So Antifa has declared that they will stage "Nation Wide Protests" leading to the 2nd American Civil War. Now this coming on the heels of the Tragedy in Las Vegas and the Antifa connection, which may be a bit premature as I and have heard the Las Vegas Shooter may have been an FBI informant who was selling said firearms to members of ISIS who knew he was an informant.
This means the ISIS claim to credit was legitimate and, that the Antifa claim was "wishful thinking." However, it does show a desire to commit violence among the Antifa group. So while I will not say Antifa won't stage their "little event" in hopes that others will commit criminal and violent acts to begin what they term the second American Civil war... I doubt it will be the event they claim it will be...
More so, you have to understand where this strategy and its goals leads us. To do this the study of Warfare, particularly guerrilla warfare needs to be addressed. First let us be clear Antifa has declared themselves a militant arm of The Hack-ivest group Anonymous in the past and, Anonymous has outright denied them, their agenda and Antifa's tactics here. So there is two things against Antifa... 1. A history of resorting to the use of and, support for, violence to push a political agenda and 2. Propaganda, lies to gain support for their use of violence.
So Antifa will use violence, I have no doubt about it. They will praise anyone using violence against anyone they see as an "enemy."
Now allow me to Cite Che Guevara; Guerrilla Warfare: A Method.
"We consider that the Cuban Revolution made three fundamental contributions to the laws of the revolutionary movement in the current situation in America. First, people's forces can win a war against the army. Second, it is not always necessary to wait for all conditions favorable to revolution to be present; the insurrection itself can create them. "
Note the statement that the 2nd fundamental contribution to revolutionary warfare is not wait for the conditions to be right but, that one can create the situation...
. bbq mcg How does one create the situation?
Allow me to quote the answer from the cited text above;
"These dictatorships carry on within a certain “legal” framework.
M.mb..
M adjudicated by the.
Tv'selves to m their work
Nthroughout the unrestricted period of their class domination. Yet we are passing through a stage in which pressure from the masses is very strong and is straining bourgeois legality so that its own authors must violate it in order to halt the impetus of the masses."
The answer is to use violence to force the government to violate the civilians civil rights.
So with Antifa being an organization drawing from the old Soviet Communist party, they are seeking to use violence against people to incite a government response to restore order. Thus, creating a self-fulfilled prophesy of government oppression.
But, why? To free you from the oppression they create... The reason exists even further into the beginning of the article I am citing from Marxist.org "This article will express our views on guerrilla warfare and its correct utilization. Above all, we must emphasize at the outset that this form of struggle is a means to an end. That end, essential and inevitable for any revolutionary, is the conquest of political power. In the analysis of specific situations in different countries of America, we must therefore use the concept of guerrilla warfare in the limited sense of a method of struggle in order to gain that end."
What to do on November 4th, basically go in with your life and allow the children to throw their temper tantrums. However, realize you are dealing with an undeclared terrorist threat, intent on sparking nation wide violence. So be high alert for potential criminal threats as well as Antifa violence. Avoid all locations where protests and rioting are taking place. Carry an appropriate legal self-defense weapon and a Bug-Out-Bag.
Showing posts with label SHTF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SHTF. Show all posts
Friday, October 20, 2017
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Grunts Guide to Defending Your Home During SHTF...
Disclaimer: This article deals with military tactics and combat related subjects. I, nor Google, assume responsibility fpr the use or misuse of this material. It is provided for educational and entertainment purposesly only.
This is a quick and dirty "Paint Drawing" of how to fortify a structure for Urban Warfare/Combat called officially MOUT (or Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain)... This is not a set or fixed SOP and it doesn't have to be done this way...
The above image is merely a collection of conceptual principles based on the urban warfare docturine and training of the U.S. Army. So I am going to address the above image because this is where you want to start.
Now I don't know what the event or scenario will be. I don't know what you are preparing for. I am simply describing basic principles and letting you decide wherr they fit in at for you...
1. Look out/radio man... This is a very important job which allows for communications with those outside the home stead. Small holes can be cut into the roof to allow one to observe the grounds, sky lights on the sides of pitched roofs can do the same and video cameras can be used as well or in addition to.
2. The attic marksmen can fire from the small gap under the roof. And it can be a secondary position for the radio man to fulfill.
3. Second floor look out, this is basically a bench rest style shooting platform that uses a small desk or table and sand bags stacked against the wall, on the table and undwr it to provide cover. Since the shooter is in the back of the room behind a thin curtain and with other sheets, blanks or curtains hung behind them the window will appear "dark" from the outside. This offers concealment and maintains the non-threatening appearance of the "gray man's home" with the fire power of a small dug in fire team or squad.
4. 4a & 4b are both "right and wrong" so let me explain.
What's right is making a sand bag barrier under to the sides of the windows to stop bullets...
What's wrong os leaning out the windows with guns aimed. This highlights the fact you have people armed, dug in and capable of defending your home stead.
5. The door way needs a Sandbag barricade to stop and limit the view inside the home. This allows the door to only part way and allows anyone behind the barricade to fire at any threats trying to force their way in.
6. The basement firing position. Furniture and sand bags can be used to build a firing platform and here is the logic, the ground provides a small position for the attacking force to ain at and it allows the basement shooter to use what is called grazing fire. Grazing fire is fire fired with the express point of traveling anywhere from a few inches to a foot off the ground, grazing the grass as it were. This means enemy forces attacking and trying to low crawl (belly crawl) under the fire from the windows or first story will get hit, even if not fatally.
7. Blast Shelter: If you have kids or elderly who cannot fight, this is were they need to go if something does happen. The blast shelter is made by using a desk or table and reinforcing the legs with sandbags, as well as, stacking sand bags on top of the desk or table. Even of some nut-job throws a "pipe bomb" in the house they are safer in the basement under the sand bags.
8. Fences: If you don't have a fence on your property before something goes wrong, you need one after. Even it is a simple barbwire fence on one inch by one inch pickets. This is a clear boundary that provides a "Do Not Cross" Line. And, you can tie fishing line and bells to fence, so that anyone moving the fence to gain entry trips a kind of primitive alarm system.
9. "Toe Poper" a cheap landmine made by the Viet Cong. Simply a nail in the bottom of a small hole with a rifle shell, over the nail. Step on the shell, the primer pushes against the nail and sets of the shell which blows off part of your foot.
Note: This is illegal but, effective and, you should not make this or anyother booby traps.
10. Puji Stake Trap: Another Vietnamese booby trap, known as a Dead Fall or Bear Trap in the West. Basic odea is to dig a hole, 1 to 5 feet deep and place sharpened stakes in the ground, with a camouflaged lid. If an attacker steps on the lid, they fall onto the stakes.
Note: This is illegal but, effective and, you should not make this or anyother booby traps.
11. Inverted Spike trap: Another VIetnamese Booby Trap, this one is made by digging a hole roughly 1 foot by 1 foot and 1 to 3 feet deep. Boards with nails driven down at a 45 degree angle could then be used to support the sides of the hole. When someone steps on the camouflaged lib or simply into the hole they suffer only minor scratches. It is upon removing the leg that the nails dig in and lacerates the leg. Forcing an attacker to remove caught in the trap meaning that any allies would have to come into one's field of fire to be a casualty or suffer the morale loss of having watch a fellow member of their little band suffer in place.
Note: This is illegal but, effective and, you should not make this or any other booby traps.
All the described hazards to an attacking force would be secired behind one's fence. Also protecting the general public from where one has built a defensive barrier to protect one's family.
12. Scouts: Now Scouts are the most important element here. They are the "gray men" of the group. They look and act like the "zombies" (unprepared masses). They also report back to the people in the house and alert to possible threats...
Hell these Scouts can be or even remote controlled drones to collect information without directly putting anyone in danger. If the Scouts need to fight, they should have a rally point with combat style gear being stored there and work in teams no smaller then 2 people. Scouts can harass an entrenching force that is dug in outside said home stead.
Though it is important to keep in mind, no matter how well prepared you are. A large enough force can over power any position. So scouts means you can be aware of the threat, before ot becomes a danger and abandon the shelter rather then be over powered.
13. Guard Dog(s): A trained guard dog is an asset. Its senses are more highly attuned then your own. It will sense danger before you do and it will get between you and a threat. An untrained dog will many times react much the same way. The different is with a trained animal they sit when told to sit, stay when told to stay and come here when told to cone here. And attack when told to attack.
You want to keep them in to protect them from your hazards set up to keep others out. Now if you are concerned with why you might need to do all this... Allow me to address that.
Scenarios for a Secured Home:
1. Civil Unrest and Violence in the Home: That's right a riot or out of control protest could not just involve looting stores but, breaking into homes to rob the occupants... Racism, politics, the assumption of racism, religion or culture can all be a situation where others think attacking a group of people for whatever excuse is a good idea...
Know whats a better idea? Having sandbags in the basement ready to go, having pickets and barbwire strings in the basement and having food and water stocked up to keep your family fed and safe.
2. Natural Disasters: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there were roving gangs of looters and young people assaulting other people in broad daylight. It wasn't the hurricane or the flooding that was the worst part, it was the human response aftwrward.
3. Economic Collapse: This is a case where there is no major disaster or end of world scenario. There is a lost of assets and people have to pool resources to get by. In these cases many people will become desperate and turn to crime, criminals will become bolder and emergency services like police, EMTs and Fire Department might be able to help you and if you are dependent on a central location to grow and raise food, shared use of a vehicle and protecting your loved ones from a criminal threat...
Well you do what you gotta do. Americans living on the frontier used to build homes that were defendable against small forces of raiders and bandits. This is just a more scientific and planned means of doing so.
Final Note: Don't Forget BOB.
Even with a harden and dug in position, you can get over ran. If some criminal threat figures out a potato gun can launch a pipe bomb or fire bomb, if 300 mutant biker zombies or cannibal marauders come your way or God forbid your very own government comes knocking. You might need to give ground and bug out. Just cause you have food, safety and security today, doesn't mean you will tomorrow.
More to come in our new up coming amd soon to be released book Which will be an expansion of the American Homeguard Anti-Terrorist Handbook... Official name not yet finally decided.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Poor Man's Guide to Prepping: Tips & Tricks to expand on the Material in the Book
This Blog is focused on the book Poorman's Guide to Prepping and it will discuss a few basic ideas already held in the book but then apply some updated information for our "Poor man Preppers." Now if you are following the basic material in the book or using it as a "Guide" to developing your own Preparation Strategy. You are no doubt looking at the events of the world and questioning your own preparations and your future. Lets start working with a few basic concepts and then tying it all together...
Event Signals to Watch Out for:
Chinese Yuan The Chinese gold backed Yuan is part of shift from the US dollar & it is an attack on our economic system by China. Yes, Trump was right... "China is not our friend." But just cause they aren't "our friend" doesn't mean they can't be "your friend." I will discuss this more in depth a bit later.
Obama's Martial Law Executive Order:
2. Democrats catering to Muslims in the US...
3. The Socialist/Communist infection within the Democrat and Republican Parties...
4. The Clashes with Federal & State Governments, mass Civil Unrest, the rise in racially motivated attacks and the general rise in crime.
5. Pushes for disarming the population and Executive Order in Gun Control...
6. Military Drills Jade Helm 15 & UWEX 16
Here is what I see (My Personal Conspiracy Theory): The Marxists in our country want a violent revolution to overthrow our own government. They don't have the people to pull it off, seriously the Millennials... are a bunch of pansies. The White & Black Supremists which all have Socialist Philosophies are a very small part of their demographics and most Latinos are conservatives by cultural philosophy. So they need someone to be the "foot soldiers" of Marxism and the Muslims are exactly that. Thus the Democrats & many Republicans are catering to them. Once the "revolution" or "civil war" begins, martial law gets declared (it will be called a "emergency police powers" or some such B.S.) we will have a defacto Socialist country...
Under Martial Law you are going to have to deal with working for the good of the whole, getting what is your fair share & a redistribution of wealth (resources) based on who needs what... Oh but the government will decide who that is. Remember the scene in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, yeah that and Luke Skywalker isn't coming to save us... It seems as if the Federal Government (And No, I don't just blame Obama but the Senate and Congress and these career politicians who pull his strings) are pushing for a violent clash to keep up the stress and push things to a boiling point.
So here is my advice looking at the facts...
