"May You Live in Interesting Times" and Terrorism Awareness

 A Chinese curse is “May you live in interesting times.”  Well, we are living this curse now!  With a combat action going on in Iran it only follows that we will see more terrorist activity in the U.S.  We’ve had some shootings that have been radical Islamic connected.  We just had an attempted bombing in New York that was also extremist influenced.  I feel this is only the beginning and we experience more.

Each of us lives in different places with different environments. I live outside a small town that isn’t really known for crime, although there is some. I have a friend who lives in a metropolitan city with lots of crime. Each of you should do an honest assessment of where you live and work. I used to live in Arizona and lived outside of Phoenix. I worked in a few places on the South side of Phoenix which, at that time, was pretty rough. I knew that I did not stop unless I had to. I would generally not be there after the sun went down and even in daytime I’d stick to the main roads. I knew the convenience stores that would be prone to being robbed and those that were not. I’d go to work and then hit the freeway and get out of there as expeditiously as possible. I’d make sure my tires were good and my gas tank was full because I didn’t want to stop for anything.
If you know any law enforcement in the area you could ask them where you should and should not go, especially after dark. Or you could just stop a police officer that you see and ask him about the area. Tell him or her where you work and about the neighborhood. Law enforcement can tell you the troubled spots, stores, parks, and other areas you should stay away from.
More than good intel, you need to have your head on a swivel at all times. Be aware of what is going on around you. Practice good situational awareness. Keep your nose out of your cell phone or tablet. Watch people and constantly be going through the OODA loop.
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
This is what we do all the time whether we know it or not. The most important parts of the OODA Loop is Observe and Act. If you are observing, you’re practicing good situational awareness.
In review the Cooper Color Code is:
Condition White
You feel secure, whether or not you are actually safe.
Condition Yellow
You are cautious. You should spend most of the time in this state.
You have a 360-degree peripheral awareness of such environmental danger spots as secluded doorways, entries, and alleys.
Condition Orange
You are in danger. You are aware of a potential threat.
Specific alert. A possible target has been identified. A particular situation that has drawn your attention and could present a major problem. Someone may be giving oral indicators such as direct threats or using suspicious language. Focus on the potential attacker.
Condition Red
You are in conflict.
Fight or flight. Flee, defend, or attack. You have evaluated the situation, and if there is a threat, you prepare to fight or run.
In this day and age in the United States of America I believe all people should be in Condition Yellow. It’s not a state of paranoia, but a state of awareness and readiness. If more people were in this state, they would be better prepared if a terrorist attack presented itself. Or at least they would better off.
 If you feel threatened and you are armed; you can have your hand on your weapon. Just remember that often distance is your friend. If you are aware of your environment, it is easier to see things that are wrong. Or you may see something coming.  At the least situational awareness could help you to see and avoid, an accident.
Being in Yellow will become a mindset and an everyday thing as you practice it and help others to look for it too. My family are so tired of me switching seats with them at a restaurant so that I can see the door. When they call me on it, I always say, “You want the one who’s armed to be able to see the front door and as many exits as possible, don’t you?” I think sometimes it’s a game that they play with me just to see if I’ll do it every time. I didn’t pick that seat one time and my wife called me on it. I told her, “Well you are armed tonight, aren’t you?” I noticed she wore her weapon that night, she doesn’t always. She said, “Yes”. I said, “Then tonight you have that responsibility of being aware.” She said later that by pointing out that she was armed and in the right position, this made her more aware of everyone coming in the restaurant.
Being in Yellow means you watch as you are approaching a store of who is “lurking” outside. It means you scan the convenience store to see what it looks like before you go in. It means you take note of the parking lot of that same convenience store as you go in so you know what’s different when you come out. It means that you don’t let anyone in your home door if you aren’t expecting them or don’t know them. It means you’re careful about what you put on the internet. It means you know where your children are and who they are with at all times. It means that you avoid dark alleys and deserted parking lots. You use common sense and you are scanning and assessing all the time. It’s not an obsession, but a mindset.
Really the only time you are in White is when you are asleep and even then you are only unaware.
I sincerely hope no one ever need use this state of awareness to fight or flight, but if you did need it, I would be glad you decided to practice Always In Yellow!
To maximize efficiency of situational awareness:
• Assume an optimal vantage point. If you’re in a crowd where a fight or riot could break out, for example, as odd as it might sound, climb up into a tree and observe from there.
• When possible place yourself within eyeshot of entrances to places like restaurants, courthouses, etc.
• Make sure you know where all the exits are from inside a building when possible.
• When standing in slow-moving lines, take time to observe people in the other lines.
• When using public transportation, look at everyone discreetly.
• Whenever you enter a new environment take note of the baseline environment for possible anomalies. For example, it’s not normal or routine for a person to be talking really loud at a quiet-type coffee house, but at a noisy bar and grill it is.
Situational awareness is more than just environment. The following guidelines are for reading people.
• Realize that a person who stands out in a group isn’t necessarily potentially harmful, such as an angry customer at a fast-food restaurant who got cheese on their burger when they ordered it without cheese. But do keep your eye on such individuals.
• If such a person, however, keeps looking around nervously, behind them, etc., that’s cause to raise your bar of awareness.
• A possible sign of threat is when someone is acting at ease when everyone else is panicking. For example, in video footage, the Boston Marathon bombers stood out like sore thumbs.
Plan of Action
• Great observation skills are great, but once you spot the threat, then what? Your plan, such as knowing all the exits, should already be in place.
• You can even have fun with this: Every time you’re out in public, imagine a dangerous situation and how you respond. What if a fire broke out? An errant car was headed for the window you’re standing near. Gunshots rang out? Or you felt something press against your waistline and heard a voice, “Come with me or I’ll shoot you”? Imagining how you’d respond will help you in a real-life situation.
Prevention Is the Best Medicine
• Don’t look like prey. I know a woman who, as she stands at her car late at night in a parking lot to unlock it, her feet are shoulder width apart, one fist on hip, and she looks all around first, shoulders square and chest puffed out—an “I dare you to mess with me” message.
Get a gun. Get trained. Be legal. If you don’t think a gun is an option carry pepper spray. But this is something you should also be trained in. Look like you are aware of everything around you. Walk with purpose. Look like someone who is in charge. The image you portray can make all the difference in the world. It’s easy to prevent being a victim if you pay particular attention and are aware of your surroundings.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn

Target Identification and It's Importance

 Several years ago, I was on a military shooting range trying to qualify a young Air Force Captain so he could fly.  He had to qualify, or this pilot would not be on flying status.  This can be very stressful for someone who wants to fly but has a hard time shooting.  Finally, he was the last one, the others had already qualified and left the range.  It was one on one training now.  He was frustrated because he could not keep consistent and was hitting 18, 19, 17 rounds out of the 20 hits needed to qualify.  In his frustration he would wave his M16 around wildly and flag me.  I warned him about that, and he would calm down to try and qualify again.  After being flagged about 4 times I finally told him we needed to stop and come back the next day.

I felt for this guy.  He was trying so hard and barely missing it.  I almost told him when he missed it by one that I would sign off on that and to his credit, he would not “fudge” it.  We talked a bit in this process, and I got to know him better.  He talked about concealed-carry off duty.  As he was shooting, I mentioned target identification.  He asked about what I meant by that.  I told him a story I had read about a guy shooting his son by mistake because he thought he was an intruder.  A flashlight should be an integral part of your EDC so that target ID is not a problem. I’ve heard using a flashlight is a double-edged sword.  It gives away your position besides target ID. The notion that ‘the light draws fire’ or that criminals will wait in ambush for you if they hear you coming are nonsensical. Those are bad paradigms for us to insert in our thinking. If your background is such that having assassins waiting in ambush for you in your own home is a concern, you need to work on some serious hardening of access points to your home.  This thinking applies in combat or law enforcement where noise is your friend.  In a home invasion you want noise. Stealth is not your friend; it is your enemy.  In fact, you should train by speaking.  Next time you go to the range, take the flashlight with you. Instead of just blasting 50 holes in a silhouette, shoot two shots at the silhouette 25 times. Sequence is very important in how you do this.

• Have your gun in your shooting hand and your flashlight in your support hand. The gun is not pointing at the target and the light is off.
• Before each two-shot string, say out loud “Who’s there?”
• Wait and listen for an answer. If you go to the range with someone, have them stand behind you and sometimes respond with “it’s me, Daddy” or something similar.
• If they say that, immediately put your gun down on the bench and abort that sequence.
• Then illuminate the target without pointing the gun at it.
• Finally, bring the gun up and fire the two shots.

One of the things you will find when using this sequence is that the worthwhile two-handed shooting techniques don’t work well with it. It is both clumsy and dangerous to assume when you already have the light on the target and are keeping it illuminated while presenting the pistol. The Rogers/Surefire technique takes some time and manipulation skill to assume. What you will discover is that only the Cheek Technique or the FBI Technique work well in this context.

That means you must learn to:

• Speak while holding your gun.
• Abort the shooting sequence if there is not a threat.
• Do a dissimilar task with the other hand, i.e., orient the flashlight and work the switch, while keeping your gun off target and your finger off the trigger.
• Shoot with one hand only while continuing to perform the dissimilar task.
• Manipulate the safety or decock your weapon with one hand while holding something in the other.

