The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast

447 - Strength, Power, Speed & Agility with Brandon Powers

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 01:55:40 +0000

Strength, Power, Speed and Agility

Episode 447 - Physical Fitness with Brandon Powers

This is episode 447 of the SSA Podcast and I am so pleased that you have joined us.

In this week's show we take a serious look at the details of physical fitness with Brandon Powers.

Who is Brandon Powers

Brandon has a serious resume when it comes to service and understanding of physical fitness.

United States Coast Guard 2001-2008
UW-La Crosse 2011; BS Exercise and Sport Science - Fitness, Minor in Nutrition, Concentrations in Strength and Conditioning as well as Coaching Competitive Athletics
Ohio University 2013; MS Recreational and Sport Science
Strength and Conditioning Coaching experience at the D1 and D3 levels
Exercise Physiologist at Ellsworth Air Force Base training military and police
Currently doing online/distance coaching through On Target Performance
Competitive USPSA shooter - Master Class
COO of Fireline Shooting & Training Center
Husband and father. Been married for 8 years and have 5 year old little girl and 4 year old little boy

Today We Talk About:

The performance pyramid (movement, performance, skill)
Specific Purpose Prep (SPP) vs General Purpose Prep (GPP)
Programming (Strength, Power, Hypertrophy, Endurance)
Conditioning (Work:Rest Ratio)
Diet / FUEL
Warm-Up / Cool - Down
Quality vs Quantity

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Please consider subscribing to the Safety Solutions Academy podcast so that each and every episode of the Safety Solutions Academy podcast will be delivered right to your phone. You can subscribe and even leave ratings and reviews by heading to safetysolutionsacademy.com/itunes.

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safetysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

In addition to helping to spread the Safety Solutions Academy podcast and it's important personal protection podcast to a larger audience of people just like you, becoming a patron provides you with access to exclusive content available through a private feed for patrons only. Finally, patrons are eligible for exclusive rewards like training with Safety Solutions Academy, ammunition and even a chance to receive a new handgun.

Head to safetysolutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about beer, being a Coastie and important Coast Guard History and more nitty gritty details.

Again, check out safetysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Purchase a MagFIX Today

The MagFIX is an improved magazine base pad and sleeve for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. The MagFIX:

Locks the sleeve in place for smooth and fast reloads
Provides improved grip on the magazine for a better grip on the gun and magazine
Helps empty mags drop free so that you can get your gun back up and running quickly when you need to most!

You can check out the MagFIX by heading to MagFIX.co to learn more or to make a purchase or you can find the MagFIX on Amazon here!

Train with Safety Solutions Academy

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Shop with our SSA Affiliates to support the show!

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!

When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

Mental Health and Guns with Michael Sodini

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000

This is episode 444 of the SSA Podcast and I am so pleased that you have joined us.

The topic/guest of this week's show is Michael Sodini of Eagle Imports and Walk the Talk America a pro-Second Amendment, non-profit organization dedicated to helping to bring awareness to the issues that surround firearms and mental health.

Struggling with a Mental Health Crisis?

Call 1-800-273-TALK - OR - Text MHA to 741741

Topic Intro/Guest Bio

ASU Grad with a degree in communications
Spent time in fashion modeling and real estate before working for the family business, Eagle Imports
Became President of Eagle Imports in 2009
Partner in Avidity Arms
In 2018 formed WTTA a non-profit organization dedicated to making positive change in relationship to mental health, and firearm awareness.

What we talk about in today's show:

What it's like to own a firearms business based in New Jersey
How being a fashion model breeds a sense of humor
Stigma and how it impacts what we do and what we don't do
How the Second Amendment community thrusts stigma onto others to avoid being stigmatized ourselves
How people like Colion Noir, Rob Pincus and Maj Toure are doing to change the firearms industry
Initiatives that WTTA are actively working on
What link mental illness and violence really have compared to what we believe they have
Why trauma mitigation can be a linch pin for preventing violence
WTTA's end game and what that looks like today
How Eagle Imports looks at mental health
What steps you can take to make a difference

Important links related to today's show.

Walk the Talk America
Walk the Talk America on Facebook
Mental Health America Position 72
Dr. Jeffrey Swanson
Colion Noir on the Bill Maher Show
Mental Health America resources
- Find help with a mental health challenge
- Mental Health America screening

Struggling with a Mental Health Crisis?

Call 1-800-273-TALK - OR - Text MHA to 741741

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safetysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about

Again, check out safetysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Purchase a MagFIX Today

The MagFIX is an improved magazine base pad and sleeve for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. The MagFIX:

Locks the sleeve in place for smooth and fast reloads
Provides improved grip on the magazine for a better grip on the gun and magazine
Helps empty mags drop free so that you can get your gun back up and running quickly when you need to most!

You can check out the MagFIX by heading to MagFIX.co to learn more or to make a purchase or you can find the MagFIX on Amazon here!

Train with Safety Solutions Academy

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Shop with our SSA Affiliates to support the show!

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!

When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

445 - Fitness for Fighting?

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:44:03 +0000

In this week's show we talk with Larry Lindenman of Point Driven Training about the role that physical fitness plays in personal protection but more importantly in life in general.

Larry is a retired Illinois State Police officer and an avid martial artist with a strong competitive background. He owns Point Driven Training and is an instructor in the Shivworks collective. Larry also has a masters degree in exercise physiology and has a deep understanding of how physical fitness can enhance an athlete's performance. When this knowledge is paired with Larry's understanding of the dynamics of violence, well, that is where the magic happens.

In todays Episode we talk about:

Saps and Blackjacks a course that Larry will be teaching at this years Tac-con,
Larry's Background in exercise physiology,
What physical fitness has to do with violence,
What a person needs to do to be considered healthy,
Why cardiovascular disease is more of a threat than violent criminals,
Why you consider lots of LSD to be the solution to your fitness issues
How chasing numbers can lead you away from your real goals,
How to make exercise and nutrition habitual by removing barriers,
Why consistency is so important in your physical fitness and,
How you can exercise to create adaptations in your body most efficiently.

Important links related to today's show.

Point Driven Training

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safetysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

Head to safetysolutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about

Again, check out safetysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Purchase a MagFIX Today

The MagFIX is an improved magazine base pad and sleeve for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. The MagFIX:

Locks the sleeve in place for smooth and fast reloads
Provides improved grip on the magazine for a better grip on the gun and magazine
Helps empty mags drop free so that you can get your gun back up and running quickly when you need to most!

You can check out the MagFIX by heading to MagFIX.co to learn more or to make a purchase or you can find the MagFIX on Amazon here!

Train with Safety Solutions Academy

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Shop with our SSA Affiliates to support the show!

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!

When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

444 - Mental Health and Guns with Dr. William Aprill

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 17:10:57 +0000

This is episode 444 of the SSA Podcast and I am so pleased that you have joined us.

In this special midweek episode of the SSA Podcast we talk with Dr. William Aprill about a difficult and controversial topic, mental health and guns.

Dr. William Aprill is a psychologist in private practice who helps people of all walks of life deal with issues such as depression, PTSD and substance abuse issues. In addition to his private practice William is the owner of Aprill Risk Consulting where he helps to unpack the criminal mind and raise awareness in how it is that the Violent Criminal Actor is different from you and me.

What is the goal of today's show?

Provide a framework for people to understand that mental health issues affect many Americans and engage in a conversation about the stigma that surrounds mental health and some strategies that gun owners can use to help keep themselves and those that they love safe. In addition I want to provide direct resources so that those that struggle with a mental health issue or know someone that does can take action.

In this episode Dr. William Aprill and I discuss:

The prevalence of mental health issues and the severity of those issues,
What your 4473 really says about mental health in question 11f,
The relationship between violence and mental health issues (really the lack of relationship,)
What resources are available and what steps people can take to protect themselves if they are concerned about their struggle with mental health, or the health of others.

Important links related to today's show.

National Institute of Mental Health

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about

Again, check out safefysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

443 - Holsters From Concept to Concealed Carry Comfort

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 14:57:13 +0000

Holsters with Jon Hauptman of PHLster

Episode 443 - From Concept to Concealed Carry Comfort

This is episode 443 of the SSA Podcast and I am so pleased that you have joined us.

The in this week's show we talk with Jon Hauptman of PHLster Holsters about how he is able to bring innovative new holsters to the market that solve problems that the average concealed carry holder faces and how they can solve those problems with PHLSTER.

Jon is the owner of PHLster Holsters and has a background as an ASCE Certified Mechanic. He also has a degree in fine arts. Jon used his skills as a mechanic and an artist to modify holsters so that they more readily accomplished the task of safely, securely and comfortably concealing his handgun. Those holsters still didn't quite fit the bill. As Jon explored the holsters that were more capable he found that his next obstacle was the wait time associated with the holsters that were seen as the "best."

Jon decided that his skills gave him everything he needed to learn how to build a quality holster in less time than it would take to wait for someone else to do it for him.

That was the beginning of PHLster.

In today's episode we talk about:

How Jon started and developed PHLster into the company it is today,
The Lego principle and how it impacts concealed carry comfort,
How your ccw holster is like a sailboat,
The impact of counterintuitive principles in firearms manufacturing and concealed carry,
Why the average person expects too much from their concealed carry holster,
How time can help you to conceal your gun and,
Much more!

Important links related to today's show.

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about

Again, check out safefysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Purchase a MagFIX Today

The MagFIX is an improved magazine base pad and sleeve for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. The MagFIX:

Locks the sleeve in place for smooth and fast reloads
Provides improved grip on the magazine for a better grip on the gun and magazine
Helps empty mags drop free so that you can get your gun back up and running quickly when you need to most!

You can check out the MagFIX by heading to MagFIX.co to learn more or to make a purchase or you can find the MagFIX on Amazon here!

Train with Safety Solutions Academy

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Shop with our SSA Affiliates to support the show!

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!

When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

442-Selecting a Quality Holster with Tom of Dark Star Gear

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 01:52:15 +0000

This is episode 442 of the SSA Podcast and I am so pleased that you have joined us.

The topic of this week's show is how you can select a quality holster for concealed carry.

Who are Tom and Dark Star Gear

Tom is the owner of Dark Star Gear Holsters. Dark Star Gear is a niche holster manufacturer that focuses on quality holsters for the committed carrier.

Dark Star Gear is one of several companies that has been leading the revival of Appendix Inside the Waistband carry and their products tend to be on the innovative side of the industry and are designed to specifically address the problems that typical people are forced to confront when the carry a gun on a daily basis.

Tom is geared to solve these problems as he is a mechanical engineer and works to make sure that he understands the real pressure that holsters can be subjected to when they are pressed into use in violence.

His products are designed with the end use in mind and are then tested in realistic training environments to ensure proper function.

Holster Talk

In today's show Tom and I look deeply into the topics of holsters, what they are, what they should be, the problems they need to solve and how they can best solve them.

In this episode we discuss:

Why holsters pose a significant gear problem for concealed carry holders,
"Bargain" holsters, the problems they don't solve and the issues they dump in the end user's lap,
What jobs a quality holster needs beyond serving as a gun bucket,
What appendix carry is and why it has become so popular,
The impact of gun size on concealed carry and why a smaller gun isn't necessarily easier to carry,
Specific features that can help a holster to carry and conceal a handgun well,
How understanding the problems that holsters face is critical for the design of a good holster,
What attachment points are reliable and which should be avoided,
Why validation of life saving gear is important and how it should be done,
What to look at most closely when selecting a holster so that you don't make concessions in important areas of holsters,
And more.

Important links related to today's show.

https://darkstargear.com/

Dark Star Gear on Facebook

The M&P Orion - https://darkstargear.com/product/mporion/

The HitchHiker https://darkstargear.com/product/hhgs940/

J-Frame https://darkstargear.com/product/jframe/

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about

Again, check out safefysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Purchase a MagFIX Today

The MagFIX is an improved magazine base pad and sleeve for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. The MagFIX:

Locks the sleeve in place for smooth and fast reloads
Provides improved grip on the magazine for a better grip on the gun and magazine
Helps empty mags drop free so that you can get your gun back up and running quickly when you need to most!

You can check out the MagFIX by heading to MagFIX.co to learn more or to make a purchase or you can find the MagFIX on Amazon here!

Train with Safety Solutions Academy

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Shop with our SSA Affiliates to support the show!

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

441 - Claude Werner, The Tactical Professor

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 01:17:59 +0000

Episode 441 - Claude Werner the Tactical Professor

This is episode 441 of the SSA Podcast and I am so pleased that you have joined us.

This episode's guest is Claude Werner. Claude is known in the firearms training industry as the Tactical Professor and focuses on the firearms industry from a different angle than most other personal protection educators.

Like many of his peers, Claude has a background in the military, however, this background was focused on military intelligence. After his time in the Military Claude had an executive career in the private sector, first in commercial real estate followed by a director level position in a big 5 accounting firm.

What these three different life experiences have in common is decision making based on large amounts of data. Claude has successfully transitioned the same skills he used in military intelligence, commercial real estate and accounting to educating his clients in firearms and personal protection related topics.

In today's episode of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast I have an in depth conversation with Claude on a wide range of topics. We discuss:

Making decisions based on data instead of emotions
Evaluating a defensive gun use based on financial criteria
The defense of others and how third party defense can be significantly more difficult to avoid negative outcomes
Dynamics of home invasions that may surprise you
Negative outcomes and why Claude focuses on mitigating those negative outcomes
How competence can increase your ability to deal with a defensive gun use more efficiently
Why we need to think about personal protection more like Italian real estate
How firearms instructors miss the boat when they fail to understand their clients lives and why they should get a real job
The Can/May/Should/Must paradigm and how it can improve your decision making as you prepare for a defensive gun gun use
Why making decisions ahead of time is so important in the defensive use of guns.
Co. Boyd and what he should be known for, and it isn't the OODA Loop
How David Brin's Triumvirate of Success can help us to balance the consequences, the honor and nobility, and our courage in responding to a personal protection incident

The conversation I had with Claude was comprehensive and deep. Claude is one of the folks in the firearms industry that invests the time and energy into considering the fine details of his instruction and the consequences those details could lead to when applied to personal protection.

