Fun with photography

So the wifey and I had a range trip scheduled today, not particularly note worthy, but we had to cancel due to the Irate Wifey not feeling too hot. By the point this was determined, however, I had already assembled the pistols we were planning on taking (today was to by a pistolcraft day), unloaded them and all their attendant, ready magazines. I sat looking at the assemblage on the table, with all the various rounds arranged in neat rows and columns (I am, alas, struck with the same minor OCD so ubiquotous at the genius level;) and the magazines and firearms arranged around their ammo. It made me smile, so I made a few adjustments (cleared some clutter) and snapped a few pics I thought were cool. Here you go.







Yeah, that's my dining room table after clearing away some of the clutter. While I was originally stripping out the mags, there was three more books and an entire deck of Uno cards. Oh well.

Everyone loves a good rifle

Right? Oh, well.

I should probably still be busy writing about the further adventures of (redacted) and the (redacted), but I've been doing an exceptionally lousy job of concentrating today, so I figured I'd blog a bit. After all, when I get off the computer I have to clean kitty liter boxes and a bathroom, do dishes, work out, and generally do stuff. Yuck.

When I wrote this post I came pretty close to simple dismissing the defensive value of rifles. Especially in a home defense context. Hell, had the winds of hopen'change not gotten to blowing, I might never have revisited the topic. Now, however, I think I would be remiss in not doing so.

A little background...

By nature, temperament, experience, training, whatever, I'm a dyed in the wool rifleman. One of my fondest memories of the Navy is the first time I had an M-14 handed to me. Yeah, it was old, poorly maintained, and the sights were off, but I loved that thing. It was the first semi-automatic rifle I ever fired that wasn't a .22. Quickly learned that I had a bit of native ability with it too, when I finally got the sights zeroed. Then came the M-16, three variations of it, the M-4, M-25, EBRed M-14, M-82, and a few others I can't remember. I learned that if I did such and such, just so, breathed just right, and squeezed the trigger just like so I'd hit my target. Anywhere from CQB range to 1200 meters (I have hit target on a range at 1700, but that was more the exception than the rule).

As a fighting instrument, the modern rifle is a first class tool, not soon to be replaced.

Then I got out of the Navy. Still loved rifles, but in thinking about the times and places I'd actually needed them, I couldn't imagine needing one simply to defend myself. Still wanted to get a whole list of them, and had no problem with anyone else doing the same, but I prioritized on what I considered useful for defense. So I set about transforming myself into a pistolero and shotgunner, and, discouraged by the price tags of the rifles I wanted, simply tried not to think about them.

Had I kept my brain in the on position, I would have paid attention to the store owners who successfully protected their property during the L.A. riots or the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when armed citizens (before being forcibly disarmed by their 'protectors') had to fight off roving bands of looters. Are pistols and shotguns useful in such situations? Of course, but they are not ideal and when your life, or that of a loved one, is on the line, you want the absolute best tool for the job you can get.

When confronted with civil disorder and the breakdown of basic services, a fighting rifle is one of your best tools. The shotgun remains highly desirable as does the pistol, but unlike normal home defense you may have to engage multiple attackers at open distances. This is where a self-loading, magazine fed rifle is worth its weight in gold.

Apparently I am not the only one to think so, either. Ar-15s, Kel-Tecs, and any other rifles matching the description are flying off the shelves faster than gun stores can restock. Heck, last time I tried to price rifles, there weren't any that fit the bill. Can't say I blame folks, I just hope they remembered to buy plenty of extra magazines and ammo and make sure they can use the things.

I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't done so already to get themselves a defensive rifle. Yes, you'll probably be fine without one, heck you probably won't ever be in danger from rioters, looters, etc, but that is not the way I recommend approaching personal safety. Especially these days. * And no, I'm not at all recommending people take the approach of forming into impromptu fire teams and patrolling for trouble, with their rifles, if the fecal matter does hit the rotary air impeller. ** If trouble does come your way, however, you'll be far better prepared to survive it if you have a rifle you know how to use with plenty of ammo loaded and ready to go.

I won't go into recommending this rifle or that with what accessories. I could spend a week discussing options and still not cover everything, not to mention I'll be wrong by at least one person's reckoning. Nature of the beast and diversity of opinions and choices is a feature, not a bug.

