OpsGear.com Customer Service: Cock Punchers

I've explained since Day One that IIIGear is not a business, I don't run it like a business, any small profit margin is used to further the goals of the III - it is primarily a means of building morale and cohesion.  As a result, we fill orders when we have time, and if something gets messed up, we make it right.  Once we set it up in Idaho full-time, we "will" be running it like a business, so we can dump more money into the 527 and take the III to the next level.

The above paragraph is simply to let you know I am not living in a glass house while throwing stones.

I have ordered a few things from OpsGear.com, and never really had a problem.  Then, I wrote them for an assortment of Blue Guns for our first class in Illinois.  I was given a price, I gave them my credit card, and I was assured I'd have my trainers on X date, in time to travel with the gear to the training site.  The "Customer Service" guy at OpsGear.com assured me he'd get them to our Maryland shop in time - no need to ship them directly to Illinois, which was a fall-back plan and would have ensured we had our trainers for class.

Then - silence.  X day comes to a close, and no delivery.  I emailed SEVERAL times.  No response.  Then I emailed EVERY OpsGear.com email address I could find, and FINALLY got an excuse that the "Customer Service" guy messed up the quote, so never shipped.  Most of you know me - I got hot.  But in business, I usually have a level head.  When they finally emailed, they claimed that they called me several times because there was a problem.  My reply - Why didn't you email me?  EVERY communication we had previously had was email - why no email?  I got no answer.

So, I cooled down, and decided to give them a chance to fix it, to ship me a modified list of trainers to SoCal for class 2.  I sent "Customer Service" (His name is John) my modified list and asked for a price and availability to ship to my MD shop in time for the SoCal class, or directly to SoCal in time for my second class.  I sent my email near Close-of-Business on Friday, and "Customer Service" wrote me back immediately, advised that the warehouse was closed, he'd have to let me know Monday.  Fair enough.  H and I were driving from Illinois to MD then to SoCal and class was more than a week away.

Monday - no email from "Customer Service".  Over the following several days I sent several more emails, asking for updates - and was ignored.  Most of you who know me already know I usually don't turn the cheek even once - but in this case I turned it more than once, and was treated with some of the worst "Customer Service" I've run into in the Liberty Movement.  Finally I got an email from someone other than "John" - I assume he's John's boss, with excuses.

So on Friday in California, one day before class, on July 5th (when most shops close for the long weekend) I am again left with a handful of sh*t from one of the more prominent online tactical gear sellers.

To be fair, maybe they knew who I was and simply didn't have the balls to say "F You, Kerodin, we aren't selling to you, radical, extremist whacko!"  They do seem to cultivate LEO and .Gov accounts.  But I don't know.  All I know is I was left holding my sack - again - with horrible "Customer Service" from OPSGEAR.COM.

I will never order from them again. 

In my next post I will tell you which tactical gear shop helped me out, and why I think you should spend your money there, instead.

OpsGear.com:  I decided to go easy on you in this post - and my readers know I went easy.  I can be an ass.  You write one f'n word about this that is inaccurate, you have your lawyers send me a single threatening f'n email or letter, and I will post EVERY email between me and your people for a permanent monument on a domain that I buy just for you, and it will live forever online.

Kerodin
III

CQB Students: Former, current and future

 

Holly and I have talked considerably given the few classes we have taught, particularly of the requests so many students who ask variations of "...well, what do I do when we get to the ground?"

Because you will go to the ground 99% of the time.  Period.

In my Fight to your Weapon course, the title says it all. I teach you to survive unexpected contact when you are out of position for an attack, enough time to deploy your weapon and/or finish the fight with hands, blades, pistol, rifle, or Chevrolet.  The premise of the class is:  Get off the line of attack long enough to deploy your weapon of break/kill your enemy so you can escape.

But in only 8 hours, I can barely fit in the escapes and counters needed to Fight to your Weapon.  What if you and the bad guy tumble/tumble in a heap on the ground.  My advise thus far has been consistent: That requires serious study in grappling: Judo, ju-jutsu, etc. In the absence of proper training hit the S.O.B. with a rock, step on his head, show him his guts and make him taste his own testicles.

However, Holly insists that I should consider offering a 4-hour or 6-hour supplemental class on a second day to Fight to your Weapon class, and allow people an insight and fundamental skillset to the real world of Groundfighting.

I have been giving it serious thought - and I have roughed out a curriculum for such a class.  If I am already with your Team, adding an additional day to focus on Groundfighting is easy to accomplish and inexpensive.

