Concealed Carry Featuring: Self Defense Techniques – Using a Handheld Flashlight

 

by Matthew Maruster 

Final Lesson in this 11-part series

We promote a self-defense strategy that begins with a proper mindset of awareness and avoidance. Unfortunately, avoidance isn't always possible, and when de-escalation is ineffective or impractical, we can make the mistake of thinking our everyday carry (EDC) handgun is the solution. Without question, a handgun is a fantastic tool in some self-defense situations, but certainly not all of them.

Close-Quarters Self-Defense:

We need to develop other skills to defend against an attack at a close distance. Unfortunately, even though most of us know this reality, many still fail to grow in this area.

For this reason, our friend and instructor, Matt Numrich, has produced an 11-part video training program on Close Quarter Defensive Tactics. Today, we will share one of the videos from that series below, but please note, the entire course is available now for Guardian Nation Members.

You can learn more about the benefits of being a Guardian Nation Member here.

Combatives instructor Matt Numrich produced this 11-part course, only available in its entirety to Guardian Nation members. Today, we will bring you the final special preview of Numrich's online course, Close Quarters Defensive Tactics.

Self Defense Techniques – Using a Handheld Flashlight

You probably carry a handheld flashlight on you every day. It's great for illumination and can be incorporated into hand strikes in a non-permissive environment where the flashlight may be all you're armed with. Like any other self-defense technique, it should involve a simple process that we can perform under stress, not just at half-speed with a compliant attacker.

The fundamentals covered in this lesson are:

1. Areas of the body to target when using a handheld flashlight
2. How to strike using a handheld flashlight

Like any other self-defense technique, these techniques are not overly complicated. The methods are repeatable and straightforward so that we can perform them under stress, not just at half-speed with a compliant attacker.

As you will see when viewing this lesson, the course requires active, physical participation. Therefore, getting a buddy or family member to take the class with you would be ideal. This way, you have a person with whom you can go through the repetitions.

The MFC (Modular Compact Flashlight) Spark flashlight from ReadyUpGear, is a fantastic administrative handheld light that I carry daily. It has aggressive knurling that provides grip and, while it's pretty compact, works well in the techniques described in the video. If you have big hands and need a flashlight with a longer body, consider this one from Streamlight.

 

Take a look at this week's lesson from Matt Numerich's course Close Quarters Defensive Tactics.

As I mentioned, this 11 part video course is available for free to members of Guardian Nation.

SPECIAL BONUS: Right now, Matt Numrich is offering a special free DVD to our readers. You can claim a copy of Matt Numrich's Krav Maga online training course for free (just pay shipping and handling). Some of the topics covered in the course include:

• A specialized hand strike that will drop any attacker who gets hit in this unguarded target
• Devastating self-defense move, perfect for the street, and showed three different ways to cover different kinds of attacks
• .How to “strike low” when an attacker outside your peripheral vision attacks you
• Discover a defensive and offensive kick that will move a guy back ten feet while letting all those around you know that you mean business
• Learn how to defend yourself if pushed or knocked down to the ground
• Find out the three-step defense technique to counter anyone who chokes you on the ground in the scariest position!
• The FIVE key elements of effective self-defense training, so you can learn these moves quickly and defend yourself even faster
• Find out how to quickly get out of a common ground position, which takes MMA champs years to learn! You'll learn a better way in seconds!
• The best fighting stance, which mimics what the body naturally does to defend itself and will help your moves become like second nature
• A dominant defensive position that will control your opponent and position them for incredible and brutal follow up strikes after they try to attack you

 

About Matthew Maruster

I follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the eternal co-equal Son of God. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio with my wife and daughter. I served in the Marine Corps Infantry. I was a Staff Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant during combat in Iraq. After I was a police officer at a municipal agency in San Diego County. I was a lead marksmanship instructor in the Marine Corps, and an assistant range master, and crisis negotiator at the police department. I have a Bachelors's Degree in Criminal Justice from National University. I produce the Concealed Carry Podcast and coordinate the Concealed Carry Instructor Network, and manage MJ Maruster Defense.

View all posts by Matthew Maruster →

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Are strict gun laws making people safer?

 

by Matthew Maruster 

 -Concealed Carry

There is a lot of debate surrounding strict gun laws and their impact on public safety. Some people argue that states with stricter gun laws are more dangerous, while others claim that these laws make communities safer. So, which is it? Myth or fact?

We know these signs do not protect law-abiding people but are they even legal?

Because so many variables determine a state's overall crime rate, it is foolish to simplify it to the percentage of gun ownership. What if we looked more closely at the data people throw around to justify a position one way or the other? Would the data support the unmistakable correlation between death and gun laws we have in our minds?

Let's take a closer look.