Instead, since I currently have no rifles that fit the bill (remember I got laid off a while ago?), I'd simply share my plans, such as they are, for acquisitions. I just have to finish this book and get that sweet, sweet, vile mammon.

Our first two rifle purchases will be AR builds. I've never owned an AR, but I've had plenty of trigger time with them and have helped other assemble them from parts. Final decision has not been made on parts yet though. I'll try not to geek out to much in the descriptions...

For the wifey, a carbine length either M-4 style or flat top. Currently leaning towards a flat top with flip-up iron sights co-indexed (for the uninitiated, that means they line up with the other sighting gear) a good red dot sight, probably EOtech holosight, and a flip-in/flip-out magnifier for reaching out just a little bit further, foregrip, and a collapsible stock. Yeah, really good red dot sights will bump the total price by 300-800 dollars, but is totally worth it if you have someone good at short to intermediate range rapid acquistion and fire. Such as the wifey. Might also go with a laser and flashlight, as this will be intended for closer range.

For self, a full length AR probably A4 style, but with a Magpul stock. I'll go with a higher end upper, probably DPMS, fully floated, blah, blah barrel and a bipod. Haven't decided on glass (scope) yet, but whatever it is will likely cost a fortune. Heck, I'll probably even get a light amplification scope. I'm looking to make a 600-800 meter rifle. The odds against needed that kind of reach are astronomical, but my house has great fields of fire and I'd hate to have a chance to head trouble off and not be able to take it.

Finally, the value of the .22 rifle should not be discounted. Sure, I'd hate to have to rely on one to stop an attacker, but they serve plenty of other functions and the small, cheap (relatively, ammo just ain't cheap these days) ammo means you can, and should, have lots. Like in the range of thousands of rounds.

A .22 can be used to take small game such as rabbits as a supplemental food supply. In a situation where you have someone unskilled at arms, as long as they're reasonable unlikely to shoot you, then can blast away at bad guys without wasting more valuable ammo. Not only might they actually stop an attacker, they'll serve as improvised suppressive fire. The .22 can also be used, if a situtation actually lasts a while, to train others in firearms without using your primary ammo. Heck, if all else fails, a .22 rifle with ammo in it is worth more than your bare hands and even the greatest, empty, rifle in the world.

Finally, I advise not just having lots of ammo, but lots of magazines loaded. Having 32,000 5.56 hollow points is great, but if you have to reload magazines after the second one, you're probably in a bad place. Also of consideration, though not of primary concern, is ammunition commonality. If things go bad and stay that way for awhile, will you be able to find more ammo? If you are using a 5.56, .308 win, 7.62x39, .30-06, etc, yeah probably, but if you're slinging a 7.62x54R, you may have some trouble.


*I'm not one of the doomsayers who expects are entire civilization to soon collapse or any 'long night' style scenario. The worst I expect disturbances of a few hundred (maybe a thousand or two) square miles that last from two or three days to a couple weeks. Plenty bad, but not the end of the world.

**I'll probably be visiting the topic of what one should and should not be doing in such a situation, even assisting law enforcement in restoring order, but not encouraging reckless action.

Ever wonder why Atlas looked so constipated?

I know, I know, weird title.

What can I say, my mind seems to be dwelling in a weird place of late. First, why is it misfortune always seems to hit me first? I'm the only person I know to have been laid off while simultaneously I've yet to get even a sixth of what they owe me from Veteran's Affairs. Predictably, this has caused a bit of financial strain at a time when prices are going up.

No worries, I am not without my resources and recourse. Things are just a bit tight.

Anyway, I've wondered off topic. Atlas. He holds up the world. Looks kind of heavy. He seems to be straining a bit. Now, it appears he's shrugging.

I am, of course, referencing the Ayn Rand novel, Atlas Shrugged. Not that I recommend reading the book. While I certainly find the scenario plausible and even a little terrifying, the book itself and many of Rand's beliefs are rather repellent. Still, in this day in age, you should probably read at least a fairly detailed synopsis of it, as well as the entirety of 1984 and Animal Farm.

