Cruel Hand Luke

There are no bumper sticker sized answers for this....   If you are within 2 arms length distance then using hands first is 99.9999% of the time the answer. Going for a gun when the other guy is within touching distance does not have much future to it unless he has his back to you or unless you have him physically controlled first.    It largely comes down to how close they are, how they are armed, and how YOU are armed and where you are carrying it when deciding whether to use hands or weapons. For hands to work against guns you have to be within the distance you can touch the gun before he can react. For hands to work against knives you have to be able to be close enough to control the weapon bearing limb. Out side of those, the gun is going to be the primary tool. With multiple unarmed assailants you may or may not be able to shoot them justifiably....things are complex.    If you can fight with hands and feet then you are far ahead of those who carry a gun so they do not have to learn how to fight. But if you expect the BG to play by rules and fight you fair...good luck with that. 

I fear there may be some other unintended negative consequences that appear only after this is a done deal.....as someone mentioned before...it may lead to more places being posted and that is just ONE negative consequence...but a big one none the less.

Hmmm....for some reason I was expecting a discussion on pepper spray.....you guys mean the "other" OC.  

Just make him an offer he can't refuse......

Getting closer...   I will also be bringing various shotguns for people to handle and be familiarized with. I will have a double barrel coach gun,  Winchester 97, 14" remington 870 SBS , 12.5" remington 870 AOW, and a 14" Saiga SBS. 

This one is getting closer. June is not that far off for those planning ahead......

Suarez International June 29, 2014 DEFENSIVE KNIFE Price $200 Knoxville, Tennessee Instructor: Randy Harris     This course presents a compressed version of our two day Defensive Knife program. You will learn knife grips, angles of attack and defense, ballistic cutting and thrusting tactics, use of the live hand, footwork concepts, dynamic training drills and exercises to develop spontaneous and unplanned reactions. We will dispel the commonly held myths of the knife and leave you with a respect and a skill-set for this close range weapon that equals or surpasses your skill with the CCW pistol and allows you to begin integrating the knife and the gun. Bring a carry knife, and a dull trainer facsimile of it.     DURATION: 1 Days TIME: 9:00AM to 5:00PM AMMUNITION: N/A YOU NEED TO BRING: Spare clothing appropriate to the weather, lunch/snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day, baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape)   REQUIREMENTS: Your daily carry knife, a training knife similar to your carry knife (training knives are available at One Source Tactical), a modern CCW Pistol or Airsoft or red gun and eye protection.     For More info or to register for this class............http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/140729-defensive-knife-knoxville-tn.aspx#.UzslSPldUas

Well dang...I was looking forward to the match in Memphis.....with all the cancellations it is getting harder and harder to get many major matches to shoot in 2014....

This one is coming up right around the corner.   For those in the Knoxville area (and everywhere else) this is a great opportunity to get solid professional instruction in the use of the shotgun and pistol in realistic defensive context...not just  in target shooting or sport shooting context.   Also for those with limited time to only do one or the other the 1 day format of each stand alone class allows that. Only free on Saturday? Come do the Shotgun class. Only got Sunday? Come do the pistol class. Or for those who have the time, take BOTH classes for a discount.   We normally only offer one or two classes a year in the Knoxville area....so don't miss this opportunity!

On Sunday April 6 we will hold our first meeting of 2014 for the TN/GA/AL Regional Suarez Int Training Group!  Location: The usual place- Phillips/Edwards Farm 763 County Rd 332 Pisgah Al (pm or email me for directions if you have never been there)  Time: 10AM CENTRAL time - 4PM CENTRAL time Price: $60 What you need to bring: Pistol, pistol magazines and at least 150 rounds of ammo.  We will work on smoothing out our pistol skills and will shoot several challenging drills (like the air marshal qualification and Marine Corps Spec Ops pistol qual ) and work to be more competent and confident with the weapon we carry most...our pistol.  Looking forward to seeing you there! 

This one is right around the corner. Just about 3 weeks to go.....don't miss this shot at learning what REALLY works when the targets can also shoot back.   Nothing moves thinks and attacks you like a person...so if all your training is against paper targets then you will get really good.... at fighting unarmed paper that never fights back.   If your training has never included any Force on Force then you just do not realize how fast a gunfight really happens. Come train with us and make the mental shift from "target shooter" to "gunfighter".