In today's Patron only portion of the show, Claude shares with me how far he feels the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast has come and we talk about Col. Boyd's Aerial Attack Study and how it impacts decision making in personal protection.

To gain access to the exclusive Patron only content simply head to SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/support!

Important links related to today's show.

Claude's Website, The Tactical Professor Tacticalprofessor.com
Concealedcarryskillsanddrills.com
Indoorrangepracticesessions.com
Seriousgunownermistakes.com
The Tactical Professor on FaceBook
1000 Days of Practice
Purse and Off-Body Carry
Episode 0344 With Claude in 2014

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about

Again, check out safefysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Purchase a MagFIX Today

The MagFIX is an improved magazine base pad and sleeve for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. The MagFIX:

Locks the sleeve in place for smooth and fast reloads
Provides improved grip on the magazine for a better grip on the gun and magazine
Helps empty mags drop free so that you can get your gun back up and running quickly when you need to most!

You can check out the MagFIX by heading to MagFIX.co to learn more or to make a purchase or you can find the MagFIX on Amazon here!

440 - The Psychology of the Gun Agenda with Dr. William Aprill

Sat, 15 Sep 2018 01:00:48 +0000

The Psychology of the Gun Agenda

Episode 440 - with Dr. William Aprill of Aprill Risk Consulting

This is episode 440 of the SSA Podcast and I am so pleased that you have joined us.

In this show we will be talking with Dr. William Aprill of Aprill Risk Consulting about Showtime's new series Who is America and how it is capitalizing on the psychology of the progun agenda to make a statement.

Who is Dr. William Aprill?

William Aprill is a licensed mental health professional with over 15 years experience across the continuum of care. He presently maintains a private practice and consultancy specializing in post-traumatic interventions and other disciplines.

William is a former deputy sheriff (Orleans Parish, LA, Criminal Sheriff's Office) and Special Deputy US Marshal (Eastern District of Louisiana). He is a decorated competitive shooter and has taught civilian, law enforcement, and military personnel in various fighting skills since 1990.

William maintains an active schedule both as student and teacher, having been instructor-rated by several top-tier trainers and studying under many of the most influential members of the combative arts community.

Under the auspices of Aprill Risk Consulting, William has presented his material on violent criminals and their decision-making, defensive incident aftermath, mindset development and defensive preparedness locally and nationally, including at the Annual Conference of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI), Rangemaster Tactical Conference, Tactical Response Alumni Weekend, and at Paul-E-Palooza, the memorial conference and fundraiser for the family of the late Paul Gomez.

Links related to William Aprill

Aprill Risk Consulting

ARC on Instagram

Main Topics of Today's Episode:

I was really looking forward to Talking with William about how and why the Who is America crew finds success in manipulating conservative leaders. We look at how we can avoid this type of a confidence game and what the victimization of these folks might say about the firearms industry.

Who is America - Sacha Baron Cohen - Borat, Ali G - manipulating and embarrassing people for what seems to be political gain? What are your thoughts when you see this type of "comedy"?
Many of the folks That have been targeted have been conservative in political leanings and many from in the gun world. This has of course brought attention to the show from several angles. What is the cost of this? What are the likely consequences that a duped person might experience?
How is it that such successful and intelligent people can be goaded into doing such silly, nonsensical things?
Examples from SSA Podcast
The Milgram Experiment. Can you briefly describe it and what was learned from it.
- Why would this experiment be considered unethical to conduct today?
- How is what Cohen and Showtime are doing different?
The Netflix Documentary The Push
- Uses some simple screening to select people that tip toward compliant behavior
- Would you expect that Who is America is using screening like this to increase compliance?
What does it say about our culture in general and maybe more specifically about the firearms industry that some of our leaders are being duped this badly?
In one of the Who is America Clips a scientist avoids getting sucked in. Why do you suppose she is able to avoid the pitfalls?
What does the firearms industry need to change to help people not be so silly?
How can the average person avoid being manipulated by a salesperson, a business associate, a con, a violent criminal?

Important links related to today's show:

The Push Trailer
Newsweek Is the Push Fake?
The Milgram Experiment -
- Full Film
- Short Take - Under what circumstances will a person follow the directions of an authority figure even when the directions violate common sense, ethics and even morality
Who is America Links

Find out about the SSA Podcast

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Subscribe to the Show and Leave a Review!

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron.

Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast we talk about how firearms industry experts often aren't experts at all and how you can begin to evaluate the validity of supposed experts.

Again, check out safefysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Purchase a MagFIX Today

The MagFIX is an improved magazine base pad and sleeve for the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. The MagFIX:

Locks the sleeve in place for smooth and fast reloads
Provides improved grip on the magazine for a better grip on the gun and magazine
Helps empty mags drop free so that you can get your gun back up and running quickly when you need to most!

You can check out the MagFIX by heading to MagFIX.co to learn more or to make a purchase or you can find the MagFIX on Amazon here!

Train with Safety Solutions Academy

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Shop with our SSA Affiliates to support the show!

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!

When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

439 - J-Frame Julie G

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Julie Golob is a standout in the firearms industry. As I mentioned she is a world champion shooter in IPSC Classic Division. She is the captain of Team S&W, And sponsored by big names in shooting like Trijicon, Federal Premium Ammunition, Safariland, The National Shooting Sports Foundation and Liberty Safes.

Julie is a veteran of the United States Army where she was a member of the Army Marksmanship Unit.

Julie is an author and just after our recording of this episode she released her second book, Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules a children's book designed to help adults educate children on gun safety in a positive way regardless of the adults views on guns. You can find Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules on Amazon along with Julie's first book Shoot.

Since our recording, Julie has been elected to the NRA Board of Directors where

Julie is a wife and mother and you can see her commitment to her family in all that she does.

You can find out more about Julie and keep track of everything she is up to by visiting her website as Juliegolob.com

This show was recorded as part of our J-frame January series and unfortunately it has just sat in the can for a long time. As I have spooled up the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast again I decided that there was too much of Julie's time and too many quality segments in this show to just let it sit. and so here it is.

Julie and I start off the show with some silly banter

During the core of the show we jump into these topics.

Julie talks about the most fun she's ever had with a revolver.
Julie's concealed carry journey and how it relates to J-frames.
What Julie sees as the greatest misunderstanding that people have about revolvers in general.
How should someone make the determination as to whether they should carry a revolver or a semi-automatic?
What Julie sees as the greatest set of advantages that the J-Frame offers? What are the greatest disadvantages of the J-Frame?
What Julie thinks the perfect J-Frame would look like.
Revolver grip - What Julie's grip looks like.
If there was one tip that people could implement for improving their revolver shooting what would it be?
Speed loaders, speed strips or loose rounds? What does your revolver reload look like?
If Julie was in Montana and carrying a wheel gun, what would it be?

Julie's new book Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules

Patron Only Segment:

Goal Setting -

Julie's Bianchi Cup Goals for 2018 and how to set realistic goals in the shooting sports and in life.

Links:

Add: Ammoland NRA Board of Directors

Add: NRA Board Info

Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules page. Kidsgunsafetybook.com

Here are some links from past episodes with Julie and where you can catch up with Julie online.

https://safetysolutionsacademy.com/0266-an-interview-with-julie-golob-and-jerry-miculek-of-team-smith-and-wesson/

https://www.juliegolob.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JulieGolob/

https://www.youtube.com/user/jgotube

438 - Revolvers with Dentist Cop, Dr.Sherman House

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:47:14 +0000

438 - Revolvers et al with Sherman House

Welcome to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast! If you are working to sort out the complexities of personal protection, increase the efficiency of your defensive training and demystify the tools you need to keep yourself and those that you love safe then the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is the place of you!

I am your host Paul Carlson and I am so glad have joined me today. You can contact me by sending comments, questions and topics for future shows to paul@safetysolutionsacademy.com I would love to hear from you!

This Episode With Dr. Sherman House

This is episode P438 of the Safety Solutions Academy podcast and in today's episode we will be continuing our month of content focused on the J-frame revolver. You could think of it as J-frame January if you like. Just more like August… We have 4 revolver centric podcasts recorded and ready to launch with supporting blog posts and unique video content that is certain to help you learn a thing or two about revolvers.

Last episode we spoke to Chuck Haggard on revolvers you can listen to that episode by simply heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/437 and you can stay on top of all the J-frame content by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/jframe.

This week we will take our J-frame content in another direction as we talk with Sherman House of civiliandefender.com.

Sherman has a very diverse body of experience. You can (and should) read about his history here.

I have had the opportunity to train in and observe Sherman as an instructor in multiple courses at Paul-e-Palooza. Several of these classes were classes specifically related to effectively shooting small guns.

Today we are going to talk about fun, interesting and educational topics such as:

Sherman's morning routine
Why Sherman rarely reviews gear
The fact that the firearms industry is full of people that aren't gun people and what the impact is.
Innovation in the gun industry
The fact atet the New York Police Dept. stops allowing officers to carry revolvers.
and lots of information about revolvers.

Where can you find out about the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast?

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners. You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron. In addition to helping to spread the Safety Solutions Academy podcast and it's important personal protection podcast to a larger audience of people just like you, becoming a patron provides you with access to exclusive content available through a private feed for patrons only. Finally, patrons are eligible for exclusive rewards like training with Safety Solutions Academy, ammunition and even a chance to receive a new handgun. Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

Become an Safety Solutions Academy Patron!

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast Sherman and I talk about difficulty and complexity and how diving deeply into a topic can help to solidify your fundamentals.

Again, check out safefysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Now let's get into today's show!

437 - Chuck Haggard on J-frames and Pocket Poppers

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 03:04:55 +0000

This is episode 437 of the Safety Solutions Academy podcast and in today's episode we will be our month of content focused on the J-frame revolver. You could think of it as J-frame January if you like. We have 4 revolver centric podcasts recorded and ready to launch with supporting blog posts and unique video content that is certain to help you learn a thing or two about revolvers.

Last week we spoke to Massad Ayoob on revolvers you can listen to that episode by simply heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/436 and you can stay on top of all the J-frame content by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/jframe

This week we will take our J-frame content in another direction as we talk with Chuck Haggard of Agile Training and Consulting.

Chuck is a career law enforcement officer who retired as a Lt. from the City of Topeka Police Department and resumed his career in LE in a rather unique situation as a LE officer, fire fighter, and air crash rescue at a Kansas airport and it's surrounding community.

I have had the opportunity to train in and observe Chuck as an instructor in multiple courses both at the Rangemaster Tactical Conference and at Paul-e-Palooza. Several of those classes were classes specifically related to effectively shooting small guns.

Today we are going to talk about fun, interesting and educational topics such as:

Sleep deprivation and the problems it can cause in life and in personal safety
Revolvers and pocket poppers and why they were so popular
- Back up guns and why the revolver fits so well in that role
- Colt Cobras and Detective Specials
Revolvers and their reliability and is it really as good as people think?
The Advantages of the J-frame when it comes to

- Concealment
- Quick draw
The best defensive ammunition for short barreled revolvers and what parameters you should be looking at when selecting your ammo
And a ton more.

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to Ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

The Safety Solutions Academy podcast is currently a podcast that is sponsor free and it is supported completely by it's listeners. You can support the Safety Solutions Academy podcast by heading to safefysolutionsacademy.com/support and becoming a patron. In addition to helping to spread the Safety Solutions Academy podcast and it's important personal protection podcast to a larger audience of people just like you, becoming a patron provides you with access to exclusive content available through a private feed for patrons only. Finally, patrons are eligible for exclusive rewards like training with Safety Solutions Academy, ammunition and even a chance to receive a new handgun. Head to safety solutionsacademy.com/support to become a patron today.

In today's Exclusive Patron only portion of the podcast Chuck and I talk about how to train in a manner to be able to deal with real violence when it rears its head. Again, check out safefysolutionsacademy.com/support for more information on how you can gain access to the exclusive patron only content.

Now let's get into today's show!

436 - S&W J-Frame January with Massad Ayoob

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 01:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Safety Solutions Academy podcast! If you are working to sort out the complexities of personal protection, increase the efficiency of your defensive training and demystify the tools you need to keep yourself and those that you love safe then the Safety Solutions Academy podcast is the place of you!

This is episode 436 of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and in today's episode we will be kicking off an entire month of content that will be focused on the J-Frame revolver. You could think of it as J-Frame January if you like. We have 4 revolver centric podcasts recorded and ready to launch with supporting blog posts and unique video content that is certain to help you learn a thing or two about revolvers.

As far as I am concerned there is no better way to start off a month on the small wheel guns than by talking to a man that is a legend in the gun industry and is himself an accomplished revolver shooter, Massad Ayoob.

Mas is a frequent guest on the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and for good reason. He has a very strong background in the legal aspects of self-defense and the use of lethal force as well as in defensive shooting. MAs is the owner of the Massad Ayoob Group and travels the nation teaching defensive shooting, the ins and outs of the legal aspects of the use of lethal force though his flagship course, the MAG-40 which we will be hosting in May of 2018. In addition, Mas is a prolific writer and he has teamed up with Marty Hayes of the firearms Academy of Seattle to offer instructor development courses in the use of deadly force.

Today we are going to talk about fun, interesting and educational topics such as:

Who should be looking toward the revolver as a self defense tool
How you can learn to shoot a revolver better through a better grip and trigger press
How a revolver can help you to learn to get your hits
Why revolvers are great tool for learning to shoot your Semi-Auto better
A comparison between the 442 and the 340M&P
And a whole lot more.

