Author: Real Estate Club of America

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: https://www.offthegridnews.com/self-defense/smart-self-defense/

Have you got any more tips or hints on smart self-defense with a firearm? Let us know in the comments below.

The truth is that any use of a firearm in self-defense is risky. While it does allow the use of deadly force when necessary to defend yourself or defend others, there is a huge caveat. In other words, the courts must agree that your activities were both necessary and reasonable. Otherwise, someone can still accuse you of murder.

Consider that for a moment. There’s nothing that says you’ve got a responsibility to defend society. What you do have a duty to do is defend yourself and your loved ones. So do your best to do that, not by shooting, but by getting your family out of there before the shooting starts.
There’s always a price associated with taking the life span of someone, even if the courts declare you not guilty. The human mind has a way of torturing itself for killing another. That is a far harder price to pay than the justice the courts mete out.
So, how do you avoid this type of predicament?
Are you thinking that you’re safe because you’ve got it? Do you think you can outshoot a bad guy? Are you thinking that the key to surviving a shootout is to draw fast and shoot straight? Do you anticipate the chance to prove yourself where the rubber meets the road?
The old saying is,”Do not draw your gun unless you intend to use it and don’t use it unless you’re shooting to kill.” Overall, I agree with that. However, I also agree with the statistic which says that in 70% of the instances where a hidden gun is used in self-defense, only presenting the gun is enough to cause the bad guys to flee. Give them the chance to flee before pulling on the trigger.
Needless to say, if that doesn’t work, you can always run away. If he’s really been drinking, he may be unable to keep up. There’s nothing that you can lose by running except your pride. However, you really don’t want that to survive anyway, so there should be no problem with letting it go, right?

Smart Self-Defense: Avoiding Violence

Everything you and I should be thinking is that our guns are a tool of last resort. In other words, we should try to avoid a shootout if we can. Then, if we have no choice but to use deadly force in self indulgent or in the defense of others, we will know that we did everything we could to avoid killing another person.

Smart Self-Defense: Diffusing The Situation

Typically, it’s fairly easy to diffuse such a situation by turning their negative comment back into a positive one. In the situation mentioned previously, the accusation of,”Hey, are you looking at my girl?” Is intended to get a rise out of you. Responding by saying,”Yes I am, she’s beautiful. You’re a very lucky man” is the exact opposite of what he’s expecting.

This is why you want to flank them if possible. You can grab them in a way where you have the advantage and it may provide you an extra second or two until they have the ability to respond. This strategy might help tip their decision towards fleeing instead of fighting. It also might provide you the second you will need to get your sight ready should they opt to take it out. Altogether, you’ve got to use whatever you can to your advantage.
You can say the same thing when hearing news that something is happening or going to happen. If there’s a demonstration scheduled downtown, then avoid downtown. You aren’t part of that demonstration anyway, so there’s no reason for you to be there. If you would like to discover what happens, watch the news.

The post Smart Self-Defense: Knowing When To Shoot And When Not To appeared first on Off The Grid News.
The reality is that there are some prosecutors who will attempt to prove that you were searching for the opportunity to use your gun to kill someone even if it was done in self-defense. They’ll use your membership in the NRA and signs in your window with topics like”Protected by Smith & Wesson” as an indication that you were merely awaiting the chance to legally kill somebody. If they can create that idea in the minds of the jury, you could wind up facing a murder conviction. Remarkably, it doesn’t matter if that perception is accurate or not.

Smart Self-Defense: It’s Time To Move

When all else fails, it is time to draw; but the point I’m hoping you are seeing here is that you don’t wish to draw until you’ve exhausted other possibilities. If a person walks into the restaurant you are eating at and opens fire, you don’t have other options. Nonetheless, if they’re trying to start trouble, you do. Take advantage of those possibilities when you’re able to.
I feel that exact same temptation too. But that does not mean that I must be the hero. First of all, that’s not my responsibility. I’m not charged by society to protect them, but the police are. While it is likely that I could defend someone and keep them from harm, I must ask myself,”At what cost?”

Smart Self-Defense: What Are You Thinking?

Smart Self-Defense: When It’s Time To Bring

You may also enjoy reading an additional Off The Grid News post: 9 ‘Survival Guns’ That Will Keep You Alive In Any Situation

However, if you’re going to be the one who’s pulling the trigger, you want to make sure that your action is really necessary. The less wiggle room it is possible to give a prosecutor to show that you acted angrily or irrationally, the less chance there will be that you end up in court defending your actions.

Or download our free 29-page report which discusses how to legally carry firearms (almost) anywhere, anytime: Stick To Your Guns
Sadly, there are some who never fully think this through. They managed to receive their concealed carry license because they felt they needed it. Nevertheless, they don’t practice and they do not really think about what it will mean to actually use their gun from self-defense.

