Workout Wednesday -- The Turkish Get-Up

 The benefits of learning and performing (and some history about) the TGU. 

 

Tik Tok Gets The Boot In Canada... and ... Keep Your DNA Data To Yourself

 On the recommendation ofCanadian Security Services, The Canadian Government has ordered TikTok to remove it's Chinese offices from Canadian soil.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/11/tiktok-ordered-to-close-canada-offices-following-national-security-review

This one is for all you people who are obsessed with finding long lost relatives, and/or discovering if you're descended from somebody famous.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/11/dna-testing-company-vanishes-along-with-its-customers-genetic-data

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today Ed Calderon Discusses Being the 'Gray Man' While Traveling

 Now to be honest, a lot of the material in this article seems  geared towards a person or persons engaged in some kind of undercover work of some sort. Especially if operating in a foreign country. Still, there are several recommendations that can be used for the average person when (far) away from home. 

So, to paraphrase the old saying, "take what's useful, and leave the rest behind". 

 

The Way of the Tijuana Donkey – Ed Calderon’s Gray Man Mindset

How to Educate Yourself on Local Customs to Enhance Your Safety in an Unfamiliar Environment

Written by Ed Calderon on November 2, 2019

“If necessary you should choose to disguise yourself as a shukke [monk], yamabushi [hermit], merchant or anything else that you feel is appropriate to the situation. Pilgrims have a good reason to move around shrines and temples. For this purpose, which is different from other cases, it may be better for you to move as a company of two or three people. In such cases, the technique of dakkō, to understand all the local customs and dialects, is used.” — Quote taken from the Shoninki, as written in 1681 by Master Ninja Natori Masazumi

I recently found myself standing on a corner in downtown Tijuana, waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street, when I saw a man walking a donkey painted as a zebra. He was on his way to work at one of the famous picture stands on Revolution Avenue. Anywhere else on the planet, a man walking down the street with a donkey covered in zebra stripes would certainly draw attention. But the famed “zonkeys” of Tijuana have been a familiar sight in the tourist districts of this city since the 1930s, when gambling was outlawed in Mexico and the industrious local track owners had to find a new way to procure American dollars from tourists.

 No one batted an eye at this spectacle, no one took a cell phone picture, no one looked and pointed. No one except an American standing next to me, that is. This zonkey was in its natural environment. It was part of the baseline normal and no matter how outlandish, the majority of the people around me didn’t even acknowledge it.

To Read The Rest Of This Article, Click on the link Below

 copyright@Offgridweb.com

 https://www.offgridweb.com/survival/the-way-of-the-tijuana-donkey-ed-calderons-gray-man-mindset/

Workout Wednesday -- What Do You Do If Your Pepper Spray Fails?

I'm a big proponent of OC Spray (Pepper Spray). However, I understand the fact that sometimes it's not going to work. Which is why you always need to have a plan B. Michel Mulder of UC Netherlands shows an option should it your OC Spay fails to stop or deter a criminal assailant.

 

 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today James Reeves Tests the Stoeger M3000 Semi-Auto Shotgun.

 It's been a while since We've seen James do a heavy duty shotgun test. In fact, it's way overdue.  So people,go get your favorite beverage sit back, and enjoy! Because when Mr. Reeves decides to do a 500 Round Burndown test, it's always worth watching!

Things Are NOT Going Well For Antifa This Year

 With convictions in California, Oregon, and Georgia, it's been a rough year for the 'Black Bloc'. 

Wednesday Workout (Personal Protection Related) -- Knowing When To Pre-Emptively Strike

 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today Randy Couture (Former UFC Champion) Demonstrates One Of His Regular Training Routines

 The video is from 2009. This routine is geared more towards Strength/Endurance as opposed to just Strength. It's a simple, straightforward routine, and Randy explains why he uses lower weights for this program.

 

 

How To Use Headbutting To Get Out Of Bad Grappling Situation

 My old instructor always advised to never deliberately go to the ground during an assault. But if you did wind up on the ground due to a fall or a takedown, to disengage and get up as quickly as you can. You never know if the guy attacking you has grappling skills himself, or whether he has a friend or two to back him up.

Now people from both sides of the "take him to the Ground"  or "stay off the Ground if you can" debate  will argue this to death. People from both sides will cherry-pick Youtube videos to prove their point. Especially regarding the part about the presence of 3rd parties getting involved.

Bottom line,  don't take the chance. 

Now while I personally have trained to acquire some grappling skills, I am not the biggest fan of grappling. The fact is that I'm not that young anymore, and I have a lot of accumulated chronic damage from  assorted accidents, and poor decisions. However, I will heartily recommend that everyone who reads this blog for reasons of personal protection should invest the time and resources in training at least a basic level of grappling proficiency.

Having said all that, the video below is a good example of some things you can do to hurt and thereby get up and get away from an assailant that may find yourself entangled with on the ground. 

 

 

Wheelgun Wednesday -- Today We Discuss Just How Long SnubNose Revolvers Have Actually Been Around

 Would you believe 1837?  You better, and the first one was actually a Colt. Read on people, and be astounded!

 

Small Guns With Big Holes: The Snub Nose Revolver Evolution

by Dennis Adler

 The very first snub nose revolver was a Colt. And you can erase the image of a Detective Special or even a 2-inch barreled Peacemaker from your mind. The first Colt snub nose was a Paterson. It was also the very first Colt revolver, built all the way back in 1837! A small pocket pistol chambered in .28 caliber, Sam Colt called it the No. 1, or Pocket Model revolver. It has since become more popularly known as the Baby Paterson.

To read the rest of this article, click on the link below. 

https://athlonoutdoors.com/article/snub-nose-revolver-evolution/

Hurricane Milton Part 3

 PART 3

Arriving Home And Assessing the Aftermath

Oct 11, 2024 at 12:46pm  

I am back at home. We had some minimal roof and cage damage. Mostly tree limbs down across the area and not huge trees like with hurricane Ian. Several traffic signals out but not terrible.

Our power was on when we arrived yesterday at 6pm. Generator ran for 19 hours and did it's job. All food we stocked in fridge/freezer was good.

Generac whole house generator recommendation: Thumbs up - IF you can spare the $20k! For the normal short term outage that most experience - 2 to 5 hours - they work great. Just like in the commercials. Automatically powers up the entire house after a 2 second delay.

What the commercials don't show is the mandatory yearly maintenance cost. If you pay the local Generac dealer to perform it, it will run from $350 - $650 depending on the level of service you choose. The level is based on the quality of oil, spark plugs, and air filter.

However, for you shade tree mechanics like I was back in the day, you can easily do yourself. If you can change spark plugs, oil, oil filter, and air filter on a 1960's era car, you can do it on the generator. I bought a Generac brand service kit from Amazon for $75 and did it myself. I could probably get the individual components cheaper from the parts store, but I didn't want Generac bitching about the parts quality as is still under warranty.

Speaking of warranties, many fear doing the work yourself violates the warranty. Not true! Generac says you can DIY, but must update the maintenance schedule in the app to show it was done. Simple.

Now, for long term emergency/survival situations, I got an email from Generac that said to shut down the generator after 24 hours run time and check the oil level. There is a specific shut down procedure, but the oil check is just like for a car. Then you must restart using the reverse order. Not as complicated as it may sound. Simple!

