Molon labe (Greek: μολὼν λαβέ molṑn labé), meaning “come and take [them]”, is a classical expression of defiance. According to Plutarch, Xerxes I, king of the Achaemenid Empire, demanded that the Spartans surrender their weapons and King Leonidas I responded with this phrase. It is an exemplary use of a laconic phrase.
Right up there with 'We’ll fight in the shade". Love me some Sparta.
Also very much enjoyed coffee break.
My thanks to those who served and are serving still. Got your 6 my brothers and sisters. Stay dangerous.
RECOMMENDATION REQUEST: Looking for a recommendation for a defensive firearm for my wife. Without getting too personal, my wife has very limited use of her right (dominant) arm due to a serious chronic neurological pain condition. Barring a minor miracle she is unlikely to improve. As a result she is unable to rack the action a semi-auto pistol or support a rifle. I expect a pump gun is out as well. Double action revolver maybe? I’ve never run a revolver. I understand their limitations, but the less ideal gun you can operate is better than the tricked out AR you can’t. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.
No experience with that sort of condition, but a few specific firearms come to my mind that you might want to consider, if you haven’t already. I’m not your wife, but I can’t imagine getting too proficient shooting with my off-hand, especially something small like a j-frame revolver. That’s not to say it can’t be done, just that it seems like a big hurdle for most people who aren’t highly trained.
This caught my eye a few weeks ago, and perhaps a strap or something similar on the slide might put a pump gun back into consideration. Without knowing too much about your wife’s condition, a strap could take a lot of the grip strength factor out of slide racking and turn it into an easier gross motor pattern done mostly with her arm. This particular gun (Mossberg 590 Shockwave) is a not a shotgun or a class III weapon, its a FIREARM (per the ATF), legal in most US jurisdictions, but not all. IIRC you’re Canadian, so it may not be available in your jurisdiction. I would think straps are, however.
Here’s another specific model that might not be legal in your jurisdition, but might a similar brace aid her in practical accuracy with the right firearm?
Cool. Any tips for developing discipline/mental toughness (I’m 13 so that might limit some options)? Also, anything you would add/change to the following?
Rule 1: No one is coming to save you- you aren’t special
Rule 2: Everything is your responsibility- get shit done
Rule 3: Always be working
Rule 4: Take action- time waits for no one
Rule 5: What’s done is done
Rule 6: Discipline > Everything
Rule 7: Shit comes full circle- pay your dues. Do what you should, not what you want
Thanks twojar. Revolver-wise I was actually thinking full size. Like .357 but running .38 special in speed loaders so the weight of the gun would offset the recoil a bit.
Thr issue with pump is that you need to push rounds in against the follower fairly hard. This requires a measure of strength and dexterity. Especially since in the great white north we can’t store our shit loaded.
The carbine is small, but still needs both hands to support, unless you’re wicked strong. Charging handle is an issue too.
I dunno man. no easy answers. Not meaning to be difficult. Thanks again.
My cousin bought his wife a double barreled 20 gauge coach gun for home defense. She has fired it and isn’t afraid of it. Would be better if she would actually train with it. But it’s easier to load, no action to cycle. The second hand would just be for support, wouldn’t have to do work.
I think a full sized revolver would be the way to go. A lot of smaller revolvers can have a stiff trigger in double action, (at least I’ve noticed that with all of the ones I’ve gotten to shoot). If you lighten the springs you can get light primer strikes. I had that problem with a used S&W model 66 a previous owner had monkeyed with. The factory pull wasn’t bad, 12 lbs according to spec, but I’m a man and I work on grip strength.
Yeah. I was thinking along these lines, maybe even with the 6" barrel. Not sure how heavy the trigger is. My pistol is 12# DAO. It’s long and heavy. Wouldn’t be my pick but I make it work alright.