1. Take a Deep Breath and let it out... Its not that bad.
2. Dominos still have to fall before this could be possible and their are Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who won't just stand by and go against our Nations people.
3. Every hardship is opportunity to someone and you want to make it an opportunity for you... Yes, that's cold but, its also practical.
4. Stick to the Plan, acquire based on need and priorities.
Alcohol has be used to clear, the treat infections, to sterilize, as fuel & yes, to get drunk and ease your pain. Comfort items you buy for $10 today can be worth $100 when SHTF and alcohol is a multipurpose item.
Tobacco:
Again regulated by law and licenses. But when SHTF and rule of law is no more. A comfort item can be bartered for food, fuel, medication and whatever else you may need. If you are smart, you'll make friends with someone on a Native American Reservation and get some Tobacco Seeds. This means you can grow your own and you can learn how to Cure Tobacco online now...
Silver & Copper Coins:
I'm not a fan of coins but yes, you can use them as barter items and trade items for exchange. They rely on the preserving of Law & Order in a SHTF event such as an Economic Collapse or when fleeing the country and preserving wealth. So if you are planning to flee the US, these coins can be exchanged for the money of the nation you are fleeing to and was used by Pablo Vilabosa about his time fleeing Argentina. Or ask Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre who hosts the SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA blog about the value of these coins in fleeing your native nation (i.e. the United States).
Ginseng:
Ginseng is manly purchased by the Chinese and one can grow simulated wild gensing (which traded at $400 a pound) and sell it direct to the number one buyer of gensing in the world... The Chinese. Now here is the Catch 22, Chinese gold backed Yuan cannot be traded for US Dollars but, if you can contact a Chinese buyer in any of the "China Towns" in Chicago, California, New York or else where you can make arrangements to get Yuan in exchange for the Gensing itself.
Monetary Exchange:
Now monetary exchange is a valuable tool for the Poorman if you consider the direction of the world around you. For example, I am of the belief that oil prices will rise and when they do so will gas and other fuels. Now... Mexico owns all mineral rights within it's borders. This means that the Mexican Peso is backed by Mexican oil and with a 14 Pesos to 1 Dollar exchange rate, you can buy oil backed Pesos cheaply and sit on them making them more valuable when (more likely then if) the US economy collapses or oil prices rise (which they are likely to do).
So with a $200 investment you get 2,800 pesos, if the price of oil rises due to the wars in the middle east, the value of the Peso rises as well... So you get to flip a $200 investment into $400 or more in the long run. Of course this is just hedging your bets against oil prices rising again and the whole idea of Prepping is to Hedge your bets against SHTF...
So... Here is the breakdown for my Poorman Preppers, if you've bought this book you can see where I've predicted certain patterns and where they have come true.
Event Signals to Watch Out for:
Chinese Yuan The Chinese gold backed Yuan is part of shift from the US dollar & it is an attack on our economic system by China. Yes, Trump was right... "China is not our friend." But just cause they aren't "our friend" doesn't mean they can't be "your friend." I will discuss this more in depth a bit later.
Obama's Martial Law Executive Order:
Lets be clear I'm not an Obama fan & (being dead blunt) I could fuck all about his skin tone or him being "black." Yes, I side with Ben Carson that Obama's "Black Experience" is not the average black experience, none of Black friends have been raised in South East Asia or by the White Grandparents in an upper middle class lifestyle. Come to think of it, they don't have White Grandparents...
Regardless, any push for Martial Law means we as a Free and/or Democratic Nation ceases to exist. Martial Law literally means we will be placed under a state of "Police Powers" were as the U.S. Constitution is "suspended" and the Military and Executive Office rules as a Dictatorship.
Regardless, any push for Martial Law means we as a Free and/or Democratic Nation ceases to exist. Martial Law literally means we will be placed under a state of "Police Powers" were as the U.S. Constitution is "suspended" and the Military and Executive Office rules as a Dictatorship.
This is something to consider when you look at the other events;
1. Surge in Muslim Population by Muslim Refugees...2. Democrats catering to Muslims in the US...
3. The Socialist/Communist infection within the Democrat and Republican Parties...
4. The Clashes with Federal & State Governments, mass Civil Unrest, the rise in racially motivated attacks and the general rise in crime.
5. Pushes for disarming the population and Executive Order in Gun Control...
6. Military Drills Jade Helm 15 & UWEX 16
Here is what I see (My Personal Conspiracy Theory): The Marxists in our country want a violent revolution to overthrow our own government. They don't have the people to pull it off, seriously the Millennials... are a bunch of pansies. The White & Black Supremists which all have Socialist Philosophies are a very small part of their demographics and most Latinos are conservatives by cultural philosophy. So they need someone to be the "foot soldiers" of Marxism and the Muslims are exactly that. Thus the Democrats & many Republicans are catering to them. Once the "revolution" or "civil war" begins, martial law gets declared (it will be called a "emergency police powers" or some such B.S.) we will have a defacto Socialist country...
Under Martial Law you are going to have to deal with working for the good of the whole, getting what is your fair share & a redistribution of wealth (resources) based on who needs what... Oh but the government will decide who that is. Remember the scene in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, yeah that and Luke Skywalker isn't coming to save us... It seems as if the Federal Government (And No, I don't just blame Obama but the Senate and Congress and these career politicians who pull his strings) are pushing for a violent clash to keep up the stress and push things to a boiling point.
So here is my advice looking at the facts...
1. Take a Deep Breath and let it out... Its not that bad.
2. Dominos still have to fall before this could be possible and their are Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who won't just stand by and go against our Nations people.
3. Every hardship is opportunity to someone and you want to make it an opportunity for you... Yes, that's cold but, its also practical.
4. Stick to the Plan, acquire based on need and priorities.
Alcohol:
Now I suggested buying cheap alcohol in the Poorman's Guide to Prepping as both a barter item & as something that has many practical uses. The concept still stands, now it is illegal to sell or trade alcohol without the proper licenses and I fully encourage doing so before selling or trading the alcohol in a Rule of Law event. Alcohol has be used to clear, the treat infections, to sterilize, as fuel & yes, to get drunk and ease your pain. Comfort items you buy for $10 today can be worth $100 when SHTF and alcohol is a multipurpose item.
Tobacco:
Again regulated by law and licenses. But when SHTF and rule of law is no more. A comfort item can be bartered for food, fuel, medication and whatever else you may need. If you are smart, you'll make friends with someone on a Native American Reservation and get some Tobacco Seeds. This means you can grow your own and you can learn how to Cure Tobacco online now...
Silver & Copper Coins:
I'm not a fan of coins but yes, you can use them as barter items and trade items for exchange. They rely on the preserving of Law & Order in a SHTF event such as an Economic Collapse or when fleeing the country and preserving wealth. So if you are planning to flee the US, these coins can be exchanged for the money of the nation you are fleeing to and was used by Pablo Vilabosa about his time fleeing Argentina. Or ask Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre who hosts the SURVIVING IN ARGENTINA blog about the value of these coins in fleeing your native nation (i.e. the United States).
Ginseng:
Ginseng is manly purchased by the Chinese and one can grow simulated wild gensing (which traded at $400 a pound) and sell it direct to the number one buyer of gensing in the world... The Chinese. Now here is the Catch 22, Chinese gold backed Yuan cannot be traded for US Dollars but, if you can contact a Chinese buyer in any of the "China Towns" in Chicago, California, New York or else where you can make arrangements to get Yuan in exchange for the Gensing itself.
Monetary Exchange:
Now monetary exchange is a valuable tool for the Poorman if you consider the direction of the world around you. For example, I am of the belief that oil prices will rise and when they do so will gas and other fuels. Now... Mexico owns all mineral rights within it's borders. This means that the Mexican Peso is backed by Mexican oil and with a 14 Pesos to 1 Dollar exchange rate, you can buy oil backed Pesos cheaply and sit on them making them more valuable when (more likely then if) the US economy collapses or oil prices rise (which they are likely to do).
So with a $200 investment you get 2,800 pesos, if the price of oil rises due to the wars in the middle east, the value of the Peso rises as well... So you get to flip a $200 investment into $400 or more in the long run. Of course this is just hedging your bets against oil prices rising again and the whole idea of Prepping is to Hedge your bets against SHTF...
So... Here is the breakdown for my Poorman Preppers, if you've bought this book you can see where I've predicted certain patterns and where they have come true.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Bicycle Combatives: SHTF Transport Safety Concerns
So I owe this article to Will Williams, it was a suggestion in jest on Facebook that got my gears turning. I know a few people who plan to Bug-Out on a Bicycle, a BMX style mountain bike and so William's suggestion sparked some ideas on SHTF bicycle safety. Now riding a bicycle when cars, trucks and semi-trailers are sharing the road and can hazardous in itself. But what about when civil order breaks down to the infrastructure that keeps people sane and safe disappears?
So I thought about it but not much, I scribbled down some talking points and went to bed. This is a result of those talking points, so lets start with some basic information;
Basic Bicycle Road Safety Procedures...
More of the Basics...
How Not to Get Hit By Cars...
and now that the basic safety is covered, the Bicycle as a SHTF fan vehicle...
Survival Bicycling... Part 1 (Not Part 2 at this time keep checking the source link)
Best Survival Bicycle...
Value of Bicycle after SHTF...
So in that little bundle of links, I don't think there is much I can cover they can't... However, I'm gonna try damn it.
Thought # 1: Bike Storage:
Ok I had a few minutes of online research to come up with the facts... For Storage on your bike, you have some options and it would stupid not to consider your bike as a carrier for your gear. I won't tell what to pack but I will make a few suggestions. A front rack can support two kinds of loads a standard load held in the backet area & a low rider load that hangs beside the front wheels. Rear racks can support packs of this type as well and allow for great carrying capacity behind the rider. Also the rider should have their Bug-Out Bag, literally on them at all time while riding the bike incase of some emergency where they need to abandon the bike.
Suggest Gear to Carry:
1. Sweat Towel: If you are riding a bike chances are you will get sweaty. sweat is your bodies natural means of cooling itself of. So if you are sweaty and going to make camp for the night, dry yourself off. Do not use the same towel for drying yourself of sweat that you use for drying yourself after bathing. Staph bacteria lives in your sweat glands and using a sweat towel could lead to a staph infection. Likewise, you need to "wash" yourself before making a camp even if only using cold water from a canteen or baby wipes (personal favorite).
2. Layers of Clothing: Depending on temperatures you can dress down by wearing a set of loose clothing over a T-shirt and Bike Shorts, as the temperature increases you can dress down. WARNING: Excess exercise and labor in extreme heat conditions can be deadly if you aren't hydrated and/or lead to sun stroke. In many cases it may be more practical to camp/rest of day and travel by night. This raises another issue with the use of lights on the bike and whether one is willing to trade safety for visibility.
3. Load Bearing Gear: Any gear like a LBE or LBV or tactical vest, fishing vest etc, that can support readily handy items and provide easy access to essentials should worn, even if dressed down.
4. Tarp Camo or environment appropriate color: Your Bike needs protection from the elements as well but you want to camouflage it as best you can and lay the bike down. Lay the bike down in the direction you want to travel, cover it with a tarp and camouflage it with debris from the area.
Thought #2: Open or Concealed Carry:
I know someone is going to disagree with this but, if you are the guy not caught in bumper to bumper traffic, with a bunch of gear someone is going to try to steal your ride. You have panicked drivers, road rage and just plain human self-interest to contend with. So my suggesting is openly carry a weapon, a big knife and/or a handgun, hell if you can mount a rifle on that bike do it (thinking of the old western rifle cases on saddles but hey).
Open Carry Deters Crime... <---- Proven Fact
Thought #3: Crossing Water:
Now this is a fun thought, how will you get your bike across creak or stream. You can water proof and even make your BOB a flotation device by putting everything in a plastic trash bag, no holes BTW, with all the cloth items rolled into balls. This traps air in the cloth, trapped by the plastic bags and can help you to float, you can do the same with gear in your bike, assuming its mostly cloth. Or by contrast you can carry a few large inflatable inter tubes for the river, 2 to 3. You simple secure the bike to 1 or 2 of the tubes and yourself rides on one and float across. The hardest part will be inflating and deflating the inner tubes.
Thought #4: Camping Wilderness & Urban:
So here are my tips and suggestions for camping in the Wilderness with a Bike...