Those of you who suffer through seeing me on a regular basis may have noticed that my mind seems to be working a bit differently. My priorities and outlook have changed. This is not a new phenomenon, mind, but another situational adaption I seem to be making.

I've been doing that since childhood. My own dear mother has frequently commented on how I seem to posses a much harder, callused personality than I did while in high school. Not that I am actually callus or even hard, I'm every bit as sympathetic and caring as I ever was, it just doesn't show as much. It's an adaption. I've always adapted to my situation. Heck, when I fist got to Camden, people thought I was a totally uncaring hardass. I wasn't, but that is how I'd had to act at my previous unit.

In reality, this is something we all do, most just don't pay attention to it.

I told you all that so I could tell you this.

It doesn't take the oracle at Delphi or even a crystal ball to see that we, as a nation, are in a rough patch and, unless things change, heading for worse. I don't believe all the gloom and doom prophesies I'm hearing now, about total collapse of our economy and, subsequently, way of life.

But I think we're heading for some serious trouble. When economies tank, especially when there is widespread and deeply felt resentment (like over a few stimulus packages the electorate didn't want), people often take their anger to the streets. With cutbacks coming in local government budgets, not federal of course, this will mean less police and emergency response. Wouldn't take much of a spark to cause a breakdown of civil order under those circumstances. Worse, the first time it happens will likely set up a domino effect.

Down go the dominoes.

Worst, there is no way to predict where such civil unrest will occur. True, big cities are more likely than small ones, but even small city economies are tied into the nationwide network of commerce and when the mill closes or the farms cannot by seed, people will be angry. No where will be immune.

So, now my imperative to you. Be prepared. Stock up on long shelf life foods, talk to your nearby friends and family about mutual preparations, decide where would be the safest play to try and wait things out (good lines of fire, sturdy construction, etc), buy rifles, shotguns and loads of ammo (more on this later), etc. I'll be going more in depth later, but the essence is to make ready for trouble.

To that end, I've started a (VERY) rigorous new fitness regime, stepped up my combatives practice (part of the regime), and am planning several new firearm acquisitions.

The odd thing is, I don't even feel like I'm being paranoid. Hopefully, nothing bad will happen near any of you, but I hope you don't gamble on it.

You go ahead, I'll watch

The wifey and I recently gave a very good friend a pistol in .380 for her birthday. Skip ahead a few days and the Irate family is gathered around the table playing a friendly game of cards (for the record, our definition of friendly excludes violence and nothing else) when I get to fiddling. I finish my turn, go get the range bag and start digging for ammo. Not because of the card game. Wanted to find some .380 to give to our friend.

First box o'bullets to get dug up was 9mm FMJ. I set it down to take my turn, and went to pick it back up, noticed something amusing. On the bottom of the box is a list potential uses for this particular ammo. It included thin skinned game such as white tailed dear...and boar. Lemme rephrase that, BOAR.

Snickering quietly (loudly snorting), I pulled out one of the boxes of .380 FMJ and guess what, it said the same thing.

Now, far be it from me to say that you can't hunt boar with with a tiny little pistol round, but I will say you probably shouldn't.

For reference, THIS is a boar.



Hey, if you got the stones, and good life insurance, you go right ahead. Me, I'll stick to using rifles. Really big rifles. Occasionally rifled shotguns.

EDIT: That's not me in the picture.

Hopping on a meme bandwagon...

A friend of mine who reads quite a few blogs, but rarely mine, suggested I follow a particular meme. Particularly, 'what's in my pockets.' I suspect this is because he's curious to know just how much I haul around.



Less than he was expecting, I'll wager. Unless, of course, I'm working...


Then I really am carrying a lot of crap.


Too bad I'm a lousy photographer.

In Praise of an Ugly Gun

As I mentioned in a previous post, I recently acquired a shiny new Springfield XD .45 Compact. I made no bones about the aesthetic failing of it at the time. Why am I bringing this up again?

Last night I was over at a friend's house and, shockingly enough, we were arguing a wide variety of topics. We finally wandered over to Glocks Vs. XDs. Price, accuracy, ergonomics, and reliability were all mentioned and debated ad nauseum, but then, aesthetics were brought up.

"The XD is just an ugly gun."

A loaded pause followed.