Suarez International TRAUMA MEDICINE FOR THE CCW OPERATOR May 24-25, 2014 Price $350 Chattanooga, Tennessee Instructor: Randy Harris This revolutionary class is directed toward the Private Citizen who may have never even taken a first aid class and certainly doesn't consider himself to be a medically trained special operator. Instead, he is someone who realizes that, just as with his shooting skills, he needs to have skill to help save someone's life, perhaps his own, in the aftermath of shooting or other traumatic events. We call that man the "CCW Operator". He doesn't have a trained medic nearby. He must show the same self-reliance that got him through the initial incident.  This will be a very thorough introduction to how to evaluate and treat gunshot wounds, stab wounds and other traumatic injuries. We will do a great deal of technical work to ingrain the correct skills and then work them extensively via practical training, including force on force exercises. This is a non-live fire class, no live ammo or weapons! There has never before been training and information like this offered to the general public. SOME TOPICS: Massive bleeding. What are the options? We will look at everything from direct pressure, to tourniquets, to blood clotting agents. Do you know how to use a tourniquets? How about putting one on yourself, one handed? Do you know how to open a person's airway, in various positions? How to splint broken limbs, using real equipment and improvised materials. How do you move a person to safety, if he can't walk? Can you do all this, while maintaining tactical awareness, appropriate movement and shooting back? This is one of the hottest classes available to civilian operators!   DURATION: 2 days TIME: 8:00AM to 5:00PM (Range location is on Central Time) AMMUNITION: NONE. Bring airsoft pellets and C02/gas etc. YOU NEED TO BRING: Spare clothing appropriate to the weather. Lunch, snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day. Baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape). REQUIREMENTS: Force on Force gear: airsoft pistol with the necessary gear (pellets, facemask, holster, extra mags, protective clothing etc) all of which are available athttp://www.onesourcetactical.com. You will be practicing some FoF airsoft drills, eye and face protection mandatory! Bring your primary concealed weapon and gear for dry practice drills but no ammo on training site. CLOSEST AIRPORT Click here for nearest airports NOTES:   For more info and to register....http://www.suarezinternationalstore....anooga-tn.aspx

I don't always carry a G30 but when I do carry the G30 it is in a Mitch Rosen Upper Limit (UPL) Holster with a Mitch Rosen 5 DM double mag carrier. The holster rides very high on the belt (hence the name Upper Limit). As to ammo....I used to use Corbon 165 but have settled on CCI Gold Dot 230 gr or Winchester PDX1 230gr. They are easier to find and hit same point of aim point of impact as 230 gr ball practice ammo. 

NOTHING needs to be around your holster that could get into the trigger guard. One of the first things I look for in class is who has keys hanging from their belt next to their holster, drawstrings on jackets, shirt tails , etc. Any gun with no manual safety applied can fire if the trigger is pressed...whether it is pressed intentionally by a finger , pressed UNintentionally by a finger , or pressed unintentionally by a foreign object that was close to the holster. A khar, Sig, SW MP or even a revolver or ANY DA auto carried with manual safety OFF can all fire if shoved back into the holster with something touching the trigger.   Draw QUICKLY, shoot PRECISELY, and reholster RELUCTANTLY.....

