Manchester - SMT Training Newsletter #32

Earlier this week, the world watched in horror the aftermath of the terrorist homicide bombing at a music concert in Manchester, UK. Many of us in the defensive world are desperate to help you, our clients and students, to avoid experiencing this kind of tragedy. This type of attack is hard for law enforcement to predict or prevent. You're going to see a lot of posts by security experts telling you simple steps to take to avoid these killers, but the truth is there's nothing simple about it.

You see, there aren't necessarily consistent features between homicide bombers. There are often different bomb-making techniques, and gender, age, or ethnicity may vary. Instead, defenders must look for extraneous signs to ID the homicide bomber, while attempting to make the smartest positioning decisions possible.

Let's start with an after-action review of the Manchester homicide bombing terror attack. Here's what we know so far:

1. The terrorist was using some kind of Improvised Explosive Device.

These devices are made from products you could buy at a hardware store. They can cost anywhere from $25 to $250 to make. Terrorists often tape or pack other shrapnel around the bomb to cause as much tissue damage to the people around them as possible. In this case, it appears that the terrorist used nails, but it could be other metal items like ball bearings or nuts.

These vests or belts are often very hard to see and terrorists wear extra clothes to conceal these bombs from security forces. The bombs often have multiple forms of detonation, from simple cord pulls to "clackers" (mini plungers that can be squeezed with the hand to send an electrical signal to the bomb to detonate), or pressure release switches, which are held closed in the hand so even if the terrorist is killed before getting to their desired attack point, the bomb will detonate as their hand releases. With the cell phone detonation, it doesn't have to be the terrorist wearing the bomb who detonates it, but another person that is overseeing the plot, a sort of "command and control" operator, if you will.

2. The terrorist utilized a "choke point" to ensure that his victims were as closely packed together as possible.

The concert had ended and as people were leaving, the terrorist detonated himself in a choke point, which is a geographical space that restricts movement. With the Manchester Arena, much like Target Field in Minnesota or any other arena, there are limited avenues of entry or exit. This means that when large numbers of people are moving through those entry portals, they crowd together and slow down. This makes for an incredibly easy target for the terrorist. In this case, the terrorist seems to have been waiting for the crowd to gather in the foyer of the arena, specifically in the place were parents were picking up their children.

The choke point was just past the entry/exit, but before the terrorist would have needed to be screened by security. Below you can see the foyer from the inside, then outside. Note the doors, which would impede the flow of people, crowd them together and make for an easy target. 

3. The terrorist targeted children specifically.

This is far from the first time that terror groups have targeted children. Read the book Terror at Beslan if you'd like to see my worst nightmare for what might happen in the US. In these terrorists' twisted and evil view of the world, children are a legitimate target because they will become the soldiers of their enemies in the future. This kind of homicide terror attack is not uncommon in the Middle East or Chechnya. Some elements of ISIS are now using children to commit horrid atrocities like beheadings and murders, and as the US and coalition forces have taken away the oil revenue of ISIS and other like-minded groups, they have turned to harvesting th e organs of children to make the money they need to continue their fight.

4. The terrorist was not a "lone wolf."

Though that term has been bandied about incessantly by the media in the last several years, the reality is that these terror events are rarely one-offs. There is almost always a web of connected individuals that eventually lead to the homicide bomber. The police in the UK have already arrested five other suspects in regard to this attack as I write this newsletter. The more appropriate term for many of these terror attacks in the last few years was coined by Patrick Poole of PJ Media as "known wolf" terrorists, meaning that law enforcement and other intelligence services were most likely aware of these potential threats and had been unable to stop the threat, or had made the incorrect determination that the individual would not become an active threat. An example of this was the Boston Marathon terrorist Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

So, what does this mean for us as defenders? What do we do?

1. Understand the threat and get educated.

A quote from Sun Tzu comes to mind: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. {Thus} the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

We should read what it is the terrorists are saying to us and we must come to the conclusion that this a fight that we've had before (Barbary Pirate War) and we will win again, but we must be ready. If you don't know how to carry a firearm and use it well, then learn. If you don't know core emergency response, learn it. If you don't know how to conduct urban chaos escape and evasion, learn that, too.

2. Develop Situational Awareness at a deep and unconscious level.

Situational Awareness is identifying threats and threatening environments and taking positive defensive action to avoid conflict. The special operations community has this skill mastered and you should too for your Citizen Defender environment. The DVD series: Avoid-Deter-Defend was made specifically to help you, the citizen, learn this skill.

3. Know what the professional terror hunters know about identifying the homicide
bomber terrorist. 

Since September 11, 2001, federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been watching, studying, and training their officers to identify potential homicide bombers as early as possible. Some great unclassified material is available to the general public. To save a bit of time though, I'll summarize from an unclassified Department of Homeland Security Document:

FBI Suicide Bomber Indicators: ALERT

A - Alone and nervous

L - Loose and/or bulky (inappropriate) clothing

E - Exposed wires (possibly through a sleeve)

R - Rigid mid-section (possible explosives device location on the person)

T - Tightened hands (person may be holding a detonation device)

Additional Indicators

• Person may be carrying luggage, handbag, or backpack

• May be seen repeatedly patting his/her body, as if double-checking for something

• No obvious emotions or displays nervousness and profuse perspiration

• Hesitant mumbling (such as praying)

• Person appears to be focused and vigilant, maybe even trance-like

• Walking with deliberation or running in a suspicious manner

• Person does not respond to authoritative commands or direct salutations

• Person appears to avoid security forces

• Person makes attempts to blend in with a crowd (suspicious movements or wearing disguises)

• Female homicide bombers may dress in Western clothing and wear makeup instead of normal religious coverings (Palestinian and Chechen homicide bombers)

• Reluctant to have bags inspected at security checkpoints

Should you identify a possible homicide bomber, your first action should be to get some space between you and them and if possible, put some cover (which will stop a bullet) between you and the threat. Next, contact higher authorities, but try to do so while monitoring the threat from a safe distance.

