The Tactical Life

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3256

Thought for the day:

If you’re not shootin’, you should be loadin’. If you’re not loadin, you should be movin’, if you’re not movin’, someone’s gonna cut your head off and put it on a stick."

Clint Smith

An issue can up two weeks ago, that I have not had time to talk about. IMHO mobility equals survival. I guess, this a dinosaur statement, but, the latest weapons and optics, does not equal you automatically winning. Yeah, “tactical shit” is sexy, but, I will take a .38 revolver and good movement over a M6 and stupid tactics.

I was asked to demonstrate the latest “tactical pistol drawing”. When I replied, I don’t know what the hell that is, his look of disgust was actually funny.

This explains it clearer than me:

At what point is the threat apparent enough that you should draw your pistol? And if you are standing stationary when you draw, why do we call it a “tactical drawstroke?” If you are standing stationary, you are not using tactics.

A tactical drawstroke is commonly taught step-by-step in accordance with drawstroke doctrine. This doctrine is normally slightly modified from instructor to instructor. There is no magic to it, and there is nothing tactical about it. Why don’t we just call it what it is? It is a pistol draw. Adding “tactical” to an action or object adds sex appeal but does not change what it actually is.

Remember, if you are drawing a pistol, it is because someone dangerous is directly in front of you. It is an immediate, lethal threat. This bad guy is relying on your predictability and his defaults. His intentions are bad.

So here is my suggestion: Take a short lateral step to the left when performing your tactical drawstroke. It won’t slow your drawstroke down or throw you off balance. It will encourage your thought process (your brain works more efficiently when you are moving) and allow predictability to be minimized. Also, it will temporarily throw off your adversary, disrupting his OODA loop, which will buy you time and increase your lethality. In a gunfight, temporary is an eternity; being lethal is non-negotiable.

Why step to the left? Ninety-three percent of the adult population is right-handed. In addition, most people can’t shoot. Most of them will jerk the trigger, which will lead them to hit low and left. Stepping right or left is not the important part. What matters is movement. Mobility equals survivability

Training:

On stand by for the current situation. A fire station has been kind enough to put us up and use their gym. The only problem is the constant “hurry and wait” crap.

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3257

Love it. Nothing like this situation mentioned but movement against an opponent nonetheless. In midfield in soccer when receiving the ball from your defence your back is to the opposing midfield player. It’s normally about half a second to impact at a high level. When controlling the ball to you, you should always be aware of your opponents ‘handedness’ and control the ball a yard to his weakest side. Never kill the ball, keep it moving. I guess it’s an all round principle when dealing with an opponent in most situations in that you face an opponent. An innate skill but can be learned with repetition.

3258

When Cus was still training Tyson, the way they drilled was to have Tyson do a defensive move after he threw a punch or a combo.

3259

Thought for the day: June 06, 1944: D-DAY.

d day

All my respect for these warriors who were battling a true evil. Every time D-DAY’s anniversary arrives, I will spend some time looking at photos of the battle. It constantly amazes me at the lack of warfighter equipment. I was in Afghanistan, fortunately, equipped with the best armor and weapons of the time, flash forward to the war in Iraq and the equipment used was better than before. Today, my current loadout makes those two earlier times, obsolete.

Now, think about being 19 to 22 years old, hunched down in a rickety assault boat, headed toward superior German machine guns dug in everywhere. No body armor, no protection from the .30 caliber bullets shot your way, inadequate medical care, poor battlefield hospitals and limited air support. Now imagine going into a battle, facing man sized rifles, with nothing but a few clips for your Garand.

All my respect, warriors, you were one of a kind.

mcarthur

On sad anniversary, few to mourn the D-Day dead in Normandy
Saturday’s anniversary will be one of the loneliest remembrances ever for the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy

All too many have been, for 76 years since that fateful June 6 on France’s Normandy beaches, when allied troops in 1944 turned the course of World War II and went on to defeat fascism in Europe in one of the most remarkable feats in military history.

But Saturday’s anniversary will be one of the loneliest remembrances ever, as the coronavirus pandemic is keeping almost everyone away — from government leaders to frail veterans who might not get another chance for a final farewell to their unlucky comrades.

The locals in this northwestern part of France have come out year after year to show their gratitude for the soldiers from the United States, Britain, Canada and other countries who liberated them from Adolf Hitler’s Nazi forces.

Some 160,000 soldiers made the perilous crossing from England that day in atrocious conditions, storming dunes which they knew were heavily defended by German troops determined to hold their positions.

Somehow, they succeeded. Yet they left a trail of thousands of casualties who have been mourned for generations since.

Note: This morning, on D-Day, I read a comment from the MSM stating the American flag “does not mean anything anymore”. Well, it certainly meant something to these men.

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3260

Thought for the day:

“Fighting is 10% skill and 90% mental. Fights are fought in the mind.” In the end, it’s not about fancy looking technique; it’s about knowing how to fight and being willing to do so.