You can learn more about the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by heading to Ssapodcast.com where you will find the latest episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Thanks for Supporting the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast!

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Ohio Concealed Carry Courses

Critical Defensive Handgun

Advanced Critical Defensive Handgun

Massad Ayoob Group Courses (like the MAG-20, MAG-30 and MAG-40)

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

435v2 - Bright Lights for Personal Defense

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 14:52:12 +0000

Do you carry a light for personal defense? If you do, what light have you selected? How do you carry it? Where does it rank in importance in your EDC?

In today's episode Richard and I talk about things like:

How Richard and I met in real life and social media safety
The flashlight revolution
The Beginnings of Flashlights
Maglite
Streamlight SL20 Rechargeable
Surefire 6P
Lumens is all the focus but there are more aspects to a quality light
Candela - Candlepower "peak beam intensity" measures the largest reflected intensity.
Lumens - Total amount of light - measures one moment in time and all of the light that is output.
How lumens and candela work together
Standards - ANSI/Neema/Plato FL1 Standards and how they are helping you to make good choices when it comes to lights
Problems with FL1 standards - The runtime issue
Tlr 6 Review and Graph
GHG -
What makes for a good light
My EDC Flashlight
Batteries and how they can improve the performance of your light
Lithium is the way to go.
Cr123
AAA
AA
How do you select a good self-defense/personal protection light?
Specific recommendations:
Elzetta
Streamlight
Protac HL
http://amzn.to/2zhVSEM
SHOT Show - coverage

Exclusive Patron Only Content

Popularity does not equal expertise

Influence comes with responsibility

Credentials aren't necessarily important either
Skepticism - Is it a bad thing?

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

- Thomas Jefferson

The source of our Rights

Federalists - Whatever we write down limits us to what we write down.

Anti-Federalists - All governments eventually restrict rights so we need a Bill of Rights.

Scalia opinion in Heller

Ruger - a stock report on rgr

Important links for the SSA Podcast:

Please consider subscribing to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by heading to SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/itunes. By subscribing you will be sure that you don't miss a single episode.

I would also appreciate it if you would take the time to leave a review and a rating. Please let me and others know what you thing about the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast. The feedback helps me to create better content and it helps other folks figure out if the SSA Podcast is worth downloading. Again, just head to SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/itunes and leave your feedback.

The SSA Podcast is sponsored by Safety Solutions Academy and you the listeners. If you would like to support the SSA Podcast just head to SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/support and you can learn about how you can become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast for as little as $1 a month. Every little bit helps, so consider becoming a Patron today!

Don't forget there is a ton of quality content available through SSA. A great place to start is SafetySolutionsAcademy.com. Make sure to check out our blog and podcast content as well as the main training courses that we offer.

You can find us on FaceBook at:

Paul Carlson

SSAPodcast

Safety Solutions Academy

On IG you can find me at Paul_SSA

We are getting ready to spool up our YouTube channel again as the weather starts to look better so make sure to subscribe to SSA on YouTube.

434-World Champion Julie Golob

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It has been a long time since Julie has joined us on the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and with both of our crazy schedules it has been a while since we have had the opportunity to chat casually as well. Julie and I take full advantage of the time we had to catch up on a whole variety of topics and most of them were actually related to shooting in some way!

In Today's Episode:

Julie and I chat about a wide range of topics including:

Julie recent World Championship with at IPSC World Shoot in France
Kids and competition and when is the right time
The recent debut of Munchkin Golob in a rimfire steel match
Julie's thoughts on teaching kids to shoot
Gun storage and staging with kids in the home
S&W Shield 2.0 with Crimson Trace laser and the rest of the M2.0 family
Julie's upcoming hunting season with her M&P10 and her TC Strike
Women and other minorities in the shooting world, what the the industry can do to help encourage those that are something other than the typical shooter to dive into shooting
Julie's run for the NRA BOD
The recent NRA position and why people need to stay involved with the NRA
What is next for Julie G
And a ton more!

Patron Only Segment:

The creepy side of the firearms industry and the scary face of the anti-gunners.

If you want to hear this exclusive Patron only segment simply head to our Support Page and learn how you can become a Patron for as little as a dollar a month!

433 - Building Shooters with Dustin Salomon

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 02:01:42 +0000

In episode 432 of the SSA Podcast I talked about Dustin Salomon's book, Building Shooters with friend and colleague Rob Morse. Lot's of folks had a really positive response to the episode, including the author, Dusty. He reached out and shared some positive thoughts about the episode and was receptive to continuing the conversation and that is exactly what we do in episode 433.

Dusty, Rob and I dive into a deep conversation about firearms instruction. We talk about all kinds of topics including:

Dustin's time in the Navy, "It's not just a job, it's an adventure!"
What key takeaways instructors should have from this episode
What key thoughts students should be focused on
Why is it that Building Shooters has been needed by the firearms training industry?
A look at the terrain of the commercial side of defensive training.
A look at the terrain of the human brain and how it guides learning.
Priming. What it is and why it is important
How the brain learns
Short term memory and how its limits are the limits of learning
How we can help transfer skills from the short term memory into the long term procedural memory.
Dustin's new book, "Mentoring Shooters"
And a ton more!

Mike Seeklander on Building Shooters - "This book should have been written years ago."

Dr. Jeremy Sword, Ph.D. Neuroscience- "Dustin Salomon has distilled the teaching of defensive shooting to its core elements..."

Building shooters

Dusty's Blog

Dusty's training site

Left of Bang

Rob's Blog - Slow Facts

Rob's Podcast - Self Defense Gun Stories

Polite Society Podcast

The myth of different learning styles- Dustin Salomon

Hippocratic approach to firearms training- Do no harm

Do no harm during training

What is Hojutsu

"Mentoring Shooters" by Dustin Salomon

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Ohio Concealed Carry Courses

Critical Defensive Handgun (check out our CDH Course in San Antonio Nov 4th & 5th, 2017)

Advanced Critical Defensive Handgun

Massad Ayoob Group Courses (like the MAG-20, MAG-30 and MAG-40)

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!

•When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

432 - Rob Morse and the state of Defensive Shooting Instruction

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

432 - The State of Firearms Instruction

In this episode of the SSA Podcast:

I chat with Rob Morse of slowfacts.wordpress.org a collection of blog posts that I would call the opposite of knee-jerk reactions and Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast at selfdefensegunstories.com where you take a look at defensive gun uses and analyze them for lessons that can be learned. Rob is also a member of the Polite Society Podcast where he and the rest of Paul Lathrup's crew discuss a wide variety of firearms related topics.

On today's episode we talk about:

what it is that makes Rob tick
Rob's background in defensive gun training and self-defense
what got Rob started thinking about the effectiveness of defensive firearms training
the book, Building Shooters. What it is, why it is interesting and who it might be for
what Building Shooters made Rob and I start thinking about related to defensive training.
who is it that tends to benefit most from a two day training course
what we think that instructors can do to overcome some of the challenges that arise from current training models and from models that we may shift toward
why taking notes on the range is so important
much more!

Become a Patron to access this exclusive Patron Content:

In today's exclusive patron only portion of the show we get into self-defense, if it really happens and the reaction that we get and how we deal with it when people find out that we are "gun guys!"

Important Links:

Building Shooters by Dustin P. Salomon

Rob's Blog Slow Facts

The Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast

The Polite Society Podcast

Take notes in class and on the range with these waterproof note pads

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Ohio Concealed Carry Courses
Critical Defensive Handgun (check out our CDH Course in San Antonio Nov 4th & 5th, 2017)
Advanced Critical Defensive Handgun
Massad Ayoob Group Courses (like the MAG-20, MAG-30 and MAG-40)

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

431 - MAG-30 Wrap Up with David Maglio

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 01:33:01 +0000

One of the ways that I work to stay sharp as an instructor and as a students of self-defense is to host other instructors. This past weekend, I hosted David Maglio of Concealed Carry Associates for a MAG-30 course. Way back when I took a MTG "Shoot till you puke" course and the high round count weekend was one of the ways I drove past a plateau in my shooting. I shot faster with more precision after than weekend.

In order to offer that same opportunity to students of SSA I talked with David Maglio and we set up a date for him to teach his MAG-30 at Southington Hunt Club.

This is our wrap up of that course.

In this episode of the SSA Podcast:

I chat with David Maglio on our ride to the airport after wrapping up a MAG-30 Course in NE Ohio. We discuss topics like:

What the course progression is inside the Massad Ayoob Group
What prompted David to develop the MAG-30
What struggles David typically sees when students are in the midst of a MAG-30 and what growth they experience as a result
The square range, tradition and history vs. reality
Surviving the violent encounter vs. surviving the legal aftermath
Sights and how they can help or hinder
And much more!

Become a Patron to access this exclusive Patron Content:

In today's Exclusive Patron only content David and I actually set the date for next years MAG-30and then dive deeper into the trigger press and the problems that history and tradition can cause for us as instructors and students of self defense.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Patron, simply follow this link.

Important Links:

Concealed Carry Associates

Next years' MAG-30 course

Our 2018 MAG-40

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Ohio Concealed Carry Courses
Critical Defensive Handgun (check out our CDH Course in San Antonio Nov 4th & 5th, 2017)
Advanced Critical Defensive Handgun
Massad Ayoob Group Courses (like the MAG-20, MAG-30 and MAG-40)

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

430 - Establishing a Consistent Grip in the Holster

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the SSA Podcast:

We take a look at:

Why it is important to establish a quality grip on the handgun when the gun is in the holster.
Why a solid grip is important for defensive shooting.
What is a quality grip on a ccw handgun?
8 Points of a quality grip
I describe the 8 points of the handgun grip that I start out most shooters with in this blog post titled "Get a Grip."
When you should establish a quality grip?
When you need to reestablish a quality grip?
When it is time to release your grip?

Become a Patron to access this exclusive Patron Content:

In this episode's Patron only content I go over the gear I will be using in the upcoming MAG-30 course that David Maglio will be teaching here on September 16-18th.

In addition, I review the goals we have set for the Safety Solutions Academy Patreon Program!

50 Patrons - One Patron will win a 2 day Critical Defensive Handgun Course
100 Patrons - One Patron will win 1000 rounds of 9mm training ammunition.
250 Patrons - One Patron will win 1000 rounds of 9mm training ammunition and a 2 day Critical Defensive Handgun Course
500 Patrons - One Patron will win 1000 rounds of 9mm training ammunition, a 2 day Critical Defensive Handgun Course and a new 9mm Gen 5 GLOCK handgun!

So, spread the word so that we can start giving away some of these awesome prizes!

Important Links:

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast to support the show and to gain access to exclusive content.

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Ohio Concealed Carry Courses
Critical Defensive Handgun (check out our CDH Course in San Antonio Nov 4th & 5th, 2017)
Advanced Critical Defensive Handgun
Massad Ayoob Group Courses (like the MAG-20, MAG-30 and MAG-40)

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

429 - Covering Your ASP with John Correia

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

429 - Covering your ASP with John Correia of Active Self Protection

In this episode of the SSA Podcast:

We chat with self-defense content task master John Correia of Active Self Protection.

Through ASP John releases daily videos on Facebook, Youtube and the ASP website that analyze real life self-defense encounters and teaches lessons in personal protection.

The lessons taught through John's videos emphasize the Attitude, Skills, and Plan that every day concealed carry holders should be focusing on to maximize their training, practice and chance to survive a violent encounter.

In today's episode I talk with John about the success of the ASP YouTube channel, his recent adventure at the NRA Carry Guard Expo, the difference between being in a gunfight and a shooting, the morality difference between a violent criminal and a law abiding citizen, FIBS and FIBA, what they mean and why they are important to you, and a ton more.

Become a Patron to access this exclusive Patron Content:

In today's exclusive, Patron only content I break down a framework for understanding violence, studying violence, experiencing violence and then completing the cycle by applying what you learn about violence without burning up your brain with excessive, needless, violent imagery.

You can access this content by pledging as little as $1 a month and becoming a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy.

Important Links:

Active Self Protection on the Web

ASP on Facebook (click on like and choose notifications)

Active Self Protection on Youtube (be sure to subscribe)

Tim Larkin's book, When Violence is the Answer (my copy is on its way and I will talk more about the book when I get through it.)

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Ohio Concealed Carry Courses
Critical Defensive Handgun (check out our CDH Course in San Antonio Nov 4th & 5th, 2017)
Advanced Critical Defensive Handgun
Massad Ayoob Group Courses (like the MAG-20, MAG-30 and MAG-40)

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

428 - What are you willing to die for?

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 01:09:19 +0000

I know the title is a bit dramatic, but it is a concept that I have had spinning around in my head as I have been listening to the latest episode of the Hardcore History Podcast dealing with the Celtic Holocaust.

Between the times of 100 BC and around 50 BC the Celtic people found themselves engaged in a struggle for survival with the Roman empire and Julius Caesar. As individuals and as a whole it seems like they must have had to ask themselves the question, "What are we willing to die for?"

It isn't an easy question or one that very many of us have had to ask ourselves, yet at the same time I can see some striking parallels to the kinds of questions we should be asking ourselves when it comes to personal protection and self-defense.

I don't know if any of this will make any sense when you listen to it. Maybe it is just a bunch of illogical drivel. At the same time, the concepts struck me and as I hope to be a better student to both history and to personal protection, it makes sense to me to explore the connections when they seem to appear.

So, I ask you, what are you willing to die for? Connect with me and let me know.

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Safety Solutions Academy is dedicated to educating those that wish to be more prepared to deal with our violent world. Please take a few minutes to check out the courses we offer:

Ohio Concealed Carry Courses

Critical Defensive Handgun (check out our CDH Course in San Antonio Nov 4th & 5th, 2017)

Advanced Critical Defensive Handgun

Massad Ayoob Group Courses (like the MAG-20, MAG-30 and MAG-40)

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

• Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!

• Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!

• When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

427 - Bob Mayne, Ben Branam and I on Derp

Sat, 12 Aug 2017 00:59:13 +0000

Today I had a chance to chat with Ben Branam and Bob Mayne at the range as we prepared to teach a Beyond Concealed Carry Enhanced +p+ course in Southington, Ohio.

We talked about the tendency of the gunternet to pounce on what they call derp and the negative effects that the negativity can have on the gun community.

A perfect example is what happened when Mike Seeklander posted about a pending interview with Gabe Suarez.

The pouncing also happens when folks that are new to the gun community make "mistakes" that don't follow what social media gun "experts" think is the best course.

What do you think about this negative trend?

Take a look at the book we mention in the show, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

426 - Drop Safe Handguns

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 02:10:26 +0000

This past week has been an interesting one in the gun industry.

No one knows who to believe and everyone is shocked that the P320 has problems. Yet there were those that had concerns from the beginning.

I would like to say I don't care about all that, but I do and I talk about it in today's Patron only portion of the show.

The main reason for today's episode is to help folks to understand why it is important to have drop safe guns.

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review. Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast when you shop at Brownells!
When you visit GunMag Warehouse for more mags, and to support the show!

425 - Stepping Outside Your Personal Protection Comfort Zone

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Stepping outside of your comfort zone is the ticket to growth in life, in business and in your own personal protection. If you are always doing what you are comfortable doing, you are unlikely to experience significant growth.

I'm not suggesting that going someplace where you feel unsafe, or doing something that is going to lead to an unsafe situation. Instead, I am suggesting that you step outside of your typical comfort zone when you are preparing for your defense.

Instead of practicing the things that come easily to you, try something that is difficult.

Instead of just going to the range to practice, take a training course.

If you spend all your time training guns, get some unarmed training or medical training.

You get the idea. Step outside your comfort zone to make gains.

If you are looking for a training course, take a look at the Beyond Concealed Carry Enhanced course that SSA will be hosting. It is a unique class in that Bob Mayne, Ben Branam and myself will all be instructing at the course. You will get the viewpoint of three different instructors in two days of outstanding training.

Follow this link to get your self registered for the August 12-13th Beyond Concealed Carry Enhanced in Garrettsville, OH.

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by clicking through our affiliate links:

Click on the Amazon Affiliate link every time you shop at Amazon!
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424 - Rangemaster, MAG-40 and the IPTS with Kevin Creighton

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 21:16:23 +0000

Today on the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast we are going to chat with Kevin Creighton a gun blogger at Misfires and Light Strikes. Kevin is also a freelance writer for Lucky Gunner, Ricochet and Shooting Illustrated.

We chat with Kevin about my recent trip to Little Rock Arkansas and the Ringmaster Tactical Conference, the MAG-40 he will be attending in early May in NE Ohio and about a new dry fire training product he is involved in developing called the Interactive Training Pistol.

The Rangemaster Tactical Conference was an outstanding seminar. While there I had the chance to spend time with tons of great people, learn a ton and I had an all around fun time as well.

On May 4th Safety Solutions Academy will be kicking off it's third annual MAG-40 Course with Massad Ayoob. You can find out more and get registered by following this link.

Kevin is involved with brining a new dry fire training pistol to market and an indiegogo campaign for the IPTS launches on April 15th. We talk a bit about the Interactive Pistol Training System and what it can do to help improve your understanding of your shooting skills. You can learn more by following the link to the Interactive Pistol Training System page.

Thanks for tuning in to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast. I appreciate you investing your time with our show.

The best way to make sure you don't miss any episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast is to subscribe. Simply follow this link to iTunes and you can have the shows sent right to your phone so they are waiting for when you are ready to listen.

If you are a regular listener I would really appreciate it if you could take the time to leave a rating or a review of the show on iTunes. Again, just follow the link and tell me what you think. Ratings and reviews help other folks find the podcasts that are the best for them. So help some folks out and leave a review!

Finally, if you find value in what the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast has to offer, consider becoming a Patron. The patron program we offer through Patreon allows you to make a pledge to the show for as little as $1 per month. It is these contributions that keep the SSA Podcast coming. In the near future, I'm looking at reinvesting the pledges of Patrons into professional podcast editing so that I can spend my time creating more content and less time editing the audio. This kind of a move wouldn't be possible without your support!

Thanks so much for your support and I will catch you next time!

424 - Rangemaster, MAG-40 and the IPTS with Kevin Creighton

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 21:09:39 +0000

The Rangemaster Tactical Conference was an outstanding seminar. While there I had the chance to spend time with tons of great people, learn a ton and I had an all around fun time as well.

On May 4th Safety Solutions Academy will be kicking off it's third annual MAG-40 Course with Massad Ayoob. You can find out more and get registered by following this link.

Thanks for tuning in to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast. I appreciate you investing your time with our show.

Thanks so much for your support and I will catch you next time!

424 - Rangemaster, MAG-40 and the IPTS with Kevin Creighton

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 21:08:29 +0000

The Rangemaster Tactical Conference was an outstanding seminar. While there I had the chance to spend time with tons of great people, learn a ton and I had an all around fun time as well.

On May 4th Safety Solutions Academy will be kicking off it's third annual MAG-40 Course with Massad Ayoob. You can find out more and get registered by following this link.

Thanks for tuning in to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast. I appreciate you investing your time with our show.

Thanks so much for your support and I will catch you next time!

423 - Ohio CCW Law Changes - SB 199

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 19:48:27 +0000

On March 21st those of us that carry concealed handguns in the state of Ohio awoke to some important changes in the law.

The following list of changes comes from the very comprehensive Buckeye Firearms Association website. I made some changes to the order of presentation, but the list is not my original list. The commentary you hear in the podcast are my original thoughts on the latest revision to the Ohio Revised Code regarding Concealed Carry.

Ohio CCW pdf

You can find the article that outlines the changes to the Ohio Revised Code regarding concealed carry here.

The 2017 MAG-40 is coming soon to Safety Solutions Academy

You can find more information on the MAG-40 that Safety Solutions Academy is hosting by following this link.

There is more to concealed carry than knowing how to shoot and understanding when and where you can carry a gun. It is the knowledge you gain in a class like a MAG-40 that can significantly improve your ability to defend yourself from both a violent attack and from the legal battle that you could face as the result of a lawful use of force. This is why the MAG-40 is such a valuable course.

422 - Beretta APX, Wilson Combat EDC X9

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 02:36:11 +0000

Beretta APX

You can see the video that I shot and produced for Athlon Outdoors on the Combat Handguns Facebook page.

I discuss my first impressions of the APX in detail on the Safety Solutions Academy Page as well as on Tactical-Life.com.

Wilson Combat EDC X9

Today we also chat about the Wilson EDC X9 a new 1911ish pistol that her the market on Monday. I talk about my thoughts on the Wilson Combat EDC X9 at Safety Solutions Academy and you can see the EDC X9 video at Tactical-life.com as well.

Beware of Bias

Bias is a real thing and the worst part about bias is that we often do not recognize that it is influencing us.

Why I Carry in a Horizontal Mag Pouch

My decision to carry in a horizontal mag pouch is all about efficiency.

My carrier of choice is Magholder.com mag pouches. I have been carrying in my current Mag Holder horizontal pouch for ages and it does a great job of keeping my mag exactly where it needs to be until I need to reload my gun.

Patreon Only Content

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast Conundrum

Sig P320 Update

More about the Beretta APX

And a quick look at the Tikka T3X Tac A1

421 - Pincus on the SFD Responder, SHOT, and believing your own BS

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 23:40:22 +0000

Today I spent some time talking with Rob Pincus of I.C.E. Training about a wide variety of topics.

We started out talking about our current political situation and the Second Amendment challenges that we face and what we can do about them.

Somehow we spent a chunk of time talking about ammunition evolution and performance, and the hope that with engineering advances .380 might become the standard.

Both Rob and I have been testing the Safer Faster Defense Responder which is an ankle rig designed by Alessandro Padovani that is a great way to carry your medical essentials.

The conversation about medical gear lead into the civilian response to violence and spree killings and how we can make sure that we respond in a manner that is beneficial to those involved and also keeps us safe from others that may be responding to the situation.

Distance Education is an endeavor that PDN has been involved in since 2012 and Rob filled us in on the new interaction with Law Enforcement course that recently launched on the website.

FInally we chatted about the Avidity Arms PD10 and some of the other highlights of SHOT Show 2017.

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

In our Exclusive Patron only content we chatted about how to make sure that you aren't buying into your own BS.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

420-3 questions and 2 guns & a kid

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 03:07:29 +0000

Kyle asks about dealing with LE's and being relieved of his gun during an official interaction and I provide Some Ohio specific advice as well as some general thoughts for all.

MAG-40

Tony from NH wants some advice on a holster. Tough question, but we give it a go!

Dark Star Gear

JM Custom Kydex

Keepers Concealment

Dale Fricke Holsters Archangel 2

Raven Concealment Eidolon

Here is a post I created some time ago about selecting a quality holster.

Aw wants some more information about traveling with firearms and ammunition and wants some thoughts on the Gunvault Nano 300.

Dave wants to know how I carry a GLOCK "18"

And I give some thoughts on the Sig P320.

In the Patron only portion of the show I rant a bit on the sissies we are turning our nation into and we get interrupted by my 7 year old, B who rolls with the punches...

419 - Responsible Air Travel with Guns

Sun, 15 Jan 2017 01:00:00 +0000

What are TSA Regulations?

What do I do When I travel with Firearms?

Luggage Selection - Here is an updated suitcase very similar to the one I use. Mine is pre-spinner suitcases and has lasted close to 10 years.
Ensure Compliance
Take your responsibility further
Arrive early
Head to the baggage claim ASAP

Would additional regulations have stopped the recent Ft. Lauderdale situation?

It may have changed it, but it wouldn't have stopped it.
This situation is an outlier in a genre of outliers.

Subscribe to the SSA Podcast and please leave an honest rating and review.

Consider becoming a Patron.

418 - Comfort in Concealed Carry

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 04:42:50 +0000

Please visit, like and follow the Facebook pages below:

Combat Handguns

Tactical-Life

Personal Defense World

Please visit Athlon Outdoors on Instagram. Follow, like, interact and repost as you deem appropriate!

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and leave a rating and review.

Become a Patron of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Physical Comfort and Concealed Carry

Size of Gun
Holster Selection
Location of Carry
Clothing Selection
Belt Selection

The Solution to physical comfort is selecting the right system for you and then giving that system the time for your body to become accustomed to it.

Intellectual Comfort and Concealed Carry

Are you ready and willing to seek knowledge
Do you know and understand that you really know nothing

The solution to Dealing with Intellectual comfort is education.

Emotional Comfort and Concealed Carry

Are you emotionally ready to carry a gun
Type of gun to carry
Round in the chamber

The solution to emotional comfort is expert guided experience.

417 - The Smith &Wesson M&P M2.0 and Gun Evolution

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 01:00:00 +0000

The M&P from Smith & Wesson is a solid performer. It has been since its release and I don't see that changing any time soon.

With the release of the M&P M2.0 Smith has upped the anti. The redesigned pistol has a more aggressive texture more fit options, a new proprietary finish and a lightened and improved trigger.

The improvements aren't revolutionary, instead, they are evolutionary and an important step forward in defensive handgun design.

The question you should be asking and that I talk about today is, "do the redesigned features add up to enough for you to part with more than $500 for an improved version of an already good handgun."

Follow this link to find more resources on the Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0.

Subscribe to the SSA Podcast and leave a rating and review by following this link.

Support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by becoming a Patron.

Finally, visit our website to find out about training opportunities with Safety Solutions Academy, LLC.

416 - Cecil Burch on the defensive importance of the combative arts

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 20:20:16 +0000

Make sure to check out Cecil's thoughts at http://www.iacombatives.com/

415 - Canada, Guns and Patreon Thoughts with BrYan Bolivar

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 21:40:22 +0000

Check out Bryan's work on Modern Rifleman Radio here.

If you are interested in the MAG 40 or MAG 20 with Massad Ayoob (you should be) follow this link to the SSA MAG info page.

I hope you enjoy this epic length show and Bryan's thoughtful input.

414 - Lessons from the Ohio Stae Terrorist Attack

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 20:22:41 +0000

Today on the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast I spend some time taking a look at the recent terrorist attack at The Ohio State University and my frustrations around the immediate response to the event.

I talk about my frustrations with folks jumping to conclusions and the way that the pro 2A side is mixing up the conversation of politics with tactics.

I also talk about reviews of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and announce the two winners of 2 days of training with Safety Solutions Academy and in the Exclusive Patron Content we discuss run, hide, fight and some specific strategies for declining with terrorist and spree killer attacks.

You can find my blog post on the attack at PDN.

Leave a review for the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

If you like what you hear, consider supporting the Safety Solutions Academy podcast through Patreon.

413 - Electronic Hearing Protection

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 01:00:00 +0000

413 - Electronic Hearing Protection:

Why Electronic Hearing Protection is a great investment in your shooting.

There are a lot of things that you can do to get the most of of your defensive shooting class, but one of the easiest things you can do to get the biggest return is to invest in electronic hearing protection.

Electronic Hearing Protection Increases Safety

Protecting your hearing is important, but electronic hearing protection protects more than your hearing. As a Professional Defensive Shooting Instructor, my ability to communicate with my students is critical not only to the students learning, but also to their safety.

Electronic Hearing Protection is Convenient

One of the hassles of hearing protection is making sure that it is on when you need it and the removal of that same hearing protection so that you can hear range instructions, course content, or even just regular conversation. Often, that hearing protection that you removed when you were refilling magazines gets left sitting on the table with you ammunition when you return to the shooting line. This means you have to run back and grab your ears while everyone else waits for you to return to the line.