Why the oil check? You shade tree mechanics will recall your hot rod started using oil when vales got out of adjustment. You had to keep adding oil until could do a valve job. Same thing here. After 24 hours continuous use, the valves may need adjusting. If it starts using oil and not replaced, it will auto shut off to prevent damage.

If oil is low, just add more till full again. Will need to do this every 24 hours of continuous use. However, after the emergency is over, it will need a valve adjustment in addition to the plugs, oil, and filters. Again, for all your hot rod mechanics, you can do this yourself. It the exact same procedure as on your old car.

It isn't complicated, but a real pain the ass to reach the back two valves. The Generac dealer will charge an additional $350-$400 for the valve job, so I will be doing myself, if needed. I haven't checked the oil level yet as we had power when we got back yesterday and the generator was already off. If I have to perform myself, it will probably involve a lot of cussin' and a couple of wrench throwing hissy fits, but I'll get it done. All the procedures are on You Tube if you need to see for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJW_51a65sI

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH7BDaSr2sc

 Another factor to consider is Generac only warranties the generator for 5 years. They have a 10 year added warranty you can purchase. I got for free as part of a promotional deal.

So, for your $20k (give or take) you get a stand-by generator that will power your entire house......... for a while anyway!

You definitely need to check the oil every 24 hours minimum. The service maintenance after 24 hours and the valve adjustment after 36 hours of continuous use. If can't DIY, it gets expensive.  With the valve job, it will be $750-$1000 if you pay someone to do it for you. And I just did the annual maintenance in August, so now I will have to perform it again here in October thanks to Milton.

However, it DID keep our food from spoiling when we bugged out. I guess everyone will have to do their own cost-benefit analysis to see if it’s worth it.

Now, as to the solar "generator" (really a power bank that can be solar charged), I bought the Geneverse Home Power Two model. I added an additional solar panel and the splitter that allows charging in line, which is faster.

I did the research and supposed to be one of the better ones. I like it OK, with some caveats. First, must charge from the wall socket before needed. The good new is it retains a charge well. I charged to 100% when I purchased back in the summer and it still had 98% when I did my pre-hurricane check.

That charge should run your fridge/freezer for 2-3 days, plus maybe a minor appliance or two. The bad news is the solar recharge is verrry slow. And that is with two panels with the in-line splitter and FL sunshine. I would need to recharge every day, all day long, to keep charged.

Not that hard. Just put the panels out and plug the extension cord in. But would need to do every morning and re-position the panels every hour or so to keep in direct sunlight. And that is in FL - the sunshine state. For, more northern climates where the sun doesn't shine for days, I don't know.  All I can say is that solar charging doesn't work all that well here. I was disappointed in how slow it charged just using the sun. It does charge, but would have to charge all day, every day. And not run too many things. Just the fridge and maybe a few essentials from time to time as needed.

The good news is it needs no maintenance!

I don't have a portable gas generator, but I suspect not all gold there either. Aside from needing to store gasoline, they probably need some routine maintenance as well. And more of a pain to use unless hook up to a transfer switch. They are cheaper than a whole house or solar generator though.

That is it for generator 101. I'll be posting a list of lessons learned for Milton sometime soon. Stay tuned!



Oct 12, 2024 at 5:07pm  

We are still in clean up mode and dealing with insurance claims. When life gets more settled the wife and I are going to do an AAR. Then, I'll be able to post a more through Milton review.

The biggest thing, though, will be the "should I stay or should I go" decision point. All I can stay is it is not as easy as you would think watching on TV when it actually applies to you.


Oct 22, 2024 at 12:03pm   

The clean up mode is taking longer than I thought and the AAR is scheduled for tomorrow, but thought I would get started with lessons learned.

Before I get to #1, the general situation didn't first look as bad, but closer examination showed more damage. Our lanai cage (you probably don't know what that is unless from FL) will need to be completely replaced. I just thought a screen was ripped but the frame is bent. The roof showed more damage then first thought also. We are dealing with the insurance on these. More about that later.

The area around the beach sustained major damage which is no surprise. What makes it especially bad is coming less than 2 weeks after Helene which also damaged these areas. Business places and homes were just starting to get back to normal when Milton wiped them out again. Most do not have flood insurance (more about that in a moment also) and what they had saved to self-insure was spent on Helene. I don't know if many will ever come back.

Some homes will just be sold for the property value but owners will still be responsible for the clean up. Same for businesses. Many restaurants on the beach are completely filled with sand and were underwater. They would need to replace everything in side the 4 walls to reopen. After they dig out the mountain of sand.

FEMA trucks, utility trucks, etc. are still here. A big camp set up in a strip mall parking lot down the road. Portable trailers, kitchens, bathrooms. Not porta potties either. Serious stuff. And new. People are speculating who they are and why they are there. No govt logos, but a "private recovery company" one said. Hmmm!

Debris pick up is still an issue in older areas that had mature trees. The new build area look like nothing happened. A strange thing is the wind and salt spray turned all the oak leaves, and turned many pine trees and shrubs, brown. The air dried them out but we hope they come back.

With that general assessment lets get to some Lessons Learned:


*** 1. The "It can't happen here" syndrome.

Many, or most people never thought it would happen here. The area went decades with no big hurricanes. Then we had Ian in 2022, and in 2024, Debbie in Aug, Helene in Sept, and Milton in Oct. Each was a different storm with different results. I an and Milton forecasts were mostly wrong and we found ourselves suddenly in the cross hairs at the last minute.

Many here were still not prepared even after Ian. That was supposed to be our "1 in a 100" storm. It was not! Some still do not have generators or even storm shutters. Almost no one has flood insurance. Most did not understand the difference in a flood zone and a storm surge zone, although they do now.

The lesson learned is to realistically assess your risks (instead of living in denial) and prepare accordingly. Just because nothing happened for the last 75 years doesn't mean it won't tomorrow. We all know about the flooding in NC, but I've seen flooding in KY in the last several years in places that never flooded before. We seem to be in a cycle of events where the extraordinary is the norm today.

One big thing to check is insurance. Most people do not have flood insurance and if an unexpected flood damage occurs the normal homeowner policy won't cover it. And don't have to live in a flood zone to be flooded.

Also, photograph/video the home before anything happens and make a list of contents for insurance purposes. Some things like firearms and jewelry might require separate riders. Common sense but most don't do it.

*** 2. “Should I Stay, or Should I Go?”

This is THE biggest misconception I've found. It is MUCH harder to make the decision to evacuate than anyone realizes that has not been in that position. It is NOT easy to abandon one's home! Trust me!

Most will wait too long to decide and either be stuck in a huge traffic jam (and running out of gas), or will be forced to ride it out at home whether they want to or not due to deteriorating conditions. I can tell you that most of the people I know that were in a mandatory evacuation zone did not leave. They were lucky!  The storm lost strength from a CAT 5 to a CAT 3 at landfall. IMO, that was God's hand stilling the storm. If it has come ashore as a CAT 5 many of those people would have drown. The other factor was it was a fast moving storm and didn't have time to really push a lot of seawater on shore, or rain to cause flooding. Again, just a little different circumstances and it would have been body bag city.

I cannot provide an exact answer of exactly when to stay or leave. Too many factors and every situation will be different. I can provide some insights into evacuation, though. First, is leave early if you are going to do so. But few will.

