Mac0s0phy

Mac’s best articles on mindset,

motivation, firearms, safety & Metal
© 2021 by Pat McNamara
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 Fit to Fight
W
hen it comes to confrontation, escalation of force must be considered. We must avoid
at all cost. We must try to achieve separation and get out of harm’s way. Litigation and
liability must be deliberated. People are watching. Witnesses are present. Cameras are
everywhere.
If it comes to lethal, one must be lethal. We must deploy and employ are tools with the intent
to be lethal. This is non-negotiable. We must be able to fire with impunity.
Far before any confrontation goes lethal, it will be physical whether that means getting off of
the ‘X’, getting out of dodge, or closing on an adversary.
Too often, we consider ourselves “Armed” because we are carrying a gun. Complacency and
this “I’m Armed” attitude can get you in trouble.
Fighting is fighting whether with fists and feet or with a gun. Kinetics will be involved. Our
present level of fitness can determine whether we are an asset or a liability.
We owe it to ourselves to be our own first responders. Being fit for a fight is an integral
component to one’s ability to protect one’s self or others.

There are four good reasons for staying fit;

#1 - self-preservation and longevity, #2 - saving your own life,
#3 - saving someone else’s life, #4 - kicking someone’s ass!
Telling a guy how to work out is like telling him how to work his barbeque pit in his back
yard. When it comes to weight training, working body parts is virtually an anachronism. Isolated
training of the muscle group can actually be weakening the muscle group because it needs to
be used in a functional fashion. If you are still working body parts, you are probably one of three
people. 1. You are a Body Builder 2. You are recovering from injury and are going through physical
therapy 3. You have no idea what you are doing.
I define my system I use as Combat Strength Training. CST is a system that retrofits the
combat chassis so that it performs with maximum efficiency at maximum capacity. CST considers
that we are all built and perform differently. Performance can be measured by doing what we can
with what we have.
 Macosophy

Focusing on self-preservation and longevity, CST introduces the chassis and its external
components to power, strength, and agility training in all plains of motion within the full muscle
spectrum range.
It enhance the chassis’ performance and tactical effectiveness through maintenance,
education, and combat replicated movements while following a safe, comprehensive, systematic,
and progressive format.
As the chassis is upgraded it becomes a battlefield multiplier which in turn becomes a force
multiplier. CST improves rate of force production, strength, muscular development, speed,
quickness, proprioception, and functional flexibility.

The CST methodology works within the individual’s own

performance level to develop a better, more efficient, stronger,
and more capable self.
For those of us with military or Law Enforcement background who routinely wear 60 pounds
of light-weight crap, injury has been a way of life. You should not be getting injured in the gym!
I too have been banged up throughout the years. I separated my bicep so completely that it
was pulled into my forearm, broke three ribs and dislocated my shoulder all as a result of being
a towed jumper during an airborne operation. Ruptured my L5 / S1disk as a result of a HUMMER
crash and had it surgically repaired. Had my shoulder rebuilt after mobility training gone horribly
wrong and had an ACL replacement (center patella tendon) after snapping it during winter
warfare training. I’ve got a herniated disk and two bulging in my neck from fighting, broken both
ankles, and several bones in my right hand. I mention these injuries to make a point. I feel great
today and boast that I am stronger and faster at 53 than at 33. Not in better shape mind you. I
cannot run ten miles tomorrow unannounced and feel good about it the next day. I owe this level
of fitness to doing the right things and checking my diet.
I like to categorize the human physic into different combat chassis. For the sake of this article,
I’d like to discuss three of those and offer some advice on how to attack a workout.
1977 Impala. You used to be fit. Perhaps back in high school. Life got in the way. You are
not over the hill, just becoming gelatinous and your joints creak and ache. You have a myriad of
excuses for not working out. Your gym does not have to be sexy. Invest in some pull-up assist
bands. Get your hands on a couple heavy, a couple medium and a couple of light ones. Work
pushes, pulls, pull-ups, and overhead presses. Perform these motions in the transverse plane as
much as possible. Do moderate sprints. 25 yard dashes say. Work for twenty minutes a day.
One of your main goals is to be able to pull yourself up….do a pull-up, or several. This is a
lifesaving movement. If you can’t right now, use those newly purchased pull-up assist bands. Your
balance probably sucks. Perform some of these movements on one foot.
2001 Mustang GT. You are in pretty good shape. You’ve maintained well over the years but
you are stuck in a rut. You are doing the same thing week in and week out. You are falling into a
stagnant world of complacent adaptation. If Olympic lifts are not a part of your routine, get some
coaching and include cleans, dead lift, squats. Include power movements in the transverse plane.
You are probably living in a sagitalistic environment where every movement is straight forward

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 Macosophy

and you are doing very little rotational work. In the transverse plane lives lifesaving and ass
kicking. Get to rotating!
Your balance probably sucks too. Build a balance beam out of 2 x 4s and do light-weight lifts
while walking the beam.
2018 Challenger Hell Cat. You are young and fit. You are not thinking long term. You are
all about ‘Carpe Diem’. At some point you’ll be all out of ‘Diems” so you must think ‘Stronger
Longer’. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as over work but there is such a thing as under-
recovery. Keep things mixed up. Introduce muscle confusion. Muscle confusion is the idea that
by constantly changing your workouts you “confuse” your muscles and thereby increase the
stimulation and resulting adaptation.
Whichever category you fall in to, my CST program follows a simple strategy. Work in
anaerobic chunks in circuit to near metabolic threshold to achieve an aerobic goal. I think it is
important that each workout is run as a circuit and lasts 30 minutes or more. Each workout must
start with a 5-10 minute warm-up (run a mile, jump rope, row).

I am also a firm believer in breaking down the week into sub-

tasks. My four day program includes; Strength, Power, Speed/
quickness, and muscular development (hypertrophy).
Speed = fast in one direction Quickness = fast in multiple directions
Training example = Sprints, focus/ heavy bag work, speed ladder drills
Combat Application = movement under fire.
Personal application = running up a flight of stairs. Running through a crowd to the safety of
your vehicle. Throwing accurate punches in bunches to an adversaries bread basket.
Power = rate of force production. How much how fast
Training example = power cleans, medicine ball throws, lateral sledge hammer
Combat application = hoisting a team mate into a fireman’s carry. Heaving an ammo can to a
top gunner
Personal Application=throwing the table through the restaurant window. Hoisting an injured
loved one into a fireman’s carry.
Strength = how much
Training example = max squat, max dead-lift (three reps each)
Combat application = up righting an overturned vehicle, pulling one’s self up and over
obstacle
Personal Application = holding a dangling loved one by the hand. Carrying your kids or wife
from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’.
Hypertrophy = muscular development
Training example = 20 reps sets to failure. Reps are completed in 2 second segments.

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 Macosophy

2 seconds concentric, two seconds eccentric, and two seconds isometric.

Combat application = self preservation
Personal Application = self preservation
In addition to my big four, I will work abs every day, functional balance and functional
flexibility twice a week.
Two things not practiced enough….or at all on the range are proprioception and kinesthetic
sense. Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and
strength of effort being employed in movement and kinesthetic sense helps us detect weight,
body position, or the relationship between movements in our body parts such as joints, muscles
and tendons. In short, it is the muscle sense.
We stand too flat footed…on a flat range range…and work with a flat range mindset.
Even incorporating small movements laterally and too the oblique front and rear, will assist us
in becoming more situationally aware of our body in the space it occupies.
We all have different goals when it comes to our PT program. For some it is as simple as
cosmetics for others it is a requirement. Combat readiness however, is non-negotiable. This
should be the main focus and should drive what we do and how we do it. Put your big fat ego
aside and understand that we all perform differently and that performance can be measured by
doing what you can with what you have. Some of our combat chassis are Porches and some are
Mack Trucks. Allow yourself to work within your capability level.

As you plan out your training strategy keep in mind that limits
begin where vision ends. When it comes to teaching and learning,
I believe that without attitude, aptitude and desire lives a fault
line where information meets its boundary.
Whether training for street fighting, shooting or fitness, you must believe in yourself. The mind
navigates the body. In other words, how you think will determine how you perform. A positive
self-image and confidence increase one’s ability to perform. Your goals should be ambitious but
realistic. Set short term intermediate goals to assist you in meeting your long term ambitious
goals.
Get Some! Mac

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 10 Steps for an Everyday
Survival Mindset
In an era of persistent conflict both at home and abroad, life’s uncertainty can test whether or not
we are prepared for challenges not forecasted.

