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How to be a Civilian Operator--Training Just 8 Hours Per Week, by Cody H.
Throughout the history of warfare there has always been an elite class of warriors that had superior skills, tactics, and mindset. Today is no different with each branch of our military having its own elite class of warriors.
When you think of a Navy SEAL, Delta, Pararescue, Green Beret (Special Forces or "SF") , or Force Recon, what phrases run through your head? “Intense”, “Highly disciplined”, “Extremely fit”, “Tough”, “Well rounded”, “Deadly”. These are well-deserved phrases that can be applied to any of the special forces operators and the foundation that built these men is their mindset and training.
I think all of us would love to have a team of loyal operators when the SHTF , but unless you are lucky enough to have them in your group, you’ll have to settle for the next best thing… Yourself.
“Imitation is the highest form of flattery”
If we are preparing ourselves for some level of combat, whether it is in defense of our family, our community, our freedom, or ourselves why not follow the path of the elite? If your training takes you to the highest levels, then you’ll be ready for the high demand events, and have the ability to breeze through less demanding situations. However, with so many other preparations and demands on life, your training schedule needs to be able to fit your lifestyle. Like most of you, I work 40+ hours a week, have a family, and we are trying to prepare our own five-acre homestead. What follows is my training regimen that takes into account limited training time, resources, and funds.
Step 1: Think like a Ranger
Tenacity is like a muscle, with exercise it can be built, but it will take desire and hard work. Every day you are faced with decisions and situations where you can take the easy path or “tough it out”, choose the latter. Discipline can conquer laziness, so set attainable goals, stay focused, and take it one step at a time when it gets tough. Steps 2 & 3 will really help you forge this trait.
Time: 0
Cost: Some discomfort
Step 2: Work out like a Navy SEAL
Like the spec ops community, pursuit of fitness should be at the top of your training priorities. It takes hard work to get in shape and little time to lose the gains, so a majority of your training time should be allotted to this category. There is an efficient, high yield program being used by the spec ops community and fortunately it is available to everyone. The name is CrossFit.
CrossFit is an online fitness community where a different workout is posted on the web site on a daily basis. In their own words:
“CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.” www.crossfit.com
Focusing on functional fitness, CrossFit will develop the ten general physical skills of cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy. By the nature of the varying workouts, you will be forced to work on your
weaknesses.
To say that CrossFit workouts are challenging, would be an understatement. I have seen the WODs (Workout Of the Day) punish military, police, and college athletes alike, so start out slow and build consistency before intensity. The mental and physical demands of the workouts will also put you on the fast track to developing a tenacious mindset.
Other side benefits of superior fitness include the ability to handle stress better, resistance to disease, and increased work capacity, all will be needed during TEOTWAWKI along with the ability to sprint, lift heavy objects, and scale obstacles.
CrossFit’s web site is very user friendly, has a FAQ section, free journal articles, and exercise demo videos. For friendly support or competition, you can post your WOD results in the “comments” section and compare them to CrossFitters around the world.
If you are not ready for the Main Page WODs, there are modified (scaled) workouts for different fitness levels. This has allowed my 65-year-old mother and 11-year-old niece to complete the same workout as me, albeit on a different level with exercise substitutions, less weight, and/or shorter duration. Follow the “Start here” links on the Main Page.
Time: 3 hours per week (6 days / 30 min. workout) Although some WODs can be done in less than 5 minutes, take the extra time to work on your Olympic lifts, flexibility, or the gymnastic moves.
Cost: $0 (other than weights). The WODs are posted on the CrossFit site for free. Subscription to the online journal will cost you $25 per year and is well worth it. If you don’t have pull-up/dip bar or a weight set, you’ll need to buy them. Check Craigslist for good deals on used equipment. If you are unable to acquire weights, bodyweight only WOD’s can be found in this PDF: CrossFit Bodyweight Workouts.
Step 3: Fight like Recon
Find a good MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) gym and train at least twice a week. MMA gives you the most “bang for your buck”, making you competent in the areas of standup, clinch, and ground fighting. While traditional martial arts have benefits of fitness, flexibility, and discipline, I have seen the practitioners get taken apart in the gym, in bars while working as a bouncer, and in the field of law enforcement. When it comes to fighting, MMA should be your foundation. Not every altercation will require the use of deadly force and most criminals might use a ruse or ambush to get close enough to negate your weapons. MMA will give you the variability to handle the lesser event or the fighting platform to allow you to bridge to weapons for lethal force situations.
The current trend is Marines training MCMAP, Rangers training with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and SF units training with a South African MMA coach.The reason that military combatives are shifting toward MMA as their base is because it works!
Once you find a good school and learn the basics, focus on developing a “Sprawl and Brawl” game, instead of a “Ground and Pound” or “Submission’ game. This will keep you on your feet and help you deal with multiple opponents, defend against weapons, or access your own weapons in a much better capacity. Even if you get caught on the ground, you’ll be comfortable there and have the skills to prevail.
If you are unable to find a MMA gym in your area, look for a good Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Judo school, a boxing/kickboxing gym, or a wrestling club. All these styles are components of MMA and will pit you against a fully resisting opponent, which is the key to development and success.
While there is no substitute for a good gym, if your retreat is really isolated and there is no training available, then find a training partner, order some videos/books, and/or attend some seminars. I have hundreds of training DVDs and my top picks for home MMA study are:
Standup – Crazy Monkey (CM) series
Clinch – Couture’s series
Ground - Matt Thornton's Functional JKD Series Two – Discs 1, 2, & 3
Bas Rutten’s MMA workout is also a great option for solo home workouts and only requires a CD player and a heavy bag. It is currently being used at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Facility for their officers in training. I use it on the heavy bag for my warm-ups and days when I can’t make it to the gym. The set consists of an instructional DVD and four workout CD’s, boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and an all around workout.
As side benefits, you’ll also be working on Steps 1 and 2 during your MMA training. Fighting and getting punched in the face on a weekly basis is a great character builder and the cardio demands of fighting are some of the highest.
Time: 3 hours per week. MMA has a steep learning curve, so you’ll want to train at least twice a week. Classes usually run about 1-½ hours.
Cost: From gym to gym the price will vary. Gyms with competitive teams can cost over $100 per month, but good “hobby” gyms can be found for $50 per month. I have even trained at a local church that had great training and tough opponents for no charge.
Step 4: Shoot like Delta
Superior weapons proficiency and handling ability is another trait of highly skilled operators, and while we’ll never have a multi-million dollar ammo budget and 8 hour range days, there are alternatives for us.
First and foremost, seek out a good school and take tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun classes. Look for classes that are designed to help you win a gunfight. Once you take the classes, then you will have the skill set that you can take home to practice. Tactical Response offers great classes in all the disciplines. While it is no substitute for professional instruction, if you cannot afford classes, here my top picks for DVD instructional videos:
Handgun: Jim Grover’s Defensive Shooting Series
Carbine: The Art of the Tactical Carbine
Shotgun: Tom Givens Defensive Shotgun
Second, develop a dry fire routine based upon the core skills you learned from your class or DVDs. Focus on key skills like drawing from concealment, weapon transitions, malfunction clearing, magazine changes, and positional shooting. If you can afford it, buy Airsoft replicas of your guns so you can work on shooting and moving, multiple targets, and force-on-force drills.
The final, most important step is to shoot competitively. Monthly competitions will build your gun handling skills and accuracy under the stress of time and the competitive nature of the event. Tactical pistol matches are a good start, but I prefer Three-gun matches where you get to shoot rifle, pistol, and/or shotgun in the same stage. This way I get to do live fire once a month with all three guns in stages and scenarios that someone else creates. Shooting and moving, weapon transitions, shooting from cover, shooting in and around vehicles are some of the benefits along with mastering the basic core skills. Don’t get caught up in “gaming” the match, instead focus on using the tactics you learned in your gun fighting courses. Use cover, draw from concealment, and throw some dummy rounds in some mags. It will slow your times down, but will pay off by ingraining good habits.
During and after the match, identify weak skills to work on during the daily dry fire sessions until the next match. If you don’t have local matches, you can usually find the stages online, and set up your own match on your farm/range or even in your backyard for an Airsoft match.
Time: 1 hour per week (10 min. per day of dry fire/Airsoft) Our local three gun match usually last about 3 hours, but since it is on a monthly basis and is so much fun, I don’t factor that as training time.
Cost: $0 for dry fire. $15 dollar entry fee for our three gun match, plus your ammo costs. Our local matches usually require less than 50 rounds of pistol and rifle, and less than 25 of shotgun (birdshot). We also have a .22 division where cheapskates, like myself, shoot conversion kits to save on ammo costs.
Step 5: Cross-train like a Green Beret
Aim to make yourself as well rounded as possible. Maybe you are in great shape, are a good fighter, and shoot in the top ten at your matches. Excellent! Keep working those foundational skills because they require the most time investment due to a steeper learning curve or degradation over time, but now is the time to look outside your Spartan routine for weak links in your overall skill set.
Sit down and make a list of skills you want or might need in the uncertain future and rank yourself on your competency. Focus training on the categories with the lowest rating. Training can be accomplished through research, classes, or knowledgeable friends.
Emergency medical skills, wilderness survival, hunting/trapping, mantracking, mechanical repair, patrolling, tactics, edged weapons, orienteering, home security, high performance driving, gardening, beekeeping, homesteading, sniping, escape and evasion…. If you are like me, you’ll have a four page list in no time.
Time: 1 hour per week. Try to spend an hour a week working on your weakest skill. Once your weaknesses catch up, only then should you focus on training that you are naturally drawn towards and enjoy more.
Cost: You can spend as much or as little as you like. Your training priorities and interests will guide you. I work on trucks at my friend’s garage, I order gardening books, my beekeepers meetings are $20 per year, and my next tracking class is $385. The goal here is to learn and develop new practical skills.
Step 6: Evaluate yourself
Be honest and routinely critique your progress. What are your strengths, weaknesses, and how can you work on them? Ask yourself if you could out fight, out shoot, or out run/lift the “old you” from three months ago? Also seek out standards of fitness and shooting, available on the web, to see how you compare. Keep a training log so you can watch your progress.
Example for today 9/9/09:
Mental: Only 5 hours of sleep last night. Still sore from the last cycle. Hate lunges and box jumps. Have lots to do before work. Suck it up and get it done.
Three rounds on heavy bag of Bas Rutten’s MMA workout (boxing CD) – 10 minutes
CrosFit WOD:
Four rounds for time of:
100 ft Walking lunge, carrying 30 pound dumbbells (no 30’s so subbed 25 pounders.)
24 inch Box Jump, 30 reps
30 pound Weighted pull-ups, 20 reps
Time: 19:44 (M/33/6’1”/205)
Dry fire:
10 minutes of tactical reloads with M4
Total time: 40 minutes. Hit all three primary areas. Will stretch for 10 minutes tonight and read a chapter of the dentistry manual I am reading.
There may be some people that are reading this that cannot do a pull-up, let alone weighted ones. That is okay, just start out on the scaled version and you’ll be cranking them out soon enough. Example of the lowest scaling of today’s WOD from BrandX:
3 rounds
100 ft Walking lunge
12-15 inch Box Jump, 20 reps
20 Beginner or Assisted pull-ups
In reality, some of us may have had years of bad habits, health, injuries, etc. that may prevent us from reaching the levels I have outlined, but any gain is still a gain. Because of the variety of functional movements, CrossFit at half intensity is still better than more traditional programs. Really light MMA sparring and rolling is still better than the [no contact/tap contact] McDojo stuff taught at the strip malls. I have seen a 50-year-old man at our gym getting thrashed by the more experienced, younger players, only to school a 20-year old “newbie” a month later.
You may never make it into the top ten of the three gun match or be posting record times on CrossFit’s board, but you are also unlikely to be facing a superior opponent in the real world if you work hard, as the majority of the population is in poor shape, cannot fight or shoot very well, nor will they be training as hard as you.
Conclusion
While I have been fortunate enough to workout with, fight with, and shoot with top level civilians that could out-compete the average Spec Ops member in their chosen sport or field, none of them could approach the overall well-roundedness of our country’s finest that I have known. Emulating these fine warriors within our group or family is a critical preparation step for TEOTWAWKI.
You may have years of stored food, a self-sufficient homestead, and an impressive battery, but liabilities in fitness, fighting, and shooting skills may negate your hard work and preparations. I look at training like saving for retirement, start early, save every day, and the benefits will add up.
So set aside eight hours this week and follow the training outline, this small investment of hard work and training might save your life, your family’s, your community, or your freedom.
JWR Adds: Unless you are already in a regular workout program, I recommend that you start any new program immediately after you've had a physical checkup. Don't totally exhaust yourself the first day. Work up your distances, weight and repetitions gradually!
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Two Letters Re: Recommendations on Discreet Self Defense Weapons and Training
Jim,
First, here's a link to an article on self defense considerations in Britain.
I prefer a variation on the pocket stick known as a koppo stick. A koppo stick is a pocket stick with a piece of cord that loops around the outside of the ring and middle fingers. This cord helps with stick retention and allows for open hand and gripping techniques.
I usually carry my koppo in my weak hand at the ready. This frees up my strong hand to draw my primary weapon and the cord retention system allows the weak hand to perform other tasks such as slide manipulation. Planned use of the stick is for primary weapon retention and to gain enough time/space to draw the primary weapon (if available and warranted).
Here is a page on how to convert a pocket flashlight into a koppo stick.
Here's the LED flashlight that I converted (available through Sears):
Finally, here's a YouTube video on the subject.
Enjoy! - Rick H.
Dear Mr. Rawles,
I've got something for the guy in suburban London. England is a rainy area - isn't´t it? So try this unbreakable umbrella.
And here´s something on video about how to use canes for self-defense.
Thank you! - Joe B.
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Letter Re: Recommendations on Discreet Self Defense Weapons and Training
Mr. Rawles:
I am at a disadvantage to your American readers. I live in a suburb of London, and travel by train to work each day. Street crime is now out of control in some neighbourhoods, but I cannot carry a weapon. I must say that I'm envious of Americans that can carry concealed pistols and revolvers. Here, I cannot even carry a pocket knife. Are martial arts effective, and if they indeed are, then which one will be most effective with not too much time for training? What do you suggest? Thanking You in Advance, - G.H. in England
JWR Replies: I wrote the following for SurvivalBlog back in 2006. I'm re-posting it, along with an update, for the benefit of the many readers that have come on board more recently:
I highly recommend training to use
a cane, walking stick, or a traditional
full-length umbrella. This is particularly important for our readers
like you that live in gun-unfriendly nations. Ditto for our readers that live
in states like California, New York, and New Jersey where is is very
difficult for mere mortals to get a carrying concealed weapon (CCW)
permit. And even if you are a concealed firearms permit
holder, you should learn these valuable skills. Why? You never
know when circumstances might dictate that you cannot carry a pistol.
(For example, when traveling to a state where your CCW permit is not
valid, or when traveling overseas.)
Here is a forward from firearms instructor John
Farnam, by way of SurvivalBlog reader Grampa Redd:
"I attended
a stick/cane-fighting seminar yesterday, instructed by Peter Donello
of Canemasters. Canemasters manufacturers high-quality canes and walking
sticks and provides training in their use. However, I used my Cold Steel City Stick, as did several other students.
I was astonished at the number of effective moves available to the
cane/stick fighter, certainly more than I can remember! Peter's knowledge
is vast, and I did my best to catalog the few that I thought were most
effective and easiest to learn. Range is the big advantage that canes
have
over blades and other impact weapons.
Striking and jabbing are still the premiere moves, easily done with
nearly any style of cane. Some follow-up moves and holds and more
comfortably accomplished with a hooked cane than with a straight
stick, but either style works just fine. The real question is:
What can I have with me most often that attracts the least attention?
This four-hour clinic is something I recommend to everyone. The
cane is a wonderful, low-profile, yet extremely effective fighting
tool
that most people can fit into their lives with a minimum of lifestyle
disruption. Most casual observers don't even notice when you have
one with you and certainly don't believe them to represent a threat.
Time
well spent!"
As for walking stick designs: From what I have heard and observed
here in the U.S., if you are well dressed and groomed, then law enforcement
officers in most jurisdictions will hardly give you a second glance
if you are carrying a walking stick. But if you are shabby looking
and perceived as "riffraff",
then expect
to get plenty of grief. Canes, especially aluminum ones those that
look like true walking aids, are far less likely to attract suspicion
than walking sticks. I have an acquaintance who lives in Oakland, California
who carries a dull silver aluminum cane with a big rubber tip. This
cane
looks
very unobtrusive if not downright innocuous. It is not until you pick it up that you realize that it has
been retrofitted with a 1/2"steel rod firmly epoxied into its
hollow core. The phrase "the iron fist in the velvet
glove" comes
to mind!
I have another acquaintance that lives in a very rainy climate, near
Seattle, Washington. He makes a habit of carrying a stout full length
traditional umbrella whenever he gets out of his car. Aside for misplacing
several umbrellas over the years (a fairly costly mistake, since he
carries
a big sturdy umbrella which cost around $60 each), he has had no trouble. (And, by God's
grace, he has only had need to use it to protect himself from rain
showers.)
Nearly all of the stick/cane fighting techniques apply to
folded umbrellas,
and
they can
also
be
used quite effectively for
jabbing.
My general preference is to use a shoulder-width two handed grip
grip in most situations,
to maintain control and more importantly to assure retention of
the stick. This is akin to what has been taught for many years by
police
academies in
the use of long ("riot") batons. The last thing that you want to happen
is to have Mr. Bad Guy gain control of your weapon. If that were to
happen, you would become he "Owie" recipient instead of the Owie distributor!
Do some research on your local laws. In most jurisdictions, any
blow with a striking weapon to the neck or head is considered potentially
lethal. Police academies emphasize this in their baton training.
("Never strike above the chest unless you you would in the same
circumstances draw your pistol and fire.") So don't escalate to
doing so unless you absolutely confident that your life
is threatened and you have no other choice. (Essentially it
is the same as firing a gun--at least in the eyes of the law.) It may
sound
sissified and a bit too prim, proper, and "Queensbury Rules",
but most courts look at things in terms of equal force and
a graduated response, roughly as follows: If
Mr. Bad
Guy
uses
his
fists,
then you
can
use
your fists. If he uses a weapon, then you can use a like weapon. If he strikes
above the chest, then you can strike above the chest. As a practical
matter, there are no rules in trying to save your
life in a street fight, but apparently
there are in court houses, post facto. Yes, I realize that
graduated response is not realistic to expect,
since
street fights
are
fast
and furious. Most victims don't even recognize that
their
attacker is using a weapon until after the incident is over.
(The classic victim's police statement is: "I thought that he
was punching me until is saw the blood, and it wasn't until then that
I realized
he
had used a knife on me.") But again, a graduated response is what
courts will expect in order to make a ruling of justifiable force in self defense.
Don't forget that we live in a litigious era, so expect prosecution
and/or
a civil
lawsuit
in
the
event that
you are
forced
to
use a weapon
in self defense, even if you were entirely in the right. Show restraint,
and never deal out punishment. Just reduce the threat with a quick
jab
or two,
disengage, and
then
engage your
Nike-jitsu technique. (Run!)
If you get into an absolutely lethal brawl (a truly "kill
or get killed" situation) and you cannot disengage,
then by all means aim where you can do
the
most damage: The
front
or side
of the neck. The human neck is soft tissue, a bundle of
nerves, veins, arteries, and wind pipe. It is your surest target
to end a fight
quickly and decisively. (The same goes for hand-to-hand combat. Aim
your punches at his throat.) But again, it is also your surest way
to
find your
way to a courtroom.
I can't
stress this enough: show discretion!
When carrying a weapon of any sort for
self defense, be sure to develop the same Condition White/Yellow/Amber/Red
situational
awareness
skills
that
you would
for carrying a concealed firearm. (See Naish Piazza's
article "The Color Code of Mental Awareness",
available free at the Front
Sight web
site. (Click on "Special Offers" and then on the link for "15
Gun Training Reports free of charge.") Extensive training
on self defense combative techniques is worthless if you don't see
an
attack Be alert.
If you don't live near a school that teaches cane and stick
fighting, there
is a
40 minute training
DVD
produced
by
the Gunsite academy,
titled:
"Defensive Techniques: Walking Stick." It is available from the Gunsite
Internet Pro Shop. (They do not accept overseas orders.) OBTW, one of my readers also recommended Lenny Magill's training DVD "Mastering the Walking Stick".
I should also mention that modern self defense with a walking stick
("Bartitsu")
was first popularized by Edward W. Barton-Wright. His classic 1901 magazine
article on walking stick self defense is available
for free
download. See: Part
1 and Part
2. These techniques are weak on weapon retention, but it otherwise
is still fairly valid, even after more than a century.
Update for 2009 on Yawaras and Kubotans
For
discreet carry, don't overlook the potential effectiveness of short striking weapons such as Yawara sticks and Kubotans. Since these self defense tools are restricted in many locales, I recommend instead carrying a Cold Steel Pocket Shark 
pen
that has had its markings scraped or sanded off. Outwardly, this stout little weapon will pass for a marking pen. (And it fact, it is a marking pen, which should get you past all but the most rigorous security checkpoints.)
Some martial arts dojos offer yawara stick training. These are derivations of the ancient "closed sheath" Japanese striking techniques. These classes are offered by both karate and Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) academies. Just be forewarned that many dojos require at least brown belt ranking as a prerequisite for anything beyond "empty hand" classes. This means a lot of time and money before they will teach you how to use a yawara!
Although they are no substitute for hands-on training from a master, there are several training DVDs that can give you a head start. These include Yawara Kata Training by Maurey Levitz, Kubotans & Yawaras
by Sammy Franco, and The Persuader (also known as the Kubotan or Yawara)
by George Sylvan.
In closing, I must repeat that situational awareness is crucial. You mind in your primary self-defense weapon. With the right training and a survivor's mindset, just about any small sturdy object found close at hand can be used as a weapon--even a pocket comb or just a tightly-rolled magazine or newspaper. Get the training, practice often, never travel unarmed, and maintain "Condition Yellow", as a minimum.
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Five Letters Re: The Survivalist's Guide to Martial Arts
Jim,
I agree with your writer that Muay Thai and Grappling (wrestling, BJJ, etc.) are essential fighting skills. I even admit that my two black belts in traditional arts were not worth much compared to a good grappler or kick boxer.
However the idea that avoiding the ground is rule #1 is not necessarily true. A grappler can control a situation very effectively on the ground and it is often then case that you can't avoid going to the ground in a fight. Further, people of smaller stature (women especially) who cannot run from an encounter have an advantage on the ground vs. trying to duke it out with a much stronger opponent. By getting close to your adversary to engage them on the ground their primary weapons (hands and feet) are severely degraded in effectiveness. Further, a ground fighter can quickly and more reliably dispatch an opponent in a way that trying to slug it out hoping for a knock-out can never do (have you ever tried to really knock someone out who didn't want to be knocked out? It isn't like television, I can assure you).
Also, the idea that ground fighting should be avoided because of broken glass on the ground, etc. is not realistic. Someone who is a skilled (or even not that skilled but just average) ground fighter knows that when/if the fight goes to the ground it's going to be the person who doesn't know how to grapple that's going to be on their back getting their rear end kicked. A grappler who has spent many hours fighting from their backs, on top, etc. does not worry about going to the ground. They know how to deal with it, how to prevent it, how to reverse it and how to use it to their advantage.
Think of it this way. If you are going to fight a wrestler, who do you think is going to end up on their back on the ground? You or the guy who has spent thousands of hours training to take people down to the ground and put them on their backs? Further, you hear all the time about fighting multiple opponents on the ground is a problem. But if you can't beat a single guy standing up, what makes you think you can beat multiples of them standing up? Bare knuckle brawling against one guy is hard. Doing it against two is incredibly difficult. Fighting three guys is just about impossible unless you are very lucky or they are incredibly inept. (See below). Fighting four or more people bare-handed? I think that's just Hollywood stuff. You should focus on getting out of there or making sure you are carrying a gun to defend against multiple opponents.
Also being on your back is not great , but in a fight it is not necessarily bad with multiple opponents if that's where you end up. One guy I know got tangled up with several people and was almost certainly about to get beat, but he was able to get to the ground and ended up on his back (not optimal, but it happened). He was able to hold the guy he was fighting on top of him and move back and forth using him as a shield against the others while on his back on the ground. The attacker's friends were trying to kick and stomp but they kept kicking and stomping their own buddy and the guy I knew was able to get out of there unscathed!
In these cases of multiple attackers you want to stay on your feet and get the heck out of there. Ground fighting, ironically, gives you the best training to stay on your feet because you train so much to avoid being taken down on your opponent's terms.
I encourage a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) style program, but avoiding the ground is not a requirement. Sometimes you have to go where the fight goes so you need both standing and grappling skills and I'd put more emphasis on grappling personally. - Craig R.
Dear Jim & Family.
Concerning the recent article, what Brick has described in his final recommendation is [essentially] Krav Maga. This is an Israeli system of self-defense, not a martial art per se, developed from the various disciplines that he mentioned and others. It is brutal, effective and efficient. My suggestion is that if you can find a school that teaches Krav, go for it first. Krav Maga Worldwide is the best place to start. Classes are for adults, but they have a version for children as well. I believe that this system is actually much more useful than mixed martial arts (MMA) training.
My whole family has been involved in this training for over two years. - Doc Gary
James,
I would like to comment on the post “The Survivalists Guide to Martial Arts” that appeared on Saturday.
I have been a practitioner of various martial arts since I was three years old living in Japan – 41 years ago. I also have been a part-time teacher of martial arts for 15 years now. And yes, I have the “love me” wall to prove it.
The basic divide in martial arts is between “hard” styles and “soft” styles:
Hard styles are built around punching and kicking. Soft styles are built around joint locks and throws of various sorts. But, over time, and as you advance in rank, you begin to find that all hard styles incorporate soft techniques and soft styles begin to incorporate hard techniques. And in the end, the human body only moves and reacts in so many ways and so at the highest levels you find that all the arts are really the same – they just arrive there by different paths.
You also have to individually decide what is best for you to start with. If you are not going to put in hours each week working out, then a soft style is probably better for you to start with. On the other hand if you plan to put in the time (or are young and energetic) then a hard style might be good for you. I have studied both hard (Okinawan Karate, Silat, TaeKwonDo, etc.) and soft (judo, hapkido, aikido) and “balanced” (some styles teach a balance of hard and soft techniques – and while they are few and far between they are probably the most effective) styles (some of the Kung Fu styles and Kun Tao Silat). You need both in a real fight.
While I am big and relatively strong there are those that are bigger, stronger, and faster. So I need to know how to fight like a “little person.” You also need to think about the legal aftermath of using martial arts in the streets – being able to show a steady progression (or the ability to steadily progress) through the force continuum (presence, verbal commands, soft force, hard force, impact weapons, lethal force) is a big plus in the courts. Or, not every situation requires you to haul off and deck somebody.
The secondary divide is the “stand up” versus “ground” that the letter refers to. However, when I was working in Brazil for a while I had the opportunity to work-out one on one with a member of the very large extended Gracie family. His basic take was that while going to the ground does eventually happen, do everything you can to avoid it. He learned the hard way after being jumped by a gang of attackers that going to the ground might be good against one person but against multiple attackers it does not work as well. The good thing about Gracie Ju-Jitsu (GJJ) (or BJJ) is that it works standing up as well as on the ground IF you know what you are doing (and have had the right teacher).
That being said, in a true SHTF situation you will find yourself prone a lot in a fight (nobody comes to a fight without a gun these days …) and this is where knowing ground fighting comes in handy. (That being said, the longer you can stay up and mobile the better off you will be in a gun fight.)