I know some of you have been waiting for this one to get up on the schedule so here it is...the flagship course of the Suarez catalog...Close Range Gunfighting!  CLOSE RANGE GUNFIGHTING June 7-8, 2014 Price $350 Chattanooga, Tennessee Instructor: Randy Harris This is our flagship course and goes as far as you can safely go on a square range with live-fire pistols. The dynamic curriculum surpasses the traditional handgun methods commonly taught in most institutions and focuses of the use of the pistol in aggressive close range applications likely in individual civilian street encounters. The class begins with a tune-up of the fundamentals, then we progress quickly to new skills such as Proactive and Reactive Manipulations, Shooting While Moving Off The X, Reality-Based Multiple Hostiles Engagement, 360 degree CQB Movement, Danger-Close Fighting, Bilateral Shooting, 360 degree After Action Assessment Methods, and Integrating the Flashlight and Other Tools into the Firing Platform. This is the life-saving material that is often ignored in many other programs. In two days, you will receive more information than most armed professionals ever get! We must point out that THIS COURSE IS NOT FOR THE NOVICE SHOOTER. If you have not received basic instruction, or have a question about your skill level, please call us first.   DURATION: 2 days   TIME: 9:00AM to 5:00PM   AMMUNITION: Approximately 500 rounds (Minimum)   YOU NEED TO BRING: Spare clothing appropriate to the weather. Lunch, snacks and water (minimum of 1 gallon per person) for the entire day. Baseball or other style hat, sun screen, bug repellent, allergy medication (if needed), chair (if you have a problem with sitting on the ground, note taking paper/pen/pencil and a boo boo kit (band aids, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment and tape).   REQUIREMENTS: Modern defensive pistol and a holster specifically made for that pistol and designed to be worn on the belt. Three (3) magazines and magazine pouch, a belt of the same width as the belt loops for the holster and magazine pouches, and range safety gear (eye protection, and ear protection).   NOTES: Range is private range 35 minutes SW of Chattanooga. Range is located where Tn, GA and AL come together on the map. Range is on CENTRAL TIME. For more info and to register http://www.suarezinternationalstore....x#.UyimpvldUas Range information, directions, local hotels, and contact information will be Emailed after purchase, contact the office if you haven't received information for your class.

The shotgun is one of the most misunderstood and misused weapons out there. Lets look at  a few issues.....   1. Hitting moving things. The shotgun , due to its expanding pattern of shot, is easier to hit with than a single projectile. As such they are typically easier to score hits with against a moving opponent than a rifle or pistol.    2. Low Light engagements. Again due to the spreading pattern it is easier to hit with in low light.   3. Making people stop what they are doing. The typical service handgun round will deliver around 400 ft lbs of energy whether it is 9mm, 40sw, or 45acp. The 12ga 00 load will run more like 1500 ft lbs AND punch MULTIPLE holes in the target with each press of the trigger. People just do not tend to keep fighting much after taking torso hits with buckshot. Now yes I know, we can dig long enough and find a failure to stop with a shotgun...but they are FAR fewer and farther between than failures to stop with a pistol.    These are things that would recommend the shotgun. Now lets look at some things that do not....   1. Heavier recoil. That energy you are delivering to the target comes at the price of more recoil being directed to your shoulder. Many people just do not like shooting shotguns and even fear the recoil.While proper technique will mitigate the recoil to some degree it will still always kick more than a .223. A gas operated semi auto (as opposed to inertia operated semi auto )  will kick less than a pump but it still kicks harder than a semi auto .223 , 7.62x39 or .308.    2. Manual of arms is different than anything else. Unless you are an avid shotgun sport shooter the odds are you have never spent a lot of time loading , unloading, handling and clearing stoppages in a shotgun. They do NOT work anything like your AR or AK or pistol. They load differently , unload differently and the typical malfunctions in a shotgun are not the same as with a semi auto rifle or pistol.    3. Longer than a rifle or pistol. A readily available to civilians 18" barrel pump (or semi auto) shotgun is as long as an M16A2 or M16A4. And nobody likes using a full length M16A2 or M16A4 for CQB unless it is all they have.  Your collapsible stock M4 with 16" barrel will be shorter and easier to handle in close quarters than an 18" shotgun. In fact a 16" rifle is as short as a 14" shotgun (which would require NFA registration). So if your mission is to search or clear a structure then a shotgun has some liabilities that shorter guns do not.    Use of slugs.....   What are you actually using them for? To extend the range past where buckshot is effective? How far are you REALLY going to need to shoot in your house? The OP was talking about for home defense, not for patrol work. So if you are going to use it IN THE HOUSE then why are we even considering slugs. Now if you live in Alaska and big bears are a real concern then slug loaded shotguns make more sense due to the energy and penetration they deliver....but people are not bears and at the distances that most people would actually be shooting inside a house a buckshot load will only be about the size of a 5-6" plate and still be delivering more than enough power down range to get people's attention.   Use of birdshot....   At 3 yards or less birdshot will PROBABLY be fine ....maybe....The issue is penetration. Birdshot will leave a really nasty but largely superficial wound anywhere past 5 yards especailly if the target is wearing heavy clothing or leather. Not everyone stops from pain. Some people due to drugs, alcohol , or just being tough people do not stop immediately when they experience pain. In those cases we want something that will RELIABLY (over a wide range of circumstances) penetrate deeply enough to perforate vital organs. Birdshot does not do that past 5 yards. The pellets just do not have the mass to penetrate deeply enough to reliably do that. At less than 3 yards where it has not yet begun to spread and is still essentially a "single projectile" it is MORE likely to penetrate deeply enough, but currently there is no birdshot load that meets the FBI or IWBA test protocols for penetration.       Where shotguns rule....   Shotguns are probably at their best in civilian context as a "defending the stronghold" type weapon. If you can "bunker up " in a safe room or bedroom or bathroom or whatever and force them to come to you through a channeled area (like a doorway or hallway ) and you ideally being behind hard cover, then the shotgun loaded with buckshot is THE weapon to have.    If anyone is interested I will conducting our 1 day Defensive Shotgun class in Knoxville April 26. Info can be found here.....http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/140426-defensive-shotgun-knoxville-tn.aspx#.UyhUvPldUat   and on Sunday we'll be doing Defensive Pistol Marksmanship http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/140427-defensive-pistol-marksmanship-knoxville-tn.aspx#.UyhVAvldUat   TGO thread about the classes is here.....http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/75954-knoxville-shotgun-pistol-april-26-27/