Kelly McCann

*“I think probably all training is good,( don’t agree with this, I have had some crappy training) but the key is to be smart enough as a student to understand what stuff is not applicable to you. The common thinking today is, you know, take the best tools from the instructors toolbox. Well, I don’t need the student with a toolbox full of tools sorting through that shit in a fight. I need him to pick a wrench, pick a hammer, whatever, and go to work. So, a particular rifle or tactic may or may not be the perfect tool, but it’s the tool you’re fighting with” : Clint Smith.
I do agree with this statement, too many times, especially before the pandemic, I was finding this “toolbox” mentality to permeate everything, including the stupid belief that it takes a 6 thousand dollar carbine to win a fight.

Training: landmine presses, bag carries, pull ups, dips. slingshot shooting and "hawk throwing

Question of the day:

On my last training trip, I saw a Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher. Anyone else out there an amateur birder?

3261

First things first - my wife and l have noticed several scissortails this year, after not seeing any in recent memory.

Over the last couple of days, you mentioned mobility as survivability and appreciation of equipment upgrades. Here is an article that got me to thinking over what is necessary vs would be nice for us civilians.
I realize this nothing original, but drill the basics - right?

3262

‘tactical pistol drawing’, eye roll. The old ‘by the numbers’ draw stroke training is what Pat Mac calls ‘tactical theater’ - just get the damn thing out of the holster and on target. (Respectful partial disagreement - I agree with that for most shooters, but I think it has merit when training rank beginners in pistol craft)

From the Dave Spaulding course I attended last fall, the only thing I would call a ‘tactical draw’ would be something like this scenario - I’m out in the world, see what looks like something kicking off. Rather than go into full SWAT draw and face the target while screaming my head off, just smoothly and surreptitiously draw my pistol while outside the threat’s sight line and OODA’ing my way through space. Fight involves me? Pistol is already out, go to work. Not my fight? (gas station robbery, attendant is complying, no indicator of imminent violence - aside form the robber’s weapon) Maintain use of cover and concealment, and when prudent reholster and carry on.

I’ll admit to having been guilty of it in the past (and part of me still tries to be occasionally), but it’s amazing how people who should know better are constantly looking for sexy-latest-and-greatest rather than sticking to the basics.

3263

Absolutely, we drill the basics in every martial art, so why not handgun fundamentals? Thanks for posting the article.

3264

Good advice and I agree with you. This"latest and greatest toys", is the most frustrating thing in teaching.

3265

Thought for the day:

First: this is not a political statement. We don’t do politics on the Tactical Life thread, I and others post information and opinions on (basically) how to survive in an ever increasing violent world.

Second: I am not singling out Joe Biden. Based on my past experience in providing protection for the USG executive branch, lack of knowledge concerning firearms skills is the norm. I am sure Bush, Obama, and Trump are just as stupid.

Third: Based on the last two weeks, I have been asked a lot of questions concerning firearms use and use of force. Most are stupid beyond belief, however, the one prevailing theme is the general public outside my world are clueless about violence. It appears most have “trained” by watching movies and gaming. They have no concept on what it is like to fight someone on PCP, what it is like to be ambushed with your partners head half blown off , your unit wiped out due to incompetence in leadership, or seeing the bodies of children mangled by a drunk driver. Even witnessing violence will either change you or rule you.

Read over Biden’s comments, imagine yourself as a legally armed citizen, not even an LEO, and a violent predator is coming to kill your children with a knife, Are you good enough to shoot him in the leg? No, you probably aren’t.

My comments are in black;

Joe Biden Calls for Police to Take Leg Shots at Knife-Wielding Suspects

“The idea that instead of standing there and teaching a cop when there’s an unarmed person coming at ‘em with a knife or something, shoot ‘em in the leg instead of in the heart, is a very different thing,” Biden said, “There are a lot of things that can change.”

I have learned something new about violence from Joe. I never knew there was such as thing as “unarmed person with a knife” . I have never met one, must be a rare creature and a predator I am not familiar with.

Officers shoot center mass, period. Yet Biden sees a knife-wielding attacker as an “unarmed person coming at ’em with a knife.” Yet officers know all-too-well how dangerous a knife attack can be. And attempting to take a leg shot won’t work out for anyone involved.

I have taught CQB in over 20 countries, and, never, ever, have I or any instructor I worked with, ever used the term “shoot them in the heart”. LEO’s and a vast amount of the military all train students to shoot center mass. And the reason? Its the largest part of the body. One thing should be pointed out for the untrained: the military is trained to kill the enemy, LEO’s are trained to stop the threat. Big difference.

“Former VP Biden’s remark is not just indecipherable (‘an unarmed person coming at ’em with a knife’?!), it’s also misleading to the point of being deceitful,” Bill Johnson, the executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations,

I agree, it is deceitful. You take a completely untrained naive fuck and he is going to say, "How hard is too shoot someone in the leg? Well, slick, its very hard. Small target, moving target, and then you have to account for someone running at you trying to gut you like a fish. This is as stupid as when I was ordered to teach some military recruits to shoot someone wearing body armor through the hips. It seemed the brass realized the 5.56 was not actually a man’s rifle, but, hey, that’s the brass for you. That dumb shit went away in about two weeks. Stupid training kills both the stupid and the smart.