Now the question: Former and prospective students: Do you see a value in a second class that focuses on Groundfighting?  We can re-enforce some Day One skills, and introduce some fundamentals on Day Two at a faster pace.  Full-speed sparring will be necessary for a Groundfighting class, so you guys who like to test one another, this is the proper venue.  As usual, this will be suitable for all-comers - men, women, age is irrelevant, health is irrelevant, et cetera.

If I have already been to your AO, we'll work something out on cost.

If I add this training component, cost for the weekend will go up only nominally.

Let me know.

I'll tell you all the truth - I was heartbroken when I pulled off the Western Slope of Colorado, knowing that you Patriots had no place to continue developing skills that I think are essential.

Note: The guy in the video with the mustache is, in my humble opinion, the finest fighting teacher ever to walk this Earth.  If he ever feels the need to put his hands on you - beg forgiveness and mercy, because nothing else will stop him if he chooses to break you.

Kerodin
III

August 3

I will be in Alabama teaching CQB.

CA and other Georgians will be in their AO doing Force on Force.

What will YOU be doing to improve your odds?

Kerodin
III

Our newest little Patriot lass...

A Patriot family is expecting a brand new little girl today or in the very, very near future.

I'm not sure how much they may have said online, so I will simply ask that you all send prayers and good thoughts toward Southern California for one of our own families.

Best of luck, and congratulations!

Kerodin
III

Texas CQB: Dallas/Austin Area August 24

Folks, we have 3 solid Patriots in the Austin area signed up for August 24th for our CQB course.  They are willing to travel to Dallas if needed, so if any of you would like to go through the III CQB course in Texas, let me know if you can make it on the 24th.

Holly and I will be in Dallas on business, so we can host the class there, or ideally, host the class in nearby Austin.  But we'll play the actual location by ear - what we need is just a few more Dallas/Austin AO Patriots for the class.  Zip me an email if this works for you.

Alabama: We are a definite Go for August 3rd just northwest of Birmingham - so anyone who would like to join in, let me know and I'll put you in touch with the local Point Man.

Florida: Ft. Lauderdale is a definite Go on August 17th.  If you want to join in - let me know.

September at the Citadel Beachhead is becoming a "Thing" and we are looking forward to it.  There will be a CQB class, and all are welcome to bring a tent and camp under the September Idaho skies with us for a few days as we start putting plans in motion.  If you intend to do the CQB class, let me know or just hit the PayPal at right.  **SPECIAL NOTE - PAY FLIPPIN' ATTENTION**:  If you intend to come to the Idaho gig armed, and there is no reason you should not, there is one rule that you MAY NOT VIOLATE - You MUST maintain physical, actual, bodily control of your weapon(s) at all times.  If you are packing a sidearm, holster it to your body or lock it in your vehicle.  (You MAY NOT carry a firearm during CQB class).  If you are carrying a long arm, sling it and KEEP IT THERE, or lock it in your truck.  I can not permit anyone to fall into a "constructive possession" beef as I walk the property.  Leaning your rifle against a tree and walking away is a No-Go.  One more thing - there may well be media attention showing up on site.  They may shoot pics or video while hiding in the trees and you may end up on HuffPo (or the St. Maries Gazette - they don't like us, right Mr. Hammes) for being a dangerous extremist cavorting with the Dread Pirate Kerodin.  Just so you know...

October: North Carolina at Brock's PatCon.  You need to be there.  ;)  I will be teaching, as will others.  Brock's gig is wall-to-wall Patriots, good food, and more.  Liberty remains alive so long as WE refuse to let it die.

Kerodin
III

We gave Them our Consent...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ~ Declaration of Independence

Please read the words, do not just skim because you have already read them before.

I underlined and bolded the section most pertinent to this column today.

We have given our consent.

Swallow that pill - it is bitter and it sucks.  But if you are lying to yourself, now is the time to stop.

We gave our consent, and we continue to give our consent, to some extent, every single day.

I think that Restoration - whether to the Constitution as written and intended, or to a place of Liberty that existed between the Constitution and Declaration - can only happen once you and I and every Patriot accepts full, absolute and unequivocal responsibility for our current state of affairs.  The fault lies at our feet.  And once we accept that Hard Truth, we can listen to Mr. Jefferson and the words he wrote above, and morally do the Hard Things that will be required to accomplish Restoration.

Before you begin to argue about responsibility: Yes, Bad People have been gaming the system for many generations before you and I were born.  Yes, you and I have worked hard and provided for ourselves and never taken Government money that we did not earn (Vets - you EARNED your pay and benefits).  Yes, our fathers, grandfathers, and even theirs, could and should have strangled this tyranny in the cradle.

But they didn't do it.

Now it is you, me and our posterity who face eternal tyranny unless we kill it.

How do I dare charge you - and myself - with responsibility for cleaning up this mess and routing the Tyrants from our midst - by any f'n means necessary?

