self-defense

Dream ‘Weaver Stance’

American Mercenary shares with us a dream he had.  His conclusions?

Shot placement shot placement shot placement.  A good hit with a 9mm is better than a poor hit with a 45.

Trouble comes in threes, and you have to deal with them all.

Hesitation equals death.  If you have a gun on someone and they disobey your orders it is only to cause you harm.  Pull the damn trigger.

Now, I’ve had dreams involving shooting, but they rarely did they involve philosophy and Jeff Cooper-isms.  Or truths.

Take them as you will.

Violence never solved anything!

Really?

It’s amazing how the p****fication  of America continues.  I saw an article the other day regarding violence in the schools, and how there was a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for such things.  Including the phrase:

Violence never solved anything!

Certainly juveniles need to be taught how to solve their differences without physical conflict first, but, failing that, learn next how to pick and choose their battles, then to win them!  These last two elements seem to have been lost to the dustbin of history.

This can and should be extrapolated to relations between nations.  Speak softly and carry a big stick works for me, for the ‘street’ and the schoolyard (although most schoolyards prohibit sticks or their moral equivalent).

Certainly children emulate their parents, more than copy their words.  If you solve problems at home physically, your child is likely to copy you.  I saw a stair-step family in the mall one day, six or seven kids in a row, in diminishing height, accompanying their mother.  (side note – father was nowhere to be seen.)  One of the middle boys punched his sister in the arm – the mom spun around and cracked the boy full-palm across the face screaming “Don’t you hit your sister!”   I wonder where he learned such behavior?

I remember my daughter, after two years of karate, being harassed at her bus stop by a boy who was a head taller than she.  This was happening daily.  Obviously, the boy was repeating something he heard at home, something inappropriate for this venue or 6th Grade girls, which my daughter was.  She implored me, “Can I hit him?, Can I?”  I asked if he had touched her, she said no.  I advised we would deal with it (by speaking with the school).  But, I did tell her if he did touch her, yes, she could respond with force.  Fortunately, he was moved to another bus stop, and she didn’t have to do anything.  She’d have hurt him, significantly.

I’ve never been the victim of an armed robbery (knock-on-wood) but if I were and the opportunity presented itself, I’d respond with appropriate force.  Not inappropriate force, but force.  Violence.  If necessary.  I have been the victim of multiple burglaries (in my former neighborhood).  Had I walked in on the miscreants, responding with force concurrent with Arizona law would have been appropriate.  And certainly necessary.

I was attacked by a mentally unbalanced person with a knife once.  It’s fortunate I was unarmed, or she would be dead.  I did injure her to stop the attack.

Violence isn’t always a first choice, but sometimes it is a choice.  And sometimes it does solve problems.

Smith & Wesson Military and Police Revolver

(NOT the modern AR-15 rifle clone, you ninnies!)

The classic, later known as the Model 10 .38 Special revolver.

I’ve never owned one.  I’ve shot a bazillion of ‘em, and carried some.  With the exception of those without the strength to pull the trigger, I’ve recommended these (or similar models) for self protection, CCW, and general home/business carry for years.

Why?  Not everyone likes the semiautomatic, even those with minimal levers and buttons (e.g. Glock).  And the .38 Special cartridge is street-proven, but not so full of blast and flash to scare the new shooter more than the shootee!  Good for a beginner.

Barrel length?  That’s a matter of personal choice, although a 4″ barrel is fairly ubiquitous and inexpensive (used) at gun shows and pawn shops.

And they come with a fixed sight – nothing to hang up, break or misalign  on a coat or in a purse.  One could ‘bob’ the hammer and remove the single action function if one were moved to do so.

Disadvantages?  Medium caliber and six rounds; slow to reload.  Although I’ve known a few folks who could reload from belt loops two-rounds-at-a-time faster shot-to-shot than some folks using a pistol with a magazine!

And, I’m old-school, so there!

CHEAT TO WIN in the Real World!

Massad Ayoob

Old NFO shared with us a tale of aviators versus airmen, and reminded me a a story from Massad Ayoob,  from years past.

