Lessons Learned

Yesterday in a church in Texas, a gunman opened fire. He was able to get off two fatal shots, and then a member of the church safety team fired once and put him down. Here are some facts you need to know as you see the story unfold.

1. The criminal used a 12 gauge shotgun.
The make and model of the gun he used is permitted in all 50 states, and is never targeted in these so-called "assault weapons" bans.

2. Training is essential.
The first person he shot, was actually a member of the church safety team. The safety team member can be seen on video attempting to draw his gun from the small of the back. It is very clear he had not trained, nor practiced much in correct draw and fire methodology. He did not appear to attempt to communicate in any way with his other safety team members.

3. Don't just carry - train & practice.
* You need to be able to draw & fire and hit a vital Zone target 7 yards away within 1.5 seconds.  Even if you *think* you can do this, you need a class where an instructor will coach you - you might have errors in your draw stroke that you do not see. 
* You need a good carry handgun.
Your carry gun needs to be 9mm or larger. It needs to have no safety to disengage. It needs to be supremely reliable (GLOCK, Sig, or S&W - all others are questionable, at best). A subcompact (GLOCK 43, Sig P365, S&W Shield) is ok, but a compact with 15 rounds (GLOCK 19, Sig P320, S&W M&P 2.0C) is better. 
* "Fast is fine, but accuracy is final"
- Wyatt Earp
* Don't carry in small of the back.
Carry at 4:00 or AIWB. If you don't know what those mean without a Google search, you haven't trained, or you haven't trained with a competent defensive carry instructor.  The Carry Permit Class is NOT training - if it was, we wouldn't need points 2 and 3 above. 

4. It was one man.
Some memes on social media say it was "armed people" who stopped the threat. NO! It was one man who calmly and quickly drew and fired accurately. The rest either fumbled with gear that was "good enough," or they froze. 

5. Evil is everywhere.
Even (my pastor might say "especially") in church.  Prepare accordingly. 


Summary. 
Training is where you learn skills. Practice is what you do after that class to hone those skills. If you say you are "too advanced" to take a specific class - you probably NEED that class.  If you were "taught" by family, the military,  or the police, then you NEED a class more than anybody else. 

Gear won't make you a better shooter, but bad gear will get in your way at the worst possible time.  If you say things like "well, it's good enough," or "it works for me," then I know immediately that you have limited training and even more limited practice. 

If you take a "tactical" class that does not emphasize marksmanship, then that should be the last class you take with that instructor or company.  And if you haven't taken a class, then you are woefully underprepared. And the carry permit class is NOT training (my students know what to do when I repeat something like this).

 Link to a video of the incident.

Shooting Fakes

One of the things I still enjoy blogging about is when people say or do crazy things.  One of the craziest things is to lie to me. One of the topics I'll figure out your lie quickly on is shooting. 

This individual told me he got certificates from Appleseed for scoring "Rifleman." I showed him my patches and the respective targets - almost 10 years apart in the making.  I've never heard of them giving out certificates for Rifleman scores. 

He also told me the target pictured above was him sighting in with 5 rounds, then rapid-fire kneeling with his AR15 from 100 yards.  In fact, it is a target shot from much closer (hence the ancillary tears in the paper around the holes), and it is between 10-20 rounds.  If I was forced to wager, I'd say there are 14 rounds shown on that paper - give or take a shot. 

Here's an old target I shot from 50 yards with precision ammo from prone.  This was 20 rounds.  You'll notice that the individual holes are a bit cleaner. This was also shot from a rested position, hence the accuracy. 

#ShootingFakes are fake. 

By The Numbers

By the numbers.

10 classes.
74 students.
2 family members.
8 comps.
15,000+ rounds.

The first full course schedule year for Patriot Training was definitely a success. Every rifle shooter hit targets all the way out to 300 yards. Every handgun shooter hit targets at 25 yards. Find identity

Financially, I learned that the break-even point is between four and five students for each class. We did not have a single class with fewer than 5 participants. Two classes had only 5 participants, but two other classes had 10+.

Strategically, I learned how to advertise correctly on Facebook to maximize revenues. One thing I did not expect in this column was that I will have to keep careful watch, as about once per week on the Facebook ad there is an asinine post by somebody. It's best just to remove those quickly instead of trying to correct people, or correct opinion.

Great year and I expect more in 2020.

Impeachment

On Wednesday evening, the US Congress, in a completely partisan vote, passed two articles of impeachment against President Trump. This makes Trump the 3rd President to be impeached.  Neither of the other two (Jackson and Clinton) were found guilty by the required 2/3 majority, and thus, neither were removed from office.  It is likely that Trump will receive the same treatment. 

#LibNuts everywhere started celebrating once it was announced.   Some automatically think Pence is POTUS now (he's not). Some think Hillary will be sworn in (she won't). At least one #FakeNews outlet had a tweet of them celebrating "Impeachmas." They have all been working for impeachment for 3+ years. Nancy Pelosi even said as much, although the actions mentioned in the allegations took place in June of this year. 

If Trump is removed, it will certainly start the next Revolution.

But, for the time, let's define impeachment for these #LibNuts -
IMPEACHMENT
noun
- A charge of misconduct against a person holding office. 

In the US, anyone can be charged with anything.  That's why our Founding Fathers made sure that our Constitution recognized a person's right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Just because someone is charged with something doesn't mean they are guilty of it. 

Or, more simply put:
Impeachment = / = removal. 

Angry Women

Meme says - "behind every angry woman stands a man who has no idea what he did wrong."

Rifleman says - because he didnt do anything wrong. 


Don't let her Cluster B disorders rule your life. 

What You Say And How You Say It

Posts on social media from two different gun schools (neither is mine) after a class...


School 1
We had a fantastic rifle class last week.  What did we learn?  NOT ONE of these very experienced people was anywhere near as good as they thought they were.  Read that again.  NOT ONE.


School 2
Rifle class went very well.  Good shooting overall, hits all day at 300 yards, team drills, and great muzzle awareness.


Which one would you like to train at?

Libs Lie 2

#LibNuts will share this meme and they don't know the meaning.  Yesterday, we explored option 1 - the census. Today, it is option 2 - the Massacre of the Innocents. #LibNuts try to tie this in to illegal immigration. But, is that what it is? Let's check the Bible -

After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.”  So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.  Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.
Matthew 2:13‭-‬16 HCSB

First, Joseph wouldn't have taken his family to Egypt if that was illegal - because why risk imprisonment? He likely was well aware of how immigrants would be received in neighboring countries. And the Angel of the Lord would not have commanded him to sin by breaking the law of another country. 

Second - Immigration law of the time is something we have little to no documentation of now. From inferred policy based on writings of the time, foreigners in most nations were probably ostracized a bit by the citizens, but most countries did not have official policy against immigration. It would have been nearly impossible to enforce. 

So, once again, we have a completely uneducated meme floated by #LibNuts . They always have to lie to make their points.  It means their points hold no validity. 

Libs Lie

#LibNuts will share fake memes like this, to try to encourage folks of the Right to think that Jesus was an illegal immigrant. Of course, this is nonsense.  How can I say that with authority? Just read the Bible:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus  that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,  to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
Luke 2:1‭-‬5 HCSB

Yeah, not only was Jesus not an illegal immigrant, but rather, he was the Son of Mary, who was being "registered" (census) as a citizen of Bethlehem. 

Basics of Training

Many times on this blog, I have suggested that the readers get training. 

One thing that is not as clear is why drills are done at the training facilities.  The impression is that "instructor A does this drill," or "instructor B does that drill." And if you look online, there are literally thousands of drills. But which ones are valuable and necessary?