We do not plan to fail but we fail to plan and when we do,

we get experience. Experience is often something we get,
shortly after we need it.
Whether you are a head of a household with a family or on your own, you need to be
your own first responder. It is your duty and responsibility to protect and serve as well. Protect
yourselves and your loved ones and serve your communities as a responsible member of that
community. You need to be equipped to be your family’s own Security Detail. You need to be
your own ‘Sentinel’.
Here are ten things to consider when you perform your Sentinel duties;
1. Maintain situational awareness
Don’t get caught in the ‘White’ (Cooper’s color code) when out and about. You do not need to
be on full alert. This would be too exhausting, but you should maintain condition ‘Yellow’.
If I am out in say, a restaurant, I want to know if trouble is coming in, so I ask myself, “If I were
a sociopath, which direction would I move after entering? Where would I aim my shotgun? What
are the natural lines of drift in this establishment?”
I visualize potential chaos. I will picture complete bedlam with everyone simultaneously
running for the exit. This is a necessary component in preparation in the event all hell breaks
loose. You must mentally prepare yourself to exit with those who you are protecting—if exiting is
the best and safest recourse—without hesitation, even if this means throwing the chair through
the window. When pandemonium strikes, there is no time for analysis. Through analysis comes
paralysis.
2. Decide for yourself
If shit does hit the fan, running with the ‘Sheeple’ may not be the best course of action. Don’t

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 Macosophy

be victimized by an ocean of people who have their heads up their asses. Lines of drift and likely
avenues of approach may be part of a plan with a well-organized adversary who may use a
rouse or diversion to send the herd in a desired direction. Exercise your ‘OODA’ loop and come
up with a quick plan of egress. Sometimes, flanking or egressing at an oblique is more conducive
to longevity. Run until you have made it past danger or have some good cover. Take a second to
assess the situation and to readjust your plan.
By the way, if I am out with my family in a public place and if you see me with shower shoes
on while with my loved ones, please walk up to me and jam a pencil in my eye. I deserve it.
Mobility equals survivability, and flip flops are not conducive to moving.
3. Rely on intuition
Intuition is a gift that we humans are born with. We can exercise this function and make it
stronger—just like we do with our muscles. Intuition works best when we register what we’ve
sensed and then put our five other senses aside. Intuition is our sixth sense, but is often stifled by
our over-dependence on the sensations available from the material world. When we tap into our
intuition, decisions that seemed difficult to make suddenly gain more clarity.
Basically, every step we take toward having complete power over our lives is one step away
from being a victim, where we have none. Nowadays, we are so connected, plugged in, that we
are disconnected. Our situational awareness is nearly nonexistent. We are fat, dumb, and happy
button-pushers. Comfortable, flaccid, and complacent.
4. See things in full spectrum.
Perform a focal shift in your everyday life. Look around. Slowdown before you park and take
a look at the other vehicles in your proximity. It is okay. You were born to do this. A successful
assault happens with surprise, speed, and violence of action. We can mitigate the surprise by
being tuned in or situationally aware. If we take the element of surprise away from a predator, he
or she will fear reprisal and forgo the attack.

It is simple tactics. Action versus reaction. If you are aware,

you are acting. If you are switched off and have no situational
awareness, you are one step behind and will at some point in
time, fall into a predator’s web and be caught reacting.
5. Train and carry
In order to be effective on your security detail, you should be carrying a sidearm. It is
necessary a battlefield multiplier. If you know how to use it, it is a game changer; so get
instruction. If you are carrying a sidearm, you should be doing it legally. In order to carry it legally,
you will need to get a CCW permit (carrying a concealed weapon). CCW refers to the practice of
carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner, either on one’s person or in
proximity.
You should learn how to use a firearm safely and effectively prior to buying one. Once you
have purchased a sidearm. Firing a pistol effectively is not easy. It requires instruction and practice.

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 Macosophy

In addition, firing a pistol at someone who is threatening you or your loved one’s life requires
compartmentalization and proper mindset.
When training marksmanship, work primarily on the two most important fundaments of
marksmanship which are sight alignment and trigger control. All other fundaments are a support
mechanism for these two basics. In a gunfight, you can’t miss fast enough. The fundamentals
need to be rehearsed so that they can be quickly and effectively executed. Work mobility
6. Fight or flight
Just because you have a gun, does not mean that you are armed. One must consider
escalation of force. A confrontation will more than likely be physical way before it goes ‘Lethal. Be
prepared to get off the ‘X’ or be ready to punch someone’s mouth loose.
7. Driving
As the driver of your security detail, your primary responsibility is to drive. If you are on your
phone, you are not driving. It also means it’s your job to ensure that the vehicle is clean inside
and out, check the vehicle’s mechanical condition; i.e., oil, fluids, belts, wipers, lights, flashers, and
horns; test all doors and locks, and ask for assistance if unfamiliar with an item or its use. You must
account for all emergency equipment and verify that it’s functioning. And you must drive to save
your life or the life of your passenger(s) if necessary.
8. Out and about
When traveling with your family, you should follow some basic rules. Follow your instinct.
If a person, situation, or location feels wrong or if it makes you nervous, get away as quickly as
possible. It is better to walk away, even if it seems overly cautious, than to stay in a situation that
might become dangerous.
If you feel as if you are being followed, conduct a surveillance-detection route. Use reflections
in vending machines and bus-stop shelters to see behind you. Stop to read a restaurant menu to
dissuade a would-be tail. Do not get caught rubbernecking if you want to confirm a tail. Turn to
look but do not be aggressive of presumptuous.
9. Home Front
In your fortress, you are not just protecting yourself and your principal from burglars but from
natural disasters, power outages, and fire
According to FBI statistics, a house, apartment or condominium is burglarized once every
fifteen seconds. Fortunately, burglary is probably the most preventable of crimes. By taking a few
simple precautions, you can dramatically reduce the risks.
Rule number one: Make your home less attractive to rob than your neighbor’s. My home is lit
up at night. Every bit of dead space is decoratively and defensively illuminated.
Rule number two: Do not invite your house to be cased. If you have stuff worth stealing, limit
the amount of people you tell. It may be unintentional, but people talk and word travels.
Rule number three: Get a dog. A dog is one of the best deterrents. Not because it’s vicious—it
need not even be seen—but it has to be heard. You should take a walk around and through your
property often. Start outside and ask yourself, How would I best break in? I do this at night as well.

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10. Hold fast or Bug out

Be prepared to either hold down the fort or get the hell out of dodge. During power outages
etc., you should have the proper provisions stocked and ready to go in the event you can get
none for several days. At a minimum, things like water, food, medical gear, sanitation supplies, fuel
and generator are a few things everyone should have.
Have a bag or box packed and ready to go with the same gear in the event you must leave to
comfort of your sanctuary in a hurry.
It is our duty and responsibility to protect and serve. If you are a competent and trained gun
handler, you should be carrying wherever the law permits and never go outside the parameters of
that law. Don’t be a nugget. Just because your state allows ‘Open carry’ doesn’t mean you should.
That is some amateur hour bullshit. Take the proper classes, get the proper training, and be an
asset to your community versus a liability.

Just because you have a gun does not mean that you are armed.
The mind is the final weapon. All else is supplemental.

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 Be Your Family’s
Security Detail
In an era of persistent conflict both at home and abroad, life’s uncertainty can test whether or not
we are prepared for challenges not forecasted.

We do not plan to fail but we fail to plan and when we do,

we get experience. Experience is often something we get
shortly after we need it.
Whether you are a head of a household with a family or on your own, you need to be
your own first responder. It is your duty and responsibility to protect and serve as well. Protect
yourselves and your loved ones and serve your communities as a responsible member of that
community. You need to be equipped to be your family’s own Security Detail.
There are simple steps we may take to assist us in being better prepared for power blackouts,
home invasion, and attacks on the street from random dirt bags.
We should enjoy relative peace of mind knowing that we have planned for uncertainty, and
we should rest easier at the top of the food chain. It is said that information is power. It may also
be powerful and able to arm us with increased levels of lethality and survivability.
At the very least, increasing the scope of our capability’s database is a battlefield multiplier on
the front lines of life. Anything can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. It’s called Murphy’s
Law. That being said, wouldn’t you rather know that you had done everything in your power to
have prepared yourself for that Murphy’s Moment?
The protection of an individual is comprehensive and goes well beyond surrounding the
individual with well-armed agents. As part of a security detail’s mission of preventing an incident
before it occurs, the detail relies on meticulous advance work and threat assessments. You probably
do not have the time or assets available for the minute detail, so you will have to go it on your own.