Here is a general rule: By the time it becomes obvious you need to leave, it will already be too late. You will need to leave before the herd is out on the interstate and caught in a 50 miles traffic jam and running out of gas. If you wanted too long (and you will) it is better just to ride it out at home, or get to some type of local shelter, if possible. Leaving early is always better, if not easier.  People will laugh at you but you may get the last laugh.

Ask me how I know? Because it happened to me in Milton. Biggest evacuation order the west coast of FL ever experienced.  Some orders coming only hours before the storm arrived. Those that waited were frantically trying to find accommodations, or just had to ride it out.

We left at 10am Monday morning and traffic was already bad with lines at gas stations (keep your tank full). We had friends that left at 5am the same day and no traffic. We booked a hotel room Sunday morning and already rooms were scarce. Remember the hurricane arrived Wednesday evening ahead of the forecast time. Those that decided to leave Tuesday faced traffic jams and long gas lines. When some zones were evacuated late Tues/early Wed it was too late. Every hotel room in FL was already booked.

Check Lists. Have a check list for prepare the home to leave and another on what to bring with you. The reason is under SNS stress you won't think clearly. You forget important things. You do unimportant things. When have a checklist you just go down the checklist. Of course, every situation will be different. With hurricanes you get a little notice but still not a lot. I spent all day Sat/Sun putting stuff up on high and otherwise preparing the house. All per checklist. Same with preparing to leave. I had a checklist of what to bring and just went down the list.

Route Planning. One tip I learned was P.A.C.E. Stands for Primary/Alternate/Contingency/Emergency routes. These are rank ordered in terms of speed and efficiency. Primary routes will clog up first, so alternate and contingency routes may be better. In Milton, many here were heading north which was crazy because going right into the storm's projected path and every hotel room on I-75 from the GA border to Atlanta was booked. Ask me how I know!   

The reason SNS stress. The primary evacuation routes are I-75 and I-95 north so that is what people remembered under stress. We went south (opposite direction) and traffic was light once we left town. This would be an alternate route. I had topped off the tank on Saturday so no worries there and [passed up everyone lined up a gas stations along the way.

Some friends chose a contingency route being a two lane road running east-west. They also reported light traffic. An emergency route would be to the shelter. I had driven the route in June in my hurricane prep and had it programmed in my GPS, and well as on hard copy map. Alternate routes to the shelter are also advisable in case obvious routes are clogged or blocked.

Accommodations. I already mentioned having a reservation and getting it early. Can always cancel at no charge with 24 hours notice if not needed. Make that reservation early and have a location already in mind. Another lesson learned: hotel generators are not whole house generators. Even though they say they have a generator it may only be for emergency lighting. Don't necessarily expect the restaurant to be open and able to enjoy your TV, A/C, and wi-fi. Speaking of wi-fi, I have my pwn portable hot spot which is nice.

Communication/Navigation. Having a CB radio or scanner allows you to determine traffic delays and road conditions. One lesson learned for me was how valuable On-Star can be.  They provide emergency wi-fi even if didn't opt for the data plan. And the operator will provide direction on the best alternate routes, advise where gas can be found, and general emergency assistance. I upgraded to the primary plan after Milton.

I also have a non cell phone GPS in case cell towers are out. I have heard cell phone GPS will work without cell service but I didn't want to try it. Of course, GPS works off satellites and must be able to communicate with the satellite which it may not during stormy conditions. Emergency hard copy maps with PACE routes marked are always a good idea.

Of course, don't forget the recharge cord and a power bank or three to keep devises charged.


***3. Bugging Out

The first is be able to take "Fast, Decisive Action" (Jeff Anderson). Meaning have a bug out bag packed and ready. Store either in the vehicle or in garage where can just grab as you leave.

Bugging out has gotten a lot of bad press and rightly so. The only reasons to leave, IMO, is fire or water. If your home is going to be burned down, or under water, you don't want to be there. And, as I said, because you dallied in making the decision to leave, you will now not have time to pack. This is an emergency and  need to leave - like NOW!

I have two bug out bags packed just for the hurricane shelter which is a local school. Nothing there and you must bring everything you want/need. Including food and water. These are not hotels and a reason officials say it is a last resort. If one didn't leave early than a shelter is the only answer.

So evacuation and bugging out are two different things. One done early, the other a panicked emergency.

Hurricane Milton Part 2

 Part 2

Decision To Leave And Hitting The Road

Oct 7, 2024 at 4:31pm  


We have made it to our bug out location on the other coast. The county evacuated the first two zones and our zone is on stand by to evacuate. The evaluation orders were issued about an hour before we left and local traffic was already backed up, and we saw long lines at gas stations.

Once going south, though, traffic moved along well. Everyone was going north for some reason I cannot fathom. They are heading right into the storm.

Milton is a CAT 5 175 mph hurricane now and fortunately a fair amount of wind shear exists off the coast which will knock it down to a CAT 3. That is bad enough, but a CAT 5 moving onto that area would be bad news indeed. Especially if Tampa Bay is in the Right Front Quadrant.


I have to laugh at politicians telling people to execute their hurricane plan, because the fact is that they have no hurricane plan. They have no preparation and they have no flood insurance. Every time I ask if people have flood insurance they tell me no because they are not in a flood zone. They have no clue they are in a storm surge zone or even know what a storm surge zone is.

However, Milton may give them a rude education. Already hearing that many people had storm surge or flooding in Helene, only to find out they have no insurance coverage because it was water damage.

With major disasters seemingly the new normal today, I suspect everyone may become preppers.


Oct 7, 2024 at 10:52pm  

The biggest thing to understand is how hard the decision is to evacuate or not. Most people are reluctant to abandon their homes and things. Especially if you might need to quickly attend to what happens during and after a storm.

The decision is harder than you might think. But, if you wait too long, the decision is made for you. As I told my wife, no decision is a decision in itself. You wait too long then the roads are clogged and gas stations out of gas. And then, if it really gets bad, you get to do the panic emergency escape.

OR.... you die! I am hearing NC is finding bodies in attics where they tried to escape the rising waters but died in their attics.

Don't get afraid too late.

You just have to look at the information available at the time and make the best decision you can and then act on it. And, you will not always be correct. Sometimes you are going to leave when things turned out to not be that bad. But that is better than the opposite.

The other big thing is to have a plan in place to able to act fast once the decision is made. Checklists are great when under SNS stress. You are not thinking straight under pressure and checklists take the stress off trying to remember everything and make sure you didn't forget something.

And, even with a checklist, you will probably forget something. Imagine what you would forget without one! I had checklists for emergency supplies, for preparing the house for a strike, and for bugging out, and they were invaluable.

Just having a general plan prevents panic. What I have seen is most will initially be in denial and dismiss the threat. Than, as the threat becomes too real to dismiss, they will start to panic and run to and fro, doing irrational things. Like buying Toilet Paper in the dock workers strike.

1. Access the threats you are likely to face.

2. Make a plan to mitigate the risks.

3. Obtain supplies and equipment to mitigate risks in advance.

4. Act when real risks materialize instead of dismissing.

4. Leave early if evacuate is the answer.

But, I can tell you that tonight, as we speak, that I personally know people that live in evacuation zones that are still home tonight. That do not have proper insurance. And, that have been out today standing in long lines trying to obtain necessary supplies they should have stocked back in June.

It is just human nature.