Even when trying your best to avoid a violent situation, you can end up in one notwithstanding. A classic example is someone getting mad in a pub or night club. Take some guy catching you looking at his girlfriend for an example. If he is the violent kind or has been drinking a lot, he can decide to face you for this imagined slight. What should you do?

First off, if you are keeping your situational awareness, then you need to have a pretty good idea that something is going to happen. Once you’ve got a feel for this, you want to make an important choice. Do you stay and see it out or do you leave before it can happen? Most of us would stay when in fact we should leave before anything could escalate.
When it comes to smart self explanatory, you will need to make sure that your action is really necessary before you pull the trigger.

But when it’s clear that you must use your gun, do not hesitate to do so. At least, don’t hesitate no more than tactically necessary. Bear in mind, provided that you conceal your gun, you have the element of surprise on your side. Consequently, don’t draw until you’re ready. If you can, take the time to move into a fantastic strategic position where you have cover and the bad guys are flanked before drawing.
Granted, if you leave a shop or restaurant each time you think something is very likely to go down, you are going to be leaving for nothing the vast majority of the time. But that’s okay since you’re accomplishing your goal and protecting your family. You can always go back after it is clear it is safe.
Before drawing a gun, it makes sense to try preventing a situation altogether. While that is not always possible, there are plenty of situations which may be avoided by simply not going where violence is occurring or by leaving when it seems like something is going to go down.
The same can be said for many other potentially dangerous situations, such as being in a poor area of town. Unless you have a valid reason to be there, why go? Find someplace else to buy what you need or another route to take so you can avoid problems. Don’t put yourself unnecessarily in danger.

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://yourwarriorsedge.com/warrior-wisdom/complete-ones-duties-within-day/

Writing this, I couldn’t help but think of one of my favorite film series. “There’s no tomorrow!”
– Daidoji Yuzan
“Complete One’s Duties Within The Day: One Second Ahead Is Uncertain.”

The post Entire One’s Duties Within The Day appeared on .
In this essay, Daidoji Yuzan wrote,”For a warrior serving a lord, there is a primary understanding concerning the implementation of his daily responsibilities, as hard and unending as they are. Specifically speaking, it’s the important fix to do one’s responsibilities within the day allotted, rather than thinking that one will have unlimited time in the long run. The reason for this is that, for the guys in this uncertain world, neither high nor low have the ability to tell what tomorrow may bring.”

This comes from Budoshoshinshu: The Warrior’s Primer of Daidoji Yuzan. The Budoshoshinshu is a collection of essays that Daidoji Yuzan (1639-1730) composed before he died attempting to illustrate the true meaning of what it meant to be a member of the warrior class and the paradox of that class’ existence during times of peace. While I have many different copies of the on my shelves, I’m using the translation by William Scott Wilson for this.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BTeWyRTF60]

This lesson is as important today as it was when written centuries ago in Japan. We’ve got goals, we’ve got lists, and we have schedules and expectations. But none of us knows for sure that we’ll also wake up tomorrow morning, or that some unforeseen event, local, or international, won’t change everything.

We don’t know what’s going to happen, so it’s important that we focus on important tasks and accomplish our duties now, and not put them off to the future. This was the way of the warrior that Daidoji Yuzan wrote about, and it ought to be the way of those who live with the warrior’s edge today.

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://invictaselfdefense.blogspot.com/2013/08/improvised-weapons-for-self-defense.html

Following my article on that weapons are legal for self-defense , I thought it would be a good idea to talk about how to improvise your own weapon for self-defense functions. Allow me to state that for one of these items to work in a self-defense scenario, you need to be brutal in your strikes, and hit just like you mean it. You are in control of your own security, and you might not have many chances to strike or use your improvised weapon, so you need to make them count. 

Purses are both fashionable and practical

Improvised weapons: 

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://invictaselfdefense.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-we-freeze-during-assault-fear.html

And. . .well, we all know how the story ends. 

Stress is an evolutionary survival mechanism, though it causes us to do some bizarre things, including freezing during violence. Odds are, it will most likely occur, which makes sense as most people’s last response is to fight.

