RECCE ROOM

Folks, take your training seriously. This event happened to a student of mine some time back. This student had taken a pistol class from me. *names, locations, and nonessential details omitted for privacy reasons* Student was returning home. A criminal predator lay in wait for student, armed with a metal rod. As student exited the car and began to make his way into his house, the predator attacked. The predator struck the student with the rod, and again. Student was trying to get away and create space. The predator closed in and prepared for a clubbing overhead blow. Student covered his head in a manner depicted in the picture above. Student drew and fired his handgun - of a common make and caliber. One shot, center mass. Predator attempted to continue the assault, but was quickly running out of steam... and then it was over. Police on the scene (many minutes later) judged it to be justifiable self defense. Student would like to share: " It's important to me that they [pe...

Last week, Rener and Ryron Gracie posted a  YouTube video  that defines their revolutionary approach to teaching jiu-jitsu for its original intended purpose: self defense. In the video, they make numerous pertinent points, each of which deserving a blog post of its own. Among the points that stood out to me was the fact that by removing sparring for the newest students, they have better prepared their students for real self defense, and at the same time have increased their enrollment and retention. Not coincidentally,  they have also noticed a reduction of injuries. Count this among the upgrades I will install at my studio. Posted via Blogaway

A man was legally carrying a firearm in a Wal Mart when he was suddenly attacked from behind by another man who was screaming "this man has a gun!" Link to the story . This "activist" is fortunate he didn't try to restrain a well-trained individual. He wouldn't have lived to have been arrested. .

Mississippi Rebel has a new post up - this one dealing with the silly policies of pizza delivery companies who would rather you get shot than be able to shoot back. Go check it out.

This site has ten really good tips for you to improve your shooting skills for self defense.

Many people will ask a jiu-jitsu instructor what the most common moves are in a fight. The full answer has many layers. - One possible avenue of answer might involve the most commonly used techniques between two people who both know and practice jiu-jitsu. - Another answer might be based around the most common moves used in MMA or similar. - A third possible answer might center around the most likely moves used by a jiu-jitsu practitioner if attacked. And while there will be some (natural) variation in the three collections, some techniques will be broadly applicable. Most Likely Moves for Self Defense Yep, name says it all. Here are the moves you need to learn for self defense, in order of importance: 1. Rear naked choke.  This is the most likely to be used, and the most simplistic and effective. 2. Straight arm lock from the guard. Once you learn how to use the guard to neutralize the attacks of a larger opponent who happens to be on top, you must realize that t...

A man tried to rob a Waffle House at gunpoint. A law-abiding citizen shot him. Now, the robber's family is calling for more gun control . Of course, what the article doesn't mention is that these people want their criminal family members to simply have a safe working environment. .

North Carolina. Castle Doctrine. Gang activity. Home break-in. One headshot. Other accomplice runs. Folks in the getaway car leave. Here is a news story on the event. And here is the ar15.com thread . .

Knock and it shall be opened... just not the way this guy thought. A fugitive knocked on the door of a house belonging to a martial arts instructor. Said instructor knew the fugitive was on the loose, and answered the door armed with a gun. Long story short ... it didn't end well for the fugitive. .

A while back, I was made aware of a "street fight" caught on film. The two antagonists are described in some youtube clips as a "DJ from New York" and a "Truck Driver." I'm not sure if those descriptions are accurate, but for the sake of this article, the simple descriptions "DJ" and "TD" will suffice. Here is the clip (warning: mature language and real violence): Here is a link to Rener and Ryron Gracie doing a breakdown. Very insightful. Lessons learned: DJ is overly aggressive with his verbage and by throwing the first punch. In that respect, he did get what he deserved.  TD punches DJ 11 times after the knockout, by my count. Not needed. Overkill.  Neither man wanted to go to the ground, but the fight went there very early on. Understanding grappling positions and transitions is vital to self defense.  Understanding how to throw a punch and how to defend a punch is vital to self defense.  No kicks were thrown i...

Krav Maga This martial art / fighting style was conceived by a man that thinks it's a good idea to carry a pistol with an empty chamber. This means I'm not entirely sure I can trust him to teach someone how to fight. .

That's LA for Louisiana. Here's the link . Short version: Bethany (age 29) was kidnapped by the father of her son. Bethany's family finds out where she is being held. Bethany's family is NOT happy about how long the police are taking. Bethany's family kicks down the door and a fight ensues. Kidnapper is fatally shot in the melee. .

Introducing a way of life. Much like the concept of the Japanese "-do" (i.e. - aikido, judo, etc.), the merging of classical streams of thought on a well-balanced life (a way to live) into a single name for the sake of forging a new term for an old-fashioned and time-tested way of living is needed. I present to you: The American Rifleman.  (Yes, I borrowed the term from the NRA - it seemed best suited for the job!) Life, Liberty, Family The American Rifleman realizes that the greatest gift one can possess is that of life, and immediately following is that of liberty. Hence, these are the things most needed to defend. Life without family and friends is fulfilling and this is known to the American Rifleman as well. These constitute the reason for life for the American Rifleman. Rifle Craft The American Rifleman owns a workable rifle that is well maintained and ready at a minute's notice to be employed in the defense of the American Rifleman's freedom, lif...