Oct 8, 2024 at 4:12pm  

Another thing to consider is not just surviving the storm, but the aftermath. Power, water, internet, and cell service will be down for days or weeks. If don't have food and water stocked, a generator, lanterns, etc., then not being to be able to live there anyway. If do have all that will get to practice your survival skills. Not going to be fun!

From what people tell me is on FaceBook, neighbors were shocked about the evacuation and had no idea where to go. Some had no gas. Some just grabbing whatever they could and jumping in the car to go out into massive traffic jams and gas stations running out of fuel.

Others are trying to be tough and saying that it won't be that bad. Like I said though, it is just not a matter of surviving the storm but the aftermath.



Oct 9, 2024 at 3:19pm  

New tip. Once you have done all you can, then stop incessantly watching the news and weather who constantly predict the worst case scenario. This needlessly promotes anxiety and worry. We watch the NHC updates every three hours and then turn it off.

At the other end of the spectrum, I see insane social media posts by people staying in evacuation zones. Some stating wildly inaccurate elevation levels for their homes, and others said they are fine because they have a generator. Then someone else chimed in with a post and reminded them that generators don't run underwater.

It's amazing the capacity that humans have for denial and self-delusion.



Oct 10, 2024 at 8:20am  

AM Update:

Thought I'd give a brief post as we are going to try and make it back home today. There is no power or wi-fi there. Unless the On Star wi-fi is working I won't have any internet.

We need to get back because, in a stroke of genius, we locked ourselves out of our own house if power is out. The generator may shut off after 24 hours and I'm sure I will have more about that later. Basically you to have to shut down your generator after 24 hours and check the oil level due to valves going out of adjustment. If the oil level falls to a certain point, the generator shuts off to protect itself. Something Generac doesn't mention in their commercials.

Not to fear though, because I also bought a solar generator which will be paying off quicker than I expected.

I freaked out a bit around 1 am when the Ring camera and security cameras went off. I was imagining under water, but then I realized it was because the wi-fi went out.

I should have some good feedback, especially on generator maintenance, when I get my wi-fi back. Like I said, not sure when that will be after we get back, unless On Star wi-fi is working.

Stay tuned!



















    

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today We Discuss Hurricane Prepping -- Hurricane Milton Part 1

 Today's Blog Post is by way of regular contributor Steve Forester. Steve resides in Sunny, but Hurricane/Tropical storm prone Florida. He recently had to deal with both Hurricane Helene and Milton. I'm sure many of you guys have read magazine articles and online advice from Prepping websites about how to prepare for and deal with natural disasters like Hurricanes before, all written by people who are considered subject matter experts. 

Now there's nothing wrong with that, but Steve thought that it might be a good idea to actually give a first hand account of the lead up to, and execution of an actual "Bug Out" plan. The description of the situation as it progressed and the the decisions that were made are from his posts at a small forum that he belongs to. you will see dates and time at the beginning of each post.

I will be presenting these accounts in a 3 or 4 part series over the next week or so. Hopefully, you'll all get something out of Steve's experience.

Part 1

Before The Event

Oct 5, 2024 at 1:12pm  

The tropical disturbance that was in the Caribbean yesterday and not expected to develop, is now in the gulf and expected to rapidly intensify and track right into the west coast by late Tuesday!  

So, now the age old question: do we stay or do we go?

This one looks pretty nasty, and not a lot of time to decide. If things stay on track I-75 N will be a parking lot by Monday in the PM. Maybe earlier. Should really leave tomorrow, but must prepare the house for the storm, pack, etc.

Fortunately, being prepared, I have a checklist to follow on preparing the house, and bug out bags already packed.

I was watching Jeff Anderson's video on preparing yesterday, and he emphasized being ready to take fast, decisive, action.  Even though hurricanes normally present much warning, not always! I didn't expect waking up this morning to be preparing the house this afternoon, and then hitting the road tomorrow.


Oct 5, 2024 at 8:43pm  

This thing has the makings of a perfect storm. A CAT 2/3 which could mean a 4/5. Coming straight into the coast at 90 degrees, and looks like it will arrive at high tide.
This could be worse than anything we have ever seen before. Whoever is in the Right Front Quadrant is going to be in for it good and proper.


Oct 6, 2024 at 9:07pm  

"Do we stay or do we go?" is not an easy decision to make. People do not want to abandon their homes and their belongings - especially when quick action may be required. But, it is better than dying in place. We got a hotel on the opposite coast and will be leaving early tomorrow, but it was a tough call.

Bottom line is if you wait till it is obvious you should evacuate, it will be too late. If you leave and not that bad, the neighbors will sneer at you and call you a 'fraidy cat. If you leave and all hell breaks loose, you are the hero.

Here are some things I know for sure:

1) No one ever said: "I regret I evacuated early".
2) No one ever said: "I wish I had prepared less".

I would rather be over prepared than under prepared.

Speaking of that my hours/days/weeks of hurricane planning paid off. My plans were made. My checklists done. It was just making the decision to stay or go that was painful. And nothing can be done about that.

But, once that decision was made, I only had to execute my pre-made plan, and the check lists were invaluable. I could feel the low grade SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) stress kicking in and just having to go down the checklists helped to keep it low grade.

This is the key, I think.

I will keep everyone posted. Thought you might be interested in real life prepping and execution rather than reading an article in some magazine by someone who has never done it.

Sorry I've Been Lax With The Blog Post This Week Guys...

 But a small flood in the basement that created quite the mess and killed off my old washing machine has kept me more than occupied the last few days. So, today I bring you another Pearl Of Wisdom from David James.

 

Need I remind you to Pay Attention!! 

 

 

 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today We Discuss Why The 10mm Auto Round Nver Caught On After The FBI Ditched it

 It was supposed to be "The Next Big Thing" back in the late 80's and early 90's. Alas, such was not to be after the FBI dumped it in favor of the .40 S&W just 7 years after the adopting the 10mm. From Lucky  Gunner Ammo, we have a video detailing the whole story and the factors (including Gaston Glock and S&W) that resulted in the 10mm becoming another caliber being left in the rear view mirror of firearms development.

 

 

A Little Saturday Humor For Us Older Guys Here At The Blog

 

Workout Wednesday -- Solo Training And BOB or Spar Pro Training Dummies

 It's hard to find a decent training facility, or even a reliable partner or two these days. While solo training is not always ideal, it provides a reasonable alternative to to just looking at a Video or a Book/Manual. I've put up solo training videos here at the Blog before using focus mitts, primarily from Urban Combatives. Today, I'm putting up several videos on the use of the BOB/SparPro training dummies. If you can afford to buy one, great, if not, with a little imagination a heavy bag can be modified to provide something almost as good.

 The videos below should give you some ideas for using a Bob or SparPro training dummy. The bottom two videos are from John Hackleman, owner of the The Pit, a training facility in Hawaii. For more info on John Hackleman, go to https://www.thepit.tv/

 

Lee Morrison On Various Forms Of Assault

 

And Down Old Mexico Way, Cartel Armored Vehicles Are Evolving

 They used to be a bit strange and impractical. Mostly good for impressing rival cartels and the general public, and even useful for going up against the National Police. But times change, and so have the designs and efficiency of the euphemistically referred to as the "Narco Tanks".

This article from the InsightCrime website shows just how much things have changed, and more importantly, why.

