This in-home session covered a wide array of defensive concepts and drills, culminating in marksmanship practice with Airsoft pellets vs a photographic bad guy target. These included one handed firing, Center Axis Relock, and supine.
Something like 16 out of 17 times, when an armed citizen draws a gun in self defense, NO shots are fired. But the mere presence of a firearm, without relevant, practical, realistic training, will not ward off evil spirits like some magic talisman. Here are some dos and don’ts of how to tell a crook to go assault someone else.
This live fire session included close order battle drills with partners, as well as force-on-force demonstrations, holster work, challenging a suspect, Tom & Jerry drills, ricochet demos, shooting while moving, V to L, Center Axis Relock, close contact fire, and Wyatt protocols.
Most Americans believe we won the Revolutionary war by sniping at the Redcoats from behind trees and boulders. Not true. Our troops did a lot of that, especially in the opening days of the war, when we were losing. Such …
Baron von Steuben and Well Regulated American Volley Fire Read more »
Butch Rupert was a an expert marksman, an exemplary shooting coach, and a wise mentor. Here are some things I learned from him.
John Fox was ALL IN. He gave what little he had, and everything he was ever going to have, to save the lives of his fellow American GIs, and to liberate not only his own people, but all of Europe and the entire world, from the yoke of Nazi fascism.
Call it what you want. Some call them PDWs, personal defense weapons, after a unique brand of firearms initially considered for downed aircrew survival. Some call them “AR pistols” and “AK pistols.” Those are legal terms for getting around silly …
They Used to be Hard to Get. In the Soviet section of my library, an old wind-up Russian alarm clock and Red Army belt with 5-sided star buckle gather dust on a shelf in front of the books. Both were …
Most people get guns for “GPs,” general purposes. But, like golf clubs, different guns have different niches in your battle plan. Before you get a gun (or another gun), you should have some idea what you plan to accomplish …
This live fire class focused on AK-specific handling and marksmanship skills, although there was one CZ Scorpion in attendance. We learned off-lines and disarms as a vehicle leading us to retention: how to keep your AK when someone close is trying to take it away. We practiced means, such as “junkyard prone” for clearing cover with the muzzle while exposing as little of the sight line as possible, as well as hold over to compensate for mechanical offset at close range.
These were a good idea long before ammunition became scarce. For those new to defensive pistolcraft, we give you a sound foundation on what goes on in fights, and what the limitations and advantages of firearms are, in solving human …
Ever been issued a rifle or SMG that had a 3-round burst? You were probably told it was there to keep you from spraying and praying. Poppycock. Three-round burst was created to disburse bullets, not to improve accuracy or controllability. …
On March 1 – 2, 2021, ICSAVE taught Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) to LEOs and military personnel. The majority of the students were BorSTAR and BorTAC. Most of the remainder were from the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona …
Protected: Tal & Scott’s House of IED Horrors, 02 Mar 21 Read more »
Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and Nogales, Arizona, USA are connected underground by a series of clandestine tunnels that link with the existing, legitimate stormwater drainage system. Select DEA, HSI, and CBP agents stationed along the Southern borders of California, Arizona, and …
“Is George home yet?” It was our friend Ronnie, who was married to one of my fellow agents. It was mid morning. I had gone to work at ten the previous evening, and had not yet come back. But that …
The Patrol Agent in Charge (PAIC) of my old station had two admin assistants, both named Melissa. To avoid confusion, we got in the habit of referring to one as “Melissa Green Eyes,” and the other as “Melissa Brown Eyes.” …
In this practice session we reviewed Safety, Basic Marksmanship, Impeded Slide Movement, Non-diagnostic Stoppage Reduction, Center Axis Relock, One Handed Pistol Firing, Stoppage Reduction, Projectile Launchers as Impact Tools, Movement off the Line of Attack, Holdover, the Two-Shot Rule for Distant Targets, Zones of Stoppage Reduction, and Transitions.
Traditionally, training on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has focused on how to recognize one, or how to differentiate a “suspicious” package from any other object in your environment. We might discuss how different IEDs are constructed, or what they are …
One of the most profound turning points in my education as a rifleman occurred with an Enfield Jungle Carbine, under the tutelage of a Marine I’ll call Ray. Ray is one of my oldest and closest friends. We’d been team …
This article outlines the history of long guns in police service during the past century or so, especially the last 50 years, comparing and contrasting the different types. Although there are some important lessons for the long gun armed citizen throughout, the article concludes with information specifically for rifle armed citizens (or those who are wondering if they ought to be). Originally published in February, 2021, this article was significantly revised in September 2021.