For the final 5 repetitions (10 rounds), put up a clean silhouette target and shoot the LAPD Retired Officer Course (10 rounds at seven yards). Measure how well you do. You’re going to find it’s a lot harder than you think. From the LAPD manual:

“The starting position for this qualifying course of fire will begin at the 7 Yard Line. When the target faces, the shooter will draw and fire 10 rounds at a single silhouette target. A score of 70 percent is required to pass the qualification. All rounds impacting anywhere on the body and head will receive full value and rounds impacting upon the arms are half value.”

There is no time limit, so all you need to do is hit 7/10 shots in the torso or head of the target

That sequence is obviously rather involved; practice it before you must do it for real or you’ll forget to do it or get it wrong. Forgetting to do it is what leads to tragedies.

Some shooters may become overly anxious or excited, which can lead to careless behavior. They may fire at sounds, colors, movements, or unidentified shapes, or simply shoot too quickly. In the excitement after hitting their target, they may swing a loaded firearm toward their companions or run with the safety off toward the target.

Self-control is an essential aspect of safety. Only shoot when you know that no people, domestic animals, buildings, or equipment are in the zone-of-fire.

Slow, careful shooting is not only safer, but it also produces a higher degree of success.

Shooting accurately is a key safety factor. Some incidents, often deadly ones, have occurred when stray bullets have hit people out of the shooter's sight. Be sure you have a proper backstop before you shoot.

Being responsible for every bullet is the only way we as concealed carry or home defense participator can be.

Be safe and be deadly!

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Tactical Training for Your Family

Family Training

Broad & Inclusive Training

No one is safe at all if they only learn how to protect themselves in one type of situation. That is why even if you are focusing on one specific discipline of tactical training you will find that it is both broad and inclusive of a variety of potential scenarios. Any good tactical training course will provide you with multiple situations to overcome, preparing you for a variety of both physical and psychological tasks associated with your survival. Yes, you can learn to shoot the same menacing looking targets in different orders each time at the gun range, but this only covers one scenario and is not effective tactical training. True tactical training will also call on more than one level of physical and psychological needs at any given time, to ensure you are well rounded and prepared for any situation. A good tactical training session might even appear chaotic, but they are highly structured to call on multiple skills to test a trainee. If you can use your range of skills to make sense and survive the situation, the chaos melts away, which is exactly what you are hoping to be able to apply to a real-life scenario.

I had my family learn how to shoot, how to use pepper spray, and how to grapple.  We talked about tactical thinking and situational awareness all the time.  Try to be versatile. 

Drills

Remember you can help prepare your family with tactical training as well. There is a fine line between preparing and scaring your children, so always consider their age and understanding level in every training scenario. Drills, however, are important and can give you the lifesaving seconds you need in a disaster scenario. Many families have fire drills for instance, so considering a few potential events and outcomes that your loved ones can practice, increasing your chance of survival is a form of tactical training that can keep your whole family safe and better prepared.

Keys to Good Tactical Training

• Avoid highly specialized training classes and events. While it is good to practice in specific ways, broad range courses are best for beginners, so you can build a solid skill set. You can go on to more specialized training down the road.
• Look for a course with scenario-based training as it can help prepare you psychologically, as well as physically.
• Hone your instincts. One of the goals of tactical training is to take actions from being intellectual to instinctual. In high-stress situations, if you can rely on your instincts to help in your defense you have a higher chance of surviving a confrontation. Any few seconds you can spare in mental processing and decision making, due to effective, tactical training could be lifesaving.
• Self-defense is a lifelong journey. You must adopt it as part of your regular life and commit to continually practice if you want to truly become a master in the art of self-defense and be able to defend yourself no matter what the situation brings

·         One of the most popular forms of civilian tactical training  is with the use of firearms. Ranges offer tactical shooting courses that provide you situations that represent more realistic scenarios, rather than just standing at one end of a range and shooting at a stationary target. Classes are often the best course for many, however, if you do have the property, or can find a place where you can lawfully fire the rounds, you may consider setting up tactical training courses of your own. Remember that the element of surprise is a huge aspect of tactical training. If you do set up your own course, you will need a partner who can change the targets and situations to create a unique training experience every time.

 

Psychological Aspects of Tactical Training

·         Tactical training requires a level of psychological involvement that is simply not applied in ordinary self-defense training approaches. Of course, learning a specific technical skill for defense is extremely important. However, a technical skill that is only mastered in a controlled environment is only applicable to similar controlled environments, not to situations in the real world. In order to learn a technical skill that will be helpful in any situation, you must be conditioned psychologically as well as physically. With the psychological aspect of tactical training in mind, you will practice your technical skill in a variety of anticipated states, considering factors like stress or exhaustion.