1. Camouflage: You want to camouflage your area as best you can and lay the bike down. Lay the bike down in the direction you want to travel, cover it with a tarp and camouflage it with debris from the area. You can sleep under the tarp with your bike if you like.
2. Use Noise & Light Discipline: This is simple, don't use light you don't have to... If you cook boil your food to keep down smell, don't burn pine or any similar wood they smoke a lot, use a Dakota fire hole, if you use a flash light use one with a red lens and do so under a poncho or coat. Don't talk if you don't have to, whisper if you have to talk and do not smoke anything... cigarettes, marijuana or anything else. The smell of tobacco can be detected by a non-smoker for over a mile away and the cherry can be seen from the same distance. Marijuana is worse of the smell.
3. Use Basic Tactics: If you are going to camp, make a "J Hook" by doubling back on your trail so that you can observe if anyone is following your trail. Keep watch on your trail. In the Army I go used to sleeping prone so that I was ready to return fire if attacked, I still sleep on my stomach with pillows under my chest.
4. If in a Group Post a Watch: If you are in a group, always post a watch, and change the watch every hour. 3 to 7 person (not counting young children) 1 person a on watch for 1 hour. 8 or more 2 people on watch for 1 hour.
5. If Alone Set an Alarm: If alone set an alarm along the trail where you can maintain security, a double or triple bind is a must but you want alarms to your flank and rear as well. Fishing line and bells or flares should work fine. WARNING: Alarms does not mean Booby traps you could face a series of issues for using such, least among them is legal consequences and worst is making an enemy who might want to return the favor.
And my suggestions for camping in an Urban Environment with a Bike...
1. Camouflage & Hiding: As with the Wilderness Terrain you want to conceal your bike when you camp, this can be done by hiding behind dumpsters, entering abandoned buildings and carrying rope to hoist the Bike onto and down from roof tops. Looking like a bum with a shopping cart full of stuff to conceal the bike on the opposite side might also be a good form of camouflage. In urban environments, what most think of as disguise is merely urban camouflage. In an area of grown up wood, such as parks or forested areas between buildings the same rules for the Wilderness apply.
2. Use Noise & Light Discipline: As always the basic concepts remain the same...
3. Use Basic Tactics: Same as a wilderness environment but remember to apply certain basic urban warfare concepts like the Slicing the Pie and the difference in material which means the difference between a wall being cover or concealment.
Slicing the Pie:
Slicing the Pie is an individual tactic of taking a corner in small sections, to maximize the use of cover or concealment by the corner. The idea is to get the drop on the enemy and see them before they see you, one's weapon should be at the ready and on should take a half step to a quarter step about 3 to 6 inches with each step. This tactic works just as well for alley ways as it does for hallways.
Once the entry is secure bring in one's bike, set an alarm at the entry, again fishing line and bells, and secure the rest of the area. Note: You do not need to search and secure a whole building securing a path to one room and securing it is enough. The difference in Cover & Concealment can be summed up as this; Cover prevents contact with the threat or danger and concealment only prevents site from the threat or danger. A sheet rock wall will not stop bullets and is concealment but a concrete barrier is cover if it stops bullets.
4. Stay off Road as Best You Can: If the social order has broken down then stay off road as much as possible sticking to back alleys. Prior to whatever event will prompt a social breakdown pay attention to laws and rules of road. Always stay to the side of road and keep a look out for possible threats. Roads are going to be full of threats and that will be addressed later.
5. In a Group: Its important to have basic communication available, CB or Handheld radios between the groups members, use of military patrol formations and staying off the main routes of travel are all highly suggested. However, be very cautious in back alleys as well, you don't know who claimed it as their "turf" or how they will react.
6. If Alone: Same basic concept but here more then anything speed is your ally, when you travel you have no form of shelter from possible violence so travel on an obscure pattern, not a straight line, make circles back on your route to see if you are being followed and always move fast.
Thought #5: Shelter From Elements:
Ok, Bikes offer no shelter from the elements, wind, rain, heat and cold... This means you need to stop in a secure or secure a location and rest periodically. Exposure is potentially deadly if untreated and this is an important element to consider for travel on a bicycle during a SHTF bug-out event. So the same basic principles of exposure apply as if on feet except, one important factor. This important factor is wind chill, wind chill will increase with one's speed of travel.
Thought #6: Moving as a Group:
Now when moving as a group on a bike as with on foot you need to make use of patrol formation to maximize travel time and cover.
1. Travel in a straight line to conceal the number of people on bikes, trying to ride in the path of the person in front of you. In this way a group can use the "J-Hook" as well as an individual.
2. When travelling in a line have a "point man" approximately 30 to 50 yards ahead of the group, if the point man stops everyone else stops as well. If their is a threat ahead of you, they only see the point man and not the whole group.
3. On wide roads travel in a staggered line on the sides of the road about 20 yards from the person in front of you on the opposite side of the road. This allows the group following the "point man" to get off the road to cover or concealment on the side of the road or react to a threat from either side of the road.
4. In open areas position "security elements" to the sides, rear and front of the main group (useful to groups larger then 10 adults or groups with children).
For more information on Small Teams & Group Tactics Read Army of Shadows or TM 725-15 The American Homeguard Anti-Terrorist Handbook
Thought #7: Security:
Security measures should be taken to help anyone trying to evacuate a danger zone by bicycle, these should include using the following items (which implies having them).
1. Caltrops: An easily made device for disabling wheeled vehicles. Even if you are running from a bunch of gun happy inbred mutant red necks on a bicycle while they have a 4x4 death machine. Caltrops can pop tires and leave them stuck in the road riding on rims.
2. Smoke Devices: Smoke grenades can be purchased for about $15 to $25 dollars a piece or you can read Black Dragon Ninjitsu for the various formula and means of construction.
3. Flares & Flare Gun: Meant for Plane Crashes and Ship Wrecks, the flare gun has a great use as an emergency signal for a point man or lighting up an area were a potential threat is located.
So now that we have basic tactics and such discussed lets examine the threats. Understanding your threats is vital for preparing your defense and ensuring your security.
Panic Drivers: This list isn't listed in any order except what came to mind first... Panicked drivers, people trying to flee a hurricane, a flood or a forest fire are going to be highly emotional and hyper sensitive. They are going to try to force their way into traffic and not worry about getting hit or hitting others. These are a threat to people walking on the sidewalk and won't share the road with a bicyclist on normal days. So add SHTF and watch out.
Road Ragers: These are the people who snap in traffic on a normal day and they will be 100 times worse when you add a life threatening danger to the mix. They are likely to intentionally run you over, force you off the road orget out their cares and assault you with a weapon.
Dogs & Wildlife: Dogs chase cars, they also chase people and if you are on a bike you don't have metal between you and dog. So a can of mace or pepper spray can also keep the puppies off your back tire. Not only is this an issue with dogs but other animals and wild life as well could be a threat to you based on environment.
Pedestrians: These aren't people trying to knock you off your bike these are just slow moving walkers (No Walking Dead reference intended) who might get in your way.
Criminals: Criminals are people who going to try to take your stuff and they may or may not be armed. As I stated above openly carrying a weapon is deterrent for criminals.
Gun Men: These are would be snipers and people shooting at you, bikes don't offer protection from bullets.
Cliffs, Falling Rocks, Forest Fires & Flood Waters: Natural disasters, threats and obstacles be as deadly as they can be obstructive and you cross raging rapids on an inner tube. People and animals aren't your only threats, "Mother Nature" is a Bitch sometimes too...
Note: Hitchhiking with your Bike: In some cases as with a mass exodus from danger zone, a bug-out scenario you may have the opportunity to catch a ride. This is dangerous under normal circumstances. However, your choices are your own and this could a valuable advantage to Bugging out with a bike. If you have a bike rack mounted on your car, you could have an "escape pod" for your car if it breaks down.
So I thought about it but not much, I scribbled down some talking points and went to bed. This is a result of those talking points, so lets start with some basic information;
Basic Bicycle Road Safety Procedures...
More of the Basics...
How Not to Get Hit By Cars...
and now that the basic safety is covered, the Bicycle as a SHTF fan vehicle...
Survival Bicycling... Part 1 (Not Part 2 at this time keep checking the source link)
Best Survival Bicycle...
Value of Bicycle after SHTF...
So in that little bundle of links, I don't think there is much I can cover they can't... However, I'm gonna try damn it.
Thought # 1: Bike Storage:
Ok I had a few minutes of online research to come up with the facts... For Storage on your bike, you have some options and it would stupid not to consider your bike as a carrier for your gear. I won't tell what to pack but I will make a few suggestions. A front rack can support two kinds of loads a standard load held in the backet area & a low rider load that hangs beside the front wheels. Rear racks can support packs of this type as well and allow for great carrying capacity behind the rider. Also the rider should have their Bug-Out Bag, literally on them at all time while riding the bike incase of some emergency where they need to abandon the bike.
Suggest Gear to Carry:
1. Sweat Towel: If you are riding a bike chances are you will get sweaty. sweat is your bodies natural means of cooling itself of. So if you are sweaty and going to make camp for the night, dry yourself off. Do not use the same towel for drying yourself of sweat that you use for drying yourself after bathing. Staph bacteria lives in your sweat glands and using a sweat towel could lead to a staph infection. Likewise, you need to "wash" yourself before making a camp even if only using cold water from a canteen or baby wipes (personal favorite).
2. Layers of Clothing: Depending on temperatures you can dress down by wearing a set of loose clothing over a T-shirt and Bike Shorts, as the temperature increases you can dress down. WARNING: Excess exercise and labor in extreme heat conditions can be deadly if you aren't hydrated and/or lead to sun stroke. In many cases it may be more practical to camp/rest of day and travel by night. This raises another issue with the use of lights on the bike and whether one is willing to trade safety for visibility.
3. Load Bearing Gear: Any gear like a LBE or LBV or tactical vest, fishing vest etc, that can support readily handy items and provide easy access to essentials should worn, even if dressed down.
4. Tarp Camo or environment appropriate color: Your Bike needs protection from the elements as well but you want to camouflage it as best you can and lay the bike down. Lay the bike down in the direction you want to travel, cover it with a tarp and camouflage it with debris from the area.
Thought #2: Open or Concealed Carry:
I know someone is going to disagree with this but, if you are the guy not caught in bumper to bumper traffic, with a bunch of gear someone is going to try to steal your ride. You have panicked drivers, road rage and just plain human self-interest to contend with. So my suggesting is openly carry a weapon, a big knife and/or a handgun, hell if you can mount a rifle on that bike do it (thinking of the old western rifle cases on saddles but hey).
Open Carry Deters Crime... <---- Proven Fact
Thought #3: Crossing Water:
Now this is a fun thought, how will you get your bike across creak or stream. You can water proof and even make your BOB a flotation device by putting everything in a plastic trash bag, no holes BTW, with all the cloth items rolled into balls. This traps air in the cloth, trapped by the plastic bags and can help you to float, you can do the same with gear in your bike, assuming its mostly cloth. Or by contrast you can carry a few large inflatable inter tubes for the river, 2 to 3. You simple secure the bike to 1 or 2 of the tubes and yourself rides on one and float across. The hardest part will be inflating and deflating the inner tubes.
Thought #4: Camping Wilderness & Urban:
So here are my tips and suggestions for camping in the Wilderness with a Bike...
1. Camouflage: You want to camouflage your area as best you can and lay the bike down. Lay the bike down in the direction you want to travel, cover it with a tarp and camouflage it with debris from the area. You can sleep under the tarp with your bike if you like.
2. Use Noise & Light Discipline: This is simple, don't use light you don't have to... If you cook boil your food to keep down smell, don't burn pine or any similar wood they smoke a lot, use a Dakota fire hole, if you use a flash light use one with a red lens and do so under a poncho or coat. Don't talk if you don't have to, whisper if you have to talk and do not smoke anything... cigarettes, marijuana or anything else. The smell of tobacco can be detected by a non-smoker for over a mile away and the cherry can be seen from the same distance. Marijuana is worse of the smell.
3. Use Basic Tactics: If you are going to camp, make a "J Hook" by doubling back on your trail so that you can observe if anyone is following your trail. Keep watch on your trail. In the Army I go used to sleeping prone so that I was ready to return fire if attacked, I still sleep on my stomach with pillows under my chest.