  There are lots of reasons why folks freeze though, so let’s go through some of these: 

• Too many stimuli – your mind is taking in so much information at a fast rate that it is unable to process what it’s seeing effectively. Because many people have never been in anything even approaching a self-defense situation before, your brain has no reference experience, and because of that, it takes your brain time to locate its bearings. In the time it takes your mind to do that, some damage can be sustained by you. 
• Disconnect between 9-5 brain and combat-brain – unless you are in the military or in law enforcement, hardly any people train themselves to be able to shift from their 9-5 mind into combat-mode at the drop of a hat. It takes some time to shift into combat mode between your mindset. Unfortunately, the longer this takes, the longer your freeze will be, and the greater the likelihood that you could sustain injuries from the attacker. 
• Ethical struggle – this is especially common in martial artists/military/law enforcement people. You may have trained for years, though capacity and capacity are not mutually exclusive. Just because you have gone through the motion of the way to break someone’s knee over and over doesn’t mean that when it comes down to actually doing it that you are able to go through with it. This ethical struggle often causes trained individuals to pause before defending themselves. An assault is not the time to work out your ethics; spend time well beforehand thinking about what you could or couldn’t do in any given situation. Have a few go-to techniques which you feel comfortable relying on, and that you are aware that you could perform in the heat of the moment without the smallest hesitation. 
• Evolution – running away from a predator can often trigger the chase-reflex inside them. Part of the reason that you freeze is that this survival system helped our cave-dwelling grandparents survive some pretty frightening predators, and this attribute has been passed down to us. Your brain is on autopilot during a high-adrenaline condition, and the only thing it tells itself during a freeze is,”this has not gotten you killed yet, so keep doing it.” This sort of behavioural looping pattern is also seen during other phases of an attack, particularly if you continuously punch an attacker in the arm, by way of instance, though it is not doing anything to them. Again, your mind is simply saying,”this has not gotten you hurt yet, so just keep doing it.” Unfortunately, behavioural looping can also get you killed if you don’t break out of the loop and do something different. 

Yell loudly to break a freeze and get the eye of people nearby who can help

• Talk yourself out loud – paramedics often do this in the early stages of their career, and talking yourself by what you’re trying to do can be the trigger to ground you back into the fact of the situation:”Strike to the face hard, hit to the sternum”, etc. 
• Yell, proceed – Loudly vocalizing or moving parts of your body (such as in kicking) can occasionally bring you back into the present moment and from the freeze. You’d be surprised how aware you can feel throughout a freeze, so tell yourself to do SOMETHING! Yelling, of course, has the added benefit of drawing attention to what’s happening, and having people either come over to assist, or call the police.  New Hampshire: YMAA Publication Centre, 2011. 

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: http://invictaselfdefense.blogspot.com/2013/10/5-halloween-safety-tips-for-ladies.html

It is the time of year – the leaves are changing colours, the air is getting cooler, and Halloween is quickly approaching. With Halloween, there are parties drinks to drink, and the opportunity to dress up. It is with increasing popularity that women are gravitating towards sexy and revealing costumes, so I believe that this is a terrific time of year to keep in mind some important safety tips when you are out and about, enjoying your Halloween festivities: 

1. Watch your drinks – Keep your drink with you at all times. Walk around with your hand covering the top of your cup so that it deters someone from slipping something in it. If someone will buy you a drink, walk to the bar and have the bartender pass you the drink personally. If you need to put your drink down even for a second, just buy a new one (it’s not worth the risk). Roofies are surprisingly easy to acquire and they are cheap. According to one American study, date rape accounts for nearly 60% of all reported rapes (Vis-A-Vis, USA, 1992.) .  Buddy System – Do your best to party with a friend, and ensure you each look out for each other. If your buddy is taking an inordinately long time in the bathroom, go check on her

if your friend appears like she has had too much to drink or things look out of kind, get her to safety; make certain you each get home safely; go to and from the party together if possible. Where and when possible, take a cab. There have been a number of assaults in cabs of inebriated girls. If you’re drunk and by yourself, make an obvious phone call to a friend or boyfriend,”I will be home in 10 minutes. I’m in a taxi at Queen W and Dufferin St.” Little acts such as this can prove to be powerful deterrents.  Cover up while in transit – I have no problem with wanting to dress in your sexiest costume, but just bear in mind that there are inherent dangers that are associated with choosing to do so. Firstly, while you’ll garner attention, you will also attract unwanted attention, which you want to be prepared for. I wish the world was different, but it isn’t. As part of your preparation, do what you can to minimize this unwanted attention by throwing a jacket or sweater over your costume when getting to your destination . When you are in a controlled environment (i.e. the party), it is easier for you to rely on the help of friends, security, and (hopefully) other party-goers if you need help.  Communicate boundaries efficiently – If you’re chatting with a cute guy, and it is the end of the night, and he is searching for more action than you’re prepared to give, make certain you convey that appropriately and effectively. “No. I don’t feel comfortable doing anything tonight.” If he presses you, be firm and simply say,”No” with your voice trailing down at the end, to show that you mean business. It’s important that the words that you say fit your vocal pitch. If your voice goes up at the end, or shows flightiness or flirtatiousness, then he’ll disregard the words you’re saying in favour for the pitch that you’re communicating. Words and pitch constantly have to match, so if your words imply business, ensure that your pitch also communicates that.  Place your phone and earbuds off – predators rely on the ability to exploit vulnerabilities, and also the fact that your eyes are on your own phone, or that you can not hear him coming from behind because you’re listening to music puts him at a marked benefit. If you’re traveling by yourself, it’s particularly important to put your phone away so that you can use your eyes to scan around your environs and know where people are in relation to you. Keep your ears open – do you hear someone walking behind you? Many women ignore the need to turn around and see who’s walking behind them from the misguided fear that they will hurt the man’s feelings or look silly for looking. It is always better to look – if he’s a nice guy who means you no harm, he will probably just feel bad for you; if he’s a potential threat, now he understands that you a) know what he looks like, b) can identify him in the future if you have to, and c) he no longer has the element of surprise working for him. 

