Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Class Review

Recently, The Rifleman took the class,  Rifleman I  at Valor Ridge, with Reid Henrichs. This is a review of that class. For the record, The Rifleman took this class on his own dime.

Facilities.
The range at Valor Ridge is quite unique. And this is a good thing. The primary shooting area, a 100-yard range, is staged on a bed of gravel. At both ends, there is a 10-yard long slab of concrete - which is fairly close to the targets. Around and through other parts of the property there are opportunities to engage targets anywhere from 100 yards to 600 yards away. Generally speaking the classroom and the range area were on par with other classes in this price range.

Curriculum.
No, I am not going to tell you everything that happened at the Ridge. For that, you would need to take the class yourself. It is no secret, however, that Reid and the staff put the focus on Marksmanship. There is not a drill that is done in this class where in instructor is telling you to hurry up. However, in every drill, the instructors emphasize making a quality hit on your target.

History.
Reid Henrichs was once a history teacher. This comes through in the class in a very positive way. Several of the lecture portions are geared around the history of the rifle, specifically as it pertains to the history of the United States. In Reid's estimation, the firearm was so integral to the founding of the United States, that the two cannot be separated. The Rifleman concurs.

The guns.
All but one participant were using AR15 pattern rifles. The one exception was using an AK pattern rifle. The Rifleman observed no malfunctions out of any of the rifles present. One optic came loose, but that was quickly remedied. Of note, The Rifleman had purchased the ticket to the class prior to  the controversial video; and took the class after said video. No rifles were checked; but, then, none had major malfunctions, either. More on this topic in a different blog post.

The participants
Before lunch on the first day, every participant had made a shot on a 300-yard man-sized Target. Part of the class description is that it does turn out Riflemen. Without a doubt, this is the case. 62% of the participants were from out-of-state; most with a drive that exceeded 8 hours. 38% of the participants were from Tennessee, and the rifleman's 3:45 drive was the longest for the Tennessee residents there. All were men in this class; however, many women have participated in this class in the past. Student to teacher ratio was less than 5:1.

The little things
"Toxic masculinity" was in full display the entire class. This is a lovely thing.
Reid either has an exceptional memory, or he works diligently to remember everyone's name. He never forgot a single participant's name.
Every training school has its own culture. The culture at Valor Ridge is distinctly American, and rooted in history.
The class description says to bring 950 rounds. The Rifleman brought 1400 rounds, just in case. We shot about 750 rounds.

Wrap up.
Without a doubt, more things happened in this class then could ever be summarized in a single blog post. Hopefully, this post will give someone food for thought if they are considering attending.

Ultimately, The Rifleman would recommend this class for anyone who is interested in taking it.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Go Light

A musket, some ball and powder, and a small pouch around the belt. This was the standard Lodo to the American Soldier for quite some time.

With the adoption of the repeating rifle, The loadout changed slightly. Soldier had a rifle, a small pouch, and some ammunition in clips or magazines stored on or around the belt.

Then, in the 1990s, things changed drastically. As you can see, it was almost a contest to see how much the soldier could carry. This made the soldier less nimble, and as a result, the soldier was forced to carry more ammunition.

The soldier during the American Revolution usually carry less than 20 rounds of ammunition. Even after the invention of the cartridge, and in the Civil War, the soldier would carry no more than 40 rounds of ammunition

Today, it's not uncommon to see a soldier with over 300 rounds of ammunition on his body. That's not including all of the extra burden of the other things he is required to carry. Many times that burden approaches or exceeds 100 pounds. Not surprisingly, the enemy can easily outmaneuver the US soldier.

The modern Minuteman needs to be smarter than this. The modern Minuteman needs to emphasize the "moving" part of "shoot-move-communicate."

Is it possible?

Here is is a patrol pack that weighs less than 20 pounds.  Add to that an 11 pound AR15 (and even that is overkill) and a 10 pound load out, and suddenly, the Modern Minuteman only has to carry a reasonable pack of 40 pounds. 


More on this to come. 


