Month: December 2008

Pirate Politics

Posted by Mostly Genius – December 15, 2008

Pirate problem needs ’strategy’

“So we’ve got to look very carefully at what we can do to tackle the problem in the way the problem is manifested, and also what lies behind the problem.”

There is no doubt that there are some big problems in Somalia, but before we figure out just what sort of aid programs the international community is going to set up can’t we just start by sinking pirates?

Talks On Armed Security Teams To Deter Pirates

However, most countries do not allow the arming of merchant vessels which sail under their flags and insurance companies are opposed.

There are several ways around this, but the easiest is to pass a law allowing the arming of merchant ships. I am sure that either a new insurance company will spring up, or the old ones will change their policy (the first company to do so will probably get a lot of business.) Alternately, if the world is unwilling to deploy naval resources to protect this shipping lane any number of private companies would be happy to do so.

I do not see how handing hundreds of millions in ransom is any sort of a solution. How long before the ransom money begins being dispersed to fund other terrorist activities?

Concealed Handguns are going to lead to grizzly bear poaching?

Posted by Mostly Genius – December 15, 2008

Guns, U.S. Parks: A Deadly Mix

Crime rates in the national parks are down significantly. Yet the international trade in animal organs may be pushing poaching to new heights. The National Parks Conservation Association reports poaching is partly responsible for the decline of at least 29 species of wildlife in national parks. Nineteen species — including grizzly bear, lynx and the desert tortoise — are in danger of being eradicated.

I think that people attempting to poach grizzly bears with handguns are going to be a self-correcting problem. I should ceased to be amazed by journalists who have opinions but no facts on which to base them.

Stupid Gun Inventions: Rubber Grip Sleeves

Posted by Mostly Genius – December 15, 2008

Assuming a person has something approaching normal size hands I cannot figure out why anyone would want to make their pistol “fatter.” After a certain point the wider the grip, the harder it is to hold onto. Since the grip sleeve isn’t actually affixed to the pistol (except by its own tension) they are susceptible to turning and shifting, especially in hot climates. Moisture has a tendency to get beneath the sleeve and the actual grip panels. On metal framed guns this can promote rust, and any grit that gets between the sleeve and the frame can grind through the finish. Rubber grips also tend to stick to clothing more than wood or plastic. 

If you really need a “fatter” a grip then replace the grip panels, but for most people this isn’t really necessary. I replaced the grip panels on one of my 1911s in favor of panels that were even slimmer than stock. If a single stack pistol is too slim for your hands then why not get a double stack gun?

The Totality of the Situation

Posted by Mostly Genius – December 11, 2008

Chinatown AlleywayI use this phrase so frequently that I am sure my students are sick of hearing it. I repeat it so often because it is so important. Most self-defense training consists of drills or techniques and it easy to forget because of the constant repetition that there is not necessarily a stimulus-response relationship between a technique and a situation.

A simple wrist grab has all manner of escapes, counters and other responses. Some martial arts seem to have a fetish for this attack, and all sorts of joint manipulations are built around it. Many students are surprised when I teach responses to wrist grabs that include strikes, knives, and gunfire.

Knives and shooting are not my default response to a wrist grab, but they are certainly within my range of responses.

Correctly they will point out that a wrist grab is not in and of itself a lethal threat. This is absolutely true, but in the totality of the situation it might be an element of a lethal threat. If the attempt to pull you into the van full of ski-masked assailants begins with a wrist grab there is certainly justification. The wrist-grab is not the lethal threat: getting pulled into the van is.

We need to remember that without a context we are just practicing a drill, trying to learn the technical aspects of a technique and not demonstrating a use-case. We are answering the “how” question and not the “when” or “why” questions. Knives and shooting are not my default response to a wrist grab, but they are certainly within my range of responses.

This can go the other way too. Some people think that the Teuller drill means that we need to shoot people with knives (or other contact distance weapons) that are within some fixed distance. A threat with a knife that responds to a verbal command of “Stop” might not need to be shot. I would certainly be creating distance and getting a weapon in hand, but if the verbal commands are working I don’t have a reason to shoot (yet), I just have an excuse.

The complete scenario (or as much as we can understand of it) dictates what the appropriate response should be. There are a number of models for making these sorts of decisions, and none of the good ones look like a list of “Attacker does x, I respond with y.”