Weekend Reading #42

 Longer and more involved reading:

• Be sure to check out Jon Low's most recent newsletter at Defensive Pistolcraft. There is a lot of good stuff to check out, but I think this is a good lesson for everyone:

     Do not be overly concerned with your pistol.  The surgeon is not known by his scalpel.  He has no favorite scalpel.  He has a skill; any scalpel will do.  (I have seen a tracheotomy performed with a steak knife grabbed off a dinner table.)  Similarly, you should concentrate on honing your skill, any pistol will do.  A person will become comfortable with anything he practices.  Sentimental or personal preferences have no place in combat.  

     You may not have a pistol; any knife will do.  What is the best way to hold a knife?  The way you are holding it in the fight.  Don’t change grips.  Don’t throw your knife.  Lead with the knife, as a fencer, with your other hand covering your carotid arteries in your neck (thanks to Sensei Cat Fitzgerald).  

     You may not have a knife; a pen will do.  

     You may not have any weapon; your hands will do.  Concentrate the strength of two of your hands against one of his hands or one of his fingers and continue to twist; don’t stop when something breaks.  Stomp on his foot over the arch, the small bones in the foot are easily broken (and he may be wearing steel toed shoes).  Gouge his eyes, if the enemy is wearing glasses or goggles, gouge up and under the glasses.  A blood choke will incapacitate a person in 8 seconds (often much less than 8 seconds).  (An air choke is ineffective because a person can hold his breath for a minute or more.)  Bite!  Bite hard, break the bone, and get to the marrow.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, ASK!  Keep fighting.  If you maintain a combat mindset, you can win.   

Also, be sure to check out the infographic on how to tell someone is carrying concealed (using the tips in it aren't just for spotting someone else carrying, but to also correcting deficiencies in how you carry); the training tips for those that use glasses, both with and without your prescription lenses; the links to In Extremis Communications; and the explanation on why you should strike to perform certain actions and wear certain equipment at the same location all the time--when a confrontation goes down, you don't want to have to be trying to remember where your concealed gun is located or how to draw and present it. 

• Greg Elifritz has a new weekend knowledge dump at Active Response Training.  A really good selection of links this week (and I'm not just saying that because he linked to a post of mine--BTW, Thanks! to Greg). I haven't had time to listen to it yet, but his first link is to a podcast by Michael Bane discussing contacts with insurrectionists--something that will probably become more common as the year wears on. Other notable links: "I've Got Two Guns" discussing why you should have a copy of your main concealed carry pistol to use for training and practice (meaning that your carry pistol should not be shot a lot)--I haven't done this for pistols, but I've said the same thing about magazines, that you shouldn't be using your training magazines that you dump on the ground or floor as your carry mags; a review of polling data about support (or lack thereof) for gun control; an article on "The Decision Cycle"; and an article debunking the meme that murder rates are declining because of better trauma care. There's more, so check out the whole thing. 
• "How to Prepare for Civil Unrest?"--Armormax. The author summarizes: "This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about preparing for civil unrest, covering risk assessment, home fortification, emergency supplies, self-defense, evacuation planning, communication, legal considerations, mental preparedness, and long-term resilience. Use the following sections to ensure you and your family stay safe no matter what happens."
• "Inside Minneapolis’s ICE Watch Network"--City Journal. Again, a summary from the author:

    In Minneapolis, one key organizer of these activities is “Defend the 612.” The group, the membership of which apparently included Renee Good, oversees a massive network of Signal chats dedicated to monitoring and protesting ICE activity. It has become the beating heart of the city’s resistance to federal immigration enforcement. (The group’s name refers to the Minneapolis area code.)

    City Journal reviewed Defend the 612’s trainings, entered its Signal network, and traced its organizational support. Our reporting reveals that members and related officials have encouraged protesters to impede law enforcement; pushed civilians toward legally and physically risky confrontations; and helped mobilize a counterprotest that turned violent.

    The group’s growth threatens to stoke the city’s already-raging fire.