Monday, October 29, 2018

Grifters, Part II

From  this post post, we have follow up information.  The friend did not send payment on "Sunday or Monday" as promised. 

So, The Rifleman sent a follow-up message requesting details on when payment might be expected. Whether due to embarrassment, or intent to defraud, the following replies were sent. The rifleman's comments immediately following.


LK: I was told it was free.
Rifleman: I've never heard of a free gun class. And you sure as hell weren't told that by me or any instructor. 

LK: I told you i would pay you but i wouldnt have attended if I knew it costs. 
Rifleman: You say that as if it's some great honor to have you on the line. This is a paid event, and you knew it.

LK: ALL of our classes and training are free of charge. (Referring to a prepper group he belongs to... but the group does charge dues, and takes donations)
Rifleman: This class was not put on by a group. Even if it was, you don't belong to that group. Even if you did, you hadn't paid any dues to that group.

LK: I was told it was free thats why i thought it was.
Rifleman: I'm not buying that. You clicked that you were interested in the event. It was a public Facebook page. For a public shooting class. All of the details were right there up top, written in plain English. 

LK: I just sent 50.00. (Class was $100, unsure where he got this number from)  [Concidering] the fact i was told this class was free of charge.  I will not be paying anymore, im sorry.  I took the class because i was invited and was told it was no charge for me to attend.  
Rifleman: who told you the class was free? 


LK: Thank you for the class but i will not be taking anymore classes for you in the future.
Rifleman: Oh, you didn't make that decision,  skippy.  

And that brings us to the biggest question: if you didn't know that it cost money, and you wouldn't have attended had you known that, then why didn't you leave during the registration period, when you "found out?"
And why did you agree at that time to pay me after you got home???

Richard Cortez and Lawrence Kinzie of Hohenwald, TN are liars and con men.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Your Team

The folks at  this site sites agree with the Rifleman that you should he prepared.  They suggest training with a small team. Here are some links on their thoughts:

 On recruiting 

 People you don't want want in your team.

 More people you don't want in your group.

 Validation and vetting those in your group.

There's more at the site.  A lot more.  Good reading material. 


Thursday, October 25, 2018

Minimum Wage

Seen on one of those "Hip XXX" boards:
"Is there any way the admins could make a rule that doesn't allow job postings under $12-14 an hour. If a business cannot afford to pay at least $12, then they simply cannot afford to do business in Nashville these days. Right?"

First off, obvious troll is obvious. 

Second, why does there need to be a rule?

Third, I actually want to know which companies are attempting to shortchange employees.  Helps me know where to steer clear of.


Thoughts?


Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Dishonorable Martial Arts

The martial arts has been a source of much personal enjoyment through the years. It has also provided some of the most humorous moments in my life, as well. Here is another one.

I met an individual on the job one day. Before law, she told me that her husband trained in the martial arts. Naturally, I asked which one. Karate. I advised her that karate was one of my two arts... the other being jiu-jitsu.

She got a very concerned look on her face and stated that her husband felt Jiu-Jitsu was very dishonorable. Naturally, I asked her why he felt that way.

Her reply -
"Because in jiu-jitsu and in cage fighting (MMA, perhaps?), if one combatant is knocked down, the other man follows him to the ground to beat on him. It's much more honorable just to knock him down, and then let him be."

"What if he gets back up? More specifically, what if it gets back up and is able to win the fight from there? It would seem to me that there is a big difference between finishing a fight and unnecessarily beating on somebody that's already finished." I replied.

"Oh, that would never happen that way." She stated confidently.

"It happens that way all the time. The first knockdown almost never finishes the fight."

"Well, my husband is taught to incapacitate, or even kill, if necessary, with a single blow."

"I see," I said. "Does he train want to do, if he gets knocked down, or gets taken down?"

"He won't let himself be taken down. He would hit them first. But, if he got knocked down, and if he isn't out of the fight, then his instructor training him to get back up and get back in there."

She literally did not see the irony in that statement...

"I see." I said. Right before I change the subject, and found a good excuse to move on with my day.


Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Mad Martial Artist

The martial arts has been a source of great enjoyment for The Rifleman through the years. Additionally, the martial arts has been the vehicle which has provided much humor, as well.

Many years ago, I had an ad in the Yellow Pages. As I worked a regular daytime job, I had and answering machine. One evening I came home to a message, and promptly called the person back. It was a woman who was seeking martial arts for her husband. 

Evidently, she had been able to reach another Studio between the time she left me a message and the time I called her back. She seems pretty sold on the other Studio. This is nothing out of the ordinary, nor is it anything unusual. Naturally, I was warm and inviting and advised her that the offer for a free class or two still stands.

Then it got a little weird...

She told me that she was looking for martial arts for her husband, because he would "get so very mad" from time to time. She continued to tell me that her husband, when angry, would just "ball up" and no one could get through to him. She proceeded to tell me that the master at the other Studio was an expert at dealing with this.

How does she know, her husband has never been there!?!?

It was at this point that I realized that not only was this Prospect not going to come to my studio, but that I did not want him to, either. I suggested that if he had such issues with anger, then perhaps a therapist might be a better option for him. At the very least, it should be something to look into in addition to the martial arts.

Then it got even more interesting...

She proceeded to reiterate that they would be going to train with the new Master, and she was certain that that would help her husband and all of his anger issues. She then suggested that I should go study under this master. That perhaps he could help me with my issues. When I inquired what issues I might have that you could help me with, she replied, "oh, whatever you've got going on."

My reply -
"Well, that does it! I'm convinced! I'll start training at XYZ studio right away.  I look forward to meeting your husband on the mat!"

Needless to say,  I did not actually follow through with that.


Monday, October 22, 2018

Tips

For when things get weird. Enjoy.

1. It's more important to not get shot than it is to shoot the bad guy.

2. Distance is your friend. Applies to knives and guns.

3. There will probably be more people around you don't want to shoot than people you do.

4. Move your ass. Get to cover or some place where you're not getting shot at.

5. If the worse happens, stay in the fight. Always stay in the fight. Your mindset is your most powerful tool.

6. Take out the guy on the belt-fed first, then the guy on the radio. Prioritize the threat.

7. Don't risk your life over property. Lawyer fees are expensive. Property can be replaced.

8. Incoming rounds have the right-of-way, always be moving towards cover.

9. If you look like prey, predators will target you. Don't look like food.

10. Buckshot bounces around inside a vehicle and makes a mess of the interior.

11. Criminals seldom advertise their intent. Watch for target glances and other pre-assualt cues. Watch hands and waists.

12. Every asshole has an asshole buddy nearby. This is why we scan.

13. Anyone worth shooting is worth shooting alot. "Until they change shape or burst into flames."

14. When giving instructions to your loved ones, use simple words and phrases. People can't think under stress. Dumb everything down.

15. Bad things happen fast. Your response might determine the outcome. This is why we train.

16. Murphy is a motherfucker. Keep your options open and stay cool.

17. When being safe is no longer an option, be dangerous.

18. If you find yourself in fair fight, your tactics suck.

19. Imagine the person you want showing up at your emergency to rescue you and train to be that person.

20. No one is coming to save you.

#selfdefense #rulestoliveby #2a #selfreliance #mindset #preparedness


Friday, October 19, 2018

Shooting Positions

The most common shooting positions. 


Pictures from various classes the Rifleman has taught.

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Going Low

Recently,  #Libtards have been saying that they need to stop taking the "moral high ground" during political conflicts. 

This is classic #Law3 Projection. The Left has always stooped to low tactics, and held the Right to a different set of rules.  This is why Conservatism has failed - because of a doomed outlook of always holding to the moral superiority. 

The new Right - the Maul Right - is simply Americans who love America for what she is. And the Maul Right is not afraid to hit back. The Maul Right is not afraid to go low in response to the Left going low. Case in point: Donald Trump.

The projection is strong these days.  It's because the Left senses what is about to happen: the Red Wave.


Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Types of False Rape Charges

A Connecticut woman was  sentenced to jail for falsely accusing two men of rape. According to the story at the link, she had a "sexual encounter" with the men, then later accused them of rape when her boyfriend found out. 

In other words, she used false rape charges to cover for her own slutty ways.  This is one of the major types of false tape allegations. 

Another is seeking attention.

And yet another is post-coital remorse.  Regret. 


Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Of Lying and Why

One of the “rhetorical” questions that #Libtards hurled at those who believed Dr. Ford was telling lies was, “What does she have to gain by lying?”

What did she have to gain?

The primary thing that the vast majority of women wish to gain... ATTENTION


Monday, October 15, 2018

Internet Fame

A week ago, the Rifleman was browsing through social media.  A conversation about Taylor Swift's endorsement of Phil Bredesen - #Philbert - caught the eye.  One of the replies in the comments mentioned that, according to her songs, Swift has horrible taste in men. 

So, the Rifleman made a meme:


This meme was shared on that post, and a couple of others.  Also, it was shared on Twitter, as you can see, and also on Instagram. 

To the Rifleman's surprise, a few days later, many friends started sharing it.  In fact, local radio personality, Steve Gill, also shared it:






The Rifleman came to find out that the black & white version here originated from another person.  This person had seen the original meme, and made it B&W.


And, as you can see, he has had this version shared over 1300 times. 


Furthermore,  it has been appearing on Twitter, as well:






This is not the first time the Rifleman has stumbled into such a widely seen social media post.  Several of the articles on this blog have gone over 1000 views.  And the top Tweet the Rifleman has had to date was liked and retweeted over 500 times. 


Friday, October 12, 2018

Fake News

New tag line - "Fake News."

First up, a story shared by Lefty on Twitter.
"Shelby County voter registration applications surge, but many deemed invalid"

The writer from the Commercial Appeal points out that voter registration applications are up. There have been 30,000 since August elections,  and the normal is 10,000, according to a quoted election official.

However, 55% of the applications are invalid. Most commonly seen reasons to invalidate the applications are
- Duplicate applications
- Incomplete applications
- Felons attempting to register to vote

The article goes on to say:


A number of groups, including I am a Voter and the Tennessee Black Voter Project, have submitted thousands of voter registration applications. The Tennessee Black Voter Project has submitted the most – nearly 9,000, as of Friday.  


The Tennessee Black Voter Project worked with five local organizations, including Rise Up North Memphis and Up the Vote 901, to ramp up voter registration this election cycle. The statewide organization, based in Nashville, announced plans earlier this fall to register 55,000 Tennessee voters before the Oct. 9 deadline.



Now, let's take the spin off, and report this for real...

The Rifleman's Headline
Tennessee voter ID laws prevent ineligible persons from unduly influencing elections.

Add this statement
Felons know they cannot vote, the general population knows they cannot vote twice. And what kind of person leaves a voter application incomplete? Perhaps someone with something to hide?

At this point, cite the same statistics, and end with a question:
The question must be asked: why are these organizations having so many ineligible applications turned in? Only two reasons exist: malice or stupidity.  The result is the same regardless of reason. It might just be a blatant attempt to illegally sway an election. 


What say you?


Thursday, October 11, 2018

Synonyms

Definition of stupid:

adjective: stupid; comparative adjective: stupider; superlative adjective: stupidest

1.

having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense.

"I was stupid enough to think she was perfect"

synonyms:unintelligent, ignorant, dense, foolish, dull-witted, slow, simpleminded, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, imbecilic, imbecile, obtuse, doltish; 

informalthick, dim, dimwitted, slow-witted, dumb, dopey, dozy, moronic, cretinous, pea-brained, halfwitted, soft in the head, brain-dead, boneheaded, thickheaded, wooden-headed, muttonheaded, daft

"they're rather stupid"

foolish, silly, unintelligent, idiotic, scatterbrained, nonsensical, senseless, harebrained, unthinking, ill-advised, ill-considered, unwise, injudicious;

inane, absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, fatuous, asinine, mad, insane, lunatic;

informalcrazy, dopey, cracked, half-baked, dimwitted, cockeyed, lamebrained, nutty, batty, cuckoo, loony, loopy

"that was a really stupid thing to do"

antonyms:intelligent, sensible


Definition of gullible:

adjective: gullible

easily persuaded to believe something; credulous.

"an attempt to persuade a gullible public to spend their money"

synonyms:credulous, naive, overtrusting, overtrustful, easily deceived, easily taken in, exploitable, dupable, impressionable, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, ingenuous, innocent, inexperienced, unworldly, green; More

informalwet behind the ears, born yesterday

"he was a swindler who preyed on gullible elderly widows"

antonyms:suspicious



In the Rifleman's opinion, they are synonymous.  One is simply less harsh than the other. The more harsh is also more widely encompassing. Not all stupid acts are acts of gullibility,  but all acts of gullibility are stupid acts.


Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Trump .gifs

This post to test whether Blogger will allow .gif files to be shown in their entirety,  or just as pictures. 


Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Kavanaugh Memes

On Saturday, the US Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.  He was sworn in later in the day.  Naturally, heads exploded on behalf of the #Libtards

Here are some of the resulting memes that the Rifleman found amusing:



Monday, October 8, 2018

Fight Observations

UFC 229 observations:

Takedowns
All but one of the takedowns in the prelims and main card fell into one of these categories: body fold/leg hook combo, single leg, double leg, rear takedown.  The one exception was an uchi-mata by Khabib on MacGregor.

Takedown defenses
Stuffing takedowns generally didn't work, unless there was a half-asked takedown attempt.  Sprawling worked well every time it was attempted. 

Strikes
Spinning back fists generally got people in trouble.  Straight rights and lefts ruled the day.  The fighter who kept to more conservative straight punches was the one who wound up hitting more effectively.  Every KO / TKO was scored via or set up via a solid straight punch. 

Looping punches, big hooks, overhand punches, and haymakers rarely hit, and usually only served to wear out the fighter who threw them. Also, these punches left many fighters wide open to counterattack. 

Strike intensity
Also of note, fighters who put 100% effort into every punch were generally less effective.  Those who threw 40%-60% were able to hit more effective strikes.  Plus, they didnt over-extend themselves and get tagged as much with counter-strikes. 

Kicks
Kicks were used effectively to keep opponents off balance and to keep defenses up. The only fighter to use side kicks was Michelle Waterson.  Side kicks only serve to score "points," disrupt timing, and give the opponent a different look.  Make no mistake, side kicks almost never result in a stunning blow or a KO - they are just something else to mix things up. 

Positions
As a rule, it was better for fighters to be on top when a guard or half guard was used.  As a rule, most of the fighters had very poor punch defense from guard and half guard.  The exception was Michelle Waterson (again). Waterson and her opponent, Felice Herrig, are purple belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but Waterson was clearly the more adept on the ground. Waterson attacked even from guard and kept Herrig off balance. 

Submissions
The only submission to win a fight was Khabib's RNC on MacGregor.  It was not a traditional RNC, as pictured below:





Instead, Khabib used a variation that the Rifleman's dojo refers to as Judo Squeeze:




This variation allows the choke to cause more pain. Also, it is easier to apply with bulky MMA gloves on the hands.  Lastly, and most important with regards to Saturday night's fight: this variation can be used to apply pressure to the jaw and the neck, in addition to the throat.

In the opinion of the Rifleman, Khabib's choke applied pressure to the jaw and neck of MacGregor, which resulted in the submission. 


Friday, October 5, 2018

Where to Zero

The Rifleman has written before about the  36 yard zero. It is closer to a true 300 yard zero.  However, many ranges do not have a 36 yard line.  How does one zero their rifle like this on a more rigid range, with only common distances?

For starters, it's always best to do an initial zero at 25 yards.  Most ranges have this distance.  And it is kind of like writing a rough draft of a paper - gets things close. 