Holly and I spent this past weekend with Mr. & Mrs. X, as I have said elsewhere.  Also, as I have said elsewhere, over dinner conversation Mr. X reminded me of Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for Evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.

 If you are a Good Man or Woman, it is time to stand up and Kill the Evil in our midst.

You have a moral obligation to do something.

Not every one of my readers will agree that a moral obligation exists -  we'll agree to disagree.  I do not think a single one of my readers would stand idly by and watch a woman be raped.  In my Moral Code, I can extrapolate a physical rape in front of my eyes to the same Evil that has captured so many People in our midst - they all have to go, folks.

How they go, by choice or by force or by facing their fellow Countrymen for Crimes against Humanity and Treason, is currently their choice.  Soon, their options will be limited.

Can I make a convincing argument that current politicians, their voters, their supporters and their enforcers are committing Crimes against Humanity and Treason?  Yes.  I have handled the Treason part ad nauseum on this blog and my Kerodin.com columns, and my first book.  Crimes against Humanity is an easy reach from there.

Evil can never be completely eradicated from the Human animal.  But I will refer you to Colonel Cooper on this one:  The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles.”

Rifles alone are NOT THE ANSWER.  Make no mistake.  Our Founders did not rely upon only the Rifleman, the Militiaman, the Minuteman.  Every Colony set up a political structure and voted-in their Leaders, openly in challenge to the system the King demanded.  Pamphleteers never quite fighting.  It was NOT all about picking up a rifle then, and that can't be the answer today.

A polygonal battle space requires a polygonal solution.

Folks, better, more moral, more righteous, and more able men have walked this planet than me.  They secured Liberty for a brief moment in the Human experience, and many better men than I have devoted their lives to Restoring that Liberty.  Many have died in this pursuit.

It is my time to try - and by God I will give it all I've got.

It is time to stand up and be counted - for you and for me.

It is time to face Evil, and if it refuses to yield, it is time to make it submit, or kill it.

What say you, Patriots?

Kerodin
III

Because it is time

I never planned to teach fighting skills.  In all my years of training, I never intended to open a dojo or do what I am doing today.  I am here because it is time, there is a need, I have the skills, and I have a stake in the outcome.

To run a modern, financially successful "Dojo" or martial arts studio, you have to specialize in training guys who want to go MMA (and you'd better get a young guy in the cage quickly, with a win), or you have to run a "Belt Factory" that teaches just enough every month to ensure the "Student" pays next months fee, or, even worse, you must resign yourself to essentially running an after-school daycare.  "Daycare Dojos" usually send vans to schools, pick up the little darlin's and *ahem* "Teach" them martial arts until mom or dad pick them up after work.

I'm not built for any of those scenarios, especially the latter.  Dojos have very high turnover rates in most cases.  The "average" student thinks that learning a "Martial Art" will be like going to the gym - FAIL.  The moment they realize that real work is involved, they bail on average within 120 days of their first class.

Until I met Holly, my entire adult life was my training.  I started because I was lippy and small - the two do not mix unless you enjoy taking beatings.  Since shutting my mouth seemed genetically impossible, I had to learn to fight.  I was gifted to live in the DC Metro area where there are (were) several world-class Warriors who teach.  They do not teach "Martial Arts" as much as they teach how to break people.  But after a very short time, the philosophical aspects of several arts captured my mind and heart, and soon I was not training to break people - that became simply a byproduct.  I embraced the traditional codes and morals - and those codes and morals are anti-thetical to running a modern dojo.

In the old days in Japan, many Sensei did not accept monthly fees for training.  If they agreed to teach you at all, the student would usually be required to pay per technique.  Forget different colored belts.  When the Sensei was content you were technically proficient in his art, he would simply hand you a scroll that entitled you to teach.

So, why am I teaching now? 

Look again at the image I selected to header this post.  John Hancock deliberately wrote his name for the symbolism of telling the King that he, Mister Hancock, was done tolerating his authority.

There are good, decent, solid Americans who feel today as did Mister Hancock when he signed that paper.  Scroll several posts down - there is going to be a fight, because today's King(s) and Queen(s) refuse to permit any other outcome.  They are sending forth their swarms to enforce their unconstitutional laws that offend Man and Creator, and the time draws very near when men and women will have two choices: Stand tall and defend the Liberty beneath your feet, or bend knee and lick the hand that feeds you.

I teach today for those who refuse to bend knee.

It is that simple.

There is going to be a fight.  Get over it.  Get ready for it.