So in the final analysis, study a blend or a mix of arts – hard and soft, standing and on the ground – in order to get the most out of your training. While I have my personal favorites, after teaching martial arts for so long I can say that the style has to fit the student, and not the other way around. Keep a balance, and find a good, open minded teacher. - Hugh D
Hello Jim,
Regarding
The Survivalist's Guide to Martial Arts by "Brick", I agree with most of Brick's comments. In terms of choosing a style or gym/dojo, I would say that the particular style is not very important. Rather, it's important that you train with [what Matt Thornton terms] "aliveness". That is, as much as possible of the training time should be allocated to sparring or otherwise training with resistance, "force on force".
While I prefer MMA training, I think that any style in which there is a lot of live training will serve the trainee well. Conversely any style in which there is little live training is a waste of time.
For purposes of self defense, I would much rather train at a Tae Kwon Do or Karate school and spar a lot, than to train at a MMA gym and never spar. You see this a lot with women who take non-sparring kickboxing classes and think that this prepares them to fight. It does not, even if they are learning legitimate techniques taught by a world champion. Also for self defense, I would rather train at the karate school where they spar a lot, versus some 'reality based self defense' class where they spend all their time practicing eye gouges and groin strikes and rarely spar.
The most important things in being able to fight in any style are:
- Keeping your breathing under control, even when under pressure
- Maintaining appropriate posture at all times(e.g. for striking, you want to keep your hands up, chin tucked, shoulders shrugged, and never put your head down or look away even when getting hit in the face)
- Being able to keep your balance and maintain appropriate distance even when there is an attacker trying to throw you off balance and moving in and out.
- Applying techniques with appropriate timing. If the opponent makes himself vulnerable somehow, usually the window of opportunity to exploit the error is very small.
- Having a certain amount of toughness and ability to ignore pain and discomfort. For example, most people who have never been punched in the stomach will drop both of their hands to cover their stomach, leaving their head wide open.
These things are only developed through hours of training with live resistance. It's worth noting that you can train grappling styles like Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, or wrestling at 100% resistance every training session, since there is no striking and the chance of injury is low.
A good video clip on this subject is: Matt Thornton on Aliveness - Drew in California
Mr. Rawles,
I agree with most of what Brick has to say about the various arts. He left out my art of choice though, which is the filipino stick and knife arts. [Also known as Filipino Martial Arts (FMA).]
These are variously known as escrima, kali, or arnis, depending on where in the islands a particular style originated from, and are distinguished from most arts by starting you out with a weapon. Most of the techniques you learn in these arts (I'll call them kali), are applicable to both sticks and knives, and to a lesser extent to empty-handed fighting.
This doesn't necessarily mean you can circumvent sidearm carry laws with a knife. In my state at least, knives are actually more strictly regulated than guns. But it does mean you can effectively use a variety of everyday objects to protect yourself against someone who, let's give them the benefit of the doubt and say they just forgot to read the knife laws before robbing you.
Okay readers, thinking exercise time: How many everyday objects can you think of that have the same approximate handling characteristics of a knife or a short stick?
Start with actual knives and move quickly to, swords, nightsticks, batons, ordinary sticks, half pool cues, traumatically shortened pool cues, glass bottles, baseball bats, hammers, small crowbars, flashlights, e-tools, damn near any wrench, screw-driver, hammer, chisel, or small gardening implement, metal tub ed ball-point pens, stout umbrellas, tire irons, etc etc etc.
Add some styles for quarter staff sized sticks and axe shaped objects, and maybe a touch of training on using flexible objects like whips, belts, and garrotes, and it will be hard to think of a situation where you can't find something you know how to bash someone with. Beware though that this will give you the ability to instantly escalate the level of violence in any situation, and may look bad in a court of law. It will also let you carry many innocuous objects that you can be proven to be trained to use, even in weapons free zones. This can also look bad. I would not advise advertising that you study this stuff (or really any art).
You should also not neglect to study forms of unarmed striking and grappling/locking/breaking, but most decent Kali schools incorporate that as well, often by teaching Kali in conjunction with other arts.
Finally I will say I have been impressed with the simplicity of Kali to learn, and the practical mindedness of the students and masters of it that I have met. This will depend on the school though. If a school for Kali, Arnis, or Escrima (all basically the same thing) can't be found in your area, you might also look into Silat (from indonesia) which is related, or into wing chun or muay thai, both of which have a lot of similar motions and mentality--or so I've been told.
One last observation is that if you follow the advice of the author and look at Muay Thai, be sure you're getting the real deal, and not American kickboxing, which is the watered down for American competition version. In fact, try to stay away from anything geared towards sporting competition, but look for something that does have lots of contact sparring. You need to learn how to hit and get hit, and how to fight through moderate pain or shock. John McCain suggests that people should familiarize themselves with pain before they have to endure it for real, and for once I agree with him completely.
As always, hope it helps. I'm no expert, and YMMV, so take it with a grain of salt and do your own research and experimentation. No art will do you any good if you don't like it well enough to practice. - JJ in North Carolina
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The Survivalist's Guide to Martial Arts, by "Brick"
There is focus placed on proper firearm training and the most appropriate weapons to have for various scenarios – and rightfully so. But equally important is the ability to defend yourself in a situation when you are unarmed. For example, in my state, even though I am licensed to carry a concealed weapon, legal restrictions prevent me from carrying most of the time. For example, any business can post a sign forbidding concealed weapons on their premises, as my place of employment has done. Also, firearms are not allowed in any place licensed to serve alcohol. Fine, you might think, just avoid the bars – until you realize that this also covers any restaurant that serves beer or wine with your meal.
For these reason and a hundred others, I feel that no preparedness training is complete without learning to defend yourself while unarmed. But even if you agree and would like to get started on martial arts to complete your preparedness training, where to begin? What style should you study? What type of training best suits the survival mindset and goals of protecting the lives of you and your loved ones? In this article, I’d like to help you answer a few of those questions. For more than a decade I’ve trained consistently in a combination of martial arts, approaching it from the mindset of not just wanting to be in better shape or win some competitions, but rather with the goal of transforming myself into a more durable survivor.
Primer on Major Styles
To start your martial arts education, it is a good idea to get a basic idea regarding the most common types of martial arts. There are dozens of different types of martial arts originating from every region of the globe. In this section, I’ve focused on those arts that you will most commonly encounter in an available training format.
Karate – This is a traditional Okinawan/Japanese art dating back for centuries. The focus tends to be on efficient, powerful strikes with the hands and feet. There is usually very little “flash” to these techniques – the focus is on inflicting damage and getting out of there. Karate students often engage in various types of body hardening to turn their knuckles, forearms, thighs and shins into formidable weapons and shields. For example, a makiwara is a wooden striking post that a student will hit thousands upon thousands of times, enabling the karate practitioner to eventually punch through wood and concrete (as you’ve no doubt seen on television) with no harm to the fist.
Tae Kwon Do – A Korean martial art that gained widespread popularity after the 1988 Seoul Olympics, causing schools to pop up all over America. [Present-day] Tae Kwon Do is primarily a sport-centric martial art, with heavy emphasis placed on competition and tournaments. Tae Kwon Do practitioners are known for their formidable kicks, as this is a major focus of the art (so much so that practical self defense is sacrificed – for example, under Olympic Tae Kwon Do rules, punches to the head are not allowed. Not exactly a rule conducive to practical self-defense application).
Kung Fu – Often considered the “granddaddy” of other Asian martial arts, Kung Fu has roots in ancient China and is considered to have influenced many other arts which followed. There are dozens of different Kung Fu styles, often named and patterned after movements of different animals. Movements tend to me more fluid and less “hard.” Often, Kung Fu tends to venture more into mysticism with attention to direction of “chi” or “life force” to create powerful techniques (compared to karate, which is more based on the physics behind inflicting damage with your body).
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) -- Jiu-Jitsu is a traditional Japanese art, but over the past several decades the art has been transformed and evolved in Brazil, due largely to the efforts of the Gracie family. BJJ is a grappling martial art, focused on controlling your opponent, maintaining favorable position, and finishing your opponent with a “submission.” Submissions involve any number of chokes or joint locks. The term “submission” derives from the fact that in competition, the opponent must “submit” either verbally or with a tap, or face going unconscious or suffering a broken limb. Of course, in a real life situation, the survivalist who has applied an arm bar is not interested in whether or not the opponent has decided to give up – take their arm home with you.
Boxing – By far the most popular and well-known western martial art, boxing is entirely focused on hand strikes (in fact, only punches) limited to the waist up. Due to the number of restrictions placed on boxers for sporting purposes (extremely limited in types of strikes allowed and targets permitted), boxing leaves a lot to be desired as a comprehensive self-defense art. However, the hand striking techniques exhibited by elite level boxers is second to none, meaning that incorporating boxing into your martial arts training certainly has value.
Wrestling – Often overlooked as a martial art because it usually conjures image of high school and Olympic competition, wrestling is certainly both a combat sport and martial art. Like boxing, learning only wrestling would leave you severely disadvantaged in a life-and-death situation, but when it comes to controlling your opponent and keeping yourself out of a bad spot, wrestling is extremely valuable.
Muay Thai – If you’ve seen clips of small Thai men absolutely brutalizing each other in the ring with lightning fast punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, then you’ve seen Muay Thai. Often confused with regular kickboxing, the inclusion of knees and elbows separate the men from the boys, as these joints can be used to inflict massive amounts of damage. Muay Thai fighters also master the art of the clinch, which is a series of techniques to get in close to your opponent and hold him in such a way that he is susceptible to any number of devastating strikes.
My Opinion on Survival Applicability
So, that’s some information on a few of the more common styles. A common question is “which one is ‘best.’”? This is a very difficult question to answer, as each has advantages and disadvantages. Also, we are just speaking in general terms here, as the type of training you undergo within, say, Tae Kwon Do will vary quite a bit in different schools under the direction of different teachers. So, based on my experiences, here is my admittedly subjective opinion regarding applicability to real life, actual defense of yourself and those you care about.
Stand-up styles (fighting on your feet): If you are looking for one art to focus on and one art only, I’d go with Muay Thai. The range of weapons and techniques is sufficiently broad that if you rise to the level of Muay Thai expert you will be a formidable fighter indeed. Fist, feet, knees, elbows, shins, even your head – all available, all trained. You may not have seen many Muay Thai schools in your area, but it is becoming more popular all the time due to success of Muay Thai techniques in popular televised Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions. In second place I would put karate. The focus on real, direct, simple fighting techniques is perfect for real world application, as is the attention given to hardening and strengthening the body. Next I would rank boxing. Most fights start out simply enough – exchanging blows with fists. An elite boxer can end the fight at this stage very quickly. Lastly, I would rank Tae Kwon Do and Kung-fu. These arts tend to have too much focus on sporting competition (and the associated technique restriction) or “forms” demonstrations. That’s not to say you can’t find a school that focuses on effective self defense applications of these arts, but Tae Kwon Do and Kung-fu schools of that nature are the exception rather than the rule.
Ground fighting styles (grappling): These days, it has become quite apparent that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is the king of the ground. A combination of success in no-hold-barred competition and techniques that are readily adaptable to real life situations has propelled BJJ to become an international sensation. Wrestling teaches some great ground fighting techniques as well, but for adults it may be hard to find a school or gym that teaches wrestling fundamentals, so finding a good BJJ school is the way to go (and these will usually teach some wrestling as part of the curriculum, as natural supplement to BJJ training). However, if I had a child in school, I’d encourage him or her to pursue wrestling. Learning those techniques during your early years can serve as a martial arts base upon which to build for the rest of your life.
Stand-up or ground fighting? A natural division has developed among martial arts studies: those who prefer to keep the fight standing and finish it on their feet, versus those who want to get their opponent on the ground as quickly as possible as choke them out or break a limb. So which is better for the survival-minded student? In my training group, we train extensively in BJJ and wrestling as part of our curriculum; however, we have the following set of rules:
What’s the first rule of ground fighting? Don’t go to the ground. What’s the second rule of ground fighting? Get up.
But Bill, you may ask, you’ve described how these techniques can be very effective. Also, in the major televised full-contact MMA competitions, fighters who focus on ground fighting techniques have done very well. This is true, but the street is not an organized competition. It may be a great idea to spend the fight on your back working for a submission on a nice padded floor, but try it on broken glass in a parking lot. Also, these competitions are exclusively one-on-one battles. If I’m fighting an attacker, take him down and apply a great submission hold, that all counts for nothing when his friend comes up behind me and kicks me in the temple with a steel-toed boot. No, in the real world, rather than be tied up and immobile on the ground, I’d rather be on my feet and aware of my surroundings, and able to run like h*** if necessary.
So, for self-defense, your focus should be on staying on your feet, fighting when necessary, and getting out of there when possible. That said, I still HIGHLY encourage you to also learn the ground techniques. While it may not be your focus or intent to get the fight to the ground, the fact is that the battle may well go there. And, if it does, you do not want to be lost because the difference between someone who knows what he is doing in ground fighting and someone who doesn’t becomes apparent in about three seconds.
What I’ve described in the paragraphs above is basically the philosophy of Mixed Martial Arts. If you can find a school near you that teaches MMA, that is the ideal situation for those looking for a comprehensive system of self-defense techniques. Generally, these schools will have courses in a variety of the arts I’ve described above, so you can get your stand-up and ground fighting training all in one location, usually with a heavy dose of physical condition (addressed below). If no MMA gym is available to you, then consider what I’ve said about each individual martial art and evaluate what is best for you. But if you can expose yourself to several different disciplines at a place that is focused on combining together everything that works to defend yourself – well, I can think of nothing more applicable to someone interested in survival.
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Letter Re: G.O.O.D. Advice for College Students
James,
Our family recently found your book and blog. We are working diligently to
prepare. One question I have not seen addressed: What do you think about
sending a child to college? We are a conservative, Christian, home schooling
family. Our daughter has been looking forward to attending a small Christian
college that is about 1-1/2 hours from our home. Now that we are awake we
are feeling that keeping her close to home as we prepare to relocate is best.
Any thoughts?
- S. in Southern California
JWR Replies: A college that is just a 1-1/2 hour drive is
probably close enough, especially if she has her own car. But living in Southern
California--with both earthquake risk and a high crime rate--be sure to identify
and practice driving several alternate routes on surface streets and back
roads, just in case she must "Get Out of Dodge" (G.O.O.D.)
As a backup, keeping a Montague folding bicycle--kept chained to the bed frame
in her dorm room--could get your daughter home, even in the event of a major
earthquake
that
causes road
closures. Montague
folding bikes are available from Safecastle, one of our loyal advertisers.
I also strongly recommend self defense training for your daughter--both
firearms and martial arts. (The latter is important for Californians, since
open carry of firearms is effectively banned, and concealed carry permits are
very difficult to obtain in most of the more populous counties.) She should
attend Front
Sight or Gunsite,
and one of the better full contact martial arts schools that teaches an art
with plenty of kicks and punches (such as Tae Kwon Do),
and then perhaps she might move on to one of the advanced grappling arts (such
as JuJitsu).
Oh, and as previously mentioned in the blog, I recommend that the first two
years of college credits be obtained by a combination of CLEP tests
and on-line courses. Not only is this less expensive than resident on-campus
classes, but it also will keep your child safely at home for a couple of extra
years.
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Dress for Survival Success by George Haystack
”Wherever you go, there you are." And hopefully so are your
clothes. Therefore it is vital to think of your wardrobe as part of your survival
gear on a daily
basis. It’s not good enough to have a closet full of BDUs and a piles
of high-tech gear if they aren’t near you when you need them. Most of
the crises that people face do not rise to the level of TEOTWAWKI and these
emergencies don’t come at convenient times. Events like building fires,
car wrecks, or muggings come at you when your just out living your life. A
firearms instructor once told me, “if I knew I was going to get into
a gunfight if I went out, I wouldn’t bring more guns, I’d stay
home.” The point is this: you don’t know when bad things will happen,
and you can’t stay home all the time, so a well-planned wardrobe and
pocket gear are essential at all times!
It is amazing to me that many people interested in survivalism will assemble
BOBs, GOOD kits, and build retreats in the hinterlands, and yet give almost
no consideration to the clothes on their backs. I have a friend who routinely
runs errands in his pajamas and slippers with nothing but his car keys and
wallet with him. I’ve seen men at the shooting range in beachwear! What
will they do if life throws them a curve? They will suffer, that’s
what. But why suffer if, by following a few simple guidelines, you can dress
for
survival success?
Choosing your clothing
Most people have different clothes for different events, but the rules for
clothing selection are the same whether you’re at a formal wedding
or at a summer barbecue. First, select clothing of high quality and good
fit.
Second, always choose comfort and utility over fashion. Finally, think of
clothing in tactical terms. How would they aid or hinder you in a crisis?
You want to ask yourself, “would I wear this to the apocalypse?” If
the answer is no, start over. On 9/11 thousands of New Yorkers were forced
to walk miles, in dirt and filth, with only the clothes on their backs and
the contents of their pockets and satchels. Think of them while you plan
your wardrobe. When they went to work that morning they could never have
imagined
what they would face that day, and most were horribly prepared. Men and women
alike were forced to walk barefoot because their dress shoes were not suitable
for what amounted to a several mile forced march. Most had no food or water.
Their clothing, particularly in the case of women, was more a hindrance than
a help. Learn from their mistakes.
The single most important consideration is footwear. Always choose a sturdy
shoe in which you could comfortably walk several miles over unpredictable terrain.
An above ankle hiking-style boot with a waterproof liner would be preferred
in most cases. Be sure to wear good socks made for hiking and suitable for
the time of year. Carry and extra pair of liner socks in your satchel in case
you must walk a distance on a cold day. Do not wear cotton socks! They hold
moisture next to your skin which will diminish your comfort and can speed hypothermia
if the temperature is low. If you are at an event that requires dress shoes
or flip-flops or some other tactically undesirable footwear, be sure to bring
good shoes and socks with you. Keep them in the car so that you will have them
in case of emergency.
Your undergarments should comfortable and weather-appropriate. Again, this
typically means no cotton! Wear silk or synthetics intended for athletic
use. If you must wear a tie, wear a clip on so that it cannot be grabbed by
an assailant
and used to strangle you. For this same reason, avoid necklaces, earrings,
and other jewelry. If it is attached to your body in such a way that having
it yanked out would cause pain, then lose it!
Pants and shirts should be loose fitting for mobility, well made for durability,
and have lots of pockets for gear. A number of companies make casual “tactical
clothing” that is very suitable. Choose styles that mimic normal street
clothes so as not to attract undue attention to yourself. Avoid bright colors
and striking patterns. Earth tones and simple patterns may offer a degree
of camouflage without screaming out, “look at me, I’m survivalist!” You
don’t want to attract attention to yourself if you can help it. Wearing
military styled clothing sends a loud signal to others so unless you want
to be thought of as the local John Rambo, stick with civilian clothes. If
you
must wear camouflage and live in a rural area like I do, you can easily get
away with the civilian hunting patterns like RealTree or Mossy Oak.
Always have seasonally appropriate outer wear with you or close at hand. You
may not think it will get cold, but unless you can predict the weather infallibly,
it is better to be prepared for the worst. Where I live in northern Minnesota,
people die every year because they get caught outside at night without appropriate
clothing. Hypothermia is a real threat in all seasons, not just winter! Have
a hat, gloves, and jacket nearby at all times. Choose a hat with a brim to
block the sun. This can be a boon in both summer and winter. Also make sure
the jacket repels moisture. As always, avoid cotton in favor of wool or synthetics.
Choose clothing made for outdoor activities such as hiking or hunting.
Choosing your gear
Gear falls into three categories: wallets, widgets and weapons. Each category
should be covered whenever you leave your home. It is tempting to overdo
it when trying to decide what to take with you when you head out of the house,
but there is a limit to what one person can carry! You don’t need to
carry your BOB with you wherever you go, just enough useful stuff to get
you through in a pinch.
Your wallet should not be thought of as a single accessory to your wardrobe,
but rather as a series of places to put important pieces of paper and plastic.
You will want to keep these things in separate places, and you want to keep
them to a minimum. There is no need to haul around a year’s worth of
receipts, business cards, and shopping lists. Routinely clean out your pockets!
Most people’s wallets contain far too much information about their
owners. Neither criminals nor the government need this information.
Ditch
it.
As to the necessities, I keep it simple: money, driver’s license, CCW permit, a few discount cards for places I frequently shop. You may need to
carry a few more items depending on your lifestyle. Spread this stuff around,
don’t keep it in all in one place on your body. I use a money clip for
small amounts of cash and my discount cards. My driver’s license and
CCW permit are clipped together in another pocket. As a side note, while driving
it is advisable to have your driver’s license, registration, and proof
of insurance in your breast pocket for quick access in case of a police stop.
You don’t want to have to dig around for this stuff and possibly call
attention to your “car gun” while doing so! Larger amounts of cash
should be carried in a money belt or a hidden pocket. A money sash worn under
your shirt can also be a great place for cash and important papers. Do not
place your cash in anything that may be left “off body” like
a purse or satchel!
The only actual wallet I carry is a decoy containing some of those phony
credit cards that come in the mail along with a few bucks. This is what I
would give
to a mugger by tossing it to the ground in front of me. Most criminals are
opportunists and will take a dummy wallet and leave you alone. If they don’t,
you can always resort to what I refer to as “Plan G.” I think
we all know what that is.
In addition to your important papers, you’ll want to be sure to carry
a variety of useful and fun widgets. The following are indispensable: a multi-tool
such as a Leatherman, a folding lock-back knife, a flashlight, and a lighter,
and a bandanna. I also always carry a Swiss army knife on a chain with a
Swiss army pocket watch, a pad of paper and a “write anywhere” pen
like the Uniball Powertank, and a compass. It is amazing how many people think
I’m
nuts for carrying a compass everywhere I go, but after taking a short hike
off-trail in an area I thought I knew well and becoming hopelessly lost for
a couple hours, I think it is indispensable. Other things that I typically
carry are small foam hearing protectors, a 3’ measuring tape, a bore
light (you never know when you’re going to encounter someone selling
a gun!), an athletic band to hold my glasses up, and a tiny back-up flashlight
and a few feet of paracord. One final thing that most people must always
carry is a set of keys. I like to carry my keys in a key silencer that hooks
on to
a clip that attaches to my belt. It is really amazing how loud a set of keys
can be, and a key silencer of the sort used by police can quiet them right
down. I sometimes carry a spare house and car key in one of my pockets. Keep
the number of keys on your key ring to a minimum. Do you really need to carry
the key to your dad’s garage when you only use it once a year? Leave
it in your car!
There are many electronic devices that you may want to add to your supply
of personal widgets. The only one that I consider indispensable is a cell
phone.
If you carry a cell phone you may find it useful to use its security feature
to require a code before it can be used, but keep in mind that this means
it can’t be used by someone else if you are incapacitated! Other items that
may be carried include small digital cameras, GPS units, and PDAs. If you value
security and privacy, you will want to remember that some cell phones and GPS
units can be used to trace your location. Obviously individual criminals can’t
use these features to track you to your retreat, but government criminals
certainly could.
For longer trips away from home you may want to include a few other items.
On the top of the “extended trip” list is a small pocket first
aid kit. They are available in a small size that will tuck nicely into a cargo
pocket. Consider including a few custom items that you may need but are not
included in a basic kit. Keep in mind that pills or tablets tend to turn to
dust when carried, so replace them frequently. Extended trips also call for
spare batteries for flashlights and other electronic devices. It is very frustrating
to suffer from dead batteries while away from home and have no replacements.
Some flashlights use batteries that are not readily available at convenience
stores. If you carry this type of light, spare batteries are a must. And don’t
forget to get a spare bulb!
When selecting your widgets, always choose high quality gear. The last thing
you want is a broken tool right when you need it. Buy the best, buy once.
Well, in some cases you’ll want to buy twice or even three times since redundancy
guarantees that you’ll have a functional specimen when you need it. I
typically carry three knives, two flashlights, and two guns. “One is
none, and two is one,” is a good principle to keep in mind. Select your
gear carefully and don’t be distracted by the dizzying array of options
we now have when it comes to pocket tools, flashlights, and electronics. Think
though your personal needs carefully, and choose accordingly. For instance,
many flashlights come with an aluminum case and a crenulated (ridged) bezel
so that they can double as blunt striking weapons. Do you need this type of
flashlight? Are you trained in this style of hand-to-hand combat? If not, perhaps
a different style of light may suit you better. One thing the manufacturers
won’t tell you is that these hardened aluminum bezels will saw through
your pocket in a few days. If you select such a flashlight, put it in a nylon
belt carrier!
As to weapons to be carried for self-defense, much has been written by those
far more knowledgeable than I am. Read and study the experts and decide what
is best for you. I have decided that my self defense needs are met by a Smith & Wesson
stainless steel J-frame .357 magnum revolver carried strong side in a paddle
holster paired with a lightweight J-frame .38 special rated for +P cartridges
carried in my off-hand front pocket. That way I have a gun accessible to
each hand. If you choose pocket carry, you should use a good quality pocket
holster
and you must not carry any other item in the pocket with the gun! I carry
at least one, and sometimes two, speed loaders of good +P .38 ammo that can
be
used to reload either gun. If you carry speed loaders or spare magazines
in a pocket, do not put anything else in that pocket. You don’t want
to be digging around in a pocket full of junk when you need a quick reload.
As
a backup to my firearms I also always carry a Cold Steel folding knife in
my strong side pocket. When I go to the “big city” I change up
the .357 to a Glock .45 Model 30 with a couple of full-capacity 13 round
backup magazines.
You may find that other weapons in the “use of force continuum” are
more suitable to your needs. Defensive pepper sprays, Tasers, stun guns and
kubotans form an important part of many self-defense kits. You may even consider
a defensive cane or walking stick. Whatever your personal protection strategy
may be, keep in mind that anyone who chooses to carry firearms, knives or
other weapons for personal defense absolutely must know the legal implications
of
the use of deadly force, and they must observe all safety rules all the time.
Do not become lazy and take shortcuts!
Satchels, packs and pouches
So how are you going to carry all the gear I’ve suggested? I find that
I can carry all my gear in a good pair of cargo pants and one belt pouch that
holds my flashlight and multi-tool. Most quality cargo pants have at least
six big pockets and a smaller pocket for a cell phone or backup magazine for
your semi-auto firearm. If I’m going on a trip and need some more extra
gear, I throw on another belt pouch and that solves the problem.
It can take a little time to become accustomed to carrying all this stuff.
I carry several pounds of stuff with me all the time, but since I’m used
to it, I hardly notice the weight. You may want to build up to a full load
one or two items at a time. Once you’re used to the extra weight, you
won’t notice it either.
Why not use a satchel, pack purse of some kind? Simple: You will leave it
behind. No matter how conscientious you are, it will happen eventually. Not
only that,
but such off-body carrying devices provide tempting targets for thieves.
Why risk it? The only exception to this rule relates to food and drink. I
always
try to have a water bottle and an energy bar close at hand, either in a fanny
pack or backpack. I don’t carry food and drink on me at all times, but
I’ve never regretted having a little sustenance close by!
What about one of those snazzy “tactical vests” with about 100
pockets? These vests are admittedly very handy and cool looking. You can
really load them up with gear. The problem is that when you wear one, you
look like
a body guard or a photographer who lost his camera. I prefer to keep a low
profile, so even though I love my Sig-Tac tactical vest, I usually leave
it in the closet.