But you really want either a 100 yard, 200 yard, or 300 yard zero.  And a 25 yard zero is NOT a 300 yard zero.  So, how to do this, then?


Step 1 - get an initial zero at 25 yards. 


Here is an example of an old Army "low light" zero target.  It has a shaded target offset about an inch below the actual target.  Set one of these up at 25 yards.

Aim at the true center, and adjust your sights so that the bullets impact in the dotted circle just below the actual target. 

If you want a 100 yard zero, maybe shade just a bit low in the dotted circle.

If you want a 200 yard zero, bullets should strike in the center of the dotted circle. 

If you want a 300 yard zero, bullets should shade a bit high in the dotted circle. 



Step 2
Now, go out to 100 yards. 
If you want a 100 yard zero, hold true, and move the sights until the bullets strike true. 

If you want a 200 yard zero, your groups should strike about 1 inch above the target at 100 yards.

If you want a 300 yard zero, your groups should strike about 3-3.5 inches above the target at 100 yards. 


Thursday, October 4, 2018

Sexual Assault Facts

Since sexual assault is all over the news... and, by default,  bogus sexual assault claims, let's dig in to some realities about sexual assault. 


Have you ever heard that 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted during college? Yeah, that's a totally bogus claim. Somehow it keeps perpetuating.  The real number is  less than 2.6% of US women will be sexually assaulted over the course of their entire life. 

We all knew the "1 in 4" claim was false.  After all, what parent would send their daughter to a place where she was 125 times more likely to get raped than to die at some point in her life from an auto accident?

In fact, a man is six times more likely to be falsely accused of sexual assault,  than a woman is of actually  being the victim of sexual assault.  17% conviction rate, vs. 83% acquittal, accuser recants, or false allegations.  See the meme above. 

Just some food for thought. 
And yet again, the Bible had it right all along:

The judges are to make a careful investigation, and if the witness turns out to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you. Then everyone else will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything evil like this among you.
Deuteronomy 19:18‭-‬20 HCSB


Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Grifters

From a class where someone came without money...

"I accidentally left my money at home. I'll pay you when I get home via PayPal. "
- Saturday morning.

"I didn't know this cost anything."
- Saturday at lunchtime.
(Yet, somehow he knew when, where, how many rounds, etc.)



"But I will not lie to you I came to your class today just about broke this month soon as I get my money right I will get square with you directly,  Thank you again."
- Saturday night

"I’ll tell [my friend] to send ya $$. I told him I didn’t know but it was $50 he’s fine with it..."
- Sunday

"I enjoyed the class today.  You both done a great job.  I appologize for not bringing any money with me....i was told there wasnt any charge.  Ill get you the money tomorrkw or monday."
- His Friend  on Saturday evening. 

(After spotting this individual $20 for range fees, he said he had given it back to me.  Cash drawer didn't show it.)
"Then you lost $20 somewhere, and it was not with me. I only had $24 on me just to find After three hours. You said it was $100 for for us I was thinking you meant $50 apiece not $100 piece for the class class. I give you the only 20 had just to find out there was range feed which was extremely but embarrassing for me to have to ask for it back.  Like I said I’ll pay you 20 on the first and I’ll pay the rest as I get it but I’ll pay that was it unexpected expense that didn’t count for this month."
- Following week.
(Please note, we never spoke via phone between invite and class time. And there are screenshots of all messages - $50 was never mentioned. Not sure where he got that from.)


"Unexpected expense."
Who on earth shows up for a gun class expecting to not pay??? 



"Never turn away those who come to us. Never chase after those who leave from us."
- Hirata Kanae

That may be the case, but the Rifleman will never again spot anyone for gun classes.  "Friends" included. 

Post edit - between the time of authoring, and the time of publishing, the individual mentioned herein utilized Facebook's "block" feature on the Rifleman. Yet again, the trash takes itself out.   

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Monday, October 1, 2018

Kavanaugh Memes

The Kavanaugh confirmation circus from last week has spawned many good memes.  Here are some of them.  #ConfirmKavanaughNow