The Tactical Life

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2510

Great stuff. In practical terms, falling well might be the most valuable skill you get from jits or judo. You just get used to hitting the ground as well as you can, given the circumstances.

As far as standing back up goes, this is an area I feel sport grappling schools are deficient in, if one’s training goal is effective defense of self.

If you get knocked down in a fight, all the time you spent playing butterfly guard or going shin-to-shin for an x-Guard entry will be useless. It goes right out the window when striking and stomping are in play. It is unlikely to work unless your attacker is woefully incapable of mounting an attack, which I wouldn’t count on with people who actually attack others.

My training priority for the guard position assumes something has already gone wrong for me to even be in guard. My objective in guard is a priority list. If I can stand back up, I do. If not, I first make safe. Then I look for a sweep. If a submission becomes available I take it, but my first priority is staying safe and getting out of this bad position.

This training style is unlikely to help me win a bunch of sport tournaments, where the intricacies of things like x-guard become more important, but I’m studying the martial art of BJJ, not the sport.

For petes sake people, get back to your feet!

2511

Got an IFAK, big things I wanted were hemo-static gauze, chest seal, air way tube (nasopharyngeal) and some shears. Got all that in a fairly cost effective bag that’ll fit in the front small pocket of all my back packs, there are some other little things in there that aren’t really important, there just ‘fillers’ to make the pack look good, in my opinion “We have 100 items!” I plan on pilfering the ambulance supplies on the next call, so that I have at least two of everything that I mentioned, I’d like to have the supplies to care/work on two individuals in a traumatic event, that’s my goal, and it now goes everywhere with me, in my work bag, coaching bag, travel bag.

I mention this purchase only because it is 100% because of this thread that I started thinking about it and have started putting it together.

1 Like
2512

I got knocked down in a scuffle a few years ago onto asphalt or concrete, I forget which. I didn’t let my head impact, I used my forearms to take most of the force, and I immediately sprang up. I think I did that by using my forearms/hands to get going up and then planting my feet as fast as I could.

2513

Just a thought, because this seems to come up a lot:

Does rate of fire actually correlate to number of people hit?

Not that my experience is vast, but the paper targets and other odd disposable objects I’ve shot at says “no”.

Just putting that out there to the group in case anybody has some knowledge or info on that.

2514

Based on my experience, rate of fire means jack shit if you’re aiming for a specific target or even a group of target, but that’s because I’m a rank amateur.

But I don’t think I’d miss if I had a crowd in front of me and I didn’t care who I hit.

2515

I agree- I have no problem with people like you being armed in public. Based on what I’ve read of your posts, you’re extremely experienced and have been in combat. You’ve seen what guns can do.

But I’d imagine most people with guns and advocating public carry and whatnot do not have your experience and training.

I think it goes back to the quote you posted earlier. Owning a gun does not mean you know how to use it. Going to the shooting range once a week and shooting at stationary targets does not mean you actually know how to shoot.

And no one knows how they’d react to an active shooter until they’ve encountered one.

2516

Several people back in my college judo club had anecdotes of how they rolled through a fall from a bike. Apparently it just kicks in.

And, yes, all of us agreed that the only practical skills from learning Judo were breakfalls and rolling.

I should practice those. Good skills to have.

2517

Correct and if you find yourself on the ground, odds are, they will be more than one attacker. Bar fights, street riots, gang attacks, etc. One lone attacker is rare in my experience. good post, brother

2518

good job, brother, carrying enough for two is a good idea.

Good, glad this thread is good for something:))))

2519

The most important aspect of this discussion, that head smacks the concrete, you are done for. Hard to leap like a ninja, when you are seeing double and about to puke.

2520

Actually, based on my experience, “spray and pray” only works in extreme small areas and then not that well. rapid, aimed, accurate fire will always kill more. There is a reason the preferred method of killing people is the suicide vest. Walk into a mosque, church or wedding hall ( Afghanistan last week) , hit the switch and you are guaranteed to have kills.

2521

My post today is about seeking practical training. “Running a gun” is just like any martial art, it requires training , practice, and commitment…

You are correct, personal experience is the greatest teacher ever. I have seen this over and over in the past 5 years, people of all stripes having a hard time departing from their electronics and dealing with practical training. Most people who experience violence for the first time can go three ways: Catatonic, flight, or fight. This is where your training background comes in and why I am such a big advocate of martial arts training. Martial artists are trained to move and react, the two most importance things you can do to survive. IMHO.

This not some “video games rant” but, I have seen young soldiers / police / rookie agents, have a hard time adjusting to the fact that “skills” have a totally new meaning outside the electronic forum.