I also find that getting dressed in a ritual fashion helps me to keep everything
in order and keeps me from forgetting anything when I change pants. I empty
pockets in order, one at a time. I place my gear into clean pants in the
same order. Have a place for everything, and keep everything in its place.
Once
you develop a pattern, stick with it.
Maintaining a “survival wardrobe” is a lot of work, and it costs
a lot of money. But it only makes sense that if we spend endless time and
energy preparing for the big, epic crises we should also put some effort
into preparing
for the mundane emergencies that we are much more likely to face. Lots of
little things can go wrong in life. When problems strike, having the right
gear in
your pocket can make a huge difference. Not only that, but I find that all
my gear allows me to help those around me, and that brings a reward all its
own. So fill your pockets with good gear, and dress for survival success!
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Two Letters Re: Advice for City Folks on a Budget? »
Letter Re: Questions on Short Term Survival in an Urban Office Building
Dear Mr. Rawles,
First off, I just want to say that I really appreciate what you're doing with
your blog site. I've learned so many useful things and feel that I am beginning
to have a basic understanding of how to prepare for and live in and a survival
situation.
Second, I'd like to give you a quick bit of background about myself so you
can hopefully help me with my dilemma/question...
I am a young adult working on the 9th floor of a large building in Manhattan
[on Long Island, New York City, New York]. I do not own a car and so I use
public transportation, typically the subway. My apartment is about a 30 minute
walk from work. In my
apt I have
started
building
up my survival gear, food, Bug Out Bag, etc...But I realize that I spend most
of my days not in my apt but in my office, working. So I've decided to start
planning
my office survival gear because if Manhattan was ever attacked with some form
of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, and I'm still alive, I don't believe
there would be time for me to get back to my apt before being affected (as
subways, buses, and foot traffic will be clogged and slow). I figure my best
bet for survival would be to hunker down for the first 48-to-72 hours in my
building probably the library.
What are your thoughts/advice on staying in the building??
Also what kind of survival gear can I bring to work that would be discreet
but really help me in my first 48 hours of survival?
This is what I have so far, which my employer has provided in a fanny pack
for everyone:
[Mylar] bags of water. (We also have water coolers)
flashlight and batteries
goggles
emergency blanket
small first aid kit
mask
whistle
Any advice would be appreciated and thank you for your time. Regards, - Flora
in New York City
JWR Replies: Hunkering down in an urban environment can
be difficult. We've
addressed that before in SurvivalBlog.
Your office or cubicle
probably has a locking desk, file cabinet, and/or a credenza. Typically,
with
the high
turn-over
rate
in
most corporations, keys for furniture gets lost. Ask your
facilities
department to either re-key your locks, or have them cut new keys for them,
based of their manufacturer's code numbers. (Typically stamped in small digits
next
to the lock key way.) With this semi-secure storage space available, there
is no reason why you cannot gradually build up a substantial supply of food,
and
have a place store items such as a flashlight, sleeping bag, foam mattress
pad,
and
so forth.
Even the interior of modular cubicle walls have a remarkable amount of space
for items up to two inches thick. (One advantage of being an over-worked
technical writer for many years was that it gave me a lot of late night
hours to explore
such possibilities. You would not believe what I stored inside my cubicle
walls!)
Keep in mind that in a blackout, your building will be quite cold, at least
for half of each year So be sure to store an insulated pad, down jacket, a
pile cap, and gloves in your office.
Buy a USGI protective
mask (preferably an M40 or a recent USAF MCU series) and at least four spare
filter canisters, from a reliable vendor such as JRH
Enterprises. Since these only filter the
available air, they are not nearly as capable as a compressed air system
like firefighters
typically use. The latter will operate even in oxygen-deprived environments,
but a mask will at least increase your chance of getting out of a
high-rise building alive, in the event
of a fire. One trick, BTW, is attaching two filters simultaneously
(on both sides of the mask), to increase the available air flow during heavy
exertion.
Find out where any extra bottled water for your building is stored.
There, or near there, is the logical place to find your "hunker down" room.
Scout out your building thoroughly. It might be worthwhile getting to know
someone on your building Facilities Department staff. Buy him lunch, and have
a chat. Find out where the roof accesses are, and if they are kept locked.
See if there are
any
back
rooms,
machinery
rooms,
or
passageways that are not well known. These rooms are often kept locked. One
little-known method if gaining access to such spaces is to climb up through
a suspended (or "drop") acoustic panel ceiling, go over a partition,
and climb back down into the locked room. You might even keep a small
folding
ladder
such
as a QuikStep
ladder handy for just
this purpose. (Tres Batman.) For some ideas on discovering unused spaces
in buildings, see the Web
Urbanist site, and related "urban exploration" web sites and their forums.
(Of course, all the
usual
legal
disclaimers apply.)
Weapons
that are legal to possess in New York City have been discussed previously
in SurvivalBlog. If nothing else, you should keep a cane or stout full-size
umbrella in your office at all times. BTW, it is also wise to carry either
of these
whenever you are on city sidewalks or on the subway. They will look quite
innocuous, but with the right training will give
you
a great
advantage
in a
brute force
fighting
situation. For training, start with the Gordon
Oster DVD, and the book "Raising
Cane" by
Octavio Ramos. Then take a FMA
cane
fighting class. Those would all be money well spent!
« Four Letters Re: Advice on Motorcycles |Main| Letter Re: What Preparations Should I Undertake Next? »
Letter Re: The Importance of Pistol Holster Selection
James:
Thanks for the response! I didn't expect my letter to hit the web page. I agree
about the belt and my wonderful wife just got me a new black dress belt from
Mitch Rosen gun
leather (a bit over a hundred bucks but well worth it) as my original one
was looking worn and (her word) 'ugly'.
I always carried
a Surefire [flashlight]-
I've still got my original [Surefire Model] 6P from when they first came
out.
I'm [working] in an office (where guns are banned) now but always have
the 6P on my belt
next
to my cell phone. In
a pinch it can work as an improvised impact tool [employed much like a
Kubotan,] too. (Been there, done that.)
A reload is vital to any basic carry set-up too and I've got a magazine carrier
with a space for my [Surefire] 6P in it as well as a Mitch
Rosen carrier just for
the 6P when I'm not carrying my sidearm. If I had to pick two mags and
no flashlight
or the flashlight and a single reload - I'm going with the flashlight every
time.
I'm lucky in that I'm friends with the local range owner so on a
slow day he will shut the lights off on one side of the double range
and let some
of us do low light (flashlight) shooting. That's something that also
is never emphasized enough - most shooting incidents are at night in lousy
lighting. If you
are planning and thinking ahead you've turned out all the lights in your
home/business
and (without a gun) done search drills - use the flashlight, learn the
'dark' spots around your place and where you know ahead you will need
extra
light.
More than once in the middle of the day, someplace inside is still dark
and a flashlight can be a life saver. Enough for now, thanks again
and keep up
the excellent work.
Paul
JWR Replies: It is notable that in many localities and situations
where it is illegal to carry a firearm, a knife, or an impact weapon, it is
perfectly
legal to carry a walking stick, an umbrella, a flashlight, a stiff pocket
comb, or a roll of coins. (Some of these can even be carried in the most restrictive
environments, like commercial air travel.) All of these mundane objects can
be easily explained to authorities. (OBTW, for some details on using
an innocuous-looking pocket comb for self defense, see the Split
Second Survival DVD, produced
by Larry Wick.)
In essence, unarmed individuals are at the mercy or their environments, whereas
armed individuals at least have the option of defending themselves.
I hereby challenge
all
SurvivalBlog
readers to make a solemn commitment to themselves: Never travel anywhere unarmed. Empty-hand
martial arts are fine for someone that has years of training. But
for the rest of us, the quickest and surest way to stop an assailant is with
an effective
weapon kept close at hand, following the requisite training. But even just
taking rudimentary training and getting into the habit of constantly being
armed
will put you miles
ahead of 90% of the sheeple.
To be fully and properly prepared, I strongly recommend that you get the
very best firearms and street survival training available, from one of
the major
training
organizations like Front
Sight, Gunsite,
or Thunder
Ranch. Another key
factor is situational awareness. Learn the Color
Codes of Mental Awareness and consistently apply them to your everyday
life.
« Victory in the DC v. Heller US Supreme Court Decision--With Some Reservations |Main| Notes from JWR: »
The Warrior Way as Survival Strategy: Attune Yourself to a Martial Mindset in Daily Living, by Jeff Trasel
One of the constant knocks by the mainstream media on the preparedness movement
is the oft-touted canard that preparedness, indeed the “survivalist” mindset
is nothing more than an excuse by far-right loons to engage in Rambo-esque
fantasies of firearms, firefights and macho posturing. While there is a scintilla
of truth to this in some far dark quarters of doomsday lunacy,
it is for the most part fiction. (This matches JWR’s caveat on discussing
unregistered suppressors [in the US] or other illegal preparations). So that
we bring no discredit on what is nothing more
than prudence, perhaps a few short observations can be proffered here so those
of a serious nature can learn to assume a proper martial mindset without resorting
to hysteria.
Preparedness, survival, or any other euphemism one can assign to our interest
is as much mindset as gear, land or other physical manifestation of prudence.
It is in itself a way of life that incorporates simple daily teachings, practice,
and when training, the incorporation of real-life situational aspects that
can better model an actual emergency scenario or a situation of social unrest.
Any competent defense professional will say that greatest advantage in warfare
is information, followed by logistics, then combat power. It’s no use
having the greatest army in the world if you don’t know where the enemy
is nor if you can’t you feed your troops. As Napoleon so famously postulated,
an army marches on its stomach.
So with those adages in mind, how does one
prioritize daily living to more readily understand these concepts? We all have
things we do on a daily basis, so the question of incorporation becomes one
of time management, especially given the marvelous source of information now
available in today’s 24 hour “always on” culture. For instance,
instead of perusing the morning newspaper or watching the morning breakfast,
find several reputable financial news sources such as the online versions of
the The Wall Street Journal or Barron’s. Start educating
yourself on how markets move, how seemingly insignificant moves in commodities
or futures,
such as pork or wheat can have a direct impact on your daily life. This also
gives you markers to start creating your own scenario planning data for acquisition
planning, and in the worst case, a timeline for moving to your retreat. American’s
are notorious for living in a bubble, in what is now a deeply materialistic
culture, and missing the obvious signs of downturns both in the US and abroad.
This new discipline has an upside as well, in that by becoming a more financially-aware
individual, you can make more informed decisions on how to manage cash flow
or even become a day-trader, freeing up capital for other, more serious purposes.
Understanding the world around you, looking at information as intelligence
rather than simple factoids and being aware of the bits and pieces that can
provide a different and in many instances, a more accurate picture of what
is really going on, is a skill that will pay one back in spades. Think outside
the box!
Next, personal fitness is a must. In any crisis situation, adrenalin levels,
stress, even physical injury can manifest themselves in a variety of ways that
can cripple or terminate the best laid plans. It is therefore mandatory that
anyone considering a preparedness strategy baseline their family health. The
advantages of this are twofold: first, it gives one an idea of how much exercise
they will need to incorporate into daily life to bring them to a level of basic
fitness of a recruit in the US Army, ideally the Marines, which is not as hard
as it may appear. Second, this will aid in identifying a medicine acquisition
plan for family members so you are not caught short in a crisis situation.
There won’t be heart or blood pressure tablets around if the mob has
burned all the Walgreen [Pharmacies]. Gun shows are great places to get surplus,
mil spec-quality first aid equipment, along with catalog houses that supply
paramedics or EMS personnel. The best book on the subject is the US Army Special
Forces Medical Manual, available anywhere, along with “Where There
is No Doctor” and “Where
There is No Dentist”. (I will
cover medicine in a survival situation in greater detail in another post.)
Learn how to take your blood pressure, especially pre- and post-exercise so
you understand the difference between resting and active pulse. The various
military physical fitness programs are all available on the web. Pick one that
you can realistically follow upon consulting your physician, and then be rigorous
in its application.
You want lean, endurance-based conditioning – not necessarily big bulky
SEAL-like muscles. I can remember from my [USMC Force] Recon days watching
these guys while with them at dive school, getting all bulked-up and then not
being
able
to
run worth a damn with my fellow Marines. You want endurance, endurance, endurance.
Muscles will come, and remember: shooting skills are as much a kata as a karate
movement and are technique-based on a solid, lithe platform. Incorporate a
martial art into your training regimen if possible. This can be a speed bag,
or large punching bag, dojo work, sparring with a partner or any other self-defense
program. These teach discipline, respect for the art, and most importantly,
stamina and situational awareness, all priceless skills in a crisis situation.
These types of activities begin to solidify the warrior mindset, and in solidifying
this mindset, you now assume the duty, indeed the responsibility to only use
these skills in the protection of kith and kin, and not as a license to bully,
cajole, or simply show-off. Many years ago my first sensei gave me an axiom
that rings very true: “One warrior may spot another in an instant. Be
it by the way he moves or by the way people avoid him. The problem lies when
would-be warriors and/or fools attack a true warrior. The fool may seem to
back the warrior down, but the warrior knows by instinct that he outclasses
the opponent and does nothing, or just kills.” By increasing you martial
acuity, you will soon learn to spot fools, an invaluable skill not only in
crisis situations, but in life in general.
Learn to live in the outdoors. Go camping or hiking with your family as much
as possible. Carry weight when you hike, so you get used to load bearing. Increase
it, and record you accomplishments. Not only is it great exercise, but it allows
for team-building activities and provides an avenue to understand group dynamics
and how task-oriented your family is or is not and what your personal and familial
endurance levels are and should be. Bring map and compass and learn orienteering
skills, and if possible, find the local orienteering club and go on organized
compass courses when you can. Land navigation is an invaluable skill along
with map reading (topographic – not your normal service station map of
greater Canton…). This was the greatest challenge when I attended [US
Army] Ranger school, the skills of pace-setting and azimuth shooting, particularly
at night.
Remember, you may not have the luxury of G.O.O.D. as
a family unit, so it is imperative everyone know how to find your retreat,
rally point, or rendezvous
site by azimuth and location. Moreover, in fleeing, you may need to alter your
route intentionally if pursued, and you will want to keep your bearings so
you eventually end-up where you need to be. This will help bond your family
unit, and help in math skills with kids. Thinking on your feet and being able
to understand where you are without navigational aids is the ideal. Hold a
rehearsal drill with a prize or incentive at least yearly. Also have a vehicle
plan that works on the same level – and here any of the relatively inexpensive
commercial GPS systems
can be a great help. However, don’t become reliant
on them, as they fail, they require power, and they can be tracked. Map and
compass are best – master them. Have your kids join the scouting movement
in your area as this will also provide an inroad to appreciating living rough.
I learned more about outdoor living in my 10 years of scouting than was ever
taught to me in the many schools (with the exception of S.E.R.E. – Survival,
Evasion, Rescue, and Escape) that I attended whilst in the military. Lastly,
get local
guidebooks that identify edible plants and animals indigenous to your potential
egress/retreat area. Again, take the family out and do some plant, bird, and
animal spotting. Knowing how animals behave – particularly what they
eat – can give you insight into how they react around humans, particular
those humans not know to them. Understand the ebb and flow of the environment
around your egress and retreat area. The warrior knows his terrain intimately
and it is a force-multiplier in a crisis situation. From the Art of War,
on the Varieties of Terrain for the commander: “if ignorant of the conditions
of mountains, forests, dangerous defiles, swamps and marshes he cannot conduct
the march of the army…”
We’ve now started to look at incorporate an intelligence gathering outlook
on life, followed by a fit state of readiness for the unexpected, now what
about conflict? Unless you live in a state that allows concealed carry, you
most likely will not have much experience in the carry of, or more importantly,
the skills of living with loaded firearms. The old soldier’s adage of
training as you will fight is key here: living with live weapons does not impart
a casual familiarity that can lead to tragedy, more so the understanding of
levels of readiness depending on the scenario. Combat pistol and rifle craft
will be followed in another post and there as many philosophies as there are
gurus. I subscribe to the school of Jeff Cooper and Mel Tappan, and readers
are encouraged to seek out their writings. Suffice to say, in regards to our
emerging warrior ethos, the idea is mastery, as a weapon is only as effective
as the mindset and situational awareness of the person wielding that weapon.
Begin to think of becoming one with your chosen piece; don’t choose a
combat handgun, rifle or shotgun simply on caliber and aesthetic appeal. You
want to ensure you have good grip control, eye relief (for rifles) and for
shotguns, that the stock fits snugly when snapping the weapon to your shoulder.
This is especially critical when fitting weapons for women and children. Your
martial mentality is the platform for that weapon to be effective so it is
imperative it feel comfortable. Next, find an air pistol and air rifle that
resemble your chosen battery. Rather than wasting ammo “snapping-in” on
the range (and fielding potential embarrassing and/or curious questions), use
these tools to get the feel for breath control, trigger pull and eye relief.
Use toy soldiers to simulate range. If you pick a particularly loud air rifle,
check local ordnances prior to beginning your training. I have used air pistols
in my garage for many years with no problem. Just ensure you have sufficient
target backing. You will be amazed by how well you shoot your live weaponry
once you’ve disciplined your stance, breathing and bench positions with
the air weapons.
One of the reasons I stress familiarity with a martial art is that all involve
a relatively similar pre-contact stance. That is, feet slightly wider than
shoulder width, a light bend in the knees coupled with a straight back and
slight relaxation in the elbows in a punching position. This easily translates
into the FBI “A” (“triangle,” “apex,” etc.)
shooting position when using a pistol. There are a variety of shooting stances;
find one you’re comfortable with and practice it until it becomes rote.
I like to shoot on BLM land where I can set up a loose range with a variety
of targets that can simulate a variety of situations. Moreover, one can carry
side arms “live,’ the most important part of the exercise. Always
use caution and appoint one of your group as range master. I cannot emphasize
enough the importance in warrior thought of acclimation to daily use of one’s
weapons. Each pistol, rifle and shotgun, and the associated ammunition and
accessories, all have specific, indeed quirky, characteristics that are best
discovered and addressed in a benign environment. Another advantage of the
informal range is practicing contact drills in the form of fast draw and point
shooting; again, topics for another time, but key to the mindset. In conjunction
with the mechanics of the draw and basic tactical levels (safe – elevated – hostile),
there is the consideration of dress and load-bearing equipment. We’ve
all seen pictures of militia-types and airsoft rifle enthusiasts kitted-out
to the nines, but in reality, no warrior worth their salt dresses in such a
poseur fashion.
Kit should be scenario, then mission-driven. It’s ok to mix commercial
and military gear, as it gives you the best of both worlds, along with adaptability
and more importantly, a covert OPSEC profile. One need not run around in camouflage
with chickenplate-enabled body armor and all the other stuff that goes with
such a mindset in order to present a hardened, tactical, preparedness profile.
Try running 10 to100 yard wind sprints with what you consider to be “appropriate” gear,
along with running up and down hills, pausing frequently to set-up a shooting
position, and you will soon see what gear is needed and what quickly proves
superfluous. Moreover, one quickly grasps the need for constant conditioning,
proper diet, and rest – again, train with the gear you intend to use
in your preparedness planning. Crisis situations entail short-burst energy
requirements, breath control, noise and movement discipline and a host of soft-skills
that are much more important than having “cool” gear. You may have
the slickest web gear, a trick battery of personal defense weaponry, and way-cool “digital” cammies,
but if you’re too winded to hold an aim point, too thirsty sucking down
water like there’s no tomorrow (and at that rate, there won’t be…),
or cramping and puking for lack of salt, you are now ineffective as a resource,
a drain on those dependent on you, and more likely dead, as you were not sufficiently
aware tactically, as you were too troubled sorting yourself out… The
warrior is ready at all times, and uniformly effective, regardless of time,
place, or contingency.
I rarely wore the same load bearing equipment (LBE) configuration twice, as
operational contexts were always different.
The axioms I lived by were simple
enough: keep your [front] belt area free of any pouches or protuberances; this
allows you to lie flush when rounds start flying; next, position you main weapon’s
magazine pouches on your side, slightly behind your hip or ideally, over your
kidneys, as again, when prone, they are easier to access without elevating
your profile. You drink more than you shoot, so canteens can be located at
the traditional hip pistol position; use [CamelBak-type water] bladders where
possible, as they are less noisy, hold more, and can double as a pillow, rifle
rest or
anything
else
you can come-up with. 1 qt. plastic mil spec canteens are fine, but I normally
carried them on my main LBE framed knapsack or butt back. Use mass to distribute
weight (your hiking with weight pays off here). If you do use them on your
waist belt, ensure they are positioned in such a way that you won’t injure
yourself collapsing quickly on the deck, nor are they in the way of your weapons
carry. Never attach a side-arm to an LBE belt that leaves your body. Drop-leg
pistol holsters seem all the rage, and for Close Quarters Battle (CQB)
and urban warfare, they have a place. In a retreat scenario, less-so, as they
will
hang on fencing, drag on brush, and hamper quick ingress and egress from vehicles.
Use good quality leather or black nylon (i.e. low-profile, non-martial appearing)
pistol dress when not in tactical mode, and again, wear it as often as possible
so it becomes second-nature. Shoulder holsters are good for this as well; just
ensure it fits, can carry spare magazines, and that you have practiced drawing
from the holster so it is not a liability. As to holster location, again, this
is personal preference, as some like to cross-draw (i.e. a right-handed shooter
holsters their piece on the left hip, magazine facing the target, and draws
across the body) or use the simple hip draw. [JWR Adds: The
disadvantages of cross-draw rigs have been previously discussed in the blog.]
Concealed carry
is much in the same vein, although by its very nature, you normally carry
a
smaller
weapon,
using a variety of purpose-built holsters on the arms, legs, inside the belt,
or small of the back. I like the small of the back myself. Constantly experiment
with your LBE until it is no longer “fiddly” and fits and works
the way you desire. Run in it, dive on the ground in it, get it wet, understand
how it behaves in a variety of circumstances. Use black electrical tape, or
ideally, mil spec“100 mph tape” (in reality, olive-colored gaffer
tape) to secure loose straps and to cover metal or plastic tabs or sharp edges
that might become noisy or otherwise problematic in use. Don’t use black
duct tape as it is too sticky and leaves a residue that gets on everything.
In recapping the warrior mentality relative to equipment, remember that less
is indeed more; the more you pre-place, the less you need in a bug-out kit.
Blend in and look "conformist" as much as possible, using situational
awareness, concealed carry, and normal attire when going about your business
in urban
and non-conflict
rural areas. Don’t depend entirely on surplus or new mil spec gear; use
the best kit for the job, but more so, maintaining a martial “look” may
draw the authority’s attention or encourage other fools of a tin soldier
mentality to take you on. Adjust your kit profile to the appropriate level
of security and risk and you should be fine. Lastly, you must reconcile in
your mind the concept of deadly force. Regardless of how prepared your scenario,
you may be forced to confront those that wish you harm, and you will die if
you start the mental ethical thought process at the contact point. Knowing
your tools, knowing where to shoot, and understanding the need to shoot will
allow you the upper hand when dealing with fools. Concise action can often
abrogate the need for violence; so again, preparedness can be as much a tool
of avoidance as much as kinetic action. Deadly force will comprise several
upcoming posts and I will also provide a topical reading list in the next few
weeks, addressing not only use of deadly force, but the warrior mindset, how
to plan and what constitutes strategy, tactics, and conflict. In the meantime,
start thinking about times you’ve been scared, or in a heightened state
of anxiety, or even shot at. What went on in your mind? How perceptive were
you? What physiological signs manifest themselves? How did you compensate?
In short, begin to analyze things from an angle of what you would do, say in
an airplane crash or severe auto accident – I call this reaction planning,
and it will save your life. Understand that danger has constants, just like
any other natural phenomena. The more you think of “what-ifs?” the
more you will be ready for crisis.
In closing, preparedness, like any other skill, is much, much more mental than
physical. The successful preparedness planner is in essence a renaissance thinker,
as you must understand and appreciate a variety of skills, and master the most
critical at least at a basic level. In creating this series of articles, I
will be working with a variety of assumptions: many of my readers will have
had some military or scouting background, and possess a passing familiarity
with firearms. You may have only just started to think about contingency planning,
and I encourage you to mine the marvelous resources of SurvivalBlog. Next,
that you have families, and you intend to incorporate your family or immediate
friends or relatives into your planning; also, you are in the early days of
simply trying to sort through the myth and reality of what the preparedness
movement and mindset entails, along with the commiserate moral, ethical, and
practical considerations one must entertain to not only thrive in a crisis
situation, but also maintain the social mores of being a good citizen, neighbor
and staying within the remit of reasoned law. And like a good scout: Be Prepared… Stay
tuned! - "Jeff Trasel"
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After 10 Years--Some Observations and Lessons Learned by a Y2K-Era Prepper
It was June, 1998. Y2K was
a salient topic of conversation. It got my attention. When the electricity
went off and there would be no water to drink, and no
fuel to move food to the JIT grocery
stores, I could see things getting very ugly. I had been willing to fight
for this nation as a member of the US Army.
Now it was time to fight for my household. I bought a Springfield Armory
M1A. I bought a safe to store it in. I bought another M1A (for
the spousal unit of course!) I bought ammo. Lots of it. I bought gear. I
bought food.
I became awakened to the idea of being self-reliant.
That was 10 years ago. Y2K didn’t cause a global melt down. (Although
I have a friend in the service that sat in a command bunker holding his breath
at Y2K – the
government didn’t know what was going to occur.) I
have not had to live through or endure Hurricane
Katrina. No participation
in the 9/11 attacks.
In fact, I can’t claim a campaign ribbon for any
disasters. Am I upset or sorry that I have changed my life to follow a path
of self-reliance? Most definitely, absolutely not!
Let me share with you the good and the bad of what I have done in the last
ten years. So often, people new to self-reliance are like ants at the foot
of a mountain staring up with their head touching their back wondering how
in the world they will ever be able to replace modern society and be able to
take care of themselves WTSHTF.
Well, truth be told, you can’t do it
overnight unless you’re Warren Buffet. I am walking, talking living proof,
however, that you can make significant progress. Let me show you!
In order to show you that you do indeed have cause for hope, let me share
a
few of my screw-ups. How about the initial purchases I made
while in a state of “marked concern” when I became “self
aware” with
regard to self – reliance. The money I invested in self-reliance was
my spousal unit’s “down payment on a house”. Do you think
this view of “my nest” versus “the world may end” led
to some intense “discussions”? You bet your last dog flea it did.
For much of the intervening 10 years I have been the one prepping while my
wife harbored a severe grudge against the entire topic because I spent our
money for the house down payment on crazy self-reliance materials. A grade
of “F” to
me for consensus building. She is just beginning to come around in the last
two years. Poster child example of a bucket of wet sand. (If two guys fight,
they belt each other like two crazed wolverines. Eventually they realize they
were stupid for fighting, shake hands, forgive and are back to being friends.
Kinda like a cow urinating on a big flat rock – big splash and splatters,
but it dries up pretty quickly. Get in an argument with a gal and it is like
pouring water into
a bucket of sand – the surface may dry after a bit, but it stays wet
down in that bucket for a long time.)
I very religiously squirreled away Gillette Atra razors because that is what
I used each day. The handle that you click onto the blade cartridge gave up
the ghost after many years of faithful service. The stores don’t sell
them anymore! Now I have three dozen packs of five cartridges with no way to
use them to shave! Fortunately, I did find a second/spare handle in my stores
and
will
be able to use them up. Did I re-learn some valuable lessons? You bet!
Two is one, and one is none.
You need to see what you have (inventories!)
Store what you Eat/use – I did great on the cartridges, but forgot
spare handles!