First things first. Some training schools focus on individual skills, and some on team skills. Individual skills tend to lean toward competitive shooting, and team skills tend to lean toward tactical shooting.  Yes, a lot of skills needed for tactical team shooting are individual skills.  So there is some overlap, at least in one direction. 

Next, all individual skills can fall under improvement in one of the core aspects of fighting with a gun.
1. You must be able to hit your target.
2. You must be able to bring your gun to bear quickly enough to make a difference. 
3. You must be able to remedy stoppages (malfunctions and reloads).
4. You must be able to do 1 - 3 smoothly. 

The majority of drills done with a timer, for example, are designed to help you with #2 and #3.

Once you see this, you will understand the purpose with almost any drill or exercise you come across in a firearms training environment. 

On Holsters

 Here is an article that details why you should not use a Serpa holster. 

The Future Is Female!

I've decided I will be a feminist. From  this article, the 13 tenets of feminism:
(And my comments in italics)

1. The subjugation of women and the earth is one in the same.
Agreed.  Let's subjugate both. 

2. Future Feminism requires the participation of all people.
I'm on board...

3. Enforce a global standard for the rights and ethical treatment of women.
Yes.  Women must get child support less than 10% of the time like men do now. 

4. Identify biological differences between the sexes, and draw individuals into greater accountability on the basis of their predispositions.
Yes.  Make women go to jail for their crimes at the same rate and duration as men. 

5. Relieve men of their roles as protectors and predators. 
Finally! Women will be seen as the predators they have always been - and will be sanctioned accordingly.

6. Redefine the societal roles of women and men in response to present conditions.
Correct. No more alimony.  No more child support.

7. Advocate for feminine systems in all areas of governance.
Yes! 100% accountability - just like I've detailed here!

8. Build political structures using a circular model. 
Why not rectangular?

9. Repattern societies to nurture the resurgence of biodiversity.
Survival of the fittest, baby!

10. Feminize male-centric language. 
No more "he said-she said"?

11. Deconstruct the mythology of male spiritual supremacy. 
Because female led spirituality has really enhanced our society?!?!

12. Restore the female archetype as central to creation. 
Only women have shunned this. 

13. The future is female. 
Uh... huh huh huh. Hey, baby!

Things That Cannot Be

From time to time, a person will suggest that I should have worked in law enforcement.  My usual reply is that I cannot work in law enforcement.  If they ask why, I point them in this direction.

From the article,
Can a person be too smart to be a cop in America? A federal court decision suggests that yes, you actually can be.

Mathematics and Prepping

From this article - The Surprisingly Solid Mathematical Case of the Tin Foil Hat Gun Prepper

You have a greater chance to pay witness to violent revolution than to see a flood like we saw in the Nashville area in 2010.

Marriage Material

From Roosh V:  7 Things I Require In The Future Mother Of My Child.

Here are the 7 things -
1. She must be between 18-25 years old. 
2. She must have fewer than 3 prior sexual partners, but a virgin is preferred.
3. Her physical attractiveness should be about a 7.
4. Her skin tone should be within 2 shades of myself.
5. She must be feminine.
6. She must want to be a traditional stay-at-home mother.
7. She must believe in God. 

I would say that any man who wants a wife, would do well to require these 7 Things of his prospective spouse. If a woman does not meet all of these requirements, then do not marry her, and do not have children with her. Marriage is too risky for men these days - there is virtually no advantage for a man to get married. 

But women who hear this often prickles at the idea of men not getting married. Maybe because it upsets their "apple cart" of a free ride through life? So, women, this article is for you!

If a woman wants to consider herself "marriage material," she must adhere to these rules. The rules are derived from Roosh's rules above. If a woman does not meet all 7, then she is not marriage material, she is damaged goods.  If a woman meets all 7, she might be marriage material.  If she misses even a single one, she is most certainly not marriage material.


7 Musts For A Woman To Be Marriage Material
1. She must be between 18-25 years old. 
2. She must be a virgin.
3. Her physical attractiveness must be at least a 7, but not more than a 9.
4. Her skin tone should be within 2 shades of the man whom she would marry.
5. She must be feminine.
6. She must want to be a traditional stay-at-home mother.
7. She must believe in God. 

101

A new reader writes -
Rifleman, you say you are familiar with Tom Leykis. What is your favorite thing he says? Least favorite?

Good question.
My favorite thing Tom Leykis says is when he would speak with female callers who were stricken with what I call Disney Princess Syndrome. These girls could not fathom that someone would say it is not necessary to get married. 

My least favorite is that he advocates for abortion.  

Reminder

Since the mainstream media won't tell you, there is a big civil war going on in Hong Kong. The citizens are rising up against the Communist regime.

This meme depicts the reality of the situation.  This is why we must never turn the guns in. 

Well, That's One Way To Do It

In San Antonio, a woman refused to return her rental car, and eventually sold it for meth. I'm sure there's a heckuva repo story behind this one. 

Boomer Advice

The hashtag, #BoomerAdvice was recently trending on Twitter.  Here are some of the more accurate tweets I saw -

“You can’t just apply for jobs online.  You have to get out there! Drop off resumes, call then every day! Go pound the pavement.”

if you show you’re willing to work harder, they will show that they are willing to pay you more.

Go to college, get a good job, be  loyal to the company, they’ll be loyal to you 😒

You’ll see things differently once you have children

None of these bits of advice work any more. 

It Is Not The NRA

From social media (someone known to me):
"The amount of guns available to anyone with a bone to pick is unacceptable.  I’m huddled in a group of people scared out of their minds after hearing dozens of bangs about 40 feet from us.  No one knows what is going on, it’s confusing and terrifying.  Stop the money machine.  Stop pumping America full of guns. F**k the NRA."

It's not the NRA.

It is me and millions just like me that you don't like. 

Rifleman's Trifecta

The Iron Triangle Theory states that you can pick any two of the three - low price, high quality, rapidly done. One cannot, hypothetically, select all three.

With the American martial art, there is a trifecta about tributes to which The Rifleman should yearn.
Marksmanship.
Tactics.
Mindset.

All three are needed at the highest level.  

Real Martial Art

From social media -
"Asking for a friend if they goto a Haunted House can they  practice there Krav Maga there?"

Rifleman's answer -
"Sure.  Now, if Krav Maga was a real martial art, I'm sure they'd frown upon that." 

The misled person was not amused. 

If The Meme Fits

Seen recently on social media. 

It fits. 

NAXALT

Frequently, when a post is made online about a generalization - particularly if a group of people engage in a less than ideal behavior - you will see people furiously writing in comments "not all (x) are like that!" Here are some of my observations on that -

First, "when you throw a stone into a pack of dogs, the one that yelps is the one you hit." In other words, very often, the ones who write those comments furiously are often the ones for whom the statement holds true.  And they often feel that the post or statement is derogatory towards them.

Second, the argument "na(x)alt" is half-baked because almost no argument or generalization made is all-inclusive. Nobody was saying it was all-inclusive. You knew that.  You're just trying to derail productive commentary because you feel bad because it shines a light on your poor decisions. 

Third, the exception proves the rule. If someone is the exception, then that fact proves the rule.  Otherwise, the counter argument would be "that never happens."

Fourth, those who really are the exception to the rule almost never say so on social media. This is almost like the other side of the coin from the first point. Those who yelp are the ones who got hit. Those who are the real outliers do not Yelp because the proverbial rock didn't hit them. They just don't care. 


What say you? Other observations?