Driving
As the driver of your security detail, your primary responsibility is to drive. If you are on your
phone, you are not driving. It also means it’s your job to ensure that the vehicle is clean inside
and out, check the vehicle’s mechanical condition; i.e., oil, fluids, belts, wipers, lights, flashers, and

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 Macosophy

horns; test all doors and locks, and ask for assistance if unfamiliar with an item or its use. You must
account for all emergency equipment and verify that it’s functioning. And you must drive to save
your life or the life of your passenger(s) if necessary.
Whether you drive a Honda Civic or a Chevy Suburban, your vehicle is your mobile command
center. The driver should know all primary and secondary routes to and from home and
destination and all emergency routes, such as hospitals and safe havens. The driver should drive
all the routes in daylight as well as nighttime to become familiar with them, keeping in mind that
landmarks look different at night.
Your vehicle should be washed and gassed at all times. Don’t get yourself caught in a self-
induced Murphy’s Moment. My rule is that while in the driveway, the fuel gauge never reads less
than three quarters of a tank.
When driving, drive to save your life. Drive defensively and be prepared to drive offensively
when necessary. When behind the wheel, life is a chess match. Pay attention at all times. Be
relentless. Do not focus your attention only on what is directly in front of you. Perform a focal shift
to see things full spectrum.
Wear your seatbelt and be cognizant of oncoming cars. Think of it this way. That car coming at
you on a 55 MPH two way road (probably going 60 plus), they decide whether you live of you die.
Your life is literally in their hands.
As you park in the Walmart parking lot (the epicenter for disaster planning), take a look around
and look in depth, noting shadows and corners. It only takes a second to scan your primary and
secondary sectors. Your primary is directly outside of your vehicle and your secondary runs two or
three cars deep in all directions. Just spend a couple of seconds on this. Make it your new normal.
You will be surprised at what you see. If something makes you uncomfortable or doesn’t fit, leave
or move so you can live to fight another day. The best way to get out of a sticky situation is by not
getting into it in the first place.

Situational awareness
When you are out and about with your family, have a mental checklist that may vary a bit
depending on the venue.
• Find a reference point near where you park to ensure you will remember the location.
• Look for alternative exits out of the parking lot.
• Check the time and ask yourself if it will it be dark when you exit?
Once inside,
• Scan for an alternative or emergency exit.
• Then scan each and every table. It’s not about eyeballing everyone. Simply scan. You are
looking for assets and liabilities.
• If you sit next to the windows, casually tap the glass. I will be asking myself, “Can I throw
a table through this window? Is the table bolted down? Or will it suffice for a temporary
makeshift barricade or shield?”
• Notice the foot traffic coming in and out.

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I want to know if trouble is coming in, so I ask myself, “If I were a sociopath, which direction
would I move after entering? Where would I aim my shotgun? What are the natural lines of drift in
this establishment?”
I visualize potential chaos. I will picture complete bedlam with everyone simultaneously
running for the exit. This is a necessary component in preparation in the event all hell breaks
loose. You must mentally prepare yourself to exit with those who you are protecting—if exiting is
the best and safest recourse—without hesitation, even if this means throwing the chair through
the window. When pandemonium strikes, there is no time for analysis. Through analysis comes
paralysis.
If you are with your family in an open-air event, like the state fair for example, conduct a short,
clear and concise, briefing with your kiddies. If they are young, keep it simple and it must make
sense to them. Bring them to a large reference feature like a tall sign, or Ferris wheel. You might
tell them, “This is where you come if we get separated.” Issue them a business card and tell them,
“If you cannot find me, give this card to a policeman, or to a mom, and ask them to call me.” I
tell them a “mom,” because kids feel naturally comfortable around mothers. And it seems moms
naturally want to help a child in distress.
If shit does hit the fan, running with the ‘Sheeple’ may not be the best course of action. Don’t
be victimized by an ocean of people who have their heads up their asses. Lines of drift and likely
avenues of approach may be part of a plan with a well-organized adversary who may use a
rouse or diversion to send the herd in a desired direction. Exercise your ‘OODA’ loop and come
up with a quick plan of egress. Sometimes, flanking or egressing at an oblique is more conducive
to longevity. Run until you have made it past danger or have some good cover. Take a second to
assess the situation and to readjust your plan.
By the way, if I am out with my family in a public place and if you see me with shower shoes
on while with my loved ones, please walk up to me and jam a pencil in my eye. I deserve it.
Mobility equals survivability, and flip flops are not conducive to moving.

Gun Basics
In order to be effective on your security detail, you should be carrying a sidearm. It is
necessary a battlefield multiplier. If you know how to use it, it is a game changer; so get
instruction. If you are carrying a sidearm, you should be doing it legally. In order to carry it legally,
you will need to get a CCW permit (carrying a concealed weapon). CCW refers to the practice of
carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner, either on one’s person or in
proximity.
You should learn how to use a firearm safely and effectively prior to buying one. Once you
have purchased a sidearm. Firing a pistol effectively is not easy. It requires instruction and practice.
In addition, firing a pistol at someone who is threatening you or your loved one’s life requires
compartmentalization and proper mindset.
When training marksmanship, work primarily on the two most important fundaments of
marksmanship which are sight alignment and trigger control. All other fundaments are a support
mechanism for these two basics. In a gunfight, you can’t miss fast enough. The fundamentals
need to be rehearsed so that they can be quickly and effectively executed. The first shot fired is

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 Macosophy

the most important. The first shot fired must be on target. Whether in training or on the two-way
firing range, the first shot sets the tempo for all follow-on shots.
Tactical shooting is about target discrimination and proper bullet placement. It is also about
eliminating predictability, and surviving through mobility. During your shooting drills, always work
within your capability level. Make sure that you are hitting what you are aiming at within your
limitations and then push those limitations. Encourage yourself to work on accuracy before you
try your hand at speed drills. Speed will be a byproduct of working the fundamentals correctly.
Remember that during training, you are replicating a possible shooting scenario. In a shooting,
someone is typically shooting back at you. This guy has the same brain defaults that you have.
You must make a determination when and where to move, and you must do this quickly. At the
same time, you must know when to move fast and when to slow down. If you are missing your
intended target, slow down. When moving from point A to B, shift into high gear.
The greatest percentage of your marksmanship training should revolve around the
fundamentals. During these training sessions, it is imperative to self-coach. The most important
self-regulatory skill that top performers use during their work is self-observation.
Practice the fundamentals so that they may be accessed at a subconscious level. The more
we develop a skill circuit, the less we are aware that we are using it. We are built to make skills
automatic, to stash them in our unconscious minds. This process, which is called automaticity,
exists for powerful, evolutionary reasons. The more processing we do with our unconscious
minds, the better our chance for survival.

Rely on intuition
Intuition is a gift that we humans are born with. We can exercise this function and make it
stronger—just like we do with our muscles. Intuition works best when we register what we’ve
sensed and then put our five other senses aside. Intuition is our sixth sense, but is often stifled by
our over-dependence on the sensations available from the material world. When we tap into our
intuition, decisions that seemed difficult to make suddenly gain more clarity.
In our culture, it is easy to lose connection with the fact that we create every single aspect of
our existence. Often it may be difficult at the time to see how or why, but we do. Of course, this
can be a very hard concept to accept as truth. However, in order to get out of being a victim, it is
helpful to just go with this for the moment. So bear with me.
Basically, every step we take toward having complete power over our lives is one step away
from being a victim, where we have none. Nowadays, we are so connected, plugged in, that we
are disconnected. Our situational awareness is nearly nonexistent. We are fat, dumb, and happy
button-pushers. Comfortable, flaccid, and complacent.
But being eternally vigilant can be exhausting. Being prepared to save your life or the life of
you are protecting, will require work. Sweat equity. We expect our kids to look both ways before
crossing the street, but we don’t want to look behind us while at an ATM. We often relinquish
our intuitive nature and do this at great cost to our own safety. Intuitiveness is a gift and a primal
instinct that we cannot afford to relinquish. Mitigate having to ask “How did I get here?” A little
situational awareness goes a long way.

