Shooting and Training Philosophy

I had a new Advanced Pistol student today.  This was a gentleman who was a part-time security guard who I crossed paths with this past Saturday at the shooting range.  His objective was to increase his accuracy and rapid target acquistition.

Before the first session with any of my Advanced students, I spend 15 or 20 minutes going over some basic safety rules and make sure we both use and understand the same terminology.  During this period, I encourage the new student to ask as many questions as they need to feel comfortable, and so I can give them the exact type of training they desire.

We were talking about shooting and training techniques.  I explained that I am a believer in (as you've read here ad nauseum) "practice like it's real".  Your practice and training regime should apply to real-life situations and employ real-life techniques as often as possible.

I explained that I teach to reduce most of the fine motor skills usually associated with shooting a firearm.  I teach how to "aim" not so much by setting up a perfect sight picture, but by presenting the firearm in such away that it naturally aims itself.  We use large muscle groups and gross motor skills for everything other than the trigger pull.

The student was nodding and agreeing that this sounded great and he was ready to go.  There WAS one thing though:  He'd taken a class at one time and a great technique he learned was to tape over the weak-eye side of his shooting glasses.  He said that it had really improved his accuracy and was only used during practice.

Hmm.

I repeated my philosophy - practice like it's real.  He nodded.  I said that while I will sometimes use the tape on the glasses for VERY short periods of time with students having great difficulty seeing the target, it is a crutch you want to shed as quickly as possible.

I said it would be quite difficult for him to ask the intruder who just kicked in his door to, "wait a second while I go get my taped-over shooting glasses so I can aim at you more accurately."

He nodded again, and said he'd like start with the taped over glasses.  I'm thinking to myself, "Fine.  I charge by the hour.  Take all the time you need!"

So we get into the range, and I have him shoot two 6-round magazines at an 8-inch target 7-yards away.

Two hits.  No pattern whatsoever to the other 10 shots - they're all over the joint, up to 12 inches off center.

We exchanged his taped-over glasses with a spare pair I keep in my bag, made a minor adjustment to his grip (he was 'tea cupping' a bit) and did a couple dry-fire pistol presentation drills using the techniques I teach.

Two more 6-round magazines:  8 shots on target, and the other 4 were all within 1 inch of the edge (5 inches off center).  All without the taped-over glasses.

He was now "a believer" and the lesson progressed very nicely after that.  He'll be putting 12-of-12 on target in short order.

Accept The Challenge

Remember:  If you ever are put into a situation where you have to draw your weapon, you want to reserve your mental facilities for determining WHEN to shoot, not HOW to shoot.  You want that process to come as naturally as possible.

Use props and other crutches only for short durations to correct faults - don't become dependent upon them for your regular shooting practice.  One more time:  Practice like it's real.
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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

A Day In The Life...

I need some help understanding something.  After the Fort Hood massacre, it was difficult enough for me to believe that soldiers on our military bases don't walk around armed.  What I found out yesterday seems impossible.

I spent the day yesterday at an NRA Day At The Range function.  It's basically a sign-up day to increase NRA membership.  I offered to set up a "loop" of some screens from my First Steps Pistol Orientation class.  I set up a loop that ran for about 5 minutes, then repeated over and over (and over and over) all day.

It was pretty successful, with a lot of people coming through the gun shop, and the NRA got a number of sign-ups (including one Life Membership).  It also turned out well for me, as I signed-up one person for one of my upcoming scheduled classes, and two folks for my advanced class.


That leads me to my question.  One of the Advanced students is active-duty Air Force.  It has come to my attention (from another source) that aside from the firearms training received during Basic Training, the average, run-of-the-mill soldier/airman/sailor does not receive regular, on-going firearms training.

Can this be true?  This kid I'm going to be training recently returned from Iraq.  I have no idea (yet) what function he performed.  He may have been a bookkeeper, a cook or someone else well behind the fight, or he may have been located at a remote airbase right in the thick of it- I just don't know.

And it's irrelevant.

Why is this kid having to go to a civilian range and instructor?  How can our country send ANYONE in any capacity over into a war zone and not have them proficient in firearms usage?