Annual Gun Law Scorecard —

If nothing else, the gun control lobby does a fantastic job of conveying its message compellingly. Their arguments appeal to compassion and kindness. But unfortunately, the pro-gun argument is often boiled down to “screw you; it's my right.”

An example of this is the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence website. In addition to excellent public relations and messaging, they publish an Annual Gun Law Scorecard. The scorecard rates each state's gun laws and then shows where it ranks in “gun deaths” against other states.

The data is presented smartly in a way that quickly relays what the organization wants you to take away- states with strict gun laws have fewer gun deaths and are safer. 

But does the data support that takeaway? Here is a screenshot of just one of the many graphics on the page. This one shows my home state of Ohio selected.

For the person looking for information on the topic, it doesn't take but a few seconds to conclude that states with stronger gun laws are clearly safer.

Most people won't take a second look into the data behind the chart. So let's do that now.

Fewer guns equal fewer gun deaths —

No one should be surprised to find that fewer people own guns in states where guns are highly regulated. So fewer guns DO equal fewer deaths where a firearm is involved. However, it isn't entirely because there is less crime. Around least violent crime to most deaths each year in the United States involve a firearm. That number includes homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, justifiable homicides, and indeterminate reasons.

Sixty-one percent or roughly 24,500 of these deaths each year result from suicide.

Of the remaining, 35% of gun deaths are homicides.

And one percent of gun deaths are accidental.

In one respect, Gifford's graphic is accurate, but not for the reasons people take away from viewing it.

As someone personally affected by suicide, I don't think we can overstate the condemnation of man's progress reflected in climbing rates of suicide. But to correlate strict gun laws to public safety, wouldn't it be better to link it to the rate of violent crime rather than any death related to a firearm?

I suggest that we look at the data in this way because law-abiding citizens want to carry guns because of violent crime, not just because of the number of homicides and suicides in their state. I mean that people don't want to be killed by an attacker with a firearm, but many people are killed and maimed by attackers who don't have guns.

FBI UCR: Expanded Homicide Data Table 8

Top 20 States Ranked in Violent Crime —

Let's look at the top 20 states from highest to lowest regarding violent crime and note the grade Giffords gives them.

1. Alaska – F
2. New Mexico – C
3. Tennessee – D
4. Arkansas – F
5. Louisiana – F
6. Missouri – F
7. South Carolina – F
8. South Dakota – F
9. Arizona – F
10. Michigan – C
11. Montanna – F
12. Nevada – C
13. Oklahoma – F
14. Alabama – F
15. Texas – F
16. California – A
17. Delaware – B
18. Illinois – A
19. Kansas 0 F
20. Colorado -C

How the top 20 states break down is 12 states graded “F,” 1 “D,” 4 states with a “C” grade, 1 graded “B,” and 2 states that Giffords gives an “A” for their strict gun laws.

Said another way, the top 10 states in terms of violent crime have “C,” “F,” and “D” ratings. States ranked 11-20 in terms of violent crime include 5 “F” rated states, 2 “C” states, one “B” grade, and 2 “A” graded states.

Looking at the statistics this way shows that violent crime is prevalent in states with lax gun laws, but it isn't exclusive to those states.

Grades of the top 10 “safest” states —

Let's look at the data one other way. Let's list the top 10 states from least violent crime to most. If gun laws were the most significant factor related to public safety, we should see it bear out here. To check this, I'll include the grade Giffords gave them.

1. Maine – F
2. New Hampshire – F
3. Vermont – C
4. Connecticut – A
5. New Jersey – A
6. Virginia – B
7. Rhode Island – B
8. Wisconsin – C
9. Idaho – F
10. Hawaii – A

I saved this list for last because I think it underscores the presupposition that a state's crime rate is affected by much more than how strict or lenient their gun laws are. Therefore, it is essential for people on both sides of the debate to consider all the data. That means the data that supports their position, as well as the data that refutes it.

When we look at the “safest” states, the first two have “F” ratings from Giffords. In fact, the top 10 break down very evenly across the spectrum in terms of grade. 30% received “F” grades, 30% received “A” grades, and 20% earned “B” and “C” grades.

Guns: deterring crime and saving lives —

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.)

Even the most gung-ho gun control advocate acknowledges that a firearm is an invaluable tool in a self-protection strategy. Accordingly, lawmakers who support laws that limit the average person from possessing firearms carry guns themselves. They also surround themselves and their children's private schools with armed security.

I can cite numerous examples of this hypocrisy, but I'll direct to one recent incident that comes to mind involving Mrs. Cori Bush. In 2021, while advocating defunding the police, she spent $70,000 of her $174,000 annual salary on private security. Contrary to the accepted narrative, defunding the police has never been popular for people living in progressive-led cities where violent crime is amazingly high. They realize that police with guns are the only thing keeping their cities from being completely overtaken by criminal elements.

