The Whys and Hows of Contact Shooting

The Whys and Hows of Contact Shooting
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Contact shooting is just what it sounds like. Putting the muzzle of the weapon in contact with the target and shooting it. This is done when you absolutely cannot afford to miss. An example of this would be your spouse or child being attacked and they are wrestling on the ground. Traditional aiming would be unsafe as there is too much movement and the good guy is too close to the bad guy.

The technique shown in the video is for locked breech guns that won’t fire when they are out of battery. Out of battery means the slide is depressed enough so that the gun is no longer locked.

This is particularly useful with Glocks, but it is applicable to many other makes and models.

Please take note that the gun not firing out of battery does not apply to all guns. I have owned semi-automatic pistols that would fire when the slide was depressed. Also, in class demonstrations with unloaded guns I have had the slide depresses, but not depressed enough so that the striker will fall.

Therefore:

Do not demonstrate the technique shown on the video with a loaded gun, mistakes can allow the gun to fire out of battery.

I have done this demonstration many times, and have guided students to do it hundreds of times. It is “scary” as many students are afraid the slide will come back and break their thumb.

This will not happen if pressure is placed on the back of the slide. This keeps the barrel locked and prevents the slide from moving under recoil. Do not let the slide move….

If you do not press the slide closed, and movement to the rear is started, it can hurt your thumb.

This is not a technique that needs a lot of practice, as it is a close proximity shot under extreme circumstances. Very few people will ever use this technique, but having it the tool box can be a lifesaver.

Home Defense Bow - Could It Be the Most Effective Self-Defense Weapon?

Is the Bow an Effective Self-Defense Weapon for Self Defense?

Home Defense Bow - Could It Be the Most Effective Self-Defense Weapon?
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This is a guest post, I don’t agree that a bow is anywhere close to being the most effective self defense weapon, but in the spirit that people who don’t/can’t own firearms still need self defense tools I am posting it.  Besides I still get comments on my video discussing why I don’t like the .410 Judge for a self defense gun.

Archery for home defense…hmmm… you think this is the silliest thing you’ve ever heard?

Let me give you a story:

In 1997, a tale was given of how Claude Gates successfully defends his shop against intruders with only a crossbow. He ordered the burglar to stop, but he refused to, prompting Mr. Gates to fire two shots at him. One of the bolts struck him on the side while the other hit his leg. Mr. Gates was hesitant to acquire a firearm in fear of it being used against him in the heat of the battle. The victim and was arrested!

More such incidents of people using the bow and arrow to defend themselves have been documented, making it clear that archery-based weapons are effective at defending yourself from a physical threat (when in the hands of the right person).

When put on a comparison table with a firearm, the most trusted self-defense weapon by man, archery for self-defense shows a number of benefits that I’ll be discussing with you in a few moments…

 Advantages of Home Defense Bow

Portability

One of the things you’ll get to like about using home defense bow is the portability it gives you.

Take for instance the highly efficient takedown bow; it comes in three pieces – middle grip section and two limbs – which you can easily separate by twisting a few lug screws and bam! It becomes extremely portable, unlike most of the home defense options.

You can quickly stash the bag in your bug out bag for easy carry. Plus, it’s incredibly lightweight, adding to its portability.

VersatilityTypes of arrowheads

Modern bows have seen tremendous improvements, making them even more suitable for the self-defense task.

Most of the new carbon fiber arrows you’ll get on the market today come with a handy tip that works with a variety of screws in your arrow tips.

This means you’ll have an extensive selection of tips to pick from, from the standard practice tips, small games tips, broad head tips, hook tip, and so much more.

Home Defense Bows Works Silently

When in a self-defense situation, you’d need the convenience of a silent and deadly weapon.

Lucky for you, the bow and arrow makes an ultra-quiet but deadly weapon.

Imagine a scenario where you’re camping in a national forest, and you find yourself under attack in the middle of the night. If you’d just place yourself in a dark corner (where you can easily observe them) with your arrow docked on your bow, the attackers ill have a really hard time telling your exact location.

This will be a huge plus for you, as you’ll have an easy time taking them down, one by one.