Someone please help me understand the rationale behind this.
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After the NRA Day, I went to Wally World to pick up some stick-on targets and other items.  I was wearing one of my NRA Certified Instructor shirts.

I'm up at the register, and the guy looks at my shirt, looks at the targets and asks, "So, dude, are these targets for air soft or something?"  I look at the NRA insignia and Certified Instructor patch on my chest, then look back at him and say, "No.  I'm a firearms instructor." 

I thought he was going to wet himself.  The look on his face made a good day, great.
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I recently made a fairly large 90% silver purchase.  Well, it was large for me and it was actually a number of purchases.

One of them was an ebay auction for 90% silver dimes.  After my count of the dimes, I came up two short.  Now, we're not talking huge money here - the two dimes are worth about $1.40 each.

I emailed the guy telling him about the problem.  He emailed me back this morning, saying he was sorry for the problem, and would be sending me 3 dimes - two to fulfill the original order and one for causing me problems.

It is so refreshing to come across someone with some personal and business integrity. It is very easy to "talk the talk".  It may just be him working to maintain his 100% ebay rating, which is kind of the point, isn't it?  He's making sure his customers are happy.

He will receive glowing feedback upon my receipt of the coins.
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Historically, I have only purchased silver bullion rounds - 1 ounce of .999 pure silver each.  These latest purchases are my first purchases of 90% silver coins - half dollars, quarters and dimes minted in 1964 or earlier.

I had a learning curve.  Instead of basing the price soley on the spot price of silver, you buy the coins based upon face value.  For instance, you may pay $13 for each $1 of face value.  As of late, this pricing multiple has been anywhere between $13 and north of $14 per $1 face.

A friend of mine gave me a spreadsheet that has formulas for determining what the multiple should be based upon the current spot price of silver.  You then decide how much of a premium over spot/face multiple you want to pay. 

To say the least, it is more confusing, but that's how things are done with the 90% coins.  There are some nuances involved as well.  For instance, even though AT MINTING ten dimes had the same amount of silver as two half-dollars, over time, the two half-dollars will generally contain more silver.

Why?  Because they were less heavily circulated when they were being used as money to buy goods and services.  Over time, more silver was "rubbed off" of dimes than off of half dollars.  To account for this, on some online coin shops, the multiple for half-dollars is higher than it is for dimes - usually a few cents per dollar of face value.

There really is something to this.  As I was counting and cataloging my recent purchases, my fingertips were quite "dirty" - covered with the black oxidation that occurs with silver.

Always learnin'...



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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Human Slime

The vast majority of the calls and emails I get for training happen because of a recent rash of muggings, or maybe a gang murder, or some kind of shoot-out or car chase with the police.  More and more, it has to do with home invasions and burglaries.

This makes sense.  The economy is in the dumper and finding legitimate work is very difficult.  California's unemployment rate has been north of 12% for a very long time.  More and more people are turning to crime to make ends meet.

But stories like this even surprise me.  The depths of human depravity have hit new lows.

Two people are under arrest on charges of burglarizing the home of a Northern California family of four who were killed in a weekend vehicle crash, police said Wednesday.

The accident was caused by some 19 year old kid who was driving 90 mph.  He T-boned the vehicle of a family, killing the parents and two sons.  The driver died as well.  The family had a 19 year old daughter who was not in the vehicle.

Her entire family was wiped out in an instant.
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This story made the news all over the Bay Area, including the news sources that reach San Mateo county.  That's where two scum-of-the-earth maggots decided that committing crime in their own area was not profitable or easy enough.

They apparently decided that it was a much better idea to drive 75 miles and spend an hour and a half on the road, and go rob the home of some dead people.

Three days later, burglars ransacked the Maloneys' three-bedroom Sonoma house, taking jewelry, electronics and the family's 2006 silver Nissan 350z, police said.

True was arrested Tuesday afternoon during a traffic stop when a San Mateo County Sheriff's deputy found her with a credit card belonging to Susan Maloney. Detectives later found Guiterrez driving the stolen car, and a search of his home found more property belonging to the family, police said.

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The scumbag meth-head boyfriend has admitted they robbed the home, but now says he was unaware that it was the home of the dead family.  Right.