11 Rules

Recently, I came across what is titled "Leykis 101." To be sure, I'd read and heard plenty by Tom Leykis. Nevertheless, I hadn't been as familiar with the codification of these rules.  So, here goes:

Rules ALL men should live by:

1. NEVER, EVER date a single mother.

2. Never do what you don't want to do. You make the money, you decide where you are going and what you are doing.

3. Don't ask a women what she wants to do.

4. Never tell a women how much money you make.

5. Don't EVER date co-workers!

6. Never answer the phone on the weekend.

7. Never spend more than $40 on a date.

8. NEVER approach a woman in a club who has her girlfriends with her.

9. If you are not getting laid by the 3rd date, dump her and move on.

10. No spooning, no cuddling, no staying over. Get in, get out!

11. Never be in a committed relationship UNTIL you are 25 or really ready to settle down.





There's not a lie in the bunch of them.  

10 Years Later

10 years ago, I went to an Appleseed clinic. I wrote much about this - both pros and cons of the program.  But I didn't write nearly as much as some of their folks wrote in retort. Many tried to defend the cons in many ways.  Therefore, I was curious what, if any updates the program had made to its curriculum.

Back in the early part of the year, a friend had told me she and her family were thinking about attending an Appleseed and she asked my thoughts.  I told her to try it. I also said I'd go and shoot, as well. 

But, I needed a goal above and beyond just being there for a friend.   So, I made my personal goal to be this: I wanted to earn the Rifleman patch with my M16A4 rifle. With a government profile barrel and bulk ammo, my task would not be a guarantee. My technique would have to be true.

Gear
My rifle is free floated, so I attached the sling swivel to the Midwest Industries free float rail.  This would prevent POI shift. The rifle uses an ACOG optic.
Bulk Federal American Eagle 55 gr ammo.
USGI cotton sling. 
Shooting Jacket and a heavy glove.

Preparation
I took my rifle to the range and figured out where the Federal AE ammo was hitting.  I did not adjust my zero - instead, I memorized the holdover.  At 25 meters, the ammo was hitting just above the 400-yard hash mark.

Also - I did not practice use of the sling. By my figuring, it has been 7 or 8 years since I've used a sling for shooting. This was done on purpose.

The Clinic -

My "Hits Count" target. Clearly, the lack of practice with a sling hadn't hurt too much. I was the only shooter to clean it in the morning of the first day. 



We moved on to instruction, then zeroing the rifles:

My zero target. Yep, Bunny can shoot. By this point, the instructors were asking if I'd done this before.  I let them in on the secret and showed them my patch from 10 years prior.

We did not shoot an AQT on Day 1.  We almost exclusively did zeroing and getting folks to shooting better groups. At the end of Day 1, we shot another "Hits Count" target.  All told, we shot fewer than 100 rounds on Day 1.

Instruction was MUCH improved.  There was a new, detailed instructional on how to apply and put on the sling. Instructions on the prone position were also improved.  

Also - I finally got to hear the Appleseed  3 Strikes of the Match talk.  This had not been presented in the clinics I attended 3 years ago. Some of the material had been discussed, but not in this way or in this much detail.  While there are sources on the internet that suggest Appleseed's "3 Strikes" material may not be 100% factual, it is a close enough retelling of the events that I wouldn't complain. 

Moving on to Day 2, we reviewed all of the instruction, verified zeroes again with the black squares, and had instruction on sitting, kneeling, and standing positions.  4 more shooters joined us (we had 5 on Day 1) to chase their patches.

Then we moved to the first AQT -

First AQT of the day, and I did what I came to do - earned a patch using my AR15 and bulk ammo.  One of the folks who had come to just the second day to chase his patch also earned it on this AQT.  It was his 3rd Appleseed. 

Several more AQTs were shot. All four of the folks who just came for Day 2 eventually earned their patches. Three of them from a single family earned patches on their second Appleseed.  One of the guys who had been there on Day 1 also earned his patch - it was his 4th Appleseed.

I pulled my AR15 off the line and brought out an iron sighted .22 - and proceeded to shoot the score several more times. 

I also got a few pictures:

Also - one of the red hat instructors liked my AR15 so much he wanted to shoot it -

So what about my statements from yesteryear - how do they apply to this clinic?

Since my first Appleseed, the program has directly addressed most of my criticisms:
- Appleseed no longer claims that their program will get you ready for combat.
- Appleseed no longer claims "run what ya brung." In fact, they sent out an email two weeks before the class, in which they detailed the difficulties one would have with certain rifle types. 
- Sling use was taught to be "just tight" - with two fingers of space on the upper arm loop. No more purple hands. 
- It was acknowledged that the sling-shooting came from NRA Highpower and CMP shooting. 
- They make no mention of teaching "rack-grade iron-sight shooting at 500 yards" like they used to.  Scopes were on every rifle. 
- The AQT is now called the Appleseed Qualification Test, and not the "Army Qualification Test."
- They have, by all looks, admitted that they are more of a beginner course, and it shows. This is good!

Cons, still there:
- They still do 2 & 8 on rapid fire, like NRA Highpower.  The USMC dropped the mag change. 
- Shooting hand mag changes and rifle manipulation. This is sport-style, not combat style.  Again, the USMC changed the way they do theirs in an effort to not have to teach recruits two different styles. 

The following are instances I noted where an instructor got something totally wrong:
- An instructor advocated doing a trigger job on the Ruger 10/22 and also an AR15 by removing metal via sanding.
DO NOT DO THIS!
DO NOT LET A GUNSMITH DO THIS!
Buy an aftermarket trigger of known quality. 
- An instructor advocated against use of a chicken wing while standing with the AR. 
Do not chicken wing when you are in a tactical situation. 
Do use a chicken wing for precision sport shooting.
- An instructor suggested that red dot sights are not for 100 yard shooting or 200 yard shooting.
In my classes, we take red dots out to 300 yards - I have multiple students who have qualified "Expert" at 300 yards with red dots. 
- A student was forced to use a bench rest due to medical conditions.  She was resting the barrel on the sandbag, not the stock.  I gave her the tip privately, and she asked the instructor, who said he forgot.   Fair, but this is something you should know.  


Summary
All in all, a good clinic.  My friends enjoyed it.  They want to go back and earn the patch.  I am very happy that the program no longer claims things that are not so.   I wish them well. 

In A Relationship

Seen on social media -

Just one problem -

Women are well known for having an entire make-believe world in their heads.  This includes being in relationships with men.  And being out of the relationships, as well.  So, as usual, there is no way for a man to correctly answer this.  

Presentation of the Rifle

Once you get your rifle zeroed, one of the best things you can do is work on your marksmanship. Being able to hit targets at distance - 100, 200, and even 300 yards is certainly attainable for any rifleman who has just a little bit of self-discipline.

Once your marksmanship is in order, the next thing you need to work on is what is called presentation. Presentation is the act of bringing the rifle to bear in a situation where there is an immediate threat. This can also be called an "up drill," or a "ready-up" drill.

Many instructors teach this from a "low ready," or "challenge" position. Although you are less likely to use the rifle in this manner, it is a great place to start. I'm more likely use would be from a "patrol ready" or muzzle down position.

These soldiers are patrolling with their muzzles down. Hence, it is sometimes called the "patrol ready" position. The rifle is slung, but not put away. Muzzles are pointed in a safe direction - down.

Naturally, presentation will take a little longer then it would form a low ready position. That's fine, because this is the most likely way you will deploy your rifle.

For training, start this drill at 7 yards. Work your way back to 25 and then 50 yards, eventually.
Also, incorporate turns.
Also, incorporate moving into other positions - kneeling and prone. 

Honesty in Sales

Recently, I received a call from a Yelp Account Executive.  His purpose was to sell me advertising for my martial arts studio.