In the run-up to Y2K I bought a dozen 6 volt golf cart batteries to be able to
set-up some kind of power system in the house. Great intent. No photovoltaic
panels No wiring until last year. They have been “stored” sitting
on pallets in a friends storage building for 9 years because I have not been
able to get
to the replacement power system yet. I could have used that money for a higher
priority item.
The spousal unit and I built our home last year. We did many things very right.
Some learning experiences occurred, however. Maybe chief amongst them is my
underestimation of the massiveness of the size of this endeavor! I joke with
friends about not being free from the To Do list to be able to get into trouble
for at least five years! Fix the septic pond berms. Sort out the “scrap” lumber.
Put a deck on the back of the house so the [building] code Nazis will give
us the permanent occupancy permit. Fix the leaking pressure tank in the basement.
Fix the DR
mower. Mow. Clear 30 trees dropped to get the septic pond clearance (not done
with that one yet). Cut and split and stack firewood. The list goes on. Don’t
get me wrong – I would not trade my homestead back for city living for
anything. Was I able to foresee the "second & third order effects” of
the change to a country homestead? Nope. Not even having read Backwoods Home
magazine for 8 years. Thank God I listened to my in-laws and did not try
to finish the upstairs interior construction while living downstairs!
Prior to Y2K I tried very hard to create a group. It failed in many ways. Had
Y2K caused the feared problems, we would have been road kill. Okay, we would
have been the third or fourth critter on the highway run over by life, but
we were
nowhere near ready to deal with WTSHTF/TEOTWAWKI.
The Yuppie Queen and her husband went right back to spoiling their princess/daughter,
buying Jaguars, clothes,
and hair implants. You know - living the typical American city life. The other
couple moved out onto 20 acres in a very rural county and raise goats and chickens.
I am on 20+ acres and moving in a self-reliant direction. Two out of three
ain’t
bad!
I endured the gauntlet of multiple careers trying to find a fit for who I am.
Thankfully, my spousal unit was trained well by her farmer parents. We never
carried any debt other than the mortgage. One thing we did do smart was under-buy
on our home with a condo (sixplex) in town. No car payments. No credit card
payments. We kept 3-6 months of expenses in savings. One business venture was
as a franchisee for Idiotstate. Massive mistake. Four years with no income
for me and a net loss of $60,000 overall. What preps could you get done with
an
extra $60,000? I am certainly not happy I put one in the “L” column.
I am not proud of failing. I am proud of jumping into the fight and giving
it my 110%. As they used to tell me in the military, “What an opportunity
for character building!” Learning lesson for me was that I should never
have stopped Soldiering. I simply have green blood. I have returned to the
Army by working as a tactical/leadership contractor at a nearby Fort and getting
reappointed into the National Guard. Will a deployment take me away from directly
protecting The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)? Yes. Does staying employed doing
what God designed me to do mean we’ll have a steady income? Likely. Does
a pension check from age 65 on make us better able to care for ourselves? You
betcha. The world may not disintegrate in 30 days. It may actually remain fairly
normal. One has to prepare for that contingency as well.
By now you have to be thinking “What a knothead! This guy couldn’t
find his fourth point of contact if you put one hand on a cheek!” Well,
not so fast there Skippy! I have a thing or two that should go in the “W” column.
I should give you a massive dose of hope! Let me describe to you in a quick
overview where I have come to in my 10 year quest to become more self-reliant.
First, about our home…
Home
Your home is your castle, right? Well mine actually kinda is. It sets on a
chunk of land that is 20+ acres. The terrain is rolling and 95% wooded. It
butts up against a cemetery to the north, a 900+ acre conservation area to
the south, a river to the west, and a section line to the east. The home is
an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
structure. The walls are 1” of concrete
fake rock veneer, 2.5” of foam, 8” of reinforced concrete, 2.5” of
foam, 5/8” of sheetrock. It is “round”, being made up of
12 wall sections each 8 feet in width. Two stories with a basement. About
1,800 square feet of living space. (2,700 with the basement, however, that
area is not finished yet.) Geothermal heating/cooling and a soapstone wood
stove.
Metal roof. No carpeting – oak floors and tile. The wellhead
is inside the home so I don’t have to worry about winter breakdowns or freeze-ups,
nor losing access WTSHTF. We are running at top speed towards the 20% equity
checkpoint in order to get rid of the bankster-invented Private Mortgage Insurance
(PMI) extortion racket. (We have a credit rating of 804, so the “risk” the
bank incurs by carrying our note is a freaking joke!). It suits our lifestyle
very,
very
well. Our intent was to have a very low maintenance home. Having lived here
one year in two more weeks, it looks like we have a very big check mark in
the “W” column. More details on the design/floor plan in a future
article!
Weapons & Training
We have an M1A set-up for combat, and one set up for long-range precision work.
The Glock 21
[.45 ACP] is the base pistol for the household, with one for each of us and
a G30 [compact Glock .45 ACP] as back-up. The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU) doesn’t
carry a rifle or carbine, just the pistol. (More on that later.) Training for
both of us
includes Defensive
Handgun 1 and Team Tactics with Clint and Heidi Smith at Thunder Ranch. I have
also had General Purpose, Urban, and Precision Rifle with Clint. I completed
a special symposium at Gunsite (pistol, rifle, shotgun, carbine). I am an NRA Certified
pistol, rifle, and home defense instructor. I have several other weapon platforms
as a “Dan Fong” kind of guy. The two rifles with
accoutrements, and the four pistols with same were certainly not cheap. Nor
was the training. I do, however, know how to properly employ them now.
Food & Supplies
The spousal unit & I could stretch the on-hand food to cover two years.
Canned freeze dried is 45% of it, bulk buckets is 45%, and “normal use” food
is the last 10%. We have built a rolling rack set of shelves for the 3rd part
to ease rotation of the canned goods with each grocery store trip. No, I haven’t
found the secret spy decoder ring sequence on how to rotate the bulk and freeze-dried
stuff with our normal, both of us work, lifestyle. The sticking point for this
area I see is that WTSHTF, Mom & Dad in-law, Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law
with wife and two princesses (one with hubby), and my Mom & her husband
will
show up on our doorstep. That makes for an even dozen mouths to fee
Security
Now for a bit more detail. First topic up, IAW my military training, is Security.
The base of everything here is God. I have chosen to bend my knee to Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior. I can amass all the weapons, ammo, food and “stuff” you
can imagine, but He is the one ultimately in charge. I am charged to be a prudent
steward of His possessions - my family, property, vehicles, food, weapons,
ammo, etc.. I am definitely striving to be the ant storing things for the winter.
If you ain’t right in this area, it will really matter in eternity.
Part of your security is weapons. There are sheeple, wolves, and sheepdogs.
I am definitely in the 3rd category. In today’s world your “teeth” are
your firearms. I plan from a Boston T. Party paradigm of having a battle rifle.
Hence, the M1A. Were I starting over today, I would likely go with a FAL, but
now "I will dance with the one that brung me". Or maybe just accept the brilliance
of the M1
Garand at $620 delivered to your doorstep from the Civilian Marksmanship
Program (CMP).
I do have two of these. Hard to argue with .30-06 ball. I renovate Mausers
as my hobby and so have a .35 WAI scout rifle. A second one in the
more common 7.62x51 chambering is in work now. I laos have a Mossberg 835 [riotgun],
two Ruger 10/22s (one blued, one stainless), Ruger MKII stainless .22 LR pistol,
S&W
625 pistol in .45 ACP/.45
Auto Rim, a few Enfields, and a couple of Mosin-Nagants round out the field.
Let me detail for you the path to get to the Glocks. I think it may save you
some of your money. I received a Colt Gold Cup [M1911]
.45 ACP pistol from my Dad as a graduation gift from the Hudson Home For Boys
[aka USMA West Point].
Great
intent. A weapon as a gift – how can you ever be wrong in doing this?!
However, a terrible choice as a combat weapon. The Gold Cup is a target pistol.
Tight
tolerances.
Feeds only hardball, and that can be tenuous proposition. I carried it on the
East-West German border leading patrols. The rear sight broke twice. The front
sight shot off once and tore off twice. It was a jammomatic. I hated it. Sold
it to a guy that wanted to target shoot.
Took that money and bought a stainless Ruger P90DC. Sack of hammers tough.
always goes bang when you pull the trigger. Inexpensive as far as handguns
go. After some marked de-horning, you could even make it run in a fight without
shredding you at the same time. One marked problem. Two [different weight]
trigger pulls [for first round double action versus subsequent round single
action.]. This started to teach me to throw the muzzle down as I pulled the
trigger in
double
action.
This nasty habit caused a problem when you were firing the 2nd through X rounds,
as now it operates as a single action. TLSU had a heck of a time with it at
Thunder Ranch. Clint loaned her his G21. No more trigger problems.
Still bowing at the altar of the 1911, I bought a Kimber Compact to carry instead
of the Ruger. (I still have the Ruger – it is still “the gun that
my Dad gave me” and no one buys the P90 used for anywhere near it’s
initial cost, so I can’t sell it without taking a significant bath on
it.) The Kimber was going well. Then I got a little too aggressive at slamming
magazines home in the shortened grip and jammed it. Then the recoil rod unscrewed
itself during an IPSC run
and seized the gun while messing up the trigger. Off to Kimber. Free warranty
work and 48 hours without my self-defense pistol.
Now I have no confidence in the pistol. I Loc-Tite’d the recoil rod
and staked it so it wouldn’t come undone again. Then I sold it.
Glocks cost roughly one-half of what a Kimber does. Crummy factory sights,
but all my pistols wear tritium anyway. No ambidextrous safety required. My
short fingers are
mated to big palms, so I can handle the grip. TLSU has been trained on the
Glock Model 21 (G21). It ain’t an issue of psychological derangement
like many guys get about their 1911/Glock/H&K/Springfield, but it is a
comfortable and working relationship between Glock & I. I have a G21 and
a G30 for both of us. They always go bang accurately and they have never rusted.
I am
not
pleased
with Gaston [Glock]’s refusal to take responsibility for any mistakes
they make in manufacturing. No problems with the G21 however. A pistol is what
you
use
to fight your way back to your rifle, which you shouldn’t have laid down
in the first place.
M1As hit my safe because it is what I knew from the service. They also fire
a full power cartridge, 7.62x51. It makes cover into concealment. I don’t
have the other 10 guys in an infantry squad fighting with me so I can maneuver
under their covering fire. I have to hit the bad guy with a powerful blow once
and move on to the next wolf/bad guy. Mouse guns firing rabbit rounds don’t
scratch that itch for me. To each his own. My two are old enough to have USGI
parts and good quality control. Here are the mods I made to my “combat” M1A.
Maybe they will help you:
Krylon paint job to disrupt the "big black stick" look
M60 [padded] sling
Front sight filed down so that zero is achieved with the rear sight bottomed
out
Handguard ventilated
National Match trigger group, barrel, and sights (came as a “Loaded” package
from Springfield)
Rear aperture drilled out to make it a ghost ring
Skate board tape on slick metal butt plate
For the “Surgical” M1A (it shoots1/2 minute when I do my part):
National Match loaded package
Trigger assembly additionally tuned at factory
Unitized gas system
Factory bedded
Stainless barrel
Swan rings and QD bases
Leupold M3 3.5-10x40 scope
Handmade leather cheekrest
Other weapons - I have two M1
Garands. Both were bought from the CMP. One
is stored offsite with a "Bug-In Bag" (BIB). One is a Danish return, less
wood, that I re-stocked. TLSU has claimed this one as hers. Ammo from the CMP
is
cheaper
than any
other cartridge out there, save the communist surplus stuff. An M1917 Enfield
(also
from CMP) is in the safe, along with a 2A, a #3, and a #4. A VZ24 is stored
offsite. The first Mauser I renovated is sitting there as an additional .30-06
with a Trijicon 3-9x40 tritium-lit scope. A Remington 700 with Leupold VX-II
scope is in the safe, but likely to be sold soon. A Mosin-Nagant (M44 or
M38) ride in each vehicle.
I formerly had [Ruger] Mini-30s. I could never find any 20 or 30 round magazines
that would function reliably. I sold them and got SKS carbines. When I quit
holding out
for TLSU to become a Warrior and carry one, I sold them off to fund other
toys. I am pondering the purchase of an AK folder because it is a sack of
hammers
tough and can be transported discretely. I don’t know if I have ever
come out on the positive side when selling a gun. Now I have to re-buy an
AR-15 to have one for training purposes. The SKSs could be useful for arming
the
family showing up on your doorstep. Hindsight being 20/20, I would caution
against selling any gun you buy. (The 700 mentioned above is a 2nd precision
weapon and I have no AK to train with. Still deciding.)
Ammo is required to feed these weapons. I have over 10,000 rounds of 7.62x51.
I have over 10,000 rounds of .22 LR. No, I don’t think these amounts
are enough. Now that the costs of ammo have risen to heart stopping levels,
I really don’t feel like I bought enough in the past!
I need to plus up the quantities/smatterings of other cartridges that I have
like .30-30 Winchester, .270 Winchester,
.40 S&W.
The location of my home is the best I could get balancing competing requirements.
It is as far from the city as we can get and still stomach the drive to work.
It is between two major line of drift corridors – 12 miles to the major
one, 8 miles to the secondary one. It is bordered by neighbors on only one
side. The folks in the cemetery don’t say much. The critters in the
wildlife area are more vocal - the ducks, turkeys, geese, hoot owls, loons,
coyotes
sound off regularly. We don’t mind. About 95% of the property is wooded.
A few hickory, lots of oak. walnut, (unfortunately) locust trees are all
there.
The local river comes out of it’s banks about every other year and
blocks our driveway for several days, but never comes near the house. The
German Shorthair
is long in the tooth for security, but she is there. A new pup is in the
pipeline.
I would feel a great deal more secure if the homestead was picked up and
dropped into Idaho or Alaska. It is about as good as we can do, though, staying
near
a major city so we can have decent paying jobs. There are some improvements
we can make though. I just bought a weather alert radio from Cabela’s
today. Tough to hear tornado sirens when you live miles away and have 1 foot
thick walls! We need a driveway monitor/alarm. Again, the superior insulation
of
the walls means we hear nothing outside. I can see the utility
of sandbags if things got really ugly. Some more land line communication
assets would be
useful. I think an AR-15 for training people would be useful, as would an
AK. Overall, I think we have done pretty well in the security arena.
Our Home
We started the 10 years in a condo. It was part of a six-plex set on a small
pond. I hate Homeowner’s Associations and their covenants! We could afford
the mortgage on one of our two paychecks. Good thing! I didn’t get a
paycheck for four years. We scraped by. Two years after re-entering the job
market we built our house. We worked on the plans for five years. Beware! Finding
a property piece and building a non-shoebox home on it is not for the feint
of
heart!
You effectively are funding the construction of a mini town. You build and
maintain mini roads (your driveway). You must build and maintain a mini sewage
plant (Your septic system/pond). You must build and maintain a mini water plant.
(Your well.) You must perform mowing and tree removal for the mini parks of
your town (Your “yard”/acreage). I will write a separate article
detailing our construction woes.
Let me highlight some of the self-reliant features of the house for you. We
did not want to spend a constant stream of Federal Reserve Notes [FRNs]on
maintenance. We used insulated concrete form (ICF) construction for the structural
strength
and the energy efficiency. The metal roof should outlast us. The geothermal
and
the
R-50 walls
of the
ICF are paying us back the initial investment in construction costs. We opted
for no carpeting due to the track in mud nature of the property, having a dog,
and me having allergies. Wood and tile floors don’t hold dirt like carpets
do. Less fire hazard as well. We used commercial steel doors for the exterior
and security-need spots. They have ASSA
[high security] locks. They have peepholes.
The basement has a 10’ square root cellar for the storage of canned produce
from the garden. It also has a safe room/shelter. 12” of concrete overhead.
The well head is enclosed in it. Land line telephone and power service into
it via buried lines. Food stored in it. DC wiring
in place to the attic for when we get to the photovoltaic [PV]
system. We also ran DC wires to each room in the house for the use of LED lighting
off of a battery system. The soapstone
wood
stove
augments the electrically driven geothermal. (In spite of several damaging
thunderstorms this past year, we have not lost power so far – great job
juice Coop!)
The stairwell was kicked out onto the W/NW of the house. This shields the house
from the hottest part of the day’s sunlight, and the coldest winter winds.
We made the stairwell an extra foot wide. What a huge nice difference that
foot makes to walking up and down each day, not to mention moving stuff up
or down them! The mud porch/entry was set up for coming in with muddy boots,
or for snow covered coats. We should have made it 1’ wider, as it can
be a little tight. The bench is great for donning/doffing boots. The tile is
easy to clean the muddy paw prints, human or canine, off of.
Windows were one of the few areas that caused some fireworks. TLSU wanted a
green house in order to take advantage of the great view of the property. I
wanted firing ports to defend against mutant zombie hordes. I am still hugely
uncomfortable with the nakedness the windows leave us with. Yes the view is
great, but what about when we experience incoming rounds, or more mundanely,
when someone comes out to the property while we are away from the house all
day at work and they help themselves to our stuff? Some relief is in sight,
however. We are pricing Shattergard vinyl film for the ground floor windows.
Things That are Still Need on the Home
The great thing about the R-50 ICF walls is that they are R-50 and pretty tough.
The bad thing is that they are R-50 and pretty tough. We can’t hear anything without
a door or window being open. Hence the just purchased weather alert radio for
us from Cabela’s this week. It is kind of eerie waking up at
0200 hours and having no idea if the thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm or
if it is a tornado. The television is useless when the rain is so heavy that
the dish won’t get a signal. With regard to 2-legged varmints, a driveway
MURS Alert
system is on the purchase list as we have had multiple invited guests show
up, beat on the front door, and have to walk around to the living room
windows to get our attention so they can be let inside. Okay for invited guests – certainly
too close for uninvited varmints!
The entry hallway was one of TLSU’s “must haves” in the house
layout. It has worked out well in terms of traffic flow and such. The security
door at the foot of the stairs is a tough choke point to deal with at 0500
in the dark. No light installed there means nothing is visible through the
peephole.
I will have to install a camera and/or light so I don’t open it to let
the dog out in the morning and get rushed by 2-legged varmints.
So far, the only commo needs are between myself and TLSU. When the sister-in-law,
brother-in-law, parents-in-law and my Mom show up and we start pulling
security, we will need to be able
to talk more. I have an old set of TA-312 [field telephone]s and wire for the
primary LP/OP,
but obviously will need more in this area. Just not a sexy/fun area to spend
FRNs on for a combat arms kinda guy, but I am working on the self-discipline
needed.
We did look ahead and sink the FRNs into running 12V wires in the home for
future installation of PV panels and batteries. Obviously things like the Shattergard
film, more food, more Band-aids, etc., are of a higher priority though. We
are working our tails off to reach the 20% equity mark to get rid of the PMI
extortion as well. I still have an ASSA lock to install on the shelter door,
and one to put into the basement door. Other projected door enhancements include
armor plates for the front, outside basement, shelter, and outside storage
doors. There just never seems to be enough $ to go around, does there?
The other major source of fireworks during the home design/build was on-demand
water heaters. Having taken a 30 minute hot shower with one in Germany for
5 marks while on an FTX, I well understand what a brilliant piece of technology
they are. TLSU, having never been outside of CONUS cannot give up on the electric
water heater. She still doesn’t believe that the electricity will ever
go out for more than an hour or two. Wouldn’t it be great to be able
to draw hot water at the kitchen sink, and take a hot shower from a propane
fired on-demand heater? She doesn’t get it yet. Obviously not something
to break up a marriage over. We really did very well on the whole house building
thing. The opposite of what everyone warned us about. I am pretty proud of
that performance!
Food
We started a garden this spring. So far, it is an endeavor run by TLSU. Spinach,
onions, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, beets, and some herbs. I have not been
able to convince her to expand the size. She wants to learn in steps and I
am the whacko that orders 100 seedlings at a time from the conservation department,
which then overwhelms us in the planting department. For example, the first
iteration of this tree-planting endeavor, we got them the Thursday before Easter
weekend. Friday night and all day Saturday we planted our buns off. TLSU was
indeed a great Trooper about it, planting right along with me. Sunday was spent
at church
and pigging out at family’s homes for Easter. Monday I had shoulder surgery
to grind off bone spurs and remove cartilage chips. Too much, too fast. But
at 7 FRNs per 12 seedlings, how can you argue? I have to admit though, that
after two years of the 100 seedlings, I am ready to give it a rest. This year
we settled for seven apple saplings. Initial inspection of the cherry, pecan,
oak, walnut and persimmon seedlings around the house reveals about an 80% survival
rate. Only another 10 years and we will be getting food from them!
The initial freeze dried and bulk storage food needs to be rotated. Anyone
figured out how to do this kind of at home cooking when the two of you work?
The canned/”normal” food is now being rotated with each grocery
store trip. We have canning jars for this year’s veggies and the root
cellar has a robust collection of shelves to store them on. How much is enough?
I
don’t know. Four geographically separate and secure stashes of three
year’s
worth of food for all of the family? Who knows!?
Medical
I have Boo-boo kits just about everywhere now. You know, the band-aid and antibiotic
salve with ibuprofen kit that handles 90% of life’s issues in this area.
Now comes the high-dollar investment stuff. The combat blow-out packs for gunshot
wounds or serious car wrecks. I did go along on a buying trip to a medical
warehouse and got some catheters, sutures, gauze pads, etc.. I did get in on
the last great iodine buy before our loving big brother government banned the
sale of iodine to us mere citizens. (It is a stewable ingredient to make drugs,
you know – “we must deprive/punish all to protect you from a few.
Oh, well, you don’t need to be able to sterilize water anyway – we’ll
take care of you on that too….”)
TLSU and I eat very healthy food – locally raised beef with no antibiotics
or growth hormones. No growth hormone dairy products from a local dairy. Spinach
from the garden. There are sugar detectors on the doors. Also, no chips allowed.
We get to the dentist regularly. We both do Physical Training (PT)
. She jogs 3 miles, 3-4 times per week. I run over lunch at work about 4 miles,
4-5 times
per week
and
lift
weights twice per week.
“Needed Still” list includes: Blow out kits, more bandages, more
hospital type stuff, more medicines, syrup of ipecac, more antibiotics, more
feminine
stuff (think of a vaginal yeast infection with no drug store open), drinking
alcohol, poison Ivy soap and remedies, athlete’s foot cream, more baby
wipes, more hand sanitizer, all forms of baby stuff, get the bone spur ground
smooth in my other shoulder and the cartilage chips taken out, get rid of the
cat (allergies).
Vehicles
We still have the same vehicles we had in 2001. A 1998 Toyota Corolla bought
with 30,000 miles, and a 1999 Ford Explorer bought with 45,000 miles. Both
were
paid in full when bought. Both avoided the 25% loss of value when driving a
new car off the lot. The Corolla gets 37 MPG.
I hate it. Every bit of plastic on it has broken – the car door locking
mechanisms, the trunk lock, the ventilation system fan. It gets 37 MPG. I can’t
find anything to touch that. The Ford is too big to get decent mileage, and
too small to really be
a useful truck. It is paid for and has AWD/4WD.
It always starts. Both vehicles have BIBs and gas masks in them. Both have
trunk guns. Both have roadside gear
to help ourselves out of a jam. We are saving for the replacement of them both.
We are going to be saving for quite a while. We need more cash in the BIBs
and Bug Out Bags (BOBs)
All of the preps in this section were done via Cabela points. I bought gas
and paid for business expenses - everything I could pay for with a credit card
was paid for with the Cabela’s credit card. You get points at some sickening
rate of $.01/FRN spent, $.02/FRN in the store. However, when you buy $6-8,000/month
of stuff between personal and business stuff, it adds up! The gear for the
BOBs & BIBs, weapons gear and parts – a significant percentage – 85%+
- came from Cabela [credit card bonus] points. When I got birthday or Christmas
monetary gifts I spent them on self-reliance items. We did this never incurring
any
interest
penalties because we zero the balance out each month. Our BOBs are set-up to
sustain us for 10 days. They are packed in Cabela’s wet bags for load
out in five minutes. Originally I sought to wear a tactical vest and ruck.
After two unsuccessful winter BOB campouts where I could barely waddle one
mile with
both of them on at the same time, I dropped the vest. TLSU’s back is
in tough shape due to scoliosis, so she is not humping any mammoth rucks with
the extra three mortar rounds and can of 7.62 linked. We also decided that
the G21 was what she could carry and dropped the SKS and chest pouches of 10
round stripper clips. Her ruck is a Camelback Commander. That is as big of
a ruck as she can hope to carry without killing her back. We are not leaving
home to go on a combat patrol in Hit or Fallujah. We are fleeing some kind
danger and have every intention of avoiding additional entanglements, to include
government hospitality suites in stadiums.
The Lovely Spousal Unit (TLSU)
I started self-reliance the wrong way. No consensus development. I saw a danger
and acted. I am a male/sheepdog/warrior type. I am not sure that I could have
ever persuaded her to participate in any meaningful manner before Y2K. She
has only recently begun to do so after eight years of seeing me provide for
and protect her. I was, however, stubborn/strong enough to do what I thought
was
the right thing and to heck with what was popular. Most “males” check
their gender specific anatomical gear at the wedding alter and continue on
in sheeple status. I get that females are the nurturers. I get that they work
from an emotional starting point, not logical. Not wanting the tornado to destroy
the house or the hurricane to wreck your and the adjoining three counties is,
at best, the French method of addressing life. TLSU is finally helping me to
rotate food via the grocery store purchases. She no longer rolls her eyes or
sighs disgustedly when I spend my Cabela points to buy gear. Once I explained
to her that I was planning to shelter and feed her parents and siblings and
that our one year of food wasn’t going to feed all of them for very long,
she started to get on board. She even likes spending the points off of her
Cabela’s card now. She is running 3-4 times per week and gets some PT
from work outside in the garden. She has come a long way. As best as I can
tell, she will not ever be a warrior. We have come a substantial distance from
sleeping on the couch each time a self-reliance topic hits the table of discussion
though. A definite and growing check mark in the “W” column!
Skills
Skills that I have acquired:
Rifles – renovating Mausers and training at Thunder Ranch helps
your ability to use these tools immensely.
Soldering – fixing plumbing leaks myself vs. paying a plumber $200
to show up and start billing me for work
Building – I invested 13 full work weeks of time during the building
of our home helping the contractor. Some of it was the nubby work of cleaning
up the scrap and sawdust. Some of it was banging in joist hangers. I laid
all the tile and 95% of the wood flooring in the house.
Fix-it – the DR Brush mower has long passed it’s warranty
period and while performing quite admirably, does need attention every now
and then.
The 1974 F100 demands attention regularly. Each of these repair work challenges
teaches me a little more about mechanical items and taking care of things
myself.
Sewing – Yes, my dear Grandmother taught me to sew buttons, and
my Mom taught me to survival sew/repair things. A 1960 gear driven Singer sews
nylon
gear though!; )
Skills still needed:
More First Aid – it appears that a first responder or wilderness 1st
aid course may be in the cards for this year.
More Hand to Hand – my goals and objectives list has had this goal
on it for several years. Good news – I got started on knocking it off the
list. Bad news, it revealed an “old man” shortcoming in my shoulder.
Good news, I am getting the shoulder fixed (hopefully) during “normal” times
versus after Schumerization. I just may get ambushed and not have my trusty
M1A in hand. Having unarmed defense skills means never having to be a steak
dinner/victim.