Electronic Hearing Protection Helps you Learn

This may be the most important factor for most people when it comes to deciding to purchase electronic hearing protection. Plain and simple, electronic ears help you learn.

What to look for in Hearing Protection

Electronic muffs come in different sizes, shapes and levels of performance and it makes sense to know what you are purchasing. The three areas that are most important to consider when purchasing electronic ear protection are the NRR (Noise Reduction Rating), the microphone quality, and the type of circuitry.

Specific Recommendations on Ear Protection

Everyone has to find their own balance of hearing protection that is right for them. Quality, features and cost all come into play as well as the frequency of use and the stakes that are involved in your specific situation. So, consider all the factors and make the decision that is best for you!

Howard Leight Impact Sport - NRR 22

Pro Ears - Pro Tac Plus Gold - NRR 26

MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X - Premium Edition - NRR 19

Make sure to subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast in iTunes.

You can also support the SSA Podcast and get access to exclusive content by becoming a Patron!

412 - Daniel Shaw of Gunfighter Cast on Ethics in the Industry

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 14:13:28 +0000

In this episode I talked with Daniel Shaw the host of Gunfighter Cast and we discussed a wide range of topics from The Pale Blue Dot to Ethics in the Firearms Industry and everything inbetween.

Daniel is a US Marine (ret), Professional Firearms Instructor, host of the Gunfightercast, director of training for both locations of the Point Blank Range in Charlotte, Industry Media Personality, and good friend, welcome to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Wilink and Leif Babin

"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot."

For those who don't know that is a Carl Sagan quote from Pale Blue Dot.

You can find Gunfighter Cast on iTunes and you can learn more about Point Blank Range in the Charlotte area of NC.

411 - World Series Lessons For Self Defense

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 02:20:26 +0000

Thank you to The Safety Solutions Academy Patrons:

Daniel Shaw of Gunfighter Cast
We Like Shooting
Jeremy Kidder
Adam Farmer

If you would like to support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and in return have access to additional content simply head to SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/support to learn how you can become a patron.

Main Topic What we can learn from the 2016 World Series

•Conversation with my kids

•What it must feel like to be an Indian and a Cub

•High Level Performers Have Common Traits

•Dedication

•Work Ethic

•Passion

•In a team sense Synergy

We can take some of those lessons to hear when it comes to our preparation for self-defense

•Cubs can sit back and feel good about what they accomplished and how they prepared.

•Cubs would be silly if they didn't look at how things happened and worked to address weaknesses that can be identified.

•Indians need to feel proud of the success of the season, but also need to look at failures. Easier to do when things turn out poorly.

•When you have success you cannot sit on your laurels. When you face failure you cannot wallow in despair. You must focus on the journey and not the outcome.

•Fall in love with the hard work that will likely lead to the best outcome.

Reviews

Thank you so much for the reviews! Today we will take a look at some of the reviews from this summer!

If you like what you hear, or you don't, head to iTunes to leave a rating and a review. Leaving a review will help others find the show and you will be entered to win two days of training with Safety Solutions Academy.

Patron Only Content

Correlation to flight crew cockpit training and quality learning in self-defense training

Learning and ego

If you would like access to this Patron Only content, simply head to SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/support to learn how you can become a patron. As part of your Patronage you will receive access to a Patron only feed which you can add to your podcast listening app to automatically get your unique content.

Thank you for your support.

410 - Maximizing Your Self Defense Training Class

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 00:26:38 +0000

410 - Make Sure You Are Prepared for Your Defensive Training Course

When it comes to defensive firearm training you need to approach it like you would approach an investment. Like any investment, you are making a choice to exchange your resources in return for an outcome that you are interested in.

Maybe you want to learn a new skill, or increase your personal safety, or even gain the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you have the tools, skills and willingness to deal with violence should you be forced to. Your goal is to take value from a learning experience.

If there are things that you can do to gain more from your training course you should consider doing those things especially if you only need to make a small additional investment to gain significantly more from your course.

Today we are going to take a look at actions you can take to get more from your defensive training course.

Important Resources:

Safety Solutions Academy's flagship defensive handgun course is Critical Defensive Handgun and I try to make the course as accessible as possible when it comes to preparing for class. Sign up and you will have a great couple of days on the range as well as a pleasant experience getting ready for class.

You can support the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by becoming a Patron. Simply head to our Patreon page and choose a pledge level to receive exclusive content. Including additional audio on each podcast. When you become a Patron you are automatically entered to win a GLOCK 19, 2 days of training and 1000 rounds of ammo. Seriously. Get on it.

I would love to hear what your thoughts are on the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and one of the best ways to give me your feedback is to head to our iTunes page and leave us a rating and a review.

Select Your Course Carefully

Context is key when you are selecting a defensive training course. Take the time to consider what your goals are for the course that you are going to take and then search for a course that you believe will meet those goals.

Sign Up Early For Your Defensive Training Course

When you sign up early you have an opportunity to prepare for class by reading after action reports from other students, investigate other resources that the instructor or school has published such as social media posts, video content or podcast appearances.

Take the Preparatory Content for your Defensive Handgun Course Seriously

Many quality instructors take advantage of modern tools such as email lists, online educational tools and more.

What ever information you receive before class needs to be looked over carefully so that you are as prepared as possible.

Assemble the Gear You Need for Your Defensive Training Class

A few weeks before class, it is time to get to the fun stuff (at least for most people.) You need to take the time to assemble the gear that is on the gear list from the instructor so that you know what you have and what you need to get.

Make Sure That Your Gear is Functional

Get out to the range and make sure everything is functional. This is a key step that many forget. Unless you are certain that the ammo and the gun work together, you need to test them.

Get Some Rest Before Your Defensive Handgun Course

One of the most important factor in learning might be how receptive your brain is to new information. Assuming you have the foundation for the material you are about to learn and have an interest in learning it, you need to make sure that you have an amount of rest that is helpful for learning.

Get to Your Training Course Early

Being at class ahead of time sets the foundation for a great day. Having an extra 30 minutes gives you time to meet your instructor, make sure you are in the right place, use the bathroom or other issues that can help with your comfort. Heck, being there early might give you the seat that you want in the classroom or the spot on the bench where the rain won't blow in on your gear.

The other advantage of planning on arriving to your defensive training course early is that if something goes wrong on the way you have built in a cushion. That flat tire isn't as big of a deal if you have extra time to handle it. The same goes for when the GPS decides to take you on some crazy detour.

Get there early.

Provide Feedback to Instructor

This one isn't as much about you getting the most out of class as it is helping others to get the most out of class.

409 - Defensive Handgun Fit

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 03:21:59 +0000

Although proper defensive handgun fit is often ignored for various reasons it would be silly for you to not take fit into consideration when you shop for a new defensive handgun or evaluate your current handguns viability. A properly fit handgun can help to make sure your first round is placed where it needs to be, follow-up shots are on the threat as quickly as possible, and that you are able to keep your handgun running when it is empty or malfunctioning. All of these tasks may be important for your survival when it matters the most. Evaluate your defensive handgun fit and make the changes you need to now while you still have control over the fit of your handgun.

In the middle of a life threatening encounter is not the time to be evaluating the fit of your defensive handgun. The stakes are just too high. Take a look at your defensive handgun fit today and commit to making changes if you find the fit of your handgun to be less than optimal.

www.SSAPodcast.com

https://SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/itunes

Read more about handgun fit on the SSA Website!

408 Why You Should Take A Training Course

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 01:29:55 +0000

Check out the rest of the episodes at SSAPodcast.com!

Short notes cause I'm pretty sure you aren't reading them anyway....

407 Get A Grip Improving your Defensive Shooting by Improving Your Grip

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 02:09:41 +0000

When it comes to defensive shooting one thing is relatively certain, if you need to use your concealed carry or home defense handgun to protect yourself or those that you love, you are going to have to hold onto it.

You are going to need to grip your handgun.

Although we can certainly perform and prevail with a substandard grip, establishing the best grip possible is in our best interest for a number of reasons:

The more consistent your grip is, the easier it will be to fire the gun with speed and precision.
The stronger your grip is the more likely you will be able to retain your handgun should there be a struggle over the gun itself.
A quality grip is the foundational part of shooting and having a solid grip will make everything else easier.

8-points of a good defensive handgun grip

Strong Hand

Hand as high as possible on the grip
Finger someplace other than the trigger
Middle finger hard up against the bottom of the trigger guard
Thumb high

Weak hand

heel of hand in space created by the high thumb
index finger hard up against the bottom of the trigger guard
Fingers parallel with fingers of the strong hand
Thumbs layered not crossed

How to get a quality grip on the handgun

Select a gun that fits
Establish what works for you
Habituate your grip
Crush your grip on your handgun
Get the grip in the holster
Train it
Practice it
Force on Force it

In violence we have very little control over the situation. The criminal that attacks folks like you and me gets to choose the time, the place, the direction, the type of attack and more. We as armed citizens are generally forced to respond to this situation.

I encourage people to take control of what they can control long before the attack ever happens. the next time you head out to the range take a look at your grip. Work to improve it so that it is more consistent and more powerful.

406 Pocket Carry: Is concealed carry in your pocket right for you?

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Pocket carry, just like all concealed carry methods, is a compromise. You always need to be looking at where you need to value conceal-ability, comfort, security, and access. Typically the more concealed and more comfortable the gun is, the less access you have to that gun.

It can be taken so far toward comfort or concealment that it is almost as if you don't have a gun.

However, when concealed carry is executed correctly in pants pocket it can be an outstanding way to stage a gun to deal with a specific set of circumstances.

In today's episode of the SSA Podcast we are going to take a look at pocket carry. We will explore:

Why I carry a secondary gun in my pocket.
How to decide if pocket concealed carry it is right for you
What limitations pocket carry has.
What guns are best for concealed carry in a pocket.
What training considerations need to be taken into account when you are considering carry in your pocket.
What to consider on holsters and other safety concerns with pocket carry.

Make sure to head to iTunes to subscribe to the SSA Podcast and leave us an honest review so that others can figure out if the SSA Podcast is worth a listen and to enter yourself for a chance to win 2 days of training with Safety Solutions Academy.

405 - Concealed Carry Belts

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 22:40:49 +0000

405 - Concealed Carry Belts

Selecting a quality belt for concealed carry.

Episode 405 On Selecting a Quality Concealed Carry Belt

When it comes to carrying a concealed handgun it pays to understand that your belt is the foundation for successful concealed carry. Instead of acknowledging this simple idea, many people focus on the gun.

We all understand why this happens, because guns are sexy and mysterious. The fact remains that without a good belt, you aren't likely to carry your gun.

Why? If you have tried to carry with a crummy belt, you know:

A belt that doesn't support your gun is uncomfortable
A flimsy belt meas a gun that is constantly changing position.
A belt that is the wrong size for your holster loops doesn't stay where it belongs.

All of these things mean that you don't carry that gun that you spent so much time picking out…

Seems a bit counter productive doesn't it? Especially if you have to deal with a violent encounter.

In today's episode dealing with belts for CCW we discuss:

What makes belts such an important part of your concealed carry equipment.

What problems a subpar belt leads to in concealed carry.

What are the qualities you should be looking for in a good belt for concealed carry and

Specific recommendations of quality belts for CCW.

Important Links

Make sure to check out SSA Courses that are coming up by visiting SSA.training/events or head straight to the courses you are looking for by following the links below:

Ohio CCW

Critical Defensive Handgun

Legal Courses

Medical Courses

Please head to safetysolutionsacademy.com/itunes to subscribe tho the SSA Podcast and to leave a review and a rating.

You can listen to other episodes of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by heading to SSAPodcast.com

404 - Corrections Officer Steve Kent on Violence and Mag 40 Range Debrief

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 02:18:33 +0000

This past year at the SSA MAG 40 with Massad Ayoob one of the students that attended class was Steve Kent. I have had the pleasure of training with Steve in the past at Paul-E-Palooza events and was glad to have Steve back.

Steve is a corrections officer in the State of New York and is an avid trainer. He spends time as both an instructor and a student.

Being that Steve works in the New York state prison system it makes sense that Steve has some experience with violent criminals and their behavior.

In today's show, we talk with Steve about how you can fail the interview process that violent criminals put you through, we talk about how you can fail that interview and why you want to. We also dive into lessons learned on the range during the range portion of the MAG40.

Be sure to take a look at the information on this year's MAG 40 which will be May 4-7, 2017 in North East Ohio!

Make sure to subscribe to the SSA Podcast in your favorite podcast app.

I'd also appreciate it if you could head to SSA.Training/itunes to leave an honest rating and a review of the show.

Finally check out the show notes for this episode at SSA.Training/404.

403 - Prioritize and Execute from Extreme Ownership

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 18:23:40 +0000

It is my humble opinion that we must take responsibility for ourselves and our actions. There are times in everyones lives where things seem beyond our control. At the same time REGARDLESS of the circumstances we bear responsibility in the situations that we find ourselves in.

I believe this to be true in our personal lives, in our relationships with others, our business environment and even in our own personal protection.

Recently I discussed the book Extreme Ownership on the Industrialist Podcast with Nate Barrett and that motivated me to take a second read through the book. You can find my interview on the Industrialist here.

I found the second time through to be an even better experience than the first and I have been extending the business principles that are taught through leadership lessons learned in the urban combat of Ramadi with SEAL Team 3, Task Unit Bruiser to other parts of my life.

In today's podcast I talk about how the principle Prioritize and Execute can be applied not only to business but also to preparing to deal with violence and even a violent encounter itself.

I hope you enjoy the show!

You can find Extreme Ownership by following this link. It is worth a read!

SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/403 is where you will find this podcast on the SSA Website!

Visit the Self Defense Radio Network for more great self defense related podcasts!