I've received several such calls over the years. My studio has never - not once - had a prospect call that came from Yelp. If none call naturally, then paying extra probably won't generate much better results. I surmise that people do not venture to Yelp to find Martial Arts instruction in these parts. 

As a side note, Google and Facebook ads yield 8:1 returns on investment (ROI) and can be had for as little as $50. Yelp is far more expensive - $15 per day to start, from what I was quoted. 

All that said, Yelp does some things well. Particularly, if you wish to look up food places, Yelp is the place to go to do that.  Folks just don't go to Yelp to look up martial arts schools.

The account executive was relentless.  I like that.  He sent me via email an example of a success story.  He told me the success story was from a martial arts studio in my hometown of Chattanooga, TN. I asked if he would tell me the name of that studio - and if they would recommend Yelp advertising, I'd buy $600 in advertising "right this minute."

He declined to tell me the name of the studio - citing "privacy." Therefore, I ended the call. And I performed a Yelp search.

The graphs from the successful martial arts studio in Chattanooga. 









And then I performed the search -

Oh, wait, neither are martial arts studios!!!
One is a fitness trainer, the other is a place to do cycling, pilates, and yoga.  Quite different than martial arts. 


I wrote the account executive back and said,
Great talking to you.  The only paid advertisers on Yelp in the Chattanooga area are fitness studios - not martial arts.  100% total honesty is required for a long successful career in sales.  I wish you well.  

That's a guarantee I won't ever buy their advertising.

Co-Sleeping

The Transformed Wife  has an article out about the topic of co-sleeping. Co-sleeping is the act of children sharing the bed with Mom and Dad. The block author points out that this became popular in the US when a book about it was released in the 1970s.

Since then, a number of marriages have been ruined due to the wife's insistence on co-sleeping.

Co-sleeping is an integral part of attachment parenting. Yours, Truly, has so thoroughly thrashed attachment parenting in the past, that you can already guess where I'm going to go with my thoughts on the idea.

An anecdote that I can share comes from a family I know. Their eldest child was born just a few weeks before my own daughter was born. The mom decided to co-sleep with the baby. Fast forward a couple of years, and mom wanted another baby. The dad put his foot down and said that if she wanted that, then the eldest would have to learn to sleep on his own first. Evidently, they desire to become a mom again outweighed the desire to co-sleep. She taught her eldest to sleep in his own bed within a week!

Back to the article, The Transformed Wife approaches the subject very pragmatically. She advises that if the husband wishes to co-sleep, then do it. If the husband does not wish to co-sleep, then don't do it. Furthermore, she advises that there is not one verse in the Bible commanding parents to co-sleep with the children.

If you don't already, I would strongly advise you to follow The Transformed Wife blog. The blog is geared towards teaching women to fulfill their god-ordained duties as wives and mothers. And although she does not teach men, as that would not be scriptural, a lot of wisdom can be had by a man who can read the blog with a logical mind.

The Beard

On social media, I recently witnessed the friend of a friend state that clean shaven men are perceived as more trustworthy. Of course, he was in sales, and he felt that trustworthy equals a better salesman.

While it is true that people tend to buy from people they Trust, that does not mean that they do not trust people with beards. In fact, most of the successful sales people I know are men with beards.

So why the disconnect?

Simple. It is a faulty premise. Go online and you will see dozens of resources stating that women prefer men that are clean shaven.

The primary problem with those surveys is the fact that women don't know what they want.
A study by Meredith chivers conclusively proved two things - that a woman is not aroused by the sight of a man, shaven or unshaven; and, two, a woman is aroused most by watching bonobos mate. Now go and ask any woman on earth, and she will tell you that she is not attracted to bonobos mating. Women honestly don't know what they want, nor do they know what arouses them.

Moreover, the questions in the surveys can be slanted in one way or another.

The fact of the matter is men with facial hair get more job offers, and make more money.

Fair Trade

This is not a repo story, however there is quite a bit of humor.

Working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Memphis was an eye-opening experience, to be sure. One of my first days on the job at the largest location in the entire state at that time provided a bit of humor, as well as insight.

A female rental return a car, and had the audacity to ask if she could get $100 off for rental for flashing her breasts. A fellow employee grab the spare clipboard behind the counter and showed her the pre-printed page which read:

Want to trade "services" for all or part of your rental bill? *
Flash = $20
Feelski = $40
"The whole shebang" = $100
* Qualified applicants only.

Door Ding

This story was recounted to me -

I was in my first apartment. My wife and I have been married a short while. I come home one evening, and the apartment next door is hosting a party. This was not unusual.

However, I see my wife hearing out the blinds. She was not happy. When I walked in and asked her what the problem was, she told me that one of the partygoers had opened her car door into my wife's car door. Sure enough, there was a ding in my wife's car door.

At that time, I was having to work with my wife showing her how to handle many situations in life. She was too quiet to ever be considered confrontational, even to a fault. And this was one such situation. She had not confronted the person who dinged her car.

I decided to lessons would be learned.

Taking my wife by the hand, we went outside and confronted the young lady who had dinged my wife's car door. She didn't know what to say so she asked for help from a friend, whom she called "Mister." "Mister what," I don't know and would never learn. Nevertheless, this Mister kept trying to interject himself into the conversation between me and the young lady.

Several times, I brushed away mister, when he would try to interject. Finally, I turned towards him and asked flat out, "look, is this apartment yours? [No] Is this car yours? [No] Then butt out - because this conversation isn't yours, either."

Turning back to the young lady I put my plan into action. I asked how much her deductible was on her insurance - it was $500. I told her she owed me that $500 for the claim, that I had already written down her license plate number, and that if she did not pay me in cash, I would report her to the police for a hit and run. Surprisingly, she came up with the $500 cash within a day.

Naturally, I hired one of those dent removal places for about 25 bucks the next week.

Lessons Learned?
My wife learned to confront people who had wronged her.
The young partygoer learn to be more careful opening her car door in the future.
I don't think Mister learned anything.

On Fights

What Percent Of Fights End Up On The Ground [2019 Research]

This is a very interesting article.  Using videos of street fights, the author of the article calculated how many fights go to the ground.  It's not the 90%+ we have been told for years.  Roughly 30% of fights end up on the ground. 

This is not to say grappling and takedowns are useless - far from it.  Read the article and you'll find that when takedowns are employed, the takedown resulted in a major advantage 96% of the time.  However, more people fell down than initiated a takedown. This is probably due to the fact that there are just not many skilled grapplers as a percentage of the general population.

Most notable point of the article -


Most fights start with someone who’s unprepared getting punched in the face… even though there‘s lots of indicators it’s about to happen





The aggressor then gains the initiative with a flurry of punches… and often wins within seconds





Most losses were a result of not having a basic boxing protective stance or guard… and getting hit in the face by an unskilled opponent



Learn how to strike and defend strikes - no matter your martial art.  Learn how to read body language. 

On Chokes

Seen online -
I accidentally knocked out another white belt with a rear naked choke. He never tapped. He said he never felt it coming. 

This from a site where the white belt was asking for advice. It would seem the two white belts had less than one month of training each.  So here is some advice:

Two new white belts should never be training partners if it can be avoided.

The rear naked choke (RNC) does not hurt. Many people do not tap, because they do not feel pain.  There is a faint numbing feeling and most get a bit of tunnel vision as indicators.  A competent instructor will advise you of this. 

Getting choked unconscious like this is no big deal. 

More Bathroom Funny

 Pops would say this bathroom is bisexual.