Mexico’s Narco Tanks Are Going From Impractical to Tactical 

by Sara Garcia Oct 11, 2024

copyright@Insightcrime.org

The use of Mexico’s now-legendary narco tanks in face-offs between criminal groups is growing, and technological innovations have helped them evolve from being a symbolic emblem to an important tactical weapon on the battlefield.

Narco tanks are usually trucks, tractors, or pickups that have been adapted for criminal groups in clandestine workshops. Steel plates, turrets for positioning long weapons, and peripheral vision are some of the features that are added, among others.

The Zetas, a group born out of deserters from the Mexican armed forces in the service of the Gulf Cartel, were the first to use this type of vehicle in the early 2010s.

To read the rest of this article go to the link below: 

https://insightcrime.org/news/mexicos-narco-tanks-are-going-from-impractical-to-tactical/

Sunday With Blackthorn -- A Brief Piece Of Wisdom From Tim Larkin *Plus* Some Political Humor

 On The Subject of Violence  from Tim Larkin Of Target Focus Training

I saw this in an email from Tim Larkin and thought I would share as such very simple, but not readily apparent, truths:

**********************************************

"Ever seen someone get stabbed?

It's not pretty.

Blood everywhere. Screaming. Chaos.

Most people freeze. They think, "How do I stop this?"

Wrong question...

The right question? "How do I shut him down before he can hurt me?"

Big difference.

Here's the truth...You can't prevent violence once it starts.

You can only do violence better than the other guy.

Scary thought right?

But here's the good news...

You can prevent violence before it starts.

How?

1. Don't be there. Best defense? Good legs. Run. Seriously. No shame in it. See a sketchy situation? Walk away. Hear raised voices? Go the other way. Your ego isn't worth your life.

2. Be nice. Defuse. De-escalate. Give up that parking space. Let the jerk have the last word. Swallow your pride. It tastes better than blood. Remember... kind words cost nothing. Hospital bills? They're steep.

3. If shit hits the fan? Be ready to act. Hard. No half measures. No fancy moves. Just pure, brutal efficiency. Eyes, throat, legs. Shut them down. Fast. It's you or them... choose you.

Most people get this wrong. They try to look tough. Big mistake.

That scares away normal folks. But it attracts the real monsters.

Want to stay safe?

Focus on what happens before violence.

Use your words. Walk away. Run if you have to.

But if things go south? Be ready.

Not to block. Not to counter.

But to end it. Quick and dirty.

It's ugly. But it works.

Remember...

Violence doesn't prevent violence.

It only stops the other guy from hurting you.

 

 

*************************************

Political Humor Content For This Sunday

It's Workout Wednesday -- Today Lee Morrison Brings Us Two Videos That Work Together

 The two videos today combine what Morrison call "Attachment to your Attacker" and The Blitzkrieg". Now my old instructor Carl always talked about what he called Aggressive Forward Drive. Which is to say once you start striking your assailant, yo stay on him and keep driving him back, and not giving him an opportunity to recover from your counter-attack until he's unable to injure you.

However he also took into account that sometimes after your first strike or two he might start to turn away and back up  away from you forcing you to play catch-up with him while he tries to recover. This is where grabbing your assailant by the collar, upper arm, behind the neck with one hand, etc., come into play. This allows you to fix him in place.

This brings us to the point of the two videos from Urban Combatives I'm putting up today. 

Redux From Last Weeks Wheelgun Wednesday

 So last Wednesday, I put up a Youtube video about the history and evolution of the Classic S&W M36. It was a really good video. However, imagine my surprise when the guy who put it up decided to pull it off and make it private 2 days later.

Now ordinarily that wouldn't have bothered me, but by the end of that video it turned out the guy had put it up to plug a holster company!

Really?? 

Well, just to prove that there are more fish in the sea,  I now present to you guys another video so that no one can accuse me of not showing the the S&W M36 the respect it deserves!

 

 

 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today, Some Barroom Wisdom

 

Wheelgun Wednesday At The Blog Is Back

 It's been a while, but today we have a good one for you guys. A video about the Iconic Classic that defined the Snub-Gun, the S&W M36! Enjoy!

 

A Quick Lesson In Physics......

 Saltwater And Lithium Ion car batteries don't mix well. This is footage of only Electric Vehicle (A Tesla) that caught fire and burned in the homeowners garage. This is NOT an isolated case. There have been multiple confirmed reports of this happening. The biggest issue is when people stored there cars in the garages as opposed to leaving them parked in the street, despite being warned not to by multiple emergency responder organizations in areas across the zone of Hurricane Helene's path. 

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/tesla-catches-fire-garage-floods-hurricane-helene-pinellas-county/67-8f16fb18-d7c3-4133-921c-009c44ebbba4

 

 https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hurricane-helene-fires-salt-water-and-lithium-ion-batteries-still-don-t-mix/ar-AA1rumNr

Sunday With Blackthorn -- How About A Solo Training Drill With Lee Morrison?

Well he won't actually be in the room with you, but hey, you can't have everything!

 

Fight Science With A Piece Of Wisdom For You

 OOPS!! Wrong Heading for the post guys. Sorry About That!

 

Urban Combatives Take On Improvised Weapons

 When Dealing with restrictive NPE's, you need to "Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome".

 

It Appears That The Modernization Of China's Naval Forces Hit A Snag This Past Spring

 Which really didn't generate any attention of note. Mainly because China tried to cover it up. 

 How embarrassing.

 https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-09-26/chinese-nuclear-powered-submarine-sank-earlier-this-year-us-official-says

 

 https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/chinas-new-zhou-class-nuclear-attack-submarine-sank-during-construction-212966

Workout Wednesday -- Today Michiel Mulder Of The Netherlands Urban Combativesn Group Discusses Street Takedowns

 My next statement will always be unpopular with BJJ supporters, but in a street assault, going to the ground does not always happen. Nor should you deliberately go to the ground, and if you do wind up there, do not get into the chess game of move and counter-move. Your first goal should be to disengage by any means necessary, and get up. 

Having said that, some grappling skills should still be part of your training. Today you will see a demo of a basic but effective take-down  that can be used on a criminal assailant in a public environment.

 

 

 

 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today We Discuss The Legal Ramifications Of Certain Accessories On Your Firearms

 You'll always hear somebody saying "It doesn't matter what your firearm looks like or what you attach to it. If it's a good shoot, you'll be all right."

Yeah well, today we have James Reeves of TFB TV talking about how that might not always be true.

From The Netherlands Urban Combatives Affiliate - "Self Defense Is The Art Of Losing"

 

Michiel Mulder is a certified Instructor under Lee Morrison. He calls his training company The School Of Self Protection for a reason. This video explains why.

 

 

A Rough Couple Of Days In Lebanon

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/18/hezbollah-hand-held-radios-detonate-across-lebanon.html

 

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/tactics-used-lebanon-pager-explosions-133602998.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGqain6svfORxo30DjCYWnisdsEu6vQCYEUWH9xYuQc31gim9C_lyok0zCjSmZrzWG8vtLcbHWGy1XIeXuhjzrFnlND0wanmToyqdBVY8VL41bDt8OAS2HeEYBvVvjYGRaufEgoAxyGCTEXELlfARaE_Mms3Ab0b8L-nDPV16wSS

 

 https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-so-far-about-deadly-pager-blasts-lebanon-2024-09-17/?taid=66ea529e8b01790001c6f020&s=31

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Steve Maxwell On Fitness & Strength Training For The Older Man

If I have to tell you who Steve Maxwell is,  all I'll say is just fire up your favorite Search Engine and type in his name.