One small contribution I can make: I can teach you skills that make your chances of survival slightly improved.  But be warned, if you ever need the skills I teach, you have ALREADY FAILED on several levels.  I have told this to every class I teach.  If you need the CQB skills I teach, you have already failed what was taught to you by your DI in the service, you have failed to learn the lessons of Colonel Cooper.  You have failed to use the skills taught to you by Mosby and Max Velocity and AmMerc and so many other good trainers in the country.  You have failed first in situational awareness.  You have failed to keep that rifle ready to be deployed.  You have failed to get that sidearm into action.  OK - maybe you haven't failed - there are two scenarios where you may need the skills I teach that may not be your fault.  1) The enemy over runs your position and you are suddenly buckle-to-buckle.  2) The enemy has managed to mix into your formation, in a manner that firing at the enemy is dangerous to your fellow troopers.

But usually, if you need to break a man with your hands, it's because you failed to keep that man out of your personal space.

The sad part - Good people are usually the ones who hesitate the longest in a life-or-death, sudden confrontation.  It is not normal for the Good person to walk around looking for danger 24/7.

I teach today because America and Liberty need her modern John Hancocks, Thomas Jeffersons, John Parkers, to stand up and tell the King(s) and Queen(s) to back up.  And if they fail to back up when you tell them with your mouth - then you need to tell them in a language they will understand.

Liberty was won in this country by violence.

It will not continue to survive without defending that Liberty with violence.

Not violence alone - not even our Founders depended solely upon the Kentucky Riflemen in the field.  Nor may we.  But make no mistake - there is going to be a fight.

Keep them at political distances when possible.  Keep the Enemies of Liberty at shouting range, when possible.  Rifle and pistol ranges are regrettable, but our Enemies will decide if that becomes necessary.

And when all else fails, get some skills to pull the life out of your enemies with your bare hands.

It is ugly and hard work - physically and psychically.  But you have the Right to defend your life and Liberty.

That is why I train Patriots.  I hope you never need the skills I teach.

But if you do - win.

Kerodin
III

Breaking Bread

It has been our experience, in the case of every CQB class to date, that breaking bread with the Patriots in class is rewarding for all involved and takes the experience to another level entirely.

So for every CQB class we host, please know that Holly and I are available to join one, some, or all of the participants in the class for dinner at your local favorite spot the evening of class.  We've found there isn't much time for talk of Patriot issues during class, but sharing a meal and getting to know one another a bit better is an excellent end cap to the experience.  (Of course we all pick up our own checks - not looking for a free meal)

If this fits your plans and/or personalities, great.

If not, that's ok too.  ;)

Kerodin
III

Colorado AAR

What do you think of when you think "Colorado"?

Mountains, right?  Well, did you know there is a part of Colorado, a large chunk, I might add, that I have forever dubbed "Flat Arse" Colorado?!  Yes.  Yes I have.  It'll be on a map one day, somewhere.  My little family retro milk truck does not like crossing the Rockies on I-70 through Denver.  Since we were in a convenient place to give it a whirl, we decided to use Route 50 to the south of Denver to avoid the mountains that once tried to murder my poor little truck.  Turns out, the Route 50 path was much easier on my vehicle than the Denver route, and we dumped out at Pueblo.

That entire chunk of Colorado from Pueblo to the Kansas state line, I forever dub thee "Flat Arse" Colorado.  I know many of you already knew this, and you don't come to this blog for travel reports, so I'll move along now. 

Our III CQB host this past weekend is a Founder and outstanding Patriot.  He and his wife were wonderful hosts, and we left more than mere allies.  I won't use his name, because I don't think he comments online much.  We'll go with Mr. & Mrs. X - they live on the Western Slope of the Rockies, well removed from the silliness of major cities (and even large towns).  Mr. X has brought more than one trainer from our online community to his home, and invited his Tribe and friends to participate in the learning experiences that otherwise simply can't be found locally.  He even went to the trouble and expense to rent a large canopy tent for the 2 days of training to keep the unusually warm Colorado sun off us all as we trained.

The people Mr. X invited to train are all wonderful, and to give you an idea of how devoted to the cause of "Tribe" is Mr. X - I'd say a majority of the people in attendance have little or no knowledge of the III, though all are patriotic and see the storm clouds.  The group was a mix of youngsters up to 50-somethings, everyone committed 100% to learning, some were white collar and some blue, all were exceedingly kind, smart, and by the end of each day, were in a much better physical and mental place to handle a sudden and uninvited contact. 

We have been convinced that a DVD or some sort of online streaming content of the course for students is a "must-do" item, so they can continue to train, refine skills, build muscle memory.  H and I are working out the details.  This has been a consistent request from each class.  (Holly is adamant that she gets to throw Miller in at least 1 portion of the video - that should be great fun for all.  ;)   

At the close of every class I urge all students to find a Krav studio and commit 6 months - but in this part of Colorado, they simply don't even have a "belt-factory" shopping mall studio - there are - literally - no working martial studios within 2 hours drive.  Upside: One gal in our second day of training has 11 years Aikido, and if they treat her nicely, they can learn a LOT from her.

