Staying safe while traveling, Part 5: some more tools to help you stay safe...
In the last installment I talked about the flashlight, which is unique in that it can be used in multiple roles: as a Response tool (as an impact weapon); a deterrence tool (when the beam is used as a...
View ArticleStaying Safe While Traveling, Part 6: simplicity as self defense
Simply the appearance of vulnerability is in itself a security risk; carrying less means that you're not as tired and more able to resist (or recognize) an attack, and that shows in the way you carry...
View ArticleStaying Safe While Traveling, Part 7: knowledge and attitude are weapons, too
Knowing that crowds are draws for both pickpockets and mass casualty attacks, as an example, is an indication that you might need to carry your wallet and ID in a non-traditional place and also have...
View ArticleStaying Safe While Traveling, Part 8: are you fit to go?
I know that I may be touching the "third rail" of self defense with this post, but as someone who struggles with personal fitness myself I think I'm in a good position to point this out: if you're not...
View ArticleStaying Safe While Traveling, Part 9: avoiding the stupid
The issue, of course, is that we tend to rely on friends or relatives to get around in strange places, and so we stick with them as things go south because we're afraid to get stranded somewhere...
View ArticleCome train with me in Cleveland!
You'll learn the most efficient ways to run the revolver, how to master trigger control, how to reload the revolver with a minimum of fumbling, and even how to operate it one-handed. ...You'll learn...
View ArticleStaying Safe While Traveling, Part 10: your smartphone as a safety tool? You...
The smartphone is a phenomenal piece of technology, and I'll be honest when I say that even after owning one since they appeared on the market I'm still coming up with new uses for the things. ...The...
View ArticleSelf defense and the law: Branca's new podcast
I found it to be a terrific resource for self defense law, particularly so for the legalities surrounding the use of lethal force. ...In this first podcast he busts a lot myths, explains the confusion...
View ArticleOn the Las Vegas police murderers.
The recent incident in Las Vegas, where a husband and wife murdered two police officers before fleeing into a Walmart, has generated interest in the self defense community because of the actions of...
View ArticleJust because the environment is non-permissive doesn't mean you're defenseless!
There is a pervasive attitude in the training world that only the gun will keep you safe, that it's so important to survival that you should never go anyplace where you can't have it by your side....
View ArticleIs Armchair Quarterbacking a bad thing to do after an incident?
There may be a handful who may have used their guns in defensive situations (as in actually firing their gun against an attacker), but there aren't any with a significant number of those incidents...
View ArticleI'm working with appendix carry, and noticed something interesting.
I've written about the advantages and disadvantages of appendix carry, and decided some months ago to give it a more thorough trial as part of a holster test (which you'll see soon!) ...I've sized...
View ArticleHow much spare ammunition is "enough"?
If you're forced to use your gun against an attack it's plausible (though in private sector self defense not likely) that you might run out of ammunition before that attack has finished, and need to...
View ArticleYou can't do (or carry) everything. The sooner you accept that, the better...
When we talk about all of the things that could happen to us, all of the things that could result in our death (or crippling injury), there is a wide range of events that are possible — in the sense...
View ArticleMassad Ayoob updates his classic work on self defense!
When it came out in 1980, it was state-of-the-art in its approach to the legal, ethical, and practical aspects of defensive shooting. ...Much has happened since Ronald Reagan was elected to his first...
View ArticleWhere has Grant been? Teaching people how to defend themselves!
If you've missed the regular blog updates (and I sure hope you have!), it's because I was on a teaching trip to the great state of Ohio. I went out to Safety Solutions Academy, the training group run...
View ArticleMaking good training decisions is important to your well-being. Here's why.
If you spend precious training and practice resources on skills that only work when you have a platoon of similarly armed and motivated protectors (as well as the presence of close air cover), those...
View ArticleOff-body carry: purses and bags. Are they really a good idea?
We usually think of OBC as being in a purse (female-centric), but that's not always the case; many men, I've found, carry their personal defensive firearm in a shoulder bag ("manpurse" or messenger...
View ArticleFlashlights you can trust.
There are lots of small machine shops that can produce the metal parts, plastics molders to do nearly everything else, and even companies that make pre-assembled circuit boards ready to be put into a...
View ArticleA rare discussion about defensive shooting education and the...
One student was a police officer whose department issues revolvers as back-up guns but provides no training in their use (he's also an instructor with whom I've worked previosly.) ...I was debuting...
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