self defense

Just Give Them What They Want

/ hsoi

I was reading an article at the Austin Gun Rights Examiner about how concealed carry saved lives again. Some may jump to say the individual was a law enforcement official. While true, that person was not on duty, had no legal or professional obligation to carry or do what they did. For all intents and purposes, it was just another Joe Citizen that opted to live the life of a sheepdog and protect the sheep from the wolves.

But what moved me about the article was this:

At a 2006 National Violent Crime Summit, attended by police chiefs and mayors from around the U.S., the Cincinnati, Ohio police chief stated: “There’s almost a different code on the street, that it’s not a robbery unless you shoot somebody.” This is due, in part, to the fact that “robbers, especially juveniles, are more likely than ever to shoot victims, even when they do not resist” and that young gangsters shoot people to gain “respect.”

Indeed, a sad commentary on society. But what’s even more sad is the advice given on how to deal with this behavior. Hecate apparently lives in Omaha and has a justifiably flabbergasted reaction to the advice. So, go ask the wolves how they like their sheep to behave. Then we should wonder why the sheep keep getting picked off and the wolves grow numerous and fat?

*sigh*

 

Update: Xavier tells a story of an old friend.

The Art of Fighting Without Fighting

/ hsoi

One of my favorite scenes in Bruce Lee’s film, Enter the Dragon:

While there’s no question it’s fun to talk about the hardware of martial arts (gun calibers, gun makes/models, swords, canes, staff, form/style, modern vs. traditional, etc.) in the end the key to any bit of self-defense is the software: your brain. There are priorities of survival:

  1. Awareness and preparedness
  2. Tactics
  3. Skill
  4. Equipment

Notice that equipment is the least important; it’s still important, just that there are more important things. As you go up the ladder, there’s a “force multiplier”; #4 gives you the least multiplier, #1 gives you the most – all towards your chances of survival. In fact, #1’s multiplier is so strong that it alone can zero out all the others. Take a class like Street and Vehicle Tactics from InSights Training Center.

Best way to win a fight? Don’t get into one. If you know there’s going to be a fight (gun fight, fist fight, whatever), don’t go into it. It’s often said, your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation. Bruce Lee demonstrates this perfectly in the above scene, fighting without fighting, taking care of the bully without throwing a punch or losing his temper.

On a home defense tool

/ hsoi / 25 Comments

What follows is my take on this particular religious war. 

When it comes to defending your home, there are many things you can do. Exterior lights (cockroaches don’t like light), dogs, alarm systems (and using them), keeping your doors and windows locked, trimming back the bushes from exterior windows, and things like that. All of these things are good things to do and add to your layer of home security. I would also say that a firearm of some sort is another layer.

When people think of home defense firearms, what typically comes to mind is a shotgun. When I first thought about a home defense firearm a 12 gauge with 00 buckshot was the direction I headed. But recently I’ve encountered some thinking that has changed my mind, and while a 12 gauge is still part of my home defense battery, it’s no longer my go-to gun.

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