More riflesmithing – each birthday or Christmas gift of money has
been partially apportioned to the purchase of gunsmithing tooling. I need more
practice
with the tools I have. I still need more tooling. I recently secured Parkerizing
gear, but have not gotten the metal stands for the tanks built. Still,
progress is progress and I can already do more to maintain weapons than
95% of the
population.
Knife making – I just cringe at the idea of spending $300 for top
quality knives. CRKT is my friend. Even better is learning to assemble the
scales and
blank myself. Eventually, knowing how to forge blanks myself would be useful.
Mill lumber – with 95% of my property wooded, I have the material
to be self-reliant with regard to my lumber needs. I need a way to saw the
tree into lumber though. First, the mill, then the skill to use it. Then
I have
the gear to diversify my income and help others.
Have I always done the smartest thing? Absolutely not! Much to the crazed
satisfaction of a former operator buddy, I have cycled through the “best/high
dollar” gear
approach to the “sack of hammers USGI/AK” school of self-reliance.
Don’t get me wrong – I ain’t surrendering my Kifaru rucks
anytime soon! However, there were a great number of FRNs spent on those self-reliance
tuition payments! Have I learned a lot? Absolutely, yes! Am
I better able to maintain my independence and protect and provide for my
family? Absolutely,
yes! Could you do better than I did? Good chance. Have you
done as much as I have in the last 10 years? Only your freedom, loved ones,
and the quality
of your life post-TEOTWAWKI depend on the answer to that one.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Retreat Owner Profile: Mr. and Mrs. Foxtrot »
Two Letters Re: Martial Arts Fact Versus Fiction
Jim;
The most recent response to this article includes the following quote: “ I
noticed that many seem to be fans of Ultimate Fighting and I'm not going to
say its fake, but it is entertainment. The fighters are great but lets be honest,
the matches are intended to draw ratings by selling the drama.”
I felt I needed to respectfully respond to this, not with the intention of
arguing, but clarifying, based on a more educated and informed perspective
on Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). I’ve been a martial artist for over ten
years, and involved in Mixed Martial Arts (or Ultimate Fighting) for eight
of those years.
I’ve
met and trained with some of the best fighters in the sport, and have been
involved with and trained regularly with traditional martial artists from every
conceivable discipline including Goju Ryu, American Kempo, Kyokushin, Tae Kwon
Do, Aikido, Aikijitsu, Judo, Russian kickboxing, American kickboxing, Western
Boxing, Capoeira, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, freestyle wrestling, submission wrestling,
muay thai, Sambo and Gung fu. I’ve trained with two different police
departments, bouncers, and numerous members of the armed forces on hand-to-hand
combatives. I have also fought “in the cage” as they say.
Without knowing any better, many people compare Mixed Martial Arts to Professional
Wrestling, and assume that it is either fake, scripted, or “entertainment”.
Unlike WWE or TNA (pro wrestling organizations), Ultimate Fighting organizations
(The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), King of the Cage, World Extreme
Combat, Pride, Bodog Fights, etc) do not script their matches or decide the
outcomes
beforehand. The sport of MMA is a combination of the three most legitimate
combat sports that exist today: boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling. In fact,
the sport existed in the ancient Greek Olympics under the name “Pankration”,
and was the first and most celebrated sport in the games.
Many people’s idea of martial arts comes from watching Bruce Lee, Jackie
Chan, or Chuck Norris take down an opponent in a fast, cool, calculated fashion…often
with little effort. This is Hollywood . This is fake. Anyone
who has been in real combat with tell you that it’s dirty, clumsy, unpredictable,
and scary. To expect two MMA Athletes (Ultimate Fighters) to step into the
ring
or cage and finish one another off quickly and realistically is to insult their
skill and devotion to the sport. The fact that an Ultimate Fight can last 15
minutes is purely due to the level of proficiency, athleticism, and rules involved
in the sport itself.
Imagine Mike Tyson being confronted on the street by a mugger. One lunging
hook later, the mugger is laid out cold with a broken jaw, assuming he doesn’t
have a weapon. However, though Iron Mike walked through many opponents in the
ring in this manner, fighters like Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield just
absorbed Mike’s tremendous power and kept on coming. Why? Because they
trained every day to do just that.
If an MMA athlete was confronted by an untrained person on the street, that
untrained person would likely end up in the ICU with broken limbs and a collapsed
trachea. However, when two highly trained, experienced, and athletic MMA fighters
square off, it often becomes a chess match. On the other hand, there are plenty
of lightning fast knockouts and submissions if that’s what you’re
after.
The rules in MMA were created for the safety and longevity of the fighters,
and due to constant and rigorous pressure testing, real application, and scientific
examination and re-examination, the style of “Mixed Martial Arts” or “Ultimate
Fighting” has become the post complete, efficient, effective and proven
self-defense system in existence today. That’s why Police Departments
and Militaries the world over are now training these concepts. Without the
rules, MMA would be a gladiatorial bloodbath, and high caliber athletes would
steer clear. However, think about the techniques that aren’t allowed:
biting, eye gouging, hair pulling, groin strikes, throat strikes, finger breaking,
kicking a downed man…
How much training do these techniques really require? In fact, combine all
those techniques, and I’d say that’s pretty much how an untrained
person would fight. Do you really think a trained MMA Athlete wouldn’t
utilize these techniques in a life-or-death altercation? Of course they would!!!
As was also said in the article, “As many have stated before [you need
to learn] a system with equal parts grappling, punching, kicking, elbows, knees,
etc.” Well, that’s the definition of modern MMA or Ultimate Fighting.
Combine with that the natural “dirty” techniques mentioned above,
as well as training with firearms and blades (we do cover blades in my MMA
class) and you’ve got a comprehensive self-defense system that has something
few others do… a regular and high caliber testing arena, that all are
free to watch and enjoy, where the finer techniques of the system are constantly
streamlined, tested, innovated, sometimes discarded, and generally forced to
evolve from the outdated traditional exercise routines they are based on.
Next time you watch The Ultimate Fighting Championship, imagine that hypothetical
fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris… and know that both were/are
outspoken proponents of MMA. Most Sincerely, - EID
Sir,
A very well thought out and personally researched treatise on martial
arts. There were one two points with which I respectfully disagree:
Point #3) MMA/
UFC fighters are great athletes, and at the top end are the best ring
fighters, bar none. As such, they are fighting within time limits, rounds,
etc. and
have a precise time frame for the entire event. Thus, what looks like
stalling is,
in fact, a chess game to make one's move without getting caught coming
in. In a street encounter, one doesn't know which round one is in, so don't
dawdle:
see initial statement of point #3; Point #11) owning a gun makes one
no more of a gunfighter than owning a piano makes one a musician. Any artificial
weapon must be an extension of a natural attack. The more complex the
weapon, the
more complete the new skill-set to master said weapon becomes (brass
knuckles
require far less training than an Uzi to use effectively, for example).
If
one neglects to acquire these necessary skills, little more is accomplished
than providing weapons to bad guys.
On the highlight reel: #5) Awareness! Fights avoided are rarely lost...#4)
The fight's over when the winner says so! Now, shut up and reload!...#9)
We call
this Environmental Awareness, and it's not the Al Gore Greenie-Weenie
Variety; simply stated, your Environment is everything in, on, and
around you. Spinning
some miscreant headlong into a dumpster has the same effect of a crack
to the forehead with a PR-24 night stick, without the hassles of carrying
one; #8)
Fight Dirty! Strike hard, strike fast, strike them to the ground...I
call
this The
Theory of Inverted Sportsmanship. If you'd like to know a solid basis
for self-defense, get wrestling, boxing, judo, and UFC rulebooks. Everything
in these that is
considered a foul is to protect the fighters from serious injury. Therefore,
these are the
methods to apply first and most vigorously when attacked.
I found myself in total agreement with the letter , with the exception
of the two minor points stated earlier. One omission I would like to
emphasize, that
gets scant attention in any martial arts setting, for politically correct
reasons: you must be absolutely ruthless with your attacker. You must
be willing to
brutally smash him into submission. If you are squeamish on this now,
your flight instinct
will take over in a confrontation, your fine motor-skills will vanish,
you
you will get your head (or some other vital or exotic part of your anatomy)
handed
to you. We refer to this as Spiritual Point of Origin: finish the fight,
in its most gruesome outcome, now, in your head, and make peace with
it. If you
cannot
accept mentally and spiritually that which you may be required to do,
how can you possibly manifest the same physically? The short answer,
folks,
is, you
can't...As always, Keep the Faith, - Bonehead
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Letter Re: Potassium Iodide Versus Potassium Iodate for Post-Nuke Thyroid Gland Protection
James,
You mentioned stocking up on Potassium Iodide (KI). The head trainer at Medical
Corps--(I
took their awesome class, thanks for giving it kudos)--developed Potassium
Iodate (KI03). It has a huge benefit over KI, in that it doesn't
upset the stomachs of the people taking it [as much as KI]. Medicine is much
more beneficial
if you don't involuntarily purge it.
Another thing I'd like to mention to SurvivalBlog readers is that KI and KI03
don't expire, even if the bottles have expiration dates marked. Since it is
not an organic--it a very
basic
chemical compound. Iodine might leach out and turn the tablets dark, but iodine
is still
iodine. Just mix it with food to cover the bad taste and it'll still be effective.
With Regards, - Cody (a 10
Cent Challenge Subscriber)
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Positive Feedback on Front Sight's Self Defense Training »
Letter Re: Martial Arts Fact Versus Fiction
Mr. Rawles
I just found this blog after checking out Steve
Quayle's web site and links. I must say this discussion is a breath of
fresh air.
My experience is much different than many who have posted; I have little training
in the martial arts, and never been in the military. I don't even watch those
Ultimate Fighting shows.
I work with kids in state juvenile facility here on the West Coast of the US.
Most of the "residents" as
they are called are 14-20 years of age, and usually very aggressive and violent
gang members. Unlike adult corrections in my state, we don't carry weapons
of any kind including pepper spray. We wear street clothes and work in a average
ratio of 12 residents to one staff.
In other words I deal for eight hours a night with the most likely people you
would face in a survival situation. Most reading this live in an area where
these are the most likely assailants and unless your a hardcore survivalist
living in a tree these are the people that most reading this will face. Here
are some things I've learned - usually the hard way
1) Forget talking your way out of it. Once they have decided on violence talking
is only used to distract you or to manipulate you into believing you can talk
your way out of the situation. We are trained in verbal de-escalation skills
but experience also shows us that gangstas who are on a mission to raise their
status in the gang by "putting in work" will not listen to reason,
or pleas. Conditioning by the gangs to see violence as nothing more than a
tool or as a way of enforcing rules within the gang literally enables most
gang members to shut off a conscience or thought of potential consequences.
They in many cases may also be under the influence of various drugs that hinder
their reasoning ability. In other words don't bother talking if you want to
live.
2) Forget any martial art that wastes time on flying kicks and roundhouse punches.
Don't waste time learning how to use swords and throwing stars. As many have
stated before a system with equal parts grappling, punching, kicking, elbows,
knees, etc.
3) Learn to take assailants(s) out quickly. I noticed that many seem to be
fans of Ultimate Fighting and I'm not going to say its fake, but it is entertainment.
The fighters are great but lets be honest, the matches are intended to draw
ratings by selling the drama. I have no doubts that those same fighters without
the rules would be able to take out their opponents much quicker than they
do. You should do this as well. Don't play around or make unnecessary movements.
Don't stop and sermonize half way through giving a beating.
4) Finish the job. The idea that you should get your opponent down then run
away is pretty d**ned dumb. First you may have nowhere to run to, and nobody
to help you. You are better off once your opponent is down making sure they
don't get up on their own power for a long time. All I can say is do what your
God
given
conscience
deems necessary for you and your loved one's survival in such a situation
5) Awareness!, Awareness!, Awareness!
If a person, place, or situation makes those little hairs stand up there is
good reason for it. If your in a crowd always be aware of eye movements, body
movement. Also be aware that criminals/gang members never attack alone. Even
if they aren't joining in the attack they have accomplices serving as lookouts
to either tip them off or to distract. Be aware of where you are, and who is
around you at all times. Watch what those people do or say.
6) Learn to fight in close quarters. A dojo or a gym is great but have your
sparring partner and you fight within a small chalk circle for a while. Better
yet a medium sized walk in closet. Many well known street gangs that got their
starts in the California prison system (Sureños or 13s come to mind) created
fighting systems for both offense and defense in their cells. The "fighting
art" consists mostly of elbow, and knee strikes with some uppercut punches,
followed by takedowns. Is it any good? Ask any correctional officer who now
extracts these guys from cells using "stun shields", pepper spray
guns, and eight-man extraction teams. Fairly intelligent,
and motivated sparring partners can probably duplicate this style with a little
trial and error.
7) Don't waste your time getting into a punching contest. In most cases your
assailant is a more experienced fighter than you. They also have experience
taking a punch. How many punches have you taken lately Sugar Ray? Probably
not many, if any. Forget kicking too unless you have been trained how to do
it properly or when to do it. Sending a kick to someone's face like Chuck Norris
or Jean Claude Van Damme is cool in movies - especially after its been choreographed
and practiced for weeks, then filmed from the optimal angles. Its looks pretty
dumb when you do it though. It tends you get you beaten or dead as well. If
your assailant is on the ground a few well placed kicks to the mid-section,
groin, ribcage, neck, or face couldn't hurt however.
8) Go for the eyes or throat. Cut off the assailants sight and air. If more
than one assailant hit the first ones eyes, and take out the second ones breathing
ability. If three - eyes, eyes, air. Go for knees ankles, and feet if you do
kick. Avoid the groin since most men are genetically inbred to react to protect
their assets. If you can take the side of your foot and say run it into an
aggressors knee and then driving your leg, the results are quite surprising.
Same with the ankle.
9) Use any weapons available. This also means improvising weapons. I once was
charged by a young resident in our living units kitchen. I had a container
of ranch [salad] dressing in my hand which quickly made contact with his face
and most important - his eyes. Immobilize the assailant with whatever is available.
Another resident charged me on the floor, and I pulled his shirt up over his
head tight which blinded him and made it hard to swing on me. I have seen coins,
cans of chewing tobacco, coffee, and even a handful of hard candies thrown
into the face of an attacker to disorient. Knocking eyeglasses or hats off
can have similar effects.
10) Any fighting system that doesn't teach just basic arm bar takedowns, goosenecks,
and "Z" holds should be avoided. There is a reason these things are taught
to correctional officers, cops, and people like myself and its because they
are
easy to learn, easy to retain, and most important they work. With just a few
modifications these moves can be quickly turned from less than lethal to lethal
moves. Also learn moves that can be applied when your fine motor skills are
impaired. When the fight or flight syndrome kicks in finesse goes out the window,
and the more basic the better. If the take down has complex actions then forget
it you'll be too messed up thanks to your heart rate to attempt it.
11) Arm yourself. A knife is great, a gun is better. Train to use both and
practice often. Most important get into the mindset to use the weapon.
Just a few things I thought that I'd throw into to stir the pot. - C.T.
JWR Adds: I agree that high kicks and roundhouse kicks are
strictly "Hollywood" showmanship. Not only do they deliver less power, but
they also leave you vulnerable to being thrown off balance.
Unfortunately,
California's Nanny State mentality has led to enactment of laws
that have made
concealed
carry
of some
knives
a felony on the first offense, open carry of firearms--except when hunting--a
misdemeanor, and concealed carry of firearms either a misdemeanor or a felony
on the first offense, depending
on circumstances. It is very difficult to obtain a handgun concealed carry
permit
in most California
counties unless you are engaged in a business that requires you to regularly
carry cash or valuables.
Even "trunk" carry of firearms is effectively banned unless you
are on your way to or from a
shooting
range
or a hunting trip, or to or from a gunsmith's shop. To make matters worse,
local law enforcement and interpretation of these laws varies tremendously.
Sight of a citizen with a gun that wouldn't cause a sheriff's deputy to blink
an eye in Modoc County would be cause to call out a SWAT team
in Alameda County. California's complicated laws make effective self defense
outside of one's home quite difficult. Thankfully, California has
not
banned
canes, walking sticks, and umbrellas. So my advice to Californians is to concentrate
on stick fighting martial
arts. Train regularly and don't leave home without your cane! And if you
can, move out of California! Vote with your feet.
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Two Letters Re: Physical Preparation--How to Survive When Your Gear Doesn't, by T. Davies
Mr. Rawles:
T. Davies' letter begins with the proper assumption, that most
people reading it will be suffering from hardening arteries and softening backsides,
and NOW
is the time to reverse the trend. Swimming, walking (especially), and running
are all good exercises and abilities to possess and cultivate.
Beyond that, his comments range from dangerous (foot conditioning) to the plainly
fallacious and silly (Tae Kwon Doe Masters kick harder than any others!). Where
to begin?
Firstly, as to foot conditioning: yes, most of us could use some foot toughening,
but the author ignores the fact that the African Bushman, as well as any other
barefoot Aboriginal type he'd care to mention, is a tiny grasile creature,
with very little extra weight (muscle or fat) on his bones. Therefore his body
density
to total body mass is much greater than his Northern European counterpart. Humans
have become much larger, particularly in the past fifty years in this
country. Why? ask your local anthropologist...diet, genetics, it's really just
a guess,
but the Aboriginal is small because a small man requires less food to sustain
himself. Thus, diminutive size is a survival advantage on a daily basis. Also,
the Aborigine, when on walkabout, isn't carrying a pack, rifle, ammo, and water,
along with assorted medical supplies and munitions. He has, at most, a bow and
a few arrows, and maybe some sort of water carrier. That's it. Walking
around barefoot while burdened is asking for permanent foot injury, unless you
are a
Sherpa by birth. Limping and gimping about is the quickest surest route to becoming
every MZBs first and favorite target. Modern boots are a bargain. Buy the best
you can afford that fit you well, then buy two more pair and rotate them! Survival
is dependent on one's ability to MOVE (Motionless Operators Ventilate Easily).
The first thing one does when in a fight with a stronger adversary is to degrade
his ability to move. (Read: chase you.)
Which brings us to the Martial Arts section:
Karate is highly focused on repetition, not kata, and makes greatest use of powerful
linear attacks.
Tae Kwon Do masters kick no harder than any other masters. (I have been kicked
by, and kicked, masters in almost every Martial Art taught in North America,
and I have come out on the winning end of most of the exchanges. The hardest
kicks weren't by Tae Kwon Do masters, and I don't practice Tae Kwon Do.) Backup
mass is one of for Major components in generating power in all motion: Backup
mass,
timing,
balance, and speed. There are many others, and these apply to ALL motion, fighting
or otherwise. Notice, the term used is Backup, not body mass. without alignment
with the direction of one's attack, the size of the body doesn't matter. Imagine
me swinging a wooden arrow at you, arm fully extended. Now, imagine the same
effort being exerted, but this time I am thrusting the arrow ...get the point?
Tai Chi is the root form (or the closest living relative) of all Chinese, and
therefore by default Japanese, Okinawan and Korean martial Arts. The deadly fighters
mentioned are master fighters, schooled in many styles and systems not just Tai
Chi masters,
Kung Fu is a generic term applied to Chinese Martial Arts (as opposed to karate
for Japanese/ Okinawan). I have never seen a generic "Kung Fu" school
in this country. Most honor their distinct heritage proudly (wing chun, qi gong,
jeet kun do, kempo, kenpo etc. Ed Parker's American Kenpo karate is considered
kung fu by many, due to its origins in China) It is no harder to learn than any
other form of fighting art.
Ninjitsu is an art I have no personal experience in, so my only comment would
be that time spent practicing with arcane weaponry would be better spent practicing
firearms proficiency. One may be able to disguise a sword as a walking cane (I
do it all the time) but a Glock tucks right into the trousers as easily. Efficiency
first, esoteric later...
Aikido is based on two principles, both using an opponent's energy (their attack)
against him. First is evacuating the line of attack; second is turning big circles
into smaller circles (a declining radius/apex arc, in engineering terms). Judo is
not a sport form of Aikido. Aikido is a "sporting" version
of Aikijuitsu, the Martial Art practiced in the Japanese Imperial Court. Judo
is a "sporting" version
of jujitsu.
Jujitsu is a grappling art, not just focused on grappling.
Brazilian jujitsu
is a "ring" oriented style. The greatest weakness with any style of "-jitsu" is
that it is singular combat, and bad guys come in bunches, and it is becoming
more ring-oriented (i.e., more "rules", ala boxing). I had a kid try
an arm bar on me the other day. He caught me by surprise, got the legs around
my arm and neck, but before he could straighten it , I locked my hands together,
put a foot on his throat, and began to lift. I may be old, but I'm still plenty
mean, quick, and crafty, and if you want to cheap-shot me in my own school, I'm
more than happy to play rough! Needless to say, as my weight and his and my pulling
all became directed on his neck via my foot, his efforts ceased precipitously,
and he tapped out immediately and vigorously!
Please do not misunderstand my comments, but [Mr. Davies'] misinformation must
be
corrected
before it becomes "common knowledge". After all, you and SurvivalBlog
have become the "source of record" for the survivalist movement
with the mainstream media. FWIW, - Bonehead
Jim:
Regarding Mr. T. Davies' statement: "When you run, you should never
touch the heels of your feet to the ground."
Is completely incorrect as is most of the rest of his remarks on running. To
be honest the above statement is correct only if the runner
is sprinting. Long distance running (800 meters or more) can be run on the
heals of your feet!
At least I do, and my knees have not been the problem.
For some really good advise on running please see Running
World and
Running Ahead. The latter has some really good runners that post often
and are very helpful to both new and old runners alike.
I started running after walking the One America 500 Festival Mini Marathon
a few years ago. I run to control my Type 2 diabetes sans medication. And so
far so good
For new runners, do a web search on "Couch to 5K race" training program
and follow it. It is a great way to start your running.
Some general rules to follow.
Build miles slowly. Don't add more than 10% to your weekly miles per
week. In other words if you currently are running a mile a day for six days
a week then next week should be no more than 0.6 miles more.
You should have one long easy run per week, and that run should be
no longer than 30% of your weekly total miles
An easy run should be at a pace where you can carry on a normal conversation
with your running partner
Cross train. It is important to have good core strength. If you don't you
joints will attempt to move in directions the joint was not meant to go.
And stretch before and after your runs. This is a must. The before run stretch
is always after a nice 3 or 4 minute warm up session. Never do this "cold"!!
Don't be afraid of walking some of your miles! Here is a fact: A lot of runners
that keep missing qualifying for the Boston Marathon attempting to run all of the
distance in qualifying races. When they start doing recoveries (walking) some
of the distance, they find they make the qualifying time.
These rules will generally help and I want to repeat that: They will help in
avoiding injuries. But very lucky is the person that completely avoids running
injuries.
The number one rule for running (and even walking) is getting the proper shoe
and having it properly fitted to your gait! This, more than anything,
helps avoid injuries! Do a web search on running clubs in your area and contact
them. Ask them where
they go to get fitted for the proper shoes. The people in these shops are trained
to watch you run and most of the top shops have machines that analyze your
gait in the shop and see the mechanics of how you run, then fitting you to
the proper shoe. To skip this process in your running is like buying a nice
new .45 ACP then stocking up on .357 ammo. There are going to be problems!
And be prepared to pay from $75 to about $110 for good shoes. I have not spent
more
than $95
to include tax on any of my shoes. The price range can go to $250 and above,
but you still are going to be replacing them at between 300 and 500 miles no
matter what you spend, so don't unless you just have to have the absolute
top of the line. Oh and one other thing, NB 767 bought at Penney's for $55
is not the
same NB 767 bought at the Runners Shop for $85. You will be replacing them
in 150 to 250 miles. That is not saving money!! Tracking shoe miles is where
Running Ahead comes
in. There is a top of the line free on line log
there and the tools are great! You can lay out training runs complete with
miles. water stops etc. You can toggle between street mapping and Sat images
and even graph the course elevations.
And don't forget to enter some local races. You'll meet some great people and
learn more about running and your body than you ever thought possible! Where
I live we have Pace for the Race Training each year. It is a group that meets
to train for 15 to 16 Saturdays before the Indianapolis Mini. For several weeks
before we run that morning we have guests come in and teach us the things we
need to know to avoid bad knees, shin splints and ITBS (ITBS hurts like h**l!)
Hope this helps. There is nothing like completing your first 5K or half-marathon!
- Gregg S.
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Physical Preparation--How to Survive When Your Gear Doesn't, by T. Davies
There is a lot of information online and in print about what gear
to have on hand if the worst happens, tons and tons about how to store food,
fuel, etc. There is even a plethora of information on how to get food and
build shelter in the extremes. All of this leaves out some crucial elements.
In this article you are going to see how to prepare your body and
mind for
working without equipment in adverse or even brutal conditions. the steps
involved are extremely labour intensive. What you do with it is up to you.
If you are out hunting and home base catches fire, will you be able to get
to a location suitable for shelter in a reasonable amount of time? If everything
goes wrong and your supply caches are gone, the fuel stores have burned and
the damned jeep is toast, is your body in the kind of shape it needs to be
in to survive? If you are confronted by an attacker and your ammo is long gone,
can you win in hand to hand?
Even the basics, like walking for a full day, are beyond most people in North
America. This isn't a natural condition, and is not true in most of the world.
In the highlands of Papua New Guinea a native will still walk a full day with
a spear sticking through his leg if conditions require it. In the plains of
Africa it is not uncommon for a tribesman to run a hundred kilometers in a
day. This level of survival is available to anyone if they simply take the
steps and do the work to build it.
A good place to start is with walking. People think that walking requires good
shoes or boots. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some form of light
foot covering such as a moccasin is useful but not necessary and most of the
walking footwear out there will actually get in your way over long distances.
Your feet are built with natural springs in the form of the muscle in the arch
of the foot, most footwear destroys that muscle by giving constant support
for the arch. Your feet are also supposed to bend at the toes, most footwear
restricts movement through the toes. Then there is ankle support. In rough
terrain your ankles are supposed to constantly modify their angle in order
to maximize your footing, string ankle support actually prevents your ankles
from being able to do their job. Finally we come to padding. Padding in shoes
is supposed to cushion you from shocks. It actually does the exact opposite,
providing no protection for impacts above 5 psi while preventing the bodies
natural feedback mechanisms from reporting the true strength of your impact.
Put another way, wearing those expensive hiking shoes can really mess up your
legs over any kind of real distance. As stated above, simple moccasins are
great as they offer a degree of protection to you feet, but they do lack durability.
Other options include Nike Free's (the cross trainers are not as good from
the foot health perspective but are much better than a normal shoe and will
last a very long time). Alternatively, Parade boots have no padding at all
and as such are better than hiking boots and last almost forever, while being
very cheap from most surplus stores. Of course, barefoot is ideal and your
feet will toughen up over time. Any of the walking options mentioned above
will take a lot of getting used to. If you are unused to walking with this
kind of footwear, you should start to practice now. The first few days will
cause you pain in areas that are unfamiliar. After a few days the pain will
mitigate and you will be able to walk faster than you were able to before,
but you still won't have much in the way of arch muscle so anytime you push
it you are going to experience muscle fatigue. Push yourself, but keep in mind
that if you push too hard you will injure the muscle and be in worse shape
than before you started. It can take quite a long time for a muscle that hasn't
really been used since early childhood to develop, so be patient with it.
