Active Response Training
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Home
  • Available Classes
  • Instructors
  • 2025 Classes
  • Recommended Reading
  • Contact
  • Class Reviews
  • Media
  • Home
  • Articles posted by Greg Ellifritz (Page 15)

Articles posted by Greg Ellifritz

Situational Awareness Podcast

Instead of a written article for you today, I’m going to share a podcast Interview I recently completed.   This is the first podcast I’ve done in three years.  When I got my cancer diagnosis and didn’t have long to live, I decided I wanted to focus my limited time on writing and stopped doing […]

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
Blackwing Shooting Center, situational awareness View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- September 8, 2023

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   Rifles vs. Pistols: The Basics of Terminal Ballistics Concepts that should be better understood in the shooting world.     You Vs. The Crowd Thinking about public defensive encounters.     Glock Gen Differences: […]

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
ACLDN, active killer, active shooter, Ballistic Magazine, Dustin Salomon, Erick Gelhaus, firearms training, Gun Mag Warehouse, history, Jeff Gonzales, John Hearne, John Holschen, Legal, Lucky Gunner, Massad Ayob, medical skills, Memphis Beech, police, Primer Peak, revolvers, shooting drills, statistics, survival blog, Tamara Keel, That Weems Guy, The Organic Prepper, The Truth About Guns, Tiger McKee, Uncle Zo View Post

Surviving Burning Man

My blog usually focuses on the topic of self protection and survival.  This post detailing a recent experience is a little different.  Stick with it, as there will be some survival lessons I hope you will find useful.   I first went to Burning Man back in 2013.  Since then I’ve attended a total of […]

Posted on September 7, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
Burning Man, survival, trave View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- September 1, 2023

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   Long Range Work Clint Smith takes a look at what handgun shoots the best at ranges out to 150 yards.     Survival Tips: Preparing Yourself For Traveling Our Nation’s Highways You are far […]

Posted on September 1, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
.22 magnum, Active Self Protection, Armed and Styled, backup guns, Bryan Eastridge, Claude Werner, Clint Smith, drugs, flashlight tactics, gelatin testing, Gunsite, Lee Weems, low light shooting, Massad Ayoob, medical skills, Melissa Soalt, Organic Prepper, Pat Rogers, pistoltraining.com, police, Primary and Secondary, Primer Peak, Rangemaster, revolvers, robbery, Ryan Holiday, shooting drills, Spotter Up, Survival Mom, Tim Kelly, Tom Givens, William Aprill, women's self defense View Post

Streetlights and Shadows- Searching for the Keys to Adaptive Decision Making

Written by Greg Ellifritz     The book Streetlights and Shadows highlights author Gary Klein’s research on decision making.  This research is especially important for police officers or citizens who carry concealed firearms.  Those groups of people are forced to make life-altering decisions under the most intense stress possible.  Every bit of guidance is useful […]

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Book Reviews
book reviews, books View Post

Free Books- Part 280

Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website.  You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day.  These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Uncategorized
View Post

Active Killer Gun Malfunctions

Written by Greg Ellifritz   We know that active killers frequently have to reload or clear gun malfunctions. When the killer is preoccupied with the task of making his gun work again, it provides an opportunity for victims to either escape or to attack.   A friend of mine with limited gun knowledge asked me […]

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
active killer, active shooter, weapon malfunctions View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 25, 2023

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   The Way Of The Weasel Massad Ayoob discusses and tests the idea of the surreptitious draw.  I think more folks should be working this skill set.     Guest Shot: Hazardous Thought “Combat is […]

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
Active Self Protection, AK-47, Annette Evans, ccw, Dave Spaulding, Everyday Marksman, firearms training, Gun Mag Warehouse, Havok Journal, Integrated Skills Group, ITS Tactical, Massad Ayoob, pistoltraining.com, police, Practical Eschatology, Primer Peak, Recoil Magazine, Refactor Tactical, road rage, shooting drills, situational awareness, statistics, Target Barn, Taurus, The Suited Shootist, Uncle Zo View Post

Shooting Drill- THE AGC TRAINING DRILL

For most of my police career, after I arrested a criminal, we took inked fingerprints on a traditional FBI fingerprint card.  Now it’s all done electronically.  When I saw a shooting drill that was inspired by the old school card stock fingerprint cards, I had to try it just for nostalgia sake.   Check out […]

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Shooting Drills
Aaron's Gun Cabinet, shooting drills View Post

Book Review- “Mettle- Mental Toughness Training for Law Enforcement”

    The advanced practitioner in the combative arts quickly realizes that a proper mindset trumps skill and equipment issues in a fight. Two of the most common questions that I get from my students are “How do I learn how to control my reactions to fear” and “How do I cultivate the mindset of […]

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Book Reviews
awareness, mindset, police View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 18, 2023

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   10 Links I wish I had 10 years ago A great reference no matter how long you’ve been in the shooting game.     Americans vastly overestimate police brutality “Given these stakes, it is […]