QOTD

From Twitter -
I considered selling my weapons “back” to the government, but after a background check and thorough investigation into the buyer, I determined the buyer has a history of violence and is mentally unstable. Big risk to everyone around it.

Out of Touch

I have been debating whether to write a post on some silly things that Baby Boomers say. To be certain, I have received "advice" from Baby Boomers over the years that was exact opposite of what the truth was. Seeing this meme prompted me to go ahead and write down some memories.

Boomer advice - "stay with this company (to earn more)."
I was fresh out of college. I had taken my first job. It wasn't minimum wage, but it wasn't much more, either. Being a young man, and hearkening unto the wisdom of the Bible, I asked an elder for advice. This Boomer suggested that I stay with that company as long as I could, and that one day I "might be able to make enough to get by."

When I took a job just six weeks later, making nearly double, the Boomer looked very disappointed I have not stayed with the company. Of course these days I make almost triple what a manager with that company makes - which is commensurate with the experience, had I been there the whole 20 years.


Boomer advice - "hand-deliver resumes..."
Just like in the meme above, I was told to hand-deliver resumes in order to find employment. To be sure, the two jobs I just mentioned above I by hand delivering a resume, and filling out an application while I was there.

Every other job I've ever had required electronic application.


How about you? Any funny ones?

Buy Back

Beto O’Rourke vows mandatory buyback of assault weapons if elected president.

I only see a few problems with that:

1. Mine are not for sale. 
2. Neither are millions of others. 
3. To "buy back" indicates they once belonged to the government to begin with.  Not true. 
4. Use my tax money to disarm me? Nope.

Why Not Be Direct

From a social media post passive-aggressively attacking my classes (this is nearly 2 years old) -
"Respect is earned not given. You know who you are, not naming names, stop leading people along like you are giving value for their training, you are not. Your misgivings will get people killed or leave them in a bad way when survival needs come along.  Nothing, absolutely nothing is worthwhile if easily obtained."

Naturally, this individual had never taken a class with me - that's why he was too chicken to leave this review on my Facebook business page or my Google review page.   Of course, this person unfriended me right around the time he made this post. 

Not surprisingly, the person in question trains Krav Maga. Nothing wrong with that, per se; but I will quote  Ramsey Dewey here: "most Krav Maga practitioners I have met cannot fight their way out of a wet paper bag." This person also had attended two non-gun classes with constant statements to the effect of trying to disrupt the class.  Perhaps he was a plant from a group that was jealous?

Nevertheless, my most recent class was my best attended.  Have been blessed with more students this year than ever before.  Hit profitability early on in the year.   And the number of repeat clients grows every class.  Either we have people blindfolded, or they are learning real skills that will help them.

Car Rental Reservations

The holiday weekend is upon us. My thoughts and prayers are with the folks it major car rental chains who are dealing with customers who did not plan ahead for this weekend.

The Facebook page, Things I Learned at Enterprise  has some hilarious posts up. That is to say, if you were once and Rental, you can see the irony and the hilarity of it. I'm sure the humor might be lost on the others.

Every major car rental chain will over book reservations, simply because so many people do not show for their reservation. People would often ask: "what's the point of making a reservation if youre not gonna have my car?"  Here are a few statements that people use, or used to use, when someone had a reservation, but there was no vehicle to fill said reservation:

"It’s a reservation, not a confirmation... I’ll call you to confirm."

"Just let me go to the back and use my wizard powers to conjure up a vehicle for you, one sec."

"Reservation locks in the rate, not the vehicle."

Bumper Sticker Humor

From social media -
Just saw my new favorite electoral bumper sticker. “Any Functioning Adult 2020”

The irony, of course, is that for the first time in nearly 30 years, we actually have a fully functional adult fighting for Americans in the White House.  The #Libtards are just so backwards, they don't know their rectum from a hole in the ground.  

Older Is Not Better

"Can I bring my .303 SMLE or are only plastic space guns allowed?"
- #StupidBoomer commenting on a tactical rifle video. 


Folks, there is this myth out there that just will not die. The myth is that older guns are more reliable than newer guns. Specifically, that bolt action milsurp rifles are more reliable than modern AR platform rifles. Also, specifically, that revolvers are more reliable the modern semi automatic handguns.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I've had folks try to shoot their old bolt-action milsurp rifles in my classes. They had to switch out before midday in every instance. The old rifles just couldn't stand up to the "abuse" of a 100-round day.

When I teach a pistol class, if I see someone with a revolver, I know where I'm going to have to spend most of my day helping. They just cannot keep up with the Glocks, Etc. James Yeager  recently devoted a series of videos to this very topic.

Laughable

#GlobalistScum #NeverTrump idiot Joe Walsh announced over the weekend that he is running against President Trump in the 2020 Primary.

Walsh stated via Twitter -
Friends, I'm in. We can't take four more years of Donald Trump. And that's why I'm running for President.

It won't be easy, but bravery is never easy. But together, we can do it. Join me... join us: go to [redacted]

Let's show the world we're ready to be brave.


Can't take 4 more years of Trump? I'm curious which part he can't take -
- the great economy
- the low unemployment
- the peace though strength safety and security we enjoy
- keeping the hysterical wacky leftists under control


Reminder - Walsh is pro-choice and anti-gun. That's two of my three litmus tests. 

2A
Abortion
Taxes

Where do you stand? 

Who They Are In It For

I’m not a cop hater. I’m not a cop supporter either. I used to be a supporter. I may catch flack for what I’m about to say but "oh, well."

If red flag laws or total gun confiscation were passed tomorrow, I would hope police would not comply. However, I’ve seen enough videos of “good cops” violating rights. 

I hate to say it but those who serve and protect are only serving and protecting themselves these days just like everyone else.

LOGIC

The military does a lot of things right. However, just like any bureaucracy, they are prone to critical errors, as well. When I am teaching fighting skills, vets will often remark how what I teach is not exactly like what the military teaches. This is not coincidental, it is on purpose.

Here are some of the things that I teach differently, and why:

Room entry
I teach Israeli limited entry. It is more effective, and only slightly slower. It is also much safer. Finally, it takes advantage of natural human instincts, instead of trying to train new Instincts by force.

Fire Team
The Infantry Squad usually consists of two or three fire teams, each with four men. I teach fireteams beginning at 3 men, and working up to five men. At 6 men, we will separate into a pair of fire teams. This is simply done out of necessity, given that civilian trainees are usually fewer in number.

Shooting from cover
It is generally advisable to shoot from a position of cover (people tend to shoot back and getting shot sucks). The military, as they do with many things, over-simplifies this.  Military doctrine says never brace on the cover.  Reason - someone might be behind it and grab your barrel.  I teach that of the target is engaged and shooting back from a distance, use the cover to brace for a steadier shot. Reason - if he is shooting at you, he doesn't likely have a buddy right next to you on the other side of cover.  

Not Cut Out

This is not a repo story, but it is from my days in car rental. It was a very unfortunate situation oh, that was totally preventable.

At this stage in my car rental journey, I was a manager of a location. As the manager, I had gained a reputation among all of the local branches. If they had a trainee that just wasn't cutting muster, they would send that training to me. Within 90 days, that trainee would be shaped up or shipped out. Nevertheless, I never fired a single person. When they shipped out, they did so of their own accord.

I started all new and rehab trainees with a specific training program - just to make sure they understood the purpose and processes of car rental. Just about every single trainee learned how to fill in the gaps in their car rental knowledge with that training program. Now some figured out the car rental just wasn't for them, and they left the company soon thereafter. Of the ones who stayed, almost all of them became much better employees after undergoing the training.