Whether your interest is Self Defense, Prepping, or just being able to enjoy your life as you get older, pay attention to the following article. You can thank me later for posting it.

 

*********************************

  Dear Over-45 Trainee
copyright by Steve Maxwell

https://medium.com/@stevemaxwellsc/dear-over-45-trainee-3f233577f276

My mailbox is littered with emails posing the same series of questions over and over. While I don't have all of the answers, I have a lot. Mostly, from my own personal experience and much from working with thousands of men and women of all ages the world over for many decades.

The interesting thing is that many people, once they receive the answer (an answer they do not like) will continue asking the same question, going from source to source, until they get the answer they like.

The truth will set you free, but only if you really want the truth, and it has been my experience, in the field of health and fitness education, that people don't really want the truth; they want what they think they want to hear.

Most men (and women) suffer from unrealistic expectations about what they can or cannot achieve through physical training. This is perpetrated by the muscle-and-fitness media industry. 90% of the stuff published in so-called fitness and health/fashion magazines is complete rubbish, mainly to promote the sales of useless powders, pills, potions, and programs -- which do not work -- cannot work -- no matter how you apply yourself, if only to keep you coming back for next month's edition or iteration.

This is because the  promised results satisfy the expectations -- which are unrealistic.

It doesn't matter which program you follow: pretty much, they all come to the same place within about 4-5 years. If you've been training over 5 years, what you see now in the mirror is what you get; very few people have the genetic propensity for huge muscular gains.

While everyone can improve their strength, their health, and, to a certain degree, their muscle mass -- it is far less than you might imagine, and if you've been lifting 4-5 years, you've pretty much maximized whatever potential you have. There are some exceptions: for example, there are people who have grossly over-trained, thus preventing adequate recovery, or people following imbalanced programs who have never developed certain areas, and these people may see dramatic improvements when switching to a rational, balanced program, but, even then, these improvements will stabilize within a year or so.

Most people, even if taking steroids, are not going to see marked improvements. For sure, you are going to see some growth, but even that is going to be short-lived and comes at a cost. Contrary to the popular sales-pitch, you cannot "get over" in this game; you cannot "beat the house".

While most men do not have the genetic ability to acquire huge muscle mass and corresponding amounts of strength, the muscle magazines would have you believe that human beings have an unlimited capacity for gaining muscle mass, and size, and Herculean strength. This patent lie creates a lot of unhappiness, that is, worry, and frustration, and neurosis.

Because we have all been fed this lie, and it's simply not true, and when you come to terms with that, then you can quietly come to appreciate your own particular gifts and individuality -- and yes, assets, that were given to you -- instead of continually chasing this false dream that has been suggested to you.

One thing you do have control over is your level of body fat; most people can get reasonably lean, even if they can't get hugely muscular.

While most programs will pretty much get you to the same place, be it barbells, kettlebells, body weight, gymnastic-style training -- even machines, not all programs are equal.

First of all, with a beginner, any God-awful program will produce results. It doesn't matter -- with anything at all -- you'll get results.

And then, after that, the results come very, very slowly. And this is when people get disappointed and begin to "program-jump" -- but this is a huge mistake.

Everything works: Olympic lifting works; powerlifting works; traditional volume-style works; in-the-hood style works, gymnastics works...and it all works for a time...but switching from one program to another -- once the results start drying up -- that's a mistake.

You seemingly, on the surface, make progress on the new routine, but that is only because you are learning new movements. Because "if" after a few months you go back to your old routine, you will find that you have lost ground in all of your previous exercises. The truth of the matter is -- over your entire life -- you never need more than a dozen basic exercises, and, within this limited number of exercises, you can use different protocols. 

Now, even though everything works, and will bring you eventually to the same place, not all programs are equally safe. First of all, you have to ask yourself, why are you training? Is your training an end unto itself -- is it your sport? Are you training to be good at exercise, or are you training to be good at some other recreational pursuit?

If you are training to be a weight lifter, powerlifter, strongman, or to perform various gymnastic stunts and feats, then, obviously, your training must be centered around these goals...but, I maintain that this form of training is not the best way to train yourself for other recreational activities and sports -- or for health and longevity.

So, one of the first questions I ask the people in my seminars is, "How many people have gotten injured in their strength training?"

It's not unusual for the majority of the audience to raise their hands. In my definition of exercise, strength training should prevent injuries, not create them.

I am also often curious about how long people's average workouts take. Many people typically spend quite a few hours in the gym. And many more don't even bother to start any kind of weight training because they feel that if they can't devote hours, or whatever, then it's not even worthwhile. This is another one of those completely false ideas.

A good workout -- a really good strength workout -- can be completed in between 20-30 minutes, even less if it's intense enough. I like to use a job analogy: all strength-training workouts take you to about the same place, more or less, in about five years, approximately the same muscularity, and body weight size and strength, but some guys are spending a couple hours at the gym everyday, versus other people spending as little as an hour at the gym every week.

If you receive two job offers, for the same pay and benefits, one requiring 75-hours a week, and the other requiring 20-hours a week, which would you take? I, personally, would take the shorter hours. Now, some people might take the longer hours, simply because they love being in the office so much, but, this is my point. You do not have to be a gym-rat, nor slave, to get excellent results from strength training. I've been a critic of CrossFit for poor exercise form, but one thing they have dialed-in are brief, intense workouts.

Once you've reached your mid-forties, you are merely trying to hold onto what you've built over your lifetime thus far; you are 100% in maintenance mode. This is a very fearful thing for a lot of guys to hear. Especially, if they were never that muscular and strong to begin with. The idea that their time has passed, for PRs, and muscular increases, is a depressing proposition. But you shouldn't be depressed, or ungrateful, because it could get a lot worse! For example, you could end up like Memaw and Pepaw, limping around with a cane, walker or wheelchair.

If ever there was an incentive to continue with one's training, it would be to prevent ending up like the old folks. You've heard the saying "Use it or lose it"? Well, even if you use it, you are going to lose it, but you can slow the loss down to a trickle.

So, in training, what does NOT matter?

The amount of weight, and the number of repetitions, ie, mechanical work, doesn't seem to matter that much. More important than how much or how many is HOW you perform each repetition -- that matters a lot.

A lot of heavy lifters -- who lift for the sole joy of "how much" they can lift -- might want to argue with that, but ultimately, the amount of weight lifted is very much tied into injury-potential.

If your whole focus is bent on how much weight and how many reps you can do -- for your whole life -- you are going to be in a very big shock in your 50's and 60's and are going to have to come up with other motivating factors.

There are plenty of really strong guys who cannot demonstrate a big lift with a heavy weight -- because they do not practice such things -- but this does not mean they are not strong. I've met plenty of formidable guys on the jiu jitsu and wrestling mat who did not lift weights, and could not demonstrate a heavy deadlift, bench press, nor kettlebell press, despite being frightfully strong. Weightlifting is a skill -- a strength skill -- and must be practiced, but those skills do not necessarily transfer to other activities, and those who cannot demonstrate such skills, doesn't mean they are weak.

So, what does matter?