4. If in a Group Post a Watch: If you are in a group, always post a watch, and change the watch every hour. 3 to 7 person (not counting young children) 1 person a on watch for 1 hour. 8 or more 2 people on watch for 1 hour.
5. If Alone Set an Alarm: If alone set an alarm along the trail where you can maintain security, a double or triple bind is a must but you want alarms to your flank and rear as well. Fishing line and bells or flares should work fine. WARNING: Alarms does not mean Booby traps you could face a series of issues for using such, least among them is legal consequences and worst is making an enemy who might want to return the favor.
And my suggestions for camping in an Urban Environment with a Bike...
1. Camouflage & Hiding: As with the Wilderness Terrain you want to conceal your bike when you camp, this can be done by hiding behind dumpsters, entering abandoned buildings and carrying rope to hoist the Bike onto and down from roof tops. Looking like a bum with a shopping cart full of stuff to conceal the bike on the opposite side might also be a good form of camouflage. In urban environments, what most think of as disguise is merely urban camouflage. In an area of grown up wood, such as parks or forested areas between buildings the same rules for the Wilderness apply.
2. Use Noise & Light Discipline: As always the basic concepts remain the same...
3. Use Basic Tactics: Same as a wilderness environment but remember to apply certain basic urban warfare concepts like the Slicing the Pie and the difference in material which means the difference between a wall being cover or concealment.
Slicing the Pie:
Once the entry is secure bring in one's bike, set an alarm at the entry, again fishing line and bells, and secure the rest of the area. Note: You do not need to search and secure a whole building securing a path to one room and securing it is enough. The difference in Cover & Concealment can be summed up as this; Cover prevents contact with the threat or danger and concealment only prevents site from the threat or danger. A sheet rock wall will not stop bullets and is concealment but a concrete barrier is cover if it stops bullets.
4. Stay off Road as Best You Can: If the social order has broken down then stay off road as much as possible sticking to back alleys. Prior to whatever event will prompt a social breakdown pay attention to laws and rules of road. Always stay to the side of road and keep a look out for possible threats. Roads are going to be full of threats and that will be addressed later.
5. In a Group: Its important to have basic communication available, CB or Handheld radios between the groups members, use of military patrol formations and staying off the main routes of travel are all highly suggested. However, be very cautious in back alleys as well, you don't know who claimed it as their "turf" or how they will react.
6. If Alone: Same basic concept but here more then anything speed is your ally, when you travel you have no form of shelter from possible violence so travel on an obscure pattern, not a straight line, make circles back on your route to see if you are being followed and always move fast.
Thought #5: Shelter From Elements:
Ok, Bikes offer no shelter from the elements, wind, rain, heat and cold... This means you need to stop in a secure or secure a location and rest periodically. Exposure is potentially deadly if untreated and this is an important element to consider for travel on a bicycle during a SHTF bug-out event. So the same basic principles of exposure apply as if on feet except, one important factor. This important factor is wind chill, wind chill will increase with one's speed of travel.
Thought #6: Moving as a Group:
Now when moving as a group on a bike as with on foot you need to make use of patrol formation to maximize travel time and cover.
1. Travel in a straight line to conceal the number of people on bikes, trying to ride in the path of the person in front of you. In this way a group can use the "J-Hook" as well as an individual.
2. When travelling in a line have a "point man" approximately 30 to 50 yards ahead of the group, if the point man stops everyone else stops as well. If their is a threat ahead of you, they only see the point man and not the whole group.
3. On wide roads travel in a staggered line on the sides of the road about 20 yards from the person in front of you on the opposite side of the road. This allows the group following the "point man" to get off the road to cover or concealment on the side of the road or react to a threat from either side of the road.
4. In open areas position "security elements" to the sides, rear and front of the main group (useful to groups larger then 10 adults or groups with children).
For more information on Small Teams & Group Tactics Read Army of Shadows or TM 725-15 The American Homeguard Anti-Terrorist Handbook
Thought #7: Security:
Security measures should be taken to help anyone trying to evacuate a danger zone by bicycle, these should include using the following items (which implies having them).
1. Caltrops: An easily made device for disabling wheeled vehicles. Even if you are running from a bunch of gun happy inbred mutant red necks on a bicycle while they have a 4x4 death machine. Caltrops can pop tires and leave them stuck in the road riding on rims.
2. Smoke Devices: Smoke grenades can be purchased for about $15 to $25 dollars a piece or you can read Black Dragon Ninjitsu for the various formula and means of construction.
3. Flares & Flare Gun: Meant for Plane Crashes and Ship Wrecks, the flare gun has a great use as an emergency signal for a point man or lighting up an area were a potential threat is located.
So now that we have basic tactics and such discussed lets examine the threats. Understanding your threats is vital for preparing your defense and ensuring your security.
Panic Drivers: This list isn't listed in any order except what came to mind first... Panicked drivers, people trying to flee a hurricane, a flood or a forest fire are going to be highly emotional and hyper sensitive. They are going to try to force their way into traffic and not worry about getting hit or hitting others. These are a threat to people walking on the sidewalk and won't share the road with a bicyclist on normal days. So add SHTF and watch out.
Road Ragers: These are the people who snap in traffic on a normal day and they will be 100 times worse when you add a life threatening danger to the mix. They are likely to intentionally run you over, force you off the road orget out their cares and assault you with a weapon.
Dogs & Wildlife: Dogs chase cars, they also chase people and if you are on a bike you don't have metal between you and dog. So a can of mace or pepper spray can also keep the puppies off your back tire. Not only is this an issue with dogs but other animals and wild life as well could be a threat to you based on environment.
Pedestrians: These aren't people trying to knock you off your bike these are just slow moving walkers (No Walking Dead reference intended) who might get in your way.
Criminals: Criminals are people who going to try to take your stuff and they may or may not be armed. As I stated above openly carrying a weapon is deterrent for criminals.
Gun Men: These are would be snipers and people shooting at you, bikes don't offer protection from bullets.
Cliffs, Falling Rocks, Forest Fires & Flood Waters: Natural disasters, threats and obstacles be as deadly as they can be obstructive and you cross raging rapids on an inner tube. People and animals aren't your only threats, "Mother Nature" is a Bitch sometimes too...
Note: Hitchhiking with your Bike: In some cases as with a mass exodus from danger zone, a bug-out scenario you may have the opportunity to catch a ride. This is dangerous under normal circumstances. However, your choices are your own and this could a valuable advantage to Bugging out with a bike. If you have a bike rack mounted on your car, you could have an "escape pod" for your car if it breaks down.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
How will your Martial Arts help you if & when SHTF?
Sometimes I speak of Ninjutsu and sometimes I talk about Survivalism and Prepping, the ever dreaded when the Shit Hits The Fan or SHTF. SHTF can take so many forms and not all of them are end of the world disasters. Take the conditions from which Jews lived in the Warsaw Ghettos or the way the poor in many nations live. Sometimes when SHTF is simple stuff like being falsely accused of a crime or having a car repossessed. One thing leads to another and the show ball effect takes place and while the rest of the world goes about it's day... You find yourself neck deep in "shit."
So what are martial arts? And how should they help you come SHTF?
Martial Arts fall into a series of categories and sub-categories.
Because of this Martial Arts attract a Niche Market. I person trying to better themselves might focus on Traditional Arts to develop themselves Physically and Mentally or in Competition Arts to see themselves as develop better physically. Self-Defense Arts focus on the type of injury they can produce and many times all arts have these elements in their system but choose to focus on one or the other. As an individual, you need to find what works for you...
The new trend in Martial Arts is cross-training, due to the sport of MMA. So many people have to train in one art at a time & martial arts markets compete over gets the business. The blunt honest truth that no one wants to tell is that by and large martial arts are worthless... And some punk with a gun can take it all way from you.
So lets ask the hard question, why train in martial arts at all?
The surprising answer, because you need to. You need physical exercise you need to health and fitness and you need to be able to defend yourself with a gun or knife because sometime they aren't handy and we drop stuff... This is why I was being specific in the saying Martial Arts.
Traditional Arts either focus on self-defense application with "too deadly to spar" kata (non-resistant training compared to Karate solo-forms called Kata) or they embrace rules and competition called Randori (Free Exercise) such as with Judo. Arts like Karate call these striking drills Kumite (Free Fighting "Sparring") and Kendo calls in Shiai (Competition). Typically in arts like Judo, Japanese terms, culture, philosophy and etiquette are learned as their goal is to spread Japanese culture. In many Chinese traditional styles, Chinese terms and etiquette are also taught but they place a greater focus in fighting then on spreading Chinese culture.
Traditional arts have one huge defect, they exist to spread or pass on a tradition and cultural influence... Both Morihei Ueshiba the founder of Aikido and Jugaro Kano the founder of Judo built their arts around this aspect. While Ueshiba was more spiritual in his focus & Kano more practical in his, both arts have spread aspects of Japanese culture and philosophy around the world.
Competition Arts focus on how well one performs techniques and competing within a specific set of rules. This more well know in MMA but can be seen in Sport Karate & Sport Judo (off shoots of Kano's original vision). They include arts like Sansoo (Chinese Kick Boxing), Muay Thai (a Thai sport variation of the combat art Muay Boran), Brazilian Jiujutsu & even the Western Arts of Boxing or Wrestling.
Competition arts focus on fitness and techniques. They often exclude the more dangerous elements reserved for combat or self-defense and water down their techniques. Its not about the techniques they use but the ability to beat another person with them. Competition arts like Kano's original form of Judo used competition as a metaphor for life and conflicts, you overcame adversity by "rolling with the punches" and flowing around a head on challenge with meeting directly. Funakoshi's philosophy for Karate-Do was different, meet adversity head on and face challenges with perseverance. Like Judo, Shotokan Karate-Do used competition as a metaphor for life and life's hardships.
Self-Defense Arts tend to focus on doing damage. So they rarely, use "safe" or Competition friendly techniques. They often focus on things like knife hand strikes, eye gouges and groin strikes because they need to inflict pain quickly and break contact with the aggressor or threat. Some traditional art teach their philosophy and culture through the traditions of a particular branch of martial arts lineage.
What you are shopping for isn't always what you are buying... For example, I won't "Out" anyone here but... There is a certain group online who lives for the expression of the history and traditions of Japanese culture. Now sometimes, they do teach real Japanese history and sometimes they add their own lies to it. They claim to be more legitimate because the head of their tradition is in Japan.
Of course, I am a Collins from a Branch of the Family that left Ireland came here before the Civil War. I could spin you a tell of ancient Irish fighting arts used by my family during the civil war and go back even further to Cork County Ireland with myths of Celtic warriors and such. I'm from West Virginia, my father is from Virginia and my mother from West Virginia. Both places have lost of history related to the Civil War and some of the bloodiest battles & skirmishes were fought here using tactics passed down from trapper, fur traders and Indian fighters (specialized soldier who adopted Native American tactics to European &, later American, technology). My family roots span from Ireland to colonial Virginia & spread up and down the east coat... But that would all be Bull Shit and no more creditable then some old Japanese con-man and his cult of pseudo-mystical ninja telling half-real Japanese history and half-made up garbage.
These same people teach otherwise effective techniques with some made up history all to convince you to buy a proven lineage. But they don't have the lineage they claim and the otherwise effective techniques aren't taught effectively. They are basically, selling you on a made-up "Warrior Lineage" and effective techniques but don't deliver either. You can train in a fly-by-night course that teaches you "Killer Commando Combat Self-Defense Secrets". I can spend all day telling you what is wrong with the self-defense industry or I can waste less time by telling what it done right about self-defense arts...
1. Self-Defense techniques are gross motor skill movements. They don't need a lot of time to learn, think of them as fighting hacks, but they do need regular training to maintain your skills. If the course doesn't have a formula for expending your training or offer additional courses of study to expand that training it might be worth in the long run.
2. Self-defense Courses that simulate combat conditions, teach awareness, and criminal tactics to avoid threats and conflicts are great systems for practical application. As opposed to whipping out a "Color Code Awareness" worksheet without telling what to be aware for.
3. Self-Defense Course are great when they mix the "culture shock" of simulated combat conditions with a grading process. They aren't grading you for rank they are grading you on progress. run you through the threat situation before training, give you some good training and run you through a different situation of similar intensity. This also gives you an idea of the value of your training.
Now lets ask something else... What does this have to do with SHTF?
