This new edition of Cooper’s classic Principles of Personal Defense – with a fitting tribute by firearms expert Louis Awerbuck and all-new drawings by renowned illustrator Paul Kirchner – presents his timeless theory of individual defensive behavior clearly, concisely and practically.
All free people who aspire to stay that way should read, study and share the wisdom found within these pages. Considered by many to be one of the greatest books on combat mindset and proper defensive mental conditioning ever written, it deserves a place of honor in every library.
This book was one of the first “gun books” I bought, and some of the thoughts have stayed with me ever sense. Cooper’s discussion of color codes, tactical residential architecture, and the true role of security guards have shaped my thinking as I have grown in the subject.
This is a small book, but it is filled with concepts that any martialist needs to be aware of.
Unfortunately, I was not born soon enough, nor learned about firearms early enough, to have trained under Colonel Cooper. However, I have worked with many people who have and hold certificates from Thunder Ranch.
I do however, read his work and while some of it has been advanced by science, the mindset portions are as valid now as ever.
The Tactical Advantage and learn the combat-proven techniques big-city cops use to stay alive and effective when the bullets start flying.
Maintain the tactical advantage in any situation by knowing how to search buildings for armed intruders, use cover and concealment, maintain proper distance intervals and much more.There is some political viewpoints and religious scripture that turn some away from this work. I understand the mindset and agree with most of it. However, I feel like it should be mentioned in a review.
My biggest issue with this book is that it needs to be updated. It is pretty old and some of the pictures look like the 1980’s Which is pretty accurate given the career of the author.
Now the base mindset of a warrior doesn’t change – I imagine if a Samurai woke up in today’s America he would quickly learn how to run an AR platform rifle.
This book is not a definitive study of gunfighting techniques, but I do think his arguments on room clearing are valuable. I have my own views of the subject – namely don’t clear alone – but for a cop or someone that has no choice, his words should be read.
While I don’t think the Tactical Advantage is the best book on the subject, I do think it has a place in a well read prepper’s bookshelf.
The Tactical Shotgun Suarez gives you his second book on tactical weapons.
Gabe Suarez sets the record straight on the true role of the shotgun in combat.
He shows you what you need to know to defend your home, family or business, including multiple hostiles, low-light situations, moving targets and more.
For those that don’t know Gabe Suarez is a veteran of Southern California law enforcement, where he has served for many years.
His extensive field experience includes single officer patrol, gang enforcement, special operations and tactical training.
He was one of the founding members of his department’s Special Weapons and Tactical Precision Rifle teams.
Gabe Suarez knows his shotguns, and the Tactical Shotgun is one of the best books on the subject. If you want to know how to use a shotgun for interpersonal conflict resolution, you need to read this book.
This book is a key work on my shelf of shotgun manuals. I don’t hunt or skeet shoot with my shotgun, it is only used for self-defense purposes, which makes this book even more valuable to me. I recommend this book highly. Between this book, a sling, and a lot of practice, you won’t need much else.
This is the first guest post I have added since opening up the blog to other writers. I have been interested in Dogs for Personal Protection for a long time, and at one time did a little work helping train some protection dogs, but I realized I don’t have the attention to detail that it takes to be successful. This is one area where you need some help and guidance from someone with lots of experience.
Dogs for Personal Protection
Any of us are susceptible to an invasion of our home or personal space. Having another soul to rely on can make a situation a lot less frightening and a lot more safe. A dog, for example, can be not only an extremely loyal companion, but an excellent source of security.
General Positives and Negatives of Owning a Dog for Protection
Positives
Safety – if you live in a big city, bad neighborhood, etc. having a dog can be a constant reassurance of safety, and in general the image of a dog being with you makes you less susceptible for attack
Confidence/fulfillment – achieving goals with your dog is motivating and helps you feel accomplished
Companionship/emotional support – having a dog can be highly stress relieving
Socializing – you meet a host of people when involving yourself in training dogs
Negatives
Responsibility comes with owning a dog – and that means time on the owner’s part. You gain respect and loyalty through your efforts, however, which is well worth it.
Expenses, such as training and maintenance costs
There’s a chance of aggression in a high-drive dog if mis-trained or improperly bred
Frustration and difficulty – dogs can be very hard to understand for the uninformed, and it can be difficult to help them learn something when you are unaware of how they learn. At times, dogs also can be stubborn, which is why consistency is extremely important. Getting all others who may live with the dog on the same page can also be cause of further hindrance.
Remorse if your dog is hurt or killed from protecting you
Choosing a Breed
If you don’t already have a dog, or are considering obtaining one for safety, than there are some more capable of protection than others. It’s also important that you find a reputable breeder, preferably one specializing in high drive dogs (dogs that are not docile, but love to work), with a healthy and impressive pedigree.
Great breeds to work with for personal protection:
German Shepherd
Malinois
Dutch Shepherd
Rottweiler
Mastiff (variety)
Pit Bull (variety)
Doberman Pinscher
Dogo Argentino
Cane Corso
BoerBoel
Ridgeback (variety)
Akita Inu
These such dogs could be effectively trained to not only watch, but act. There are certain breeds designated to alert (many small breeds), and others to react quickly – the protection dog. The German sport Schutzhund (literally “protection dog”) has rules and a scoring system which are effective standards of everything a protection dog should be able to do – obedience, tracking, and protection. Tracking is often the least interesting when dealing with personal protection, and more appealing to police and investigative work.
Expenses
There are drawbacks with this method of safety assurance, such as the costs of the dog itself (a good German Shepherd on average is $1300.00), maintenance, as well as having the patience, time, and money to train. You’ll need the proper equipment, such as body suites or hidden arm sleeves, which are rather expensive, and not easy to make from scratch.
Preparation
Giving the dog the ultimate amount of exposure possible is also necessary, such as preparing him/her for as many situations as you can. Mondeo and French Ring Sport are great sports which challenge the dog’s courage and reaction traits.
Situations to be prepared for:
Yelling/threatening
Gun Shots
Attacking from a car window
Assault on owner or dog itself
Masks (on the offender)
Attacking in narrow spaces
Purse snatching
etc.
The more varied the environment and situation the dog is trained in, the better suitable he/she will be as an attack dog.
Considering a Dog for Protection?
The first place to start is to find a reputable breeder, with proper papers to prove a satisfactory bloodline in the dog. In America, AKC certified dogs do not mean a dog is of good quality, so keep this in mind. Germany, on the other hand, has very strict breeding practices in their country as far as qualifications go. It’s best to do your research beforehand. Note that if you already have a dog, it is very possible to train him/her in protection – it just may take more time and effort. It will not always happen, as some dogs are simply just too docile/submissive.
Secondly, you should supply yourself with proper equipment and a trainer if you don’t wish to self-educate. Good trainers usually have titled dogs in protection sports, or have a list of references of the work they’ve accomplished. If you get a puppy, train early!
Dogs have shown to be courageous hero’s in wars, police work, and for personal guarding. Most dogs have an intuition in and of themselves, and are aware of their surroundings when need be, making dogs an excellent form of defense.
The 
The Tactical Shotgun Suarez gives you his second book on tactical weapons.
This is the first guest post I have added since opening up the blog to other writers. I have been interested in Dogs for Personal Protection for a long time, and at one time did a little work helping train some protection dogs, but I realized I don’t have the attention to detail that it takes to be successful. This is one area where you need some help and guidance from someone with lots of experience.