Last week during the protests, I mentioned we were staying in a firehouse on call for “anything not related to the riots”, meaning if a terrorist cell or some active shooter decided to use the situation to their advantage. ( I guess this is what it was, because, our mission parameters were as clear as mud. We could not engage with any locals, local trouble or, I swear to God, “normal looting or destruction “Never receive a clear definition of that term)

So during my shift, a fireman brought his brother into the station for safety. He introduced him and said he wanted me to talk to him about what handgun to buy. Sure, no problem and then asked him if he had ever had any firearms training. “No, he stated, I have been in IT all my career and never had the time, but, how hard can it be?” “Just point it at someone and pull the trigger, right?”

Now, I was thinking some awful thoughts, but, realized this is probably typical of most civilians. Look, if you are an armed citizen with training during this time in our country, I am sure someone in your circle of family, friends, and co-workers are going to ask questions like this. There will be a lot of “fear buying” and untrained people with firearms is a bad situation. It is a critical time, up your game and help bring new people into the tactical fold.

“I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy” : Clint Smith

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3266

But Cheney knows his way around a shotgun. Ba dum, tisss.

3267

I read this to my daughter, after explaining who Biden is, and asked her if she noticed anything strange. She said, if he has a knife, he’s armed. Maybe she should run for president.

I got yelled at in MP school for getting a head shot in during simulation training.

My wife said to me, after hearing about defunding the police, that if they did that where we live, she would think about learning how to use a gun. It’s funny how someone like her, who hates guns, can change their mind when the idea that you are on your own when it comes to your safety comes into play.

3268

I only just recently heard that the Marines got sweet new handguns. Makes me so jealous, haha. We were trained on POS berettas with a 9-16lb trigger pull and got blasted if we didn’t decock them after shooting in the shoothouse. The difference in how we were taught to draw was that when we first started training with them, right out of ITB, many of us hadn’t shot a pistol, and so we drew carefully, presented, and shot, and watched as some people missed targets 7 yards in front of them (which contributes to @idaho’s point about handguns not being a point-and-shoot tool). Once we got to AUC, which was just shooting all day rotating between a range, a shoothouse, and a ship-in-a-box, we were taught to take the safety off at our hip, and as soon as the pistol had cleared the holster, we had to start riding the enormous slack out of those clunky berettas, so that by the time we punched out it was the equivalent of a single action pull (which, for those, was still 4-6 lbs). It was definitely better than drawing, but we had a couple people shoot the ground right in front of them.

That’s strange, we trained a lot of 2 to the chest, one to the head drills, especially in the scenario that you saw an enemy combatant wearing body armor, plus a chest-chest-head-head drill on two targets. Center mass was paramount, but there was definitely training involving headshots.

3269

I’ve been arming antigun liberals for a few months now. One was a 60 something year old hippie lady who bought a 12 gauge from me in a private sale to “defend her toilet paper stash.” Which she said like she was kidding, but she was not kidding. I talked to her for a while tried to give her some good advice, and secretly wished I had some low recoil #4 buck I could have given her.

On the one hand I’m glad to see people actually thinking about their own safety in a proactive way, but I kind of hate seeing my fellow citizens living in fear.

3270

It was MP training when in a more LEO role.

3271

Remember, this is the same dolt who told citizens all they needed was a shotgun, and if they were in fear of their life to fire it in the air to scare off their attackers. I am constantly amazed by politicians who will run their suck about any topic that comes up, including those in which they have absolutely no experience. Then again: politicians. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised by anything stupid they say.

3272

Thought for the day:

Commit yourself mentally to survival – This is the most important, so lead with it. You must mentally commit yourself to survival right now. If you are not mentally prepared for a violent encounter, all the tools in the world will likely be useless to you.

A mental commitment includes finding your weakest skills and working on improving them. Working the skills you are good at doesn’t do you a lot of good. Only by improving where we are weak will we improve our ability to win in a violent confrontation.

Training: Range work, band work.

Question of the day:

The other day, following this comment, I actually wrote out a list of what , i consider to be most weakest areas in my training. I was brutally honest, because, we all know, we often lie to ourselves about our skill levels. That is why training with professionals, competition against skilled people are so important. Going to have to start working on my weakest areas, they are getting too numerous.

What are your weakest areas and what are you going to do about it?

3273

Thought for the day: A stark reminder.

death

Yesterday was American Flag Day and I had no internet to comment. Bring Sunday, I usually try to get a ruck in, because it is hard to have that much time during the week. Decided to go to a large county park which has a four mile trail. I attached a small American Flag to my pack to honor the day. I finished my walk and was unlocking my truck, when a van pulled in beside me. An individual lowered the window and asked me why I had that “flag “on my pack. I said it was American Flag Day.

“That flag is racist, you know”, the individual said.

‘What”? Are serious”?

“Yes”! Someone will see “that Flag” and take it from you”

Well, I said, you may be right, if they send enough people and they are good enough to take it”

I got in my truck and left.

SON OF A FUCKING BITCH.

3274

At this point I’m afraid it is only going to get worse before it gets better. And better may not be within our lifetimes.

3275

I see that the “someone” didn’t happen to be this van fellow.

Some guys walk, some talk.

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