·         Preparing your mind for the possibility of these stressful situations will enable you to perform with greater effectiveness when an actual disaster occurs.

 

Hoplology

·         Not all tactical training is physical in nature, and hoplology is a great place for many beginners to start. As with most things, research can be a huge asset to a person’s self-defense repertoire. Hoplology is the study of the development of human combative behavior and performance. It is in short, the relationship between different cultures in regards to how and why we fight. Becoming a student of hoplology opens you up to a slightly different tactical approach. Taking the knowledge of why and how we fight into consideration can give you a slight advantage when engaging in combat with a potential assailant. Studying other cultures and fighting techniques can also give you an advantage when approached with any self-defense situation as not only can you anticipate what might be coming, but you can take appropriate action to combat it as well.

There are many ways to improve your family’s training.  Tactical is just one of them.  Find a course, or person, who can teach tactical training in a simple way that is understandable to your entire family.  Develop or find drills that can be practiced easily.  Make it fun for the whole family and you will find that not only is your family prepared and safe, but healthy and happy.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Terrorist Attacks and Lessons From Mumbai

 The terrorist attacks of 2008 in Mumbai provide a number of lessons for emergency-services agencies throughout the world. The attacks, which represented an ever-increasing level of sophistication and ingenuity of terrorist activity worldwide, started during the evening hours of 26 November 2008 when small teams of armed terrorists launched a well-coordinated series of assaults that challenged India’s local and national emergency-services capabilities for four days. The terrorist teams, which maintained radio communications with one another throughout the siege, moved swiftly and brazenly through the famous tourist city, initially firing on civilians and authorities alike before settling into hotels crowded with numerous Western tourists and businesspeople. The last of the hostage/barricade situations was resolved on 30 November, leaving almost 200 fatalities and over 300 injured. The terrorist tactics were relatively basic, but the overall operation was sophisticated. In contrast, the response by local and national emergency services agencies was much less coordinated. The terrorists used the now frequently experienced “multi-prong” approach by combining several IED (improvised explosive device) detonations in some areas with small-arms attacks in other areas. Separate teams used the small-arms fire to create a wider scope of carnage. The law-enforcement and military units responding were frustrated in their heroic but somewhat ineffective efforts to locate and contain the terrorist commando teams. The terrorist teams, using pre-programmed GPS devices, moved through Mumbai’s maze of streets like experienced tour guides. There were only ten terrorists in all; divided into killing teams of two to four, they moved swiftly from one crowded target to another, using taxis and stolen vehicles, but sometimes on foot. At one point, a terrorist team commandeered a responding police vehicle, killing its occupants, including Maharashta Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad chief, Hemant Karkar.  Law enforcement should learn from this and prepare.  But as the average citizen, we should be on guard and ready to act.

Run. Hide. Fight. 

We are told when a shooting starts, those are, in order, the most effective ways to survive. A study done by The Rand Corp. included 65 cases in which people fought back. In 85 percent of those cases, they stopped the gunfire or made the attacker flee. In 12 cases, people rushed the shooter from different directions and in all 12 cases, they stopped the shooting.  So be careful about creating a run, hide, fight checklist.  If fight is presented in a responsible way, it can be effective.  But if we’re relying on 5 people throwing hymnbooks or chairs we may come up short and end up stopping the killer but getting one or two of those 5 shot.  But if someone, or “someones”, were trained and armed, things could be different. 

By studying the Mumbai attacks, we can better prepare for what may come.

There are some general precautions everyone should take to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of terrorism. These include:

Situational awareness – try to be aware of what is always going on around you. This is especially important when traveling in countries with higher incidences of terrorism than the United States.

If you feel uncomfortable with a situation, leave. Don’t be paranoid, just be mindful.

Never accept packages from strangers or allow your luggage to leave your control.

If you notice any unusual behavior, always report it immediately to relevant security personnel.

Any time you’re in a public place, make sure to briefly note the location of emergency exits. They’ll be a lot harder to find in the event of any incidents.

For any possible scenario, emergency preparedness is key. Have cash on hand, emergency food and water supplies, and determine how much ammo you should have as part of building a decent cache of ammunition.

If you live or work in a large building, talk to the owners about getting basic emergency supplies on every level of the building – including first-aid kits, hard hats, dust masks, portable radios with extra batteries, flashlights with extra batteries, and tape to mark off dangerous areas.

Also consider talking to the owners about implementing a security program if they don't already have one. For example, adding metal detectors, cameras, and other items could help prevent terrorism as well as preparation.