The truncated (and flawed-from-memory) version is Mas was involved in a ‘war game’ style pistol competition; multiple assailants advancing on his position.  Rather than advancing and engaging, he dug in, awaiting the ‘bad guys’ to make their advance, and come to their doom.  The R.O. kept changing the rules, in an effort to get Mas to play the game:  R.O. – “They have your daughter, Mas!  Mas – “I can get another!”  Eventually, his postgame analysis was he would have stealthily sneaked up on the assailants individually from the rear, and executed them, rather than engaging from the front and getting ‘killed’.  (a la Major George Nonte?)

Mr. Ayoob’s (and Old NFO’s) point is CHEAT TO WIN!

Were not speaking of scholastic or business competition here, where people are expected to have rules of conduct and to act ethically.  We’re speaking of survival!

If some street punk (or a bevvy of street punks) is attempting to relieve you your wallet by threatening you with your life, the Marquis of Queenbury Rules do not apply!  ALL IS NOT FAIR IN WAR!

CHEAT TO WIN!  Let the bad guys rail “That’s NOT fair!”, assuming they survive the encounter.

h/t Col. Jeff Cooper

Message Received

So…

Ol’ Guffaw has his routines.  Routines are comforting, because they provide order and structure in an otherwise disorderly world.  I like my routines.

I’ve been ‘carrying a gun’ now, on-and-off since 1974.  Thirty nine years.  That’s a long time.  And since Arizona has had CCW laws in place, almost daily, unless I was severely restricted (like at my former workplace).  I carried.  Of course, I did carry to-and-from the workplace.  Don’t tell anyone.

It’s part of my routine.  Shower, dress; put wallet in one pocket, keys, cellular telephone, speed strip and folding knife in another, the snub in her holster in another. (Unless I’m carrying the 1911 IWB).  I’ve taken to carrying the snub more.  Laziness, I guess.  It’s my routine.

Unless I’m distracted.  My roomie had to work late, so, I was on my own for din-din, a rare occurrence.  Not my normal routine.  A distraction.  Went to Ted’s, a Buffalo NY origin hot dog place (charcoal-grilled, don’t ya know!).  Then to an event at a nearby public library (I know, I’m wild and crazy!)

Upon arriving at Ted’s, I did the usual self-frisk, checking to have keys before locking the car, wallet, knife, and sidearm.  (This is known in my circle as ‘spectacles, testicles, wallet, watch’, if you know the joke.)

And I had no firearm!  For some reason, I simply didn’t gear up before leaving home!  I had my wallet, keys, cell, speedloader and folder.  No gun.

I thought, “Oh, well, I have my knife” (like I’m a freakin’ ninja!) and had dinner @ Ted’s, then went to the library thing.  The usual door was locked, with a sign reading, “Must Enter By Front Door”.  So, I had to walk all the way around to the front, a semi-serious distance for a disabled guy like me.

And I asked at the information desk.  Seems they are now locking secondary entrances after 1830, due to increased crime in and around the facility!  WTF?  Fortunately, nothing happened.  (There was a security guard who looked up from her smart phone long enough to see I was in the building, then went back to more important stuff.)

And tonight’s the night I was the opposite of vigilant!  What a maroon I am!

Message received. 

It’s gonna be ‘spectacles, testicles, wallet, watch’, with more emphasis on the watch, in the future!

Meanwhile, in Israel…

h/t Free North Carolina, Knuckledraggin’ My Life Away

“Oh here’s a story – of some whack jobs named Brady…”

Seriously?

RAPE used to be a capital offense in some jurisdictions.  Now the Brady Bunch is proclaiming women don’t have the right of self defense against sexual assault.  Nor do men, I suppose.  What happened to ‘we have the rights to our own bodies?’

Of course, the police can only work after a crime has been committed.  Life isn’t the film Minority Report.

Jus’ sayin’.

P.S. – I did further research, and it appears commenter Tomi is correct, in part.  The Brady organization does deny this is their product.  There was a similar image and message on a 2010 BBC Brady article.  Of course, Sarah Brady and her crew have as a stated goal to disarm law-abiding American citizens, for the greater good.