Affordability

We’re living in hard economic times. That being said, you’d want to look for an effective self-defense weapon that does not cost you a fortune.

Despite their effectiveness, the bows come with pocket-friendly prices which make them affordable for all, including those on a tight budget.

Besides the bow, the ammunition (arrows) is also cost effective. Once you’ve fully cultivated your archery skills, you’ll find it easy to retrieve all your arrows after making shots and reuse them again and again.

Even better, you can practice making your own bow using readily available materials – like wooden dowels plant shafts, or even the natural found wood.

Legal Limitations

You’ll agree with me when I say the legal restrictions tend to be less strict on bows and arrows than with the guns and bullets.

With this in mind, you’ll enjoy the freedom of using an equally deadly weapon without having to deal with any permits and paperwork.

And the less you have to deal with all this paperwork, the better – particularly when things become messy.

The only (Main) downsides associated with using archery for self-defense:

  • You’ll need to undergo some intense practice to master archery skills for efficient shooting
  • The arrows might become a bit cumbersome to pack sometimes.

Powerful Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Home Defense Bow

Know the capabilities and limitations of your weapon.

For instance, the crossbows – the most popular home defense bows – come with different levels of strength.

The higher the power of your crossbow, the harder it might become to pull the string. A 50lb model will be the easiest to pull back as it comes with the least strength; the 150lb models have superior shooting power but will take time and energy to load.

Practice shooting with your bow regularly.

If you buy your home defense bow and keep in your basement, only to retrieve it when intruders come to your home, it might not offer you much help.

An experienced archer knows the importance of regular practicing with their equipment; it keeps them fully prepared to face any attack that comes their way.

Also, you’d want to consider investing in additional accessories, like a drop away arrow rest.  They give you a better archery experience.

Use the Home Field Advantage

When under attack, always remember to use the familiarity of your home surroundings to your advantage.

No intruder knows your property more than you do. Exploiting this advantage in your strategy will give you an advantage over any intruder!

Always have a backup weapon.

Although it’s relatively rare, your bow might fail when you’re in the midst of an attack. To prevent such unfortunate incidents, I’d advise you to carry a backup weapon, pepper spray.

Having empty hand combat skills will also be a significant advantage. Know how to kick, throw a punch, escape common holds, and the pressure points. If you’ve already to shoot the intruder and it hasn’t weakened them, try exploiting their wound to your advantage in close range combat.

Know the laws of your region.

Despite the lax laws on archery weapons, some states don’t allow folks to use them.

They consider a bow as a deadly weapon, given its ability to kill a person.

Shooting a person who hasn’t been involved in illegal activity with your bow could lead to serious legal consequences.

Get an Alarm System

Do you have an early means of warning?  This could be a home security system or a dog that barks to alert when your home is under attack. This will help you arm yourself in advance as well as secure your family.

Final Thoughts

With your home defense bow, you can easily fight any attackers at your home. As with any other home defense weapon, the effectiveness of your bow will largely depend on the archer (you). With the right strategy execution and preparedness level, you can easily defend your home, business, etc.

The best part about using archery for home defense is that it’s also a hobby that helps relieve stress while increasing your “archery IQ.”

Even if no intruder enters your home in your lifetime, you’ll have enjoyed a fun, inexpensive hobby!

Check out this video:

5 Self-Defense Moves that Anyone Can Learn

5 Self-Defense Moves that Anyone Can Learn
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Though we do believe that proper martial arts training is the best way to learn an arsenal of effective self-defense moves, there are some basic moves that you can easily learn without having to spend years of training.

On this post, the team at BookMartialArts.com is sharing 5 self-defense moves that anyone can learn and use to defend themselves during a violent physical attack.

Please note that we highly recommend for you to seek the assistance of an experienced martial artist and/or a professional to demonstrate how you can safely and properly execute these self-defense moves to avoid unwanted harm or injury to yourself or others.

The Wrist Lock

BJJ No Gi Wrist Lock Variations Tutorial. Video credit: Stuart Tomlinson YouTube channel

This straight-forward yet effective technique comes from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and it is a move that anyone regardless of size, age or fitness ability can do. The wrist lock variations comes in handy when an attacker gets hold on your wrist. To execute the simplest form of this move, rather than pulling back, you will need to squat down. Once in this stance, proceed by leaning forward and bending your elbow towards the attacker’s forearm until you free yourself of his grip.