These are the most basic precautions any of us can take against the possibility of a terrorist attack.  

We live in interesting times.  Chances for attacks like Mumbai are becoming higher as the world becomes more dangerous.  The precious administration for some reason let in millions of un vetted, undocumented, people.  Many of them just wanting a better life but when you let in that many, you’re bound to let in some undesirable and those wishing harm on Americans. 

Be vigilant and keep your head on a swivel.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

The "Move" Part of Shoot, Move, Communicate

 In 1989 I had the opportunity to train at a shoot house ran by the US Army outside San Antonio, Texas.  In the entrance to this shoot house there was a large sign.  It states: “No one is coming to save you.” I had some great training and some fantastic times.  I got to know an instructor at this facility, Sargeant Major Roland “Rolo” Steward. He was a proponent of “Shoot, Move, Communicate”

Shoot, Move, Communicate is not a slogan. It is a mental framework for operating in chaos. It captures the three core actions required to succeed when conditions are uncertain and pressure is high.

Shoot represents decisive action. It means addressing the problem in front of you with precision and intent. You do not wait for perfect information. You act to gain advantage and create momentum.

Move is about adaptability and progress. Staying still makes you vulnerable. Movement allows you to reposition, improve your situation, and stay ahead of changing conditions. Progress only happens when you are willing to move.

Communicate is what keeps the team aligned. Information shared at the right time keeps everyone effective. It ensures teammates understand what is happening, what is needed, and where the mission is going next. Without communication, even strong individual effort breaks down.

Remember this: The single most important thing you can do in a gunfight is get the gun between you and your opponent

You must be an active participant in your own rescue.

Movement Drills

Let’s consider the primary drill, and then I will explain the logic and finer details. The drill doesn’t require much, just your preferred handgun and holster, two targets and a stick. (You don’t really need the stick.) You can start at the 7- to 10-yard line and place the stick parallel with your target. Standing behind the stick, you simply need to draw and put two rounds on each target, then two more rounds on each target, all while simultaneously stepping over the stick. The effort should be one continuous movement. Your step should begin with the draw, and your finish position should look identical to your starting position. From here, you can do the same thing with a backwards step. Do this several times moving forward and backward over your stick. Once you get the hang of forward and backward movement, turn the stick 90 degrees to practice lateral movements. The same approach applies. You will fire a total of eight shots, all while moving. You should be shooting two shots while transitioning between both targets. The left-and-right, or “side-to-side,” movement drill over the stick is trickier than forward and backward, but once you get the hang of it, this drill will improve your movement for both competition and tactical shooting purposes.

This drill seems simple but it’s a lot like walking and chewing gum at the same time. Simple until you start thinking about it. What are the finer details of what we’re training for. Performing the drill successfully is about stance. A good fighting stance is similar across many disciplines. The point of the stance is to enable you to begin your attack or react to your adversary. Most people can quickly figure out how to get into a good starting stance, but it almost always falls apart during training once we move to a new location. The goal of this drill is to end your movement in your starting stance. Regardless of where you end up, the next time you move, it will be from your starting fighting stance. This leads us back to efficiency of motion.

As we move around and shoot between different positions, people tend to “coil up.” This leads to inefficiency of movement, which means slower times in a competition and potentially a worse outcome in a tactical situation. By ensuring you start and stop in the same position every time, you can prevent that “coiled up” feeling. This also allowed us to start moving to the next position faster, while also engaging targets accurately.  It is a common myth that has seeped into civilian training from the military and law enforcement sectors: Don’t cross your legs while moving tactically. I suspect the concept stems from martial arts, where crossing your legs could lead to being forced off balance and into a poor fighting position. If you lose your gun in a fight, you can worry about not crossing your legs then. Everyone successfully walks around, crossing their legs while walking every day, most of us without tripping at all. You’re not going to suddenly forget how to walk because you’re holding a rifle or pistol. After all, you can probably walk and chew gum at the same time.

Once everything starts to click with you mentally, the fundamentals of these drills will apply to any situation that calls you to shoot while moving, even when you’re simply moving to the next target. Efficiency of motion helps to beat the bad guy. There are a few more points to keep in mind as you practice these drills. Don’t forget to focus on the target. As you start training, you’ll instinctively want to slow down when it’s time to shoot to focus on the dot or to align the iron sights. Focusing on the sights may cause you to overshoot the target when transitioning, meaning that you will lose time and efficiency while trying to reposition the sights back on the target. Finally, consider the pace of fire when shooting.   For most of us, we would engage the first target with two shots, then there would be a slight pause during the transition to the second target. Then, another pause while moving back to the first target, and a final pause with the last two shots on the second target. In practice, it sounds incredibly fast, but it is not. With a continuous, steady pace of fire without pausing while transitioning between targets it was three-quarters of a second faster than if you allow even a slight pause. These movement drills are so practical because they can be done with minimal space, yet they have unlimited application to shooting scenarios.   