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Try to see things full spectrum. Perform a focal shift in your everyday life. Look around. Slow
down before you park and take a look at the other vehicles in your proximity. It is okay. You were
born to do this. A successful assault happens with surprise, speed, and violence of action. We can
mitigate the surprise by being tuned in or situationally aware. If we take the element of surprise
away from a predator, he or she will fear reprisal and forgo the attack.
It is simple tactics. Action versus reaction. If you are aware, you are acting. If you are switched
off and have no situational awareness, you are one step behind and will at some point in time, fall
into a predator’s web and be caught reacting.
As mentioned earlier, before you climb out of your vehicle, take a look around and look into
the depths. It only takes a second to scan your “primary and secondary sectors.” Your primary
sector is directly outside of your vehicle and your secondary sector runs two or three cars deep
in all directions. You will see things that you have never seen before. Occasionally, you will find
someone looking back at you. Additionally, you will notice how oblivious many people are to their
surroundings. This newly acquired awareness will suddenly become a new normal for you.
Get in the habit of backing into a space instead of pulling into it. Not only does this allow for
easier departure but may mitigate any would-be scammers looking for you to back into them.
Make it routine to hook your keys on a belt loop or clip them onto your purse so they are at the
ready. Buy one of those promotional key clips with a built in light so you have an emergency light
at your disposal at all times.

There are times when you should question intuition.

For instance, if it looks good, it may be a diversion.
Diversionary tactics are as old as the day is long. Reason being, they are effective. Explosions
followed by fireballs and smoke will draw our attention like moth to a flame.
Here is a hypothetical situation: The elevator door opens, you take a step out and something
grabs your attention to the right. You get sucked in to staring at this while a predator closes in
from the left. Crack to the head … lights out. Money and wallet gone.
Next time you are drawn in unexpectedly, take a moment to look the other way. Even a snap
shot in the other direction can be the determining factor on whether you become a victim or
succeed in averting a bad situation. Don’t get sucked in by one of the oldest tactics in the book.

Out and about

When traveling with your family, you should follow some basic rules. Follow your instinct.
If a person, situation, or location feels wrong or if it makes you nervous, get away as quickly as
possible. It is better to walk away, even if it seems overly cautious, than to stay in a situation that
might become dangerous.
If you feel as if you are being followed, conduct a surveillance-detection route. Use reflections
in vending machines and bus-stop shelters to see behind you. Stop to read a restaurant menu
to dissuade a would-be tail. Do not get caught rubbernecking if you want to confirm a tail. Turn
to look but do not be aggressive of presumptuous. Turning aggressively may not only provoke a
thug, but may create one that wasn’t there in the first place.

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Even in bad neighborhoods, most people are just ordinary people who are trying to live their
lives. They may have biases, but they’re also just going about their daily lives. Being polite and
respectful can get you a long way.
Thugs looking for a victim will typically go after someone who looks timid or lost. Try to
appear calm and confident, but do not act like an insider if you’re confronted.
Nothing places a bulls-eye on your back in a bad neighborhood like looking lost and
confused. If you have the chance, research a neighborhood before you enter it. Look at maps
and pictures. Know where you’re going and know the surrounding streets well enough to find
your way out, if you do get lost, without having to look at a map or ask for directions. Knowing
something as simple as, “If I keep heading north on Murray Road, I’ll hit Main Street,” may be
enough. Even if you are lost, pretend you know where you’re going.
It is not good enough to “look in both directions” before you cross the street. Get into the
habit of looking up and down as well as left and right. Danger can strike from any direction. Don’t
be naive.
If you’re walking toward a person or a group of people who are checking you out, try to walk
in a different direction to avoid encountering them. Don’t make it obvious. If you cross the street,
for example, go into a store on that side, so it seems that’s why you crossed. Remember, you want
to avoid dangerous situations, but you don’t want to come off as paranoid or scared. At the very
least, be alert so you can spot a potential confrontation early enough to cross the street without
making it clear to them that you’re intimidated.
If you do have to cross paths with shady characters, however, be careful not to quicken your
pace (you might do it subconsciously) or make obvious eye contact.
If you are walking with someone, keep your conversation flowing, and avoid topics that might
indicate where you are going, where you’re from, or what kind of stuff you have.
All of these steps will be harder to follow if you’re intoxicated. Going into a bad, unfamiliar
neighborhood without your senses fully intact is as street-stupid as it gets.
Stairs, elevators, and parking garages should be avoided altogether if you’re getting a bad vibe
from the neighborhood.
Do not try to talk like the locals. It is better to be quiet and speak sparingly with your own
accent. If you try to use local slang or accent, and you do not pull it off, people might think you’re
being condescending or downright insulting. At the very least, they may think you are an idiot.
This should be obvious, but definitely do not use any headphone device such as an MP3
player or Bluetooth headset. These items are not only a target for thieves but also critically lessen
your awareness of the environment around you, making you an easy target. Likewise, keep cell
phone use to a minimum.

Home Front
In your fortress, you are not just protecting yourself and your principal from burglars but from
natural disasters, power outages, and fire
According to FBI statistics, a house, apartment or condominium is burglarized once every

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fifteen seconds. Fortunately, burglary is probably the most preventable of crimes. By taking a few
simple precautions, you can dramatically reduce the risks.
Of course, every home and every situation is different, and there are no guarantees.
The first step is to determine what kind of threat you are trying to protect against. For
example, defending against personal threats, such as assault, requires different measures than
defending against burglary.
Most home burglars do not give great amounts of thought to planning the job and assessing
the benefits vs. dangers, but understanding how they choose a target can go a long way in
reducing your chances of being a victim.
Most burglars look for:
• Something worth stealing
• Easy access combined with low visibility
• A home that is unoccupied
Rule number one: Make your home less attractive to rob than your neighbor’s. My home is lit
up at night. Every bit of dead space is decoratively and defensively illuminated.
Rule number two: Do not invite your house to be cased. If you have stuff worth stealing, limit
the amount of people you tell. It may be unintentional, but people talk and word travels.
Rule number three: Get a dog. A dog is one of the best deterrents. Not because it’s vicious—it
need not even be seen—but it has to be heard. A dog with a menacing bark will scare away a lot
of would-be burglars, not only because they don’t know what kind of dog you have and what
risk it would be to them if try tried to break in, but more likely because a noisy dog will create a
disturbance and get attention—the last thing a burglar wants!
You should take a walk around and through your property often. Start outside and ask
yourself, How would I best break in? I do this at night as well.
Besides an obvious lived-in look, don’t get into a habit of doing certain things only when
you’re not home, whether it’s pulling the drapes, putting on the lights, or coiling up the hose.
Chances are good you can tell when your neighbor isn’t home. Remember it’s a burglar’s job to
know the same things. Most professional criminals can tell nobody’s home at least four or five
houses away.
Several dead giveaways are closing the drapes only when you’re not home. Having no
garbage cans out on collection day or an empty can sitting at the curb are tip-offs you’re not
home. So are closing up the house as tight as a drum in the hot summer months without the air-
conditioner running. Turning on a certain light or two and every other room is in total darkness.
Ditto for picking up all the kid’s toys, taking in the dog, shutting the garage door if you frequently
leave it open, and turning off the lawn sprinkler.
Install lights to cover dead space. Electronic devices that are effective, besides the typical
whole-house alarm systems for windows and doors, are infrared or motion detectors that sense
heat given off by one’s body or movement. Anyone approaching too close will trigger any
number of attached devices. The most effective are powerful lights or burglar horns that either