One trainee stood out. And not in a good way. She just never quite figured out the systems and the processes. Her sales numbers were abysmal - and this was the only time that a trainee under my watch could ever say that. My trainees sold well. Except for her.

The car rental company had specific processes and procedures for normal day-to-day operation. Most trainees caught on to these within a week or two. This trainee in specific, never did catch on. Even after 3 months she still was unsure of what to do in just about every daily operation.

The first time she got written up for failing to follow proper procedure was epic. Very nearly rented a customer a car that belonged to a competitor. Yes, she picked up the car of a competitor at the airport, drove it to our branch, and very nearly rented it to somebody. All the while, she complained that she could not find that unit in the system. When I went to look at the key chain it became clear why that unit was not in the system - it belonged to another company!

The second time she got written up for failing to follow proper procedure was even more bizarre. The office was located inside of a body shop, and it was a Friday afternoon. The Body Shop Lobby was full of body shop customers. Similarly, our lobby was full of rental customers. She came in with the keys to a freshly washed car, and shouted out to me for verification the combination to the safe! At this point in time, she had worked there over three months and had gotten in that safe multiple times per day every day of those three months. Without making a scene I asked her to meet me in the other room, and I wrote her up.

The following week I had to have the talk with her about how I felt rental was not really in her future. She was a nice enough person, but she just didn't get it.

Red Dot Magnifiers

From a reader -
I liked your article on  optics for fighting rifles. One thing not mentioned in the article, but I wanted to ask your opinion on, is a red dot sight coupled with a magnifier? What is your take on that? Useless, or good kit?

Excellent question!

Magnifiers behind red dot sights usually come in 3x and 5x varieties. As a rule, they usually have a flip to the side mount. If they did not have a flip to the side mount, there would be virtually no difference between this setup and a regular scope - with the advantage going to the scope because of a better reticle.

As with scopes, the advantage to the magnifier is not that it helps you shoot better - it helps you see better. The red dot sight is quite possibly the best optic for close engagements, with regard to fast target acquisition. In combination, you really can get the best of both worlds.

Here are my thoughts:

1. Keep the magnifier flipped out to the side.
In the event of contact close, you will not have time to flip it to the side.   In the event of contact from further out, you will have a second or two to engage the magnifier.

2. Know your holdovers.
This is true for any and all iron sights or Red Dot Optics. Zero the optic at 100 yards or 200 yards, and go from there.

3. Be prepared for longer snap shots.
A Rifleman should be able to, from a patrolling position, drop to prone and deliver accurate fire on targets at 200 and even 300 yards, in less than 10 seconds. If that means you have to incorporate flipping the magnifier into place during that time frame, then so be it. If that means that you just have to take the sudden shot without a magnifier, then so be it.


Verdict - Good Kit.
As always, know and train for your caveats. 

Do Something

Every time there is a mass killing, liberals in America predictably start the chant, "we've got to do something!"

Of course, they ignore the advice of the sage, Ronald Reagan -
"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions."

Liberals ignore that advice because they detest personal responsibility.

However, personal responsibility is not the only thing that liberals try to ignore. Specifically, liberals try to ignore the facts:
"In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings.

On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose…

500 to Medical errors
300 to the Flu
250 to Suicide
200 to Car Accidents
40 to Homicide via Handgun

Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data."
- Neil deGrasse Tyson (via Twitter)

But should something be done?  For years, my reply to that question is a hearty "no." However, a recent YouTube video by  Gun Owners of America  has made me rethink that position. In short, I believe the following two things need to be done:

1. National constitutional carry.
All states, all the time.

2. Eliminate all gun free zones.
Carry allowed everywhere, all of the time, without restriction.


What say you?

Gun Control Analogy

After the recent mass killings, Warrior Poet  shared this video. Of particular interest in the video, he recounts this story:

In the 14th century, nearly one-third of Europe was wiped out by the Black Death - bubonic plague. As people were dying all around, some of the survivors mistakenly thought that the disease was being carried by cats. So they killed all the cats.

This worsened the problem, because as we know, the plague was spread by rats. Without the cats to kill the rats, the plague was spread even more. What we don't know is how many fewer people would have died, had the cats not been killed.

Gun control is like this - take the guns away from the good people, instead of the bad people. This will not help anybody in an active killer situation. Logic dictates that if there are fewer good people to kill the bad people, then the bad people will be able to kill more.

Furthermore, red flag laws and stricter background checks will not reduce the number of mass killings. They will only serve the purposes of bad people. It will only make it harder for good people to get guns. And, both will be abused, particularly against political enemies.

300

In my rifle classes, I teach Marksmanship out to 300 yards as part of the fundamentals. Many students will ask, why 300 yards? There are several good reasons for this distance.

Accuracy
An 18 inch Target at 300 yards is 6 minutes of angle. The standard battle rifle with ball ammunition is about a 4 minute of angle combination. A shooter who can hit all shots at 300 would, therefore, be shooting with a margin of error of 2 minutes of angle or less.

Practical
The parking lot of a typical grocery store or Walmart is usually around 300 yards wide. So a shot from this distance is very possible.

Practical II
A Rifleman who can make a shot on a 300-yard target, can make vital Zone hits at 200 yards, and head shots at 100 yards. 98%+ of all military and police sniper shots are taken under 200 yards.

Zeroes and hold overs
The most common zeros for the AR-15 rifle are the 100-yard zero, the 200-yard (also 50) zero, and the 300-yard zero (also 36). Holdovers and hold unders for these zeroes are very easy to teach side by side.

Wind
Even a strong wind is only going to have a minimal effect on the bullet in flight out to 300 yards.

Enjoyment
This is the most important one. You should see the smiles on people's faces when they hit a steel target at 300 yards.

Skill
Very few casual shooters ever shoot past 100 yards. For some reason, this is the longest that most ranges go. When a shooter knows they can engage out to 300 yards, the 100-yard target seems much easier.

Why not?
The only reason to not shoot out to 300 yards is if you do not have that much space available. The 300-yard shot can be made with a standard AR-15, a standard AK-47, and even AR and AK pistols.

It Starts At Home

A friend and good Patriot shared this via social media in response to the recent tragedies:

Fact:  There were 10,874 alcohol related fatalities involving a motor vehicle in 2017. Look it up. So, according to liberal logic, let’s ban all the cars to keep us “safe”. Pure ignorance. Nobody wants to address the root cause. Parents don’t parent anymore. No discipline and EVERYONE gets a trophy. Children aren’t taught how to handle adversity and learn from experience that life is not fair. Schools are no longer allowed to provide any meaningful discipline. In effect we are letting the inmates run the asylum, but no one will blame the parents because Johnny is special. Sure, there are legitimate illnesses in children, but I guarantee it is far less common in reality.  It starts at home!!

Fighting Back

Seen on social media - tips on surviving a mass shooting:

Here are a handful of considerations on what to do if you find yourself in a mass shooting. My opinion comes from decades as a cop, a couple years at war, and my experiences teaching active shooter response to cops for a few years.

1) Look for the easiest accessible *safer* place. In a place like Walmart there are multiple doors leading to back areas, stockrooms, freezers, etc. Every store or restaurant in a mall has an employees-only back area. Don't stampede with the crowd toward the main exits unless you're absolutely sure it's clear; mass shooters are looking for clumps of people to kill, so getting into a group makes you a more attractive target.

2) Remember that you're going to experience survival stress reactions like tunnel vision, auditory exclusion (you literally stop hearing), and critical incident amnesia (you forget major things that you just saw). Don't think that just because you gave your wife, children, or boyfriend clear instructions like "Run this way!" they heard or understood you. In a critical, lethal, dynamic, high-stress incident, your perception can become seriously flawed. This goes double if you're untrained or inexperienced.