So learn your Situational Awareness and stay ALERT.

4 Simple Ways to Harden Your Home - SMT Training Newsletter #27

Every week I read a story about a home invasion or a robbery. They've become so widespread and common, that in every radio or television program I take in, there's at least ONE advertisement for a security system.

Now security systems are good, but really, they're designed to help you AFTER the threat has made their way into your home. The hope is, that the security system will mentally deter the threat by scaring them into thinking that the police will quickly be on the way, but when you take into account average law enforcement response times....the threat really has a fairly useful amount of time to take action before fleeing.

What if instead of relying on the security system to get police response, we instead made our homes simply harder to break into? You don't have to turn your home into Fort Knox, but with a few simple steps, you can really make a big difference in how easy it is to break into your residence. Better still, as most burglars will case their target homes before robbing them, these simple actions can act as a major deterrent in themselves, meaning that you may get the burglar to say screw it, this house is too hard.

If you'd like the full lecture on house hardening, that's available in Sealed Mindset Training's DVD: Home Defense Rifle. You can get your copy here. So here are a few steps you can take to harden your home right now:

• Do the simple things.

The most common form of entry for a burglar is an unlocked door or window. So do the simple things, don't leave exterior portals open! But Beau, it gets hot in my house and I need to leave a window open. Then make sure it's a window that is off of the ground floor and if the window doesn't come with a open lock, make one out of a simple wooden dowel you can buy at any hardware store.

• Harden your doors.

If you have cheap doors on your entry portals, get either solid core wood doors or a metal one. These doors will be able to take a lot more abuse than cheap doors. Next, harden the contact points between the door and the frame with Doorjamb Armor. This simple product will quickly make your door much more sturdy. The company, and my own experience, says it makes a door "kick-proof." Now nothing is absolutely impenetrable, but you will definitely be giving yourself a lot more time with this set up. Finally, replace cheap deadbolts with high quality ones. If you go to your local hardware superstore, you will quickly see that not all deadbolts are created equal. The better the deadbolt, the stronger, more durable, and harder to pick the lock will be.

• Motion lights 360.

Lots of crimes happen at night. Burglary is not usually one of them, they're often done during the day when the victim is off at work. That's where your good home security system comes into play. With that security system, we decrease the time the burglar may spend in the home to only a couple of minutes, because they know that the police will be notified and be on the way to check out the alarm. However, home invasion or robbery, where the intended victims are the people living in the home, not just their stuff, often happen in dark or low light conditions. The robber or invader doesn't want to be seen nor identified, if possible. By setting up motion lights 360 degrees around the house, such that the threat cannot approach the house without setting off a light, can act as a powerful deterrent. Pro-tip here, every month, take a walk around the house to make sure all of the lights come on, as it is not unheard of that the would-be robber or invader, may have cased the house and disabled the lights in the avenue they had intended to approach the house.

• Window film ground floor windows.

The last house upgrade that you could take that is relatively easily is to instal is 3M Scotchshield Safety and Security Film on your ground floor windows. This clear plastic film adheres to the inside of your windows and will significantly increase the strength of the window against forcible entry. Here's a video of that 3M film in action. This is probably the most expensive of the home hardening upgrades, but it does take one of the weakest links, the glass of a window, and upgrade it's defensive capabilities, considerably!

Whichever of these steps you take to harden your home, any of them will give you more time to take action to defend yourself and your loved ones if a home invasion or robbery does occur. And remember that you can get the full instruction on home security in our DVD series, Home Defense Rifle.

Next week, I'll go over the three plans you must have in place in your home if you want to protect yourself and your loved ones from the three most common disasters that befall families in the United States.

Continue Your Training with SMT - SMT Training Newsletter #27

Do you ever wonder if your life's work actually makes a difference?

I'm fortunate that I have evidence that the curriculum I've developed and taught truly produces results. Almost two years ago, we released Sealed Mindset Training's first DVD series, the Concealed Carry Masters Course and I take great pride in this training series because I know the methodology works.

I recently got another confirmation of its effectiveness from a woman named Amy from Ohio.

She told me over the phone that she lived alone, had troubles with an aggressive neighbor, and had left an abusive husband only a few years earlier. Trying to start her life over again, she found she was riddled with fear. But instead of being thwarted by that fear, she decided to do something about it and reached out for the Concealed Carry Masters Course.

Amy emailed an update the other day, saying:

"I am writing to let you know that I went to BASS(shooting competition) tonight and I was really surprised at how my skills improved. While I don't have the official results yet, all the guys (at BASS) were really impressed, so I guess I've improved. (I) think the dry fire stuff has made a difference."