To our hosts (Mrs. X is as gracious and wonderful as anyone can imagine):  Thank you for taking the time, effort and trouble to not only invite us to train (and for offering your home to us) and for all that you are doing to build your Tribe and promote the patriotic message to your local friends, family and co-workers.

General note: Folks, Holly and I have not yet had a class in which we have did not leave with friends and allies added to our ranks.  I feel as if we are helping to "stitch together" small knots of serious Patriots with every location we visit.  That is ONLY possible because of that small number of people like Mr. X, BonnieGadsden, Mullenax, Daniel, and others who are taking the time and investing your energy into building Local, Local, Local, and helping to "weave" all of our "Locals" into what this country once was - joined by common bonds and ideals.

We have work to do.  Liberty will not die if you and I do not permit it.

Sandman & Team - here we come!

Kerodin
III

They may kill you...

...but there are many things worse than Death.

This post accompanies the post below.

Kerodin
III

Remember the Premise...

Rightful Liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal Rights of others...

When your Rights are infringed, tolerate it to the extent you choose.

When your neighbors Rights are infringed, come to his aid to the extent you choose.

My host this weekend is a Founder, and reminded me of Edmund Burke: All that is needed for Evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing...

Now is the time for Good Men and Women to stand tall and tolerate no more infringements.

You WILL be abused ONLY to the extent to which you consent and permit.

It is that simple.

Kerodin
III

Citadel

On September 7th we will host a III CQB class and a III Congress event at the Citadel site in Idaho.

We will be setting the cornerstone of the III Arms and III Citadel Showcase.

At the moment our location is a pad site on 20 acres, with a beautiful view.  By the event on the 6th, 7th and 8th of September, I have no idea how much progress will have been made on the site.  But if you are in the American Redoubt or driving distance to St. Maries, bring your tent or trailer and join us for a weekend of Patriotism and a celebration of Liberty.

More later.

Kerodin
III

Brock's Fall PatCon & CQB Class

For those of you who have been to one of Brock's PatCons, you already know the deal.

For those of you who have read about his PatCons, you can trust what you have read.

If you live east of the Mississippi, you owe it to yourself to mark the calendar and find a way to make it to North Carolina.  Brock's PatCon is becoming "the" Patriot event of the year for serious, hardcore Patriots - and he has been doing two each year!  If you live west of the Mississippi - it is worth the effort.

Several trainers will be offering courses over the several days of the PatCon.  I'm proud to be among them, and will be offering my CQB course (full version - 8 hours, rain or shine) to anyone who wants to sign up.  For many of you who have expressed an interest in attending, but I haven't hosted a class in or near your AO yet, this is a great opportunity.  The fee is the standard $210 per person, and I will donate 50% to Brock so he can add it to the PatCon fund.  I usually limit my classes to 20 participants (which works out to 10 pairs) but I will have HK with me this trip in teaching mode, so we can ignore the upper class limit. 

Drop in at Brock's place and look at the other trainers who will be there.  Look at the names of the people who have already planned to attend.  Even if you don't sign up for any of the classes, the networking is invaluable.  Being able to shake hands and look into the eyes of the Patriots in attendance is priceless, and it will leave you feeling more confident about the future of Liberty.

Here's the link to Brock's place.

Kerodin
III

Thought of the day: "Journalists"

Here is something for you to consider as you ponder your targeting matrix.

The "ideal" of "Journalism" is objectivity.  Who, what, where, when, why and how.

The reality of journalism, dating all the way back to our Founding and beyond, is issue advocacy under the guise of objectivity.  Once the First Amendment came into play, there was Constitutional protection for this issue advocacy.

First point: Let's remember that the First Amendment is a Right "The Government" may not infringe.  For all of you "journalists" who have written deliberately mean-spirited pieces on me over the years, the First Amendment doesn't protect your nose from my fist.  I have no problem doing 30-90 days for squishing your nose.

My personal consideration, always, is "intent".  Was the writer of the piece writing in good faith, or not.  If he or she was truly trying to be objective, I've got no beef, even if you get a few facts wrong.  But if you are a Lefty slug using "Freedom of the Press" as a tool to attack your enemies, you are a Leftist slug, first and foremost - and Leftist slugs need to leave.

Obviously, Matt Drudge is a Good Guy.  I won't bother listing "Bad Guys" - I don't have that much space, even in the digital age.