Have fun, and be safe! 

Please note that we are NOT the original writers of this blog post. All credit goes to the original writers. Find the original post as published at this link: https://www.offthegridnews.com/self-defense/3-military-approved-techniques-that-will-make-you-a-better-shooter/

What advice would you add? Share your hints in the comments section below:

Breathing

With a handgun, your grip should be the exact same each time you shoot. There are many unique ways to maintain a handgun. My recommendation would be to practice with all of them until you find what works best for you. I also like to put a little tension on the weapon by pulling a little with my forward hand against my secured elbow. For me, this limits recoil and makes it easier to reacquire a goal.
Editor’s note: the writer is an active duty officer in the military.

The article 3 Military-Approved Techniques That Will Make You A Much Better Shooter appeared on Off The Grid News.

While you’re breathing and your arms are in your shooting position, they will naturally move up and down slightly. This causes your weapon to move up and down slightly, which throws off your aiming ability. There are two simple ways to fix this problem. Either hold your breath momentarily to steady your aim or shoot in between exhaling and inhaling. In a controlled situation, shooting between breaths is preferable, but in a high-stress scenario, holding your breath will work, as well.
A fantastic trigger squeeze will save you a great deal of heartache at the range. (Image source: Pixabay.com)
These 3 simple tips will probably improve your shooting ability. When I just need to practice shooting, I usually shoot four rounds at a time and judge each iteration to see what I want to improve. You will find that it becomes easier and you enhance each iteration that you take. Practicing shooting using these ideas will allow you to build muscle memory so that in the event the unpredictable does happen, you will be ready to correctly engage the threat.

One can break proper shooting technique down into three main categories: shooting posture, breathing and trigger squeeze.

If you are new to shooting or are unhappy with your shooting abilities, here you will find some basic shooting techniques to be a better shot.
So far as your body position, you want your elbows locked, and you ought to be in a slightly crouched position so that the weapon is at eye level. Similar to what was mentioned above, get used to shooting at exactly the same body position every time, since it will make aiming come a lot easier. Usually, when someone has trouble aiming down the sights, it is due to their body position. Regardless of weapon, get comfortable shooting at the identical position. You’ll be amazed how simple it becomes to aim.

The final tip might be the most significant. A good trigger squeeze will save you a great deal of heartache at the scope. Jerking the cause back will cause you to twitch the weapon slightly, which results in inaccuracy. Many people teach you to”pull the slack” out of the trigger, which means pulling the trigger back to the final positive block prior to the firing pin goes home. Exercise in your unloaded weapon.

Because I’m directing this article at both skilled shooters and beginners alike, I should say something very important at the beginning. Please ensure that you have zeroed your weapon and know how to properly and safely operate it.

Becoming a better shooter requires more than just going to the range and shooting.

Shooting position refers to how you position your body and your weapon while you’re shooting. Having a long gun, there are a couple of key things to bear in mind. The weapon should be securely positioned against your own body, in the pocket between your shoulder and your chest. Your head needs to be pressed against the stock of the weapon in a cozy spot that it is easy to return to every time you shoot. Aiming down the sights becomes much easier and more natural when you place your head in exactly the same way each time. Your non-firing hand needs to have a light grip, but also should be slightly pulling the weapon into your shoulder.
Most weapons have a small stop in the trigger, before it participates. After”pulling the slack” out of the trigger and then firing the weapon, keep the trigger held back momentarily. This prevents a jerky release, which once again moves the weapon slightly and interferes with your ability to continue looking down the sights to reacquire your target. Then, slowly release the trigger back to that positive block, ready to shoot again. If you’re expecting the recoil, you will jerk the weapon and have an inaccurate shot.