Running would be the next spot. Again, footwear has all of the same problem
associated with it as it does in walking, plus there are some thing you will
probably need to unlearn before you can be an effective runner. When you run,
you should never touch the heels of your feet to the ground. The pattern is
toes to ball or mid-foot, use the toes to launch again (this requires very
developed foot arch muscles). Running on your heels means that the impact if
transferring
to your knees, causing minute damage with each step. The accumulation of that
damage will increase your odds of a serious knee injury, usually within the
first your of running. In a true survival situation your legs are your best
friends, treat them with kindness and respect and they will outlast any vehicle,
cover terrain that even a horse can't touch and keep you going when everything
else has failed. Breathing is another aspect of running. If you have ever done
track, odds are good you were taught how to breathe. Unfortunately you were
taught wrong. When you run you should breathe exclusively through your nose.
There will be a strong temptation to breathe out through your mouth (after
all, that is what we were all taught). The problem with that is twofold. One,
it rapidly expels all the Carbon Dioxide in your blood. This seems like a good
idea, but in reality we require a small CO2 reserve to allow us to properly
absorb oxygen. Without that reserve, you are simply making your body operate
with less oxygen than it should have. Two, mucus. This sound fairly unpleasant,
but mucus exists in our body for very good reason. In this case it helps to
lubricate the nasal passages, but needs strong out breaths to flow properly.
If you try running on a cold day, you will notice that for the first few minutes
every in breathe through the nasal passages hurts, but once the mucus is being
pumped properly the pain goes away. There is one other benefit of nasal breathing:
many asthmatics who have tried it have found that they become asymptomatic
and remain so. There is no real research on this, so these are purely anecdotal
accounts, however the sheer volume of them is fairly persuasive.
So now you can walk somewhere and run if you need to put on a burst of speed.
This is where the advanced stuff comes in. Parkour is a discipline that was
created in France in the late eighties by a man named David Belle. Parkour
is essentially the art of running
away really fast in places that your pursuer probably can't follow. The
best info on parkour will come from local communities, but barring that, the
Parkour.net web site is
a great resource. [JWR Adds: This
video clip and this
one of the notorious "Ninja For Hire" show the more extreme aspects
of the art. Disclaimer: Kids, Do not try this at home! Their interpretation of the "art" seems foolhardy, especially engaging in practice jumping without at least wearing a rock climbing helmet!] What follows is more
of a brief summary
of
the
training
and methodologies
involved.
A huge part of Parkour is the idea of gradual progression. When you begin
training you should practice landing as much as you can. Go to a flight
of stairs and
go up one step. Turn and face the bottom of the stairs and then jump off.
When you jump, lift your legs as high as you can in front of you, and then
bring
them down so that they are almost straight (just a slight bend in the knees)
and point your toes. Your feet should be a little more than shoulder width
apart. Land on your toes, spreading the impact across all of them. As the
impact starts to hit, bend your feet until you hit the balls of your feet,
resisting
with your foot muscles. Then start to sink down using your thigh muscles,
while resisting as much as you can. You should end with your hands on the
ground,
between your feet. Listen to your landing, it should be almost silent. Once
you can do that perfectly a hundred times, move up to the next step and start
the process again. There is no point where you are finished training how
to land, practitioners of parkour who have been doing it from the start
still
train how to land every day. That is fairly typical of parkour training,
intensive repetition combined with conditioning and incremental improvement.
The key
skills are: landing, rolling, vaulting, climbing, jumping, and running. Parkour
can save your life in literally hundreds of situations, from extracting yourself
from a burning building (the creator was a fire fighter in France) to escaping
pursuit, but it isn't a casual discipline and requires a very high degree
of commitment.
Swimming is another skill that every survivalist should have. For swimming,
it is probably enough to be able to cover a lot of distance although the
stronger a swimmer you are, the better.
Finally there is unarmed combat. While parkour can keep you out of most situations
involving hand to hand combat, there may come a time where it is needed (either
because you are unable to formulate an escape route, or if you are diligent
with parkour more likely because you are protecting a loved one who is unable
to escape). Obviously there are many, many styles of martial art, and many
factors as to which one is going to suit you best.
Karate is the classic martial art, because it was really the first one that
western audiences had a large exposure to, but that doesn't mean it is the
right one for you. Karate is highly focused on Katas [(choreographed sequences
of footwork, kicks, strikes, and blocks)] and improvement can be slow, while
many believe that Katas are actually detrimental to your
ability
to win a fight (Bruce Lee was among those who believed this.) Having said
that, many people find the rigid discipline of Karate valuable, and it does
leave
you far better equipped in a fight than an untrained opponent.
Tae Kwon Do is more focused on mastering very hard, very effective punches
and kicks. A Tae Kwon Do master actually kicks harder than someone of the
same skill in any other discipline. Improvement tends to be fairly rapid,
with the
average time to black belt being around 3 years at 100 lessons a year and
diligent practice. One down side of this is that physical condition is imperative,
on
the other hand diligent practice at Tae Kwon Do tends to leave you in great
shape. Body mass is also a major advantage, as it is the main source of power.
Tai Chi is not usually thought of as a martial art, but more as an exercise
for elderly Chinese people. However, Tai Chi teaches you a huge amount about
redirection of force and using spirals to create energy. Some of the most
effective fighters in the world are Tai Chi masters.
Kung Fu is actually not one style of martial art, but it is usually taught
as a single style in the west and so is being considered that way here. Kung
Fu is probably the most stylized of all the martial arts listed here, and
takes the most time to master. There is a high focus on Kata again, and a
high demand
for physical conditioning. Basically, Kung Fu is really, really hard to master.
Once you do, it is very difficult to beat. The amount of time you can dedicate
to it and your passion for the beauty of the movement should be the determining
factor in taking up this martial art.
Ninjitsu is a Japanese martial art that is very different from the rest on
this list. Ninjitsu was a peasant martial art, designed to take on opponents
who were better armed, armored and equipped in a situation where if you
were caught training with weapons you would be killed summarily. As such,
ninjitsu
is eminently practical. Kata's simply don't exist in ninjitsu and most moves
are designed around deception and redirection. Joint locks, low kicks and
nasty nerve strikes are the main weapons, as well as a thorough training
in stealth.
Aikido is an art that focuses on redirecting your opponents force and moving
them off balance. Aikido is very effective for smaller people, as it doesn't
rely on your body mass or ability to generate force at all. It uses many
of the same locks and throws as ninjitsu, but is more focused on them. Judo
is
basically a sport version of aikido and probably shouldn't be your first
choice for unarmed combat.
Jujitsu has been receiving a lot of focus lately as it is the most common
martial art in modern mixed martial arts competitions. It is focused primarily
on grappling. A really good jujitsu fighter can beat most other styles if
they can get the fight to the ground, but there is inherent risk associated
with the process of getting someone to the ground. That is why most Jujitsu
fighters cross train at least one striking martial art as well.
There are many, many other styles out there (Capoeira, Savate, Kick boxing,
Muay thai, Escrima, Krav-maga, Jeet kun-do, etc.) each of which has its own
specialties. The one to take is a very individual choice but all require
dedication and focus. Parkour and Tai Chi seem to be a common combination,
although Parkour
tends to magnify your abilities in any martial art due to the simple physical
awareness and athleticism it imparts.
Of course, strength training is important for any and all physical routines
(for Parkour a strict body weight routine is strongly encouraged) and
the more cardio you do the better your endurance will be.
In the end, the only tool you can't lose is your own body so it makes sense
to keep that tool in as good a condition - T. Davies
JWR Adds: I do not recommend the "foot toughening" approach and/or wearing minimalist foot gear that lack thick soles and arch support--such as moccasins or ninja tabi--for preparedness. Note that this foot gear would be mutually exclusive with Parkour, which requires foot protection. It is also out of the question for anyone living in an area with long-spined cacti (such as Cholla), or for anyone that might ever have to do any karst climbing or reef walking. Foot toughening also requires a commitment of time and a level of training dedication that few adults can afford. You will note, for example that barefoot competitive runners are few and far between. ]
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What if The Schumer Doesn't Hit The Fan? - Reasons to Prepare Anyway, by MB
As long as I can remember, I have felt that someday the comforts of a modern
American lifestyle would vanish, at least temporarily. So I have made small
mental preparations for some time now; keeping my mind and body fit and strong,
staying informed, dropping hints to the wife, etc. Recently, and mostly after
reading Patriots, I have a renewed interest in preserving my life and protecting
those I love.
After educating myself on the subject of survival, I felt, as I’m sure
many others have, very vulnerable and even overwhelmed. I needed to take action,
immediately. Many thoughts spring into one’s mind during these moments. “What
will I feed my children; oh man, water is essential; what about all those crazy
people in the city, I need a gun, I need several guns; I need to move to North
Dakota!” Sloooow down! These are daunting items. Once you quiet your
mind and restore some sense of calm (it may take a couple days), you realize
that you must be realistic. It’s not feasible for most of us to pack
up an arsenal and move to a remote retreat in the hills or forests of the upper
Midwest. We have jobs and responsibilities, relatives and friends; lives that
at least for the time being, limit our options. And there is also the feeling
that hundreds or even thousands of dollars spent on preparations could be wasted
if The Schumer doesn’t ever Hit The Fan. (Doubtful, but it does cross
one’s
mind) A sense of urgency is implied; however, a caution against panic is warranted.
It’s easy in this post 9/11 age to let fear control your life. Don’t!
Simply take comfort in the fact that doing something to prepare for various
scenarios, however big or small, will most importantly increase your odds of
survival in the worst of emergencies, but also increase your comfort in the
less dire situations and even improve your life now.
You Don’t Have to
Move to Idaho--Survival Mindset for City Folk
I wanted to write an article for people like myself who are in the beginning
stages of survival preparation. People on limited budgets, who may not live
on farms, or maybe have never served in the military or had experience with
guns. Those people who live in or near a city, particularly congested east
coast cities. I write for those city dwellers and suburbanites in less than
ideal regions; students, urban professionals, everyday people. However, it
can apply to just about anyone who is not already well “squared away”.
I will attempt to provide ideas on where to begin, how to prioritize and how
to prepare mentally and with limited monetary resources for a multitude of
events. I will try to focus on things that can be useful now and for a lifetime.
My intent is not to instruct on what exactly is needed for every particular
individual; there are more capable advisors for that. I aim to get people thinking
and to provide a more general approach to surviving the times.
Get Your Mind
Right
First and foremost is your mindset. Think about your values, your morals. What
is most important in your life? Who is most important to you? How far are you
willing to go to protect them? In the most serious situation, we would do anything,
right? Why let it come to that? There’s good reason to get motivated.
Put yourself and your family in the best possible position for survival now,
so you don’t have to act out of desperation later. Also, think about
what you spend your money on and where you spend it. Do you really need that
big screen plasma television? What are you teaching your children about spirituality,
health, money? Just as important, what are others teaching your children? You
see where I’m going here. It’s not all about beans, bullets and
Band-Aids. It’s about your mentality. Only the strongest-willed individuals
will make it through tough times, be it TEOTWAWKI,
high school, or simply life as an adult in the 21st century.
Beginning Logistics
Now think about tangible items to have on hand. Make a list. Just jot down
ideas, then categorize (based on cost or type) and prioritize later. Your location
and climate will impact your list. Set up your inventory and storage on varying
degrees of threat and length of time of crisis. For instance a blackout that
lasts 30 days vs. a full scale economic collapse. Will you be staying put or
escaping to a safer location? What criteria will you base your decision on?
What would you miss most if something tragic happened? Put yourself in that
situation. The obvious answers are food and more importantly, water. If you
are human, you already eat and drink water, so this is nothing new. You just
need to think about having more of it on hand. In turn, storage is needed.
We find room for other items; we can find room for potentially life saving
sustenance. Package enough easily transportable food for 30 days. A durable
plastic tote should work well. Then store enough for much longer periods of
time. Buy a little extra food with each grocery shopping trip and date it.
Not extra chips or TV dinners, get extra items such as dried fruit or granola
that will last for an extended period of time, without electricity. Buy in
bulk and incorporate raw grains into your diet. Start a garden. Not only will
you know how to prepare these foods now, you will be more accustomed to eating
them later, not to mention the health benefits. Think about buying a food dehydrator.
They are reasonably priced. Keep a few five gallon containers of water in
your garage, basement or crawlspace. If you live in an apartment, do you have
a
spare room or a patio? For long term situations, any amount of water that can
be conveniently stored in most homes will be consumed surprisingly fast. Think
about other sources and get a good water filter. Again, this is prudent to
have anyway. A [compact] portable filter might come in handy also. With both
food and water, as much as possible, use your storage as supplement, not a
main source.
Little by little set aside money and acquire items you will need.
Keep
an extra
supply of first aid items on hand. Don’t forget some of the less apparent
items like toilet paper, sanitation, batteries, tools, candles, medications
and fuel. Keep some spare 5 gallon containers of stabilized gas in your shed.
It’s not wasteful as it can be used in your vehicles at any
time. And with the rising gas prices it may prove to be a worthwhile investment.
Don’t forget to rotate [your stocks]. Consider buying a generator. In
a full scale crisis, drawing attention to yourself and home with a loud, light-producing
device is not going to be very smart, but when power goes out and the masses
aren’t yet rioting in the streets, a generator will be nice to have.
Get a portable model. Study maps and plan different routes to and from your
home. Keep an emergency kit in your car. This is by no means a complete list,
it’s designed to get you started. Yes, the preparations are abundant.
Don’t get overwhelmed into thinking you have to get it all at once. The
key is minimization. Minimize the chances that you will be taken by surprise,
wondering why you didn’t do something earlier. Start small and with things
you can use in everyday life. The wealth of available information on specifics
is immense. This web page is a great resource. It’s up to you to educate
yourself and determine exactly what and how much you will need.
Help Others
Help You
Working together will be to your advantage during crunch time. Find strength
in numbers. Seek out others who share your values and have skills you lack.
How can you help each other? Build relationships and share ideas. Educate others,
but be careful as you can imagine the funny looks you might get if you start
prophesying doomsday. And guess who’s doorstep they’ll be standing
on come crunch time. I am a firm believer that the more people around you that
are prepared, the better off all of us are. If your neighbors can take care
of themselves, then it’s more likely your preparations will be preserved
in the event of crisis. In short, at least fewer of your neighbors will be
knocking on your door the same day of an event.
Securing Your Castle
I’d like to take a moment to discuss security, specifically firearms.
If you have studied survival even a little, then you are aware that arming
yourself ranks high on the list of recommendations. Perhaps some of you share
my reluctance to build an armory in my home. I have children, and being married
to someone who is strictly against guns makes security a particularly difficult
element in my survival preparations. While I recognize security as an absolute
must, I have reservations about keeping a device designed to kill in my home.
Ironically the reasons not to own a gun are the very reasons why I feel I should
own gun. The reasons are aged 2-11, not including the Mrs. In a volatile scenario
that could spiral out of control; I would feel helpless without weapons to
protect my family. All the stockpiling of food and water will be futile if
some thug can easily take it from you (and maybe your lives with it). If you
do decide to own a firearm (or firearms), don’t flaunt it and please
educate yourself and practice. Keep a chamber or trigger lock in place and
store the
ammunition
in a different location if necessary. In addition, don’t rule out other
ways of defending yourself. Albeit, less formidable, they are less expensive.
These include pepper spray, knives, batons, stun guns and martial arts. I don’t
think I need to remind people that these are mostly ineffective against attackers
with guns, or even large groups of unarmed evil doers. However, they may prove
useful in that they are very portable and can be used in less dire emergencies.
Deterrence in the form of dogs, fencing, motion detection, alarm systems and
location should also be considered. Protection from those who intend to harm
is imperative and yet another item that is useful even today.
Back to Basics
Take an assessment of your skill sets. What knowledge do you posses that would
be of value in a crisis situation? Don’t worry, if needed, your survival
instincts will take hold, but some basic skills can make you an asset and will
help you survive. Develop and hone these skills now. Start simply; make your
own bread, catch your own fish, grow your own vegetables, prepare healthier,
less processed meals. I enjoy beer, I brew my own. It’s rewarding and
I’ve learned much from it. Learn basic plumbing, carpentry and electrical
skills. You don’t have to be a master mechanic, but any vehicle owner
should know the basics; how to change the oil, filters and spark plugs. Having
a skill can be just as valuable as having an inventory; you never leave home
without it and could earn you a spot in a group if needed. Maybe you are a
dog trainer or electronics engineer. Don’t forget your kids. Teach your
children to swim, hunt, split wood or sow a garden. It seems that all too often,
in our frenzied lifestyles, we focus all our energy on skills that will get
us fat paychecks and forget the simpler but more important things. Get back
to basics. Slow down. Simplify. If something isn’t adding positive value
to your life, eliminate it. Many preparedness items can be fun and done as
a family. Go camping, take hikes, etc. If you have kids, consider home schooling
them. Most importantly get to know your children; spend time with them.
It’s
Up to You
You can make self sufficiency a way of life without going “off the deep
end,” so to speak. Taking action will not only give you peace of mind,
a sort of insurance policy, but also can improve your life in the meantime.
Many corollary benefits will emerge. Here are some that come to mind: Less
reliance on outside institutions, money saved, healthier eating habits, time
spent with your family. Regardless of the future, you’ll be teaching
your children to be prepared, to think logically and independently and not
to have a lazy, consumerist attitude of entitlement that dominates our culture
today.
This writing isn’t packed full of technical how-to information, but I
sincerely hope it helps to serve those of you that may feel overwhelmed and
don’t know where to begin and to breathe hope into those who are obliged
to retain their current lives without major upheaval. There are many who see
the challenges involved with getting ready and are scared into doing nothing.
For one reason or another they go back to sleep, their head comfortably lodged
in the sand. Don’t be one of those people. Enjoy the time and blessings
you have, but be ready. An old proverb says “Trust in God, but tie up
your camel.” Just the same, pray for peace, but prepare for war.
« Letter Re: Mercenaries a Post-TEOTWAWKI Threat |Main| Note from JWR: »
Reader Poll Results: Your TEOTWAWKI Resume -- 100 Words and 100 Pounds
Some of these stretched the 100 word limit. (I skipped posting one that rambled
on far
beyond the limit.) The poll's premise in a nutshell: "If
someday you went to the gates of a survival community post-TEOTWAWKI and
pleaded the case for why you should be let past the barricades and armed guards
to become a valuable working member of the group, would you get voted in? Taken
objectively, would you vote yourself in?"
I am a shoe maker (not just a repairman) can repair saddles tan leather have
done ranch work mechanics weld gardening skills set a broken bone stitch up
a bad wound can bake bread etc, shooting skills need work only 5.5 MOA on AQT.
Can milk a cow make butter some basic carpentry skills can use a wood lave
make one if needed to know how to set up wind / water power to a shop or mill
make
some one laugh when things are bad can teach can also learn.know how to adapt
over come make things work specialization is for insects.
Some limits to work: mild back problems cannot do a lot of over head work.
1 CETME rifle with 12 mags, ALICE pack, compressed MREs, 1 folding shovel camo
nylon rope water filtering canteen extra canteen freeze dried canned soup 1
empty
small can rubbing alcohol cotton balls (cheap cook stove) 1 cooking kit 1 med
kit 1 multi tool 1 roll toilet paper 1 wash cloth 2 tooth brushes tooth paste
1 belt with bayonet for CETME one pocket knife canteen & pouch cleaning
kit for rifle and butt pack 2 mag pouches fishing line and hooks matches 4
Bic
lighters 1 Iver Johnson 5 shot .38 S&W revolver 36 rounds of ammo, Flecktarn
camo pants and shirt vest 1 light weight sleeping bag wool socks and
a
spare pair sturdy boots, Carthart coat tan 1 pocket size bible etc,,
--
Many years' experience in:
Primitive Skills:
*edible and medicinal native plants
*cordage and rope making
*hide tanning
*bow and arrow making
*bow hunting
Contemporary Skills:
*organic gardener
*orchard (fruit and olive)
*beekeeper
*firearms use
Mid-50's, good shape for age, 6'4", 225#. Wife, mid 50's, 5'10", 150#
(who shares many of the above skills, plus expert at canning/freezing, quilting,
tatting, making clothes and moccasins).
Both have a sense of humor and aren't afraid to work.
In packs, besides personal gear:
*heirloom seeds
*needles
*lighters
Carrying:
*one .308 MBR, one .223, with magazines and ammo
*two .45 Governments
--
Age 25, weight 160, excellent health, single. Engineer, engine mechanic, builder,
jack of all trades. Trained and competitive marksman. Skilled teacher. Tolerant,
thick skinned, sense of humor. Introvert, not loner. Schooled in college, educated
in real life. History buff and cook.
Competent with photovoltaics, backhoes, generators, concrete, gardens, propane
systems, AC and DC electricity, firearms, computers, welding.
Most importantly: not a prima donna, armchair commando, or busybody.
Equipment includes rifle, pistol, small amount of ammo, soft body armor and
binoculars.
--
Age: Near 60. Can still
see well enough, without glasses, to shoot back.
Old, tired, wore out. Been around the third world several times. (South America,
South Seas, East Asia) Can't lift a third my own weight. Don't eat much. Know
how to do just about anything.
Will arrive with 30 Lbs water, 30 Lbs freeze dried food, Ruger Mini 14, S&W
659, 100 rds for each, a few old books. and 50+ years usable knowledge. That
about 100 pounds? (Worst case here. Actually, I would attempt to bring my entire
robotics shop. Attempt, I said! )
Skills: Artificer. If you can picture it, I can make it. Make a windmill from
a starter motor. Make my own tools as I need 'em. Bend railroad rail with no
more than an axe and 6 young men for the bull work. Machinist, electrician,
carpenter, stone layer, robotics engineer .
--
Age 25. Ex-military.
Trained extensively in: Perimeter reconnaissance,
Land-navigation.
Instructor of: full-spectrum warfare, defensive fighting positions, combat
operations.
Expert marksmen: M16A2, M4A1 (GUU-5/P), M9. Expert in FN-FAL,
M1A/M14, AKM, M16/AR-15 Family, 1911-A1, M9, CZ-75. Proficient with many other
firearms.
20/15 vision. Reloading/Gunsmith hobbyist.
Physically/Mentally Fit.
Pragmatic/Realist/Professional.
Equipped: FAL Carbine (18"bbl). Custom 1911A1. PASGT Kevlar Helmet/Vest. Boots/Socks. Woodland BDUs.
Custom LBE: Seven 30rd FAL Mags(210rds). Eight 8rd 1911-1 Mags( 64rds). Two 1-quart Canteens (Full). Multi-tool.
Medium ALICE pack: Five 20rd FAL mags (empty),
Two SA Battlepacks (280rds). Two Boxes .45ACP (100rds).
First-Aid Kit. Extra BDUs (1 set). Cans of Soup (5). Mess
Kit. Local Map/Compass.
--
Phd/MBA expert (37) on alternative energy and appropriate technology. Tool
maker and builder/manufacturer/processor of useful post-TEOTWAWKI machines,
trade goods, and alcohol (own BATF-licensed alcohol fuel still). Russian MBA
wife (35) survived fall of Soviet Union and 1998 crisis. 4 yo and 10 mo daughters.
Home machine shop, tools, anvil, forge, ethanol still, large printed alternative
energy / appropriate technology / engineering / survival library, and inventory
of preparation items greatly exceed the 100 lb per person limit but would be
worthy of a group salvage/recovery mission. G.O.O.D. bags contain standard
items recommended by Rawles, et al. Additional personally carried gear would
include M1A w/ Leupold scope, AR-15 with trijicon night sites, Glock 21 (45ACP)
with Trijicon night sites, Berkey water filter, laptop with large collection
(>500 books) of appropriate energy and appropriate technology books on CD,
Robinson curriculum on CDs for home schooling kids, ten 15"x15" fresnel
lenses capable of starting fires in 30 seconds, disassembled 2" diameter
alcohol still column with supply of vapor locks and 1 lb of ethanol yeast,
and a few of my more portable tools (blacksmith hammer, hardy, & gloves;
measurement tools; multimeter; temperature measure).
--
48 y/o 6ft 180lb male – good health
- Can walk 20 mi/day in full gear
- “Rifleman” with .308 MBR
- Doctor (emergency medicine and minor surgery)
- Gunsmith and reloader
- Cook
Backpack (40 lbs)
Sleeping bag/tarp
(2) BDUs & wool socks
Rain gear
Soap/camp towel/toothbrush
Food bars for 1 week
Water filter/bottle
Cookset/Trioxane tabs
Compass/map
Small survival kit (Fishhooks, matches, snares, etc)
AR-7 and 200 rounds
Web gear (35 lbs)
Knife
First aid/trauma kit
G23 + 2 mags (51 rounds)
8 mags .308 (150 rounds)
HK91
Barter/buy-in: (25 lbs)
Minor surgical set
Sutures/dressings
Local anesthetic/syringes
2000 doses various oral antibiotics and pain meds!
--
I feel I would be a great asset to your community. I am a seventh degree black
belt in American freestyle combatives and I could easily teach your people
the skills to handle themselves in this perilous time. I also have an extensive
background in firearms handling,gunsmithing and reloading. My real expertise
thought is as a meat butcher. I can literally take a beef ( or any wild or
domestic animal) from the field to the table. I bring with me a full set of
cutlery tools, including saws,steels and several knives. I also carry a AR-15
w/8-20 round, loaded mags. A Glock 19 w/mags, and a Rem 870 tactically modified.
I have a full set of ultralight camping gear including, freeze dried food,tent,
sleeping bag,etc. My loyalties are to God, Country, and my brothers at arms.
--
repaired furniture
a little basic farm work(irrigation, pick rock)
assembled some field sprayers
signalman
roofing
painting
inventory control/purchasing
drafting
some hunting
a lot of fishing
a lot of target shooting
cashier(a lot)
lube and oil cars
janitor
built 40 wood tables for an assembly line
sorted recycled paper
stock shelves
gas station attendant
a little gardening(corn,peas,onions)
unarmed watch
yard work(mowing, weeding)
sandwich/donut driver
some bow and arrow
some encrima [Philippine stick fighting martial art]
some cooking
printers helper
some CPR
--
Male, 38, 160 pounds. Reasonable shape.
Skills:
Suturing, minor surgery, advanced airway management, cautery, fractures, casting,
NBC treatment, tooth extraction and making dental fillings. 2 home births.
Pistol. Morse code.
Supplies:
Sutures, antibiotics, casting supplies, complete surgery tools and dental extraction
set.
.45, scoped M21 sniper rifle plus ammo. Field scope, rangefinder. Level 4 bulletproof
vest, helmet, FRS radios.
Water filter, water, food, tent, sleeping pads and bags, heirloom seeds.
Two boys, 7 and 9 and wife. All with level 3a vests. Kids with .22 rifles and
ammo. Wife with 9mm, AR-15 and ammo. Knows some gardening. Kids learning morse
code.
--
Strengths-
Have excellent interpersonal/negotiation skills
Have made a sufficient study of military history/combat tactics/military strategy
Maintain a vegetable garden/fruit trees
Have studied/used survival techniques in N.A. and C.A.
Have knowledge of indigenous edible plants/animals in N.A. and C.A.