Before you yell at me for being hypocritical, let me make clear: I am NOT the ideal of a journalist.  I am NOT TRYING to be a real "Journalist".  Everything I write is advocacy of my beliefs, which happen to be Constitutional, etc.  I'm not hiding under the moniker of "Journalist" when I write a story and send it to the printer and print 30,000 copies on broadsheet and send it to homes in a particular town/city (as I used to do every 2 weeks, and will do again soon).  I'm a hardcore believer in our Founder's Intent and I write as such.  (My thanks to The Trainer for adding "Founder's Intent" to my vocabulary long ago.)

Remember when Thomas Jefferson said the most honest part of any newspaper was the advertisements - he meant it, and it remains true today.  He (and Madison) started (secretly) the National Gazette as a means of attacking his political enemies using his Editor as a cut-out.  Just an FYI - the III have our own newspaper, in print, and with a nod to Jefferson and Madison, we title it the "III National Gazette". 

Do you consider Lefty "Journalists" who are obviously advocating for tyranny under the cover of 1A to be Enemy Combatants?  Do they get a free pass when you start moving through your AO turning in Constitutional Oath Breakers to the Tribunals?  Do you weigh each "Journalist" individually? 

The King would have hung the Pamphleteers in a hot second, if he could have gotten them.

Does your personal definition of "Constitutional Behavior" extend to the "Journalist" who uses his position and megaphone to blatantly advocate for unconstitutional acts and policies?

This is rhetorical, it doesn't need to be discussed.  This is one of those conversations you need to have with the voices in your own head (you have them too, right?), and with your most trusted Tribe.

Though - I have stated my position already: If you advocate the undermining of the Constitutional values of the republic, if you advocate the violation of Constitutional parameters articulated in the Constitution and BoR, "Freedom of the Press" will not save you.  You should pack a bag and move to another country now, because you should hang right next to the politician who voted to violate those principles, and next to him should be the idiot who voted for the politician who would knowingly and willfully act to violate the Constitution.  All three of you are on the same team of anti-Constitutionalists.

Actions have consequences, and there are times when words equal action.

Kerodin
III

Be this guy...

America once again needs a populace of Minute Men, Patriots who own their own gear, take time to practice the horrible skills of combat on their own time and dime, and stand ready to walk out the door and into a ruckus "...on a minute's notice..."

My advice: Have a Go Bag and weapons selection ready to go at all times, to keep you in the fight without returning to your home, for at least 72 hours.

Obviously, the gear bag a man needs in an Idaho winter from his mountain cabin is different from the kit needed by the suburbanite Patriot outside of Chicago.  But the premise is simple and consistent: Be ready to walk out your door with enough weapons, ammo, water, protein bars, fire-starters, first aid, et cetera, to get you through 72 hours of Hell - WITHOUT having to go back home, thus giving away your base of operations (translation: Your family).

But without a corps of men, we call them III Patriots, who are ready to protect and defend their neighbors, their families, and Liberty in their AO, Evil wins without a struggle.

Be that guy who is ready to go when tyranny makes it time to go.

That is a lot of responsibility.  There is no "I'm a Patriot so buy my AR fund" out there.  We do have Patriots like Wisco Dave who is cutting plate sets and offering them at cost to some, and free to militia.  Take advantage of that long-distance support of other Patriots.  Go to the woods and play hide and seek with your kids.  Go to the range and practice shooting from unusual positions. (I promise you, and prolonged fight WILL have you firing from a position, usually horizontal, that they do NOT teach in Basic).  Take time to go to a fight studio - Krav, Krav, Krav.  Getting sick of me saying it?  I don't make a dime from Krav instructors, I'm trying to help you save your own life.

Ultimately, it is YOUR responsibility.

Kerodin
III

Kerodin
III

III CQB

It was with mixed emotion that I never expected that Holly and I hit the I-15 out of Los Angeles. 

I was last there nearly 20 years ago, and learned a LOT of my martial skills from some of the best in the world in that city.  I lived in Venice Beach, a great place for a single man and his Akita.  The only reason I ever went to L.A. is because I was accepted to a very elite dojo, and while the city is much like DC in that it has something for everyone, I never fell in love with the city, only the martial arts I was learning, and the fun of Venice.

This trip, we met great Patriots and my wife and I were able to spend some time with her sister and family, who lived just 8 blocks from our training location.  It was wonderful to see our niece and nephews after 3 years of missing them (I was not often able to travel with Holly), of watching the sunset from Huntington Beach, and the wonderfully consistent L.A. weather.  My 11-year-old nephew tests for his first black belt in a week or so, and can hip-throw grown men with proficiency that makes me proud.