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flood the area with light or fill the air with a deafening sound without notice. Just like a barking
dog, the would-be burglar will usually hightail it out of there for fear of being discovered.
When something goes “Bump” in the night and if you find yourself in a position where you
are considering using deadly force, identify your target as “friend or foe” before you fire. We’ve
all heard the stories about someone shooting a “burglar” in the dark only to find out it’s a family
member. Make sure of your target. You might consider a high-quality small flashlight like the ones
made by Surefire brand. But don’t get sucked into a fight.
Don’t go looking for trouble. If at all possible, don’t go downstairs or into the front of the
house to investigate an unusual noise. Most homes offer a hallway to the bedrooms that’s easily
defended versus having to cover all the hiding places in your living room, den, kitchen (with all
those knives), and so on. Besides which, you’ve probably just woken up—your eyes are blurry or
maybe you have a tendency to cough or sniffle when you’ve been disturbed in the night. In any
case, getting up and moving about will probably alert any intruder of your whereabouts before
you know about theirs.
Instead, move family to a safe room. If you have children, you may elect to move them to the
room that is your safest room of the house. This is usually the master bedroom—where you have
your firearm, a telephone, and a last-ditch escape route out of the house. Remember the risk of
trying to move elderly relatives and small children who may cry upon sudden awakening.
Call police as soon as possible. If possible, have your spouse or another family member call the
police as soon as you can. Ideally this will be after you have secured everyone in one safe room
of the house. Depending on your circumstances, you might consider keeping a cell phone in the
bedroom. If your phone lines have been cut (which is common if you appear to have an alarm
system), you’ll still be able to summon help.
Be sure your family is behind you and out of the line of fire. If you moved everyone to a safe
room, you should be the closest to the door, so you have a clear line of fire. If you can’t move
everyone into one room, you may have to take a position in a hallway where they remain behind
you. The last thing you want is to be squeezing the trigger on the Shit Head at the end of the
hallway when your child sleepily steps into the hallway!
Never block an intruder’s escape route. If you can avoid it, never put yourself between an
intruder and his most likely exit. Doing so can put you in danger if he’s surprised and bolts for the
exit toward you. It’s better to let home invaders flee than find out they are faster, stronger, or more
determined than you are.
You should have a weapon at home for protection, but it is useless without ammunition. Have
magazines loaded. In a crisis situation, you will probably not have time to load magazines. When
you go investigate a bump in the night, you have to be ready for a violent confrontation. Keep
your weapon in a place where you can get to it and load it in the dark.
Keep a small flashlight with your pistol as well.
Even better, a pistol with a gun light mounted on it becomes a battlefield multiplier.
Understand its status. You do not want to go into a gunfight with an unloaded gun.
Use limited visibility as a battlefield multiplier. You know your area of operation better than the
piece of crap who has just invaded it. If you turn on the lights, you are no longer on equal footing.

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You have the tactical advantage in your home in the dark. Use your light when you need it only!
I travel nearly every weekend to another state. My CCW gives me reciprocity in 36 states. I
follow the law when in the ‘Dark Blue’ states and do not carry. I am conscience of it wherever
I travel. Your everyday Larry Lunchmeat and Joe Bag-Of-Doughnuts does not think about
safeguarding himself or his loved ones until he has to. Those of us, who carry wherever we go, are
way more cognizant when we are not. We do not carry in schools, banks, bars, airports. We cannot
count on the likes of a TSA agent to save the day when shit hits the fan. We have to rely on our
wits and default to our highest level of training.
It is our duty and responsibility to protect and serve. If you are a competent and trained gun
handler, you should be carrying wherever the law permits and never go outside the parameters of
that law. Don’t be a nugget. Just because your state allows ‘Open carry’ doesn’t mean you should.
That is some amateur hour bullshit. Take the proper classes, get the proper training, and be an
asset to your community versus a liability. Just because you have a gun does not mean that you
are armed. The mind is the final weapon. All else is supplemental.

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 25 Rules for
Getting Out of Life’s Ruts
B
ad shit happens in life. It is…..life. People die, jobs are lost, deals are broken, illness strikes,
property are damaged, and hearts are broken. It sucks. Accept it. The rut of life is something
that none of us are immune to. This rut should not consume us though. It is not a prison. Do
not be subservient to bleak thoughts. That would be a sign of laziness or of mediocracy. The rut’s
depth may have been created by a wagon wheel or may have been carved out of the earth by
raging waters. As a result, we contemplate suicide, we use drugs, we become drunks, we beat our
kids, we gain weight, and we become detached.
Years ago, I fell into despair, as many Americans do, due to some life altering event. The
lens through which we view life can become distorted by domestic issues, financial strife,
overwhelming workload. My rut of life seemed unescapable. For me it was a combo-platter
and my darkness, masked by a lot of faking, lasted for more than a year. For one, I missed the
comradery of being a part of a Unit where there is a level of intimacy with those surrounding you
that can’t be found many places. That coupled with a horrible support mechanism at the home
front. When I found myself in a dark place, my self-diagnosis, with a little help from Google search
engine, read that I was depressed. My prognosis was that depression is for pussies. Now, I know
that depression is a serious thing that should not be taken lightly, but that’s what I plugged into
my pea brain.
I nearly capitulated to darkness, but something reminded me that life is not objective. I knew
that I couldn’t simply ‘Go with the Flo’. Life is malleable. My remedy was to go for a run. Not across
Greenbow County like Forrest Gump. I just went out and burned up the pavement for a bit. I knew
a needed an attitude adjustment. I needed to escape this rut.
Some time back, I was a part of a small group of individuals who had the mindset that
there was, is, no second place. It wasn’t shouted in some lame mantra nor was there any chest
pounding. It is a mindset that resonates with certain people or groups of people. I just needed to
set fire again to the mindset that became an ember.
We are all hardwired differently however. Not all of us can put our minds to achieving a
grandiose task of epic proportion, and succeed at it. Not all of us can light a match that ignites
dark and scary thoughts either. Regardless, there is fire within us all that allows us to be who we
want to be. We can choose our own paths. Following through and delivering is another story.

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A bad sequence of events can not only put us in a downer of a mood but it can spiral to the
point where we question our self-worth. Don’t look where you don’t want to go. Before you buy a
ticket to the pity party, remember that the world is bigger than you, …we are.
The mind navigates the body. In other words, how you think will determine one’s attitude and
mindset. The brain intuitively tells the body what to do. Mindset….to what degree. A mindset
adjustment can get us out of the deepest darkest places.
I have listed 25 ways to escape depression, or ruts, whether these apply to you or not,
keep in mind that these are personal and I have applied all of them.
1. Be productive. Plan something whether it is a project, hobby or best work day ever. Engrave
that thought into your hard drive. Look forward to tomorrow. HAVE A PURPOSE!
2. Crank up the METAL. Even if you are not a metal head. Bone crushing, paint peeling, flesh
shredding METAL
3. Accept the fact that life is going to hand you lemons. Make lemonade. There is no yellow brick
road, no easy path. Hard work sucks and not everyone is cut out for it.
4. Sit up straight. Maintain condition yellow. Stay out of the white. Stay switched on instead of
switched off. Get out of that 45 degree syndrome.
5. “You can do anything you want in life.” Bullshit! No you can’t. But you damn sure can be the
best ‘You!’
6. Surround yourself with those who create the best ‘You’. Douche bags and dummies will only
set you further into your rut.
7. Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Take your own path and stay away from the sheeple.
8. Workout several times a week because strong body equals strong mind. Play a highlight reel
of you attacking a workout the morning or day before it happens
9. Never be late, light or out of uniform. If I am not early, I am late. If I am late, please come look
for me because I am probably faced down in a ditch somewhere. Late people suck.
10. Don’t wallow in self-pity. It is not attractive and is toxic to those around you.
11. There are 7 and a half billion people milling about on our planet. Visit a shit hole either abroad
or right here in the greatest country on earth and see how bad you’ve really got it.
12. Keep in mind that success is the best revenge on those who may have cast you into this rut.
This does not come easy nor does it come over night
13. Do not deny the negative. You will only perpetuate problems rather than to solve them
14. Be self-aware and take responsibility. Some of the reason why we fall into ruts lies on us. Oh
yes it does!
15. Be introspective and recognize your faults and weaknesses. Say to yourself “You can probably
do better.”
16. Do what’s right instead of doing the right thing. Innately, we human beings know right from
wrong. We should be good to others and do what’s right instead of doing the right thing to
appease someone of some higher power.

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17. Don’t plan to fail by failing to plan. Be prepared for whatever. We need to be prepared to save
our own life, someone else’s life or to kick someone’s ass.
18. There is no cure for being a cunt and there are plenty of them out there. Check your anger
before you do something stupid but never be victimized by some dumb ass.
19. Limits begin where vision ends. We cannot outperform our self-image. Positive mental
attitude goes a long way in training and in day to day life.
20. Do not to rest on your laurels. What’s done is done. Yesterday doesn’t mean shit unless you can
perform tomorrow.
21. Choose what to give a fuck about. Some shit does not require you to exert effort over or to
dwell on.
22. Don’t look like shit. Get to grooming. Trim those nose hairs, take a shower and dress for
success.
23. Try to find the positives that outweigh your negatives. Look forward to every tomorrow and
remember what is good about the past. We should not data dump the ‘Bads’ from yesterday
but learn from them. Fail quickly. When shit doesn’t go our way, we need to learn from the
past, prepare for the future and perform in the present.
24. Clean up that pig sty of a house and get rid of the clutter. Be a good getter-ridder-ofer.
25. Put a rubber band around your neck and snap the fuck out of it. You are not the only one on
the planet. The sun does not rise and set on your ass. (I have said this to myself several times)
Attitudes and strong mindset can be contagious. A negative attitude can adversely affect
those around you. Conversely, you can spread positivity by emitting a kick ass pheromone of bad-
assery. Be the champion at your own game of life and GITCHUSUM!!