2522

Thought for the day:

There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.” — Miyamoto Musashi, “The Book of Five Rings”

I used to be a gear whore and had the belief that the latest gadget would make me the better man, fortunately, I wised up before I was killed.

I totally agree with this:

*If you suck at marksmanship, spend more time at the range shooting and practicing the fundamentals of marksmanship through dry-fire off the range. If you suck at reloads, do more reload drills. If you suck at drawing from a holster, practice drawing your gun more often. It all sounds so obvious **but far too often people spend the money on equipment instead of training. You will get far better at shooting with a base model gun and 1000 rounds of ammo than you will with a tricked-out gun and 100 rounds. ***

*High-speed gear and tricked out guns are cool as hell but you look like an asshole with all that expensive stuff if you suck at using it. so, spend your money on improving your skills rather than attempting to buy skill by way of external additive Tapout shirt doesn’t make a fighter, gym clothes don’t make someone an athlete, and “operator” kit doesn’t make you a gunfighter. Train efficiently, safely, and often if you want to be a better shooter. The guy with a couple of simple guns and a whole lot of hours behind them will always be a dangerous customer.

Yesterday’s work and skills:

12 hours of range, kill house, and vehicle tactics.

Rant: Fuck me, I have had many a 118 degree day in Iraq, but, this 98 degrees with high humidity is a rat fuck, I must have drank a case of water yesterday. You southern boys and girls are some tough bastards:))))

Question of the day:

Can you pass the test?

2523

Can I “pass”…yes. Max it…no. Both the DL and 2 mile run are beyond my PR’s (and I’m not close to those any more).

2524

Pretty sure I could max everything except the 2 mile run and hand release pushups. I was never great at pushups, and haven’t cared for a long time. Could absolutely pass it though. Same with run - best ever Navy PRT (1.5 mile) was 9:30, which I replicated a few times over the last few years I was in, including my last one before retiring (aged 36 at the time). That breaks down to a 6:20 pace, but I don’t think I could have maintained it for another half mile (unless I had another runner to pace off, maybe). Not there anymore, but I could probably still train to it. Rest of it I’m confident I could walk outside and max.

2525

Agreed on the gun/gear thing. Seen too many guys at the range with high dollar guns (some of them veterans who should know better) who probably couldn’t pass any decent qual. But that Agency Arms slide looks really cool!

Also, regarding the ‘spray and pray’ discussion. I agree with you mostly, with the notable exception of the 2017 Vegas shooting. Paddock fired more than 1100 rounds from his suite into the concert almost 500m away. He killed 58 concert goers, and directly wounded another 422 (total injured was 851, but 422 was due to gunfire). That works out to a hit percentage of 40-43% depending on total number of rounds fired, and at least a portion of those were fired from bump-stock equipped rifles (simulating full auto while being probably more inaccurate). So if you really don’t care who you hit, dumping rounds into a crowd (especially from an elevated position) will still be pretty effective.

2526

Yes, I agree with you on Paddock. One of the nightmare scenarios out there being discussed by LE is what if a team of terrorists infiltrate a NFL or college stadium during a game and open
fire? Even if put down under a minute, the death rate would be catastrophic .

2527

Motivational Monday:

iron

No it doesn’t. Today would be a good day to examine your training.

Yesterday’s work and skills:

Mountain trail ruck, slingshot shooting, and BB pistol training.

About the BB pistol. Before you start scoffing behind your monitor, listen to the reason. A couple of years ago, the USG brought in one of the top competitive shooters in the US to teach a class and impart some wisdom on us lesser beings. I was able to ask him about his training, drills, weapons, and general guidelines on how he approached shooting.

He did extensive dry fire training and then he told me he practiced with a cheap BB pistol. Why? Because the trigger was so horrible, that every mechanic had to be right. He told me, learn to control a horrible trigger and your shooting will vastly improve. I thought he was full of shit until I tried it. I now have three cheap BB pistols all with trigger pulls from hell. I practice at least twice a week and it has worked for me. Plus, no matter what you live in, a cardboard box stuffed with plastic wrap or an old blanket will allow you to shoot indoors. Cheap effective training.

Question of the day:

This is the scenario:

You are suddenly flashed into a heavy conifer forest, like the Pacific Northwest . Everywhere you look, there are wet, damp old growth trees with a heavy under brush. Temperatures are moderate now in the late afternoon, but, you can feel a chill in the air. You have a hatchet, a knife, and a box of water proof matches.

How do you find dry tinder for a fire?

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2528

Tree bark? The inside of the bark.

2529

I’d be looking for fatwood and drying pine needles and small twigs with body heat.

I’m not sure if birch is in the PNW, but birch bark is also great tinder and can dry reasonably fast with bodyheat.

Fatwood would probably be your best shot at getting a real fire going