So when people asked the obvious question – isn't it hypocritical to advocate taking away people's right to defend themselves and defunding the police, who are the last defense for people who can't afford private security? Bush responded by saying, “You would rather me die? Is that what you want to see? You want to see me die? You know, because that could be the alternative.”

A conservative estimate on the number of times people use firearms to save their life or prevent serious injury is roughly 1.67 million times per year. We can't overlook this number.

Even though this is the conservative number of many different estimates, let's pretend it is double the actual number. That leaves us with 835,000 incidents where people use firearms to save a life potentially. Compare this with roughly 39,700 annual deaths involving any use of a firearm.

People use firearms roughly 42 times more often in a beneficial way rather than in some form of “gun violence.” In no way does pointing this out mean I don't care about suicide and homicide victims. It's disingenuous to say that and diverts any real conversation on the topic.

In Closing —

I clearly have an opinion on the topic. But my point of writing this isn't to persuade you one way or another. Instead, I hope people on both sides of the argument will critically think about how they cite statistics in arguing their side of the debate.

If you like this content, consider subscribing to the Concealed Carry Podcast, where we discuss various topics helpful to the ethical and mindful gun-owning self-defender.

About Matthew Maruster

I follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the eternal co-equal Son of God. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio with my wife and daughter. I served in the Marine Corps Infantry. I was a Staff Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant during combat in Iraq. After I was a police officer at a municipal agency in San Diego County. I was a lead marksmanship instructor in the Marine Corps, and an assistant range master, and crisis negotiator at the police department. I have a Bachelors's Degree in Criminal Justice from National University. I produce the Concealed Carry Podcast and coordinate the Concealed Carry Instructor Network, and manage MJ Maruster Defense.

View all posts by Matthew Maruster →

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Concealed Carry Featuring: LASR and WEE-1 Tactical Focus on Youth Shooting – SHOT Show 2022

by Matthew Maruster 

Youth shooting sports don't get much publicity. So, I want to mention two companies here at SHOT Show working to support training children and young adults to be safe and proficient.

LASR (Laser Activated Shot Reporter) —

If you're familiar with our content, you've heard how much we love LASR (Laser Activated Shot Reporter). LASR is a company whose software pairs with a laser training gun like a SIRT or a laser cartridge. The software records shots and appropriate data to help you practice off the range. The LASR X software is incredibly useful and includes many features others do not. That is why we pair with the company for our monthly Shooter Ready Challenge.

Click HERE to learn more about LASR software capabilities.

 

LASR is working to help bring awareness to the Scholastic Shooting Sports Pistol Program. This program helps develop youth shooting programs and is a conduit to the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team. LASR is assisting by providing its software to regional organizations to facilitate the development of training programs and more effective practice.

The team at LASR wants to hear from you if you are involved in youth shooting sports in any capacity.

WEE-1 Tactical —

The second company is called Wee-1 Tactical. This company produces a very neat product specifically for teaching children how to shoot rifles. More specifically, the AR-15. The company's stated goal is:

Our vision is to develop a line of shooting platforms that will safely help adults introduce children to the shooting sports.

The product is called the JR-15. It is an AR-15 chambered in .22LR, but with a twist. Their rifle is 20% smaller than a traditional AR-15. So instead of teaching your child to shoot a full-size AR-15 chambered in .22LR, they have one sized appropriately for their size and strength.

The gun operates and has the same controls as a regular AR-15, except for the patented safety selector switch. The child can't move the selector to ‘fire' without manipulating a selector on the other side. I think this is a fantastic way to teach a child how to get involved in shooting sports in a safe manner.

The gun's MSRP is $399 and comes with a 1-round magazine for training early on. There will also be 5 and 10 round magazines available. The gun doesn't ship with any sighting system, but it has a standard Picatinny rail with M-LOK on top, so you can mount any sighting system you want your child to learn. The JR-15 only weighs around 2 pounds, and the overall length is 30 7/8 inches.

Follow Us —

Okay, that's it for yesterday. We have a lot more exciting content we will be publishing over the next few days, but I have to get back to the show floor. Consider following our Facebook and Instagram social media pages because we post videos and photos as we find exciting things throughout the day.

About Matthew Maruster

I follow my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the eternal co-equal Son of God. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio with my wife and daughter. I served in the Marine Corps Infantry. I was a Staff Sergeant and served as a Platoon Sergeant during combat in Iraq. After I was a police officer at a municipal agency in San Diego County. I was a lead marksmanship instructor in the Marine Corps, and an assistant range master, and crisis negotiator at the police department. I have a Bachelors's Degree in Criminal Justice from National University. I produce the Concealed Carry Podcast and coordinate the Concealed Carry Instructor Network, and manage MJ Maruster Defense.

View all posts by Matthew Maruster →

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