402 - Paul Lathrop: Dealing with the legal aftermath of a confrontation.

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 01:16:54 +0000

We learn best by doing. The problem with learning by doing however, is the fact that you actually have to surmount the difficulties you face to learn the lessons. It seems, the more important the lessons, the more difficult the learning.

There is an alternative. We can learn from the experiences of others if we are really committed to studying their experiences and if they are willing to share.

Over the past six months, Paul Lathrop, the host of the Polite Society Podcast, and an over the road trucker has been learning some difficult and challenging legal lessons.

Paul broke no laws the night he was involved in a seemingly benign truck stop confrontation. Only words were exchanged. No blows were thrown or weapons drawn so it seemed that things had ended in a relatively simple manner.

30 minutes later, Paul and his trainee were stopped on I-80 by the Nebraska Highway Patrol. When Paul arrived back at the truck stop to sort things out, the deputy dealing with the situation placed Paul under arrest.

Soon Paul found himself spending more than 4 days in a county jail without medication that he needed, or a clue about what would come next.

Paul takes some time today to discuss the situation that he found himself in, the struggles that he faced and the mistakes that he feels he made so that you can learn how to avoid those same pitfalls.

Make sure to take a look at these important resources:

Massad Ayoob Group

MAG-40 with SSA in NE Ohio May 4-7 2017

MAG-40 with Paul and Susan Lathrop in Sioux Falls SD, June 15-19, 2017 - email susan at gunsandpolitics.com

Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network

Make sure to keep an eye out for more information about the Self Defense Radio Network.

401 - Safety In Simulated Training

Sat, 20 Aug 2016 03:40:08 +0000

This Friday 15 episode of the SSA Podcast is brought to you by:

Aridus Industries maker of the awesome accessory for your shotgun the QDC (Quick Detach Carrier.)

You can find Aridus industries at SSA.Training/qdc

Now let's get right to today's Friday 15 Topic:

401 - Safety Issues in Simulated Training

Mid june - Death as a result of malfunction clearing in the classroom.

Death of 73 year old female citizen police academy cadet.

Shot fired in a middle school Tennesee during Spree Killer Simulation.

2 deaths are tragic for lots of reasons most importantly because they are PREVENTABLE!

All three incidents resulted from a lax safety protocol in simulated training and all three incidents were completely preventable.

Lou Chiodo provides solid safety protocol for force on force training that could easily be applied to simulation events as well.

Good article for folks who are running FoF, or ever for folks who are going to take FoF training. The Problem is the average person doesn't understand that these protocols are important and they place their trust in the "professionals."

Kevin Creighton - Discusses the idea that if there was wide-spread understanding of firearm safety rules outside of the gun culture these incidents could have been prevented. In some circumstances I think Kevin is right.

But I think there is a problem that goes beyond what Lou and Kevin are getting at. It is a problem that our nanny state has created.

For some reason, people think that because they are the student and someone else is the teacher they are in good hands.

They believe that even if something doesn't seem right, who are they to question it.

They forget the idea that THEY will have to live with the consequences of a training incident as much or maybe even more than everyone else involved.

You are responsible for your safety. As soon as you turn that responsibility over, you surrender your fate.

So what should you do?

Remember what safety is.

Get educated.
Use your education to make good choices.
Pay attention to what is going on.
When something doesn't seem right, ask for clarification.

Be ready to walk out.

NEver forget that you will have to deal with the consequences of an accident. Ignorance doesn't make the negative outcomes disappear….

To put this whole situation in perspective, on average - 89 people a day die in motor vehicle accidents in the US...

Mindset and Education with Ben Branam of MSP

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 22:42:33 +0000

Today, I woke up early, packed my gear in my truck, found a parking lot where I had a pretty good wifi connection and I skyped up Ben Branam of Modern Self Protection. The sound quality suffered a bit as you can hear a bit of engine and AC noise in the background of my audio, but no excuses! Time to get some episodes up!

Ben is someone I chat with pretty regularly about podcaster and professional defensive firearms instructor topics and this week we wanted to get together and record a session about the personal defense related topics that we might talk about on a typical call.

We didn't have any kind of a master plan to where things were going to head, but the theme seemed to head towards education in personal safety and personal growth.

I really enjoyed the conversation with Ben and hope that you find it enjoyable as well.

At the end of the podcast Ben shares his thoughts with me about the Plan B v2.0. I sent Ben a set to try out with his Shield and I asked for his honest feedback. I couldn't be happier with his response and if you listen to the whole podcast you will know that Ben isn't pulling any punches.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Plan B just head to http://www.ShieldPlanB.com.

Thanks for listening and don't forget to subscribe on iTunes.

MAG 40 Range AAR with Richard from Behind Enemy Lines

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 19:13:57 +0000

After the second day of range at the most recent MAG 40 course hosted by Safety Solutions Academy I sat down and spoke with a gaggle of students that participated in class.

The students were from a wide variety of backgrounds and from geographical locations from around the US.

I like to get to know the students that I am working with, especially the students that face challenges.

Richard faces the challenge of living and working in a State that has little respect for his God given rights. NJ.

Today we talk to Richard about NJ, concealed carry, the RTKBA and a whole host of other subjects.

Make sure to take a look at NJSafe.net.

Also, please take a look at the Plan B from Safety Solutions Academy and help to spread the word!

Concealed Carry, RTKBA and Traveling with a gun to the US

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 02:05:02 +0000

Although the MAG 40 for 2016 has come and gone, my interview with Bryan Bolivar of Modern Rifleman Radio has tons of information that will be beneficial for years to come.

Make sure to take a listen and check out the information on the MAG 40 and MAG 20 courses that Safety Solutions Academy hosts annually. Also make sure to check out Modern Rifleman Radio with Bryan Bolivar and Ken Kowalski.

You can subscribe to the SSA podcast by heading to http://SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/itunes.

Finally, keep an eye out for lots of content talking about the MAG-40 course from the viewpoint of the students.

Talking Triggers and Apex Tactical with Scott Folk

Mon, 06 Jun 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Thanks for listening!

You can check out APEX Tactical Specialties by following this link.

Please follow this link to leave a review for the SSA Podcast on iTunes.

Visit Safety Solutions Academy on the web for more great content and to find out about our courses.

Have a great day!

Personal Safety and Lawncare???

Fri, 03 Jun 2016 20:14:51 +0000

Thanks for listening!

Please follow this link to leave a review for the SSA Podcast on iTunes.

Visit Safety Solutions Academy on the web for more great content and to find out about our courses.

Have a great day!

Scott Kenneson of Sig Sauer Academy and the Sig Sauer P320

Tue, 24 May 2016 21:00:00 +0000

It is vital that we are constantly challenging our beliefs. When it comes to the more critical aspects of our lives, we owe it to ourselves to make certain that we are evaluating on truth rather than on what we believe to be the truth.

Of course that is an endless quest, however, it is an important one.

Today I share with you a conversation designed to help me in that pursuit of knowledge.

While at the NRAAM in Louisville, I took some time to talk with the folks at Sig Sauer. My specific questions revolved around the Sig P320 and the fact that it didn't have the trigger safety that is common with so many striker fired handguns.

The result of the conversation was this podcast.

I spoke at length with Scott Kenneson, the director of training for the Sig Sauer Academy.

The conversation was a great one and I hope that you enjoy it.

Can Deadly Force be used to stop a theft?

Fri, 20 May 2016 23:32:53 +0000

Connect with Safety Solutions Academy by heading to https://SafetySolutionsAcademy.com

Find out more information about the MAG-20 course at https://safetysolutionsacademy.com/mag

Avoidance

Fri, 13 May 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Check out the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast at https://SSAPodcast.com

Safety Solutions Academy teaches it's flagship course, Critical Defensive Handgun Course on a regular basis and you should swing by the website to take a look at when courses are coming up.

You can find the course schedule here.

Thanks for tuning in.

Please leave a review on iTunes by heading to https://safetysolutionsacademy.com/itunes.

Get a chance to win two days of training with Safety Solutions Academy, Just leave a review at the SSA Podcast Facebook page!

I appreciate your feedback!

Critical Defensive Handgun Skills

Wed, 11 May 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Check out the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast at https://SSAPodcast.com

Safety Solutions Academy teaches it's flagship course, Critical Defensive Handgun Course on a regular basis and you should swing by the website to take a look at when courses are coming up.

You can find the course schedule here.

Thanks for tuning in.

Please leave a review on iTunes by heading to https://safetysolutionsacademy.com/itunes.

Get a chance to win two days of training with Safety Solutions Academy, Just leave a review at the SSA Podcast Facebook page!

I appreciate your feedback!

An Interview with Dr. Sherman House DDS

Mon, 09 May 2016 08:30:00 +0000

This weeks interview was a treat to record. It really starts to get to the heart of the type of content that I am trying to create. Throughout our discussion we uncovered lots of quality information digging through our guests journey through life to today.

We talk about the types of threats he had to deal with as a crew member on an armored car
His background as an EMT, and professional firefighter,
How driving can be an important defensive skill and how he drove himself out of a car jacking
Why dental hygiene is so important,
The Movie Top Gun
Mental heuristics,
Glycolysis
The OODA loop and
Jackson Pollocks Paintings.

I really think you are going to enjoy my interview with Dr. Sherman House DDS.

Dr. House is a practicing emergency Dentist in Nashville, TN.

In addition to his dental practice he provides CE opportunities for his colleagues in dentistry.

He runs the website Revolverscience.com

And he is the founder of Paul-E-Palooza, a memorial foundation for the late Paul Gomez which has raised more than $125,000 to benefit the children of Paul Gomez.

The next PEP will be held August 19 and 20 of 2017 Paulepalooza.com for more information.

Self-Defense is all about Logic, or at least it should be.

Fri, 06 May 2016 08:30:00 +0000

When you find yourself in a situation where you are discussing your rights to keep and bear arms or your right to self-defense, I think it is pretty important to make sure that you are discussing with logic on your side.

Logic is an important tool and often the gun culture rails on the other side for not using it.

Well, pot, kettle, black. Wake up people. Gun owners don't do much better when it comes to logic.

Take a look at this: https://safetysolutionsacademy.com/fallacy

Then listen to what I have to say about the whole thing.

Improve your health

Wed, 04 May 2016 08:30:00 +0000

There is really no better way to positively impact our lives than to make a positive impact on our health.

If we increase our level of physical performance, mental focus and emotional stability, we can both impact the quality of our day to day life and our ability to perform when we faces the stresses of life up to and including dealing with a violent encounter.

If we are more physically capable, we can use our strength, speed, power agility and endurance to our advantage to win a fight. that is pretty obvious. It works the same way when we sharpen out mental focus and our emotional stability. We can process information faster and more accurately and keep our minds focused on the task at hand instead of the reasonable fear that we may be feeling.

At the same time, understand that our physical composition, our mental focus and emotional stability can be great tools for avoidance of violence as well.

What ever the state of your health, if you carry concealed, you need to be working to improve your health to improve your safety!

Rob Pincus, an In-Depth Interview

Mon, 02 May 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Rob Pincus isn't the oldest guy in the gun industry, but you wouldn't necessarily know it from his accomplishments.

In the 20 years that Rob has been in the gun industry he has certainly made waves. He has worked in Law Enforcement, in Media, as an instructor and now in the role of conceptual designer of a defensive handgun, the Avidity PD10.

I worked with Rob as a Senior outside instructor of the Combat Focus Shooting Program and as a Master Instructor of the Defensive Firearms Coach Program and the School Attacker Response Course and have continued to work with Rob even after departing from the CFS team in 2014.

Rob is a wealth of knowledge and I always enjoy spending time with Pincus talking about the industry, where it has been, where it is going and how it is going to get there.

This interview with Rob certainly takes the long road, but as I'm sure you would expect, we really get to some quality conversation along the way.

Gun Safety Rules to Live By!

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

When it comes to guns, gun safety needs to be a primary concern. This isn't because guns are more dangerous than other objects that are common in our lives, but instead, because there are many people who are simply ignorant about guns and how to use them safely.

Gun Safety isn't for when we are in a defensive handgun class, or for when we are at the range, or for when our kids are watching. Instead, gun safety is for EVERY TIME you handle guns.

In today's show we are going to take a look at the gun safety rules that I teach, expect my students to follow in class, and the rules that I live by EVER TIME I touch a gun.

Pay attention, it might save your life or the life of someone you love.

Off Body Concealed Carry

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Concealed carry isn't easy. We all wish it was easier, but it isn't. At times it can be frustrating, and uncomfortable, and inconvenient. So of course we work hard to find solutions to our problems.

Sometimes those solutions can really fix the problems and other times, they can just create more problems than we started with.

What about off body concealed carry? Is solves the comfort problem with 5 stars! BUT, when it comes to the success of concealed carry as a whole, off body concealed carry can lead to some serious issues.

Today on the SSA Podcast we are going to take an honest look at off body concealed carry, how it can help us, and what problems it can cause for us and those that we love.

I hope you enjoy the show and learn at the same time!

An Interview with Zack Carlson of Lone Wolf Distributors

Mon, 25 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

When it comes to GLOCK, I don't buy into the idea of GLOCK Perfection. Instead I think GLOCK Versatility is more like it. GLOCKs are designed to accommodate versatility but even more important is the fact that there are folks out there like Lone Wolf Distributors that take GLOCK Versatility to a whole new level.

Today I talk with Zack Carlson of Lone Wolf Distributors about their products, GLOCKs and life in general.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast!

What is Safe Gun Handling

Fri, 22 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

I am not bashful about safe gun handling. There isn't room to be because the consequences of an error in safe gun handling can be so serious.

You need to be thinking about safe gun handling as well and for the same reasons.

Most people think about safe gun handling as simply gun safety rules. Gun safety rules are an important part of safe gun handling, but they aren't the whole enchilada.