Learning to move while you shoot and continue to engage at target, or targets, is one of the most valuable skills you’ll learn for a firefight.  Moving gets you to cover, in position to engage, and helps in transition from cover to cover.  You may not need this skill for self-defense, or you may need it.  It’s better to learn it and not need it, than to need the skill and not have it.

Remember, no one is coming to save you.

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn  

The Beginning of Self-Defense

 Self-defense is usually thought of as weapons and martial arts.  But most self-defense begins long before an attack.  You can win or lose a confrontation before you step outside.  The correct mindset makes all the difference.  Here are some things to consider before self-defense is called upon.

 

Situational awareness (SA)

I know some instructors who don’t agree that SA is that important.  I believe in the ADD method before violence.  Avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.  SA is needed to be successful with ADD.  Be aware of your surroundings.  To make your SA more effective consider these 3 points.

Stay off your phone in public

Observe your environment and know where exits are.  Focus on suspicious activity or potential threats.

Trust your instincts.  If it feels wrong, it's probably wrong.  Don’t second guess yourself.

 

Project Confidence and Strength

Attackers look for easy targets. Someone who appears weak, distracted, or timid is more likely to be chosen. To deter threats:

·         Walk with purpose, keeping your head up and shoulders back.

·         Make eye contact with people around you to show awareness.

·         Speak assertively if someone tries to intimidate you.

Develop a “What If” Mentality

Thinking ahead can prepare you for real-life situations. Ask yourself:

·         “What would I do if someone followed me to my car?”

·         “How would I react if someone grabbed my wrist?”

·         “Where is the nearest exit if something goes wrong?”
By mentally rehearsing scenarios, you train your brain to respond quickly under pressure.

 

Trust Your Gut

Your intuition is a powerful tool. If something feels wrong, don’t dismiss it. Take action by:

·         Changing your route

·         Seeking help from others

·         Preparing to defend yourself if necessary

Stay Prepared and Practice

A self-defense mindset isn’t just about learning techniques—it’s about making safety a habit.

·         Carry personal protection tools such as a firearm (if legal in your area), pepper spray or a tactical flashlight, and know how to use them.

·         Practice self-defense drills regularly so your reactions become instinctive.

·         Stay informed about safety strategies by reading, taking courses, and staying engaged with self-defense communities.

Conclusion

Developing a self-defense mindset is about being proactive, confident, and prepared. By improving your awareness, setting strong boundaries, and training in basic self-defense, you can significantly increase your ability to protect yourself in any situation. The goal isn’t to live in fear but to move through life with the confidence that you can handle whatever comes your way.

 

Mindset changes everything.  It gives confidence and keeps us prepared.

I know that many instructors don’t put much stock in SA.  I think it’s the beginning of self-defense.  Anyone can, and should, practice SA.  Stay aware my friends!

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Insurrection: Now and in the Future

 This is a post attributed to Warrant Officer Eric Schwalm, an Army Special Forces Green Beret.  I researched Eric, well not really “researched” and I couldn’t find anything substantial about him.  Does he exist?  I don’t know, but I also don’t really care.  I have plenty of sources to verify the tactics he describes in his post.  I ran them by a Green Beret, and a Navy Seal, both retired.  The insurgency tactics are legitimate. My Green Beret instructed for several years on counterinsurgency at the War college.

In what I’ve seen, and that’s only what mainstream media will show me, this is organized insurgency.  Minnesota government and law enforcement are all guilty of conspiracy.  I hate to say it, but ICE should have been pulled out long ago.  That’s not giving in to terrorism, that’s containing it.  ICE should return and then we’ll see how organized it all is.  I predict if they tried that we would see all this “spontaneous protest” would come back again. 

Here is his post in its entirety.

 

"As a former Special Forces Warrant Officer with multiple rotations running counterinsurgency ops—both hunting insurgents and trying to separate them from sympathetic populations—I’ve seen organized resistance up close. From Anbar to Helmand, the pattern is familiar: spotters, cutouts, dead drops (or modern equivalents), disciplined comms, role specialization, and a willingness to absorb casualties while bleeding the stronger force slowly.

 

What’s unfolding in Minneapolis right now isn’t 'protest.' It’s low-level insurgency infrastructure, built by people who’ve clearly studied the playbook.