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 Calling Bullshit
W
hen it comes to teaching pistol fundamentals, too many are too eager to say too much.
The message becomes a bunch of watered-down esoteric minutia, and it is no longer
palatable to the intended recipient. I believe that when teaching it is important to say the
right thing to the right person at the right time. It is as equally important to know what ‘not’ to say.
The clarity by which something is defined will determine the effectiveness of its application.
There are many brain default mechanisms that we can rely on when it comes to pistol training
and application of the fundaments. Either we do not rely on the brain’s default mechanism or we
go against it. One of the things I repeat during my courses is that we sometimes have to put the
analytical mind aside and allow the body to work. Allow me to draw some examples of things
taught that I think are either unnecessary or are wrong.
Stance is typically considered a fundamental of marksmanship, but I would argue that it is
not a fundamental of fighting marksmanship whatsoever. The reason being is that we probably
will not have a choice. Too many spend too much time teaching shooters how to ‘Stand Up’.
Because of that, my version of ‘Stance’ as a fundamental is “Go ahead and stand up”. Footing is and
should be considered more apt when describing how our feet and legs support our platform.
Take away the perfect modified isosceles super arched turtleback stance and simply stand up.
There. You are good to go. Knowing where our feet are in relationship to our body is what matters
when considering our base. We do not say when it comes to the ground beneath our body in a
gunfight. It may be uneven. You may be on the move. You may be firing from behind cover.
Another one is that there should be a grip ratio of 30 percent for the firing hand and 70
percent for the support hand. Guh? How do I measure this? What if I am 40 / 60 or 45 / 55? Am I
going to be a soup sandwich, a chicken wire canoe, a football bat, or hockey cleats? I simply state
that as we grip the pistol and during our presentation, our grip should get tighter as we present.
Think of it like a clamshell of sorts. Physics over strength.
Since we are on presentation, I am often asked how far we should push the pistol out and
whether our elbows should be elevated, neutral, or oriented downward? “I don’t know” I answer
“What does your brain tell your body to do?” the thing is, we human beings know where our
body’s natural arm extension is. It varies from human to human. When we reach for something
(within our reach) there is typically a slight bend in the elbow during natural extension. Put the
analytical mind aside and allow the body to do its thing.
“It should surprise you when it goes off.” This horrible advice is given too often when
explaining trigger control. I have been surprised when it went off on a few occasions. It’s called

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an ‘Oops’. Too much prep on the way to my extension. Do you know who else is ‘Surprised” when
it goes off? Those who have had accidental or negligent discharges. You bet your sweet ass that
those guys were surprised. The thing is we should know exactly when the hammer (or striker) is
going to fall. It’s called training and most of this is done through dry firing. As responsible gun
handlers, we need to be able to fire with impunity. Nothing should be a surprise when we have
decided to fire.
“I was taught to cant my pistol when I fire strong or support hand only?” Well, you were taught
wrong. Once again, what does your brain tell your body to do? Mine tells me to orient straight on
when I am firing with my strong hand. When I fire support hand only, my brain tells my body to
cant the pistol slightly.
“How do I put the pistol back into action during slide lock? I was told to always release the
slide using my support hand thumb.” Nope. Stop. My answer is, “Put the pistol back into action.”
Whether you are working the slide, slide lock, or slingshot technique, you are correct if it is back
in action. Although, I am not a fan of reaching over the top of the slide. I’ve seen too many bad
things happen using that technique.
Rely on the brain’s default when working most of the fundamentals. There should not be a
cut and dried, black and white answer for the fundamentals as they will vary a bit from human to
human.

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 House & Fortress
In your fortress, you are not just protecting yourself and your family from burglars but from
natural disasters, power outages, and fire.
According to FBI statistics, criminals burglarize a house, apartment, or condominium once
every fifteen seconds. Fortunately, burglary is probably the most preventable of crimes. By taking
a few simple precautions, you can dramatically reduce the risks.
Of course, every home and every situation is different, and there are no guarantees.
The first step is to determine what kind of threats you are likely to face. For example,
defending against personal threats, such as assault, requires different measures than protecting
against burglary.
Most home burglars do not give significant amounts of thought to planning the job and
assessing the benefits vs. dangers, but understanding how they choose a target can reduce your
chances of being a victim.
Most burglars look for:
• Something worth stealing
• Easy access combined with low visibility
• An unoccupied home
Rule number one: Make your home less attractive to rob than your neighbor’s. I light my
house up at night with every bit of dead space both decoratively and defensively illuminated.
Rule number two: Do not invite your house to be cased. If you have stuff worth stealing, limit
the number of people you tell. It may be unintentional, but people talk, and word travels.
Rule number three: Get a dog because it is one of the best deterrents but not because it’s
vicious. A dog with a menacing bark will scare away a lot of would-be burglars, not only because
they don’t know what kind of dog you have and what risk it would be to them if they try tried to
break in, but more likely because a noisy dog will create a disturbance and get attention—the last
thing a burglar wants!
It would help if you took a walk around and through your property often. Start outside and ask
yourself, How would I best break-in? I do this at night as well.
Besides an apparent lived-in look, don’t get into a habit of doing certain things only when

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you’re not home, whether it’s pulling the drapes, putting on the lights, or coiling up the hose.
Chances are good you can tell when your neighbor isn’t home. Remember it’s a burglar’s job to
know the same things. Most professional criminals can tell nobody’s home at least four or five
houses away.
Several dead giveaways are closing the drapes only when you’re not home. Having no
garbage cans out on collection day or an empty can sitting at the curb are tip-offs you’re not at
home. So are closing up the house as tight as a drum in the hot summer months without the air-
conditioner running. Turning on a particular light or two and every other room is in total darkness.
This also goes for picking up all the kid’s toys, taking in the dog, shutting the garage door if you
frequently leave it open, and turning off the lawn sprinkler.
Install lights to cover dead space. Besides the typical whole-house alarm systems for windows
and doors, effective electronic devices are infrared or motion detectors that sense heat given off
by one’s body or movement. Anyone approaching too close will trigger any number of attached
devices. The most effective are powerful lights or burglar horns that either illuminate the entire
area or fill the air with a loud sound without notice. Like a barking dog, the would-be burglar will
usually hightail it out of there for fear of being discovered.
Illegal entry right through the front door occurs more often than all other points of entry
combined! All exterior doors should be of solid hardwood or steel-reinforced. A strong door does
no good if the door frame is in bad shape or of inferior construction. Pay special attention to the
door jambs. Most, even inexpensive homes, are made out of cheap pine. It doesn’t take much
force to kick in the door—even if it’s protected with deadbolts—if the strike plate features only a
couple of half-inch or three-quarter-inch screws.
Burglars break windows as a last resort—or by accident. The preferred method is cutting an
access hole or slipping in a thin stiff wire and undoing the locking device. Most double-hung
windows have cheap locks that should be replaced by heavy-duty sash locks or even keyed locks
if you can put up with the inconvenience. An old trick is installing a small eyebolt in either corner.
If done correctly, the window can’t be opened, with the eyebolt in place from the outside.
If you find yourself in a position where you are considering using deadly force, identify your
target as “friend or foe” before you fire. We’ve all heard the stories about someone shooting a
“burglar” in the dark only to find out it’s a family member. Make sure of your target. You might
consider a high-quality small flashlight like the ones made by the Surefire brand. But don’t get
sucked into a fight.
Don’t go looking for trouble. If possible, don’t go downstairs or into the front of the house to
investigate an unusual noise. You can more easily defend the hallway leading to the bedrooms—a
feature in most homes—than trying to cover all the potential hiding places throughout the rest of
your house—especially the kitchen, which contains knives. Keep in mind that your eyes are blurry
when you wake up, and you might cough or sniffle when your sleep is disturbed. Then as you get
up and move, the intruder knows your whereabouts before you know theirs.
Instead, move the family to a safe room. If you have children, you may elect to move them to
the safest place in the house. The master bedroom is usually the safest place because it’s where
you have your firearm, a telephone, and a last-ditch escape route out of the house. Remember the
risk of trying to move elderly relatives and small children who may cry upon sudden awakening.