But in our drive east, back across the deserts and into the mountains of Nevada and Utah, and into the edge of Colorado, I was reminded just how impossible it would be for any single entity to ever control this continent without the consent of the governed.  I also noted again that my assumption of getting outside the "1 tank of fuel range" from any significant city/outer suburb is wise and prudent.

When the SHTF, the cities are going to become apocalyptic No-Go Zones with people reverting to their base nature before reaching outward after picking the city and suburbs clean of bounty and booty.

I settle in for this night with this comforting thought: When SHTF and when those who would be Masters tighten their grip to its maximum, America and Liberty will be better off without those who will die.

We train with Patriots here in Colorado this weekend.

Next weekend we train with Militia and others in WV/Ohio.

~~WV/Ohio Class: If you have not submitted your payment in full to Sandman or me via PayPal, you are late.  Please square this away in the next 36 hours, or we will have to consider your slot closed.

A class is forming in Alabama - email me if interested.  Local Patriots have nearly filled a class, and if you want the training, and want to meet others in your area who see the world as do you, be there!

South Florida is scheduled for August 17.

Dallas and Idaho are on the schedule as well for late August.  If you or your Tribe want to book a class in my path, let me know.

Kerodin
III

Kokesh: Adam - What's your End Game?

I've got nothin'.

I do not buy into the martyr premise as a rule, and not one single person is ever going to break Kokesh out of prison.

And make no mistake, he will end up in Federal Prison unless the entire video is a hoax he shot on a green screen.

For the people who think he's a .Gov plant - this screws with that narrative.

For people who think he's just a glory hound - this screws with that narrative.

Unless he had a pre-arranged deal with Alan Gura and a plan to make this a SCOTUS case, I just don't see the point.  Honestly, if you are going to go to prison for your beliefs - ok.  But the armed march on DC was a better way to earn a FedGov prison sentence, in my opinion.

I just don't get it.  But, he will walk his path, and I will walk mine...

K 

Hey, let's all bet our money and lives on something stupid!

In my CQB classes, and in my general training history, often a student will watch me demonstrate a technique and then during execution of that technique, change his mind and do something else.  Sometimes it is because he simply didn't get it the first time - no biggie, that's why it is training. 

Other times, however, a student will avoid the technique that was demonstrated and say something like this: "...but what if I do this?  Then you are in trouble..."

Any scientist will tell you that if you change the conditions of the experiment, you change the experiment.  If I tell a student to grab my wrist and he gets a glint in his eye and grabs my forearm or elbow instead, the technique I had in mind (a defense against a wrist attack) won't work. 

"...but what if I do this..." usually earns this response from me: "OK, try it..." and I slide into a defense that is appropriate for the new attack (forearm or elbow).  Because I won't strike my students in a CQB class (as I would in a real fight, and often in a proper dojo, and as ANY sensei in my life would have done in similar circumstances) the little experiment often looks clunky.  Sometimes we collapse in a heap, at which point grappling would begin.  Or I execute a defense suited for the attack, and the student understands that I asked for a wrist grab in the first place so I could properly demonstrate wrist grab defenses.

We have many people with many hypotheses about how Big Brother intends to impose his will.  Some are too large in scale to test, or require factors beyond our ability to control.

But some suggestions are suited for a scaled test.  Testing is good.  A man should know his limitations - and a man should put his money where his mouth takes him.

For instance - if you think 90% of NRA-type Americans, or "Southern Christians" will simply turn over their firearms by knocking on the door, flashing a badge or other form of ID - try it, see what happens.

This is an experiment where one can put his mouth and money in the same place.

Get a few big buddies and go to the Halloween shop and buy a few LEO outfits, buy a few Blackington Badges, or buy a few Jewish yarmulke and Torah, and knock on a few doors of people you think will surrender their 2A to such "authorities".

Let me know how that works out for you.

Don't bother...I'll read about it on Drudge.

There is always at least one guy who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room.  See if he'll test his own hypothesis.

Kerodin
III

Uhm...not so much...

WSJ writer Michael McConnell takes the position that President Obama is abusing the power of the Executive by refusing to enforce certain aspects of ObamaCare.  A silly "Patriot" Blogger agrees, and no I won't link the idiot.

He (McConnell and our idiot Blogger) says that "...refusing to enforce laws he doesn't like, and that's an abuse..."

Sorry, folks - you know my position on this administration, and my position on ObamaCare, but let's be intellectually honest here and stay true to the Constitution.

Mr. McConnell cites "Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution states that the president "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." This is a duty, not a discretionary power. While the president does have substantial discretion about how to enforce a law, he has no discretion about whether to do so.

Mr. McConnell and idiots like him are dangerous people when we start talking about what is, and is not, Constitutional.

