Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Check Your Six: Looking AND Seeing
Some thoughts on an after-action scan. I actually favor the technique taught by Craig Douglas. Instead of merely looking by turning the head or turning your back on your attacker, MOVE. Imagine the battlefield as a clock. You are in the center of the clock. The down bad guy is at 12 o’clock. You need to see behind you (six o’clock). By aggressively moving to either nine o’clock, or three o’clock you will be able to see both the bad guy and the area previously behind you.
This is difficult to practice on most commercial gun ranges, but extremely effective in real life.
Force Science Institute: Passenger Side Approach Study
An excellent summary of recent research from the Force Science Institute about the advantages of making passenger side approaches on police traffic stops.
Timely Advice, Givens The World We Live In
A very informative Ballistic Radio podcast with Tom Givens. Tom shares a lot of hard-won wisdom in this interview.
Is it legal to shoot someone in the back?
“Actual shootings are fast, violent, and chaotic. A lot of shots miss. And when people do get shot, it could be anywhere on the body, including the back. In the movies, shooting someone in the back is a hanging offense … because, we’re told, good guys never, ever shoot people in the back.
But in a life-or-death situation, shooting someone in the back is pretty common. Cops do it. And ordinary citizens do it too.”
Repetitions.
Good advice here for my female readers.
The Kerambit Gambit Handicap
Hoch Hochheim talks about why the kerambit is not the best choice for a defensive knife. I agree. I’m not a big fan.
Suffering for the Win
“While I could go on and on about strength training, I would rather comment on a subject rarely talked about; suffering. Those who commit to a lifestyle to be physically prepared have endured great hardship. To commit to the physical abuse time and time again, knowing full well the pain you will experience is something few can understand. When it comes to combat, it is even fewer who can foster. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then that is part of the problem and one I would highly suggest you remedy.
When you are facing insurmountable odds the tenacity you need to prevail is not encased in a vial you break. It is honed through years of suffering to improve, to be better, to not quit and to prevail.”
9 mm 147 gr duty ammo testing
Dr Gary Roberts reports on some ballistic testing of several different 147 grain 9mm loadings. Any one of these would be a quality defensive round.
IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME!!!
Dr. House provides some excellent instruction on defending yourself while in a vehicle. If you are interested in vehicle issues, you’ll also want to read The Ultimate Guide for Surviving Inside Your Vehicle
Gear of the Dog
Some options for gearing up the four-legged fighters in your family.
Failing, Making Mistakes, and Fear
Pay attention to what SBS is saying. The cult of personality among firearms instructors is real. Any instructor who claims to have the one true way shouldn’t be taken seriously.
How to Identify a Venomous Snake By Its Bite
I get a lot of questions about snake bites in my medical classes, even though they are actually quite rare. This is a good article for quickly telling the difference between venomous and non-venomous snake bites by looking at the injury pattern. The author’s book will be a good addition to your medical library.
Trench Warfare Notes, 1915
A very cool resource for you military history buffs.
Why this behavior will not only get you arrested, but bodyslammed by the cops
Marc MacYoung analyzes a police use of force incident and discusses how to avoid making the situation worse when dealing with the police. It is a good supplement to my recent article on police brutality. You really need to read Marc’s most recent book.
Dispelling Myths of the 12 Gauge Shotgun
Debunking the myths of the shotgun…a good article. My primary home defense weapons are still shotguns. Even though I carry an AR-15 in my cruiser, I find myself grabbing the Benelli M-1 that’s in the shotgun rack about twice as often as I grab the AR-15 when bad things are going down.
HEBREW HOGGER 2016: Training and Pork-Raiser
Some of the best trainers in the business are getting together to put on a one-day training session with all of the tuition money going to support my friend Eli Miller. Eli is a decorated US Army medic who now owns a thriving heirloom pork farm in Alabama. Earlier this year, Eli was involved in a defensive shooting. It was a justifiable use of force and the police did not charge him. The legal defense fees to protect against being criminally charged and civilly sued are bankrupting Eli’s farm.
I would be teaching at this one myself, but I have an upcoming surgery scheduled and will still be laid up on the date of the event. This is a very inexpensive way to get quality training from some of the best trainers in the world and support a good cause at the same time.
Why We Don’t Use Turkish 8mm Surplus
A caution for those of you who buy surplus 8mm rifle ammo.
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