 

Signal groups at 1,000-member cap per zone. Dedicated roles: mobile chasers, plate checkers logging vehicle data into shared databases, 24/7 dispatch nodes vectoring assets, SALUTE-style reporting (Size, Activity, Location, Unit, Time, Equipment) on suspected federal vehicles. Daily chat rotations and timed deletions to frustrate forensic recovery. Vetting processes for new joiners. Mutual aid from sympathetic locals (teachers providing cover, possible PD tip-offs on license plate lookups). Home-base coordination points. Rapid escalation from observation to physical obstruction—or worse.

 

This isn’t spontaneous outrage. This is C2 (command and control) with redundancy, OPSEC hygiene, and task organization that would make a SF team sergeant nod in recognition. Replace 'ICE agents' with 'occupying coalition forces' and the structure maps almost 1:1 to early-stage urban cells we hunted in the mid-2000s.

 

The most sobering part? It’s domestic. Funded, trained (somewhere), and directed by people who live in the same country they’re trying to paralyze law enforcement in. When your own citizens build and operate this level of parallel intelligence and rapid-response network against federal officers—complete with doxxing, vehicle pursuits, and harassment that’s already turned lethal—you’re no longer dealing with civil disobedience. You’re facing a distributed resistance that’s learned the lessons of successful insurgencies: stay below the kinetic threshold most of the time, force over-reaction, when possible, maintain popular support through narrative, and never present a single center of gravity.

 

I spent years training partner forces to dismantle exactly this kind of apparatus. Now pieces of it are standing up in American cities, enabled by elements of local government and civil society. That should keep every thinking American awake at night.

 

Not because I want escalation. But because history shows these things don’t de-escalate on their own once the infrastructure exists and the cadre believes they’re winning the information war.

 

We either recognize what we’re actually looking at—or we pretend its still just 'activism' until the structures harden and spread.

 

Your call, America. But from where I sit, this isn’t January 2026 politics anymore.

It’s phase one of something we’ve spent decades trying to keep off our own soil. "

-Eric Schwalm, Former Green Beret

 

I also feel this incident is a practice for future problems. When Minnesota ends somewhere else will “pop” up.  I think this is insurgency and I hope the FBI is investigating.  This, in my opinion, is full blown insurrection and nothing like other “protests”.  Watching prior protests, you can see the paid “activists”.  This takes it further and introduces more violence.  As I said before, local law enforcement and elected officials should have a handle on this. 

A crucial, yet little-known, law from 1878 is called the Posse Comitatus Act. This Act is a strong legal firewall built to separate two very different worlds: the world of the U.S. military, designed to fight foreign enemies, and the world of domestic law enforcement, responsible for keeping the peace at home. The founders of the United States were deeply suspicious of “standing armies” being used against the population, fearing it was a classic tool of tyranny. The Posse Comitatus Act is the modern embodiment of that fear. It establishes a fundamental rule: the U.S. Army and Air Force cannot be used as a domestic police force. While this firewall is strong, it's not absolute. It has critical, and often controversial, exceptions for emergencies like insurrection or natural disaster, making it one of the most important laws governing the balance of power and liberty in America.

I know for a fact that this Act has been ignored more than once.  It is a little ambiguous with insurrection.  Who decides if an event is insurrection or not?  But Special Operations (SO) has a better handle on squashing insurrection than law enforcement (LE).  I have nothing against LE.  I think we have the best in the world.  But I have a problem with LE’s command structure and their close over-sight from civilian politicians.  Police Chiefs often come with Mayoral connections.  Sherriff’s and DA’s are elected so they can be politically motivated.  SO is mission oriented.  I’m not advocating breaking the law by not keeping Posse Comitatus, but something needs to change.  Even SWAT teams are not as effective against U.S. citizens.  Police Chiefs need to learn from the military.  They say they don’t want to militarize the police, but I say why the heck not?  Why are military ways so repulsed by politicians and the public?  We trust the military to fight against our foreign aggressors and don’t question their tactics, why is domestic so different?  I think domestic is much worse because these are citizens that enjoy the freedoms of this great country and then they take that as a license to do what they want!  Anyway, that just my opinion.  I don’t think we need tanks in the town square like Tiananmen Square in China! But a good SO team could take this type of insurrection on with no problem. 

But politicians in Minnesota are not very worried about taking care of this rather than running their narrative.  But the whole point to this post is that this is not really the first time and it will not be the last.  Be prepared if you find yourself near these protests.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Round in the Chamber? How Can You Do That?

Again I got the question.  Often it's an argument, do you carry a round in your chamber?  Rather than answer this over and over again, I will repost this from February of 2016.  Enjoy!