3) In a critical incident about 75% of the population will experience "normalcy bias"; they'll see something insane happening right in front of them (like a guy walking into Walmart with an AK), and convince themselves that it has to be something normal. "Oh, he must be coming in to buy BBs for that airsoft gun," or something like that. Normalcy bias increases reaction time and can get you killed.

4) If you don't know exactly where the shooter is, don't blindly run for your life to get away. A better option might be to run to a covered or concealed spot, take a look around, choose the next spot, sprint to that, assess, choose the next spot, and so on, until you reach safety.

5) Do not assume that every mass shooter is an absolutely unstoppable Delta Force SEAL ninja. Most mass shooters are unskilled, untrained cowards who can operate a weapon and kill defenseless people, but can't and don't want to fight. Mass shooters tend to fold as soon as they face resistance. Many mass shooters have stopped their attacks because their weapons malfunctioned and they had no idea how to clear them. One of the Columbine shooters even managed to break his own nose when he fired a pistol grip shotgun at a victim. These people are murderous cowards, not brave warriors.

6) Mass shooters tend to show terrible situational awareness because they think they own the place until police show up. Their heads aren't on a swivel looking for threats, all their focus is on the victims they're hunting. The kind of guy who believes he's in complete control and enjoys murdering defenseless victims tends to get very upset if he's unexpectedly shot in the back of the head. So upset him.

7) If you carry a firearm, remember that if the shooter attacks and you're in his sights, you *have to* immediately fight back. If you're far enough away that you hear shots and screams but aren't under immediate threat, you *can* advance on the shooter and fight back. You decide what's best, but keep in mind that the best defense is a good offense.

8) If you choose to engage the shooter/shooters, take a moment to assess what you're up against. Do you hear multiple weapons, suggesting multiple attackers? Does the gunfire sound like it's from a large-caliber rifle, or .22 pistol? Is the shooter firing so fast that even with a drum magazine he'll have to change mags soon? Do you hear the attackers yelling anything? You might respond differently to a shooter slowly firing a .22 pistol and yelling "Where is she?" than to a shooter blasting rounds from an AK while shrieking "You will all die, traitors!" At least, I'd respond a little differently.

9) If you choose to engage, try not to go head to head. Maneuver. Flank. Circle around. Surprise him.

10) Stay low. There's a reason soldiers instinctively crouch when moving under fire: most people, especially untrained people, and especially untrained people firing fast, tend to shoot high.

11) Remember that all of us tend to search at head/eye level. The shooter probably won't notice the guy on the ground leaning out from behind a cooler pointing a pistol at him.

12) If you're going to engage, you have to close distance. Concealed carriers and off-duty cops generally carry a small or medium-sized pistol, often with no spare ammo. You're probably not going to put a mass shooter down with six rounds from your .380 from 90 yards away.

13) On that note, and I don't care what you hear from others, CARRY SPARE AMMO. No, you don't need it for typical defensive firearm use, but a mass shooting isn't typical. If you expect to fight, carry ammo to sustain a fight.

14) If you put down the shooter, do a fast threat scan for secondary shooters and then put your weapon away. If at all possible, DO NOT have a weapon in your hands when officers arrive.

15) Remember that any form of resistance can save lives. If you shoot at him and miss but stop him from advancing on potential victims, you've saved lives. If you miss and he runs away, you've saved lives. If you miss but force him into a restricted area and he stays there because you're covering the exit, you've saved lives.

That's all for now, maybe I'll post more later. We armed citizens, and good decent Americans are all in this together; let's flip the script on mass shooters, make them scared, and put them down the moment they try to live out their murderous, cowardly fantasies.

Stay safe, and stay ready to defend yourselves, your families and your fellow citizens.

Rifle Craft

The art and craft of the rifle is something every patriot should study well.  And while I advocate  certain minimum competencies, that's not where the story ends. 

When compiling ideas that became the following recommendations, many sources were consulted.  The two that became the greatest influence were the  USMC Table 1 and Table 2 courses of fire, and the Instructor Rifle Standards from  Valor Ridge.


Prone
Supported prone - magazine monopod, bipod, or rucksack - hit targets at 300 yards 6 times out of 10, minimum.  10 out of 10 is doable from all three. 

Snap shot in 10 seconds. 

Sitting
Use sitting when you would use prone, but you cannot get a clear line of sight from prone. 
Sitting - hit targets 6 times out of 10 at 200 yards, minimum.  10 out of 10 is doable. 

Unsupported prone - just resting on elbows - 200 yards is the effective range.  This is about as stable as kneeling.

Snap shot in 8 seconds. 

Kneeling
This refers to braced kneeling only. 
Braced kneeling - hit targets 6 times out of 10 at 100 yards, minimum. 10 times out of 10 is doable. 

Snap shot in 6 seconds. 

Standing
Standing /  Unsupported kneeling / Double kneeling - hit targets 6 times out of 10 at 50 yards. 10 times out of 10 is doable. 

Snap shot in 4 seconds. 


Caveats
For standing and kneeling positions - any time you can use an object to brace your shot - do so.  Bracing the shot can double your effective range. 

For standing and kneeling positions - any time you are shooting around cover and are leaning out, unable to brace - this is called turkey peeking. 
Unbraced turkey peeking cuts your effective range in half. 

"Snap shot" refers to starting from standing in a ready position and moving into position and getting a shot off.  A ready-up is a type of a snap shot. 

Outfit Your AR15

Your AR-15 rifle needs to have the following things:
Sighting apparatus.
Backup "iron sights," if the primary sighting apparatus is an optic.
A sling.

Although not needed, it is okay if your AR 15 has a forward grip of some sort.


Your AR-15 does not need:
A bipod.
A three-point sling.
Extended levers.
Other "tactical" equipment.


Caveats:
* If you know what a PEQ is, then by all means, use one.
* If you know how to use your AR-15 rifle in a Designated Marksman capacity, then use a bipod, if you want.

Rifle And Pistol Minimums

People ask me all the time my thoughts on what is a minimum competency level with a handgun or rifle.

For starters, let's look into what is really important when it comes to self defense with a firearm. The following criteria are absolutely not negotiable. These things must be understood.
1. You must be able to hit what you are aiming at.
2. You must be able to remedy stoppages.
3. You must be able to bring your gun to bear fast enough to make a difference.
4. You must be able to do 1 through 3 smoothly.

Definitions.
You will need to know these definitions for the following competencies.
* Muzzle down - also known as position Sul, this is where your rifle muzzle is pointing down, about a half meter in front of your own feet.
* Low ready - this is where your muzzle is pointing just below the feet of a potential target in front of you.
* Minimum - this is the very minimum requirement. It does not indicate proficiency.
* Proficient - this is the amount that demonstrates proficiency. It does not indicate mastery.


Pistol
1. Hit an actual size target (such as an IDPA target) from 25 yards. 
Minimum - 6 out of 10 shots.
Proficient - 10 out of 10 shots. 

2. From low ready, fire one shot, "tap-rack-bang" a second shot.
Minimum - 6 seconds or less. 
Proficient - 3 seconds or less.

3. Draw from concealment and fire one shot in a vital zone target from 21 feet.
Minimum - 2 seconds or less.
Proficient - 1.5 seconds or less.


Rifle
1. Hit an actual size target at 300 yards.  Just you and your rifle (no outside support).
Minimum - 6 out of 10 shots.
Proficient - 10 out of 10 shots. 