Tell it to the jury.  Yeah, it's very plausible that you drove your scummy-self all the way from San Mateo county and just happened to pick the home of the dead family.  What are the odds, dude?

Accept The Challenge

Buy a book.  Buy a DVD.  Take a class.  Speak to the community outreach section of your local police department.  Do something to get educated on personal defense and home security.

As Christmas approaches - it's only 3 weeks away - expect break-ins to increase.  Criminals need gifts as well.  Don't be their Santa...


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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Twelve Disaster Impacts

Long ago in a place, far, far away....

Well, not that long ago.  I used to be the CIO for various companies in a highly regulated industry.  A major part of my duties revolved around Emergency Preparedness/Business Continuity/Continuity of Operations.

The name of the process changed over the years, but the function was basically the same:  How to lessen the impact of an emergency AND get the company up-and-running as quickly as possible.

Much of what we did was driven by the federal government.  Especially just prior to the Y2K period, the intensity of the process was ramped up.  As I've written before, the preparedness functions were not always thought of as necessary by all.

After doing this function - literally for decades - it became apparent that we were indeed wasting our resources.  We were actually putting too much work into the wrong things.  The feds had their way of doing things - a template all of us were supposed to follow - but it was INCREDIBLY wasteful (big shock there, huh?).

We had to put together plan after plan for different events that might happen.  One for an earthquake.  One for a tornado.  One for a fire.  One for a flood.  One for this.  One for that.

Big, impressive binders were assembled.  See?  We're prepared for anything!

During the Y2K build-up, we began to notice something - patterns were becoming clear:  Most of the troubles we were anticipating were repeating themselves.  Over and over again.

For instance, whether the disaster was caused by a hurricane, an earthquake or a mud slide, we made plans for the loss of electrical power.

If the disaster was caused by a terrorist dirty nuke, an over-turned rail car full of ammonia or a fire at a local chemical plant that was billowing toxic smoke, we had plans for providing clean air to breathe.

It soon became apparent that we didn't need to focus so much on the cause of a disaster, but on the impact.
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This kind of clear thinking didn't sit too well with the feds (again, shocking).  If we didn't follow their format, how could they ever possibly audit our plans?  It was more about format than content, so we all buckled under and followed their "suggestions" (anyone who deals with a government regulator understands this frustrating aspect of business).

After I started my own business, I went over my old notes and binders and identified these impacts.  There are twelve of them.

Thankfully, my own company is not (yet!) subject to operational regulation, and I can share with you what we teach in our Emergency Preparedness workshops.  From time to time, I will talk about each of them in greater detail on this blog.

Until then, here's the list (not necessarily in order of importance - they're ALL important):

1. No Potable Water
2. No Food
3. No Shelter
4. Lack of Safety and Security
5. No Public Utilities (electricity, gas, sanitation)
   
6. No Communication Services
7. Toxic Airborne Contaminants
8. Restricted Travel
9. No Access to Professional Medical Services
10. No Money
11. Lost Records
12. Mental Health/Spirituality
    

Think about any possible disaster.  Think about any possible impact.  It will fit into one of the categories.

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As I'll get into in later posts, each of these impacts are "drilled down" and customized for your own life.  My plans and needs for Lost Records or Medical Services are most likely very different from your needs because of the skills and resources to which I have access.  Your Restricted Travel might be because of martial law being imposed, mine might be restricted because I can't get access to gasoline for my car.
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Accept The Challenge

If you have a written plan - which EVERYONE should have - do a review to see if it can be streamlined.  The more concise and specific a plan is, the better able most people are able to act in times of an emergency.

It is also very important that everyone that might be impacted, be a part of the planning process.  You MUST have consensus on the actions that will be taken.  If your money supply is interrupted, you may want to disconnect your cable TV service, but others may want to cut back on the food budget, or sell your baseball card collection on ebay to increase cash flow.

Figure this out NOW while you're thinking clearly, and not during an emergency event.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Pepper Spray and The Dog Whisperer

Earlier this week, a friend of mine brought me to a wooded lot he owns in a semi-rural area of Northern California.  Amongst other things, I was doing a test on caching location directions accuracy.  I got some interesting information and ideas I'll share in a later post.