So the message still seems to be valid.   How is someone who is being assaulted to defend themselves? Of course, we as the aforementioned law-abiding citizens, shouldn’t buy into propaganda designed to make us all appear as evil Neanderthals.  Mea culpa.

h/t Free North Carolina

Students I somehow missed…

I’m quite proud of the infinitesimal dent I have made in the gun world, training and educating a few folks about gun handling and safety, self-defense and tactical awareness.  Even those who went away from the classes choosing not to own a firearm, or perhaps not to carry one, have a more informed basis on which to change that decision later.  And, teaching is fun!  That look on the neophyte’s face when they touch off that first round and see it strike paper is well, sublime.

One of the more interesting things about the time in which we live is the instant communication offered by the Internet.  And with it social networking.  I discovered about a year ago that a former co-worker at TMCCC had a husband who was not only an active gunnie and shooter, he was encouraging her to do the same.  And so together they have taken training, obtained their CCW permits, and collect firearms.  And are also active in their children’s shooting education as well.

He is an emergency room physician, and saw the need for a gun.  She saw the need to protect her family.  And, my only regret is they made this evolution and didn’t know I was a firearms teacher!  Otherwise, I’m quite proud of them both.

Here’s Jennifer in a recent photograph on Facebook, with her favorite shotgun.  Formidable’, eh?

Does this say ‘get off my lawn’, or what?

Dog and Pony Show

Today is sentencing day for Jared Loughner.  He’s the young man who plead guilty to shooting 6 people dead, and wounding 12 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).

The 24-year-old had pleaded guilty three months ago to 19 federal charges under an agreement that guarantees he will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Today, many of his victims will face their attacker and make victim statements.  Rep. Giffords is expected to have her husband read hers.

Now, please understand.  The man has already plead guilty.  This is just sentencing.  Of course, I know if someone shot me, I’d like to face them in court.

But, it’s mostly for show.  I expect the media to be there. (snark)

This means one of the other issues has again surfaced.  Mental disease and the right of gun ownership.  It’s expected that the current administration will soon make some-kind of appeal to change current firearms law to somehow invade medical privacy to make certain whacky folk can’t get their hands on a firearm.  Legally.  Of course, nothing would prevent them from using knives or bombs.  Or stealing one.  Or a dozen.  And we all know how efficient such a system will be.  Like the one that put Ted Kennedy on the No-Fly List.

And, you can bet there will be attempts to make seeking counseling or other mild mental health assistance to make it’s way to the governmental no-guns-allowed list.

Yeah, I’m certain it’ll work well to protect us all.  Just look how safe New York and Chicago are from gun-related crime.  (snark)

STICK It To ‘Em!

…or other implements of defense it to ‘em! (link)

I have owned (but have rarely used) a Cold Steel Walking Stick.  It has a metal ferrule on the end, so its more for show than actually using as a walking stick.  (Even though my ever-increasing disability probably warrants use of such a device!)  I DID place a rubber crutch tip over the ferule to make it more ‘walk-friendly’ for me! 

I did do some police baton training back-in-the-day, so I’m certain that will translate to walking stick-fu!

I own some other Cold Steel products (like a set of fine kitchen knives with durable rubber handles) and find them to be reasonably priced and serviceable .  One of the kitchen knives was even a replacement piece, as the original was missing after my burglary.  I suspect they were trying to use it to unlock the Fort Knox safe, after they pried off the combo dial and handle.  It didn’t work for that!

Cold Steel also makes some excellent knives, and striking implements, and their free DVD shows them torture testing some of the knives – Excellent!  I highly recommend them.

The Crossroads of the West Gun Show extravaganza (you know, the big one with the SAR folks included!) is scheduled for November 30 through December 2.  I only hope I have enough stamina to be able to walk the entire show as I have in shows past.  If so, I plan on drooling at the Cold Steel exhibit for a while…

Might even bring my walking stick…

(attention FTC – neither Cold Steel, Crossroads, or Fort Knox provided me with anything save fine products at a reasonably price!  Bye-Bye Nosy Bastards!)