2. From Low Ready, fire - "tap-rack-bang" fire again.
Minimum - 6 seconds.
Proficient - 3 seconds.

3. From position Sul, make ready and fire from 21 feet. 
Minimum - 2 seconds.
Proficient - 1.5 seconds.


Happy training!

What Choke?

Legendary kickboxer Bill "Superfoot" Wallace recently did an interview with the "Karate Nerd." As I've followed the Karate Nerd on YouTube for several years, I was very interested in seeing the video. 

The video certainly had its interesting points.  It was well worth watching.  However, "Superfoot" got one of his facts wrong.  He claimed that Gracie choked Shamrock with his (Gracie's) belt.  Ironically,  a few years ago, Shamrock alleged he was choked with  Gracie's sleeve.

Of course, Shamrock was not choked with the gi or the belt.  He was choked via  "bulldog choke" - a RNC variant.

At the time, Wallace noted it was a rear naked choke. Wallace actually used the term, and followed up with calling it "hadaka jime" - which is Japanese for the same.  

I am not sure if Wallace remembers clearly, or (hopefully not) is intentionally misleading. It comes across as if he is trying to stay relevant. 

Always Ask Why

Recently told me the following tale:

A young woman had just completed making her first-ever Thanksgiving dinner. She and her husband had been married that very summer, and it was the first time the in-laws had come over for a meal. The turkey and all the fixings had been good, to be sure. However, the ham had been superior.

As the mother-in-law complemented the ham, she was struck curious buy one thing. The end of the ham had been cut off and removed, and was nowhere to be found. When she why the end of the ham have been cut off, the young woman explained was something that her mother had always done, and she simply duplicated that task.

This got the young woman to thinking. Later, at Christmas dinner with her own family, the young woman passed her own mother why she cut the end off the ham that she prepared for holiday meals. The mother replied that cutting off the end of the ham is what her own mother had always done. The mother had simply repeated the process.

The young woman was now mightily curious. She went to the living room, and asked her grandmother about the habit of cutting off the end of the ham in preparation for family meals. The grandmother replied that her first oven was very small, and she had to cut off the end of the ham in order to make it fit. Clearly, the mother had witnessed her do this, never asked why, and simply duplicated the task. In turn, the young woman had watched her mother do this, never asked why, and duplicated the task.

The lesson in this Parable is clear - critical thinking.

We must always be asking why. We must continue to make hypotheses, and test them using the scientific method. We must never accept the results of a single experiment as absolute truth. But more than anything, we need to continue to ask why. Don't just do something because it has always been done that way.

Many people, in both the martial arts and military communities, will simply repeat what they have learned, never asking why. Overbearing instructors make questioning painful oh, so they accept what is talk to them, without ever looking at it objectively. Furthermore, these people will frequently get very offended if you ask why and challenge the status quo.

Always ask why. Always Be striving towards continual Improvement.

LEO Derp

San Luis Obispo police chief accused of coverup over stolen gun.

Things that happened according to the article that just are not good:

1. The chief lost her duty gun. She forgot it in the bathroom of a restaurant.

2. She didn't report it missing right away, despite the fact that she was supposed to. 

3. She investigated herself, instead of enlisting the aid of others.

4. She attempted to cover it up - even asking for a cell phone call from dispatch, so as not to be recorded.

5. Officers were sent to the wrong house to find the gun.

6. When the resident of the wrong house pointed out that his was the wrong house, officers took his children away from him!!!

7. A county social worker lied about a picture being taken of the wrong house in question - to help the JBTs cover up their mistake!

8. Over 7 hours later, the pistol was reported missing. 

9. The city manager fined the chief $1600, yet praised her on her "integrity throughout the incident."


I really wanna respect LEOs, but their repeated behaviors do not easily permit that respect. 

Bad Training

Numerous people have asked me what kind of skills and drills to work on in their own personal gun training. Truly, there are a lot a different drills out there. Most of them are good drills. A very small minority of these drills don't really help the shooter much.

The problem is when good, reputable gun training facilities include these drills that don't help people much. Some are beyond the scope of reality. Some put a certain Dogma ahead of practical reality. And some of these drill simply look cool, but have no real benefit.

So why do good, reputable gun training facilities include drills such as this? Legitimate question. Very often it comes from one of two mentalities. The first is that a drill was either seen or created by somebody with combat experience, and he sees a certain value in the drill, from a very specific point of view. The second mentality is that this drill is very obscure, and the instructor is good at it, and it gives him a sense of superiority over others.

Combat experience
Just because somebody was in the Infantry, or otherwise a combat vet, does not mean that they will automatically make a good gun instructor. In fact, very few good infantryman will wind up making good instructors. The skill sets are totally different.

Also, you will see the occasional vet who really only saw one firefight. The worst student in the world is the one who has been in one gun fight. Similarly, the worst teacher in the world is the one who has been in one gun fight. Human Nature would predicate this individual to think that all fights will be like the one they experienced.

Even for the Vets who saw multiple firefights, this does not mean they have a really good idea of what is really needed. Most people are terrible at seeing trends. Additionally, poor technique could have been used in all of those, and yet the military came out on top, due to other reasons. The plural of anecdote is not data.

Additionally, just because something works for the military does not mean it will work for civilians. Military operations have rules, support, and other factors the civilians will not have. And the reverse is true as well, civilian operations will have rules, factors, and situations that are not true of the military.

Obscure technique
The instructor, school, or organization who builds their training around obscure technique or techniques, frequently does so because they do not understand the circumstantial nature of combat. Often, they have been proven wrong in other things, so in order to keep the air of "instructor invincibility," they resort to obscure techniques.

Additionally, in this category, one might include drills using techniques beyond their scope. For example, I once attended a class where the topic was peeking out from behind cover on either the left or the right. Of course, when you went to the offside, you used the technique of switching shoulders. However, at this class, targets were engaged at much longer distances than one would normally shoot from when using this technique. The students were not allowed to brace on the cover, being told that somebody might be on the other side ready to grab the gun. Of course, logic dictates, that if there was an enemy just on the other side of the cover, then the person at distance would not be firing in the direction of his buddy.

Also in this category one would include techniques that are not commonly seen on the battlefield, that have been long since discarded. An example of this might be the use of the loop sling by certain organizations. Certainly, no one argues that the correct use of a loop sling will enhance accuracy at long range - but most snipers prefer to use bipods or build a stable platform in some other manner.

At the root of the Obscure technique is the instructor or instructors who are afraid of missing, or being proven wrong. Everybody misses a shot from time to time, and nobody is 100% perfect. And never have I attended a class, nor taught a class where somebody expected the instructor to hit every shot and be perfect.

Summary
Let logic be your guide.  This is a concept I have borrowed from the venerable Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch. It is the five letter word at the top of all of my handouts.

It Is Written

This meme was posted on social media. 

"To the women who are aggressive: keep being assertive.
To the women who are bossy: keep on leading.
To the women who are difficult: keep telling the truth.
To the women who are too much: keep taking up space.
To the women who are awkward: keep asking hard questions."


Let's dig into this!

1. To the women who are aggressive: keep being assertive.
It is written in Titus 2:3‭-‬5 (emphasis mine) -
In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered.

2. To the women who are bossy: keep on leading.
It is written in 1 Timothy 2:12 -
I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent.

3. To the women who are difficult: keep telling the truth.
It is written in Proverbs 15:1 -
A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.

4. To the women who are too much: keep taking up space.
It is written in Ephesians 5:22‭-‬24 -
Wives, submit  to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.

5. To the women who are awkward: keep asking hard questions.
It is written in 1 Corinthians 14:33‭-‬35 -
Since God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,  the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting.



All 5 points in this modern abominable urging are anti-scriptural.