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
.22, Active Self Protection, American Shooting Journal, Chris Cypert, Dave Spaulding, de-escalation, Hock Hochheim, Jeff Gonzales, Legal, Marc MacYoung, Marty Hayes, Massad Ayoob, Memphis Beech, Michael Bane, Michael Janich, Off Duty/On Duty Podcast, Peyton Quinn, police, shooting drills, Uncle Zo, vehicle tactics, Wayne Dobbs View Post

Free Books- Part 279

Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website.  You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day.  These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Uncategorized
View Post

Your Tactical Training Scenario- Racking a Shotgun

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   How many times have you heard this statement?   “Just get a 12 gauge pump shotgun for home defense.  The noise of the slide racking will make any burglar piss his pants and run.”   Does that actually happen?  Sometimes, yes.   Here’s an example where a store clerk sent […]

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Tactical Training Scenarios
home defense, shotgun View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 11, 2023

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   A Parent’s Guide to Concealed Carry Some family safety tips.     The art of dynamic entry: Breaching a locked bus Here is a topic that isn’t covered very often.  Bus takedowns are hard.  […]

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
.357 magnum, Active Self Protection, air guns, ballistics, Ernest Langdon, family safetty, flashlights, gelatin testing, Gun Mag Warehouse, Ken Campbell, Massad Ayoob, Mike Boyle, optics, Outdoor Life, Paul Martin, pepper spray, police, Primer Peak, psychology, Recoil Magazine, school safety, shooting drills, Spotter Up, spyderco, statistics, The Armory Life, vehicle tactics, Will Petty View Post

Back from Uganda and Rwanda

I recently returned from a 10-day trip to Rwanda and Uganda to track mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.  Solo travelers can’t do this trip on their own, they must sign up for a government park ranger-led program and pay for a very expensive permit.  The tours in both countries are done in groups of […]

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
Nick Hughes, third world travel, travel View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 4, 2023

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   Guest Shot: Thoughts on Gear, Part I My friend Dave Spaulding (The Entity) shares his thoughts on gear.  Read Part Two of the series as well.     AR-15 Ejection Patterns An interesting chart […]

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
ACLDN, Active Self Protection, AK-47, American Cop, AR Build Junkie, AR-15, Calibre Press, ccw, Cecil Burch, Dave Spaulding, Doom and Bloom, drugs, ground fighting, Guerilla Approach, Gun Mag Warehouse, home security, Integrated Skills Group, Karl Rehn, medical skills, Memphis Beech, psychology, red dot sights, shooting drills, Steve Moses, The Revolver Guy, Widener's, William Aprill View Post

Free Books- Part 278

Amazon has a tremendous number of FREE ebooks on their website.  You can find thousands of free kindle books on Amazon’s site every day.  These books can be downloaded to a Kindle reader or a free App on your phone or personal computer.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free […]

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Uncategorized
View Post

Weekend Knowledge Dump- July 28, 2023

Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.   One-Handed Shooting: Your Life May Depend On It Most people don’t do enough one-handed shooting.     Subjective vs Objective: Choosing Medical Gear ” There are either no studies, third party reviews, or data […]

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
building search tactics, Civilian Defender, Claude Werner, drugs, Force Science Institute, Gabe White, GAT Daily, Gun Mag Warehouse, John Farnam, Jordan Harbinger, Legal, Lone Star Medics, Massad Ayoob, Memphis Beech, one handed shooting, Rangemaster, revolvers, Seth Godin, Sherman House, shooting drills, shotguns, Spotter Up, statistics, Steve Moses, Steve Tarani, terrorism, The Revolver Guy, tourniquets, Vang Comp, weapon retention View Post

10mm for Self Defense?

Written by Greg Ellifritz     A reader recently wrote to me asking the following question:   “I am considering changing from a Glock .45 to a 10mm and am wondering if the 10mm with 200 grain hard cast would have better stopping power than my 230 grain hardball?”   I get asked about the […]

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Reader Questions
10mm, ammunition, stopping power View Post

Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement

About 20 years ago, I attended a seminar taught by Dr. Kevin Gilmartin.  It was one of the single most useful training seminars I’ve ever attended and I used the information I learned in that class every single day of my police career until I retired.   Gilmartin distilled his lecture concepts into a short […]

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Greg Ellifritz in Book Reviews
police, psychology View Post
«‹1314151617›»

Do you want to subscribe to our newsletter?

Recent Posts

  • Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 15, 2025
  • Free Books- Part 324
  • Weekend Knowledge Dump- August 8, 2025
  • Using Blanks in Scenario Training
  • Upcoming Classes- August and September 2025
Support Active Response Training on Patreon!
Become a patron at Patreon!

Most Shared Articles

Friends Don't Let Friends Open Carry

Shares: 23438

The Rayshard Brooks Shooting

Shares: 8172

How to Spot a Bad Guy- A Comprehensive Look at Body Language and Pre-Assault Indicators

Shares: 17293

Reporting "Social Distancing" Violations

Shares: 86131

The Serpa Compendium

Shares: 10358

© 2023 Active Response Training - Made with ♥ TheBlackBellCo
Privacy Policy