Stuff You Need To Know

I recently did a list of “must know” trainers and resources for some people who wanted to get serious about training, and I thought I’d share it with you.

First off, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my site, Shooting Illustrated. I’ll put the articles on gear and training we have there up against any other site out there, and I’d bet we’d win.

Greg Ellifritz is a smart cookie, and his “Weekend Knowledge Dump” is THE roundup for good training and gun culture info.

Michael Bane’s podcast is one of the most entertaining out there, and it’s a “can’t miss” event for me each week.

Lee is a Sheriff in Georgia and is a smart cookie about all this gun training stuff. His podcast is an excellent resource for finding out about the roots of firearms training in the U.S., ’cause you don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been.

Speaking of people in Georgia, Brian and Shelley Hill of The Complete Combatant are top-notch trainers (Shelley writes a monthly column for me) who are up in Dahlonega.

Brian’s background is in martial arts, which brings me to Craig Douglas and Shivworks, THE resource for combining guns and jits. ECQC is a “must do.”

John Hearne’s “Who Wins, Who Loses and Why” is the best class I’ve ever taken on the combat mindset. John is one of the smartest cookies out there, says me and says Erick Gelhaus, our trainer for the first two days.

Massad Ayoob is the originator of how legal issues affect self defense. Another one of those “must do” classes, taught by the guy who came up with the ideas that everyone else uses.

Andrew Branca, The Law Of Self Defense. BUY HIS BOOK, READ IT AND UNDERLINE IT. Branca takes Mas’s class and narrows its focus to the courtroom.

Karl Rehn, Beyond the 1%. Karl breaks down the numbers about a) how many gun owners are out there and b) how many get any significant training. His findings are here, and they’re eye-opening.