This Week's "Weekend Knowledge Dump" from Active Response Training

If you haven't already done so, be sure to go check out Greg Ellifritz's "Weekend Knowledge Dump" for this week with an excellent selection of articles and videos, as well as commentary. If you are a revolver enthusiast, there are several articles you might find interesting, including drills for using a single action revolver for self-defense, drills for practicing using a big bore handgun for stopping a bear, and a review of different types of speed-loaders. In the latter article, it was good to see that the basic HKS loaders fared well against competitors since HKS by far offers speed loaders for the largest variety of models and calibers and, at least in this area, is the easiest to find in stores.

     There is also a good variety of other articles on self-defense and equipment, but also exercise and fitness and just generally healthy living, including a good article looking at whether running or jogging is as good an exercise as generally believed.

      One of the self-defense links is to a video that has received a lot of attention of a female deputy being physically beaten down and her gun taken away by a miscreant. Ellifritz has some comments to which you should pay attention. He writes:

        Once again, officers like this may be the ones sent to save you when you call 911. She got her ass kicked. She got her gun taken. She either didn’t have a backup gun or was too scared to draw it. She was left to run away in a screaming panic as other officers arrived and took care of business. 

       There are always going to be superior opponents.  Anyone can get his or her ass kicked no matter how well trained that individual is.  That being said, giving up and running away is completely dishonorable in this scenario. 

      You mistakenly think that drawing while the attacker has a superior position will save you?  Nope.  In a fight the gun belongs to whoever can keep it, not just the one who brought it to the party.  You made a serious error.  You’ve just armed a criminal who will soon start shooting at your friends. 

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      There are a lot of cops doing the job who would look just like this in any serious encounter.  You absolutely cannot rely on the police to protect you.  Some of them can’t even take care of themselves.  When you call 911, you may get a completely tactically squared away warrior who responds.  You may also get someone like this.  It’s a crap shoot.

      And it has nothing to do with an officer’s sex.  There are plenty of inept male cops as well.  Check out this video.  His performance wasn’t quite as cringe worthy, but if those three bystanders didn’t help, this officer might have been in serious trouble.

       One other point to consider…after watching these two videos, do any of you open carry advocates still think that an openly carried gun will dissuade an attacker from victimizing you?  I would submit that these officers’ openly carried weapons did not deter their attackers in the least bit.  Why do you think you have better skills and awareness than these officers after only having taken a four-hour CCW class?