 Everyone who owns a gun or carries a gun has different thoughts about safety. Some believe that to be safe you must lock up guns. This is true but only to a certain point. When it comes to guns and children, keeping them safe is your primary concern. But as your children get older, I believe if they are trained and exposed to guns, the mystery is removed, and a respect and safety ethic replaces curiosity. Safety is a perspective thing.

Remember this scene from the movie “Blackhawk Down”?
Steele: Sergeant, what's the meaning of this?
[Thinking he's talking about the unauthorized pig picking]
"Hoot": Just a little aerial target practice, sir. Didn't want to leave 'em behind.
Steele: I'm talking about your weapon, soldier. Now Delta or no-Delta, that's still a hot weapon. Your safety should be on at all times.
"Hoot": This is my safety, sir.
[He holds up his index finger and bends motions as if squeezing a trigger and then walks off]
Sanderson: Let it alone, sir. He hasn't eaten in a few days. (Hangry?)

Guns do not shoot themselves. Contrary to Hollywood’s false impression modern guns don’t go off if you drop them. They only shoot when something presses the trigger.
The amount of people who don’t carry a weapon with a round in the chamber is simply astounding. In this article, I’m going to cover why you should carry a gun that is locked, cocked and ready to rock.
I want to say right now that if you don’t carry a round in the chamber, my goal is not to offend you. My goal is to help you realize something, so please read on.
As a rule of thumb, police officers are taught that an attacker (AKA a bad guy) can successfully make up enough distance to overpower someone in under 21 feet. Why? Because the “average” attacker can usually make up 21 feet in less than 2 seconds. Some guys are even faster than that.
What this means is that by the time you realize your life is in danger, your assailant is already upon you with a knife or other means of deadly force. Unfortunately for you and me, it also takes anywhere from .7-1.5 seconds for your body to react once it realizes that it is in danger. So, if you pull your gun from its holster and there isn’t a round in the chamber what are you going to do? If he is on you and you still need to chamber a round, you’re as good as dead.
In all actuality, what will likely happen is you’ll draw your weapon and your attacker will either turn around and run like a dog with his tail tucked, or he’ll continue on in his pursuit regardless of the outcome. Why? Because that’s how criminals think.
The last thing any criminal wants is to get caught being, is a criminal. If one is bold enough to attack you, he is also bold enough to kill you. How do we know this? Ask a state correctional officer. They have had plenty of time to talk to the inmates and get a feeling for how they think.
More often than not, this attacker will be just a few feet from you, taking even less time for you to react appropriately. The only real way to mitigate the possibility of someone being successful in an attack, is to carry a handgun with a round in the chamber. That way, all you have to do is pull the gun from its holster, and press.
The reason for not carrying with a round in the chamber stems from inexperience and fear. Remember that I don’t mean to insult or offend anyone, these are just my opinions. I would hope you will take this information as it is meant to be given, to educate and inform.
Many people, even those who decide to own and carry a gun, are afraid of them.
Remember when you first started to drive? When another vehicle approached you from the opposite direction, you would hug the shoulder. That is somewhat how it is with a gun. Especially when you start to carry. Many people will touch their gun often when they start carrying to ensure the gun is still there. Learning how to handle and use a gun, then actually using it, will give you the confidence you need to not be afraid of it. The other problem is the media. Movies and TV teach false ideas about guns. Even those who carry guns for a living can be taught false ideas by media. I’ve heard stories of a policeman going into a hostile environment, getting shot in their vest, and falling to the ground, out of the fight. Even though they are really not out of the fight and very few bullets can actually knock someone down.
Lack of training is something that can cause an undue fear of guns. As I said before, the more experience you have with guns the more comfortable you are with them. Like driving a vehicle, you must develop muscle memory. You do this by practicing and training. You soon learn that the gun is not unsafe, but the shooter can be. Also, like driving, if you don’t follow safety rules you can get hurt.
What does this have to do with a round in the chamber? It means that when you are properly trained, practice safety and handling often, you too will have the confidence and see the logic in, carrying a gun with a round in the chamber.
Anyone who does not get training and does not practice will lose what they have learned by their limited training. Find a qualified instructor to take classes from. Notice how the word “Classes” is plural? One class will not take care of your training needs. You need to commit to training or practice. There is a lot that goes into buying and carrying a lethal weapon. It takes time and money as a commitment.
These are the rules that you should learn and be able to quote by heart.
Rule 1: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
Rule 2: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER (POINT AT) ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
Rule 3: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
Rule 4: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND BEYOND
Being prepared with your gun can mean the difference between life or death. It takes only a little effort to find out whether you can be comfortable carrying a round in the chamber. I do not think you will have the time and maybe the motor skills to bring your weapon into battery.
Do whatever it takes to be comfortable, competent, and happy with your gun.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn