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The Reasonable Man Doctrine

March 23, 2010 By Marty Hayes JD & filed under All Articles, Defensive Legal Issues.

At first I intended to write about one of the sexier aspects of self-defense as it pertains to the legal arena, perhaps something about the “21-foot” rule (and why it is not a rule at all), or maybe why shooting someone in the back isn’t necessarily murder (even though the pinheaded DA thinks it is).…

Human Weapon System, Part 1: Command and Control

February 24, 2010 By Robert Smith & filed under All Articles, Defensive Fitness.

Last month, we introduced the concept of the Human Weapon System and evaluated its assets and weaknesses. Now we’ll start to examine the components of the Human Weapon System (HWS) in detail. There is a glut of information regarding thought and integration of action in response to threat situations in the current body of data…

The Revolver: Unappreciated Advantages

January 13, 2010 By Grant Cunningham & filed under All Articles, Handguns, Self Defense Firearms.

HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE WHEELGUN I’m sure you’ve heard it before: someone asks, “Which is better: revolver or autoloader?” Everyone chimes in that revolvers are more reliable and simpler to operate. Over and over again. Yadda yadda yadda. Related PDN Video: Getting Started Shooting a Revolver Those things are generally true, but there…

Leather: Still a Good Idea for Firearms

January 13, 2010 By Andy Langlois & filed under All Articles, Equipment and Accessories, Personal Defense Equipment.

My fellow trainers note that some people eschew leather and have never even owned a holster that was not plastic. These people are missing out on one of the finer parts of firearms carry! While I am biased toward leather for my CCW needs, I do use Kydex for my duty rig. I have also…

Integrating Medical Knowledge Into Combative Wisdom

January 13, 2010 By Robert Smith & filed under All Articles, Defensive Fitness.

“Experience is only good if you learn from it.” Humans are a unique biological system. When placed in the context of defending itself, a human characteristically attacks and defends itself based on a complicated series of generational learning and unique anatomy and physiological constructs. In the initial evaluation, a human does not look very threatening…

Problem Two: Legal Issues in Self-Defense

January 13, 2010 By Marty Hayes JD & filed under All Articles, Defensive Legal Issues.

The late, great Col. Jeff Cooper, founder of the famous firearms school Gunsite, first called the issue of dealing with the criminal justice system after a self-defense shooting “problem two.” Specifically, he opined that surviving the deadly force encounter was “problem one,” and everything that occurred afterward (the emotional, societal and legal issues) was “problem…

Dare To Know!

January 13, 2010 By Rob Pincus & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.

You may be familiar with an essay that I wrote in 2008 on the topic of Respectful Irreverence as an approach to tactical training topics. I want to explore an underlying theme in more detail, the theme of Sapere Aude, “Dare to Know.” Originally, this Latin phrase was used to advise people to “trust their…

Don’t Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight

January 13, 2010 By Michael Janich & filed under All Articles, Non-Firearm Defensive Tools.

The Other Side of the Close-Quarter Dilemma Since Sean Connery’s unforgettable scene in the movie The Untouchables, the concept of “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight” has become almost a cliché in the firearms training world. Indeed, most firearms training programs that include close-quarter shooting techniques advocate dealing with a knife-armed attacker by immediately…

The Importance of Efficiency in Personal Defense Training

January 13, 2010 By Rob Pincus & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.

I make a big deal about efficiency. I use the word a lot. I sometimes correct people awkwardly when they say “effective” but mean (or should mean) “efficient.” The ease with which people interchange the two words without actually thinking about their different meanings is indicative of why the difference needs to be stressed. Merely…

Getting Students’ Attention

January 13, 2010 By Paul Haberstroh & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.

While preparing a personal safety lecture for a local group, I was looking for an opening that would get everyone’s attention. My audience was a group of teen and pre-teen girls and a few parents. The inspiration for the class was the recent abduction and murder of a seven-year-old girl. Being in an upscale community,…