Anyways, as we approached the lot, we heard LOTS of dogs barking.  He has neighbors on both sides of his lot, and not surprisingly, they all have dogs.  Big dogs.

The neighbor to the right has a fully enclosed lot with 7 or 8 foot high cyclone fence.  All of these lots are 1 to 2 acres, so that must have set him back a pretty penny.  The neighbor to the left only had a fence running along the front of his property - nothing along the lot line separating the property from my friend's.

I look up, and there is a BIG Rottweiler (is there any other kind?!) charging us.  He's followed by a German Shepard and some kind of Junk-Yard-Dog.  None of these dogs appear to be a part of the neighborhood welcoming committee.  Their heads are low, and they are barking and growling as they fast approach.

On the way up, my buddy and I dropped my vehicle off and took his to the lot.  That meant I no longer had a firearm available to me.  Great.  I'm about to be mauled to death in some back-roads property, no one knows we're there and I have no way to defend myself.

It then dawned on me that I ALWAYS carry my Buck knife and my pepper spray with me.  It doesn't matter if I'm in shorts and flip-flops or in a business suit, they're in my pocket.

Out comes the pepper spray.

What was very cool was my training kicked right in.  In our Defensive Sprays class, we teach our students to make sure they have the ability to move laterally.  If someone or something (like an agitated dog) is charging you, you want to move to one side or the other after you fire.  You need to expect the inertia of the person to carry them into you even if you get a direct shot in the eyes - it takes a couple of seconds for the spray to take effect.

So, Cujo and his friends are charging us.  I'm ready to rock and roll.  Clear space to the left and right of me.  I know my spray will go out to 15 feet, but is more effective inside 10 feet.  I'm calculating when I'm going to hose down these dogs and the rough order in which it will happen.

Suddenly, my buddy steps forward and goes all, "Dog Whisperer" on me!  He goes right towards the Rottweiler and starts with the "baby talk" to the dog.  The Rott just melts!  The Shepard and Junk Yard follow suit, and act like my buddy is the best thing since Kibbles-N-Bits.  Tails wagging, sloppy dog-kisses - the whole nine yards.

My friend tells me he, "has a way with dogs".  Apparently so.  I know he doesn't go to the lot very often, so it's unlikely they recognized him.
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We spent a half hour or so on the lot.  The dogs kept a very close eye on us.  They were following us in a "stalking stance" - low to the ground, using cover, being very quiet.  I felt like we had steaks hanging from our necks.

I kept the pepper spray on a small lanyard around my wrist just in case the love was lost between my buddy and the dogs.  I was not too disappointed when we got back on the road!

Accept The Challenge

NEVER leave yourself without multiple options for self-defense.  Expect one or more options to fail or no longer be available.

I harp on this a lot, but you have got to mentally run through scenarios before they actually happen.  My primary defense (a firearm) was not available.  The pepper spray was now first up.  I should have put the knife in my other hand - assuming the pepper spray would either fail, or would not be sufficient for all of the dogs.

I should have been looking for tree branches to use as a club or spear.  My mental checklist has now been updated.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Prepping For Politics

I try and keep politics out of this blog.  I am personally VERY involved in various aspects of the political process, but try and keep my views and opinions to a minimum on this venue.

That being said, politics are a significant part of our lives.  That goes doubly so for those of us in highly regulated states such as California.  To not recognize and prepare for the impact of politics on our lives is foolhardy at best.

Those of you in "freer" states should pay attention to what goes on in states such as California, as well.  Many, MANY of the "progressive" ideas enacted here have a way of finding their way into the laws of other states.
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Do you always follow the law now (I'm not talking about stuff like speeding)?  Will you always follow the law? 

What if the government did something absolutely unthinkable - would you still willingly comply with the law?  Let's say something as innocuous as telling you what kind of TV set you can buy.  Or perhaps a bit more "intrusive" - like telling you private holdings of precious metals were illegal, and had to be exchanged for government-issued paper money?  Or perhaps the ultimate intrusion into your life - what if they took away your means to legally defend your life and possessions against intruders?

I'm sure it's no surprise, but all of these things have happened.  California will no longer allow you to buy the TV of your choice.