Amy's now regularly involved in local shooting competitions, carrying her defensive firearm with confidence, and living a life without unnecessary fear. If Amy can gain these results and this peace of mind, anyone can.

Developing your personal security is about simple things, a journey of a thousand little footsteps toward confidence that you are ready for whatever life might throw at you.

You can get your copy of the Concealed Carry Masters Course here, and start your journey >>> 

While the DVD series is the most convenient way to improve your skills from the comfort of your own home, we offer training every Thursday night at Osseo Gun Club, in Osseo, MN, and we hope to expand our in-person training opportunities in the near future. The students who learn the Sealed Mindset method gain firearm skills that are absolutely astounding. Click on this link to learn more and sign up to join us.

Beyond large-scale training series and in-person classes, I enjoy producing content to help you gain solid self-defense skills. You can access this content for FREE online and stay connected. Check out:

• Handgun Drill of the Week
• Rifle Drill of the Week
• Shadow Gunning (dry fire courses of fire that you can practice on your time)
• The Weekly Training Newsletter
• Or visit SMT for regular updated content on YouTube, FaceBook(@sealedmindset), and our homepage sealedmindsettraining.com

I'm looking forward to helping you gain results, just like Amy did.

Real Life Example of Home Defense - SMT Newsletter #26

Roughly two weeks ago, a homeowner in Oklahoma was awakened to the sounds of the glass on his front door being shattered. Startled, he grabbed his home defense tool and confronted the threat, which turned out to be three men, all in black and masked.

Threatened with his safety, the homeowner used his defensive tool and thwarted the intruders plans with a few well placed rounds.

When Law Enforcement arrived, the scene was pretty clear. Three men with bad intent had broken into the home. The homeowner, outnumbered, quite reasonable in his fear for his safety, stopped the threats from coming any further. With that information, the Law Enforcement decided that no charges would be filed against the defender.

In a situation where lethal force was to be applied, this was a pretty darn good outcome for the defender.

But if you've noticed, I've mentioned the "defensive tool," but I haven't said what that tool was. In this Oklahoma scenario, that tool was a Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR), also known as an AR15.

Using a tool like an MSR can give anyone a pretty solid tactical advantage in a home defense scenario. This is actually why SMT spent so much time and energy developing the Home Defense Rifle video training series. That rifle is the best home defense tool option and we wanted our students to be able to use it to the fullest.

But just having a good tool, doesn't equal a good home defense plan. So for the next few weeks, I'm going to go into how to set up your home for defense, but if you want a shortcut, just pick up your copy of Home Defense Rifle here.

If you'd like to read the story yourselves, click here.

Own the Darkness - SMT Training Newsletter #25

Last week I took you through the structure and physiology of the human eye, and how the eye goes through physical and chemical changes when we go into low light conditions. This week, we're going to talk about how we can utilize the light of our environment to gain a tactical advantage over a threat.

First, we have to give up using our eyes the way we want to, and use them how they were designed. Remember that when your eyes go under that low light change, we produce Visual Purple. That chemical makes the Rods in the eyes more capable of functioning in the low light. The Rods are located to the periphery of the eye, that means, the sensors of our eyes that work best in low light are not the ones located right where we'd normally focus our gaze. To see better at night, give up trying to look directly AT the target or threat and scan the periphery of that target. This is a Diamond Scan.

Look to the top, side, bottom, other side, and back to the top, like a diamond shape, to better see your target/threat in low light. By doing this we run the image over our Rods, which function better in low light than the Cones, and allow ourselves the best opportunity to see and identify anything in front of us in the darkness.

Next, protect that night vision! It takes anywhere from 5-7 minutes to gain even the most basic of night vision, up to 40 minutes to be fully adapted. That means that once you have your night vision, you want to guard it from being destroyed by light. One of the ways to do this is to use the Pirate Technique.

Pirates are often portrayed as wearing eye-patches, but not because they were missing an eye. You see, if a pirate had to go from the deck, where it was light, to the hold, where it was dark, the pirate would simply uncover the patched eye in the darkness and viola! instant night vision. Once the pirate returned to the deck, he'd recover the eye in order to protect that night vision for the next time he needed to run into the hold.

We can do the same thing with our eyes, by closing one eye and placing the palm of our non-dominant hand over the eye, we have blocked out the light. Now if we have to cross from an area where we had night vision, through the light, and back into the dark, we never lose our ability to see.

Finally, positioning. Our eyes are more effective than the most expensive cameras you can possibly buy. A really good camera has a dynamic light range capability of about 5 out of 20, but your eye has a dynamic light range capability of 18 out of 20! Why this makes a difference is that whenever a photographer sets up for a shot, they must determine what the brightest light is and gage their camera settings to it accordingly. If they don't the image will be too dark to see, or everything will be blown out be cause it was too bright. Your eyes do the exact same thing.

If you place yourself in areas that are bright, you will have a hard time seeing into the shadows, but if you place yourself in the shadows, everything in the shadows AND in the light will be visible. This means, that if possible, you want to control the dark places and force your threat into areas that are light. It will be hard to see you and yet you will see the threat without effort.

