Thursday, February 27, 2020

Bad Moms 3

We had been living in the Nashville area for a while. Eventually, we let my mom come over. This started the "fun."

A couple of years after she bought her house in Gallatin, she had some misfortune. Her AC unit went out. My dad, my brother, and I all received the same email, titled: "RETAIN AN ATTORNEY!" She accused one of us of sabotaging her AC unit. For years afterwards, she would refer to the time that "your daddy destroyed my air-conditioner." The funny thing was he'd had outpatient surgery on the day she accused him of sabotage.

Not long after that, perhaps six months or so, she sent an email asking to "trade houses." I would pay the mortgage on the Mount Juliet House, but live in the Gallatin House. She would pay the mortgage on the Gallatin House, but live in my Mount Juliet House. Naturally, I declined.

Some time later - perhaps a year or so - more "fun" happened. I was out of town at work. My wife calls me in a panic. My mom had come over and asked for me. My then-3-year-old son had just opened the door to her (my wife would not have) - and any normal child should feel free to open the door to a grandparent. And we hadn't taught my son different... there hadn't been a reason in quite some time.

She asked for me. I was out of town, and would be for a couple more days. She said that was OK, she would wait!!! After a while, my wife needed to run an errand, so my mom went and waited in her car in the driveway. My wife stayed away with the two kids '(my daughter a baby at the time) and called me in the panic to explain what happened.

I called my mom and tried to reason with her. That did not work. I then called the Mount Juliet police and convinced them to go by and ask her to leave.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

5 Styles

Martial Arts styles. 

Many strikers who hear the word "styles," might think karate, or kung-fu, or taekwondo. Many grapplers might think "Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ)," or Sambo, or wrestling.

But let's go a different direction. How does a person fight - using their chosen art or arts? Based on some of the styles of boxing, let's break down different fighting styles. 

Pressure
In boxing, this is sometimes called the "swarmer." The concept is to constantly apply technical combinations and press them into making a mistake.  This is a blend of a brawler and a technician.  

Brawler
The concept here is to rely on strength and toughness.  Get into a scrap and trust that you are tough enough, strong enough, and have just enough offensive and defensive technique to bring it together. 

Distance Control
Sometimes in boxing, this is called an "out-boxer." In jiu-jitsu, this is called distance control or distance management. This person stays out of range until the time is right, then strikes (or grapples). Usually, this is the fighter who does not have massive strength, so they must rely on good setups, timing, angles, and opportunities - and they must control the distance at all times.  

Counter
In boxing, this can be called the counter-punncher.  The concept is to wait for the opponent to make a mistake, then capitalize. Sometimes, a pre-emptive attack can be made based on the opponent's "tells."

Technician
This is someone who specializes in technical knowledge and execution.   They may adopt any of the above styles, depending on what will work.  This blended approach is difficult, but is very effective when properly applied.


Monday, February 24, 2020

Sad Old Man

Can't put this one under "humor." It's too sad. 

Not only can this Boomer not read... he also tries to hijack someone else's ad. Not cool. 

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Bad Moms 2

Picking up from last week - where my mom had moved into a Farm House to prevent me from moving there.

I had instructed my dad to not tell her where I lived. I knew she would show up unannounced and try to force us out of that location, as well. She was strange like that. Well, Pops respected that wish for several months. Then he let it slip. We had been at that apartment 3-4 months when there was a knock at the door.

My mom was there, and had brought my grandmother. We let her in and tried to be cordial... but it soon got tense. She wanted to "trade" residences. "Let" me live at the farm house, and pay rent on the apartment where she would live. I told her the landlord would not allow subleasing - but she persisted. I persisted more and she finally left in a huff.

As she was driving off, I met her in the parking lot. She rolled down the window of her car and I told her "do yourself a favor and don't do that again." She played dumb, but I stood my ground.

She showed up a couple more times, but we did not answer the door.

When the 6-month lease was up, we moved. I kept the same home phone number, but did not tell my dad or other family members. We had signed a 1-year lease and we couldn't afford to break it if she found out. My discussion with Pops later was very emotional on both sides. I told him straight up that I could not tell him where I lived because he would just tell her. That understandably hurt his feelings tremendously.

It was a terrible request to have to make of a father.

Fortunately, she would change her target of her insanity. She did that frequently. After the year was up, we moved to Memphis with my job. So we were now too far away for her to just drop by. A year and a half later, my then-job moved us to Nashville, so we were much too far away for her to drop in on. And we thought the problem was solved. A year later, in 2002, we bought our house.

Less than two years later, she bought a house in the Nashville area. More to come on this...

