of his attackers and escaped. The boy is being charged with murder. See what I mean when I say “the rules have changed?” This was a completely justified and legal use of force. Why do you think your self defense situation is going to turn out any differently?
I wonder what would have happened had the boy used pepper spray? He certainly wouldn’t have caught a murder charge.
I bet 75% of the audience reading this page has a pocket knife on their person right now. I bet fewer than 5% have some POM Pepper Spray. If that describes you, fix your shit.
Accelerated Heart Rates and Elite Performance
Our industry is still fighting the lasting effects of Bruce Siddle’s flawed research from the early 1990s. Despite some folks’ assertions, fine motor skills do not automatically go down the toilet when someone’s heart rate exceeds 160 beats per minute.
The Martial Marksman Mindset: A Deeper Dive
A deeper dive into the concept of mindset.
Instructors – Qualified vs. Certified: Striking the Right Balance
Certification is almost meaningless to me. I didn’t learn to teach in any of the instructor certification classes I attended. I learned to teach by spending thousands of hours working the line at my police department and as a junior instructor at TDI. A structured apprenticeship or mentoring program is almost essential to create a good instructor.
Making Statements Pt. 2
Advice about making statements to the police.
RevolverGuy Versus “That Guy”
You would be absolutely astounded at how often this exact conversation happens at gun stores across the country.
While you are on the site, you should also read the 2023 Pat Rogers Memorial Revolver Roundup Debrief.
Teaching can be a Funny Business.
“Other things I learned reinforced my belief that if you have a small enough sample size, anything can look great. Another way of saying that is, if your sample size is big enough, you will see problems that the rest of the world does not. In this case, I’m thinking about guns, but the same applies to optics and ammo and everything else, of course.”
This is a problem so many gun owners unknowingly have. Their experiment has a “N=1” sample size. “It works for me” is a common justification for many of those folks. They don’t understand that their perspective is limited in comparison to a professional instructor who trains hundreds or thousands of students a year.
Widowed Single Mom Targeted For Home Invasion
What are you doing to prevent/respond to a home invasion?
CCW Printing: Etiquite When Concealing a Handgun
“Let’s remind ourselves why we carry: as a means of lethal force to stop anyone trying to cause our death or serious bodily injury. We carry to protect ourselves from criminals, which is the status assumed by anyone who tries to unjustifiably harm our loved ones or us. Do you suppose criminals are looking for or notice citizens printing? Surely, some criminals are intellectually, perceptually, and tactically deficient (in other words, “really dumb crooks”), but those aren’t the archetypical criminals with whom we should be primarily concerned. Most threatening are the human predators who are competent, high-level professionals in their field. Hubris and a casual, dismissive attitude do us no favors in preparing for this type. While that type of “Violent Criminal Actor” or VCA (a term from the late, great Dr. William Aprill) may or may not be common where we live, they are probably more common than most recognize. If we prepare for this worst-case scenario, we’ll likely be prepared for most others. “
Let’s Pump the Brakes on Muzzle Brakes
I’m not a big fan of muzzle brakes under most circumstances.
Reactionary Zones Part 2
Distance favors the trained defender.
Calm Down About Calming Down!
Tips for verbal de-escalation.
“I think much of our interactions in life are scripted. The script of life. Just about everything does have a script. A script at a fast food window. A script when you enter your office or job. A script at dinner. Your skill at improv, at going “off-script” is important. So, at worst, what are some of the typical, scripted responses to “Let’s all calm down?”
“Don’t tell ME to calm down.”
“YOU calm down, I….”
“Calm down?! Why should I calm down?!”
“Line! ?” The actors whisper on stage when they forget their next line. What’s your next line in this script? Better write one or two ahead of time.”
Medical advances mask epidemic of violence by cutting murder rate
Tom Givens has been making this point for years.
“Murder rates would be up to five times higher than they are were it not for medical developments since the 1960s. Relative to the 1960s, people today are more likely to survive assault and injury as a result of modern advances in medical treatment.”
While we are discussing scientific research, we can’t ignore this study. The 1 % of the population accountable for 63 % of all violent crime convictions.
Where Are They Taking My Gun? — Post-Shooting Forensics
Post shooting investigation practices of which you should be aware.
How Far To Extend Your Arms?
Thinking about elbows.
P&S ModCast 364 – Snubby Lessons Part 2
A solid education on snubby revolvers.
Eat the Weeds: A Forager’s Guide to Identifying and Harvesting 274 Wild Foods
What I’m reading…
Some of the above links (from Amazon.com) are affiliate links. If you purchase these items, I get a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