All of this material is part of my DVD series: Avoid-Deter-Defend. Quite honestly, it's one of the most important products I've ever developed. This training series is designed to give you the situational awareness and low light skills you critically need to identify any threat and to start taking action quickly to avoid, deter, or defend against that threat.

If you don't have your copy, I'd encourage you to pick one up. It'll be one of the best investments you'll ever make in your security. Get your Avoid-Deter-Defend here.

The Eyes Have It - SMT Training Newsletter #24

Sometimes bad things happen in the dark.

This is where criminals find sanctuary to hopefully commit their crime and flee the scene before help can arrive. This means that we as Defenders need to understand the dark and have strategies to either use it to our advantage, or take away the advantage of the darkness for our Threat.

Last week we went through the five light levels and talked about some of the different actions Defenders need to take to utilize those low light levels effectively. Tools like flashlights, the night sights on your handgun, and movement techniques, can all give you an advantage in dealing with a threat in low light conditions.

This week, we're going to dive a bit deeper into low light, and we're going to understand the physiology of the eye, how you acquire low light vision, and how you can destroy it.

In your eye there are two basic structures, Rods and Cones. The Cones are designed to see color and sharp detail. The Rods are designed for the perception of movement. Cones don't work well in low light conditions, but the Rods do. Keep this in mind.

When your eye goes into a low light condition there are physical and chemical changes that happen. First, the pupil will dilate. These tiny muscles that restrict the flow of light into your eye during bright conditions, now relax and allow in as much light as possible, to give your Rods and Cones the best chance to capture the light they need to send useful information to your brain.

The second change that will happen with the eyes is chemical, they will develop a chemical called Visual Purple. This chemical activates your Rod's ability to function in decreased light. Visual Purple doesn't develop immediately, it takes time, roughly 5-7 minutes for your initial amount and up to 30-40 minutes for a complete dosage. This development process takes longer with age.

Conversely, it takes only seconds to remove your Visual Purple once it is exposed to bright light. Remember the last time you went to turn on a light in the middle of the night after being in the dark for a while? Like getting slapped in the face, isn't it? What's happening is that the eye is set up for low light, not bright light. If you are suddenly flooded with light, the pupil must contract and the Visual Purple must be removed, transformed into Vitamin K and absorbed into the body.

So what does this all mean? If you need night vision, it takes time to build. Once you have night vision, protect it! And, if your threat already has night vision, take it away with bright light.

Next week, I'll take you into utilizing light and darkness, to gain a tactical advantage over a threat. We'll talk about the Pirate Technique, a Diamond Scan, and how to position yourself in relation to light and shadow to have the best vision possible.

Bad Things Happen in the Dark - SMT Training Newsletter #23

Watching the nightly news or reading the crime section of the newspaper reminds me why training for all conditions is so critical. Crimes like robbery, assault, rape, and murder are happening in U.S. cities every night and yet the vast majority of self-defense training is happening in daylight conditions.

Last month, the Advanced Class at SMT spent 5 weeks doing nothing but studying and practicing firearm manipulation in low light conditions. So for the next couple of weeks, the SMT Training Newsletter is going to go through just a few of the aspects that you need to know to defend yourself in the dark.

Low Light Conditions

Too often people associate Low Light training as this single, monolithic skill, but in reality, there are subtle differences in light levels and light directions that change how we as Defenders should respond. We categorize these light conditions based on light level and the orientation of light on our target or threat. So far from simply one condition, "low light," there are actually five conditions: Full Light, Low Lit Ambient, Front Lit, Back Lit, and Full Black.

Full Light is what we are used to. We do the vast majority of our training in this condition. Here, our eyes have to make no adjustments to light levels, nor do we concern ourselves with the direction that light is coming from. You can clearly see and identify your target/threat.

Low Lit Ambient is the condition where light levels are low enough that you must find and use the night sights on your firearm, but an additional source of light is unnecessary to see and identify a target/threat. In Low Lit Ambient, your eyes will adjust to the light levels both chemically and physically (we'll discuss this adaptation in a future newsletter), but once that adjustment is made you can see clearly enough to function without the aid of a flashlight. The key to training this light condition is learning to find your night sights. When we normally look at the sights on the slide of the firearm, they probably look like black pieces of metal with a bit of white that holds a piece of radio active material called tritium, but in this low light condition, those sights will suddenly glow and look very different. There is usually a drop of in first shot time as well as split times in this condition until the shooter can clearly recognize their night sights without feeling "off" about how different they look in the low light condition.

Front Lit is akin to Low Lit Ambient, but now there is a definitive direction of the light source. The light is behind you, the Defender, and directly on the target/threat. In this case, what we have is a shadow, and we're in it. Since we can see the target/threat, which is in the light, we do not need to add another light source like a flashlight, and since we're in the shadows, we have a distinct tactical advantage: I can see you, but you have a hard time seeing me. What changes here in our training is that when/if we must shoot, any shot will immediately give away our position. Therefore, starting in Front Lit, we have to start applying a Low Light 360 Check and Light Pollution Procedures. The overall gist here is that, once you've emitted any light, you must move from the place that you created that light. Light on - light off - move. If we don't move after generating this light, when it goes off, another threat could still engage us because the light pollution has given away our position and removed any tactical advantage the shadow had given us.