This post outlines the whys and wherefores of various firearms safety handling systems.
We often hear those in the know referring to ARs as “carbines.” But doesn’t AR stand for Armalite Rifle? What’s the difference? Carbines were originally short rifles issued to cavalry troopers. Troopers generally fought from the saddle with a …
We used the foundational “Antelope Principle” and two-person teams as building blocks teaching the students how to conduct advanced live fire tactical training safely and productively. Topics included Safety, Antelope Drills (with increasing complexity, culminating in night evasion scenarios), the Ginger Rogers Principle, Negotiating Obstacles, Hasty Slings, How to Maximize Training Time, Role Transitions, Close Order Battle drills, and various aspects of Hostage Rescue.
On Saturday, 28 Nov 2020, Warlizard Tactical and Heloderm LLC hosted an “industry day” at our favorite firing range. We try to do that periodically, to give our wonderful volunteer range safety officers (RSOs), adjunct instructors, their friends, and family …
“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.” I grew up on Air Force fighter bases. During my first Thunderbirds airshow, …
This was private, in-home coaching on Walther PPQ Manipulations, Marksmanship, and Defensive Mindset for a family in Oracle, Arizona.
This course addressed various aspects of fighting in and around vehicles. Topics we practiced included safety, avoidance of roadblocks, how to back out of trouble (we practiced this on a former FLETC EVO track), carjacking, look down / shoot down for passenger safety, pushing around crowds without hurting pedestrians, and engaging through 360 degrees from inside a car,
What’s the difference, when they matter, when they don’t, and why you must have several in your repertoire. Some of this was written for the training summary of our 10 Oct 2020 Pistol fundamentals class, specifically addressing aspects of grip, …
On 26 Jan 2008, Officer Jared Reston chased a shoplifting suspect out of the Regency Square Mall in Jacksonville, Florida. The suspect shot him in the chin with a .45, knocking him down. Reston said he kept trying to …
This training was for intermediate skill level shooters at a Pistol Fundamentals clinic. Topics included Safety, Ricochet and Cover demos, limitations of Car Doors as Cover, Step Over drills, Urban Prone, Recovery, Whys and Hows of Ground Fighting, Stoppage Reduction, Hooded drills, and various aspects of Concealed Carry.
Choosing a “carry condition” that fits your lifestyle and risk assessment well requires a thorough understanding of your options. What carry condition you chose will affect your safety and level of readiness, as well as how you should train for …
These two classes, which took place over two days, were Heloderm’s take on Active Violence avoidance and amelioration, although we did address Carjacking and Kidnapping on Day 2. We covered Dynamics of Confrontation, Forward Obliques with Changes of Direction, Movement of the Line of Assault, Flow of Doors, Leadership in Crisis Management (especially delegation), OpSec / ComSec, Timing, Weapons Theory, Off-lines, Disarms, Limb Pins, Fire Extinguishers as APers Tools, Beating the Killer to Secondaries, and Riding / Killing the Dragon.
A travelogue of a very cold trip to Colorado, and some limited testing we did with the Trijicon Ruggedized Miniature Reflex pistol sight under semi-arctic conditions.