The Eye Gouge

the-eye-gouge
Image credit: Tipsforsurvivalist.com

 The thought of gouging someone’s eyes is enough to make most people shudder. However, it is definitely an effective method to free yourself when an attacker gets a hold of you.

There are different ways to execute an eye gouge, however, the simplest way is to aim both of your index and middle fingers towards the attacker’s eyes and poke them hard. You can also opt to use your thumbs for maximum impact.

With the thumb eye gouge, you would need to place your hands on the side of the attacker’s face and press your thumbs as hard as you can into the eyes.

The Stomp Kick

How to Do a Toe Stomp. Video credit: Howcast YouTube channel

Our legs are generally stronger than our arms so kicks may be one of the best ways to easily get away from an attacker. A toe stomp kick is a move that is easiest and most effective to do so.

Start by bringing your knee up and drive your heel down as hard towards your attacker’s instep as fast and as hard as you can. If you kick hard enough, you may just break some bones and severely injure his foot enabling you not only to escape from him but also prevents him from running after you. Ladies, this technique is particularly useful when you are using stilletos or high heels as the heels of your shoe can act as a ‘weapon’ and likely to help in severely injuring the assailant.

 The Palm Strike

Image credit: Howcast.com

Instead of the usual punch done with a clenched fist, this technique uses the ‘meaty’ portion of the bottom of your hand – located by your wrist.

This move will do enough harm and confuse your attacker, giving you enough time to flee from him. Plus, hitting with the heel of your palm is less painful (for you) than throwing a punch!

Though the palm strike is particularly effective when aimed straight up towards the attacker’s neck, it can be as effective when used to target the opponent’s head or shoulder.

The Groin Kick

Groin Kick Techniques for Krav Maga. Video credit: Expert Village YouTube Channel

This move is one that is taken out from Krav Maga’s playbook. Also known as the “Art of Staying Alive”, Krav Maga moves are designed with effectiveness and efficiency in mind.

The groin kick, however ‘crass’ it may seem, gets the job done quickly. To carry it out properly, you would need to aim for and kick your attacker’s groin as fast and as hard as you can.

Start by facing your attacker with the leg you’ll be kicking with behind you. Then, proceed to kick out and upwards between the attackers legs with your shin for maximum impact.

I hope these Self-Defense Moves that Anyone Can Learn help you stay safe.

If you want more I linked to a comprehensive article on different types of Martial Arts Training.

By: Lystia Putranto

Lystia is a contributing writer for BookMartialArts.com, the world’s leading martial arts theme travel website. She’s fascinated by all types of martial arts and can’t get enough of martial arts moves both on screen & off.

Tueller Drill Test

Tueller Drill Test
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You can’t be a serious practitioner of armed self defense if you don’t understand the legal and moral implications of lethal force.  One tool used to discuss such things is a concept called the Tueller Test.

Today we are going to talk a little about lethal force and handgun deployment. Over the course of this blog, I have been very clear that in Tennessee before a person is legally justified in using deadly force they have to Believe their life is in immediate danger, and the person against whom they are employing deadly force has the ability to kill or seriously injure them at the present time. Meaning, even though the peta guys that threaten to kill me over the butchering videos may have the ability to kill me, as long as they are expressing the threat over the internet, deadly force is not applicable because they can not kill me right now.

This is a pretty clear standard, but sometimes we may need a little clarification.

Back in the early 80’s Salt Lake city had some police officers hurt by knife wielding scumbags, and their Sergeant wanted to know how a cop with a gun was being hurt by a drunk with a knife. Basically the officers were hesitant to draw their firearms because they felt that they were safe as long as the guy with the knife was standing across a room.

Sgt. Tueller, than began experimenting to see exactly when a knife fighter was a threat. Obviously to use a knife effectively you have to be in contact range of your target (we are specifically ignoring thrown knives as they are generally tactically ineffective and not the reason for the experiment). However, an officer’s reaction time to an attack, coupled with the attackers speed combine together to allow a criminal to close the distance and strike an officer before the cop can draw his firearm and neutralize the threat.