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Gun Class Mistaken Identity

People often have mistaken ideas about what good gun training is. Some think it involves a "safety class." Others believe it is all about the handgun carry permit. And still others think it is about how to shoot at the most fundamentally mundane level ever.

One thing people will say, when they hear you teach firearms classes, is something along the lines of "like a handgun safety class." Look, there's a reason that virtually nobody takes the NRA safety classes. 8 hours - 6 of it in a classroom, then only two hours and 50 rounds fired??? Not my idea of fun. Not to mention that the NRA shoots itself in the foot each time they help Negotiate our Rights Away. Every class I teach has a heavy emphasis on safety - but there is also (safe) fun, as well!

Possibly the most common reply people make when they find out I teach gun classes is something along the lines of needing to take the carry permit class. I agree with them that they should, and add that they should then call me to teach them how to fight with the handgun. The look is amazement - how can there possibly be a class after the permit class??? Then a summary of the permit class, and a quick overview of mine, and they are astonished. Things that have not yet been though race through their minds.

The final major mistaken idea is that I teach something so fundamental and mundane. "Oh, I know how to shoot." Is the reply. Of course you know how to point the gun and pull a trigger. This is about consistently hitting what you aim at. This is about practical applications of marksmanship. This is about fixing the stoppage in your gun before the bad guy stops you. This is about proper use of cover and concealment. This goes a bit beyond point and shoot at a can in the back yard, Skippy.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Good Guys Win

Couple wins $115K verdict against TBI agents for home invasion.

From the article -
West Tennessee couple has won a rare $115,000 verdict against two Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents whom they had accused of illegally barging into their Lake County home without a search warrant.

Summary -
Two TBI agents forced their way into the couple's house without a warrant, after the homeowner, Fred Wortman, told them to leave.  The agents (criminals?) were attempting to collect evidence in a case against Wortman's son. 

Opinion -
Glad the family won this case. 
Neither of these agents should be permitted to work in law enforcement ever again. 
Both agents should also be prosecuted (and found guilty) of breaking and entering and attempted murder.
Wortman should have shot them both dead and cleared under Castle Doctrine.
The fine should have been much larger. 

When we hear these stories, some Boot Lickers always say it was just one (or two) "bad cops." But we keep getting these incidents. In every precinct, every day. By new and different cops. And the "good cops" do nothing. 


Monday, February 17, 2020

Competing Gun Schools



The only thing worse than a Boomer who cannot read, is a Boomer who cannot read and who also operates a competing gun training school.

Dear Boomers,
Want a free tip?
Click the link.  It won't hurt you. 
Read. It's all spelled out for you. 
Don't sh!tpost competing schools - it doesn't look good on yours. 

Would you really want to take a class from someone who does this?

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Bad Moms

Donovan Sharpe details a situation where his mother made some poor decisions and essentially price gouged him. In summary, he was needing to live with her until he got back on his feet. She started by charging him $300 per month in rent. As he got raises due to exceptional performance at work, she forced him to pay more - eventually raising the rent to over $1000 per month!

This reminds me of a situation I once found myself in. After graduating college and getting married, my plan was to move to my dad's farm near Jackson, TN. Nobody was living in the house at the time. My mom had lived in that house at one point, but had moved back to Chattanooga after my sister graduated High School. My dad and I had reached an arrangement for rent.

Over the weeks leading up to the wedding, I made a couple of trips to the farm house and moved some extra belongings into the house. There was some preliminary drama - and that should have been my red flag! She goes over to the farm house, and calls me to tell me she is going to discard some stuff in the attic area. Since most of it was my belongings, I told her not to discard any of it - I would clean it out when I moved in.

She insisted and acted like she didn't know what was what - which was a legit excuse with her as she paid absolutely ZERO attention to any detail. I made an extra trip to go over and retrieve my things. Had to use a truck and pay extra in gas, and I was very upset about that.

As Donovan Sharpe said in the video - my mom made incredibly selfish decisions at the most critical points in our lives.

After I move my things out, she leaves the house again. I plan to change locks when I move in after the wedding and the honeymoon. That plan went up in flames. We get back to Chattanooga from the honeymoon, and my mom is not there. She is in West Tennessee at the farm house. I confirm with my dad that he hasn't given her permission to be there, and I do have permission as I'll be paying rent.

The plan changes - now I plan to be at the farm house only a few months while we save for a rent deposit.

We go to West Tennessee with our most basic things. She is there. It was late in the day and we had little choice - we stayed there as did she. The next day, we were out looking for jobs. The market there was much better than was the job market in Chattanooga in 1998. Within three days, we had both found gainful employment. For those days, we stayed in a cheap motel.