Here are some salient points from the Warlizard Pistol Fundamentals clinic’s “not beginner group” (NBGs) who split off and trained on the North Range. This document also discusses training conducted before and after the split. Training Summary Pistol Fundamentals …
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Students: By now most of you know what the deal is with the summaries of your training. If you don’t, but you’ve gotten this far, read on and our nefarious plot to help you learn from your class, even …
Protected: Phase II Defensive Pistol (DP1B), 29 Aug 2020 Read more »
Not too long ago, in the Walmart parking lot at Speedway and Kolb in Tucson, three gang bangers attempted a carjacking. That being in Arizona, not Massachusetts or California, the owner of the car shot the one who threatened …
When I was growing up in the 1960s and ’70s, women were mostly part of the scenery in movies and TV shows. During a violent confrontation, her job was to stand behind the hero and scream. Men were expected to …
Annotated Training Outline Night (Pistol) Fighting (NF1) 19 Sep 2020 Update of 26 Sep 2020 Students: Thank you for your attentiveness, enthusiasm, and participation during our low-light pistol training on the evening of 19 Sep 2020. This is the …
This class is offered by our friends at Warlizard Tactical. The instructors, Joel and Michael G, are former Army, and currently NAEMT certified Tactical Emergency Casualty Care providers. The Level 1 Lifesaver (L1LS) course uses the military MARCH algorithm to …
Adam– Here are a few notes about the subjects we touched upon at the Warlizard Tactical / Heloderm fun shoot on 05 Sep 2020. MAX EFFECTIVE and TACTICAL NICHE of the SCOPED TURNBOLT Your Savage turnbolt (“bolt action”) .308 …
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Students: Here’s a summary of our classroom (and break room, and outdoor) training during Phase I of Defensive Pistol. This document mainly focuses on the hands-on exercises we did. Remaining didactic material from the PowerPoint slides is also included …
Protected: Phase I Defensive Pistol (DP1A), 01 Aug 2020 Read more »
Pistol Fudnamentals students: Here is a summary of the training you attended on 08 August 2020. Thanks for braving the heat with us! Training Summary Warlizard Pistol Fundamentals clinic, NBGs (Not-beginner Group) North range, Pinal Airpark, AZ, 08 Aug 2020 …
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Students: This document summarizes the training we conducted in your level 1 Defensive Shotgun class. It’s here for you to use as a reference for future training and practice, as well as to document what was done and how we …
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Nick & Sarah: Thank you for all your attentiveness during our didactic Revolver and AR coaching session. This is my lesson plan (“training outline”) for that day, annotated with additional notes you may find useful. I’m already looking forward to …
Home invasions became popular in the 1990s. Now even spree killers are targeting people in their homes; witness the Nova Scotia killer’s arson and shooting rampage. This course is NOT just about Active Shooters. We will give you unarmed skills …
In this era of hijacked protests turned into riots, the old-fashioned “riot gun” is making a comeback. Many people still use shotguns for the bunkering down phase of home defense. But as the carbine has gained popularity, corporate knowledge of …
Training Summary, “Less experienced“ group Warlizard Pistol Fundamentals and AZ CCW clinic, 25 Jul 2020 South range, Pinal Airpark, Red Rock, AZ, about 0830 -1100 hrs local Update of 29 Jul 2020 CLEARED PISTOLS Arriving students had their weapons cleared …
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DP1A is the first half of our celebrated introduction to FIGHTING WITH HANDGUNS. We will teach you how to keep your pistol when the bad guy tries to take yours away, even if he’s on top of you. You’ll also …
There is a misconception out there about the so-called “average” gunfight, that is often quoted as if it were Gospel. Sadly, many store clerks who perpetuate this lie, while selling new shooters guns that are hard to hold, hard to manipulate, and hard to hit with, actually believe The Lie.
One way to speed up your response to threatening situations is to reduce doubt. A great way to do that is to know, beforehand, exactly what the law says about what you can and cannot do. “Everything seemed to be …
Training Summary Night Pistol (NP1), 07 Mar 2020 Update of 22 Apr 2020 This class took place the evening after a Managing Multiple Assailants (MMA) class. All but one of the MMA students stayed for the night fire, and we …
Training Summary Day & Night Fighting, 22 Mar 2020 Update of 11 May 2020 Students: Martin C. Terence L. Patrick M. Aaron aka Taylor P. Emma S. Annie …
Training Summary Warlizard Dynamic Carbine, 15 Mar 2020 Update of 02 May 2022 Students: Martin C. Aaron P. Emma S. Hua-Yu “Jason” W. Instructors: Michael G. Joel G. Greg G. George H. Note: In this document, the term “dominant side” …
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We all knew there would be yet another run on ammunition. I just figured it wouldn’t happen until the weeks leading up to the election. Firearms dealers have seen more panic buying since the Clinton administration than the 19th century …