Back Lit is the condition in which the low level light source is behind the target/threat. When this happens the shadow extends through the target/threat and to where we are standing. With the light behind the target/threat we now have a problem, I can't identify whether or not this threat is a potentially lethal one because I can't see them. Back Lit requires us to add in a light source, for Defenders, this is where our tactical flashlight comes into play. With the tactical flashlight, we can now "light up" our target and give ourselves the time and visual capability we need to identify if our target is a lethal one and engage it. With 

a Back Lit target, I still don't need my flashlight to get effective rounds downrange. This is where the rubber ring on the flashlight in last week's Newsletter comes into play. Flip the light out of the way, use two hands on the firearm. Then, just like Front Lit, we need to follow our Low Light Procedures. Light on - light off - move.

The last condition is Full Black. In this case, unless I have some form of my own light, I cannot see where I am going or who I am dealing with. There is a lot of physical and chemical changes that occur with the eye when in this low light condition and as such, the tactical flashlight can give us a significant advantage if we know how to use it properly. In this light condition, not only will you need that flashlight to identify the threat/target, but you'll need it to shoot your handgun as well AND to conduct your 360 Degree Check after the engagement. Here those Low Light Procedures become absolutely paramount as you need that flashlight for everything. Light on - light off - move.

Next week, we'll go into the physiology and structure of the eyes and how they change to light conditions. By understanding this physiology, you will not only be better at protecting your night vision, but you'll be more capable of defeating the night vision of your threat.

Tools of the Trade - SMT Newsletter #22

I've been training myself and hundreds of others in concealed carry handgun work for a long time now, and one of the things that continues to surprise me is how much people seemed to be fascinated by my personal carry set up.

I realize that I carry a firearm and teach its use for a living, but honestly, I really think that I'm someone who carries a very simple and well thought out collection of tools to keep myself and my family safe. In that we're sort of in a theme for this month's SMT Newsletters of Summer Concealed Carry, I thought I'd go through the contents of my pockets to give you an idea of what you might put in yours to increase your ability to defend yourself.

Well, here it is. When I carry "On Body," this is what's in my pockets or on my hip. Let's go through it quickly.

Might be overkill, but I generally have between 2 and 4 knives on me at any time. The idea is, that no matter which side is free, Primary or Support, I can get to a knife in a CQB situation. I'm not as young as I used to be, nor am I as good at grappling as some of the fighters I've met in my life, but I do know one thing: someone in grappling range with me is going to get cut or shot, their choice. The knives, from left to right are: an Emerson Full Sized Karambit, an Emerson Commander, a Benchmade 3" Folder, and a Schrade 4" fixed blade.

That leads me to item number two, a firearm. My normal carry firearm is in for repairs so this is my secondary G22, converted to 9mm using a KKM Precision barrel. I carry it using either my Crossbreed holster (cut correctly) or a ConSEAL. I have one magazine in the firearm, ready to go and the other in a pocket or a pouch. Lately, I've been playing with a mag holder that fits into the pocket to hold the mag correctly called a SnagMag. Great product. With a full sized 9mm, this means I've got 34 rounds on me at a minimum.

Of course wherever your firearm goes, your wallet goes too. Inside I have plastic, enough cash to get me anywhere I need to go, my license and permit to carry. I also have the item you see on top, a micro lock pick set. Picking a lock is something you'd like to avoid having to do, but when you need to get inside something, man, you'll be glad you spent the time learning how to do it correctly.

Next to that is a TK4L tourniquet. We're talking about firearms boys and girls, that means there's a shot that someone is shooting at me. These tourniquets can quickly take a bad situation and hopefully make it survivable. It might not be a shooting either, those that remember SMT instructor Forrest Cooper, might not have known that he tourniqueted himself after he was hit by a negligent driver while he was on his motorcycle.

I try to always have sunglasses with me as I'm blind as a bat if the sun is bright. Having my key chain with all necessary keys is good, Chapstick because I chap easily but next to that is a micro-Leatherman. This simple multi-tool has screwdrivers and a pliers, I've used this repetitively to fix things around the range.

I carry a Surefire L2D LED Defender flashlight. It's 500 lumens with a secondary setting of 70 lumens. The rubber ring allows for quick, hands free manipulation, and the beveled bezel will leave a nasty cut if I have to use this milspec flashlight as an impact tool.

The last item, not seen, is what took this picture. My cell phone. Whenever I carry a firearm I keep a cell nearby. If I need to engage a threat, the next actions after I am safe will be to call 911, followed quickly by my lawyer. This is why we memorize our 911 calls.

There is, of course, no right answers here to your everyday carry. You might have more or less, you decide what your skills and occupation allows, just use this as a suggestion.

Summer Concealed Carry - SMT Training Newsletter #21

After some of the warmth this week, I'm really thinking about summer concealed carry.

Last week we talked about some of the gear you can use to help with your carry, and so this week, we'll talk about where you can carry your handgun.

Typically, at SMT we have people carry just past the horizon on their primary side. If twelve o'clock is your belly button, that makes 3 or 9 o'clock your horizon. Just past that would be roughly 3:30 or 4 o'clock for a right handed shooter, 8:30 or 8 for lefties. By moving the firearm just slightly past the horizon the shape of the firearm does not change the shape of the hips, a clear giveaway that someone is carrying a firearm.