"What?"

"The XD is kinda ugly."

"'Kay, but in comparison to a Glock?"

"Good point."

Thought that was kinda funny, but it got me thinking. I've always had an affinity for firearms with a bit more aesthetic appeal. Like 1911s, Hi Powers, Camp Carbines, anything with a lever action, etc. However, I have to admit, the ugly duckling has really grown on me. With the shortened grip and ten round mag, I can hide it inside my waistband when wearing nothing more than shorts and a light t-shirt. It's accurate as any sidearm, not intended for competition, I've ever fired, as reliable as a Glock, and fits my hand like it was made for it.

It puts me in mind of the man who married a rather homely young lady. Every other guy in the village felt sorry for him, but because his wife was so carrying, kind, and thoughtful, he never even noticed that she didn't meet the standard for beauty. She was beautiful to him.

The XD sure is pretty...

The home defense shotgun

Ah the home defense shotgun. Effective intruder defense in one's own home begins and, in most cases, ends with a good shotgun.

Why's that?

Well, a pistol is a great defensive tool, but it lacks the firepower of its shouldered cousins and when they are in your house, where your loved ones may be, and you can carry larger arms, you can and should use something with more power. Why not a rifle? Rifle bullets have more penetration and are more likely to go through a wall and hit your neighbor or even one of your own children. Shotguns, however, have a great deal of power and a much smaller chance of over-penetrating.

Now, that's not to say other guns are useless for home defense. Many people, yours truly included, still keep a pistol by the bedside for immediate use if necessary. That's probably a bit more paranoid than most people are prepared to be, but I have my reasons. The wifey also has a few handguns secreted about the house in various places that are both difficult/impossible for kids to reach yet easily accessible by us. You can't expect to be in bed when your house is broken into. The fake SWAT team tactic is used both in light and dark and you would NOT want to be unarmed when dealing with them. Also, some people, not including me, are paranoid enough to keep rifles around the house in case they have to fight off body armored attackers. If you want to do this, ask for some advice from someone else. Unless there's some kind of disaster/breakdown of law and order, it seems excessive to me.

So, what kind of shotgun should you have?

Kind of a tough one to answer. In general, a combination of big enough to be an effective stopper, but small enough you can shoot it often to gain familiarity and competence. Reliability, ergonomics, and ammo capacity are also important, but must be balanced against your price range. If you've been trained to/know how to use a weapon mounted light, you might want one of those, if you have no idea then it's just a waste of money. Same with lasers. I would, however, recommend something other than most stock shotgun sights. Something you can use reliably in the dark. A cheap, but fairly good red-dot scope works. Something you can acquire a target quickly with.

As a starting point, I'm pretty fond of the Mossberg 500 series, particularly the 590, since that's the shotgun I used in the Navy. Also, the Remington 870 has served me well in a few tight spots and, although I've never fired one in anger, they have functioned well for me. Also, the various twelve gauge offering by Saiga seem awful nice, but I'll have to try some before I recommend them.

It shouldn't be your trap/skeet/bird hunting gun, nor should it have a rifled barrel. Not that you can't multi-role your gun, but it isn't ideal. It should be locked firmly in you mind that this shotgun is for a specific purpose. Hunting shotties tend to have longer barrels and this makes them less than ideal for fighting in close ranges. Especially since you should be loading with a nice buckshot load, the nastiest you can be comfortable with, which is why you don't want a rifled barrel.

Finally, no matter how ugly the gun turns out to be, and home defense shotties tend to be some of the most aesthetically insulting firearms around, you must drag it out to the range* and shoot it often. Preferably at pop-up targets and in assault courses designed to simulate defending a house (not SWAT style assaulting).

*If anyone at the range points out the aesthetic failing of your shotgun, telling them it's a home defense piece usually will shut them up.

BAG day purchase, well not really

So it was made clear to me that for my chosen line of work, I needed a new pistol. Preferably two or three actually, but at least one. None of the guns I currently owned were right for it. Little bit of a bummer, trust me. I've been carrying and using 1911s for darn near a decade, and because they are single action and have a light trigger, it would be bad to use one in a job where I have to point guns at people from time to time (not wanting to shoot them, but willing to) and even worry about someone else trying to wrestle it from me.