OK, so it is on, you just can't sign up yet? Like I said, I could not find an entry form link anywhere....

Anyone know for sure if the "Summer Sizzler" match is happening this year in Manchester?   I saw on their site that it has a date (July 26?) but cannot find a registration form anywhere and I heard this weekend (rumor) that they might have cancelled it....Anyone know for sure? Thanks!

It was good to see you again Spiffy.   On a side note regarding the Cleveland IDPA.....Looks like they threw out stage 2 since A LOT of people apparently screwed up that stage and the scoring (and application of appropriate penalties) was not consistent between squads.

I just got some cool new steel targets and some realistic "tac man" targets I'm looking forward to using in this class!!! 

Just a quick reminder that this one is coming up in just a little over a month!   This pair of single day classes is an excellent way for the new shooter to get started right or the more advanced shooter to polish their skills.    The one day class format makes them easy to attend for busy folks who may not be able to devote 2 days to a class. For those that do have the time for both days you can sign up for both and save $50 over the single day prices($350 for 2 days instead of $400).   So if you are looking to learn the shotgun and pistol from an experienced instructor (15 years in the training industry) and accomplished shooter (IDPA Master Class ) in the Knoxville area then get signed up! I look forward to seeing some TGO members there!

This one is coming up in 3 weeks! And at the discounted rate of $350 (save $50 off the normal $400 price) you'll kick yourself if you miss it. Looking forward to seeing some TGO members there!

Those classes are a week long hence the added expense. They end up being about $300 a day . But considering the classes I'm offering in 2014 are priced at  $350 for 2 days that is still kind of high...plus the ammo expense and it starts getting really spendy.   Most "normal" folks have a hard enough time freeing up a weekend to do a 2 day class much less a 5 day class. That would mean taking a week of vacation for most folks. How many wives would be all excited about spending vacation that way? 

Armor on a daily basis becomes a real inconvenience in everyday normal life. Most people whine about carrying a full size pistol...much less wearing a vest.    I used to work a job where we made VERY large bank deposits and some of my colleagues had been robbed at gunpoint, so I was both armed and armored when I did it...but as soon as the bank run was over the vest came off. No matter who it is made by or what kind of vest it is, it is stiff and hot and not comfy to sit around in.  Unless I were in a very HIGH risk job or in a very HIGH risk part of the world (Bagdad, Kabul, Cartegena, San Pedro Sula, ....Damascus...or maybe New Orleans the week after Katrina) I would not be making armor a regular wardrobe accessory. I still own it...but I certainly don't wear it to go to the mall or a movie, Walmart or the Post Office. Nowadays I mostly just wear it when teaching team tactics classes.    Keep in mind..... IF YOU SHOOT SOMEONE you may well have to answer in court why you felt that you really needed to be somewhere that things were so dangerous that a reasonable person would feel they needed to wear armor.....for that matter imagine what they'd have said if Zimmerman had been wearing a vest..........   Now if you want to make armor a part of your home defense plan then that is probably going to be looked at as a little more reasonable....your home is your castle after all.... But as a daily wear item....I try to stay out of places that are so dangerous that I reasonably would need armor.

This one is getting closer....