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Call the police as soon as possible. If possible, have your spouse or another family member
call the police as soon as you can. Ideally, this will be after you have secured everyone in one safe
room of the house. Depending on your circumstances, you might consider keeping a cell phone
in the bedroom. An experienced burglar may cut your phone lines if they see you have an alarm
system, but with a cell phone, you can still call for help.
Be sure your family is behind you and out of the line of fire. If you moved everyone to a safe
room, you should be the closest to the door, so you have a clear line of fire. If you can’t move
everyone into one room, you may have to take a position in a hallway where they remain behind
you. The last thing you want is to be squeezing the trigger on the Shit Head at the end of the hall
when your child sleepily steps out of their room!
Also, never block an intruder’s escape route. If you can avoid it, never put yourself between an
intruder and his most likely exit. Doing so can put you in danger if he’s surprised and bolts for the
exit toward you. It’s better to let home invaders flee than find out they are faster, stronger, or more
determined than you are.
If your intruder discovers that you are awake or present and shows himself to you, in a firm
voice—as firm and controlled as you can muster at the moment—give him the command, “Don’t
Move!” Assuming you see no weapons in his hands, follow this immediately with the command,
“Get your face down on the ground, now!” If the person turns and flees, fine and dandy; don’t give
chase; let the cops do that.
However, if the intruder stays put, and refuses your commands, watch his or her hands
carefully. If you feel you can’t control the situation verbally, or if the intruder makes any movement
toward you, armed or not, he or she is an immediate threat to your safety. It is time to act. If you
can’t see both hands, you don’t know if he or she has a weapon! If you can see that the intruder
has a knife or gun, use your best judgment, but remember to put your front sight on your target.
At most household ranges, elevation doesn’t matter too much; if you see the front sight sticking
up in the middle, that’s probably close enough. Shoot to kill and cease firing when the person is
no longer a threat.
Wait for the police to come and check the house even if the intruder flees, is wounded, or is
dead. You want to be sure he, or a companion, are not hiding somewhere. If you hear or see him
fleeing outside, turn on all lights—including exterior lights—until the police arrive, but always be
alert for a second, unseen intruder!
For those who think they are tough-guys, remember that you just woke up. Again, your
vision is blurry. You might cough after standing up. Perhaps your arm is asleep, and you can’t
control it right away. Intruders have the advantage because they’re dressed, pumped on drugs or
adrenaline, their eyes are adjusted to the dark, and they may be armed. No matter how tough you
think you are, your voice may crack like an adolescent’s, your hands will shake, and your heart will
be pounding in your ears. Don’t ever count on being ready. Think ahead!

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 Mindset
T
he topic of mindset is subject to interpretation. To me, mindset and attitude are synonymous.
One’s mindset can be cultured, matured, and adjusted. Mindset is a mental attitude,
disposition or mood that determines how we interpret and respond to situations. A proper
mindset can assist us in acting decisively with little hesitation in day to day life.
Years ago, I fell into despair, as many Americans do, due to some life altering event. The
lens through which we view life can become distorted by domestic issues, financial strife,
overwhelming workload. Our mindset and attitude are now in the crapper. For me it was a
combo-platter and my darkness, masked by a lot of faking, lasted for more than a year. For
one, I missed the comradery of being a part of a Unit where there is a level of intimacy with
those surrounding you that can’t be found many places. That coupled with a horrible support
mechanism at the home front. When I found myself in a dark place, my self-diagnosis, with a little
help from Google search engine, read that I was depressed. My prognosis was that depression
is for pussies. Now, I know that depression is a serious thing that should not be taken lightly but
that’s what I plugged into my pea brain.
I nearly capitulated to darkness. But something reminded me that life is not objective. I knew
that I couldn’t simply ‘Go with the Flo’. Life is malleable. My remedy was to go for a run. Not across
Greenbow County like Forest Gump. I just went out and burned up the pavement for a bit. I knew
a needed an attitude adjustment. I needed to adjust my mindset. The mindset that is already
engraved in my hard drive. I just had to dig into the recesses and adjust it. My timing was out of
whack a bit and I wasn’t running on all eight cylinders.
Some time back, I was a part of a small group of individuals who had the mindset that
there was, is, no second place. It wasn’t shouted in some lame mantra nor was there any chest
pounding. It is a mindset that resonates with certain people or groups of people. I just needed to
set fire again to the mindset that became an ember.
We are all hardwired differently however. Not all of us can put our minds to achieving a
grandiose task of epic proportion, and succeed at it. Not all of us can light a match that ignites
dark and scary thoughts either. Regardless, there is fire within us all that allows us to be who we
want to be. We can choose our own paths. Following through and delivering is another story.
A bad sequence of events can not only put us in a downer of a mood but it can spiral to the
point where we question our self-worth. Don’t look where you don’t want to go. Before you buy a
ticket to the pity party, remember that the world is bigger than you, we are.

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 Macosophy

The mind navigates the body. In other words, how you think will determine ones attitude and
mindset. The brain intuitively tells the body what to do. Mindset….to what degree.
My mindset has directives that give me direction. I have jotted down some of these directives.
I am willing to bet that you and I will parallel on some.
My mindset states to maintain condition yellow. Stay out of the white. It says to stay switched
on instead of switched off.
Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Take my own path and stay away from the sheeple.
Workout several times a week because strong body equals strong mind. My mindset
preprograms how and what I will attack in the gym the day before I get there.
Never be late, light or out of uniform. If I am not early, I am late. If I am late, please come look
for me because I am probably faced down in a ditch somewhere.
My mindset tells me that the best way to get out of an altercation is to not get there in
the first place. It also states that when things escalate, I will put a fist through the face of the
antagonist who closes the gap.
My mindset’s directive states that I will not draw my pistol with the intent to merely aim and
give warning. If I have made the decision to draw, I am dropping the hammer with precision and
lethality.
It states to drive like the roads are a chess match. There are a lot of pawns on the board.
My mindset allows me to be introspective and to recognize my faults and weaknesses. It
states “You can probably do better.”
It directs me to treat my lady like the queen that she is. To worship the ground she walks on
and to make sure she is satisfied before I am.
It tells me to do what’s right instead of doing the right thing. Innately, we human beings know
right from wrong. We should be good to others and do what’s right instead of doing the right
thing to appease someone of some higher power.
It states to train on the range with an objective and with intensity and to perform at the next
level.

Don’t plan to fail by failing to plan. Be prepared for whatever.

I need to be prepared to save my life, someone else’s life or
to kick someone’s ass.
It directs me to check my anger. Though I will not be victimized, I should exercise keen
intellect instead of rage when avoiding being victimized by some dumb cunt. There are a lot of
them out there. And there is no cure for being a cunt. I will try at all cost to defuse before I crush a
dip shit’s windpipe.
The directive states that limits begin where vision ends. We cannot outperform our self-image.
Positive mental attitude goes a long way in training and in day to day life.

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 Macosophy

My mind says that everything is a competition and I can do better at anything than anybody.
Is it true? No. It doesn’t have to be true.
It directs me not to rest on my laurels. What’s done is done. Yesterday doesn’t mean shit unless
you can perform tomorrow.
I should not underestimate anyone. Looks can be deceiving. Cunning and moxy rule the day.
I will not be a dick. It does not resonate well. I’d rather have assets than liabilities.
My mindset reminds me that my positives outnumber my negatives. I look forward to every
tomorrow and remember what is good about the past. We should not data dump the ‘Bads’ from
yesterday but learn from them. Fail quickly. When shit doesn’t go our way, we need to learn from
the past, prepare for the future and perform in the present.
Attitudes and strong mindset can be contagious. A negative attitude can adversely affect
those around you. Conversely, you can spread positivity by emitting a kick ass pheromone of
badassery.