Sgt, Tueller had volunteers test to see how fast they could draw their weapons, and other volunteers were timed how far they could run and stab a target. Based upon the good sergeants work, we now know that the typical individual can cover 21 feet and inflict a lethal wound in under 1.5 seconds. We also know that the typical officer takes 1.5 seconds to realize they are being attacked, draw, and fire their pistol.

Sometimes this is misunderstood – and I would recommend that you read the original article “How Close is too Close” in the 1983 edition of SWAT magazine. You cannot shoot someone with a knife just because they are 21 feet from you and threatening you, but if you do not act, they most likely can hurt you before you can react.

Basically, if someone has a knife, and they are threatening you with it, you would most likely be justified (unless of course you started the fight) in drawing your firearm and telling the person to “back off”. That way, if they do decide to initiate the attack and charge you, your reactionary gap is lessened, and you can defend yourself.

In my firearm classes, I normally demonstrate this by getting a volunteer, arm them with a holster and an air-soft pistol. I then explain the two rules of deadly force, and then stand about 21 feet away. I then ask the student for some money, they generally laugh and tell me no. I then pull out a large rubber knife and ask again. Sometime during the resulting conversation I begin moving my 350 pound body toward them as rapidly as possible.

The results are generally as follows;

  • They stand on one leg, and raise the other towards their chest and try to assume a standing fetal position.
  • They draw their gun, paddle holster still attached and then look at the holstered gun in their hand.
  • They run away.
  • They shoot two rounds into the floor in front of me, or off to my side.

In ALL the years I have taught this I have been shot twice – once was by a correctional officer that shot me the second I pulled my knife (I didn’t even get a chance to threaten – pulled knife – received welt from plastic bb) he sheepishly said “better judged by 12…” The other was a recently discharged Recon Marine taking an Armed Security Upgrade so he could work security at a nuclear plant. He simply drew and double tapped me right below my sternum with a speed that the majority of us will never practice enough to achieve.

I am a big believer in this demonstration as it allows an in depth discussion about what actually constitutes a lethal threat, and the proper methods of response.

However, for the video, I chose a test instead of a demonstration, the way we performed the demonstration in the video below gives an individual a INDICATOR as to whether they are below or above the 1.5 second reaction time average.

I had one student with a holstered, and loaded firearm stand and face a target. A second student stood shoulder to shoulder with the armed student, but he faced up range. This student held a 1 pound lead weight wrapped in a bandanna. He is will represent the knife armed aggressor.

At a time of the aggressors choosing, and without warning he will begin to race up range (away from the shooter and his target). When he begins to run, the shooter is told to draw and fire two shots at center mass of the target. He is told that shoot as rapidly as he can, but that he needs to hit the target.

As soon as the aggressor hears gunfire, he drops the weight – this signifies how far he could stand AWAY from the shooter and still inflict a lethal blow.

Remember, even if you hit the attacker, he still would have hit you at that distance. This gives the shooter an average of where he is justified to be worried if he is threatened by an attacker holding an impact weapon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL1zX-SrBH0

Clint Smith on Defensive Firearms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R00cdYREFLc

 

Clint Smith on Defensive Firearms
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Clint Smith is an expert on the use of Defensive Firearms.  He is a Marine Corps Infantry vet, SWAT officer, and has been running Thunder Ranch since 1993.

Since I Graduated high school in 1993 I readily admit that he has probably forgot more about defensive firearms use than I know.  And that’s okay with me as I haven’t stopped learning yet.  This video is a great tool use to learn some great concepts and proper mindset on the proper use of a defensive firearm.

I like his style, this thought process, and how he teaches.  When I teach firearms classes, there are several techniques and lessons that I share that I gleaned from Mr. Smith.

I have searched YouTube for good training videos to share, and I have found several clips of Thunder Ranch training videos.  Think of them as advertisements for their full length training videos.  (I don’t gain anything from this, but I do think there videos are a valuable and worthwhile purchase.)

Clint Smith is entertaining, but his content is unparalleled.  I love watching him and have used many of his videos to influence my training style.  Its good to be entertained as you are educated.