Remember that when you are carrying, you should move as if you have a hurt back. People with hurt backs don't twist and bend at the hips and neither should you. Whether you use the ConSEAL or another holster, just remember to keep enough material loose around the firearm to keep it covered and position it so that it doesn't change the shape of your hips.

Carrying off body is another option. Shoulder bags or purses (man-purses too) have started to become a highly effective method of carrying off body. Former SMT Warrior, Josh Ralph designed a great bag called the ETP from his tactical company EverythingEarned.com. I've also been carrying a 5.11 Push Pack comfortably for many years. Carrying off-body can reduce your first shot time by roughly 1-2 seconds, but it doesn't have to. Level 5 SMTer Ann Ryan could pull her handgun from a purse for 3 rounds on target in sub 3 seconds.

Surviving a 'Friendly' Conversation - SMT Training Newsletter #20

I'm starting this week's Newsletter with a story that I heard this week.

An experienced businessman was on a work trip last week. Everything about the trip seemed normal. He was in a safe hotel, in a safe city, and his business deals had gone well that day. That evening, per his normal routine, he went to the hotel restaurant for dinner.

At dinner, he got into a friendly conversation with a very pleasant couple. They were middle aged, dressed nicely and chatted with him comfortably on topics from golf to business. They had a drink or two together. And the next thing that the businessman remembers is waking up on his hotel room floor, naked, and robbed of everything of value in his room including watches, wallet, and other expensive items.

If you haven't figured out what happened, the businessman was slipped a drug that is affectionately called a "Mickey," or scientifically Chloral Hydrate. The drug specifically incapacitates the victim, making robbery or rape extremely simple. Some people are surprised that people are still hit with these kinds of "drugged" attacks, but it is actually an extremely common and simple method of taking advantage of another person. 

So here's a couple of tips to help you avoid the Mickey:

• Carry your firearm. This sounds odd as a means to avoid someone drugging your drink, but actually, it works really well. If you have your firearm YOU SHOULD NOT BE DRINKING! Don't drink the drugged drink, don't get drugged, simple. Stick to water, as the flavor of Chloral Hydrate is salty and bitter, can sometimes leave a strange residue on the glass, and is therefor pretty easily discovered in water. But no matter what, if your drink tastes at all funny, stop!
• Don't drink to drunkenness in public. The more drinks you have, the less likely you are to watch your drink, pay attention to who is around you, or TASTE that your drink has been messed with as your taste buds are dulled by alcohol.
• Only take drinks that you have personally watched being poured. If there's a bar, stand at the bar and watch the bartender. If it's a beer, ask for it in the bottle and watch them open it. It's super nice for people to buy you a drink, but if/when someone does, say thanks and say that you'd like to see what the bar has available. This gives you a chance to watch.
• Only drink bottled drinks whenever in public, if possible. It's harder to slip the Mickey here, as there's little time from opened bottle to handing it to you. Also, with the narrow top of a beer bottle, it's easy to stand with your thumb over the opening to guard it from someone slipping the drug in while the bottle is in your possession.
• This should be obvious, but don't leave your drink unattended. If you have, you can actually test your drink to see if it's been tampered with. Keep a couple of these test strips in your wallet. If it changes color, your drink's been messed with.
• If you are drinking in public, have a drinking buddy. The buddy system not only works for SEALs in BUDS but for buds drinking like seals. Keep an eye on each other. Do a Rock-Paper-Scissors match to see who will be Designated Driver. If you're the sober one, watch out for your friends to start acting strangely, or to pass out unexpectedly. And NEVER let your friend leave with someone you don't know, man or woman.

Summer Concealed Carry

So the main thrust of this week's Newsletter was going to be on Summer Carry, but I wanted to start with this important story of the Mickey, because it's so fresh in my mind.

Carrying a firearm in the summer can pose a challenge for a lot of people. Clothes are lighter and tighter, there's a lot more sweat from the heat of the day, and there's a lot more summer time gatherings like fairs, picnics, and sporting events. So, how can we keep up our level of security with our firearms while not having to wear heavy and out of place looking clothes or jackets to hide it. Let's start with holsters.

One of the biggest factors to your holster being seen is something called "printing." This is where your firearm and/or holster makes a strange bulge or outline on your clothes. So in looking for a holster, think about a couple of factors: 

• The less material that makes up your holster, the less it will show. 
• The more the holster can move and shape to your body, the less it will show.
• The lower the handgrip of the pistol is in relation to your belt-line, the less it will show.

For me, I've been comfortably wearing an "adjusted" Crossbreed holster for years.

The leather is very well worn in so it comfortably wraps my hips without changing the shape of my waist. The kydex where the firearm sits is thin, meaning that it has a minimal outward pressure to the waistband, also reducing the outline. Also, you can see how low the handgrip of the firearm sits in relation to the belt-line, making it less visible.

The other way that I've carried in the summer for the last half-decade, was with one of Sealed Mindset's ConSEAL holsters. This minimalist design covers only the part of the handgun that really needs protection while holstered, the trigger. That means that there is almost nothing to this holster, giving you the least amount of print possible.

The ConSEAL stays in place on the waistband with a small synthetic string. That string virtually disappears against a belt. And since the string isn't locked down to one place on the holster, the firearm will naturally move with your body, giving you an extremely comfortable carry. To adjust how high or low the firearm sits in the waistband, you simply lengthen or shorten the string. The deeper the firearm, the lower its profile on your body. I've carried the ConSEAL into large events, like fairs, with shorts and a t-shirt on and no one's ever been the wiser. To purchase a ConSEAL, go here.