We rented an apartment before the week's end. I instructed my dad and family not to tell her where we were - I knew she would try to show up there and "force us out." She was very strange like that. More on this next week...

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

The Truth

Finally, 2 years later, one of the formerly #FakeNews blogs has learned the truth from Global Vision Bible Church pastor Greg Locke. In a turn of real honest decency, the author apologized for the errors and half-truths.

No, it wasn't  PP - don't expect them to recant or apologize.

Of course, I had blogged about all of this back then.  Greg is a personal friend as well as my pastor and I had a pretty good idea of exactly what was going on and when. Interestingly, I'll be making no recants nor issuing any apologies in this one... my material was and is 100% factual and hasn't changed since Day-1.


Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Boomer Can't Read

Another entry in the Wall of Shame, when it comes to stupid comments you find on gun class advertisements. The last installment was so well-received, that I have decided to post as many of these as possible.

It always amazes me how many people will not read the description... particularly on a text based platform.

This Boomer writes:
"Six hundred rounds a minute you dont have to be a marksman, JUST POINT IT AT THE STATE THEY LIVE IN."

But the joke is on him, because it is only a 200 round day. In fact, the entire morning portion is dedicated purely to Marksmanship. Participants shoot out to 300 yards.

Clearly he did not read the description.


Monday, February 10, 2020

You Know, Biology

Interesting study at this link.

Average male punches 162% harder than the average female. Even the weakest male punches harder than the strongest female.

I'm sure an exception could be found. And that exception would prove the rule. 


Friday, February 7, 2020

Thursday, February 6, 2020

More Winning

Tuesday evening, President Trump delivered the finest ever State of the Union address.  Wednesday afternoon, the US Senate acquitted him of the (false) impeachment articles. 

Lefty says,
The Democrats just lost the 2016 election for the umpteenth time. #ImpeachmentTrial

Romney was the line senator to "break ranks" and "vote with the other side."

I disagree with the characterization of "breaking rank." Mittens has never been conservative, nor will he ever be conservative. Simply having a letter R next to his name means nothing - he is a socialist through and through. He always has been. 


Wednesday, February 5, 2020

SOTU 2020

President Trump gave the State of the Union address last night. Many pundits and the like will be doing their analysis today.  Here's mine. 

Summary
- Trump doesn't shake Pelosi's hand
- Trump gives out a scholarship
- Melania puts a medal on Rush Limbaugh
- Trump calls for abortion ban.
- Trump calls to protect prayer in schools.
- A soldier is reunited with his family
- Pelosi rips up the speech

The White House on Pelosi's petulance:
Speaker Pelosi just ripped up the story of a Tuskegee Airman.
A child receiving the opportunity to go to the school of her choice.
The survival of a child born at 21 weeks.
The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller.
A service member's reunion with his family.
That's her legacy.


A friend mentioned on social media after the speech:
Go scroll through your Facebook feed... that's how divided we are.  It hurts me on a level that I can't explain.

Well, let's put it this way -
If the Right stopped fighting today, there would be no country left.
If the Left stopped fighting today, there would be no fighting. 

Only one side can be held truly responsible for the division. 


Tuesday, February 4, 2020

He Didn't Mean To Say That

When you run ads for gun training classes, you will find that you get some really interesting replies from time to time.

This reply "too pricey for me."

This on a $120 one-day carbine class. For those who do not know, big name schools in this state charge $500 to $600 for a two-day class. Smaller schools charge $100 to $150 per day.

This is where the law of unintended consequences kicks in.

What he thought he said.
"This class is too expensive for what it is."

What he really said.
1. I cannot manage my finances.
2. I have never been to any sort of training class.
3. I did not read the class description.

Make no mistake, he did not say one of those three things... he said all three things.

Personally, I do not like to admit to so many faults on social media. However, I will not tell another grown man how to live his life. Do yourself a favor, don't be like this guy.


Monday, February 3, 2020

What Style?

Stock image of "Master Ken" to illustrate a self-created "style."

Many years ago, when people would call about martial arts, they would often ask if what I taught was like "abc" style (insert style you've never heard of).

If my wife answered the phone, this would confuse her.  She would say "I dont know, you're gonna have to ask the instructor."

Needless to say, that usually went over like a pile of bricks. I never once closed a sale calling back on one where she said that. 

So what I did was give her a list of all the major styles.  Then, when people did ask that question, she would look it up - and when that style wasn't on the list, she would turn it around using a script I gave her - "there are likely a few similarities, but what we teach is the self defense application of Judo - the most practiced style in the world. So when your instructor or whomever created that style, they did probably copy some of our tried & true material."

I only once failed to close a sale on a call back on one of those.