Motivation Monday: " My gym is where my feet are"
Many, Many thanks , brother and sisters, for your life saving work.
Thought for the day (1):
“An Ounce of Deterrence Is Worth a Pound of Lead”
Sun Tzu may have said it better, “The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
Regardless, if you can avoid conflicts with pre-fight skills, then hopefully you may never have to find out whether your gun skills are adequate or not.
You probably realized this, but the skill of being able to avoid and deter confrontation becomes more and more valuable as you get older. It may not be as sexy as gun play, but you get to use it a lot more and it might save you from a conflict escalating to where you have to use your gun at all.
How can you practice this?
*1. Every day, watch people and situations. Study them. Evaluate the people around you and your surroundings to get a general feel for how safe or unsafe you are. Then, BE COMFORTABLE LEAVING situations when things start getting hairy. *
2. As you find yourself in disagreements and conflicts, begin the practice of disciplining yourself to add water to the fire, rather than fuel.
3. In disagreements, step back mentally while they’re happening and “take the temperature” of both yourself and the other person. Pay attention to the impact of the words you use, the volume, and your body language. And be prepared to physically leave and regroup if one or both of you can’t calm down or you run out of verbal tools to calm things down.
Yesterday’s work and skills:
7 mile ruck and traditional archery practice.
Question of the day:
Do you practice the above three steps?
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Thought for the day (2):
I will not have open net access for the next 5 to 7 days. Be safe, be aware, train and watch your 6.
Thx to all 1st responders in El Paso + Dayton.
My daughter was on a balcony above the shooter in Dayton. We were getting texts about how scared she was seeing dead bodies…
FUBAR.
That Mofo man . It pisses me off soooo bad he put my baby girl in danger. He was neutralized quickly, thank God. But I swear I’d almost like the bastard resurrected so I could kill him again for putting my baby girl that close to such a reckless and evil event.
Asshole.
There has to be a special place in hell…
Addition to my OP>>>
BC my wife is a skeeredy kitty whom I’ve always provided close security, she has refused training until now. However, I’m getting very F’n demanding that she either let me train her, or get her training for CC as well as unarmed defense. I’m thinking that perhaps bc this came so F’n close to our child maybe my woman will take the need to be prepared herself vs always relying on me more seriously. Granted, if she desires to no longer work and stay within my range to protect 24/7, I’ll do that. However, we could do it better as a team + I wouldn’t mind her being able to watch MY six.
It sucks that it takes a tragedy for my spouse to MAYBE consider getting trained though.
Damn.
This is my new favourite thread.
Lots to catch up on.
I’ve just been accepted and offered a place with SAPOL beginning 19th September and can’t wait to start.
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So glad your child was not harmed. Brother, that was a close one . Get that wife some training, you never know what is going to happen next. I am with you, I wish I could kill him all over again. WTF man? 21 and 24 year old cowards, where the fuck do these assholes come from? Gears of War? SpongeBob? You think you are a bad ass? Join the military, go kill someone who needs it.
Leaving for the airport in 30, give your daughter my regards.
Welcome, brother. Sorry, I cannot talk longer, got to catch a flight, don’t be a stranger.
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Noooo shit really brother!!!
These MoFos are/were clueLESS, deranged, and I can’t comprehend it. I guess sand people can’t.
Bastards. One is definitely where he belongs, the other, well, at least he’s not walking among us now.
Thanks for the good words.
Wife seems to be listening, maybe action in training soon - I pray. I’ve at least got her up to speed on situational awareness now - she’s listening, that’s a start… baby steps…
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Hoping all of you in the states are staying safe.
For EDC knives that i use for work: outside of the hospital - H2Sierra as it’s tough as (pictured). Otherwise just a Kizer Fiest - thick bladed, unobtrusive folder.
Regarding medical/helpful things that are on person/in my bag (in no particular order).
Person:
1. SERE V-cutter with shims: tiny and weighs a little over 3g. Perfect for seatbelts/zip ties/clothes. Here it’s got some cord and a little plastic handcuff key.
2. Sheathed mini scalpel: less than 2g. Can be used for surgical airways (tracheotomy/cricothyrotomy) and pneumothorax decomp (chest drain style).
3. 2ft of cloth tape wrapped around a card: useful as, can make chest seals with.
4. Knife
Bag
1. SOFTT-Wide tourniquet: this or a CAT gen 7, the metal windlass on this is comforting.
2. Celox Haemostat Z-fold:
3. Sharpie: writing on patients
4. Heavy duty bin liner: groundsheet to work on or help move people/can make chest seals.
Also a space blanket/decomp cannula/headtorch that I forgot to pull out. I need to get some proper chest seals danggit.
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No celox clotting crystals??
Subject switch →
FIME (FIME Group —> FIMEGroup LLC, which stands for Firearms Importer Manufacturer Exporter—-Pistols : Anyone here familiar?? Just ran across some available through an AF base,
“Rex Zero 1S, Zero 1T, & an ‘Alpha’ Model, all in 9mm, one with threaded barrel.