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 Pull Your Head
Out of Your Ass
A
s a law abiding citizen and a trained gun handler, I, like you, am obligated to carry wherever
the law permits. It is my duty to protect and serve. It is my duty to protect myself and my
loved ones, and to serve my community as a responsible gun handler. You are your own first
responder.
Let’s suppose we are not carrying when shit goes south. How does one survive a mass
shooting? Whether it be an ISIS fanatic or a lunatic with too many prescription meds flowing
through his veins, what steps can we take to prevent us from becoming a victim?
There is no simple serum solution to this quandary. One’s attitude, aptitude, desire, level of
training, situational awareness, wits and MOXY may steer the scenario in different directions.
A common denominator however, is through mobility. Hunkering down and praying not to
die, or hoping to get lucky are not a viable options unless dumb luck is one’s solution to survival. It
is easy for a nutcase to kill someone execution style when one’s head is between his legs in a fetal
position.
I travel nearly every weekend to another state. My CCW gives me reciprocity in 36 states. I
follow the law when in the ‘Dark Blue’ states and do not carry. I am conscience of it wherever
I travel. Your everyday Larry Lunchmeat and Joe Bag-Of-Doughnuts does not think about
safeguarding himself or his loved ones until he has to. Those of us, who carry wherever we go, are
way more cognizant when we are not. We do not carry in schools, banks, bars, airports. We cannot
count on the likes of a TSA agent to save the day when shit hits the fan. We have to rely on our
wits and default to our highest level of training.
Sometime, we have to put the analytical mind aside and allow the body to work as it has
for millions of years. We must access the data bank’s primal side. We are human beings and we
were born with natural defense mechanisms. We must give the mind permission to allow these
mechanisms to work automatically. We humans have been here a long time and though we are
not hunting mammoths and dodging saber toothed tigers, danger lurks around the corner.
Our primal survival instinct is mobility and mobility equals survivability. Many of us have
relinquished our primal survival instincts and have become fat, flaccid, gelatinous, button pushers

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 Macosophy

stuck in a 45 degree syndrome world. (Head oriented 45 degrees at our smart phones). Too often
I find myself on an Airport people mover or Rental car Shuttle bus, and I am the only one looking
around. Everyone else is completely oblivious to his surroundings. So too often, I say to myself
“Well, looks like I’m in charge of security.”
Whether I am armed or unarmed and enter a venue, I do the same thing regardless. I consider
it a possible crisis site. I want to get a pretty good lay of the land. Exits, avenues of approach,
choke points, intersections, safe areas, alternate routes, lines of drift, are all stored in the data bank.
I will give people a ‘Once over’ and look for potential assets and liabilities. I will visualize chaos. I
will picture complete bedlam with everyone running for the same exit. We do not plan to fail but
we do fail to plan, so this visualization becomes a crucial step in disaster preparation. We must
mentally prepare ourselves to exit without hesitation, if exiting is the safest recourse. We must do
this even if this mean throwing a table or chair through a window. When pandemonium strikes,
there is no time for analysis. Through analysis, comes paralysis.
When I am with my kids, I make sure that they know where we are parked in reference to the
inside of the venue, whether a mall or the State Fair. I will make periodical en route checkpoints
with them and make sure that they are oriented to exits and to which exit gets us to our vehicle
the quickest. I do not need my kids to become liabilities if things go south.

Here’s a tip. Ditch the flip flops. Those are for the beach
or the YMCA. You are no good to yourself or your loved ones
if you can’t run your ass off.
Ditching the scene of chaos is non-negotiable if you are with your kids. You are the ‘Agent in
Charge’ of your own personal protection detail and those kids are your Principals. Steer them in
the right direction and give short, clear, concise commands.
Running with the ‘Sheeple’ may not be the best course of action. Don’t be victimized by an
ocean of people who have their heads up their asses. Lines of drift and likely avenues of approach
may be part of a plan with a well-organized adversary who may use a rouse or diversion to send
the herd in a desired direction. Exercise your ‘OODA’ loop and come up with a quick plan of egress.
Sometimes, flanking or egressing at an oblique is more conducive to longevity. Run until you have
made it past effective small arms range or have some good cover. Take a second to assess the
situation and to readjust your plan.
If you feel that barricading yourself in a safe room is your only option, tie the door shut or
wedge the handle. Do not simply put something heavy in front of the door that can be simply
be pushed out of the way. Keep quiet and stay out of the line of fire. Seek a corner but do not
achieve too much separation between you and the door. This way, if the adversary breaches your
barricade, you can close the gap and tie him up versus giving him a clean shot from across the
room. Fighting back is always an option. You do not need to be an MMA expert to engage in a
Ballistic Micro Fight.
Everyday schmucks with their heads up their asses are myopic. They couldn’t spot a psycho
with a shotgun if it were hanging a foot below his trench jacket. So it is our job to protect and
serve. Priority goes to self and loved ones.

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 Macosophy

For those of us with our wits about us, try to see things in full spectrum. Perform a focal shift in
your everyday life. Look around. Slow down before you enter a building or other venue and take a
look at other in your proximity. See things close and then continue your scan further. Perform a 5
and 25. % meter scan to a 25 meter scan. It’s OK. You were born to do this. It only takes a second.
A successful assault happens with surprise, speed, and violence of action. We can mitigate the
surprise by being tuned in or situationally aware. Look for demeanor that is out of whack. If we
take the element of surprise away from a would-be attacker, he may fear reprisal and forgo the
attack.
I know that I am going to look for an opportunity to go full Bat Man on the POS that disrupted
my day. I can run like a scalded ape. I can differentiate between calibers of guns, have a pretty
good idea on round count and will look for a lull in the fight at which time I will close the gap
with a flanking assault.
Carrying for me is habitual. I carry an SSVI Glock 19 with an extra magazine with a NeoMag
clip for my back pocket. The Mags are loaded with 127 grain Plus P Hollow Point 9mm. I carry
appendix and use a Raven VanGaurd. I carry a Stream Lite with an ‘O’ring attached to it for easier
employment. My knife is a simple TacOps lock blade with a hook blade and window breaker. The
cigar cutter is for cutting cigars.
In my EDC (every day car) I have an assault package in the trunk which includes a 16” AR.
I have two bags. One I call a “Hey, I’m coming to get you.” The other I call “I’m coming to GET
SOME!!” Inside the “I’m coming to get you” bag is basic survival gear in the event I have to assist
in rescuing someone. The “I’m coming to GET SOME!!” is an over the shoulder bag with ten 30
round magazines loaded. Inside is water, oil, eye protection, hearing protection, grease pencils,
sharpies. Lastly, I have a huge bright orange safety vest that reads “Security” on it. This is worn over
everything and is there to give momentary pause to a rookie cop or another good guy. Yes, this is
legal in my state.
It is our duty and responsibility to protect and serve. If you are a competent and trained gun
handler, you should be carrying wherever the law permits and never go outside the parameters of
that law. Don’t be a nugget. Just because your state allows ‘Open carry’ doesn’t mean you should.
That is some amateur hour bullshit. Take the proper classes, get the proper training, and be an
asset to your community versus a liability. Just because you have a gun does not mean that you
are armed.

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Metal Up, Buttercup!
I
n 1979, I was 14 years old. I took some of my paper route money to a yard sale a few blocks from
where I lived. I saw a milk crate full of vinyls. I flipped through and pulled one out that caught
my eye. It was ‘Black Sabbath’s’, Paranoid. I bought it for a quarter. Took it home and played it
repeatedly, driving my parents bat shit. They said to me, “That horrible genre of music will be dead
in five years.” I still have that vinyl and the matching CD signed by Ozzy. Ever since, I’ve been a
metal head.
There is something about metal that unlike any other genre of music. Number one, because
I am biased and play guitar and drums, I’d say it is the hardest genre to play. Additionally, though
it is aggressive, it is positive and uplifting. Metal flows thorough my veins and it is playing at level
eleven even when it is not playing.
I have converted many a meek, sissy, lame ass, whiny baby music listener, to the paint peeling,
flesh shredding, head banging, fist pumping world of METAL…and they are better for it.
I am a snob when it comes to Metal and won’t listen to just anything in the genre. The
musicians have to be that. Master Musicians. The singer has to be legible and a good lyrist. And
they must perform live just as good, or better than their studio recording.
I’ve got a slamming playlist on my IPod to fire me the fuck up during my workouts. If I were to
pull just five songs off of it to transform a ‘would be’ Metal-Head, I’d choose these;
1. Lamb of God. Walk With Me in Hell
2. Megadeth. Tornado of Souls
3. Pantera. Shedding Skin
4. Chimaira. Down again
5. Soulfly. Bloodshed
These are not my faves and yes, I know I left out the biggest bands in Metal but these are
chosen by me to transform the lame music lover into a world of coolness and badassery.

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