Have skill-at-arms on US/ComBloc small arms
Am expert in usage of map and compass
Have field grade(ditch) medical skills
Maintain personal combatives skills
Can forage and improvise like nobody’s business
Have seen the elephant
Weaknesses –
No livestock husbandry experience
Not a carpenter
Middle aged
Average driving skills
Probable TEOTWAWKI employment:
Retreat security
Weapons maintenance and training
Strategic Planning and Implementation
« Letter Re: Advice on Storing E85 Ethanol Fuel |Main| Letter Re: Holster Recommendations »
Letter Re: Advice on Where to Learn Practical, Tactical Skills
Sir:
USRSOG conducts
a civilian S.E.R.E. (Search Evasion Rescue & Escape) class once
a year. They teach primitive fire-building, Evasion techniques, field
camouflage techniques, some plant identification, hand-to-hand [fighting]
techniques, natural cordage making, [flint] knapping and a bunch of
other things like primitive shelter making. These guys are hardcore
and I’m blessed to have known them and took their class last
year. This year's class is April 27-28-29 and I think there is still
time for any last minute sign-ups but your readers will need to contact
them right away. Students also need proof that they are right with
the law by producing a CCW license
or letter from their sheriff stating that they have no outstanding
warrants. They don’t want to teach
bad people [potentially] bad things. The cadre are all made up of retired
[U.S. Army] Special Forces, Rangers, SWAT,
so the stories they tell are worth the price of admission alone, which
is $250. Not a bad deal for the knowledge
you get in return. - A Reader
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Poll Results: An Exercise in Humility--a Poll on Embarrassing Mistakes »
Letter Re: Advice on Where to Learn Practical, Tactical Skills
Dear Jim:
As my confidence in the dollar depreciates and my desire for skills
increases, I'm wanting to convert FRNs
into hands-on knowledge. What weeknight or weekend workshops would
you recommend? Are there any places
where you can learn Army Ranger skills without joining the military?
Animal husbandry, and so on? - Spencer
JWR Replies: There is a tremendous wealth of free
or low-cost classes available--enough to keep you busy every weekend
of
the year
if you are willing to drive a distance. If you have time and
just a bit of money, you can get some very well-rounded training in
skills that
are quite applicable to post-TEOTWAWKI living. In
my experience, the most cost-effective training opportunities in the
U.S.
include:
American
Red Cross First Aid and CPR classes
Local Community College, Park District, and Adult Education classes.
They offer classes on metal shop, auto shop, wood shop, leather crafting,
ceramics, baking, gardening, welding, and so forth.
RWVA Appleseed Shoots.
These are held all over the nation. They offer great training for
very
little money. The West
Side Sportsman's Club,
located on the west side of Evansville, Indiana is hosting the national
RWVA shoot on June 30 / July 1st. The
Red Brush Gun Range, located on the east side
of Evansville is having another Appleseed, and they're also having
an Appleseed Boot Camp. The boot camp starts on Monday
October 22 thru
Friday
Oct. 26th. Then
the Appleseed Shoot is on Saturday Oct. 27 and Sunday Oct. 28. The deal is
if you want to attend both the Boot Camp and the Appleseed match, you
do so for $200. Yes, for just $200 you can have seven
days of
top
notch
marksmanship training.
U.S. Army ROTC classes,
the ROTC Ranger program (administered by individual university ROTC
Departments), and ROTC
Leader's Training Course, aka Basic Camp). The first two years
of the ROTC program--including Leader's Training Course--are available
to any full-time enrolled
undergraduate college student
(including "cross-enrolled" junior college students) with
no contractual obligation. Participation in the ROTC Ranger
program by anyone other than enrolled ROTC cadets is usually up to
the discretion of the instructor or the PMS.
When I was in a ROTC Ranger program back in the early 1980s, we had
two Marine Corps PLC students
and an Administration of Justice (police science)
major in our Ranger program, as supernumeraries. So even if you don't
sign up for ROTC classes, you might be able to be involved in a Ranger
program.
Of particular note: If you sign up for the four week ROTC Leader's
Training Course at Fort
Knox,
Kentucky,
you will actually get paid to
attend, plus get a couple of free pairs of combat boots. To be eligible
to participate in ROTC, you must be under 31 years of age
on Dec 31 st of the year that you expect to graduate. (Or possibly
34 years old, with waivers.) The best chance to get a slot at the ROTC
Leader's Training Course is during your sophomore year of college,
but when I was there I met a graduate student that had wangled a slot.
(He eventually got a direct
commission, by virtue of his ROTC "contact hours")
LDS (Mormon)
cannery classes/canning sessions. Many "wards" have
their own canneries, which are generally open to non-Mormons. (OBTW,
the LDS food
storage calculator web page is a very
useful planning tool.)
FEMA /
CERT
Classes (Classroom and Internet courses, some with team commitment)
ARRL amateur radio classes.
Species-Specific or Breed-Specific Livestock and Pet Clubs
NRA and State Rifle and
Pistol Association training and shooting events
Fiber
Guilds (spinning and weaving) and local knitting clubs
Mountain Man/Rendezvous Clubs (Blackpowder
shooting, flint knapping, soap making, rope making, etc.)
University/County
Agricultural Extension and Cattleman's Club classes
on livestock, gardening, weed control, canning, et cetera
Medical
Corps small
group classes. I heard that they have scheduled just one hands-on
Combat/Field Medicine Course thusfar for 2007. It
will be at the OSU Extension Campus, in
Belle Valley Ohio, April 20-21-22. That class is full, but
check their web site for additional course dates. They offer
great
training--including advanced life saving topics that the
American
Red
Cross doesn't teach--at
very reasonable
cost.
Volunteer
Fire department (VFD) classes
(usually with some commitment)
Candle and Soap Making Clubs/Conventions
Boy Scouts and 4H.
Informal, un-enrolled ("strap hanger") training is available
for adults--just take your kids to the meetings and don't leave.
I would also consider these less important (but still worthwhile)
training opportunities, as time permits:
Sheriff's posse and Search and Rescue (SAR) programs
Police department "Ride Along" and Police Reserve programs
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) courses.
Civic/Ethnic Club cooking classes
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Canes, Walking Sticks, and Umbrellas for Street Self Defense
The topic of striking weapons for street self
defense has been brushed on in SurvivalBlog, but has never addressed
directly or at length. I highly recommend training to use
a cane, walking stick, or a traditional
full length umbrella. This is particularly important for our readers
that live in gun-unfriendly nations. Ditto for our readers that live
in states like California, New York, and New Jersey where is is very
difficult for mere mortals to get a carrying concealed weapon (CCW)
permit. And even if you are a concealed firearms permit
holder, you should learn these valuable skills. Why? You never
know when circumstances might dictate that you cannot carry a pistol.
(For example, when traveling to a state where your CCW permit is not
valid, or when traveling overseas.)
The following is a forward from firearms instructor John
Farnam, by way of SurvivalBlog reader Grampa Redd:
"I attended
a stick/cane-fighting seminar yesterday, instructed by Peter Donello
of Canemasters. Canemasters manufacturers high-quality canes and walking
sticks and provides training in their use. However, I used my Cold
Steel "City Stick," as did several other students.
I was astonished at the number of effective moves available to the
cane/stick fighter, certainly more than I can remember! Peter's knowledge
is vast, and I did my best to catalog the few that I thought were most
effective and easiest to learn. Range is the big advantage that canes
have
over blades and other impact weapons.
Striking and jabbing are still the premiere moves, easily done with
nearly any style of cane. Some follow-up moves and holds and more
comfortably accomplished with a hooked cane than with a straight
stick, but either style works just fine. The real question is:
What can I have with me most often that attracts the least attention?
This four-hour clinic is something I recommend to everyone. The
cane is a wonderful, low-profile, yet extremely effective fighting
tool
that most people can fit into their lives with a minimum of lifestyle
disruption. Most casual observers don't even notice when you have
one with you and certainly don't believe them to represent a threat.
Time
well spent!"
As for walking stick designs: From what I have heard and observed
here in the U.S., if you are well dressed and groomed, then law enforcement
officers in most jurisdictions will hardly give you a second glance
if you are carrying a walking stick. But if you are shabby looking
and perceived as "riff-raff",
then expect
to get plenty of grief. Canes, especially aluminum ones those that
look like true walking aids, are far less likely to attract suspicion
than walking sticks. I have an acquaintance who lives in Oakland, California
who carries a dull silver aluminum cane with a big rubber tip. This
cane
looks
very unobtrusive if not downright innocuous.
It is not until you pick it up that you realize that it has
been retrofitted with a 1/2"steel rod firmly epoxied into its
hollow core. The phrase "the iron fist in the velvet
glove" comes
to mind!
I have another acquaintance that lives in a very rainy climate, near
Seattle, Washington. He makes a habit of carrying a stout full length
traditional umbrella whenever he gets out of his car. Aside for misplacing
several umbrellas over the years (a fairly costly mistake, since he
carries
a big sturdy
umbrella,
which cost around $60 each), he had had no trouble. (And, by God's
grace, he has only had need to use it to protect himself from rain
showers.)
Nearly all of the stick/cane fighting techniques apply to
folded umbrellas,
and
they can
also
be
used quite effectively for
jabbing.
My general preference is to use a well-spaced two handed grip
grip in most situations,
to maintain control and more importantly to assure retention of
the stick. This is akin to what has been taught for many years by
police
academies in
the use of long ("riot") batons. The last thing that you want to happen
is to have Mr. Bad Guy gain control of your weapon. If that were to
happen, you would become he "Owie" recipient instead of the Owie distributor!
Do some research on your local laws. In most jurisdictions, any
blow with a striking weapon to the neck or head is considered potentially
lethal. Police academies emphasize this in their baton training.
("Never strike above the chest unless you you would in the same
circumstances draw your pistol and fire.") So don't escalate to
doing so unless you absolutely confident that your life
is threatened and you have no other choice. (Essentially it
is the same as firing a gun--at least in the eyes of the law.) It may
sound
sissified and a bit too prim, proper, and "Queensbury Rules",
but most courts look at things in terms of equal force and
a graduated response, roughly as follows: If
Mr. Bad
guy
uses
his
fists,
then you
can
use
your fists. If he uses a weapon, then you can use a weapon. If he strikes
above the chest, then you can strike above the chest. As a practical
matter, there are no rules in trying to save your
life in a street fight, but apparently
there are in court houses, post facto. Yes, I realize that
graduated response is not realistic to expect,
since
street fights
are
fast
and furious. Most victims don't even recognize that
their
attacker is using a weapon until after the incident is over.
(The classic victim's police statement is: "I thought that he
was punching me until is saw the blood, and it wasn't until then that
I realized
he
had used a knife on me.") But again, a graduated response is what
courts will expect in order to make a ruling of justifiable self defense.
Don't forget that we live in a litigious era, so expect prosecution
and/or
a civil
lawsuit
in
the
event that
you are
forced
to
use a weapon
in self defense, even if you were entirely in the right. Show restraint,
and never deal out punishment. Just reduce the threat with a quick
jab
or two,
disengage, and
then
engage your
Nike-jitsu
technique. (Run!)
If you get into an absolutely lethal brawl (a truly "kill
or get killed" situation) and you cannot disengage,
by all means aim where you can do
the
most damage:
The
front
or side
of the neck. The human neck is soft tissue, a bundle of
nerves, veins, arteries, and wind pipe. It is your surest target
to end a fight
quickly and decisively. (The same goes of hand-to-hand combat. Aim
your punches at his throat.) But again, it is also your surest way
to
find your
way to a courtroom.
I can't
stress this enough: show discretion!
When carrying a striking weapon or an edged weapon of any sort for
self defense, be sure to develop the same Condition White/Yellow/Amber/Red
situational
awareness
skills
that
you would
for carrying a concealed firearm. (See Naish Piazza's
article "The Color Code of Mental Awareness",
available free at the Front
Sight web
site. (Click on "Special Offers" and then on the link for "15
Gun Training Reports free of charge.") Extensive training
on self defense combative techniques is worthless if you don't see
an
attack
coming. Be alert.
If you don't live near a school that teaches cane and stick
fighting, there
is a
40 minute training
DVD
produced
by
the Gunsite academy,
titled:
"Defensive Techniques: Walking Stick." It is available from Blade-Tech and
directly from the Gunsite
Internet Pro Shop. (The latter does not accept overseas orders.)
I should also mention that modern self defense with a walking stick
("Bartitsu")
was popularized by Edward W. Barton-Wright. His classic 1901 magazine
article on walking stick self defense is available
for free
download. See:
Part
1 and Part
2. These techniques are weak on weapon retention, but it otherwise
is still fairly valid, even after more than a century.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Letter Re: Purifying Water with Bleach »
Letter Re: Selecting a Martial Art and a Dojo
Sir,
I'd like to suggest yet another art for you to consider: Arnis. (often
referred to as FMA, or Filipino Martial Arts.) It is also referred
to as Escrima or Kali.
It is a predominately stick and knife based art, with open hand techniques
following.
Most Eastern arts I have been exposed to stress the empty hand and
move towards weapons, Arnis is exactly the opposite, the thought being
a stick is easier to defend one's self with than bare hands, and it
is more logical to begin as such.
Another fundamental difference between Arnis and other arts is the
assumption your opponent is armed. I've seen many techniques taught
in my study of ju-jitsu that work well against a punch, but would end
very badly if used against a knife. As you may not have the luxury
of knowing
what you're being attacked with before hand, I prefer a technique that
will work well against either, rather than having to choose.
As Mr. Williamson astutely noted, a walking stick or cane is very acceptable
to carry with you everywhere (even places you cannot carry a knife,
much less a gun), and the techniques transfer well to other "weapons" (an
umbrella or rolled up newspaper, for example) as well as a knife.
FMA has been criticized as being too "complex" (you do this,
then I do that, etc), and perhaps correctly. As with any art, the important
thing is your choice of instructor is as important if not more so than
your choice of art. An instructor who stresses the basics over increasingly
fancy techniques is crucial, in my opinion. I specifically study Modern
Arnis and Sayoc Kali, I have been very happy with both.
It may be worth mentioning that these arts evolved from a predominately
Christian culture, so the Eastern religion components that were of
concern to some of your readers would not apply. Best of luck with
your search
and your studies. - Patrick R.
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Jim's Quote of the Day: »
Five Letters Re: Selecting a Martial Art and a Dojo
Mr. Rawles:
Having done this (being involved in running a professional [martial arts]
school) for ten years, and having studied twice that long, here's my
$1.83
(two cents, adjusted for inflation). First, what does your gut tell
you about the place and the instructor? If you get an uneasy feeling,
listen to it, and back off a bit. It may be that the guy exudes an
Alpha-dominant energy, and that's what's making your hair stand on
end. Then again, it might be your rip-off alert/ BS detector going
off.
1) Take a couple of days to think it over, and:
2) Ask for references.
Talk to students away from the school; talk to parents at the school.
If this guy is any kind of sensei, sifu, professor,
or whatever handle he hangs on himself, his students' parents will
overwhelm you (to the point your BS detector may begin giving false
readings!). Kids in today's world crave the structure that society
used to provide as reinforcement for parental structure. Sadly, society
today denigrates parents' best efforts. Your children will thrive in
a good school;
3) Does the school have a children's program? Private
instruction? Specialized classes? While the art of aido (drawing
and striking with the Japanese sword) has a great esoteric appeal to
me,
it is not of any particular immediate value, as I rarely carry a katana
with me. An HK USP, now that's a little different story. This brings
us to;
4) Does the school teach a rigid style, a system, a hodgepodge
of many styles, or do they teach movement and the underlying principles
contained therein? In other words, are they going to waste your time
with a lot of semi-mystical crap about chi-force coming from
your tantien,
or do they explain that the power you gain comes from leverage generated
by your strike aligning with your center of gravity, and timed with
backing mass, body alignment, and relaxation/tensing at the time of
impact. Again, do they deal with the esoteric historical context of
the Far East, or the reality of the world and Newtonian Physics? (hint,
folks: it's all about leverage and timing).
5) Does the school teach
self-defense? This may seem like a redundant question, but again, if
you're studying Japanese swordplay, you'd better be carrying a Japanese
sword! Obvious, yes? Did you know that International Tae Kwon Do emphasizes,
in fact encourages use of the most difficult technique in any given
situation? That many "sport" karate schools teach students
to break contact immediately after "scoring"? I have had
personal experience with both. This is not how you learn to defend
yourself, if that is your goal;
6) Be an informed consumer. This means
a couple of things here: What do you want from the experience? We had
a special class for home-school kids, and it became the nucleus of
their social life (a lot more useful than dodgeball in the future,
as well). Are you interested in learning to fight, to improve your
reaction response, to get your butt back in shape with something a
little more useful than step-aerobics? Or does the Eastern influence
of many styles provide you with a new perspective on your world? When
Bruce Lee talked of "style with no style" he wasn't advocating
an anything-goes attitude; rather that one should not be constrained
by traditional techniques. "When one is bound by tradition, the
one must serve it, when tradition is bound, then it is our servant".
7) Does the system fit you, as it should, like a suit of clothes. Not
only will different fashions look and fit differently on each individual,
but also, the last time I looked, clothing, like people, came in different
sizes and widths. I'm 6'/250 lbs...for me to try shaolin wu shu is
almost a guaranteed trip to the emergency room...grappling, however...
and,
8) If self defense is your pursuit, does the school teach a brad
range of technique(notice, technique, as in broadly applied, NOT technique(s),
as in a new one for every situation). Bruce Lee's analogy to water
was only partially complete: water, like motion, exists in a constant
state of transition, from solid (ice, rigidly applying the same motion
to whatever comes, whether appropriate or not, the beginner) to fluid
(constantly seeking its own level,moving all things to that level,
the intermediate student) to a gaseous state ( where it expands to
its volume, true mastery of motion...the technique is formed by the
attack). Don't think this is important? I can almost hear the grapplers
grumbling... Okay, you've just slipped behind your attacker, and nabbed
him in a perfect naked choke...now what do you do about him comapdre who's
immediate plans are to stove in your head? You can only wrestle one
guy at once, and all too often, bad people come in bunches...About
martial arts, Zen, and bushido being antithetical to Christian views:
Poppycock! Bushido, at its core, is founded in the ideal of devotion
of one's life, in every moment and every way to a set of values and
principles, defined in the heart of each man. Zen is the pursuit of
oneness with the Universe (i.e. God, the Divine and Benevolent Creator,
and all His Creation). At its core, you'll be learning to beat people
up. In the process, hopefully, you'll be learning about yourself. If
that is part of the journey that doesn't rest well with you, then maybe
this path is not for you. I, however, rabidly endorse martial arts
training for EVERYONE!!! By the way, I'm not in the business anymore,
so I'm not trying to gin up customers.
One final thought on selecting a dojo, and probably the area of most
dissatisfaction, ultimately: never forget when dealing with ANY school
that you are in charge! You are the consumer,you are the customer!
The school, and its instructors are making their living by providing
a service to YOU!!! Be clear on this. You do not have the right to
dictate what the school will teach (unless you're running it) but you
do have a right to be told, in clear and certain terms, what is expected
of you, and what the organization you're dealing with will deliver.
Assert you rights as an informed buyer, and don't go in for that Shiloh/
servant manure manifestation. This is the 21st Century America, not
feudal China or Japan.
Study that which is practical, but remember not all things fit. as
Niestchze once observed "If the your only tool is a hammer, you
must treat all problems as nails". Techniques are either useful
(fit the situation at hand), not useful (fit, but not necessarily THIS
situation), and useless(or, you've got to be kidding!?! I paid you
to show me this?!?). More than whatever you study, you MUST practice
until you reaction comes without conscious thought involved. Therefore,
find something useful to practice, as practice DOES NOT make perfect;
it only makes PERMANENT what is practiced. Study hard, learn well,
live long, and keep The Faith.
OBTW, Teddy Roosevelt practiced jujitsu in the White House, moving furniture
from the Main Floor Living Room, and installing mats! Bully! Regards, - Bonehead
Hi Jim!
My name is Frank, I'm an Aussie guy living up in Queensland, a survivalist
and a Christian by belief in Jesus. As a regular reader of your blog I came
across the recent post "Eight Letters Re: Selecting a Martial Art and
a Dojo". I was surprised to see the lack of mention about karate and
the fact that its only mention was in reference to it being a "hard" martial
art, with the inference that a law abiding Christian should perhaps not pursue
such a path. I have studied karate for some years now and it is definitely
a decisive and effective form of self defense, but one that most all of its
practitioners rarely if ever use outside of the dojo. The reason for this
I learned is that training in traditional karate gives a person an 'air'
of capability that is obvious to the average punter in the street and tells
them in no uncertain terms to "look for a softer target... or else"
I know this sounds arrogant, but it's true, and I have met many practitioners
of the 'soft' arts and they just don't seem to carry this tangible warning
around with them. They will allow total strangers to stand close, "in
the danger zone" and rarely seem to be aware of who and what is going
on around them. These are the basics of karate training. Personal protection
through awareness and keeping threats at a manageable distance. To me self-defense
should not rely fancy wrist locks or nifty grappling techniques, although I
have learned these. Because the reality is that once an attacker has you in
their reach, or the ground, you are in real danger of getting your eye poked
out or your spine kicked in. Karate works well because it works at a distance
and relies on speed and precision of attack, and believe it or not, a great
deal of training is devoted to "getting out of harms way", to avoiding
an attack by retreating. But if attacking is unavoidable, a quick fist into
someone's nose or a kick to their groin will knock them off balance for several
seconds and allow you to get away from a dangerous situation. This is all that
matters, avoiding a dangerous situation.
I believe Karate has been downplayed over the last decade due to the perceived
fashionably of the myriad of other arts. This and the fact that we modern western
people have grown lazy. Karate training is very demanding physically and injury,
though usually minor, is unavoidable. But that is the world we now face, a
world full or stress and danger. I see karate fighting as an invaluable tool
to carry with me through life, to protect myself and my loved ones. Violent,
aggressive, yes! But thoroughly decisive against one or several unskilled attackers.
Best wishes and I'll see you when were together with the Lord. - Frank H.
Dear Jim:
I trained with a school that had a traditional martial arts progression,
but more importantly, also did PRACTICAL self defense. It became
very obvious after a couple of years of training that much of the
martial "art" or "sport" was not directly relevant
to surviving on the street. High kicks, spinning movements, complicated
katas and the like, all look impressive, but have little
practical value in street clothing, on uneven ground, against a surprise
attack
- you shouldn't be spending valuable time on these unless you are
so wealthy you don't have a day job.
If it isn't something you can see yourself using right away after you
learn it, it's probably too complicated to work on the street without
years of training to ingrain your muscle memory. The real litmus test
is whether you learn SIMPLE gross motor movements that you can duplicate
without very much training, and under extreme stress.
If they teach elbows, knees, eye gouging (and biting when appropriate)
in the introductory class, then you know you have a good school! Even
better - do you get to practice all the skills, half speed, Force on
Force with a well-padded instructor? (Yes, even the eye gouging on
a fully visored instructor, but not the biting!) Ground fighting is
critical too, if that is ignored, you do not have a complete training
regimen.
The best proponent that I know of this practically-oriented philosophy
is Tony Blauer who
has refined it to a high level.
I have taken just a short seminar with him - very impressive. Jump
on it if you get the chance.
Perhaps even more important for gun carriers, is integrating
hand to hand techniques with drawing, moving and shooting skills, and/or
knife
or pepper spray,
You may not have much luck finding a practical school out in the boonies,
but for those in larger metros you can find a few truly practical schools,
in a sea of traditional martial artists. Regards, - OSOM
James,
I was thinking further on martial arts and believe it is possible and indeed
preferred to incorporate shooting survival skills into your martial arts
regime. Progressively more difficult skills could be added, as you become
more proficient in your studies:
Consider the use of martial stances in firearms training. The "Horse Stance" taught
by many arts is very similar to the FBI "Combat Crouch" and the
modified "T-stance" is a strong or weak side forward stance, which
could be combined with a two hand Weaver grip to make a very stable shooting
platform. Ritual katas, or a predefined set of martial arts movements -which
helps improve technique and body awareness can be combined with pistol draw,
tap and rack drills or rifle to pistol transition practice. Rondori
or sparring "free
practice" could be combined with weapons draw, disarm or weapons retention
drills. Muzzle awareness should be stressed. [Solid plastic training] Red guns
could be used due to safety concerns. Advanced students could "ratchet
up" their
stress training, by substituting soft pellet or paint ball guns (with face
masks or
goggles) into their firearms drawing or retention drills. - Terry in the Northwest.
Dear Jim,
Jiu Jitsu and other grappling arts are an excellent choice for defense and
fitness. As noted author Steven Barnes (who is belted in multiple forms) told
me, one can grapple in training repeatedly, but it takes only a few blows before
practice must stop to prevent injury.
I have found the Kung Fus to offer an excellent balance of striking and grappling.
While much of the mystique is no longer relevant, there are certain mindsets
and processes that do go along with a school of training. A lot of the newer
forms are simply refined and more limited derivations of earlier styles (Such
as Kung Fu). Why limit oneself to part of an art?
Quite a few schools have oriented their philosophies more in line with the
West, and incorporated Christianity into the structure. While not Christian
myself, I approve of this because it makes the arts more accessible to Western
mindsets, and still provides a necessary guiding philosophy (necessary when
we're discussing the ethics of potentially maiming opponents).
I studied for several years Song's
Kung Fu, and can
recommend it to anyone in the Illinois area. Master Song is one of the most
competent yet truly modest men I've ever met, and provides an excellent program
with good explanations of the principles. His teaching is aimed at defense
rather than sport, and in fact, advanced students wishing to compete have to
take an extra course to learn competition rules to avoid disqualification or
injuring opponents.
Generally, Tae Kwon Do in the US is taught as a sport. There's nothing inherently
wrong with learning it, as it will improve fitness and teach good balance,
etc, but it will be of much less effect in a no-rules brawl.
I agree with others who have said that a few good moves well rehearsed are
adequate for most circumstances. To that end, the Marine Corps manual on combatives
is excellent, covering a handful of grapples, strikes (including common military
weapons such as knives, sticks, shovels and helmets) that can be learned quickly
and studied in short time each day. It's practical and concise. Also, the Marines
now have a dedicated martial art they are teaching. I haven't seen a lot of
it, but I assume it will run on the same practical principles.
If one can find a school that doesn't over-stress the mysticism, Indonesian
Pentjak Silat and similar forms are absolutely brutal and designed for multiple
opponents. There isn't much in the way of restraint or low-end force; these
are styles to kill with. The disadvantage is that they are predicated on having
all four limbs functional. The Kung Fus are adaptable for temporary or permanent
disability including wheel chairs.
It is a combination of these two forms (Silat and Shaolin Kung Fu) the Freehold
forces use in my novels.
One of the best hand to hand weapons to learn is short staff/cane, as it's
societally acceptable for almost anyone to carry a walking stick. A stout piece
of rattan (light) or cocobolo or maple (heavy) is a devastating weapon in the
hands of someone determined to use it and with some basic training in checks,
blocks, hooks and strikes. Since I occasionally need a stick for support anyway,
I practice regularly with one. Worst case, stick like things are very common
either lying outside ("sticks") or in most buildings (brooms, handles,
etc) and readily obtainable. Actual walking sticks run from $5 rattan at Farm
and Fleet stores to pricier carbon fiber or fiberglass sticks with metal heads
from Cold Steel. - Michael
Z. Williamson
« Odds 'n Sods: |Main| Note From JWR: »
Two Letters Re: Selecting a Martial Art and a Dojo
Dear Jim,
Over the years, I've spent I-don't-know-how-many hours in dojos of
various lineage.
Now, older (but only questionably wiser) I'll toss out a few caveats
for the consideration of anyone who wants to undergo marital arts training:
1. Decide from the outset why you want to learn a martial art and do not deviate
from that goal. If it's for recreation, exercise, balance, spiritual enlightenment
or whatever, that's fine. Practice kata to your heart's content, learn how to
breathe into your danjun and meditate until ch'i runs from your pores. But – recognize
from the start that the vast majority of Asian martial arts and their descendants
have as much to do with self defense as an engraved Hammerli target pistol has
to do with a Colt 1911.