No direct to customer or dealer sales, have to buy from a distributor, I.e., a military installation like where I’m seeing them available…
First damn time I’ve seen these. Made in Slovenia. Appear to be quality pieces with prices to match, $800…
If anyone has experience (Idaho?) please do share.
Peace brothers!
This thread is a treasure trove of applicable info whilst also giving me a glimpse on all things tactical for different walks of life – much appreciated!
@Idaho, thanks for having started this thread!
@guys, thanks for contributing so much to it!
TL;DR:
Closing in on 40, born and bred in Germany (mixed heritage, my parents had been immigrants from Southern Europe) and well travelled because of my job (technology consultant turned management consultant). Avid power builder between 2000 and 2016 (currently returning from a 3 year hiatus), very strong and muscular, but still too fat (bf roughly over 20%), but getting there. Energy systems work is on the up and up.
My combat experience boils down to a very rough upbringing and first losing but later on winning many street brawls. Said upbringing was also instrumental in my having developed fundamental tactical awareness in my teens. I don‘t have any formal martial arts training, but know how fight dirty and overcome the average thug fast (once committed, I have few inhibitions). As much as it pains me to admit it, I know I’d have to chance to best a trained professional. I have rudimentary firearms experience and know a lot about using and carrying effective weapons in Germany without violating weapon laws (too much) - see below for more info on that and/or on my background. I‘m here to learn and to share.
More info:
My business travel was one of the reasons why I started to invest in improving my tactical preparedness a few years back, since the situation in the EU and especially in Germany has become unbearable in terms of public safety (suffice to say that once a libertarian with liberal leanings, I became pretty much libertarian and conservative over the last decade), both from tactical and justice system POVs. Especially regarding muslim perpetrators who are given too much leeway thanks to an apologetic treatment having been in emergence in Western European culture since WW2 (see Douglay Murray‘s ‘The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam‘). Factoid for you: despite comprising roughly 6 percent of the population, roughly 33 percent of all violent crime in Germany is being perpetrated by muslims. This is one of the reasons I‘m moving to Canada with my family (Germany has become socialist in all but name), despite uprooting my very successful business in Germany. I don‘t intend to turn this into a political debate, but IMHO you cannot discuss tactical life and public safety without acknowledging hard truths stemming from failed policy making. Also, I‘d like to add that I have lots of personal experience with muslims, had been very welcoming towards them in the past and had lots of interactions with muslims from all walks of life during the past 25 years. Also, I have special insight on account of natively speaking a language used in many muslim countries and thereby having lots of muslims open up to me about their views. I‘m not saying that all muslims are bad apples, but there‘s a strong correlation between a lack of education and proneness to violence. Much, much more so amongst muslims than amongst non-muslims.
Growing up in a criminal neighborhood and having spent a few years at a residential child care community (where my sister had been raped) I had been on the receiving end of lots of violence early on. Which in turn made me learn to successfully assess my environment (people and infrastructure) and to develop respective capabilities during my teens, making me an OK-ish brawler and a good observer. A few examples of my ingrained every-day observing/preventative behavior for the past 20-ish years:
(1) I try to have a wall behind my back, especially when sitting
(2) I keep track of people around me, even during conversation with others
(3) I‘m sensitive to telegraphing
(4) I try to avoid crowded places if possible
(5) If possible, I‘ll try to find out about most exits in advance
(6) I‘m trying to not (fully) turn my back towards strangers in isolated places
(7) In isolated places, say, a parking garage, I usually let people walk in front of me and keep a healthy distance. When being approached from behind, I also let them go in front of me by pretending to be searching for my keys in my pockets
(8) More often than not I challenge myself to come up with effective ways on how to use my surroundings to my advantage (given assumed threat scenarios).
You get the idea – well-rounded smart folks usually understand me, but most folks would call me paranoid. That‘s why I don‘t tell them that I have had all ground floor windows in our house replaced with polycarbonate panes, for example.
For those not familiar with restrictive Western European firearm and weapon laws:
in Germany, you can obtain a firearms license as a sports shooter and/or as a hunter. But it‘s a pain in the ass and you‘ll open up yourself to regular scrutiny by the police. It‘s not for me. That‘s why I sought out training abroad: I know how to service a gun, how to zero in a rifle and have shot bolt-action repeaters as well as semi-auto rifles and semi-auto guns. No full-auto experience. I‘m by no means an experienced firearms operator. I‘m practicing combat shooting with an electrical airsoft (I shit you not) in my garage (since real combat shooting is prohibited to the general public by law in Germany).
