Written by: Greg Ellifritz A recent discussion on my Facebook page prompted me to write an article to explain why I really don’t care for the Springfield XD pistol. I’ve seen hundreds of the guns go through my classes in the last decade. I remain unimpressed. The gun’s main selling point seems to […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Many of my students are serious practitioners of the art of self-protection. They’ve graduated from numerous shooting schools and hold black belts in various martial arts systems. Although they generally enjoy the training process in general, their ultimate goal is to become better fighters. They are hoping that the skills they […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz One of the hardest things I do as a firearms and self defense trainer is convincing people that their lives are worth defending. Many students come to my classes with an attitude that displays an extreme lack of self worth. It’s hard for me to comprehend, but many people do […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Last weekend I taught my inaugural Snubby Revolver for Concealed Carry class. Dann Sternsher from G4 Personal Safety hosted the class at his excellent private range/classroom facility. This was my very first time teaching a commercial revolver class. I got certified to teach revolver skills to cops and security […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Training scars … we all have them. I’m not talking about training scars like the black eye you get when your partner goes a little too hard while sparring or the scars you get when you cut your finger trying to quickly open your fighting knife. The training scars […]
I’ve taught hundreds of people how to fight with a cane. I genuinely believe that a cane can be an excellent “low profile” weapon in the right hands…assuming the person wielding the cane has a little training or practice. Before I talk about how best to use the cane, let’s take a look at […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz If you have been vacationing off the planet, you may not realize that the world’s largest trade show for shooting enthusiasts was held in Las Vegas last week. The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades (SHOT) show is the second largest trade show in Las Vegas every year. 70,000+ shooting industry professionals […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz My friend Claude Werner recently wrote an article where he postulated most shooters don’t do any real structured practice with their firearms. They plink or play, but they generally don’t perform drills designed with realistic standards in order to improve performance. In the article, Claude talked about sharing details and photos […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I’ve been down at TDI teaching my impact weapons class the last couple days. As per my custom, before and after class I generally tend to shoot a lot of practice rounds at a couple of the beautiful ranges they have down there. One of my fellow instructors recently […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. The 10mm Auto: Cooper’s Big Bore A very thorough history of the development and evolution of the 10 mm auto cartridge. COUNTER SURVEILLANCE: CARRYING WEAPONS WITHOUT TELLING EVERYONE Some good tips for […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz I reader recently sent me a question about the new Ka-Bar TDI Shark Bite knife and how it is meant to be carried. Here are his (paraphrased) questions: Hi Greg, If you have enough free time, I would greatly appreciate your input here. Any experience with a Ka-bar shark […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Maximal Effective Range of Buckshot A very well done study comparing some common shotgun buckshot loads. While the data is useful, I would argue that looking for “maximal effective range” in a shotgun isn’t […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Survival Weapons: The AK Rifle An informative dissertation on the AK family of rifles. Blast from the Past: Popular Police Speedloaders of the 1970s School is in session if you want to learn […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Armed at Home: Strategic Realities Everyone who owns a firearm should read this interview with Massad Ayoob. Bad things can happen when you answer the door with a gun in your hand. […]
Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend. Former Green Beret Reveals #1 Shooting Drill You Aren’t Doing Right (or Enough!) This may be the single most important drill to practice with either a handgun or rifle. Specimen Rory […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz Jon Hauptman from PHLster sent me one of his newly designed “Fightworthy” sheaths for the Ka-Bar TDI knife. The TDI is a very popular little fixed blade centerline carry knife designed by my friend John Benner at Tactical Defense Institute. The TDI is great for its intended use, the […]
Written by: Greg Ellifritz You all really seem to like it when I post information about the gun and gear problems I see in class. I could write a 3,000 word article filled with high level tactical insight and it will be virtually ignored. But if I talk about how a certain gun is […]
I recently read a book about active killers that many of you will enjoy. Surviving a Mass Killer Rampage by Chris Bird was just released and is one of the better books available on the topic. Unlike many books, Chris looks at the problem through the eyes of both police officers and everyday […]
Written by Greg Ellifritz Last weekend I taught an Active Shooter/ Active Killer response class at The Tactical Defense Institute in southern Ohio. Myself and several other instructors presented three days of material for 27 eager students. One of the key learning points we discussed all weekend was how to avoid being mistaken […]
This is a guest post written by TDI General Manager and Instructor John Motil. John is at every shotgun class taught at TDI and put together a few notes based on past experience about what works and what doesn’t. It’s good advice. -Greg – Make sure your shotgun has a stock (either polymer […]