First off, like I said not all SHTF situations is a World Ending event. Sometimes the world is here but, the world you live in has fallen apart. You might find yourself homeless from a house fire, a messy divorce or a number of other possible situations that might leave you in a bad place, in a bad way... More then fighting or teaching Japanese history (real or BS), they should teach you to be mentally tough and emotionally strong...
They should teach you to deal with life, not just fighting or a mugger. Martial Arts should test you, try you and build you up. They should teach you to think and act with purpose and to aways be working to develop yourself even outside the Dojo, Gym or Kwon.
So what are martial arts? And how should they help you come SHTF?
Martial Arts fall into a series of categories and sub-categories.
The new trend in Martial Arts is cross-training, due to the sport of MMA. So many people have to train in one art at a time & martial arts markets compete over gets the business. The blunt honest truth that no one wants to tell is that by and large martial arts are worthless... And some punk with a gun can take it all way from you.
So lets ask the hard question, why train in martial arts at all?
The surprising answer, because you need to. You need physical exercise you need to health and fitness and you need to be able to defend yourself with a gun or knife because sometime they aren't handy and we drop stuff... This is why I was being specific in the saying Martial Arts.
Traditional Arts either focus on self-defense application with "too deadly to spar" kata (non-resistant training compared to Karate solo-forms called Kata) or they embrace rules and competition called Randori (Free Exercise) such as with Judo. Arts like Karate call these striking drills Kumite (Free Fighting "Sparring") and Kendo calls in Shiai (Competition). Typically in arts like Judo, Japanese terms, culture, philosophy and etiquette are learned as their goal is to spread Japanese culture. In many Chinese traditional styles, Chinese terms and etiquette are also taught but they place a greater focus in fighting then on spreading Chinese culture.
Traditional arts have one huge defect, they exist to spread or pass on a tradition and cultural influence... Both Morihei Ueshiba the founder of Aikido and Jugaro Kano the founder of Judo built their arts around this aspect. While Ueshiba was more spiritual in his focus & Kano more practical in his, both arts have spread aspects of Japanese culture and philosophy around the world.
Competition Arts focus on how well one performs techniques and competing within a specific set of rules. This more well know in MMA but can be seen in Sport Karate & Sport Judo (off shoots of Kano's original vision). They include arts like Sansoo (Chinese Kick Boxing), Muay Thai (a Thai sport variation of the combat art Muay Boran), Brazilian Jiujutsu & even the Western Arts of Boxing or Wrestling.
Competition arts focus on fitness and techniques. They often exclude the more dangerous elements reserved for combat or self-defense and water down their techniques. Its not about the techniques they use but the ability to beat another person with them. Competition arts like Kano's original form of Judo used competition as a metaphor for life and conflicts, you overcame adversity by "rolling with the punches" and flowing around a head on challenge with meeting directly. Funakoshi's philosophy for Karate-Do was different, meet adversity head on and face challenges with perseverance. Like Judo, Shotokan Karate-Do used competition as a metaphor for life and life's hardships.
Self-Defense Arts tend to focus on doing damage. So they rarely, use "safe" or Competition friendly techniques. They often focus on things like knife hand strikes, eye gouges and groin strikes because they need to inflict pain quickly and break contact with the aggressor or threat. Some traditional art teach their philosophy and culture through the traditions of a particular branch of martial arts lineage.
What you are shopping for isn't always what you are buying... For example, I won't "Out" anyone here but... There is a certain group online who lives for the expression of the history and traditions of Japanese culture. Now sometimes, they do teach real Japanese history and sometimes they add their own lies to it. They claim to be more legitimate because the head of their tradition is in Japan.
Of course, I am a Collins from a Branch of the Family that left Ireland came here before the Civil War. I could spin you a tell of ancient Irish fighting arts used by my family during the civil war and go back even further to Cork County Ireland with myths of Celtic warriors and such. I'm from West Virginia, my father is from Virginia and my mother from West Virginia. Both places have lost of history related to the Civil War and some of the bloodiest battles & skirmishes were fought here using tactics passed down from trapper, fur traders and Indian fighters (specialized soldier who adopted Native American tactics to European &, later American, technology). My family roots span from Ireland to colonial Virginia & spread up and down the east coat... But that would all be Bull Shit and no more creditable then some old Japanese con-man and his cult of pseudo-mystical ninja telling half-real Japanese history and half-made up garbage.
These same people teach otherwise effective techniques with some made up history all to convince you to buy a proven lineage. But they don't have the lineage they claim and the otherwise effective techniques aren't taught effectively. They are basically, selling you on a made-up "Warrior Lineage" and effective techniques but don't deliver either. You can train in a fly-by-night course that teaches you "Killer Commando Combat Self-Defense Secrets". I can spend all day telling you what is wrong with the self-defense industry or I can waste less time by telling what it done right about self-defense arts...
1. Self-Defense techniques are gross motor skill movements. They don't need a lot of time to learn, think of them as fighting hacks, but they do need regular training to maintain your skills. If the course doesn't have a formula for expending your training or offer additional courses of study to expand that training it might be worth in the long run.
2. Self-defense Courses that simulate combat conditions, teach awareness, and criminal tactics to avoid threats and conflicts are great systems for practical application. As opposed to whipping out a "Color Code Awareness" worksheet without telling what to be aware for.
3. Self-Defense Course are great when they mix the "culture shock" of simulated combat conditions with a grading process. They aren't grading you for rank they are grading you on progress. run you through the threat situation before training, give you some good training and run you through a different situation of similar intensity. This also gives you an idea of the value of your training.
Now lets ask something else... What does this have to do with SHTF?
First off, like I said not all SHTF situations is a World Ending event. Sometimes the world is here but, the world you live in has fallen apart. You might find yourself homeless from a house fire, a messy divorce or a number of other possible situations that might leave you in a bad place, in a bad way... More then fighting or teaching Japanese history (real or BS), they should teach you to be mentally tough and emotionally strong...
They should teach you to deal with life, not just fighting or a mugger. Martial Arts should test you, try you and build you up. They should teach you to think and act with purpose and to aways be working to develop yourself even outside the Dojo, Gym or Kwon.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Tonpo: Counter-Tracking
This article was inspired by something I saw posted on the Bioprepper.com blog. While bioprepper is a prepping and survival site, the issue of evading someone following you has many self-defense applications. The article How to Escape Your Tail And Avoid Being Followed can be viewed here & its fairly basic...
You need to understand basic tracking to understand how to avoid being tracked. The first step to this is understanding mental conditioning of the tracker. Trackers need to pay attention to details and to know their environment and terrain. This is required to find spore & spore is more then just foot tracks... and following spore is called Sign Cutting. Sign Cutting is simply the process of following one spore to another, literally cutting a trail from one sign of a person or animal's passage to the next sign.
Types of Spore:
Take deer for example (I am a hunter), they are creatures of habit and will use the same paths and trails. Stags will also leave rubbings on trees from rubbing the Velvet off their antlers. Deer also hang around watering holes to drink and to eat the plants. Deer are common known to bed down on high ground to see or hear a possible threat at a distance and avoid it. So even you aren't following Spore (Tracks) you know a water source is a likely starting point and so is a high point like a hill top in the predawn moments.
Tracking people is often easier then tracking animals (cops do it without any specialized training), human's are the only animals that move in a straight line from point A to point B barring terrain obstacles. We are also creatures of habit and social animals. So if a person is moving say South West, you don't have to "track them" you just have to know locations associated with them, basic habits and general places they would provide shelter and/or resources. Police use this method by staking out the "hunting grounds" of criminals. The criminals move into those zones to commit criminal activity maintaining their habit and needs... Like a deer returning to the same pond to drink and eat or a wolf pack staking out the trail of said deer to ambush the deer for food on its way to said pond.
Avoiding being tracked is also simple, 1) exercise noise and light discipline, 2) avoid high points, 3) maintain a 360 degree view of your environment (this is where a ninjutsu pivot step applied by the individual comes in), 4) travelling in a round about manner (S-pattern) and staying off trails and roads, 5) doubling back at regular intervals, 6) bury trash and waste, 7) use fire pits and only with dirt walls to conceal the glow, 8) use a turning step to obscure and confuse one's spore, 9) as a last resort use an ambush with the goal of injuring and slowing down your tail, 10) pay attention to animals around you they will alert you to others in your area, 11) Do not travel in valleys as this can be used to predict your path of travel (the sides of hills just under the ridge line is best), 12) do not cross rivers or streams at regular fords, 13) use decoys to draw attention and divert those tracking you, 14) scent can be concealed with smoke or used to lead a false trail, 15) if being tracked by dogs ambush the dog handler first this will confuse the animal, ambush the animal second, 16) booby traps can be used to slow down a trail as well (even if it is noticed the psychological effect will cause delays and 17) when crossing stream move down stream and double back to cross at another point & 18) apply all individual stealth walking methods.
As a group, 1) travel one behind the other stepping in each other's foot prints to hide numbers, 2) spread out on soft group to obscure the trail, 3) maintain all the individual skills. 4) In urban locations you can use things like glass and polished vehicles to look behind you, 5) stop and prepare to defend at potential ambush sites. 6) cross roads and trails at bends in the trail & 7) cross roads by posting a 360 security on onside and crossing as individuals maintaining 360 degree security.
You don't have to be an expert tracker to prevent being tracked and maintaining certain actions and tactics means that anyone can prevent or delay being tracked by anyone short of an expert tracker. Even then an expert tracker can be delayed but not prevented. There are few expert trackers in the world... technology and the use of blood hounds makes sign cutting a dying skill.
Here are some basic Shonobi Aruki methods from an older youtube video I did back in 2010.
You need to understand basic tracking to understand how to avoid being tracked. The first step to this is understanding mental conditioning of the tracker. Trackers need to pay attention to details and to know their environment and terrain. This is required to find spore & spore is more then just foot tracks... and following spore is called Sign Cutting. Sign Cutting is simply the process of following one spore to another, literally cutting a trail from one sign of a person or animal's passage to the next sign.
Types of Spore:
- Tracks & Foot Prints: Anyone can follow tracks in the dirt or mud, that is easy... but what about on hard ground? A person crossing a stream by stepping on rocks will leave a trail of damp or wet rocks. A person travelling on hard packed dirt will leave a diminished or partial print more visible from a lower position to the ground. Soft soled shoes without heels such as tennis shoes, kung-fu shoes, tabi boots and moccasins leave less of an imprint the heeled or hard soled boots like combat or hiking boot.
- Waste & Trash: Animal or human waste is a good indicator of one's passing. This why burying or bagging said waste and transporting it with you is used to conceal one's presence.
- Bedding & Camp Sites: Fire provides light and can be seen at a distance, even a cigarette "cherry" can be seen from over a mile away at night. Even if one uses a fire pit, the digging and burying the pit leaves disturbed ground. Fire is should not be used except at mid day to cook and using only dry hard woods to produce as little smoke as possible. Many animals will dig dens and gather grass to make bedding for their rest. Some will eve preserve food by burying it to return to later.
- Movement, Shine, Color, Sound and Scent: Drab clothing and gear is best, too dark or too brightly colored clothing can make you visible. Tans are an almost universal color for going unnoticed, it will often blend with sand or stand stone perfect for urban and desert environments and match dead foliage on the ground in most forests. You do not want loose items or clothing to be snagged on objects or make extra sound. You also want to conceal scents such as cooking by boiling foods & not using spices or sweat by "dry washing" regularly or using scent blockers such as animal urine and smoke to cover one's scent.
- Disturbed Ground: This applies to tracking by looking not tracks but spore produced by attempting to hide spore, such as disrupting one's tracks by brushing over them with branch (a favorite of cowboy movies and spaghetti westerns), this leaves an even straight line pattern which is actually unnatural and this creates spore.
- Broken or Bent Branches & Grass: Broken branches and bent grass can show were wieght has been applied or where someone has passed. Many times this includes snapped fabric or fur from whatever passed by. A ninjutsu technique called a sweeping cat step, is intended to prevent such spore but it is not always possible and a mistake can leave spore at sporadic locations while cutting sign.
A person learning to track must first learn to pay attention to details and to always scan their environment for details.
Take deer for example (I am a hunter), they are creatures of habit and will use the same paths and trails. Stags will also leave rubbings on trees from rubbing the Velvet off their antlers. Deer also hang around watering holes to drink and to eat the plants. Deer are common known to bed down on high ground to see or hear a possible threat at a distance and avoid it. So even you aren't following Spore (Tracks) you know a water source is a likely starting point and so is a high point like a hill top in the predawn moments.