So I've been doing asking some questions, which started with some pros who have been doing the job for some time already, and doing some research. Well, today I bought myself a brand new Springfield Armory XD Compact in .45 caliber with tritium night sights. A very nice gun. I handled it, fond it WAY more comfortable than a Glock, stripped and reassembled, tested for accuracy, everything. The trigger was something else, smooth as butter with a crisp break. Not too heavy or too light, although I may get it adjusted to a heavier pull (I really don't want to shoot a defendant). All checks out, very slick.

I'm obviously very happy, even though I won't have it in hand until Monday since I wanted (needed, really) the night sights. What good is a concealed carry permit if I can't take a recent purchase home the day I buy it? Oh well.

Only one complaint. She's accurate, reliable, affordable, fairly concealable, and has no safety selector, removing an unnecessary step. The only problem is...

(picture removed because I shouldn't have used it)

It is kinda ugly.

Oh well, functionality creates a beauty all its own. Too bad I believe in carrying the same concealed handgun all the time to prevent confusion at the wrong moment. I sure am going to miss carrying Julie (my fav 1911).

The Model 1216

I found this on Defense Review, and I really want one, conditionally.

While I've never been as big a fan of shotguns as most firearm enthusiasts, even I think they're the best thing for home defense. Far more power than a pistol, without the over penetration worries of a rifle (assuming you use buck, which you should).

The Model 1216 is an attempt to solve two of the biggest complaints about shotguns. First, the limited magazine capacity and, secondly, the time consuming reloading process. This thing has four mag tubes, as opposed to one, and the whole works can be detached so you can quickly swap in another loaded assembly.

I'd be bound and determined to buy one if it weren't for one little concern. The mag tubes have to be manually rotated. So, you can fire however many round you have in a given tube, then rotate a fresh one in to resume fire. I see a little problem with that.

Ever seen a movie where, in the midst of the dramatic fight scene, someone goes to take a shot that would certainly kill a more important character, and instead the weapon goes 'click'? I've been that guy. Granted, hearing a 'click' on an empty tube with this shotgun wouldn't be as bad as with a pump gun. Just rotate the next tube and go to work, as opposed to having to load the tube one shell at a time (or combat load while fighting, which is way worse).

I'd have to take one to the range and try a few things out and see how they worked. I think I'd try rotating after each shot, train the muscles to rotate the tubes as soon as you feel the recoil. In any event, even if I decide I liked it and bought one, it'd be one of those guns you have to completely retrain yourself to use effectively.

Everybody was kung-fu fighting...

I suppose that title probably dates me a bit. Oh well.

A lot is made these days of studying martial arts for self defense and I'm inclined to think of this as a good thing. However, there is a great deal myth, balderdash, and outright untruths associated with them and learning effective fighting techniques from a martial art is rarely as straightforward as it should be.

I shall endeavor to dispel some of these myths first:

1. Martial arts are useless in a fight. I list this one first because, like many myths, there's a kernel of truth to it in many cases. In fact, this one would be a truism if it weren't applied with such a broad brush. However, the right system with the right instructor can be a devastatingly effective means of defense. More on that later.

2. Martial arts are just for kids. This, of course, comes from the fact that children and teens are much more likely to be interested in them than adults. Kids are naturally more energetic and rough-and-tumble than adults, but that's hardly an effective condemnation. If you want to learn to protect yourself, you're going to have to work at it and be willing to take some knocks.

3. If I have a gun (knife, baton, OC spray), I don't need to know how to fight with my hands. Sheer and utter balderdash. I've been carrying firearms and other weapons the entirety of my adult life and I've had many occasions to defend myself with my hands. I've had to break a hold, kick my attacker in the knee, and then back up to draw my sidearm, just to give one example. Just talking to some of the people I've worked with, I could come up with two dozen other example at a minimum.

4. This particular style is the only effective one, or that particular one is totally useless. While I've been guilty of thinking that way at times, the fact is the effectiveness depends largely on the instructor, and how much he emphasizes defense, and the student, and how much he takes from it. While certain martial arts are certainly less likely to be useful than others, they all have something to offer.

