Favorite Films [

• view all

]

Want to flag your favorite films? After you watch a film, click “Add to Favorites” to save it to your profile.

Favorite Blog Posts [

• view all

]

Mothers With Guns:  Packing Too Much?

Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago by Kathy McManus

Submitted Story

Share your own personal story of responsibility and inspire others. Submit it here to get started.

Comments [

• view all

]

1. Shawn......

   Those days are NOT long gone. The ancient Hawaiians had a saying: Teach every person (man AND woman) to fight....but also teach them how to run. If kids want to get in cages, it's better than sitting around reading the Bible about how to kill people.

   3 months, 2 weeks ago In response to Fight Club Junior

2. Just as soon as I say it rarely happens

   It does. A 6 year old girl shot herself in the face with her father's police issued Glock. He's a police Captain in Little Rock Arkansas and is required to carry a firearm. I understand that this will empower the Brady bunch, but I am nothing if not honest. I don't try to change the facts, or hide them. This tragedy was the fault of the officer, not the gun or the child. Personal responsibility extends to everyone with whom you interact. There are no excuses for doing it wrong.

   3 months, 2 weeks ago In response to Mothers With Guns: Packing Too Much?

3. I have to respond to Karen

   Aloha Karen, I am not sure what you do for a living, or what training you have. But I am an SRT trainer. I train officers, with and without firearms. I am also a third Dan Black belt in Judo and Akido. The best martial artist training in the world is Krav Maga. It's purpose is to kill people. If you are young, in EXCELLENT physical condition, capable of taking a punch to the kidney and continuing the fight, you might have a chance at hand-to hand; but I assure you that you will lose to a Pit Bull or an assailant who has targeted you. Predators pick and choose victims. PLEASE ask someone who was well trained and lost a physical encounter. It's a crap-shoot. One mistake, one second of lost concentration and you lose. I'm now over sixty years old. I have bullet holes, knife scars, broken bones, and I am simply not capable of going hand-to-hand anymore and I am smart enough to realize it. A twenty-one year-old has a disparity of force merely because of his age. If you MUST suggest something other than firearms (please don't start on knives.), allow me to suggest two resources. The first is color codes of awareness. Awareness makes up 90+% of self-defense, The remaining 10% being physical techniques including the employment of firearms. With awareness, you can identify and avoid potentially dangerous situations. Without it, you become an easy target for a criminal. Colonel Jeff Cooper, my old combat pistol instructor, developed the Color Code system, used by most military and police organizations, to differentiate different levels of awareness. These color codes help recognize, evaluate, and avoid potential threats. They are used to measure rising threat and make most situations avoidable. The following are the colors in ascending order of awareness of danger: white, yellow, orange, and red. Code White * You feel secure, whether or not you are actually safe. * Awareness is switched off. * You are unaware of your environment, its inhabitants, and their rituals of attack. * All attackers look for victims in this state. Most people live in white. ALL victims live in white. Code Yellow * You are cautious. You should spend most of the time in this state. * Awareness is switched on. * State of threat awareness and relaxed alertness. * You have a 360-degree peripheral awareness of such environmental danger spots as secluded doorways, entries, and alleys, as well as such psychological triggers as adrenal dump and attacker ruses. Be aware of people, vehicles, behind large objects, dark areas, etc. Code Orange * You are in danger. You are aware of a potential threat. * State of threat evaluation. * Specific alert. A possible target has been identified. A particular situation that has drawn your attention and could present a major problem. Someone may be giving oral indicators such as direct threats or using suspicious language. Focus on the potential attacker. * Check to see if there is an avenue of escape, potential weapons available, and if others around you are friend or foe. * Decision is made to take action. I live in orange. I shouldn't, but it had become ingrained. I see threats before they become threats. Code Red * You are in conflict. * State of threat avoidance. * Fight or flight. Flee, defend, or attack. You have evaluated the situation, and if there is a threat, you fight or run. * Never stand or fight if there is a possibility of fleeing. * Carry out decision to act made in Code Orange. You don't have to think; no indecision on the course of action; you are prepared. * If use of physical self-defense techniques is necessary, use the level of force appropriate to the threat. E.g., don't treat someone who pushes you because he is rude like someone who is trying to stab you with a knife. How to Use the Color Codes of Awareness The color codes of awareness are a continuum of your awareness and readiness to defend. The objective is to constantly flow from one color to the next above or below, depending on the situation. Never be in white. Spend most your time in yellow, even in places where you feel safe, such as at home. Constantly be aware and alert, and shift from yellow and orange often as you notice potential threats and dangers. While walking down the street, practice imaginary shifts between the 2 colors. Practice thinking of ways to respond to potential attackers. When in orange, notice what you can do to flee, defend, or attack if it becomes necessary, and make the decision to take a specific action if the situation escalates to red. What would you do if that person walking behind you picks up the pace and makes a move toward you? What would you do if someone jumped out of the alley just ahead of you? What would you do if someone walking in front of you suddenly cuts your path and raises his hands toward you? The Color Codes in Practice Here's one example of how the Color Codes of awareness could be used. A 100-pound woman is walking to her car, carrying grocery bags. Being aware and alert in Code Yellow, she sees two suspicious men near her car. She switches from Yellow to Orange. She decides on her self-defense options. They walk toward her and reach for her. She switches to Red, and executes her decisions: she throws the bags at them and runs back into the store. Another example. You are walking and someone diagonally across the street stares at you for no apparent reason, with an angry expression. He doesn't avert his gaze. You shift to Orange and decide to run the opposite direction and yell for help. He starts moving quickly toward you, crossing the street without regard to traffic. You immediately shift to Red, and without thinking or deciding, run the opposite direction at the fastest speed you can, and either lose him or run into a police officer or security guard that can help you. Conclusion Starting right now, be in Code Yellow. Throughout your day, identify potential areas of danger and switch to Code Orange as necessary. Switch back to Code Yellow if no threat exists. Do this exercise again tomorrow. And the next day. And so on. Eventually, awareness becomes a habit. Make the most important self-defense skill, awareness, a habit. The second training aid I recommend is the OODA loop. I am not going to detail it here because it requires training. Search Wiki for OODA loop or John Boyd. I can recommend a Firearms training facility called Front Sight. I will get you a discount free for the asking. Because your life is important to me.

   3 months, 2 weeks ago In response to Mothers With Guns: Packing Too Much?

Being a responsible citizen means repeating and responding to the ‘Hue and Cry’ of a person calling for help, citizenship requires mutual aid.