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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 […]

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
goals, travel View Post

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 […]

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
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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 […]

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
active killer, Breach Bang Clear, ccw, Cecil Burch, communication, CP Journal, ground fighting, holsters, John Mosby, Ken Hackathorn, Larry Lindenman, Legal, medical skills, medicine, Paul Sharp, Precision Rifle Blog, Ralph Mroz, Recoil, rifles, survival, Tom Givens, verbalization, William Aprill View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Book Reviews
books, Rangemaster, Tom Givens View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
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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 […]

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
active killer, active shooter, Anonymous Cop, Clint Smith, Ed's Manifesto, gelatin tests, improvised weapons, Paul Sharp, police, statistics View Post

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.  […]

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in What's New
Brazil, third world travel, travel, Uruguay View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
active killer, active shooter, AR-15, art of manliness, ballistics, diet, Gun Nuts Media, health, John Lott, Loose Rounds, MDTS, Paul Sharp, Ralph Mroz, Short Barrel Shepherd, statistics, survival, Survival Mom View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Articles
active killer, active shooter, ccw, Ed Monk View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Shooting Drills
dot torture, Personal Defense Training, shooting drills, Todd Green View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
ccw, communication, diet, Gun Nuts Media, ITS Tactical, James LaFond, Legal, Massad Ayoob, pre-assault indicators, Ralph Mroz, rifles, shooting drills, survival View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
flash mobs, riots View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Articles
ccw, concealed carry, criminals, Glock, guns, malfunctions, police, shooting, stopping power View Post

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 […]

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
1911, ammunition, ccw, Claude Werner, economic collapse, health, home security, John Farnam, knives, Legal, Loose Rounds, Matt Graham, medical skills, shooting drills, survival, survival blog View Post

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 […]

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Articles
guest author, James LaFond View Post

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 […]

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
Breach Bang Clear, Claude Werner, concealed carry, Dave Spaulding, escape, firearms training, Growing Up Guns, Gun Nuts Media, Jim Cirillo, Legal, Lucky Gunner, police, police shootings, Ralph Mroz, shotguns, survival, travel View Post

“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 […]

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Book Reviews, News and Tactical Advice
active killer, active shooter, books, Dave Spaulding, police, police training, terrorism View Post

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 […]

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
active killer, Bombs, Jeff Chudwin, suicide bombers, terrorism View Post

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 […]

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in Weekend Knowledge Dump
ammunition, AR-15, Growing Up Guns, Hock Hockheim, James LaFond, knife fighting, Legal, Massad Ayoob, Melody Lauer, police, Prepared Gun Owners, Ralph Mroz, scams, shooting drills, shotguns, survival View Post

The Six Best Resources for Surviving a Terrorist Attack

Written by: Greg Ellifritz   Since the multi-pronged terrorist attack on Paris last Friday, lots of experts have written articles about how to survive such an event.  Some are great.  Others are worthless.   I’ve been reading everything I can find about the attacks.  I’m planning a thorough article debriefing the entire event for next […]

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Greg Ellifritz in News and Tactical Advice
active killer, active shooter, bombings, Bombs, ccw, explosives, terrorism View Post
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