5. I'm a small person and could never fight off an attacker, or I'm big and don't need any training to defend myself. Again, a kernel of truth. (Another myth is that size doesn't matter, but I'll cover that here.) There's an old joke among martial artists, 'Size doesn't matter, unless the other guy is bigger.' In other words, just because your opponent is smaller, doesn't mean he can't beat you, or if you're smaller, well, you may be in trouble. Size does matter, but it doesn't necessarily trump all other factor. With two people of equal skill, speed, and fitness, yeah, the bigger one will probably win, but how often does such a match up happen? In the extreme, can a tiny little girl beat a huge, muscular man? Yep, I've seen it both in the dojo (where I was the big muscular guy) and in the real world (where I saw a female cop throat punch a suspect armed with a knife and follow it up with a shot to the wedding tackle). Above all else, the will to win/live is the most important thing.

To my way of thinking, there are two basic schools of martial arts. Man-handling and skull-cracking (apologies to SJ games).

Man-handling is largely about subduing your opponent with a minimum of injury to your attacker. It's primarily useful for police, prison guards, and others who may want to subdue a subject with minimal injury. To my way of thinking, this makes it inappropriate for self defense, despite the popularity of 'soft' martial arts for just that purpose.

Skull-cracking is about taking a perfectly healthy human being and reducing him to a quivering mass of shattered bones and burst internal organs. That alone highly recommends for defensive usage. Soldiers, defensively minded citizens, street fighters and many others primarily will use skull-cracking.

The distinction is a bit blurry as most martial arts will include elements of both, but if you look critically, you can usually distinguish a particular move or series of moves as one or the other. It is not striking vs. grappling, it is the results they deal with. While pretty much every strike is a form of skull-cracking, I've seen, and used, a lot of grappling techniques that pull joints out of socket or out right break them.

If you have to defend yourselves with your hands, obviously you want use whatever will give you the best chance to emerge intact. This is why I strongly discourage people to grapple with their attacker. Most people, when grappling, will do just that, grapple. An experience street fighter may tackle you and try to take you down, but he's also going to try bashing your head into the ground, head butting, punching, kicking, or whatever else he can to hurt you. Without experience, it's very hard to grapple effectively against someone who doesn't follow sparring rules. If you can fight on the ground like that, hey, go for it. Otherwise, you're best bet is to break contact, get enough distance to safely draw a weapon, and do so. Breaking contact and getting distance will almost certainly mean getting your hands dirty as your attacker is unlikely to want to let you move away. Hence the skull cracking. Hurt him and then you can move away unhindered.

All that having been said, if you want to learn to defend yourself, you have to find someone who will teach you how to fight. Maybe they won't share my exact views on how to best defend yourself, but they should at least have the same mentality. The problem is, with the commercialization of the martial arts, especially Asian arts, there has been a drive to make them more 'kid-friendly' and kinder/gentler. While any training is probably better than none, you should try to avoid these instructor like the plague. You want an instructor who believes in teaching fighting, not sparring. They can be very hard to find, but they are out there.

How do you tell a good instructor? Well, you want someone who encourages full contact sparring, does his best to minimize injuries, but understands you need to learn how to take a hit and keep going. Minimal or no emphasis on forms or katas (I know I'll get flamed for that, but so what, I'm fair sure I know what I'm talking about). A really good sign is an instructor who occasionally will bring in a red man suit and allow the students to practice the really damaging techniques. An emphasis on the proper execution of move is not, however, a bad sign. Power comes from leverage and technique, so it's a good sign if he wants you to do it a certain way. Lastly, an instructor should know that real fights never occur in a semi-scripted manner, ie strike, counter/block, back off, strike, counter/block, lather rinse repeat. It looks pretty and allows people to show off their more complex moves, but very poorly simulates a real fight.

Where are you most likely to find these instructors? Well, I can tell you generalities, but the fact is you just have to go see for yourself. Tae kwon do is, in my mind, one of the most commercialized, nerfed martial arts in the US and your odds of learning effective defense from it are tiny. However, when I was taking it as a kid, I did meet a few instructors how taught how to fight and fight to win. Not my own instructor, although he wanted to, because he was part of a multi-national school that wanted to encourage kids to join up. On the flip side, of the many Jujitsu instructors I've met, I'd say slightly more than half of them were the right kind of instructor and while I have yet to take Krav maga (it's on the list), I've never even heard of an instructor for it who doesn't teach how to defend yourself very effectively.