Environmentalists and energy-efficiency experts applauded the step, noting that California's move will likely spur similar rules around the country.

The federal government confiscated gold during the last Depression.

The Order required U.S. citizens to deliver on or before May 1, 1933 all but a small amount gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates owned by them to the Federal Reserve, in exchange for $20.67 per troy ounce. Under the Trading With the Enemy Act of October 6, 1917, as amended on March 9, 1933, violation of Executive Order 6102 was punishable by fine up to $10,000 ($166,640 if adjusted for inflation as of 2008) or up to ten years in prison, or both.

And unless you're politically connected or live outside of highly-populated areas, it is virtually impossible to obtain a Concealed Weapon Permit in California.

Try and wrap your brain around this bit of regulation:  California has passed a law designed to reduce the amount of lead in our water.  Sounds like a laudable goal.

But the law is so broad in its application that even water delivery systems that contain no lead, let alone any metal in them, are also bound by the restrictions of the law.

The good folks at Berkey Filters have politely told California to, "shove it".  Starting January 1st, Californians will no longer be allowed to buy Berkey filters (IMO, the best product on the market).  Let the irony of this sink in:  We will no longer be able to buy a filter which removes lead from the water BECAUSE of our lead safety laws.
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So what are you to do?  Do you, "toe the line" and follow the letter of the law, regardless of its impact on your life?

You may decide to do what a group of religious folks did last week with the, Manhattan Declaration.  They are publicly stating that they will not follow laws which go against their religious beliefs.  In just one week, over 150,000 people have publicly signed this declaration.  They expect 1 million people to sign it.

You may decide to quietly go about your business and skirt the laws.  For instance, I will be making more and more trips to Nevada and Oregon to purchase my ammunition (and now my Berkey filters) because of laws restricting my access to items I consider life-sustaining.

You may also make the decision to not just skirt some laws, but to directly ignore them.  I'm aware of a number of otherwise law-abiding citizens that say they carry a concealed weapon, regardless of what the law says they may do.  The protection of their life apparently has a higher priority than following a "safety" law.
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Of course, there are ramifications to not following the law - jail time, fines, further restrictions of personal liberty.  It's a choice that is not always easily made.

If California were to make it illegal to possess ammunition or water filters purchased in another state, or if the federal government required that I swap my precious metals for government script, I most assuredly would ignore those laws. 

I think Ayn Rand said it best -

There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them.  One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

Accept The Challenge

Have you considered the impact current or future laws may have on your ability to provide for you and your family?  Figuratively speaking, do you keep a, "finger in the wind" to see which way it's blowing?

If a branch of government were to make something you do or own suddenly illegal, have you designed plans and processes to safeguard your life and possessions?  How would you adapt to the loss of access to something you absolutely, positively cannot live without?

Don't wait!  Think about these unthinkable things NOW, while you have the ability to plan and prepare.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Making White Flour - Kinda...

Admit it.  Bread made with whole wheat flour is dense and heavy.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, but some people (especially kids, it seems) like a lighter bread.  Generally, that means you need to use some sort of a white flour - either All Purpose or bread flour.

While this is fine while it is easy to run down to the store and pick up a five-pound sack, what will you do if it were no longer available?  Remember:  variety in food is one of the important psychological aspects of preparedness.  If you're "stuck" eating plain rice, beans and whole wheat bread every day, you may soon find your fare unappetizing, and not eat sufficient amounts to maintain your health.
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Making "white" flour at home is a bit of a misnomer - what we're actually doing is removing a signficant portion of the bran from the whole wheat plus adding a super-secret ingredient.  OF COURSE, that bran is saved, and used for bran muffins or just mixed into soups and stews to provide additional nutrition.

I started off with 1 pound of wheat kernels.  My Family Grain Mill has 4 settings - each producing a successively fine flour.  I ran the grains through on the most course setting - 4 - for the first pass.  This gave me basically "cracked grains".

I clicked it down to the 3 setting, and produced a rough milled grain -

I picked out any parts that didn't look like they should be there (mostly foreign-looking husks), then cranked the mill down to the 2 setting, and milled it all up again.

At this point, it was almost the texture of flour, but you can still feel the bran in the powder.  This is exactly where we want it! 