The Core Philosophy of SMT - Part 3 - SMT Training Newsletter #19

Okay, I'm starting to think that my newsletters are getting a little technical, so this is the last week of neuroscience. Next week, we'll talk about concealed carry in the summer. We'll look at gear and carry considerations

Last week I laid out how the brain learns, a neurological process called Myelination. You lay down a neural pathway and repeat that neural pathway as perfectly and as often as possible and the brain goes through a process of protecting that neural pathway from interference from the rest of the brain with a sheath of myelin.

BUT, simply laying down this pathway is only half of the neuroscience of defensive training.

There are lots of defensive systems that lay down a good neural pathway, but there are very few that do a good job at building the second half of the neural pathway, the automatic response of the brain, through that neural pathway from stimulus.

That "stimulus response" is called a Stimulus Bridge. This "bridge" is the ability of the brain to jump from sensory information input to immediate motor output.

We all have these Stimulus Bridges, ever touch something hot? What happened? Of course, your hand comes off of the hot object immediately. Did you have to think about it? No. Sensory input - hot, pain - motor output - pull away.

What's neat about our brains is that we don't just have to have bridges that are "hardwired" like touching a hot stove, but we can pick and choose and lay down the Stimulus Bridges we want. One of the bridges, we as defenders want, is an immediate positive defensive action to a lethal threat. We develop this through scenarios, stress ladders, and stimulus based defense practice, like when I stand in front in class and draw SIRTs at you.

Those experiences of a simulated threat engaging you with lethal force are just a few examples of the ways that SMT is building the other half of your neural pathways for defense.

So after a lot of reading, let me sum up SMT's core training philosophies. We try to live the "no ego" life. That means we're always trying to better ourselves, that we can learn from anyone, and try to start from the position that there must be a better way to teach or perform this defensive technique. We seek out the "why" to everything. We don't slide in to dogmatism, but instead SMT looks to live in the best information and training possible. And finally, SMT teaches based upon neuroscience, how adults learn, and how the human brain and body respond to stimulus, that way, we produce a complete system of defense, from identifying threats to defeating them.

The Core Philosophy of SMT - Part 2 - SMT Training Newsletter #18

Last week I spent some time introducing part of Sealed Mindset Training's Core Philosophy, namely "No Ego." I'd like to continue that discussion with Part 2: The Why and Neuroscience.

I, like many of you reading this newsletter, grew up in the western education system, but I also grew up in the eastern training mindset through multiple decades of martial arts practice. The founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, was once asked where the next great martial art would come from. His answer was simple and direct: The United States, because they always have to know why. This is an interesting insight into the western/American mindset. Just being told what to do is usually never good enough. Think about young children, when you tell them to pick up their toys, or get ready for bed, or even to come along with you, almost invariably the first words from their mouth will be: "Why?"

Now a lot of our schools, training, - and especially our jobs! - systematically beat this natural curiosity out of us, but one of Sealed Mindset Training's Core Philosophies is to always ask why.

Asking why led us to start developing our curriculum not with what Larry had done as a SEAL, but instead with a study of neuroscience. Larry introduced me to the concept of teaching and training people based on neuroscience and my whole world, training-wise, suddenly flipped on its head. You see, by understanding how neural pathways are developed in the brain, how the brain processes stimuli, and getting an education in how adults learn, led us to the realization that the method by which most Americans were being taught to use defensive firearms was not only wholly inadequate, it may in fact be doing more harm than good. That brings me to the other aspect of SMT's Core Philosophy: Neuroscience. Allow me to explain.

A neural pathway is a communication string between neurons inside of your brain. As information is brought in from the outside world, it is taken in through sensory organs, like our eyes or skin, transformed into an electro-chemical signal in the brain and eventually sent as a decision to move our bodies through our nerves and eventually our muscles. When we do something new, we are literally creating a new set of connections in our brain! But here's the kicker: if we do not ensure that those connections are solidly laid down, they will be subject to lots of interference from other existing (and more powerful) neural connections.

What's actually happening inside of the brain is, as we lay down a new neural pathway, our brain must change. As we repetitively develop that new connection, the brain "protects" that neural pathway with a thicker and thicker sheath of protective material called myelin. This process of creating a pathway and then making it more and more powerful is called Myelination.

  The old adage is that "Practice makes perfect." This isn't correct when we understand Myelination. You see, if you make a crappy neural pathway and then repeat that crappy neural pathway over and over and over, what you'll have is perfectly crappy neural pathway! This is why I say that most training with firearms that people do is potentially more harmful than good. Because in a class where you have tons of information to cover and you do tons of "imperfect" repetitions, what you've created is a "bad" neural pathway. Then when you go practice that neural pathway, "badly," you're only making it worse and harder to remove.

This should suddenly explain why SMT trains people the way that we do. Small blocks of information, practiced as close to perfection as possible and over a period of time will lay down a solid neural pathway that will be myelinated against interference. The end result, superior skill even under stress.

So forget the adage that "practice makes perfect" and instead replace it with "Perfect Practices Makes PERMANENT Perfection."