Tracking people is often easier then tracking animals (cops do it without any specialized training), human's are the only animals that move in a straight line from point A to point B barring terrain obstacles. We are also creatures of habit and social animals. So if a person is moving say South West, you don't have to "track them" you just have to know locations associated with them, basic habits and general places they would provide shelter and/or resources. Police use this method by staking out the "hunting grounds" of criminals. The criminals move into those zones to commit criminal activity maintaining their habit and needs... Like a deer returning to the same pond to drink and eat or a wolf pack staking out the trail of said deer to ambush the deer for food on its way to said pond.
Avoiding being tracked is also simple, 1) exercise noise and light discipline, 2) avoid high points, 3) maintain a 360 degree view of your environment (this is where a ninjutsu pivot step applied by the individual comes in), 4) travelling in a round about manner (S-pattern) and staying off trails and roads, 5) doubling back at regular intervals, 6) bury trash and waste, 7) use fire pits and only with dirt walls to conceal the glow, 8) use a turning step to obscure and confuse one's spore, 9) as a last resort use an ambush with the goal of injuring and slowing down your tail, 10) pay attention to animals around you they will alert you to others in your area, 11) Do not travel in valleys as this can be used to predict your path of travel (the sides of hills just under the ridge line is best), 12) do not cross rivers or streams at regular fords, 13) use decoys to draw attention and divert those tracking you, 14) scent can be concealed with smoke or used to lead a false trail, 15) if being tracked by dogs ambush the dog handler first this will confuse the animal, ambush the animal second, 16) booby traps can be used to slow down a trail as well (even if it is noticed the psychological effect will cause delays and 17) when crossing stream move down stream and double back to cross at another point & 18) apply all individual stealth walking methods.
As a group, 1) travel one behind the other stepping in each other's foot prints to hide numbers, 2) spread out on soft group to obscure the trail, 3) maintain all the individual skills. 4) In urban locations you can use things like glass and polished vehicles to look behind you, 5) stop and prepare to defend at potential ambush sites. 6) cross roads and trails at bends in the trail & 7) cross roads by posting a 360 security on onside and crossing as individuals maintaining 360 degree security.
You don't have to be an expert tracker to prevent being tracked and maintaining certain actions and tactics means that anyone can prevent or delay being tracked by anyone short of an expert tracker. Even then an expert tracker can be delayed but not prevented. There are few expert trackers in the world... technology and the use of blood hounds makes sign cutting a dying skill.
Here are some basic Shonobi Aruki methods from an older youtube video I did back in 2010.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Planning Your Survival Strategy Part2:
We covered what you need to prepare for in part but not what might trigger said breakdowns to occur. If you didn't read part one, I'd suggest going back and reading it. Just to save time and recap there are only 5 events to prepare for (1) a breakdown in social order, (2) a breakdown in communication, (3) a breakdown in transportation, (4) a breakdown in energy and/or fuel infrastructure and (5) a breakdown in the availability of basic resources. What can cause one breakdown can cause others. No power means gas pumps don't work and causes a fuel shortage. A fuel shortage can keep coal from getting to power plants, causing a electricity distribution shortage. No power communication like TV, internet and even simple 2 way radios goes out. Its all interconnected and as it all breaks down the most basic resource we all take for advantage; food and water, doesn't get to us. When the machine of society breaks down, people fall back to their most basic nature. They become opportunistic and savage & as I have already stated I believe the criminals in our society will organize in the chaos far quicker then many preppers.
So lets examine what can cause those breakdowns and examine how that effects survival preparedness.
(1) a breakdown in social order:
You can address preparedness from the FEMA recommended stand point and withhold information on one's personal preparedness beyond standard of a FEMA Basic Disaster Supplies Kit 3 days of stored food (page 35/Slide 23). Either way, you as an individual must prepare by getting self-defense or martial arts training and getting training to use a firearm. Most importantly you must own a firearm or at least a bat ball bat, a big ass knife & bow and arrows but guns are best. Stock plenty of ammo and practice at least once every 3 months or more.
(2) a breakdown in communication:
(4) a breakdown in energy and/or fuel infrastructure:
(5) a breakdown in the availability of basic resources:
Desperate people do desperate things, fear dominates most people's thoughts the world is threatening and more so to someone who panics. Values and good reputations mean nothing when people are hungry, and desperate. There logic de-evolves to primal and savage thinking. Leaving a person to face a life threatening event (even if only to them), will be considered no different then killing them yourself.
Stuff I didn't cover...
Nuclear war, the Yellowstone Super Volcano, Zombies, Space Aliens and other shit are massive "End of Days" events. I know I briefly brought up nuclear weapons but a nuclear war is a no win option meant to ensure mutual destruction. You need a bunker, hydroponics bay, staffed with security and medical staff and an exercise room & 20 years of stock piled food and ammo. Even then you're still gonna die, the mountains, caves and coal mines of West Virginia might shield me from the blast, stuffing my survival laptop, radios and inverters in an old microwave may protect them from the EMP (might not), I still get to live in a toxic Mad Max world. I might be better off smoking a dooby and dinking a cold one at ground zero for all I know.
Minus radiation, toxins, the T-virus, undead and aliens wanting to anal probe me, I think much of elements over lap. My best safety measure is self-sufficiency and careful planning. You take precautions for fallout, Falling Skies and being the Lost of Us which means everything I just covered plus, gas masks, hazmat suits and a means of growing food and raising animals (including feeding them) indoors. Even in those highly improbable scenarios the basic breakdown structures will be largely the same.
Now that we've covered what to prepare for and what can cause such breakdowns you need to apply the Strategic Planning Process...
Strategic Planning Process:
I will briefly outline the strategic planning process, and provide a sample using this process. You of course will have to adapt it to your needs and develop your own plan. We start with our end goal, use reverse planning. In other words, we decide on an end result and establish a time table, then figure out what we need to do to reach that point. Those things we need to do become long term goals and then work back figuring out what needs to happen to make those possible and so on. In some cases we may need to break goals down into steps or phases.
Each objective has a specific tactic to achieve it's end. So each goal has a list of acceptable tactics to meet that goal. Like chess, we may achieve our ends through circumstances we did not plan for but adapt our strategy to account for that success. One must plan for success and for failure in each stge of the planning process.
Overall Mission Objective: To Survive a Crisis that will alter my way of life for the next 20 to 30 years... Plan for a 30+ year effect. Achieve self-sufficiency in all 5 areas of critical survival elements.
Tactics Used:
Tactics Used:
Tactics Used:
Short Term Mission Objectives: Develop and acquire a specific preparedness plan customized to local geography, local social/cultural acceptance & work with others to develop community support for preparedness within 1 to 5 Years. Here considerations like Order are replaced with Security and other changes.
Tactics Used:
Immediate Term Mission Objectives: Develop a basic preparedness plan and acquire basic equipment within 6 months to 1 year.
Tactics Used:
Initial Term Mission Objectives: Develop a means of basic survival preparedness & initial planning can begin from Zero-Minute (right now, literally this second) to 6 months.
Tactics Used:
Basic Self-Defense Moves from Lifehacker
You are not fighting a war, you are trying to stay alive. You may find that your bug out bag makes you are target for unprepared bullies & criminals. After Katrina people were being killed in the streets for supplies in garbage bags and in the ultimate end you will do what you have to survive. Work with what you have, a buddy to train with can make the basic techniques demonstrated in the videos above more effective then just watching them alone.
I know there are holes in the plan I set out, they are there because I tried to keep things generalized. My goal wasn't to give you a plan but you give you the framework to develop your own plan. Some of you (most of you) may not (will not) need to plan for 20+ year of a crisis. Not all preppers are doomsday preppers expecting the end of the world as we know it. Surely having more then a bug-out bag is important for those who look at the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and hurricane Sandy. Use what works and disregard what doesn't.
So lets examine what can cause those breakdowns and examine how that effects survival preparedness.
(1) a breakdown in social order:
- Loss of trust in local government, once people no longer trust their local government or federal government on a national level can cause people to turn to crime outright.
- Terrorism, the specific targeting of civilians is called terrorism. Any mass attack on civilians is likely to cause certain members of society to take their self-defense into their own hands. This in turn causes others to feel threatened and old hostilities flare up leading to skirmishes and violence.
- Civil Unrest, we can just chalk this up to large scale crime like the riots and looting taking place in the US currently Baltimore, Ferguson, etc. in the name of justice. A large violent outbreak is by design a breakdown in social order and can lead to more such social chaos.
- Natural or Manmade Crisis effecting one or more of the other crisis elements, people who are starving will take food they cannot purchase or that is refused them. Take away other critical resources and elements of our functioning society and people are likely do whatever it takes to get by.
- War, Rebellion or Invasion, not so much a single terrorist act but a protracted bout of fighting between two or more side such as what is happening in the Ukraine at this present moment.
- Institution of Martial Law, the government dissolving and maintaining its order via the institution of military powers, martial law quite simply means military rule. This can lead to rebellion, terrorism and civil unrest causing a breakdown on social order.
- Economic Collapse, the de-valuation of currency, seizure of private assets, inflation, stagflation and other economic chaos that makes currency worthless in its value can be lead to riots, looting, rising crime, and other social chaos as people attempt to acquire basic necessities they can no longer buy with currency.
You can address preparedness from the FEMA recommended stand point and withhold information on one's personal preparedness beyond standard of a FEMA Basic Disaster Supplies Kit 3 days of stored food (page 35/Slide 23). Either way, you as an individual must prepare by getting self-defense or martial arts training and getting training to use a firearm. Most importantly you must own a firearm or at least a bat ball bat, a big ass knife & bow and arrows but guns are best. Stock plenty of ammo and practice at least once every 3 months or more.
(2) a breakdown in communication:
- Disruption of Power, remove electricity and most communication systems; cell phones, internet, landlines, and radio communications are dependent on electrical power to function.
- Natural or Manmade Disaster, a natural disaster can knock out lines of communication. Since most currency is nothing more then electronic signal in a computer network and not tangible cash, gold or silver disruption of the communication system(s) could effect other areas like finances and transportation. A disaster could effect not only effect communication lines directly, utility lines and transportation lines keeping the utility and communication lines from being quickly repaired.
- EMP & Solar Flare, an electromagnetic pulse often associated with a nuclear weapon and a solar flare could disrupt power lines but are capable of burning out any computerized electronic device.
- Cyber-Terrorism & Hackers, a direct attack on communication lines from cyber terrorists and hacker can disable communication and compromise sensitive information.
- Terrorism or Military Action, the US military attacks enemy communication lines to isolate enemy soldiers. Terrorists can and have repeated this operation by disabling power and communication lines in some attacks.
- System Overload, during the Boston Marathon terrorist attack people were calling 911 and trying to reach family to check on their welfare. This overloaded the communication system & caused an unintended communications breakdown.
- Natural or Manmade Disaster Cutting Utility and Communication Lines, everyone thinks of road ways but communication disruptions can disable air travel and shipping as well. Plus of course travel along waterways and through our nations ports.
- EMP & Solar Flare, an electromagnetic disturbance can effect communications (yes) but what about other systems like GPS, engines and voltage regulation systems that can disable cars, boats, ships & aircraft.
- Traffic Disruption, not just limited to ground traffic and roads ways, I am also thinking of air traffic and sea traffic that can be effected by sabotage and terrorism.
- Civil Unrest, Terrorism & Crime, protests in California over "racial violence" stopped traffic on the interstate this disrupted (only momentarily) shipping and infrastructure keeping "just in time" deliver of goods, including food and medicine, to be late and prevented people from getting to their jobs.
- System Overload, yes too many people on the road, river, leaving the docks and trying to file flight planes to leave in private planes or simple overbooking of flights in mass could conjest and cause a transportation breakdown. This is confounded with traffic accidents, vehicular malfunction and human nature tat will lead to conflicts.
(4) a breakdown in energy and/or fuel infrastructure:
- Natural or Manmade Disaster Cutting Transport Line, cutting transport lines (yes this was mention under transportation breakdown) but if you can't get oil to international ports, fuel to airports and gas stations or coal to power plants, electricity isn't s readily available. No electricity and fuel doesn't get pumped or communication to ensure delivery doesn't occur. Its an interconnected system; energy and fuel.