You will need some sort of sifter.  Be sure not to get one too fine, or it will take you forever to do this step.  Simply scoop up a sifter of flour and shake it over a bowl.  The fine "white" flour will go through the sifter, leaving behind the bran.

After I separated the bran from the flour, I ran the flour through the mill one last time on the 1 setting.  This made it very soft and fine.  Almost a white flour!

The 1 pound of whole wheat kernels produced 13 oz of flour and 3 oz of bran (roughly).  The 13 ounces was the equivalent of 3 cups of flour.
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One more thing:  You know how they make white flour, right?  They literally bleach it with chemicals.  Nice, huh?  The 'old fashioned' way was to let the flour age for 2 or 3 months, allowing it to naturally oxidize and (somewhat) whiten.  This aging (and chemical) process actually makes the flour more "receptive" to becoming bread - it helps in making fluffier breads.

What's the super-secret ingredient?  There is a natural way to somewhat duplicate this process:  For every 6 cups of flour, add one tablespoon of lemon juice to your mix (I do it after I've added about 1/2 of my total flour).  Something about the acidity makes whole wheat breads rise up better, without giving the bread a lemony taste.

Accept The Challenge

Learn different ways to use your stored prep foods.  Test your recipes each week on your family.  Find out what they like and dislike before you find yourself with food no one will eat!

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Security Theater

What is "Security Theater"?  Like a theatrical play, it's putting on a big production that isn't real - it doesn't actually accomplish anything other than make us feel good.  It's all sizzle but no steak.

We're seeing it right now with the New And Improved security measures they're implementing at Fort Hood since the shooting of 40+ people - 13 dead, 30 wounded:

Military brass at Fort Hood, Texas, on Tuesday announced tightened security procedures and the availability of a range of mental health services in the wake of the November 5 shooting spree that killed 13 people on the post.

They're going to be especially tight with who is able to enter the base, they will arm a few more soldiers at strategic positions, and a lot of very important sounding measures.

But what will it do?

But, Cone [the commanding general of the base] said, had the changes been in place on November 5, they might not have been enough.

"I don't think necessarily they would have had an effect on this event," he said.

Security Theater at its finest.
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Many people have their own home-versions of Security Theater.  They buy guns, pepper spray and stun guns, but don't get the training on how to use them.  They buy home and auto alarms, but don't set them.  They install heavy-duty deadbolts, but use short screws to hold them in place.

They buy the "stuff" but don't know how to use it.  They're just going through the motions.

The problem is, the bad guys aren't playing make-believe.  They're playing for real.  They WILL take your money and your property.  Sometimes, even your life.


Accept The Challenge

Don't fall into the comfortable trap of Security Theater.  Your life and the things you've worked for are too valuable to leave their security to chance.  Take steps today to review your security measures.

Will they buy you some time?  Will they act as a deterrent?  Will they prevent an assault?  Will they allow you to truly defend yourself?

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Weak-side Shooting

The vast majority of people who go to the practice range do one thing:  They stand in front of their target with their favorite two-hand stance and blast away.

Clearly, this has a place in any practice routine, but the likelihood of that stance being the optimum presentation of your firearm during an emergency is pretty slim.  A good routine will practice numerous stances - one-hand, two-hand, strong-side, weak-side.

I think one of the reasons people don't practice weak-side shooting is because - ironically - they're no good at it.  It's like the golfer who never practices from the sand trap.  Most folks look like idiots, flailing away in the trap, with big plumes of sand - and a fair amount of swearing - being the only thing produced.

The smart golfer - and firearms owner - practices that which they have little or no skill, so they can possess those skills when the time comes to use them.
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Take a walk through your home.  Identify the points that are most likely to be used by a criminal to gain entry.  The front door, the rear sliding glass door, your windows, etc.  Now, identify the structures in your home - primarily the walls, knee walls, corners and staircases that would give you the most concealment to defend yourself.

How many of those defensive points would be most effectively utilized if you shot from your weak hand?  Probably half of them.

There is a concept in defensive pistol training called, "Slicing the pie".  The idea is to use cover and concealment to shield the greatest portion of your body while locating your uninvited guests.  As you approach a location that likely hides the bad guy, your point of aim (the arrows) resembles the slices of a pie as you investigate around the corner (click to expand).