What matters is

    Form -- the technique
    Intensity Of Effort -- how effortful the exercise is
    Time Under Load (TUL, or some people prefer to say "time under tension" (TUT)

It's fairly well-known that people can get away with bad form and achieve good results, as far as size and muscularity. While you'll see plenty of big, strong, and muscular guys throwing and heaving weights around the gym, you won't see many of them doing in their 50s and 60's, because most are no longer training at that point, because they are too busted up, or they have repented, and changed their way of thinking to the more realistic way I am talking about.

You can avoid: knee-replacement, hip-replacement, and spinal surgeries by adopting the principles I am talking about.

People make great gains on heavy-weight /low-reps, medium-weight/ medium-reps; light-weight/ high-reps. The research shows that it doesn't really seem to matter...and this is also my own observation. You will see amazing specimens using all manner of high-repetition/ low-weight body weight movements who look great, right up there with power bodybuilders and powerlifter, who also look amazing. It all comes down to what is sustainable over a lifetime. For me, slow, high-tension reps, performed with a weight I can control, over a moderate time-under-load, that is, somewhere between 40-90 seconds. Science has shown over and over again that TUL is the single most important factor.

I'll give you an example: I was in a gym and I saw a young, muscular fellow with pretty impressive upper body development, and he made sure to have his shirt off -- so everyone could see that he did -- and he proceeded to knock out 21 pull-ups -- which is pretty much the gold standard for pull-ups, if you're into those kind of numbers.

This is an old military standard that was developed for measuring upper-body mechanical work.

But, his form was a little rough; while he wasn't outright kipping, it was pretty fast, with some bouncing and jerking in there, and each rep was probably about 2-seconds. I estimated his TUL probably about 40-seconds or so.

Afterwards, I saw the guy rubbing his elbow and complaining to his buddy that his shoulders were bugging him. And this kid was only in his early twenties.

I was training a client -- a young fellow -- and I instructed him to do the same exercise, but use a very slow, high-tension rep speed. He pulled himself up slowly, with control, in about 4-seconds, paused and squeezed at the top, for 2-seconds, and slowly lowered himself down over another 4-seconds, with a smooth turnaround at the bottom before changing direction. Each rep was about 11-12 seconds and he managed to get five reps, which is pretty impressive at that rep-speed. His TUL was around 60-seconds.

So, despite having only done five repetitions of mechanical work, his TUL was greater than the guy who did 21 reps, and the mechanical stress on his joints and connective tissues was far less. In fact, he exclaimed to me how good his shoulders and elbows felt after the set.

My point is, "How" you perform these exercises is more important than "How much" or even "How heavy", and that you will get as much value and results from this type of training as anything else, and you'll still be able to train throughout your lifetime without injury, or pain, or unnecessary suffering. In fact, this type of training helps alleviate pain, and can be used therapeutically. I have a lifetime of injuries from wrestling and BJJ and the accompanying aches and pains that go along with that, but after doing slow, high-tension reps, or even isometrics, my joints feel great and I am pain-free for hours, even days. You can't play combat sports or rough activities and not expect to be hurt; you accept that as a reality going in, but your (strength) training should never cause those same injuries, and, if done right, can even offer relief to aching body parts.

What keeps me training, isn't motivation, so much as discipline. I train because I don't want to end up old and feeble and unable to locomote; I keep my muscles strong so I can locomote and move.

One's mobility is directly related to strength through full-range -- but I also do it as a discipline, because I know it's good for me, and I know I should. I also train for the sheer animal-joy of moving my body. Animals train and stretch and play because they like it -- because it makes them feel good -- and if they are deprived of this, they suffer terribly.

I had a little ferret once, and we named him Buster. Ferrets are really, super-playful, curious little fellas, very much like otters in that respect.

Buster was playful right up until the day he died. It was really funny, because we could see him gradually declining in the things he used to like to do, like jumping up on one of the steps, and climbing over a pet gate-barrier we had installed to specifically keep him out, but he had learned how to negotiate the obstacle.

During Buster's eighth year (which is really like an old man in ferret years, something like 80 years) I observed Buster still attempting to do a lot of the same stuff he used to do, and failing, but that didn't keep him from still going out there, and playing, and being curious, because that was his good animal nature, and he remained playful right up until the end. We found him dead with one of his little toys. I think this is also in our human animal nature, and just because you are not able to lift the same weight, or perform the same reps, it doesn't mean that you should just stop, and be all disappointed about it; you should still get out there and do what you can do, obviously in a safe manner.

I want to be like Buster, and I'm just going to keep playing until the day I die. Even though his body was betraying him, and he could no longer jump the fence, and he was a ferret, not a higher nature, he remained true to that.


Strength training allows me to play, but I don't mistake play for proper training.

One of the things I want to say about weight lifting is this:

At what point do you surpass your structural strength?

If you've never lifted weights and you start in your fifties and sixties, you will make gains. You can make gains at any age if you've never lifted before. If it's virgin muscle, you can rapidly gain hypertrophy and strength at any age; but, once you've been lifting for a few years, that's pretty much it. You can also rapidly re-gain muscle, if you've taken a layoff -- I wanted to mention that. But anyone who's been lifting steadily and progressively for 4-5 years, that's pretty much it...but people don't want to hear that. You really are limited...by natural law.

Another point I want to make:

People in the sport of weightlifting or powerlifting, are often able to continue to make slight gains -- slight increases in lifting performance -- for many years...but that is not what I'm talking about. This is due to developing better technique, not because they have gained any muscle or strength per se, and that can continue for a long time, but still, this is going to be limited, and even then, in their fifties, this will start to reverse itself.

But Steve, I continue to add weight to my bench! And I'm 45 years old!!

And yes, this is true, but it's because you are getting more efficient at the bench, not because you are necessarily any stronger or anabolic.

Here's the thing: If you have already built some muscle, size and strength when you are young, you can retain a lot of it, (as long as you don't generally dissipate yourself) and you will age way more gracefully than people who do not lift weights. If you have never lifted before, and you are a late starter, you can still gain muscle, size and strength; you will be more limited than if you had started young, but there is no reason to not do your best and get real results.

Think of strength training like saving money in the bank: you are storing up vital energy and strength, and educating your muscles to do your will, and you can draw upon this as you get older. A lot of people think that when you lift weights that you are just working muscles, but in truth, you are stimulating the endocrine system, internal organs, getting a tremendous cardio response -- proper strength training is some of the best cardio you can do.


Every muscle is connected to every organ and gland via the nervous system, so you are really toning and conditioning the entire body; it's not just some isolated muscle-thing going on there.

For healthy aging, there is no replacing good strength training, but you have to stop thinking like a twenty year old -- think of it as maintenance and tonic. Just because you are never going to see a PR on the bench or deadlift, there is no reason to stop training. As a man or woman ages, it is even more important: because you are training for your life, and not your ego. Your "kiss my pec and bicep" days may be gone, but that's no reason to stop.

In Strength & Health!

Steve Maxwell

Lee Morrison With A Brief Tutorial on "Eyes and Balls"

A quick aside here, Morrison's  approach here revolves around a methodology originally developed during WW2 by Dermott "Pat' O'Neill. A contemporary of W.E. Fairbairn. 

This brief statement below is taken from a longer article that gives a very brief overview of O'Neill and what was referred to at the time as "Kick and Poke Judo".  