My uncle just got a GP-100, stout gun! Pretty heavy if you’re only shooting .38 +p’s. The S&W model 66 is a lighter frame, heavy enough for .357 but very nice for .38’s. The GP-100 would be great for soaking up recoil if she isn’t intimidated by it’s size. It’s funny how people who aren’t familiar with firearms assume that a heavy gun will kick harder, when it’s the opposite.
One of the female T-Nation’ers, EmilyQ got a Ruger LCR not long ago and really liked the trigger. I don’t remember if she was carrying or using it for home defense.
Agree with this. Good advise from all. I have ran into a couple of cases of Vets losing limbs and they went with a high capacity 9 because, they were not able to reload well. It can be done, but, its not easy.
I don’t know if Canada has indoor firing ranges where you can rent a variety of firearms, that would be my first stop and just let her handle a variety of weapons. A small double barrel .410 or .20 intrigues me and I would certainly check it out. A revolver is a good choice, I know they have fell out of favor with the tact cool crowd, but, I certainly would not feel helpless with one. Cannot beat a Ruger, thou, I would have a gunsmith touch up the action.
If any of these suggestions from everyone doesn’t work out with her, just buy but a good quality .22 auto or revolver, (or better IMHO).22 magnum revolver. I have seen two guys shot dead with the .22 magnum and several with the .22. They are better than nothing and she ( hopefully) will not have any issues with the recoil.
On a personal note: Really got to be hard living with that condition, all my respect. Be safe.
These are my 5 rules in life:
Thou there is certainly nothing wrong with yours
Well, I would say you are ahead of the game being on this forum at 13. At your age, just try to set obtainable goals and make them enjoyable. You are just getting started in life, don’t forget to have some fun, because, believe me, in 5 years, life is going to get hard.
Try to start a “smart” workout program, learn to use the gym when life throws you shit. Don’t try to look like CT, just exercise and don’t get fat.
Stay away from drugs and alcohol, I have seen alcohol destroy some outstanding SF / LEO’s / marriages, etc.
Play some type of sport it will teach you the value of losing.
Start a martial art ( if financially feasible at your age) doesn’t matter what style, just start and learn about yourself in the process.
Nothing gets done if life, unless, you set a goal. At 13 make them simple, but increase the difficulty as you get older. At 13, stop spending so much time on social media, cut it by a quarter and spend that time reading, studying, or working out.
If you are addicted to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or games, start detoxing now. None of those will help you in real life, educational degrees will. Just my 2 cents.
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Motivational Monday:
Thought for the day (1) : Humiliation is a thing never forgotten: Dune
On 11-11-17, at 0230 hours Afghan time, I was jarred awake by my cell phone‘s stupid ring and knew it was nothing good. A colleague of mine, let’s call her Nicky, said “sorry to wake you up, but, I need to talk to you" Well, I knew it was bad before she even started, because, Nicky is not your average person. 8 years in the Marines, lifelong martial artist, competitive shooter, and co-owner of a local CrossFit gym. She lives in the same area I do and occasionally we will schedule a workout or run when I am back in the states. She is tough and I respect her.
“What’s wrong?” She started telling me that she went to Walmart to buy some cat food (its always the little things, isn’t it?)) And when she walked out, she was pushing a cart and just as she reached her car, she was slammed in the back by this asshole (turned out to be a mental patient_) knocked her into the trunk, lost her wind and fell. The guy immediately jumped on her, started choking her.
“I couldn’t breathe well, I was stunned", and, I didn’t know what was happening" She then said, "he stopped choking me and all the fucking weird things to do, pulled off my right shoe and put in his coat pocket”
“I started screaming and trying to kick him the throat”, “he grabbed my leg and bites me on the foot”. “Christ, I said, did you kill him”? Because I know she is usually armed and has the skill. There was a long pause and she “no”, then said, “ a huge guy got out of his truck and ran over , you know, pulp wooder type ( you would have to live in the South to know what that means” ) he picked him up off me and body slammed him head first into the pavement and knocked him the fuck out"
"How injured are you? "I am ok, and then silence and I could hear her crying. "You want to talk it out? Silence, then she said” I really fucked up, I really didn’t do anything, I thought I was going to die.( Let’s call him, “Joe”). If Joe had not got him off me, I would have lost. All my training is for shit, it didn’t do any good”
And there is the real problem. In her mind, she didn’t do anything, there is nothing worse than feeling helpless. We talked about an hour, but, the bottom line was, she was blindsided and once that happened, she was fucked. Once that happens to you ( happened to me) your confidence is in the toilet and you begin to question everything you do. Don’t. Choose one thing you did to save yourself (screaming, kicking) and know that even blindsided, you fought, because, believe me, you will need all the mental help you can get. The thought of “I am going to die” while under attack will change you forever.
Situation awareness is not some tactical catchphrase that I keep writing about, it’s a way of living. I guarantee you, Nicky, will never fail to look behind her again.
Read the following story.
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Thought for the day (2):
Another view:
*Just this Saturday my friend was stalked by a man looking to hurt someone. My buddy was outside taking photos of his family and five minutes earlier snapped a photo with his young son. He’s a very well-trained Marine and he’s a big guy too".
I’m posting this as a lesson for others: My life was saved tonight because I did what guys in my profession do. I watch….I analyze…I develop a conclusion…then a plan for immediate action. I watch people’s behavior and analyze inconsistent patterns outside of the norm which are threat indicators. I just concluded a ten minute savage-like fight for my life with a mentally unstable individual who attacked me with a knife. There was no negotiating with him in his state of mind, and zero options for de-escalation. He was 100% dedicated to whatever was driving him.
Unlike him, I was complacent and unarmed. Essentially, I was an unprepared fool. _The perpetrator displayed ability, opportunity, and intent. I was unarmed and immediately regretting it. 1. I won, obviously. 2. I wasn’t expecting this today because it was a beautiful Saturday and I was walking with family enjoying the sunset…it wasn’t in the context of the war zone. Life was perfect. Seeing this guy’s erratic behavior set off the spider senses and I felt the proxemic push 3. Training and combat experience showed up for the quick tutorials and gave the reminding course of action that I recall following being ambushed. Simple… “Attack the attacker!!”
I never doubted my ability to overcome the scenario, other than initially thinking, “I’m going to have to get cut tonight in order to end it”. Anyhow, he’s no longer a factor because I watched for an opportunity in his attack and was able to exploit it. It turns out he was stalking us. Hunting us. I sensed it. I think this is the most disturbing aspect. He later told the police, “I planned to hurt somebody after I left the house”. Well dipshit, you took me to a place I haven’t had to go to mentally since the fucking Argandab raids, and you got us both hurt. I’ll forgive him for stabbing me. I know there’s a long line for that, but stalking my family??? No sir. No sir. The **sense of security and peace are now gone.That too, something I really needed, irreparable. I’m glad he wasn’t a savvy predator.
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Thought for the day (1): Wednesday’s weapon will be back next week, more pressing items today.
If you haven’t already read the two previous posts, please do before continuing. Lots of good survival information in both.
Thought for the day (2): Active shooters
A gunman choosing targets at random opened fire in a rural Northern California town Tuesday, killing four people at several sites and wounding others at an elementary school before police shot him dead ( good job, brothers)
Johnson says school officials heard shots being fired and immediately locked down the school and that it was “monumental” that school workers took the action they did and that it resulted in saving the lives of countless children. : Great Job, way to follow procedure, that one act demonstrated you training and commitment. You saved so many lives by " _taking action".
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Thought for the day (3): You are responsible for your own survival.
I have written about Active Shooters extensively in past posts.
Here is another view:
Active Shooter incidents can occur anywhere. There is no world geographic region it is excluded from. It was once thought to be restricted to school shootings initiated by students or workers intent on killing their classmates, employers, co-workers and any public member unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. But it can happen anywhere-even in densely populated metropolitan areas.
A study released by the FBI noted the number one weapon of choice is a handgun 59%. The target of choice is business or workplace at 40% and then schools at 29%.
Active Shooter incidents generally happen in smaller communities than larger ones,
Danger happens everywhere and the public still has to contend with terrorist style attacks. These attacks catch everyone off-guard, such as the Mumbai attacks where in 2008, 11 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks occurred across Mumbai, India and 188 people died and 372 injured. Each terrorist came armed with small arms and explosives.
The terrorists also carried backpacks with credit cards, cash, and satellite and cell phones. They had extra ammunition magazines and were out to do a lot of damage. So were the shooters at Columbine. It’s been stated that 9 out of 10 active shooters are suicidal and about half of them kill themselves after the act of rampage. More recently in 2016 we have seen the San Bernardino and the Pulse attacks by Jihadists kill many people and it needs to stop, but it won’t.
Learn to not be a victim.
What can you expect?
Many active shooters are usually acting out of frustration and rage. It could be motivated by sexual frustration , religious dogmatic perceptions or a plethora of things. They are intent on moving throughout a building or area until they are stopped by law enforcement, suicide or intervention. These situations evolve quickly and are unpredictable. es events are usually over within 10 minutes but know that mass murder will occur and this most often is their goal. The Mumbai attacks lasted over 24 hours.
expect carnage such as multiple, traumatic injuries. There will be a lot of noise from alarms, gunfire and people screaming. Expect confusion, such as fire sprinklers spraying, smoke from fire and people running confusedly around you to hide or get away. Expect that it can happen anywhere: The Mumbai attackers killed people in a crowded train station, a restaurant, two hotels, a Jewish community center, a gas station and many other public places. Active shooters want access to a heavy concentration of people.
What can you do?
There is advice given by many security professionals and the advice makes sense. Run, Hide, or Fight. Run if you can because it makes no sense to engage an opponent if you can not be on the same terms. They have weapons and you don’t. One of the big issues for many top-secret federal facilities is the inability for employees to bring in cell phones.
The local police are not going to receive any 911 calls directly if you work in a secure government security. The government quick reaction team in the building will be the first to respond. An employee with a phone can call 911 quickly and that call can filter out to many supporting agencies for added assistance. Any delay caused by rules and regulations in a work place can affect you.
Run if you can. There’s no rationale for staying and fighting if the odds are uneven. You don’t have a weapon to fight back. Let the authorities handle business and unless you are properly trained and authorized to assist, stay out of their way.
- Run
Find an exit and go.
Leave everything behind.
You don’t need that backpack of school books, or your groceries. If you’re at a shopping mall and just spent hundreds of dollars on goods, leave them behind, if you must!! These things will slow you down. If the event is stopped you may get a chance to collect your things. Right now, your life is far more important than a shopping bag.
Stay as calm as you can be.
This will help you to think more clearly and think of potential solutions to a very serious problem. Do not follow others blindly. If you watch videos of the Columbine shooting you will see students in a panic haphazardly following other panicked students around obstacles rather than straight through a room to the other side. This was a horrible and sad event but something others can learn from.
Everyone’s immediate reaction is to run, but where do you run to? It’s obvious that you should run away from the danger but where to? Consider your options, either escape or shelter in place.
An active shooters main goal isn’t to escape but to kill as many people as possible. If you find yourself in an open area, immediately seek cover.
- Shelter in Place and Hide.
Hide behind something that will stop a bullet. A tree, brick wall, pole or building until you can make an escape further away. It’s best to find something that not only provides protection but also concealment. A bush can conceal you but a car will conceal you and provide better covering from an attack. If you are in an open area, try to find a place to hide.
Try not to become trapped. If you’re pinned down secure your immediate area by locking the doors. Doors in most public spaces are solid core and the walls may afford you some better protection than a standard home which has less dense walls. If possible, block the windows and doors with whatever you can find. A desk, a cabinet…ANY furniture if it is available. A determined shooter, in all probability, will injure or kill someone. Try to minimize that opportunity. A shooter may decide it is better to search out other targets than to spend time and breach a room you are barricaded in. Don’t open the door until police arrive.
