• Edged Weapon Defenses

    How often is a knife used in injurious violent crime targeting civilians? As showcased in magazines and training classes, masked men, public places, and knives are common. However, as we know from my book, except for robbery, we see strangers and public places as not typical for injurious violent crime. Regarding injurious robbery, strangers, public…

  • Open Carry & Public Locations

    I gave a few reasons why I do not open carry in my book. However, I wanted to expand on some more reasons you may want to consider before you open carry. When I see people open carrying in public, it is almost always at the grocery store, and once in a while, I’ll see…

  • Are Police Threats and Civilian Threats Different?

    Several years ago, when I began researching violent crime, I was interested in figuring out the circumstances. I figured that if I could understand if there were common violent crime circumstances, I could develop self-defense strategies to mitigate them appropriately. After all, there is no point in preparing for a trip to the Amazon jungle…

  • Statewide Criminal Defense Attorney Survey

    A concealed carry permit holder murdered my cousin. The perp will be in prison for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, most people that keep track of these statistics are interested in blaming inanimate objects. I don’t blame the firearm. I do blame the person. I’m grateful that justice was served. I suspect that people…

  • Reworking Women’s Self-Defense Training

    I think it is wonderful that women can access the best combat training in America. Often, women are welcome in classes covering physical defense, edged weapons, and concealed carry training. In addition, women-only classes are also available to help those who may be uncomfortable in mixed crowds. Successful completion of these classes can result in…

  • The Home Defense Shotgun

    A couple of items from Defensive Gun Use (DGU) statistics. Around 80% of DGUs occur at home, and 80% of the time, the firearm is not discharged. Rifles and shotguns make up about a third of the arms used, and handguns make up about two-thirds. However, looking at police shootings with handguns, we see that…

  • Statistics & the $5,000 Test

    If you are skeptical of statistics, congratulations! You should be. However, that doesn’t mean that statistics are inadequate or worthless. You should subject any statistics to meaningful investigation. One of the many sad things about COVID was how much science was compromised. Studies were written supporting masks, yet the recent Cochrane review showed insufficient evidence…

  • Violent Crime Statistics

    Before we get started, we need to cover some common misunderstandings over terminology. The word “assault” for instance is often used in everyday language to mean a violent attack, such as the title of the movie “Assault on Precinct 13.” The word “violent” has similar connotations, such as a news program saying “a violent incident…

  • Best Magazine Article I’ve Ever Read

    The magazine is RECOIL presents CONCEALMENT from CMGWEST recoilweb.com | Issue 31. The article is “Safe in the City” by Dave Merrill. I don’t know Dave, but the advice he gives is absolutely sound! Read it and absorb it! There is another good article by Jared Wihongi called “Close-Quarters Firearms Integration Tactics.” For law enforcement,…

  • Intent Matters

    A disturbing trend is present in a couple of governmental agencies. The National Safety Council (NSC) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list firearm violence statistics divorced from intent. Furthermore, the CDC seems to be heading in the direction of combining firearm injuries and fatalities into a single category: firearm injuries (fatal…

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