 

The system that O'Neill"developed" was born during his time in Shanghai. The late Charlie Nelson related that his introduction to O'Neill's method was through a Sgt. Kelly who learned this method from O'Neill during Kelly's tour of duty in China. Since we know that O'Neill left for Japan in 1938, the "training" between Kelly and O'Neill must have occurred prior to that. So we can presume that the O'Neill method came into its own sometime during the mid 1930's.

Many reference sources containing information on O'Neill's method as recalled by Forcemen of the 1st SSF refer to similar phrases as the one quoted above. Terms like "jab and kick", "gouge and kick", "poke and kick" are constantly used when describing this method. 

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today Hickock 45 And James Reeves Each Discuss Which Is Better For Home Defense - A Shotgun Or An AR-15

I know this is going to cause some consternation, but hey, so be it.

 

Oh and guys, make sure you read some of the comments in James Video. And try not spit your coffee all over your keyboards when you laugh.

Today we Ask The Proverbial $64,000 Question -- Would YOU Parachute Out Of A Perfectly Good Airplane With A Tactical Nuke Strapped To Your Back?

 I know what my answer would be, and probably what most anybody else's answer would be.

However, starting in the mid 1960's,  that's exactly what members of the US Special Forces were trained to do during the height of the Cold War. For more details and some history, click on the link below.

 

 https://getpocket.com/explore/item/special-forces-parachuted-with-nukes-strapped-to-them-during-the-cold-war

Morgan Freeman On One Of The Advantages Of Getting Older

 How One "Disability" Turns Into an actually useful "Ability"

Paul Harrell "I'm Dead"

Paul Harrel RIP

 

Paul Harrell Update

Assuming you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know who Paul Harrell is, If not, do a search for his name here on the blog. 

Having gotten that out of the way, this post is to inform everybody that Paul will, unfortunately, not be with us much longer. The pancreatic cancer that he was diagnosed with is progressing towards its inevitable conclusion. In the meantime, Paul and his brother Roy ave put out this video update.

 

The Curious Case of The "Hyper Gray Man"...

 "Gray Man" and "Tacticool", the buzzwords of all the firearms and self defense online websites and the few magazines that are left.

As one of the commenters of the video put it "You blend in so well that you stick out like a "sore thumb".

Oh, and just to be clear, yes, it is satire, so don't get your UnderArmor tactical briefs in a bunch.

Sunday With Blackthorn -- Today Geoff Thompson Discusses "Real Self Defense"

If you know who Geoff Thompson is, good. If not, I'm not going to go into the details myself. I'm just going to put up the link to his bio at Wikipedia. 

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Thompson_(writer)

 The upshot of the article is that Real Self Defense isn't about looking good if you're forced to defend yourself against a violent criminal assault. It's also about not winding up in jail because you allowed your ego to get in the way of doing what needed to be done without going over the top.

 https://conflictmanagermagazine.com/real-self-defence-geoff-thompson/

Workout Wednesday -- So, Do We Have Anybody Looking To Get Started With Kettlebells?

 Well, if so, here you go! And remember to be careful, these Russian Cannonballs Are very unforgiving of mistakes.

 

"Basic Truths"

 Today we have another article from regular contributor Steve Forester. It leads off with a portion of an email he received offering "Self Defense" advice that yo "need" to survive a violent altercation.

Needless to say, Steve has a different take on the contents of this advertisement.

 

 Basic Truths

by Steve Forester

This is from an email ad I received today:

**************************

"Ever wonder how you’d fare against a predator who’s not just tough… but “prison-tough”?

These aren’t your everyday bullies; these are hardened predators who view the world — and fighting — through a lens most can’t even fathom.

It’s not about brute force… it’s about a mindset honed in the most unforgiving environments imaginable.

Having grown up in these same “kill-or-be-killed” environments – from the “hood” to prison – I want to give you some “insider secrets” on exactly how those of us locked-up in the ultimate “proving ground” think, so you’ll be better prepared to spot danger before it strikes… and take fast, decisive action when you have no other option but to defend yourself.

This isn’t just about learning to fight—it’s about transforming your very essence to think, act, and react like those who treat survival as the only option".

The ad goes on to say:

"If it’s one thing the most hardened criminals have that most civilians don’t… is a complete abandonment of the “rules” of the “civilized” world most of us live in". 

 

 

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I believe this to be true. Predatory criminals grew up in a world almost opposite of how civilians grew up.  The core truth I see in this type of society is in the last statement: "a complete abandonment of the “rules” of the “civilized” world most of us live in".

Hard for most of us to even grasp what this means. Suffice it to say it isn't about competition, but about stacking the deck in their favor so they can't lose.  And a complete lack of hesitancy or compassion in using force.

Yet, it somewhat amazes me how prevalent combat sport is even among those dedicated to fighting crime and dealing with these hardened felons.

It struck me that the average middle class American is completely unable to grasp, much less employ this level of violence. So even when they supposedly are training for 'self-defense", they still practicing a method which by it's very definition is based on rules and fair play. The object is to determine the best fighter, not survival.

Now, before anyone thinks this is an anti-combat sport article, it is not.  It's just that I realized the other day there are three distinctly different approaches to "self-defense". Each are different and each are valid as long as one understands the essence of each.

1. Combat Sport is for competition and for "middle class violence". The Monkey Dance, if you will, where the goal is domination rather than hurting someone. Picture a road rage incident or the classic 'bar fight'. Basically a one-on-one, mutually agreed to fight conducted under certain unwritten rules. This is the middle class understanding of violence.

2. Traditional Martial Arts (TMA). While TMA have all but died out today, I think there is a place for them and I respect them. They take work and discipline and the practice is good for achieving both. The local corner BJJ studio has replaced TMA dojo's today, but those old time karate guys were no joke. Some were hard men and could fight.

3. Reality Based Self Defense. This would include close combat. Carl and Steiner pioneered this. Other's we discuss here are similar in philosophy such as a David James, Lee Morrison, and I now include Tim Larkin in this group after looking closely at his latest stuff.

Those I put in this group are not based necessarily on effectiveness. No, what I think membership is based on is the understanding of true asocial violence. All those people who I have just mentioned understand true criminal predatory asocial violence, and orient their training 100% to countering that level of violence.

As the ad said: "This isn’t just about learning to fight—it’s about transforming your very essence to think, act, and react like those who treat survival as the only option".

That is a pretty good way of summing things up. Let that sink in a moment.

"This isn’t just about learning to fight—it’s about transforming your very essence to think, act, and react like those who treat survival as the only option".

Fighting and survival are two different things. MMA is about learning to fight. Being a thug is only about survival. There is a difference.

We do not indulge in the petty ego "fights" the middle class envision as violence. We practice avoidance, deterrence, deescalation, and, evasion & escape as primary tactics.

But we are also aware of what predatory criminal violence involves and train for that also.

Now, does that mean combat sport and TMA are worthless in this regard. No. They are not.

But, to my mind, why not specifically train for the threat you face?

People are free to train as they like, but, to quote Carl Cestari: "A Student Of Close Combat Trains Just That - Close Combat".

I think it boils down to understanding one's mission, which comes from Varg Freeborn, author of the book "Violence of Mind", and not me. Without understanding one's mission, one does not understand what one is trying to accomplish.

I think all three: Combat Sport, TMA, and Close Combat, are valid studies in their own regard. It is just all three have slightly different goals, but overlapping results.

All the internet flame wars over the past 20 years have been pointless.

This is really what it comes down to.