I look at safe gun handling as three big parts:

Knowing and understanding gun safety rules.
Following gun safety rules EVERY time you handle guns.
Making sure that you store and stage your guns in a relatively secure way so that they are inaccessible to unauthorized users.

Knowing and Understanding Gun Safety Rules

We cannot do what we don't know. Ignorance plays a significant role in accidents with firearms. It is why education is so important. Gun safety education in particular.

In this post I talk specifically about how to teach others gun safety if you find yourself in the position where that needs to happen.

Knowing gun safety rules is the first step to safe gun handling.

Follow Gun Safety Rules EVERY Time You Handle Guns

Knowing isn't enough. In addition to knowing gun safety rules you need to be using those same gun safety rules EVERY time you handle guns.

This is where the rubber meets the road. It isn't enough to know rules and recite rules, you need to put them to use. Gun safety rules are for the range, for getting your ccw gun on in the morning, for cleaning your gun when no one else is around, for taking a class, or plinking in the desert.

Your seatbelt can't protect you when you don't wear it and you lose a layer of safety when you don't put gun safety rules into play.

Safe Gun Storage and Staging

If you want to learn more about proper gun storage and staging I recently published this post that goes into detail about how you can safely secure your guns when they aren't in your direct control. The article goes well beyond the typical rhetoric about gun storage and is worth your time.

Safe gun storage and staging is critical because it keeps those that are ignorant of gun safety rules or unwilling to follow gun safety rules from being able to access your guns with out significant effort to do so.

In addition, it keeps those that have malicious intent from being able to harm you or those that you love with your guns

How to Stay Safe When You Can't Carry Your Concealed Carry Handgun

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

At one time or another, we all face it. A situation where we wish we had our concealed carry handgun, but we don’t.

It happens to all of us eventually.

I’m not encouraging you to not carry your gun. On the contrary, you should be carrying your gun when you can, but the fact is you can’t always and that is when you need to be ready for the worst.

Why? Because murphy said so.

Today on the Safety solutions academy podcast we are going to discuss how to stay safe when you can’t carry your gun.

You can’t always carry your gun.

There are all kinds of situations where carrying your gun isn’t a possibility.

Some situations are chosen for you

Medical procedure or emergency

Court appearance

Renew your ccw

The State in which you reside

Where your employer sends you for work

Some situations may be your choice

Going out for a few drinks to celebrate

Going to see your favorite band (doc and rush)

Or flying to see family

When you aren’t carrying your gun, it means that you are without an important and powerful tool. But, not having a gun doesn’t mean you don’t have the ability to protect yourself.

That is today’s topic how to protect yourself when you don’t have a gun.

Avoidance Skills

If you can avoid a violent confrontation all together

Avoidance

Carry yourself with confidence

Know what you are doing, where you are doing it and then do it with gusto.

Awareness

So much more than keeping your head on a swivel.

You must become familiar with your surroundings so that you understand what normal is and can recognize what is out of normal.

Joshua Gideon - No soft Targets. Learn to do a risk assessment so that you can identify the risks, how to avoid them and how to mitigate them if they can’t be avoided.

De-escalation

Swallow your pride

Walk away

Get Away

Run away

Driving Skills

Safety Solutions Academy’s flagship course is Critical Defensive Handgun. The course can be taken as a 1/2 day, 1 day and two day course and is one of the most important courses that you can take if you depend on a handgun for defensive use. It will teach you the critical skills that you need to protect your life and the lives of those that you love and the confidence to enjoy your life even if you are never forced to use your skills. Learn more about Critical Defensive handgun by following this link.

Less Lethal Options

Just like with firearms, you need to make sure you are in compliance with local and state law when it comes to less lethal options.

Chemical defense spray

Fox Labs 2 Ounce Flip Top Stream Pepper Spray

SABRE 3-IN-1 Pepper Spray - Advanced Police Strength - Compact Size with Clip

Electronic Control Devices.

TASER c2/Bolt

Massad Ayoob, An In-depth Interview

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Welcome to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

I have an outstanding interview for you today with an excellent guest and I’m not going to waste any time before we dive in.

Today we are going to talk to Massad Ayoob:

Internationally know firearms and self-defense instructor who specializes in the laws surrounding the use of lethal force.
He has authored more than 20 books and in excess of 1,000 articles on firearms, combat techniques, self-defense, and legal issues, and has served in an editorial capacity for multiple magazines including:

Guns Magazine, American Handgunner, Guns & Ammo, Combat Handguns and Gun Week.

Since 1995, he has written self-defense and firearms related articles for Backwoods Home Magazine which also makes Mas a prolific blogger.
He also has been featured on a segment on the television show Personal Defense TV
Ayoob has extensive courtroom experience as a testifying police officer, expert witness, and police prosecutor.
Even with all that courtroom experience, he is not an attorney
Ayoob is, however, a former Vice Chairman of the Forensic Evidence Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
His published work was cited by the Violence Policy Center in their amicus curiae brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the District of Columbia v. Heller case.
Additionally Ayoob filed a declaration in a second amicus brief in this case.
News coverage of Massad Ayoob and what he has accomplished has appeared in or on:

Los Angeles Times
Boston Globe
New York Post
National Enquirer
ABC's "20/20"
BBC News Magazine

Massad Akoob has taught police techniques and civilian self-defense to both law enforcement officers and private citizens since 1974

We have spoken with Massad Ayoob before, but today’s episode is different. We spend very little time talking about the legalities of the use of deadly force and instead, hold true to what I am trying to accomplish withe the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast by conducting deep dive interviews that take a look at our world in a way that hasn’t been previously considered.

In today’s episode of the Safety Solutions Academy podcast, we talk about topics such as:

His very serious introduction to defensive firearms at the age of 12
How he developed his focus on the legalities of the use of deadly force
How the shooting landscape has changed through the 50’s, 60’s and into today.
And of course the upcoming mag 40 hosted by Safety Solutions Academy In June where a whole slew of folks will have the opportunity to spend time with Massad Ayoob. Stick around to the end of the show and I will let you know how you can attend this course.

We hit all of those topics and so much more! I hope you enjoy today’s show with an industry Icon, Massad Ayoob as much as I enjoyed recording it!

Please visit SafetySolutionsAcademy.com and check out the MAG 40 course at this link to get registered today.

Gun Safety and Storage vs. Staging

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Gun Safety:

Storage vs. Staging

With Gun Safety being such an important topic, it only makes sense that we take some time to consider how we deal with our firearms when they are not in our direct control.

The steps we take to protect ourselves and others from those unauthorized users that may attempt to access our firearms depends on the specific use of those guns. I divide the two different security protocols into the categories Storage and Staging.

What is the difference between Storage and Staging?

Understanding terminology can be an important aspect of safety. Of course the concepts are more important that the words that label those concepts and today I want to talk about the concepts behind the terms Storage and Staging.

Storage is what it has always been, the methods you use to secure your guns when they are not in use. If you aren't out in the woods hunting, your hunting rifle is stored securely at home (I hope...)

Staging is a term I first heard from Rob Pincus of I.C.E. Training and it specifically describes the methods that are recommended for securing your defensive firearms when you are depending on them for home defense.

What you can expect to learn from today's Safety Solutions Academy Podcast:

The differences between storage and staging
How you should store your guns for safety
How you can stage a handgun for self-defense
What conditions are appropriate for your staged handgun
Why the trigger guard needs to be covered on a fully loaded staged handgun

What you should do next:

Evaluate your Storage and Staging methods and make changes to increase your overall safety.
Check out the Hornady Rapid Safe.
Share this podcast. Use the social share buttons to tweet this show out or to paste it to face book. Or use the email button to send it directly to someone you know that can use the information in the show.
Get subscribed to the Friday15 list so that you receive the free resources for today's show simply text "friday15" to 33444 and get the link to the resources to today's show and all the other Friday 15 Episodes!
Head to iTunes to subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and to leave a rating and review!

5 Types of Defensive Training You Need To Hone

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Defensive training can be fun, entertaining and helpful. At the same time, it can also be a waste of time and money. Most people never find out either way because they simply don't train.

If this is you, it is your loss. You see, you and those that you love will have to bear the burden of the consequences of a violent encounter should you ever face one. If you fail to prepare ahead of time you have missed your chance to avoid or mitigate the consequences.

You see, that is the purpose of training. The fun and entertainment are a bonus to the real purpose of defensive training: To avoid violence all together or to mitigate the consequences should violence be unavoidable.

Today we are going to discuss the 5 critical areas of defensive training that you need to be paying attention to to help keep you and those that you love safe.

Tune in to understand what you should be training next.

An Interview On Executive Protection with Joshua Gideon of No Soft Targets

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

In the world of self-defense and personal protection, it is common to look to the law enforcement and military worlds for guidance in equipment, accessories, tactics and mindset. At times, this can produce some valuable insight. I would argue, however, that at least as often (probably much more often) these areas can lead us astray when it comes to understanding how we can lead a safer life a an armed citizen.

I believe that the average armed citizen could find much more relevant information if they were to look to another realm all together. The executive protection world mimics the role of the concealed carry permit holder much more closely than the military or law enforcement influence that is so prominent.

In this episode of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast we are going to talk with Joshua Gideon about the connection between executive protection and concealed carry.

Who is Joshua Gideon?

Joshua currently works in IT and has previous experience in IT as a director in a medium sized pharmaceutical corporation where he served in the role of IT and Security Director.
Previously, he left IT and trained and worked extensively in Executive Protection for 5 years.
Joshua has a tendency to approach personal protection from an intellectual angle rather than having the gear centric focus.
Is the host of No Soft Targets Radio a new podcast available on iTunes.

What you can expect to learn on today's show:

We talk about what executive protection is
How executive protection principles can be applied to the life of a concealed carry permit holder.
We also discuss the idea that your personal security is scaleable.

What you should do next:

Head to iTunes and do a search for No Soft Targets Radio.
While you are there, leave a rating and review and subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Understanding the Legalities of Self-Defense

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

When I teach concealed carry classes (and I try to average 1 CCW class each month just to stay in touch with those new to defensive handguns) I am always impressed by the number of people that are ignorant of the legal aspects of self-defense, especially the use of deadly force.

I shouldn't be so surprised.

The legal system can be complicated and when it comes to self-defense it is even more complicated that one would hope for. Many attorneys don't understand the finer points of the legal system and self-defense.

The problem is that when it comes to both the criminal and the civil legal systems in the U.S., ignorance is not an excuse for stepping outside the bounds of the law.

This leads us to another challenge. Often people that are ignorant don't know they are ignorant. How could they? How can people know what they don't know?

It is for this reason that I host Massad Ayoob and the Massad Ayoob Group every year for the MAG-40 course. This is an outstanding opportunity to learn what you don't know and need to know abut the legalities of self-defense and the use of lethal force. If you depend on a gun for self-defense, the MAG classes should be considered required.

Today we take a tiny look at what you should be seeking out when it comes to legal knowledge. You see, there are things that you can do, simple things, before, during and after a violent encounter to help and reduce the likelihood of you running into an undeserved legal quagmire that can easily cost you 10's of thousands of dollars to defend against and could cost you your physical freedom and/or your personal financial security.

The steps are simple so listen carefully and then take action!

If you get a chance, swing by iTunes and leave a rating and a review for the SSA Podcast and don't forget to subscribe so that the new shows are delivered right to your favorite listening device!

Should you carry one gun and train with another?

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 08:30:00 +0000

Concealed carry isn't as easy as everyone would lead you to believe. In fact, I think it can be a difficult challenge for many folks to get the training they need, practice to stay proficient, find a system that makes carry comfortable and convenient while still providing reasonable access to their gun.

It can be downright difficult.

The physical aspect of shooting can be a challenge for some folks as well. Especially when we expect them to get hits with the actual gun they are going to carry. Because of all the challenges that concealed carry poses, many folks select a small gun to ease the burden.

A small gun certainly makes carry easier, but, when it gets to the shooting part, things can get tough with itty bitty guns.

Small sights, stiff springs, long and heavy triggers all in a package that is hard to hold on to and recoils more than you might like all adds up to a gun that is hard to shoot.

So, what do most people do? They practice and train with a gun that is easy and enjoyable to shoot and carry the gun that is easy and enjoyable to carry...

Do you see the problem?

Yeah, you guessed it, you actually need to be able to get the hits with the gun that you carry concealed.

There are some times when it makes sense to practice and train with a gun other than your carry gun and those are the situations we are going to talk about today on the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Positive Reinforcement and Safety

Tue, 05 Apr 2016 17:39:33 +0000

Some random thoughts for you today that lead to some meaningful lessons in self-defense and personal protection.

An Interview with Dr. John Edeen, M.D.

Mon, 04 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0000

An Interview with Dr. John Edeen MD

The Safety Solutions Academy Podcast Interview Shows are intended to help and bring a new viewpoint to the discussions that SSA typically has regarding personal safety, self-defense and defensive shooting. Today’s guest does a great job of that.

Dr. John Edeen, MD is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon currently in practice in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Edeen is a veteran of the United States Navy.

John is a hunter, a defensive shooter, a concealed carry permit holder, an NRA Instructor, has dabbled in competitive shooting and is a self proclaimed defensive training junkie.

I met John in NE Ohio when he attended a course hosted by Safety Solutions Academy and we have kept in touch since.

Dr. Edeen is currently serving as the membership director of Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership and has placed a significant amount of effort in helping to spread the word and the message about DRGO. You can view his media page here.

What We Discuss:

As a person and as a parent I am relatively attentive to safety. In fact, I would say that I routinely err on the side of personal safety and security in the choices that I make for myself and in my family.

That hasn’t stopped my kids for choosing otherwise.

Don’t get me wrong. My kids aren’t reckless. They are normal healthy, active kids. That means from time to time we have injuries to deal with. Over the past few years between the two of them, we have had 3 fractures to deal with.