Here‘s how I have armed myself in a legal(-ish) manner:
Weapon-wise, I own a tactical repeating crossbow (legal to own and to use at home, but cumbersome to carry), different very lethal pneumatic arrow shooters (legal to own and to carry in Germany, but kinda unwieldy to carry), brass knucks concealed as keyrings (legal-ish to carry, very useful), a self-made wrist-mounted pneumatic steel ball shooter (illegal to own and to carry, but very effective and stealthy) and different concealed push daggers (polymer-based, legal to own and carry), tactical pens (legal to own and to carry) and blank guns modified to use as arrow shooters (legal to own and to carry - at least the blank gun part, once you have been issued the carry permit).
From a defence POV, I wear slash-proof underwear when travelling for work (gotta protect the femoral, abdominal and biceps arteries as well as possible). When I’m not wearing a suit, I wear a sweatshirt with a high collar to protect my throat as well as a baseball cap and a softshell jacket I retrofitted with well-placed D30 protectors on the inside – pretty low-key.
When I know in advance that I’ll be travelling through rough areas, I wear low-key forearm protectors with small defence/offense ridges made out of resin. This isn’t EDC stuff, though.
Looking forward to learning from and talking shop with you, guys!
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Welcome to the thread 
Glad u find it of interest / use.
It sounds like self-defense EDC stuff where u live is a pain in the ass!!
I personally “get” what you say about the Muslim issues. Some folks don’t realize.
I recommend anyone who needs education about the true nature of the threat Islam poses do a search on the terms “Robert Spencer + Islam” on YouTube, or simply go to the jihadwatch.com web site…do a little research on the history of Islam and judge for themselves.
Anyway, welcome
Sorry brother, I am going to have to plead ignorance here, I don’t know anything about them. I know a retired SF living in Montenegro. I will send him a message and see if he knows anything.
Excellent points, thank you and welcome to the thread. Don’t be a stranger.
Thought for the day
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” -John Wooden
Yesterday’s work:
8 rounds heavy bag
5 rounds speed bag
5 rounds Kali katas
Krav Maga drills.
An unusual situational came up last week. A violent thunderstorm was northwest of our position. Several of the military/ agents there were getting alerts on their phones of a possible tornado. Having been caught in the open as a child, I have a healthy fear of tornadoes, I canceled the range session and told everyone to seek cover. Since these were alpha males, their first reaction was “fuck it”, well no matter what a bad ass you are, a tornado always wins.
Most took shelter in the old barn on the property, but, that looked a death trap to me and I told them to go a small creek low area on the land next to the range, that advice was ignored except for a young female medic/ EOD .I always carry at least 20 feet of rope in my go pack, so, I headed for the creek, found a large oak stump- and tied myself and her in. Several people went to their vehicle, not a smart choice. Fortunately the tornado passed over us and touched down about a quarter of a mile from our position, no damage but a lot of debris. Lucky.
Here are some tips from another source:
Hide out in a storm cellar if at all possible. If not possible, head for a basement.
If not possible, jump in a bathtub or something else that’s firmly secured to the ground. Place a mattress over you to protect yourself from falling debris.
If you are sheltering in a group, interlock your arms to ensure no one is pulled away.
Stay as low as you can
DON’T STICK YOUR HEAD OUT TO FILM ANYTHING FOR FACEBOOK
Don’t emerge just because the storm seems to have stopped. It may be the eye. Wait for the all clear on the radio or until the sounds of the storm have passed for several minutes.
Question of the day:
Although being caught out during a tornado is remote for most of you, if you live in the Southern or Midwest area of the states, you will at some point have to deal with the threat. Do you have have any type of plan for protecting yourself or your family?
In big part due to this thread I’ve requested a small trauma kit for my birthday (livin life on the edge!) from my younger sister who is a nurse, has done a stint or two in ERs, and now manages a walk in clinic, told her to put together what she felt would be necessary in an emergency setting and that that would be a great 30th birthday present to her big brother. With that being said, I plan on rounding it out and filling any holes that may be in it. What are some ‘must haves’ in your kit in your vehicle or on your person? I plan on having one that will fit into a backpack so that I can simply take it with me when we travel and visit places. As always, I appreciate this thread.
Why settle for an inferior product when you can buy a HS2000 or whatever they’re called in the US?
This is my everyday carry on the range or a short term work assignment. I carry a large med kit in the vehicle, but, this has the basics you will need on most injuries encountered outside combat. It is from the Gray Man company.
Gray Man IFAK is it is exactly that, No unnecessary bells and whistles.
The medical gear inside is laid out in the order that someone would need to grab them according to the MARCH algorithm of TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) and TECC (Tactical Emergency Combat Care). Tourniquet first, then hemostatic gauze and pressure dressing material for massive hemorrhage, then an NPA (nasopharyngeal airway) with lube (hand glued on to make opening the NPA and lube with gross motor skills possible) for airway management, then a chest seal for holes in the box (chin to navel).
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Yep, exactly what I have in mind, I plan on doubling those up, simply to be on the safe side (I have access to the EMT garage and supply room as an active EMT, I figure if it’s going to a good cause and they get it as a write off…
)
Springfield XD maybe?