I get asked a LOT what my go-to gun is for SHTF situations. Typically, on this blog , I've gone the route of explaining advantages to major or otherwise common setups. However, for this one article, I'll break with tradition and give you an idea of what you'd see me carrying if you survived the first day of the apocalypse. RIFLE I like a lot of platforms. The AR15 is clearly my choice for a number of reasons. Of the different AR15 configurations, my #1 choice is the RECCE style setup. It combines the length and maneuverability of the M4 with the accuracy of a NRA highpower rifle. Here is is: The rifle has been outfitted with: - an RRA match grade trigger - a 12" LaRue quad rail - 16" SS barrel from Black Hole Weaponry - Magpul furniture - ACOG (with LaRue quick detach mount) The ACOG is one of many choices in optics. The reason I went with the ACOG on my RECCE, as opposed to keeping it on my M16A4 clone is simple... the ACOG I have (TA31F) was ca...

Zimmerman Lesson 4: Handgun Calibers This week, we have studied several self defense lessons from the recent Zimmerman verdict. The final lesson in this series is on handgun calibers. If you know there will be trouble, stay away. If you cannot stay away, or if trouble finds you regardless, bring a long gun (preferably a rifle). If you do not have a rifle, use a shotgun. Slugs and/or buckshot are the only two options worth considering. If you have no long gun, a handgun of at least .38 or 9mm caliber is a minimum. The only handguns you should own, whose caliber is less than .38 or 9mm are: A) a .22LR caliber target / training pistol B) guns used for fun or collection only. Don't Use Put another way: a .22LR, .25, .32, or .380 are wholly inadequate for self defense. Yes, I am aware that there are some .380 loads (FMJ particularly) that have marginal effectiveness. But do not stake your life on marginal effectiveness. Do Use The other side of the coin is this: with mo...

Zimmerman Lesson 3: Grappling Range is Essential! George Zimmerman was at one point knocked down by Martin and Martin rained strikes to Zimmerman's face during this time. It is essential to master punch blocks from bottom, as well as basic positional escapes. It is essential that a person have not only grappling knowledge, but a certain level of proficiency. Learning the Gracie Combatives would be a good start. One would not even have to have many submissions in the tool box... provided you can defend the most common submissions (Arm bar, Americana, Kimura, RNC, Guillotine, Triangle). But positional knowledge, the ability to escape a bad position, and defending against strikes and headlocks are among the most fundamental grappling techniques out there. LEARN THEM! .

Zimmerman Lesson 2: Striking is Essential You must learn how to fight in every range: Rifle range (25 yards +) Pistol / shotgun range (25 yards -) Blunt / sharp weapon range (just out of reach) Striking range (just within reach) Grappling range (well within reach) Failure to master one of these ranges is to invite destruction. For your opponent to defeat you, he must simply figure out which range is your deficiency, and attack you there. Notice that there is overlap in ranges: one could engage an enemy with a rifle at 5 yards, for example. Or one could step in from just out of reach to deliver a strike. This is not a weakness in the ranging system listed here (or any theory of ranges given by other sources). This is a reason to have an acceptable level of proficiency in all ranges. It is my opinion that a person serious about training in his/her spare time could, in 5 years' time, improve to being in the 95th percentile of people in fighting from each range. That'...

Going to take a break from recounting all of Dependopotamus' weird antics and courtroom lies to talk for a moment about a lesson learned from the Zimmerman case. Lesson 1: Avoid / De-escalate Those familiar with actual combat know the importance of avoidance. Even the most highly trained individuals can be beaten... because so many factors exist in real life. The best tactic to learn after situational awareness is what I call "verbal Judo." The idea of being able to speak and communicate with a person in a non-threatening way. Zimmerman should never have confronted Martin verbally. If a situation existed wherein Zimmerman thought speaking with Martin had to be done, then a better tactic would have been to introduce oneself and state one's business. "Hi, I am George Zimmerman and I am out here on neighborhood watch. Are you lost? Can I help you?" Asking for assistance / offering assistance are the best ways to control a conversation that has even the...

Here is a video from the Valente brothers (instructors of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Miami, FL) in which they discuss "Stand Your Ground" laws. Very good commentary here. I like how they start by explaining the contrast between the concepts of "stand your ground" vs. "duty to retreat." Some quotes/concepts I heard that are very important: Retreating from an attacker can be more dangerous than fighting back. SYG laws also enable an unarmed person to defend herself, should they need to. Avoid the physical confrontation. "When attacked, many times, the safest action is to engage." "SYG laws protect people who are attacked, and this is a human right." We cannot abolish legitimate self defense because a few criminals might misuse SYG (or any) laws. SYG laws are NOT the same as gun control - the two are completely separate issues. The MAJORITY of states have "Stand Your Ground" laws. The vast MINORITY of states have "...

Over the weekend, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter in the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Some thoughts: The racist media is the only reason the trial came about. We now have the term "white hispanic." - I wonder when the same racist media will start calling Obama a "white black?" No, Zimmerman shouldn't have been going up to confront Martin. And, no, Martin should not have circled back around to ambush Zimmerman! (Did you actually hear about this in the news? Didn't think so.) On that note, Martin shouldn't have been under the influence of illegal drugs , either. Some facts: Trayvon Martin was 6'2" and 175 pounds 5'11" and 158 pounds at the time of his death. George Zimmerman was 5'8" and 195 pounds at the time. He is reportedly over 300 pounds now. The evidence points out that during the key moments, Martin was mounted on Zimmerman, punching him in the face and slamming ...