2. Most modern martial arts have been packaged, sold, repackaged, revised, stylized,
traditionalized, dogmatized, commercialized, civilized and generally diluted
to the point that most of the techniques you're taught either won't work outside
of a well-lighted and padded dojo (with a level floor) and/or without the assistance
of a cooperative “training partner.” If your goal is self-defense,
select a few simple techniques that rely on gross motor movements, and practice
them to the point of them becoming conditioned reflexes. Consider: When a threat
presents (and your heart rate hits 200 and you're shaking like a leaf and it's
dark and you're hungry and scared and you're wiping muck from your eyes because
you just slipped and face-planted into a mud puddle) you're not going to want
to stop and remember whether the safety goes down on your 1911 or up on your
Smith and Wesson. Stick with one gun! The safety should "disengage itself" as
a matter of reflex because of your intimate familiarly and training with the
particular firearm in your hand. In your martial arts training, go ye therefore
and do likewise. Having a vast repertoire of techniques may impress your SaBumNim,
but it won't do to be running through a decision tree at a critical moment.
3. Most Asian martial arts are inextricably tied to Asian philosophies/religions
that are confusing, if not incomprehensible to the Western mind. This is often
presented as as a “better way” of living and as a necessary part
of training. Nonsense. No offense to the student of Zen Buddhism
or Taoism, but there's a reason that China and Japan send their best and brightest
to the West
to study at our universities and have largely adopted our Western and pragmatic
ways of doing things. In the martial arts, we have an equally rich and worthwhile
heritage, that is only now being rediscovered.
If you're a Westerner, stick to Western values and styles of instruction and
don't waste valuable time in marital
arts training trying to attain “enlightenment" or learning how to "focus
your ki." It's irrelevant to your skills.
4. When considering a new technique, ask yourself: Will this work against an
opponent of superior size and strength if - I'm wearing boots, mittens, a pack
or a heavy
jacket? I'm standing on uneven, wet or unstable ground? I'm tired, injured or
wounded, in the dark, temporarily blinded or sick? (A close friend and student
of savate told me he was once required to go to class drunk to assure
his moves
would work!) If the technique does not pass muster, set it aside.
5. Don't waste your time on esoteric "martial arts weapons" such as
sai, sickles or nunchaku. We don't live in 16th century Okinawa and that's why
John
Browning invented the Model 1911. (However, if you're unarmed and a quarterstaff,
stick,
ashtray, chair or other practical weapon presents itself, more and better!)
6. Avoid styles, systems and instructors purporting to teach “secret” techniques
or insisting that it will take years of intensive (and expensive) study to attain
proficiency. Avoid any dojo where excessive emphasis is placed on belts and promotions,
tournaments or especially where class favorites or bullies exist. Self defense
is serious business, with no room for frills, "tournament moves" or
bloated egos. If your training doesn't measure up, walk away and quit wasting
money and time. Get a hard
copy of Get Tough (or download
a soft copy,) Kill
or Get Killed (or download
a soft copy,) The
Close Combat Files of Rex Applegate and FM
3-25-150.
Practice your brains out with a friend or two. You won't regret it and you'll
be better prepared than most students spewing forth from today's “black
belt mills.”
(As to "The Way of the 1911..." Here
you go. ) Regards, - Moriarty
Jim,
While I am not an expert in any martial art form, I have studied
many of them at one time or another. Here is my 2 cents worth on
fighting.
There are, in terms of distance to your opponent, 4 unarmed skills
to learn. They are kicking, punching, throwing and grappling. Kicking
will allow you to distance yourself from a talented boxer. Keep the
kicks below their waist as you are not likely to be flexible enough
or fast enough to deliver a kick above their waist without either
falling yourself or having you leg caught. Hit the nerve on the middle
(a bit
above) of the outside of their leg (like punching someone in the
arm to give them a dead-arm) a few times and they won't be able to
move,
then run away. Groin shots are tough if you telegraph your move at
all as all males learn to guard this area and it is easy for them
to catch a foot. Better to use this with a knee if the opportunity
presents
itself. If you are able to use mace to distract the opponent, then
a groin shot is fine. Groin and leg shots will not incapacitate someone
on drugs who feels no pain. Kicking an opponent on the ground is
useful. Better is stomping. Face, neck (front and back) and the floating
ribs
are main targets, but be aware of the various takedowns a grounded
opponent can use on a standing one.
I do not recommend boxing it out with an opponent unless you are
either much larger or more skilled then they are. This brings you
into knife
range and you may not see it until too late. It also minimizes your
field of vision (more on this later) if there are multiple attackers.
The easiest is the double leg take down, but this can set you up
for a guillotine choke. Learning a few basic judo type throws is
useful
especially if you can land someone on their head and the surface
is hard like the street. If you learn this in a class, it will be
more
of a sport throw designed to minimize damage to the opponent. To
maximize the damage, change your posture and your attackers mid-aerial
rotation
to land them head down. If you can squat the weight of the opponent,
drop down and hook your arm under their groin, your other arm is
on their opposing shoulder. Lift them up and over and plant their
head
in the ground. This is a killing move.
Within this skill set, you must also know how to escape bearholds
front and rear as well as various styles of headlocks. I'm not sure
I can
describe these moves on paper, but here goes. If you are grabbed
from behind and your arms are held, step back and left with your
left leg
and place your right leg behind the left leg of your opponent. Lean
back and as you do so, lower your weight and grab the legs of your
opponent. Pull the legs out and lean back and the opponent falls.
If your arms are free, snap back with your head into opponents face,
jump up and then when you come down grab between your legs one or
both opponents legs. Straighten the leg(s) and sit down and a little
backwards
on the top of the kneecap breaking the leg.
Side head lock escapes are a bit tough to describe. You can bit the
nipple, attack the groin and drop the opponent by placing your left
leg (if held on his right side) behind his legs, pin his left elbow
with your left hand to prevent being punched and fall leftwards tripping
your opponent over your outstretched leg. Mount opponent and disable
or kill.
A guillotine choke requires you to climb up your opponent. Put your
left arm (if held or his right side) as high as possible over his
right neck and shoulder and use it to pull/climb up while putting
your feet
on his knees. This will take the force off your neck on onto his
body. When he tires, he will drop you.
Now you and gently try these with a friend.
As for grappling techniques, we have all seen the ultimate fighting
championships, and fallen in love with ju-jitsu. You simply must
spend 3 months at a grappling dojo. No excuses, just do it. No, video
tapes
and dvds won't do it, you simply need the mat time. Having said that,
there are 3 serious flaws in this style.
1) Going to the ground in a dojo is fine, in a back alleyway with
broken glass bottles and a hard ground is not. A move that is painless
to
you at the dojo can hurt like hell if you land on a hard littered
street.
2) Going to the ground will kill you in a multiple opponent scenario.
They will stomp your head in, especially in the 'superior' guard
position.
3) What you will learn in ju-jitsu is sport fighting. It leave you
open to eye-gauges, fish hooks, bites and all nasty manner of things.
While studying, always ask yourself, if this was a real fight, would
this attack/defense position still work. How can I alter it?
Having said that, learning the principles of ju-jitsu is both fun
and easy and in a 1-to-1 encounter, can save your life.
So, to conclude, my advice is... always carry a knife. Ask any martial
artist and if they are being honest, for all their years of training,
they know their odds against a knife are at best 50-50. Yes, yes,
learn to kick, how not to telegraph, how to block or take a punch
(move into
it to minimize the force and keep your chin down to avoid a knockout
punch and take it on the forehead). Learn 2 or 3 throws, some basic
grappling and how to use your and your opponents clothing to choke
them but still, carry a weapon (or weapons). A weapon makes
all, I repeat, all the difference. It gives you distance, confidence, magnifies
your ability
to inflict damage and puts fear in the opponent.
Regarding a knife, I believe that a knife attack to the torso, neck
or head is attempted murder but to the extremities is assault with
a deadly weapon (not sure--check your state laws). If you are using
a knife to kill, puncture, don't slash unless you can get to the brachial
artery
on
the inside
of the arm. Do not go for a rib target unless you have a push knife
or are very strong and have a thin blade. You may not make it through
the ribs. Concentrate on belly, and throat, and if he is armed, first
his hands.
You must fight dirty. If you want to learn a standing art that is
brutally effective and very very fast to learn and great for kids
and women
too, visit Attack Proof.
It focuses on directly attacking the eyes. Everyone has them, there
are no muscles
or bone
protect
them, and if you can overcome your squeamishness about jabbing your
fingers
into someone's eyeballs, you can end a fight with a larger opponent
very fast.
Some final thoughts.
1) Carry a knife. Carry another knife.
2) When you think you might be being interviewed by an assailant(s)
to determine your value and resistance level, put your non dominant
arm's elbow (say left arm for illustration) at your same side ribs,
arm across the belly and left hand over right ribs. Cup your right
elbow in your left hand and stroke your chin thoughtfully. This will
a) protect your ribs,
b) decrease the response time for you to block a punch to the face
or make a punch yourself
c) prevent a rear choke by protecting your neck
d) seem totally innocuous
2) Never go to crime scene 2. To explain: Crime scene 1 is where the
weapon is shown and your money is taken. Crime scene 2 is where the
assailant
says, come over here behind this dumpster. This is where you are
raped and or die. I repeat, Never go to crime scene 2. (Where the
body is
found with the chalk outline). Run, fight, scream but do not willing
go to your death. Make sure your family understands this.3) In the
majority of fights, statistically speaking, the first person to attack
wins. So, if you are going get into a fight, hit first. The psychological
momentum and the initial reaction to defend causes a person to minimize
what they can see coming and gives the first person to strike a huge
tactical advantage.
4) Focus on endurance rather than strength. If you have a knife,
strength won't be of paramount concern anyway. I use the desperado
from cold
steel. If will fit down your front pocket and is fast to pull and
is a variant of a push knife for maximum force.
5) Work on your peripheral vision. Since we spend so much time reading,
we have largely lost the ability to use our peripheral vision. This
type of vision is the most efficient at seeing motion and someone
creeping up alongside you. Take a cheap pair of glasses and put white
tape over
the front of them. Then draw a dot in the center of one of them on
the white tape with a dark pen. When looking at this dot and your
eyes are completely relaxed (like looking off into infinity) find
the place
on the other lens so that when a dot placed on the that lens, the
dots overlap and look like one dot. Make that mark.
Now, looking into the glasses, you should see 1 dot (not 2). Looking
but not staring at the dot, keeping your eyes relaxed become aware
of your peripheral vision. Since your glasses are covered in white
tape, you will only be able to see at the outer edges of your vision.
When you do this for a while you will train your brain to start using
your peripheral vision again. Once you get the hang of it you can
do it without the glasses. Just change your focus from in front of
you
to the peripheral vision. This will give you an advantage against
being attacked from an angle.
There are some fighting techniques that are unrealistic for the beginner.
These include what you might label the esoteric arts like Tai Chi,
Aikido and Dim Mak. The first two require years to master. Once you
have 10+ years worth of them under your belt, you are in great shape,
but for the first few years, they are actually counterproductive in
a real fight. A beginner gets a false sense of security and will expect
an opponent to graciously leave an outstretched arm for the twisting
and throwing, or grab on to their collar rather than maul your throat.
Dim Mak is another example. Yes, you can either knock an opponent out,
or make them really, really nauseous and practically incapable of continuing
to fight with Dim Mak, but this technique is not for beginners. This
technique, (hitting on nerve plexi) is usually only taught as a 'secret'
to advanced students. They are imbedded in blocks and katas, but not
taught until later. When you have mastered the basic form, and if they
like you, you are then shown that with a slight change of intent, the
block hits the nerve point and the opponent magically goes down. You
must keep in mind however that these points are the size of a dime.
Imagine taping 8 dimes to your sparring partner, and trying to hit
any of them with any force in a full speed sparring match. You see,
what happens when a beginner learns a few Dim Mak points is that her
or she becomes so fixated on the points that they try to force the
issue and miss the larger picture. What ends up happening is that rather
than clawing out an exposed eye or grabbing a leg for a take down,
you end up with a series of ineffectual glancing blows near a Dim Mak
point, but rarely on it. You also are now focusing on the points rather
than your opponent so you may not see the kick, punch or knife coming
your way. Focus on the basics, at least for the first few years. Oh
yes, here's another trick. If you are dealing with an unarmed opponent,
walking backwards is usually a really bad idea. It makes kicks impossible,
saps the power from your punches and puts you off balance for a moment
when your front leg crosses behind your rear leg. Try walking backwards
with any speed and you'll see. Plus, if someone rushes you when you
are walking backward, your going to go to the ground with your opponent
on top. Move backwards, when you must, like a fencer. Move your back
leg a little farther back and then quickly slide in your front foot.
Some people even suggest moving forward like a fencer. Watch some of
the more seasoned UFC fighters and you will see this technique in action.
Notes regarding improvised weapons: Even when unarmed, weapons can
often be improvised. Anything that can be thrown at an assailant
instantly becomes a weapon. In a convenience store, cans and bottles,
at a beach,
a handful of sand in the eyes, in a back alleyway, garbage cans and
lids and broken bottles, in a bedroom, a lamp or alarm clock. Just
look for anything and start hurling. This is surprisingly effective.
A jacket thrown at them or even the change in your pocket can disorient
and provide an opening for retreat or attack. Even the most hardened
criminal still has a reflex to block things thrown at his face. This
can expose the abdomen or groin to an attack. On a budget, I know
a friend who made a habit of carrying a handful of salt in his
pocket.
If you have an umbrella, it may help distance you from a knife. A
rolled magazine held tightly can also help.
As an exercise, when out and about, or even in your home, ask yourself,
what could be a weapon right now if I needed one?
Now a word about disarming a person with a knife. This is an opportunity
for you to practice "sneaker-fu." That is, run your a** off. Okay,
okay, if you are cornered or protecting your family, your going to
get cut.
make your peace with it. The good news is that you almost never die
from a slashing attack. According to inmates at Folsom prison, the
graduate school as it were in knife and shiv fighting, you'll probably
never see the knife that gets you, but if you can, try to determine
where your opponents hands are. If one arm is tight to his body or
behind him, assume a knife. If you have a jacket, whip it at his
face or his knife hand. If you must block, use the back of your forearm.
Lots of low kicking and a rapid slapping motion to keep the knife
from
your neck, face and torso. Keep your belly and chest slightly caved
in. Don't let the fantasy school of martial arts make you think that
you can rely on a overhead cross-arm block or some other hollywood
trick. This will get you killed fast. No one attacks with a telegraphed
straight thrust that you can deftly avoid by moving to the side while
simultaneously grabbing the wrist, twisting the arm and disarming
your foe. Want a reality check, think you've good the skills to avoid
getting
cut? Give a friend a rubber training blade with an inked blade and
do some sparring at full speed.
Knife fights are fast and a skilled fighter will feint and counter
feint. Reach for his wrist and you will have your hand a bloody mess.
So, be aware of people getting close to you in a public place. Carry
a small flashlight (I use the Gerber Infinity LED flashlight) to
illuminate parking lots at night, and with that, some better peripheral
vision
and a handful of table salt, you'll do just fine.
Stay safe and draw first blood. - SF in Hawaii
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Eight Letters Re: Selecting a Martial Art and a Dojo
Hi Jim and Family,
Many, many years ago I was an assistant martial arts instructor. I
had studied several Chinese styles along with Japanese Kendo. I was
making inquiries about instruction in my area for my daughter after
being out of that area of study for over 30 years. The self defense
instructor I was talking to said that for the best 'out of the gate'
use of martial arts for practical street self defense was Ju-Jitsu,
but to watch the style you want to learn. Basically the styles of
Ju-Jitsu are quite similar but some are less suited for immediate
self defense utilization. He stated his approach was toward the styles
that deal with grappling techniques. His idea was that, for females
particularly, the advantage the attacker wanted was one where the
attacker gets the female on the ground and then he has control. A
school that teaches good grappling techniques will train the student
how to defend her/him self when on the ground, and make short work
of the attacker or to grapple with the attacker while standing and
place him on the ground. Unfortunately he was from a distant county
or I would have had him teach my daughter. But the type of school
I wanted to find was one where what is learned in the classroom can
be immediately applied when the student walks out the door. And that
was his method. Learning some systems or methods can take a year
or more to be able to utilize in a practical sense. This is fine
for athletic endeavors or building strength and endurance or studying
it as an art form. But grappling techniques of Ju-Jitsu is best for
getting direct tactically efficient self defense capabilities. It
sounds trite or 'grasshopper-ish' but from my studies one thing Bruce
Lee kept trying to get across to martial artists was that his form
was no form. His approach to martial arts, and much of life, was
well stated in an interview. He said to be like water. Water can
rush forward with great force, destroying everything or it can flow
around and erode away an obstacle. When water is poured into a tea
pot, it becomes the tea pot. So be like water. Basically I think
his concept of martial arts was to have a set of basic tools for
self defense and by 'becoming water' you can mold those basic tools
and techniques into an infinite combination to be applied to differing
situations an threats. Don't become hung up on the 'style' of martial
arts. Style is nice but can be difficult to learn and easy to be
defeated. Whereas good grappling techniques for 'on the ground' fighting
as well as direct straight line use of force to defeat an attacker
is more tactically and energy efficient. The instructor I talked
with advised to visit as many of the schools in my area and watch
what was being taught. It will take a bit of time but is well worth
the time spent. I, like you, prefer the Way of the 1911. But a good
set of self defense skills is something you don't have to have a
permit for, at least not yet; and you can carry them everywhere. Later,-
The Rabid One
Dear Jim,
I read your blog a couple times a week. You recently asked about martial
arts training for the family. Jujitsu is good. From what friends tell
me, who practice martial arts on a frequent basis, the art you practice
is not as important as having a skilled sensei who can teach it properly.
Sort of like with firearms: the gun is not as important as shooting
it well. See if you can find out some comments on the skill of the
teacher. Even Tai Chi is a good martial art, but finding an actual
self defense teacher of Tai Chi is very difficult. Best,
- Heretic Monk
James:
I am only a beginning martial artist, and have dozens of military
and martial arts books, but one that read and re-read all the
time is Living
the Martial Way . (Similar to what I do with "Patriots" ,
and Boston's
Gun Bible, pick it up in the middle and learn something
new.) I can’t
recommend this book enough. Keep up the good work. Sincerely, - M.W.
Jim:
Well I personally think a good year of solid training (2-3 days per
week) of any martial arts will put you
a few levels above the average Joe in this day and age. Ju Jitsu
is a good suggestion or Aikido which is similar or even Tai Chi mixed
with Dim-Mak for
the light weight person. I myself have recently started Escrima as
since I
am of somewhat poor health I wanted a lower impact exercise, I also
seen a fellow who needed a cane for walking use Escrima 100% effectively
and kept three opponents from ever getting hold of him. It also
made me think that learning stick fight would give you machete skills
and some knife skills, and also number one is with stick training
everyday items are weapons...canes, sticks, boards,
shower rods, curtain rods brooms, baseball bats, toilet plungers--so
handy items are everywhere...
Another thing to note is that women are women and men are men and there
is no way to get around it. Yes, there are a number of exceptions where
some women are as good as a medium sized man but in most cases a toe
to toe fight is not what
a gal wants to get into. A woman's strongest body part is her legs
and then her flexibility, Tae Kwon Do is one I would recommend for
women
I do believe
Ju-Jitsu has many leg holds so that is a good choice too. if she can
get a good leg hold she can easily break an arm leg or neck....but
be careful men are really just
more savage, instinctive and brutal beasts...
One other thing to note is sometimes no matter the training some people
just can't fight. I know, because I happen to be one, in my training
I became a dojo fighter. This means I was very good at
sparring I was even able to keep up with a few orange belts while
a white belt and orange in my class was five belts above a white. But
the few real fights I was in, I went blank. Kinda like
writers block if my first punch or two didn't work or take a good
hit... I was
lost
and
defeated in detail, every time. :( I don't know the cure for that but
be aware of it. Your S&W is
a good back up - Wally
Jim,
I am excited for your family; it sound's like fun. I would say that
the 'style' does matter but not as much as the 'instructor' and the
'school'.
In probably a year, I will be doing the same with our son(s). I will
be looking for some one who teaches respect, discipline, control, and
other values that good instructors pass along. I appreciate the spiritual
aspects too, but I'm not looking for some one that will be passing
on ancestor worship or praying to the Grand Master.
Regarding 'styles' some are more practical then others but the 'instructor'
is the key. There's a lot more to learn then just learning how to fight
(however, if the school is not teaching them how to 'aggressively'
defend themselves then it will let them down when they need it the
most.) It's is as essential as learning discipline, respect, and the
other values.
What I'm going to tell you is considered "Old School." The
most important things is learning how to 'block', how to take a 'punch'
and how to keep yourself covered when the chips are down; fighting
is a contact thing (forget the art part). The first style I took was
Kenpo (the instructor taught us how to cover ourselves and take a hit);
it was very practical, straight forward, and easy to learn. I have
never taken Ju-Jitsu and admire it as well as Aikido, but IMO I think
if the person has already touched you, you have already failed (to
protect your perimeter). If the Ju-Jitsu instructor is practical (and
provides striking techniques) than I would give it a try.
One of my good friends recommends the Haganah
F.I.G.H.T. (Fierce Israeli
Guerilla Hand-to-Hand Tactics) System. He describes it as: "a
unique combination of Israeli military tactics and Israeli and other
martial arts—to defeat stronger, more skilled, and even armed
opponents. Learn how to restrain, incapacitate or terminate your opponent
fast with intuitive strategies and tactics. Haganah doesn't employ countless,
complicated techniques, but rather easy-to-learn systems enabling you
to get confident and capable in just a few months. Men and women from
across the country use the system to feel safe, secure, confident and
stay in shape."
Perhaps to save money, you could have the one son teach the rest of
the family the lessons that they learned in the previous session (it
will reinforce what they've learned and the rest of the family will
benefit from it also). God Bless, - The
Bowmn
Mr. Rawles:
I have practiced many martial arts in the last 10 years.
Jiu Jitsu would be my first recommendation to anyone. A huge percentage
of hand-to-hand
combat scenarios are going to the ground at some point anyway, so you
may as well know what to do once you get there. Someone ignorant to
Jiu Jitsu stands virtually zero chance against someone even moderately
trained. You will gain more in the first month of Jiu Jitsu training
than you would in any other martial art.
That being said, Jiu Jitsu is virtually worthless in a two (or more)
versus one scenario. Your best defense there is obviously the 1911.
;-) If I had to pick a martial art for multiple bad-guy encounters,
I would
choose Muy Thai kickboxing. Many of the martial arts that focus on
striking are very good if taught properly, but for my money
Muy Thai is the most versatile striking art around. Someone skilled
could easily
take down a large person with one well placed shot. (Best case scenario,
obviously.)
The plus to both of these arts is that they are both immensely fun
to practice and are an amazing workout. If you have an opportunity
to take both I would highly recommend it. If you have any additional
questions please let me know and I will be happy to help. Regards,
- Big Wooly Mammoth
Jim,
You were looking for advice on self-defense courses? I would strongly
suggest that you look into either Jerry
Peterson's "SCARS" training or the new school of his
protege and former partner, Tim
Larkin. Both of these are very expensive but the systems are
virtually unbeatable. I'm on the small side of average sized and
after taking the SCARS course, no
fighting scenario intimidates me (and that's some serious rewiring there.
The concepts these guys teach are geared to real world problems, while the
other disciplines are built around exhibition fighting (where it is
literally ingrained in you to stop fighting when the other guy says "enough."
That is very dangerous when you're in the middle of a street fight.)
I know that you feel that it pays to buy "quality" when it comes
to weapons that your life depends on. The curious thing about that is that
the most
lethal weapon you have at your disposal is your mind, and these courses show
you how to take possession of that weapon so that, whatever the situation, you
are never unarmed! Best Regards, - Jim K.
James,
The study of a martial art should be a goal for any serious survivalist.
We must remember to counter force, in kind; not all situations call
for use of deadly force. The skills obtained allow the individual
a force progression, from mild persuasion to deadly force, if needed.
The martial arts foster respect for others, respect for self, team
work, physical coordination and mental focus.
First, any Japanese art that has a "do" attached to it means "way" and
in most cases can be viewed as a sport. "Jitsu" or "Jutsu" attached
means "art" and in most cases can be viewed as a combat art.
Jiu-Jitsu is the original samurai combat art, which uses your opponent's
force against him. This art uses joint locks, arm bars, throwing and
grappling techniques to subdue your opponent. Judo was derived from
Jiu-Jutsu, with most of the maiming techniques removed, except for
arm bars which are allowed for senior rank competition.
I spent six years studying Jiu-Jutsu and competing in Judo, as well
as a couple of years in Karate.
In my opinion, Jiu-Jitsu as a "soft" art is more beneficial
than say Karate, a "hard" art. Hard arts focus on strength
against strength moves, like punching, kicking and blocking. These
arts may be viewed by bystanders as aggressive. Soft arts focus on
off-balancing techniques which may be viewed as passive. This can be
of benefit in a situation where the police are summoned.
One very positive benefit of Jiu-Jutsu is learning how to fall. In
a throwing art this skill is a must. I've used it outside of training
and saved myself unwanted injuries.
Christians who wish to become students, should ask the instructor if
any meta-physical techniques or teachings are included in the training.
Zen and Bushido (The Way of the Warrior) teachings are, in my opinion,
not compatible with a Christian lifestyle. - Terry in the Northwest.
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Letter Re: A New Breed of Feral Dogs, by Buckshot
Mr. Rawles,
The most vital point, I think, of Buckshot's piece is not that
feral dogs will eat us all alive, but that [applying] current attitudes
in future scenarios CAN
GET YOU KILLED!
You'd better get you mind wrapped around the hard decisions now the best you
can. Buckshot is exactly right: if you're making decisions on the fly
as a situation unfolds, you're dog food. The same goes for any, shall
we say, less-than-polite social encounters with humans. ARIES (Autonomic
Response In Extreme Stress) is an acronym we used when I taught self-defense. Most
guys would pooh-pooh the idea because they were super-fit and could kick
you right in the face with ease. They never got the idea of Spiritual
Point of Origin, a concept that one attains when you've wrestled with all
the moral-ethical dilemmas, as well as realizing one's physical capabilities
AND
limitations. The "dojo jock" never prepared for any real
conflict; it's all a game, but the minute things changed up, they end up
getting the cr*p
beat out of them. When you are under stress, you will become much less
coordinated, particularly in fine motor skills (read: sight acquisition,
operating safety levers, firing-and moving maneuvers) unless they have been
practiced
to the point of neuro-muscular memory (i.e. second nature). You WILL
perform AS you have practiced, not just WHAT you have practiced. Remember,
practice DOES NOT make perfect; practice makes permanent what is
practiced. Now
is the time to deal with the mental aspects of what you will need to
keep you and yours, safe and alive, not when the wolves (dog pack, murderous
thugs) are at your door. A perfect example is the horrific Manson Family
murders: while testifying at their trials the women of Charlie's lovely little
clan complained bitterly how hard it was to kill Sharon Tate, that she pulled
their hair and kicked and pushed them away. She possessed the will
to fight back, but apparently lacked either the skill to fight effectively,
or, more likely, the willingness to injure a fellow human being. Students
in self-defense classes get squeamish when the idea of eye-gouging or kicking
to the trachea comes up, but in reality, if you're not willing to do what
it takes to win the fight, WHY ARE YOU IN A FIGHT? Better to surrender now,
save yourself the beating, and pray that you will be rescued by some unforeseen
circumstance. Remember, suspect first, prospect later. You are
only paranoid if they're not out to get you. - Bonehedz