- EMP & Solar Flare, again all those computer regulated and controlled system can be damaged or disabled with an electromagnetic pulse.
- Traffic Disruption, a simple traffic disruption can cause delays and disrupt services without the need of a disaster to cause them.
- Civil Unrest & Crime, as we've seen in a civil unrest scenario parts of a city can be isolated by the unrest and property damaged. Criminals have disrupted power to disable alarms in part of the city, arson can effect an area especially where gas lines are involved and so on.
- Terrorism or Military Action, the military forces of the world have had a long standing tactical tradition of cutting off supply lines, that includes electricity and fuel lines to effect communication and travel.
(5) a breakdown in the availability of basic resources:
- Lack of Utilities, how long will food last if you can't keep it cool? How long will social order last when you get the most basic necessity, water? You can buy all nonperishable foods like canned goods, ramon, pasta and so on but I love a good steak & a fresh salad.
- Economic Collapse, food & clothing are basic resources we all need. In an economic collapse scenario you won't be able to buy a coat to keep you somewhat warm or food to eat because you money will have less value and de-value even faster. This is why gold and silver are important investments but so are acquiring barter value items while your money has value.
- Natural & Manmade Disaster, whether it is a wildfire, flood, a tornado or nuclear blast and radioactive fallout it is possible your garden could be lost. Its possible your home, preparations and local shopping centers could be destroyed. Imagine is all you have to eat is the food in your home, how much do you have? What happens if the water coming out your sink is toxic or not running at all?
- Civil Unrest & Crime, civil unrest like we've seen recently where stores were burned, plus criminal activity of a less grandstanding nature. Looting after a crisis or disaster such as in the fictional account of World War Z with the store scene might leave local shelves bare causing people to rob one another for basics like food, medicine and clothing. This it can't happen, it did in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
- Traffic Disruption, of course disrupt shipping and supplies don't make retail outlets. No retail outlets you can just order from Amazon, except they can't deliver either.
- Communication Breakdowns, likewise remove communication no one know where to ship supplies and deliver basic resources.
Desperate people do desperate things, fear dominates most people's thoughts the world is threatening and more so to someone who panics. Values and good reputations mean nothing when people are hungry, and desperate. There logic de-evolves to primal and savage thinking. Leaving a person to face a life threatening event (even if only to them), will be considered no different then killing them yourself.
Stuff I didn't cover...
Nuclear war, the Yellowstone Super Volcano, Zombies, Space Aliens and other shit are massive "End of Days" events. I know I briefly brought up nuclear weapons but a nuclear war is a no win option meant to ensure mutual destruction. You need a bunker, hydroponics bay, staffed with security and medical staff and an exercise room & 20 years of stock piled food and ammo. Even then you're still gonna die, the mountains, caves and coal mines of West Virginia might shield me from the blast, stuffing my survival laptop, radios and inverters in an old microwave may protect them from the EMP (might not), I still get to live in a toxic Mad Max world. I might be better off smoking a dooby and dinking a cold one at ground zero for all I know.
Minus radiation, toxins, the T-virus, undead and aliens wanting to anal probe me, I think much of elements over lap. My best safety measure is self-sufficiency and careful planning. You take precautions for fallout, Falling Skies and being the Lost of Us which means everything I just covered plus, gas masks, hazmat suits and a means of growing food and raising animals (including feeding them) indoors. Even in those highly improbable scenarios the basic breakdown structures will be largely the same.
Now that we've covered what to prepare for and what can cause such breakdowns you need to apply the Strategic Planning Process...
Strategic Planning Process:
I will briefly outline the strategic planning process, and provide a sample using this process. You of course will have to adapt it to your needs and develop your own plan. We start with our end goal, use reverse planning. In other words, we decide on an end result and establish a time table, then figure out what we need to do to reach that point. Those things we need to do become long term goals and then work back figuring out what needs to happen to make those possible and so on. In some cases we may need to break goals down into steps or phases.
Each objective has a specific tactic to achieve it's end. So each goal has a list of acceptable tactics to meet that goal. Like chess, we may achieve our ends through circumstances we did not plan for but adapt our strategy to account for that success. One must plan for success and for failure in each stge of the planning process.
Overall Mission Objective: To Survive a Crisis that will alter my way of life for the next 20 to 30 years... Plan for a 30+ year effect. Achieve self-sufficiency in all 5 areas of critical survival elements.
Tactics Used:
- Order: Establish a community information network, a community support & defense network & an established emergency protocol for crisis events.
- Transportation: Develop alternate travel routes, alternate fuel sources & alternate modes of transportation.
- Resources: Develop a long-term food storage, long-term medical storage, develop alternate sources of food acquisition & develop alternate medical care acquisition.
- Energy/Fuel: Develop alternate fuel sources & develop alternate/off grid energy sources
- Communication: Develop long-term community relationships, develop alternate means of spreading local news, develop alternate means of local communication & develop alternate means of long range communication.
Tactics Used:
- Order: Use pre-crisis support groups, not for profit organizations and association with community leaders to develop network and crisis protocols.
- Transportation: Take up hiking, backpacking, BMX riding to learn alternate routes off known roadways, develop alternate fuel stockpiles: Bio-Diesel, Alco-line, etc.
- Resources: Develop stockpile of food of purchased and self-prepared/self-raised food stuffs. Take a medical first-aid class and research alternative medicine, stockpile and raise medical herbs and stockpile purchased medical supplies.
- Energy/Fuel: Develop and stockpile alternative fuels (yes, I already mentioned this), develop off-grid power supplies, solar, wind and hydro-electric.
- Communication: Develop a community relationship, become associated with community leaders, local organizations & become associated with the CB and HAM local communities.
Tactics Used:
- Order: Find a small group of trusted friends who are also preppers to get together for training & teamwork development. Each team member should have a primary and a secondary role, with free cross training in other roles so that everyone can do someone else's job if need be.
- Transportation: Acquire a BOV (Bug-out Vehicle) that is secondary to your POV (Personally Owned Vehicle) as an emergency vehicle to be used for evacuation. This BOV can be an ATV, Motorcycle, Boat, RV or other vehicle that allows flexibility in your ability to remove yourself from a threat and safely leave an area. Store at least 10 gallons of gasoline per vehicle & do not let tanks fall beneath 1/2 so that you can use your vehicle in an emergency.
- Resources: Store X amount of purchased foods & grow Y amount of food at home with Z amount of grown food stored in canning jars.
- Energy/Fuel: Invest in an alternate source of power for off grid emergency use, solar, wind, water or a generator. With additional fuel storage for the generator if you use one.
- Communication: Establish a "call tree" for trusted friends & alternate communication methods such as Citizen Band (CB) radios in home and vehicles.
Short Term Mission Objectives: Develop and acquire a specific preparedness plan customized to local geography, local social/cultural acceptance & work with others to develop community support for preparedness within 1 to 5 Years. Here considerations like Order are replaced with Security and other changes.
Tactics Used:
- Security: Off grid alarm systems, acquire advanced tactical firearms training and barriers for defense.
- Shelter: Begin to acquire own home and/or arrange safe locations with friends and family away from home in case of emergency evacuation (bugging-out).
- Food/Water: Acquire and stock pile additional food supplies and water, that is rotated "first in, first out" & a water collection system, as well as begin a garden and produce your own food stuffs.
- Transportation: Maintain good working order of POV and store at least 10 gallons of gasoline & do not let tanks fall beneath 1/2 so that you can use your vehicle in an emergency. Build a car kit with blankets, extra fluids for the car (oil, transmission, anti-freeze & so on), water & food, road flares.
- Communications: Set up a CB Radio in one's POV and at home, establish a presence on citizen band radio & use internet to continue research improve your knowledge base.
- Skill Development: Develop skills in gardening, raising animals, plumbing, electrical wiring & food preservation.
Immediate Term Mission Objectives: Develop a basic preparedness plan and acquire basic equipment within 6 months to 1 year.
Tactics Used:
- Security: Get basic firearms training, take a self-defense combatives course & knife training.
- Shelter: Create a bug-out support kit (in addition to the bug-out bag), items to buy for support kit: Axe, Shovel, Saw, Tarp, Pry Bar, Solar Kit, Batter & Inverter System. Add 5 changes of cloths, anti-bacterial soap, military cot(s), large first-aid kit, lanterns, cooking burner and fuel. Create Secondary Support Kit: With only food and water. These kits can be used in the house or loaded into your POV for emergency evacuation.
- Food/Water: Buy more canned food/non-perishable food items. Cycle out of Bug-Out support kits every month "first in-first out" cycles.
- Transportation: Maintain preventative maintenance of one's POV and if possible acquire a POV with 4-wheel or All Wheel drive capability.
- Communications: Acquire a wind up emergency radio & walkie talkie handheld radios.
- Skill Development: Survival skills, First Aid Skills & basic vehicle maintenance.
Initial Term Mission Objectives: Develop a means of basic survival preparedness & initial planning can begin from Zero-Minute (right now, literally this second) to 6 months.
Tactics Used:
- Security: Acquire a firearm & hunting style knife for self-defense usage. Research a good self-defense based martial art or combatives system. First Aid Kit, Have a Bug-Out bag for each person in your household; cheap premade bug-out bag are good for children.
- Shelter: Acquire a Good Tent or learn to use a tarp for shelter. Minimum 2 methods of starting a fire. This goes in the bug-out bag.
- Food/Water: Buy a Water Filtration Straw, a minimum 2 qt water storage container, mess kit, & store 3 to 5 days of food.
- Transportation: Rather then bug-out on foot, I suggest a good BMX bicycle with off road capability as a back up for one's POV, in case it needs to be abandoned. Otherwise buy a good pair of hiking books or running shoes.
- Communications: Buy a flare gun, road flares, glow sticks or a handheld emergency radio to get information.
- Skill Development: Develop good Physical Fitness; to help prevent injury and illness, take up hiking, back packing and camping; to get used to the outdoors and, learn to fish and hunt; for basic outdoor living skills.
Basic Self-Defense Moves from Lifehacker
You are not fighting a war, you are trying to stay alive. You may find that your bug out bag makes you are target for unprepared bullies & criminals. After Katrina people were being killed in the streets for supplies in garbage bags and in the ultimate end you will do what you have to survive. Work with what you have, a buddy to train with can make the basic techniques demonstrated in the videos above more effective then just watching them alone.
I know there are holes in the plan I set out, they are there because I tried to keep things generalized. My goal wasn't to give you a plan but you give you the framework to develop your own plan. Some of you (most of you) may not (will not) need to plan for 20+ year of a crisis. Not all preppers are doomsday preppers expecting the end of the world as we know it. Surely having more then a bug-out bag is important for those who look at the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and hurricane Sandy. Use what works and disregard what doesn't.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Planning Your Survival Strategy Part1:
Everyone wants to be Tactical or Tacti-Cool but no one wants to be Strategic. What does it mean to be strategic anyway? Strategy is plan to reach a specific long term goal, by meeting various other goals. Most people think of strategy in the terms of warfare or strategy games but, strategy also plays an important role in starting & running a business as well. So lets treat this much like a game of chess, you begin by prioritizing options based on odds of success (odds and options) and you plan out your moves in accordance.
Lets start you plan with one question... What are you preparing for?
The answer isn't important, because it doesn't matter. You may think "What the is he talking about?" when you read that but lets keep things simple. Our society and infrastructure is based on key elements and if anything that breaks down those key elements creates a crisis event, otherwise known as the proverbial "Shit hitting the fan." Those key elements are;
1) Transportation
2) Energy/Fuel
3) Communication/information
4) Rule of Law/Societal Order
5) Basic Resource Availability
Knock down one and you might knock down all of them. In the past we travelled by horse back and cooked with wood, using oil to light our homes. Transportation advancements like the intercontinental rail road and wire telegraphs allowed people to travel safer and information to be transferred at a faster rate. Advancements in cars, computers, aircraft and in other areas have exploded everything but one key element Rule of Law/Societal Order. Societal Order is maintained under those other four elements. A breakdown in order can also occur when it appears the rule of law is invalidated by the appearance of corruption. The purpose of the Rule of Law is not ideological but purely function, to create order where in a society functions.
Yeah the image sucks but it serves its purpose...