Annotated Training Outline Defensive Pistol 1, Pinal Airpark, 15 Feb 2020 Update of 17 Mar 2020 DP1 students: This is the Training Outline (TO, or lesson plan) from your course, with stuff we didn’t get to deleted, and annotated …
Annotated Training Outline Managing Multiple Assailants Noon – 1830, 07 Mar 2020 Revision of 12 Mar 2020 MMA students: This is the Training Outline (lesson plan) we used for you Multiple Assailants class, minus some stuff we didn’t get …
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During a killing spree in Dallas, Texas, on July 7, 2016, an officer took cover behind a large pillar. Taking fire from a suspect who ran at him, the officer ducked back behind his cover, which was very effective at …
Registered students: Kaiden M-J Christina V (primary student) Read-Ahead Modules / Handouts “Marjorie Casey’s Story” from Sanford Strong’s Strong on Defense(both to read) Dealing with PESTS (Kaiden to read and summarize to his mom) …
Protected: Intro to Defensive Pistol, 23 Feb 2020 Read more »
Training Summary Army Explorer Carbine and Pistol fam, Pearl Harbor day, 2019 Part IA: Safety, about 0900 – 0930 hours All explorers (Groups I and II) attended Safety Brief Joel G reviewed, and explorers recited, NRA’s 3 rules: 1) ALWAYS keep …
Protected: Explorer Rifle / Pistol Fam, 07 Dec 2019 Read more »
Annotated Training Outline Joseph, Baude, & AJ Defensive Pistol I (didactic), 14 Dec 2019 Joseph, Baude, AJ, and JT– This is the outline, or lesson plan, I used to stay on track in your class, updated to show what we …
Training Summary Andrea F Defensive Pistol I 23 Dec 2019 STUDENTS Andrea F Jay F Didactic, Sneller Vista, @ 1200 – 1500 SAFETY Reviewed 4 Rules Sul Temple Indexed Wave drills Peels Step Over drills Intro to Haley “Urban Prone” …
Annotated Training Outline Arizona Concealed Carry class of 15 Dec 2019 Students: Andrea F Jay F Mary F (did not attend entire class but listened from kitchen and later participated in some OC training) Kelsey N (parts I and II …
Do you need a Concealed Carry Permit? Is it a good idea to have one? Arizona is a “constitutional carry” state. You may carry a firearm on your person or in your car without any concealed weapons (“CCW”) permit. An …
The AR series carbine has twice as many manipulations to master as your average pistol, yet most of us spend far more of our time training with our handguns. Pistols are more likely to be our constant companions, but carbines …
These clinics are offered by our friends at Warlizard Tactical. It’s a great way to get more experience and trigger time, and work on your fundamentals, without breaking the bank for tuition or ammo expenditure. This half-day of training costs …
There are 3 things you need to do with threats in the dark: 1) Locate potential threats 2) Identify whether or not something IS a threat 3) If so, you need to hit it. Many of us get “night” sights …
THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF CROWD VIOLENCE American news reporters in Japan covering the aftermath of the disastrous March 11, 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami were astounded that there was hardly any looting following the complete breakdown of law enforcement services–even …
Training Summary Shotgun and Pistol clinics at Josie range, 26 – 27 Oct 2019 Update of 30 Nov 2019 This is a summary of pistol and shotgun training with Rob, Greg and George, after George taught a Stop the Bleed …
Protected: Shotgun and Pistol Clinics, 26 – 27 Oct 2019 Read more »
This state licensed armed security guard was trained and qualified by his agency on a Glock auto pistol. Then they issued him a revolver. There is so much more to mastering a wheel gun than “point, pull and pray”–especially if, like this security professional, you might need to bet your life on it. Fortunately, there are still a few of us “Sgt Roger Murtaughs” around.
“An elegant weapon, of a more civilized age.” Join us for a clinic on revolver tips and tricks. Today there are more semi-auto options than ever before for people with arthritis or hand injuries who find it difficult to manipulate …
Dynamics of Movement in Interpersonal Confrontation A class for intermediate level defensive shooters Ever wonder why law enforcement officers have a 99% hit rate during qualifications, but only a 20% hit rate in violent confrontations? There are many reasons, but …
A student wrote to me after a class, asking about some phrases she had heard elsewhere: “stand your ground” and “castle doctrine.” Here are some of the things I explained to her. STAND YOUR GROUND The phrase “stand your ground” is often bandied about …
“Stand Your Ground” and “Castle Doctrine” in Arizona Read more »
“I did my homework, and got off my wallet, to get a gun that never, ever jams. So why do we have to practice stoppage reduction till we can do it blindfolded?” The following is taken from an after action …
Here is what our students are saying about Heloderm training. Please feel free to give us YOUR feedback, good or bad. We strive for continual process improvement, and will consider any constructive criticism to help our future students become even …