I'll finish up this discussion on neural pathway development in next week's newsletter. Don't miss it!

The Core Philosophy of SMT - Part 1 - SMT Training Newsletter #17

One of the core principles of SMT is the motto: "no ego," and I'd challenge you to consider adapting this philosophy to your own life.

"No Ego" has two meanings to SMT, one has a physical manifestation, the other a mental manifestation.

The first is that we show up to train, everyday, even if it's only 5 minutes a day. Having "no ego" in your training means that you're open to how your brain and body will respond to the world as it is, not as we'd wish it to be. It also means that we're willing to take the time to plan and prepare ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally/spiritually to respond to that world. Can you get in some dry fire? Is there a class to attend? Is it your range day? Did you get to the gym? Having "no ego" takes discipline.

The next way we at SMT try to live "no ego" is that we assume that there must be a better way.

In the firearms world it's very easy to develop a skill and get comfortable that what you are doing is correct. Unfortunately, that feeling is deceiving and it's robbing you of a larger view of the world of defense. Bruce Lee explained this philosophy the most succinctly when he said: "Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is specifically your own." This mental manifestation is by far the hardest part of living "no ego," because in so many ways you know you are right, but more than that, often, you actually are in fact right!

But simply "being right" doesn't make the world any easier. Having ego because you know you're right often means that you won't listen. You relegate other people or ideas into a box, but instead of becoming a better, more accomplished person in your "right-ness," you've potentially boxed yourself into stagnation and dogmatism.

Fortunately, you have the ability to grow every single day. Unfortunately, growing takes work. 

Three Critical Parts of the Training Pyramid - SMT Training Newsletter #16

Training is something that I not only talk about a lot, but I live it every day, and it's a lot more nuanced than I often verbalize. So in this training newsletter, let me try to give you an overview of three parts of training that need your attention, the training of physical, mental, and emotional/spiritual aspects of defense.

On the physical side this doesn't simply mean shooting. As defenders we should know and embody several combatives styles, we should explore edged and impact weapons, and we should certainly be working on our physical capacity with strength, conditioning, and cardio training. Figure out which of these areas you are lacking and then look into how you could bolster those areas. Do you need to get back into the gym? Have you not picked up a solid combatives system? Never really thought much about that knife in your pocket? Take some time to really explore those defensive elements so you don't become a one-dimensional defender.

Mental training is about curiosity, honesty, and discipline. One of the hardest mental training aspects for me is to maintain the ethos of "no ego" in instruction and training. I've made it a personal decision to remain a lifelong student of defense. That means that I must remain open to new ideas and combat proven skills, but more importantly, I must stay focused on the why. There is so much sparkle and hype in the firearms and defensive world that it is easy to slip down the rabbit hole of glam and shiny tools and trainers that you can forget to ask the ultimate question: "Why would I do/use/engage like that?" Watch other people training and ask yourself why they're training that way. Look at your own training and ask if you're missing an element that you should be working on. Look at what you've been training a lot, and ask if you really need that skill, or if you'd be better served, as a defender, to be working on something else.

The last part of our training triangle is the emotional/spiritual aspect of training. We as humans are "spiritual" beings, as a libertarian myself, I'll let you decide what that means for you, but for defensive training it means two things: to have a purpose or reason to train, and I accept that my emotional state can influence my training. On purpose, if you have never sat down, by yourself, and really really figured out exactly what you're preparing to defend, you need to. That purpose will drive you through the hardest training days you can imagine. It's why I always ask at every training session: "For the sake of what are you here? What are you getting by giving me/you this time?" Knowing the answer to this question will change your training life.

If you don't believe that your emotional state effects your training, go watch some absolutely heart wrenching man-movie like "The Road" or "Saving Private Ryan" and then head to the range for a training session. I can almost guarantee that you'll shoot like crap. From time to time, that emotional state will take a toll on how effective your training can be, so be ready to stick to the fundamentals, go slow, and give yourself a break. If you're used to getting first shot on target in 1.8 and you can't get a 2.2 to save your life, that's just not your day! Slow down, keep building good neural pathways, and be ready to come back to speed later.

The "Tactics" of the SHOT Show - SMT Training Newsletter #14

Happy Wednesday SMTers.

I'm out in Las Vegas this week at the Shot Show, and it is honestly one of the most amazing and crazy firearm spectacles out there. Thousands of vendors show up, with tens of thousands of products, and every thing, every single thing, is tactical.

If you didn't know, I'm not really a fan of the word "tactical" because it's really lost its meaning. I found a definition that I like that says: Things that are "tactical" are small scale actions or equipment that serve a larger purpose or task carried out with only limited or immediate ends in view. With this definition, moving from one spot to another could be "tactical." How you carry your firearm or what other tools you have with you are "tactical" considerations. That "tactical" kilt you have on.....not so sure.

What you can surely say is tactical is practicing your dry fire by going to the Shadow Gunning page. Getting out on the range as often as you can. Working those fundamentals skills like draws, shooting fundamentals, and immediate actions, is tactical. Coming to training sessions and building the neural pathways to respond to a lethal force encounter, that's a good tactical decision.

So, forget the label "tactical" and instead start taking small actions and acquiring necessary equipment to serve the larger purpose of defending yourself, your loved ones, and America.