Turn off the interior lights, and close the window and blinds. This will shut out the noise and reduce the attraction of light. Turn your cell phone and pager off or turn down the volume/vibrator. Keep all of the occupants with you quiet.
Stay out of view of windows and lay down on the floor. Keep out of sight and position yourself behind an item that will give you protection. If you are in a classroom or large room setting, remain against the same wall as the door of entry. This way, if a shooter has a line of sight and is looking through a locked window or door he won’t be able to see you.
- Fight Back.
Know this.
Shooters won’t stop until their sick objective is met or until engaged by law enforcement. They want to kill people. Don’t try to rescue anyone unless you are properly trained and armed. Shooters may bang on doors and yell for help in order to entice you to open the door. Take action only if it’s a last resort and when your life is in imminent danger. Act with others and use a lot of aggression to fight the shooter. Rush with a lot of people and throw anything you can at them. Hit them with a table leg. If there is a chance you are going to get killed, my opinion is to go down fighting. Give it all you got and have no regrets about the damage you are about to do on the active shooter. You want to live not die.
If you happen to reach 911.
Call 911 only if it is safe to do so. Give your exact location such as the building number or room number and the number of people with you. Give the number of injured and types of injuries. Follow the dispatchers directions. If you have suspect info, then give their last known location, the number of suspects, race, gender, clothing and style. List any physical feature and type of weapons if you recall. Do they have a back pack, are they old, young, tall? Give details of shooter(s) to the officers.
If officers arrive.
The average response time is 3 minutes. Average active shooting incident is over in 12 minutes. Emergency Medical Services personnel won’t enter a scene until its secured. Securing a place could take hours. This leaves you on your own for some time. Sadly, victims may bleed to death.
The lone officer who responds will likely engage the active shooter, and the officer might be shot (15% of the time). This is dangerous for the brave officer. If you see an officer, let the officer do the job they were trained to do. Do not impede their mission: to save your life and remove the active shooter.
Listen to their commands. Don’t run to them and try to hug them. Don’t make quick movements or scream or yell. Don’t point at them. Rather, don’t have anything in your hands and instead raise your arms, spread your fingers and show your hands as you drop to the floor. Spread your arms and legs when you prone out on the floor.
The police responders may search you. Help them out by listening and doing everything you are commanded to do. An officers primary job is to locate the shooter (s) and to neutralize this threat. Therefore, medical assistance and help will be given once the threat is taken out. Be prepared to have weapons pointed at you, subject to searches, being yelled at and being handcuffed. You’ll be escorted out of a building by armed officers until it’s safe.
Idaho,
Thank you for this thread. Thank you for making it possible for civilians like myself to sleep peacefully at night. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.
I am 31 years old, a devout Christian, and the husband of a magnificent woman whom I see it as my responsibility to protect. Consequently, I have been seeking to develop preparedness of various forms for the last two years. Unfortunately, it can be so difficult to find accurate information about situational awareness, martial prowess, etc., let alone presented in a truly helpful way. Thank you for enlightening all of us.
P.S. My first thought when I saw your name and logo was, “has this guy named himself after the famed Swordmaster of Ginaz?” Nice to see other Dune fans still around 
No problem, but there are many knowledgeable people on this thread. I have found the Combat Forum to have the most professionals on this site and I don’t know it all. For martial arts advice, always follow what Sento says, because I consider him to be the best here. You can find him on the pure martial arts threads. As always, anything I have learned has either been through experience or another instructor. Welcome.
LOL, yeah , he was my childhood hero. That’s why the “i” in idaho is not capitalized, got to honor those who inspired you as a child. BTW, you know he turned out to be the Kwisatz Haderach in one of Herbert’s son’s novels. I have read every book, but, his son is certainly not the writer his father was.