Order can collapse on itself through corruption and when it does it can knock out the other elements. Transportation isn't just about people moving about but the movement of resources, without the basic resources other elements collapse as order breaks down. Energy (this incudes fuel) is required to transport resources and people to maintain social order and the rule of law. Communication is a key element to keeping transportation, energy & resources following through a society and social order functioning. It doesn't matter if an EMP, a nuclear war, hurricane, earthquake or economic collapse breaks down one or more of these elements, as prepper you need to prepare to lack one or all of these elements.
So lets get to basic planning... How do we prepare for breakdown in Social Order and a lack of transportation, energy, available resources and communication? One word by becoming self-sufficient and using alternative means to do so. Lets get something straight most preppers are urban and sub-urban types, people in rural communities often lack having these things so readily available. So rural people have more then 1 way to light, heat their homes, cook, travel, acquire food, fuel and medical treatment, communication with their family and friends and so on. Once you have a general understanding of how to make up for a lack of supply and support in one of these areas, the reason(s) for the deficiency can be addressed.
So what are alternative means of maintaining Social Order?
How cheaply can you get these three weapons? (examples)
Handgun: Hi-Point C-9 9mm $189 or Hi-Point CF-380 380ACP $151
Rifle: Savage Mark II F Rifle .22LR $229.99 or
Browning A-Bolt III Composite Stalker Rifle .270, 30-06, 7mm Magnum or .300 Winchester $519.99
Shotgun: Maverick Model 88 Pump Shotgun 12 gauge $206 or
Remington 870 Express Shotgun 12 gauge $367
Rifle Shotgun Combo: Rossi Youth MP Combo Gun .410 or .22LR $199
Totals: $586.99 to $1,075.99
Totals using Rossi .410/22LR Combo Gun: $350 to $388
Firearms serve 2 primary uses, acquiring food and self-defense.
Bows and Crossbows can of course be used as well.
You don't need to dump $1,000 on one AR15 style rifle.
What are alternative means of Transportation?
In China, they carry a great deal on their tricycles, so yes you can get your preps out on one of these.
This image comes from http://politicsandpreppers.com/ presented here as an example of what most preppers think they can load on a bike.
What about alternative means of Energy and Fuel?
What about alternative means of Communication?
International Maritime Flag Signal:
Semaphore:
Admittedly, I don't know any of these either, haven't used Morse Code since I was kid but, I'm learning them as part of survival preparations.
What about alternative means of Basic Resources?
This will be covered in Part 2, once you realize you can subsist without depending on others to provide you those key elements and have prepared yourself to provide those elements on your own, you only need to look at possible case for those elements to de disrupted.
Lets start you plan with one question... What are you preparing for?
The answer isn't important, because it doesn't matter. You may think "What the is he talking about?" when you read that but lets keep things simple. Our society and infrastructure is based on key elements and if anything that breaks down those key elements creates a crisis event, otherwise known as the proverbial "Shit hitting the fan." Those key elements are;
1) Transportation
2) Energy/Fuel
3) Communication/information
4) Rule of Law/Societal Order
5) Basic Resource Availability
Knock down one and you might knock down all of them. In the past we travelled by horse back and cooked with wood, using oil to light our homes. Transportation advancements like the intercontinental rail road and wire telegraphs allowed people to travel safer and information to be transferred at a faster rate. Advancements in cars, computers, aircraft and in other areas have exploded everything but one key element Rule of Law/Societal Order. Societal Order is maintained under those other four elements. A breakdown in order can also occur when it appears the rule of law is invalidated by the appearance of corruption. The purpose of the Rule of Law is not ideological but purely function, to create order where in a society functions.
Order can collapse on itself through corruption and when it does it can knock out the other elements. Transportation isn't just about people moving about but the movement of resources, without the basic resources other elements collapse as order breaks down. Energy (this incudes fuel) is required to transport resources and people to maintain social order and the rule of law. Communication is a key element to keeping transportation, energy & resources following through a society and social order functioning. It doesn't matter if an EMP, a nuclear war, hurricane, earthquake or economic collapse breaks down one or more of these elements, as prepper you need to prepare to lack one or all of these elements.
So lets get to basic planning... How do we prepare for breakdown in Social Order and a lack of transportation, energy, available resources and communication? One word by becoming self-sufficient and using alternative means to do so. Lets get something straight most preppers are urban and sub-urban types, people in rural communities often lack having these things so readily available. So rural people have more then 1 way to light, heat their homes, cook, travel, acquire food, fuel and medical treatment, communication with their family and friends and so on. Once you have a general understanding of how to make up for a lack of supply and support in one of these areas, the reason(s) for the deficiency can be addressed.
So what are alternative means of maintaining Social Order?
- Uniform Social Code based on belief structures (i.e. religion, culture, etc.)
- Local Community Organizations (Neighborhood or Town Committees, Militias, Volunteer Organizations)
- An Armed Community: Simple logic if people can defend themselves criminals will pass them over for easier targets, why else do gunmen shoot up schools and churches (gun free zones) but never attack a police station or hunting club?
- Sense of Community as a Social Environment: There was a time when people got out and met their neighbors, today TV and internet make it easier to be entertained in our homes. Internet allows us to communicate with people across he world with similar views and interests to our own, so we talk to our neighbors less and know less of our community or the people within. Now Preppers fear the hordes of "zombies" coming for their supplies and keep it all a Secret under the idea of OpSec.
- Guard Dogs & Simple Non-Electronic Alarms: I have an interesting story about my "guard cat" (another time perhaps) but my neighbor's dog bars when anyone comes near his house at night. This means the same dog barks when anyone comes near my house at night. This kind of community alarm deters night time burglary. So do neighbors looking out for each other, a uniform social code...
How cheaply can you get these three weapons? (examples)
Handgun: Hi-Point C-9 9mm $189 or Hi-Point CF-380 380ACP $151
Rifle: Savage Mark II F Rifle .22LR $229.99 or
Browning A-Bolt III Composite Stalker Rifle .270, 30-06, 7mm Magnum or .300 Winchester $519.99
Shotgun: Maverick Model 88 Pump Shotgun 12 gauge $206 or
Remington 870 Express Shotgun 12 gauge $367
Rifle Shotgun Combo: Rossi Youth MP Combo Gun .410 or .22LR $199
Totals: $586.99 to $1,075.99
Totals using Rossi .410/22LR Combo Gun: $350 to $388
Firearms serve 2 primary uses, acquiring food and self-defense.
Bows and Crossbows can of course be used as well.
You don't need to dump $1,000 on one AR15 style rifle.
What are alternative means of Transportation?
- Animals: horses, mules and ponies we all know but I have a cousin who used to ride a bull. We all have forgotten the Ox Cart in the US.
- Motorcycles, Mopeds and ATVs: Just because a car or truck can't get through doesn't mean a smaller, less computerized vehicles can't be used. Roads might be impassable but what about hiking and off road trails. This includes electric cars and motorcycles.
- Boats & Rafts: If waterways are available or you have access to a coast you can make use water travel, in the case of roads being cut off after a crisis event.
- Bicycles, Tricycles and Peddle Cars: EMP Proof and doesn't need gasoline, you can pack more on them then just yourself.
- Walking & Hiking: Finally you can walk out or hiking out and well that means you need to practice backpacking and get used to act of walking out.
What about alternative means of Energy and Fuel?
- Gas Generators: Gas generators need fuel but can make a great short term power source in or after a crisis event. The issue is fuel for the power.
- Solar, Water & Wind Generators: Solar doesn't require fuel nor do wind or hydro-electric generators but require batteries and converters to run electronic devices. Basic devices without a lot of circuitry like light bulbs, heating filaments & such can be used even with an EMP.
- Manual Operated Generators: Bicycle and hand crank generators can be bought or made and require you to manually rotate a magnet over a copper or other metal coil to generate electricity. A converter is needed to convert the direct current into alternating current for most electronics but charging a battery for lighting is another easy enough.
- Cooking & Heating Fuels: Using cooking & heating fuels to include coal, wood and oil is an important buffer. Many people do not realize the same grease that comes from cooking meat can be saved and used as a cooking or heating oil.
- Candles & Lamps: Using and making candles and lamps, as well as fuel for such is a skill one should develop to help with cooking, lighting and heating without normal services due to a crisis event.
What about alternative means of Communication?
- CB, Walkie-Talkie & HAM Radios: Without cell phones or a power grid to power cell towers and land lines, citizen band radios and handhelds as well as HAM radio may be an available alternative. Many Preppers consider this already.
- Message Delivery/Curriers: Before the US Postal Service many people depended on couriers, hired to deliver messages and merchants travelling between settlements to deliver messages. Some people included messages sent by family who travelled to other towns. In a post crisis world, which might only last weeks or months, you could send a letter with someone travelling to check on their family headed in a direction.
- Alarm Bells & Community Message Boards: Another old pioneer and pre-TV & radio means of communication was using church bells to signal an emergency and a community message board (where online message boards get their name) that allowed anyone to post a public notice. In the inner city, graffiti acts as a kind of public message board to those who know how to read it.
- Community Meetings: Just getting together within your community and talking, passing along information via verbal discussion. One should be cautious of rumors & misinformation but that is true in all communication with other people.
- LAN Networks: Even if the internet is down, a wi-fi system can support a local area network between computers. Provided one has power, one can send messages to another person computer provided they are networked together and as I have been told over greater distances uses a CB or HAM radio.
- Smoke Signals & Flares: Signal fires and smoke have been used to send messages over a great distance. In a post crisis event, burning an old tire and using a blanket to create breaks in the smoke (yes, like "indian smoke signals") can be used to send Morse Code. It can also be used to signal people within area, in a flooded area or stranded in a blizzard, that black smoke from an old tire can signal your location. We all know flares are used to signal people a sea but its been used in The Walking Dead.
- Morse Code, International Maritime Flag Signal & Semaphore: Used with lights, bangs on a object like a gong or with hand flags and road flares, these signaling codes are used send messages over a great distance.
International Maritime Flag Signal:
Semaphore:
What about alternative means of Basic Resources?
- Farming: Farming growing crops and raising live stock admittedly is something many people consider. In many third-world nations, their middle class rely on low consumption animals like goats for meat, milk and making cheese or yogurt and gardening to buffer their food stuffs. These can be used by Americans without a lot of land at their disposal for cows. Most Americans are aware of rabbit starvation (where the lean meat of rabbit lack essential fatty acids and consumption actually burns more calories then it provides) which makes squirrel a better animal to farm for meat then rabbits.
- Gardening: Growing crops is fine but lacking those essential fatty acids and oils, you can lose calories. However, you can get pretty good carbohydrates (a source of calories) out of potatoes, sweet potatoes, basic vitamins out of green beans and protein from pinto or dried beans. An herb garden can also add flavor and plants that are useful as medical herbs.
- Hunting & Fishing: Hunting and fishing are always something someone suggests. Trapping of course falls in the hunting category since you have to find a location where your target animal is likely to travel to set a trap. However, how long until other with a similar idea deplete natural resources in the area? One can hunt and drive animals to an enclosed area to "farm" them such as Boar, Deer, Squirrels and catch fish from rivers and creeks to stock a pond. Table scraps can be used to feed the fish, depending on breed as well as natural plants and algae, some of which you can eat yourself.
- Trade & Barter: Trade and bartering for supplies is also possible but just remember that ounce of gold that trades of over $2,000 you are carrying now could only be worth 3 potatoes & jar of pickles to someone who has food and little interest in gold. Barter requires skills and/or items to trade in exchange for other items or skills. Here things like tobacco, alcohol, bio-diesel, charging batteries, first aid and medical herbs, cooking spices, gun powder, archery equipment, ammo, guns, bicycles and several others explained in a Poorman's Guide to Prepping all have value and depending on a person's needs can more value then money.
- Canning, Curing & Storing: Storing food is a common act of Preparation, but few people know how to can food themselves. Canning food can be used to store food from your garden and curing a means of storing meat.
- Collecting & Filtering Water: Having a alternate means of collecting water, such as collecting rain water, well water and so on can provide off grid water you a) don't have to pay for (everyone needs water so that's a barter item, if you want to be an asshole) and b) it is sustainable, meaning you aren't dependent on someone else to provide like the utility company.
This will be covered in Part 2, once you realize you can subsist without depending on others to provide you those key elements and have prepared yourself to provide those elements on your own, you only need to look at possible case for those elements to de disrupted.
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