In the end, however, you just have to find the right instructor.

Edited to add:

It occurred to me, a bit late, that the above post makes it seem like I disdain any martial art's school that doesn't teach effective self-defense. I didn't mean to. The above was written from the perspective of learning effective self-defense from martial arts. There is nothing wrong at all with going to a dojo, with your kids even, for fun, competition, getting in shape, being part of a tradition, or for any other reason.

Also, the 'softer' methods I refer to as man-handling are perfectly appropriate for use in self defense against someone who you don't want to hurt and can subdue gently without placing yourself in undue risk. Again, I was speaking in the context of life threatening danger.

It's all about mentality and situational awareness

It's entirely possible that I harp on these more than most for two reasons. First, I have occasionally rushed in where angels fear to tread. Secondly, back when I was a volunteer rape prevention instructor, these were the two prime tools in the self-defense arsenal.

Of course, it feels odd to refer to mentality and situational awareness as two separate tools, even though they are. For me they are so intertwined and perpetually 'on' that they're one and the same. For me, you can't have one without the other, but I digress, on to the meat.

A lot of pundits have stated that mentality is the single most important element to a personal self-defense strategy and I have to agree with the caveat that situational awareness must be part of it. That's, partially, because predators can tell when someone is watching their entire environment and when that is combined with the proper mentality they will look for other targets. I scan everyone, everywhere I go, my wife says it's like I'm 'sizing them up for a coffin.' An accurate description and I've noticed that damn near every like-minded and similarly trained person I know does the exact same thing.

So, what is the proper mentality? I imagine most people will already know this at least partially, but few take it far enough. "Be polite and courteous to everyone, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet." Glib soundbite perhaps, but spot on. Another one is, "Watch hands, hands kill, in God we trust, everyone else keep your hands where I can see them." Another way that situational awareness ties into mentality. At any given moment, whether at work, home, or other safe environment, walking down a dark alley following a skip, or frequenting a bar in the wrong part of town, one should constantly be scanning your environment. Not jerking your head rapidly side-to-side with every step or stopping every few seconds to do a full circle, that just makes you look nervous. It takes a lot of practice to take in a full 360 every ten to fifteen seconds without being conspicous or running into things. Which is yet another reason to do it ALL THE TIME, practice makes perfect. So, you see someone, doesn't matter where or what he/she looks like, now you look for their hands. Where are they? Could they have a weapon? Are their hands positioned like they could retrieve a concealed weapon quickly? Now you look at posture and attitude. Are they slouched like they're not going anywhere soon? Are they poised like they're going to sping? Are they aware of their surroundings? Looking around? Or absorbed in something they're doing? Here's where it gets fun, are they projecting a false image? Trying to look relaxed and inattentive when they're actually ready to move and act on a moment's notice. Fun. The best part is you should learn to take all this in, in a roomful of people in just a half second or so per person. Hence, lots and lots of practice.

So, is that situational awareness in that you're being aware of your surroundings, or mentality because you're actively engaged in a defensive measure at all times. Both, but then you all knew that by now, didn't you? A defensive mentality must include alertness at all times, as outlined above, but also includes a great many other aspects, which I will try to cover in as much detail as possible. It's impossible to overstress the importance of these two things however. An otherwise completly unprepared, untrained, unarmed person still has a chance to protect him/herself if they recognize a threat early enough. For someone with a little training and firearm or other weapon, well, forewarned is forearmed.

Last thing, once you've mastered the threat scan (all the time, all the time), start playing wargames in your head. Yes, it's complicated and eats up your concentration a bit, but you should be playing the 'if/then' game in your head. 'If emo kid to the left pulls his hand out of his jacket and he has a knife in it, then I'm drawing down on him.' Again, it's all in practice. I'm not sure when it became subconscious for me, I've been doing it my entire adult life, but I'm only very vaguely aware I'm even doing it. My wife has gotten to the point she doesn't realize she's doing it unless I ask a specific question. She can respond instantly without thinking about it at all.