A key to your survival is to expose as little of your body to the bad guy as possible.  Obviously, in this example, a left-hand stance and presentation of the firearm would offer the smallest target to return fire - your left arm, shoulder and the left side of your face.

If you were only proficient with a right-hand stance and presentation, you would need to expose all of your left side, most (if not all) of the center of your chest, portions of your right side, and likely most of your head.

Why present a bigger target when you don't have to?  What would you do if your strong-side hand were injured and your weak-side was the only option?

Accept The Challenge

Weak-side practice should be incorporated into every single range session.  For instance, if you're practicing rapid fire drills, do them from both sides.  Don't become proficient - and dependent  - just on your strong-side.

Practice your weak-side drills until you are equally accurate regardless of the hand you use.  Get help from a trainer if you need it.  It may save your life.


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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Combating Holiday Crime

 This is from our weekly newsletter (sign up here).
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Combating Holiday Crime

Tomorrow is "Black Friday" - supposedly the biggest shopping day of the year.  It is also the "opening day" for the criminal element to ramp up their efforts to separate you from your goods or cash.

Remember, the criminal efforts are not restricted to brick-and-mortar stores - the online criminals and identity thieves are especially busy this time of year.

What are the characteristics of a criminal?  In general, some of their traits are:

• Constantly seeking low-risk criminal opportunities
• Overconfidence in their ability to "scam" the system
• Masking themselves with a facade of conformity (blending in to appear non-threatening and innocent)
  

Obviously, they have a plan.  Do you?

The following are just a few of the suggestions and techniques taught in our Refuse To Be A Victim and Defensive Sprays and Stunning Devices workshops -

Online Crime

If you only follow these three suggestions, you will eliminate the vast majority of online scam vulnerabilities:

Never provide personal information over the phone unless you called a phone number you are absolutely certain is a valid number.  No legitimate business will contact you asking for PINs, codes or passwords - they already have that information!

Don't click email links unless they're from vendors you authorized to send you online coupons or offers.

Never enter credit card numbers or other personal information online unless the website page you're entering the information is secure - https:// versus http://

Local Crime

When approaching your car in the parking lot, try to always have one hand free at all times.  Be sure to check the interior of your car before entering.  If you have any concerns whatsoever (i.e., it's dark or you feel uneasy), get an escort from store security.

Have your pepper spray on a lanyard on your wrist.  To most people, it will just look like a key ring, and won't draw undue attention.  It puts your defensive tool close-at-hand.

Don't shop alone.  Bring a friend!  There really is strength in numbers.

At ATMs or Debit card terminals in a store, be sure to shield the keypad as you're entering your PIN.  If someone is able to get your code, you now become a valuable target to have your wallet or purse stolen.

Don't enter your home if there is any indication that someone may have broken in.  Immediately exit the home, get back into your car, lock the doors, DRIVE AWAY and call the police.

When you leave your home, and when you go to bed, for goodness sake, lock your doors and windows, and set an alarm if you have one.  They're there for a reason!

Install outdoor lighting, preferably with motion sensors.  Criminals hate light!

If you've made purchases online, home deliveries can be a huge vulnerability.  Always use your peep hole to view the visitor and hopefully their delivery truck.

If not expecting packages, look through the peep hole and reply to the visitor by talking through the door.  Ask, "Who's there?"  This lets them know someone is home (making it a high-risk target).  Remember:  This is YOUR home - you get to set the rules about who is allowed to enter and how they are greeted.

Women are especially vulnerable to visitors.  Rightly or wrongly, women are perceived to be an easier target.  They may request to speak to your husband.  Never let them know you're alone - tell them he's taking a nap, and you're still not interested.  If they do not leave, call the police immediately.

By taking these very simple and practical steps, you can help ensure your Christmas or other holiday season is a happy one.

Next Issue:  Reality-based Training

Accept The Challenge

Crime is not going to stop for the holidays.  In fact, it usually increases because the bad guys know "regular people" let down their guard during the holidays.

You CAN stay alert and still enjoy the holidays!

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com