Mr. McConnell is obviously one of those silly people who think the Constitution gives the responsibility of deciding "Constitutionality" of laws to SCOTUS.  The document says no such thing.

Three equal branches of government, remember your Junior High Civics class?  Each the ultimate authority within it's sphere of responsibility.

If Congress passes a law that the Judicial says in Unconstitutional, yet the Executive agrees with Congress, the Executive may enforce the law, and the Judicial may refuse to entertain any case on the matter.

THAT'S what is meant by "...checks and balances..." when you have three equal branches of Government.  None is superior to the other.  This is how we always, CONSTITUTIONALLY, get back to this statement: The 9 men and women of SCOTUS can no more make your guns legal as they can make them illegal.

Why - because when we read "Article II Section 3" or ANY OTHER PART OF THE CONSTITUTION, we do so with the implicit understanding that ANY "Law" not specifically enumerated is stillborn, it is void, it is NOT A LAW, it is unconstitutional, baseless, groundless, without moral authority - I wish I knew more languages - verboten, finis, nada...you get the point.

Mister McConnell & Idiot Blogger #1: The President has the power to determine the "Constitutionality" of ANY law passed by Congress, and to IGNORE any decision on such laws with which he may disagree, for they are EQUALS.

Get it?

This is Constitution 101, folks.

Fuck ObamaCare - it is NOT Constitutional no matter how many black-robed judges tell us it is, nor is a pig a horse simply because they tell us it is.  We the People are the ultimate arbiters of what is or is not Constitutional.

If you let them take that reality and moral premise from you, we've already lost.

Kerodin
III

Zimmerman: From a CQB Perspective

I have watched the Zimmerman fiasco with half-an-eye since it began.  Frankly, if I were walking in a neighborhood where I had every right to be, and some guy without a badge starts closing on me, yeah - we're gonna have a problem.  I can see the Martin perspective.  I also see the Zimmerman perspective - he's trying to keep his neighborhood safe.  I can find more to fault with Zimmerman than Martin - from a Right & Wrong, Reaction/Over Reaction perspective.  I'm not talking about the legal misconduct that has been epic.

Zimmerman - you want to be a cop, go to the academy.  Zimmerman's community - you want real security, then do it right with radios, protocols for engaging suspicious people, et cetera.  This half-assed silliness when it comes to perimeter security gets people killed.

But from a CQB perspective: Every account I have read says Martin "got the mount" on Zimmerman.  This means Zimmerman was on his back, and Martin was straddling him - either at the shoulders, the chest, or belly/hips.  Either way, Zimmerman was in a BAD spot.  Every report I have read (and evidence I have seen in pictures) suggests Martin was using his advantage and beating the snot out of Zimmerman.

Fight to your Weapon is the theme of my CQB class.  I do not teach my students how to grapple their way out from under a guy who has the mount - that's beyond the scope of my class.  But Zimmerman managed to do EXACTLY what I try to teach my students - he managed to keep Martin from knocking him out or killing him, while at the same time he managed to deploy his weapon and end the fight.  Well done.

Here's my nit to pick - since I have my little attitude problem about being challenged by ANYONE in a place I have a Right to be, especially by some civilian who isn't OBVIOUSLY legit - if Zimmerman had just a few weeks in almost ANY groundfighting class, ju-jutsu, BJJ, GJJ, he'd have been able to end that fight without killing Martin, with a technique ALL of my students have seen in my class.

Most of you have watched when Holly straddled my chest, she captured one of my extended arms, rolled to the side and put me in an armbar?  If Martin had the mount on Zimmerman and was either punching downward (by some accounts) or had hold of his head and was pounding it to the concrete (by some accounts) Martin was GIVING ZIMMERMAN THE ARMBAR.

Caveat: Yes, it matters whether Martin was straddling Zimmerman at the shoulders or chest or hips, but only in the number of moves Zimmerman would have needed to take the arm and break it - ending the fight without muzzle-blast.

I'm not declaring right or wrong of either Zimmerman or Martin - I'm simply showing my students, and telling the rest of you, (and my students have SEEN how easily Holly was able to catch my arm and break the elbow if she had chosen to do so) that if you just train up a bit you improve your odds of survival exponentially.

Folks - get to a school.  6 months of Krav.  Can't find a good Krav school, find a good GJJ or BJJ school, or even check into a dojo that claims "MMA" curriculum.  If you train for the 300 yard fight, and the 30 yard fight, great!  But I promise you, and there is no better current example than the Zimmerman case, that the 30' fight, even if YOU have the gun, can turn into a 3" deathfight in moments.

This is a teachable moment - don't miss the lesson.

Kerodin
III