Today’s conversation with Dr. Edeen goes beyond guns. We talk about how John got involved in guns, kids and injury prevention, athletic injury, the Second Amendment and the Medical Profession, why hospitals should permit concealed carry, DRGO and much more.

What You Should Do Next:

Visit DRGO.us. Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership is an organization that goes well beyond doctors. It is focused on providing information and expanding the rights of anyone that is involved with the medical profession. That is all of us.

Take a few minutes to consider if there are ways you can help your kids lead a safer life. That trampoline you have? Yeah, you are better off selling it to a pedophile on craigslist than keeping it…

Subscribe to the SSA Podcast and head to www.safetysolutionsacademy.com/itunes to leave a rating and a review.

Range Safety

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0000

Range Safety:

Your Actions can help to keep yourself and those around you safe.

When we practice and train with our defensive firearms we train to live a safer life. As a result we don't want our practice or training to injure us or any one else.

This makes range safety a priority.

When it comes to range safety, we all play a role in making sure that our trip to the range doesn't end in tragedy.

There are some steps that you can take to make sure that range safety is a priority when you go shooting.

Promote a Culture of Range Safety and Safe Gun Handling

Range safety is more than just having a set of policies and procedures. Of course that should be a part of the whole picture, however, if that is where it ends you are simply in CYA mode. A better approach is to promote a holistic approach to range safety.

Gun safety is an all the time proposition. Make sure that you are promoting a culture of gun safety.

Take Actions to Avoid Accidents and Mitigate Consequences on the Range

The only way to avoid the negative consequences of accidents on the range is to avoid those accidents all together. We can take significant action to avoid accidents, however, we cannot eliminate them completely. There will always be circumstances that are outside of our control. When we cannot prevent an accident from happening we need to have plans in place to mitigate the negative consequences of those situations. Through avoidance of accidents ever taking place and mitigation of consequences when accidents do happen we can reduce the overall impact of accidents on the range.

Range Safety Policies and Procedures

Having policies and procedures in place can help to reduce accidents in some situations. However, don’t think for a moment that a policy alone will keep you or those around you safe.

Policies need to be practical, they need to make a meaningful difference in safety and they need to be used. Maybe most importantly, safety policies cannot be the end of range safety. There has to be support for the policies that are in place, or they are just a set of rules to cover your tail when something preventable happens. Your range safety culture shouldn’t be about covering your ass. Instead it should be about avoiding accidents and mitigating the consequences when they cannot be avoided.

One of the most important policies to have in place is a policy of education.

Educate People about Range Safety

It doesn’t matter the circumstances. Range Safety is an important factor and is a focus of every visit I make to the range.

Communicate on the Range to Increase Safety

Sound communication makes everything better and it follows with Range Safety. It is impossible to create and promote a culture of Range Safety if you don’t communicate about it. If you wait until you NEED to communicate about range safety you are doing it wrong. Remember, range safety is about prevention. Prevention is best achieved with well thought out and deliberate actions not last minute commands followed by a sigh of relief.

Have an Emergency Action Plan and be ready to use it!

Fact. You can do everything right and still face a range accident.

Once people are injured your focus needs to shift to reducing the consequences of whatever it is that happened. This is when you emergency action plan needs to come into play.

I discussed emergency action plans in a previous Friday 15 and you can find that episode here.

The key to your emergency action plan is that it needs to be complete, it needs to be reviewed with all people present and it needs to be clearly posted to make sure that it can be referenced in an emergency situation.

Take a minute to listen to the Medical Skills Matter Friday 15 and subscribe to the Friday 15 email list so that you can download the EAP template.

What you need to do next:

Subscribe to the SSA Podcast on iTunes.

Subscribe to The Friday 15 list and download the free resources from today’s episode.

Teaching Gun Safety

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000

Teaching Gun Safety:

Tips to make sure you are teaching gun safety efficiently.

Gun safety is the most important topic in firearms training that we can discuss. With more and more new shooters entering the ranks as both shooters and gun owners, the pace of gun safety education has had to pick up to meet the demand.

Many folks don’t enroll in a formal course to learn gun safety. Instead they trust their friends and acquaintances to help and guid them. This can be met with great success or it could be a dismal failure. Often it is something right in the middle where all involved narrowly escaped disaster, through luck.

Luck counts, but don’t count on luck.

We need quality gun safety education so that folks can intentionally avoid an accident with a gun. Accidents with guns are serious events that can lead to serious injury or death.

In many situations a bit of attention to detail can help everyday folks do a better job of teaching gun safety and those are the tips I’m going to give you today.

Don’t forget to visit the blog post for more info on teaching gun safety. You can find it at www.safetysolutionsacademy.com/teachgunsafety.

What you can expect from this episode of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast

Important ideas you need to understand BEFORE you teach someone gun safety.
How to be a more efficient teacher by:
Setting a good example
Using conversation to your advantage
How to teach the thinking behind gun safety
And why DOING is the most important aspect of teaching gun safety.

Here is What You Should Do Next:

Take Advantage of These Important Resources:

Professional instruction can be found in gun safety courses as well as in other quality defensive firearms courses. Safety Solutions Academy has a strong focus on gun safety in EVERY gun course including in our concealed carry courses and Critical Defensive Handgun course.
If you need to brush up on your gun safety before you teach or want a leg up before you take a course, order Massad Ayoobs book, Gun Safety in the Home.
Visit the Safety Solutions Academy website for more insight into teaching Gun Safety. Visit the Blog post at www.SafetySoltuionsAcademy.com/teachguntraining for info on how to teach your soups or your kids about gun safety.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

Please keep in mind that some of the links included here on the blog may be affiliate links. When you click through an affiliate link, Safety Solutions Academy gets paid a small referral fee at no additional cost to you. We appreciate your support in clicking these links. If you would prefer to not follow an affiliate link, simply open a new browser window and perform a google search for the products you are interested in.

Friday 15 - What Non-Shooters Need to Know About Guns

Fri, 25 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000

What Non-Shooters Need to Know about Guns

In life I have found that just because I don't want to deal with something doesn't mean I don't have to deal with it. I don't want to do dishes, or laundry, or mow the lawn, but I have to do all those things any way.

There are other things I don't want to have to deal with ever and I actively work to avoid them. Things like changing a tire on the side of the road. Not only unpleasant, but also possibly dangerous. None-the-less, I may have to deal with a roadside flat and as result, I have prepared myself with the knowledge and the tools to change a tire if I need to.

In the same vain, I think that responsible adults should prepare to deal with similar situations that may arise regardless of their distaste for the activity.

So it is with guns.

There are things that everyone who is old enough should be educated in.

What you can expect from today's episode:

What to do if You find a Gun
Rules for Safe Gun Handling
How To Unload a Gun and Verify it is Unloaded
Guns Don't Operate on Their Own
Guns Don't Always Work

Rules for Safe Gun Handling

Keep your finger someplace other than the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
Keep the gun pointed in a relatively safe direction whenever possible.
Keep in mind that you are in control of a deadly weapon and if you use it with malice or negligence you can hurt or kill yourself or someone else.

These rules will keep you in pretty good shape anytime you need to handle a gun, even if you don’t want to. In addition, I teach two other rules as well and they are particularly helpful in the scenario I laid out above.

Minimize administrative gun handling.
No one person has the authority to declare a gun unloaded.

Here is the bottom line when it comes to gun safety rules for the non-shooter:

Know the rules.
Use them EVERY TIME you handle a gun.
If you do, you will keep yourself and those around you relatively safe. How? Here is how:
If your finger is off the trigger the gun is very unlikely to fire because it is usually fingers that fire guns. They don’t go off by themselves.
If you keep the gun pointed in a relatively safe direction if the gun some how fires there will be relatively little consequence.
If you remember that you are in control of a deadly weapon, if you are not sure what to do you will get someone that knows what to do to help you.
If you minimize the handling of the gun you greatly reduce the risk that there can be any kind of an accident.
If you need to handle the gun and unload it and you verify with someone else that the gun is unloaded, again you reduce the risks greatly.

I think it is pretty clear how important it is to know the rules of gun safety. Even if you don’t use guns regularly, you could find yourself in a situation where you need to deal with a firearm. A general understanding of gun safety rules can go a long ways toward keeping you safe.

What you should do next:

Consider that I may not have written this blog post for you. SHARE IT. Share it with your shooting friends and those people in your life that are responsible and that you love even if they aren’t a shooter. Just go up to the white bar at the top of your browser, select the text, copy it and then paste it into an email, text message or post on your favorite social media platform. Help spread the word!

Subscribe to the Friday 15 list so that you can download the skill checklist for non-shooters.

Have your loved ones listen to this episode of the SSA Podcast. You are subscribed aren’t you?

Take a look at these books and dvd’s regarding workplace violence. They will have important tips that can help you survive even if you don’t have a gun.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

5 Concealed Carry Mistakes

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000

Are You Making Concealed Carry Mistakes?

The stakes of violence are high and for that reason we would like to know as much as possible about the ways that we can really keep ourselves safer. For many people, the solution is carrying a handgun concealed. I agree that concealed carry is important, but at the same time, the self-defense industry is rife with issues.

One of the biggest issues is that a large percentage of people are making some significant mistakes when it comes to concealed carry. The question you need to be asking yourself is are YOU making a concealed carry mistake that could cost you your life?

Concealed Carry Mistakes:

Big errors might be more common than you think.

In fact, you might be making what I consider a concealed carry mistakes. The reason why is simple, the self-defense arm of the gun industry is full of misinformation that is passes off as the gold standard.

In most cases, this isn’t done on purpose, but that doesn’t make the consequences any less severe for people that head into real violence with bad conceptual information.

That’s the problem. The consequences are severe and can be as severe as a loss of your personal freedom or your financial security.

It’s for that reason that you need to know about common concealed carry mistakes and take an honest account of your situation and make changes if you choose to.

5 Common Concealed Carry Mistakes:

What you can expect from today’s show.

In today’s episode of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast we are going to take a look at:

Why it is an error if you only carry your gun when you think you are going to need it.
The real reason why carrying with an empty chamber is a concealed carry mistake.
The issues that surround off body carry and why it could be a serious CCW error.
Why you need to widen your horizon beyond firearm solutions for your safety.

Take Advantage of These Important Resources:

You might want to take a look at this video on carrying a round in the chamber.

Here is What You Should Do Next:

Subscribe to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and please leave a rating and review.
Take a critical look at your concealed carry habits and consider if you might be making some mistakes that need correcting.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

Concealed Carry Holsters

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000

Finding a Quality Concealed Carry Holster

Anyone that has spent tine carrying a concealed handgun has accumulated a collection of concealed carry holsters.

It isn't because we carry so many guns, instead, it's because holsters come in so many shapes and sizes for so many different uses for so many different people.

I think finding the right concealed carry holster is the most difficult gear related aspect of concealed carry and it is one of the biggest reasons that people that have concealed carry permits don't carry guns.

There are so many guns and so many materials and so many styles and so many positions that manufacturers

How to select a holster that will allow you to carry your handgun Safely, Comfortably and Securely.

A holster has a lot of duties and the unfortunate truth is they don’t all play well together. In fact, often when a holster does one thing well, it makes it difficult to do other things well. This guide will give you some ideas of the responsibilities that you have in selecting a quality holster.

What is a “Quality” holster?

Some one should send this guide to many of the holster manufacturers that stock your local gun shops shelves. Of course you may find some quality holsters on the shelves, but unfortunately they are the exception not the rule…

So what is a quality holster?

A quality holster helps you to carry your handgun safely, comfortably and securely.

A quality holster has specific characteristics that I remember with the nemonic:

R-A-G T-O-P

R - Retention

A - Application

G - Gun Fit

T - Trigger

O - Open Mouth

P - Position

If you are looking for your first holster or are needing to replace the holster that you are currently carrying consider thinking about R-A-G-T-O-P while you are searching for the replacement.

Follow this link and get subscribed to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast.

Defensive Gun Training

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000

Defensive Gun Training: How to find a range where you can practice REALISTIC skills.

I always end Safety Solutions Academy courses with a debrief session. I ask my students to provide feedback on the course or, ask questions that they are wondering about so that we have one last opportunity to discuss class related issues as a group.

One of the questions that is asked with and incurable frequency is, "Where can I practice the skills we just learned?"

It is a great question and an issue that I have struggled with as a defensive shooter and a professional defensive firearms instructor.

Over the years I have found some success in either helping to coach the facilities I use toward more practical firearms training or when that isn't possible finding a new facility to either conduct realistic practice for myself, or, high quality, realistic, defensive training for Safety Solutions Academy.

If you are interested in finding a location that is more suited to defensive firearms practice I may have some suggestions for you on how you can help your facility to adapt to realistic training or how you can find a location that will allow you to train realistically.

Take some time and listen to today's episode of the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast and see what you can do to get some realistic defensive firearms training or practice in at your facility.

You can find an extensive blog post on today's podcast at www.safetysolutionsacademy.com/defensivegunrange.

If you enjoy the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast, please take a moment to subscribe to the show and leave a rating and review on the SSA Podcast on iTunes.

Simply head to www.Safetysolutionsacademy.com/itunes and then click the button to head to iTunes where you can leave an honest rating and review.

My goal with reviews and ratings is to simply get information to protective listeners so that they can decide if the Safety Solutions Academy podcast is the right show for them to subscribe to and download.

Friday 15 - Concealed Carry Gear

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 11:00:00 +0000

Equipment:

Why we should all be talking and learning about concealed carry gear.

There seems to be some serious pushback in the defensive world to the idea of paying attention to the defensive gear you select. I understand where this resistance to gear is coming from. It stems directly from the idea that there are plenty of folks out there that focus on gear only.

Consumers
Retailers
Media outlets

They are all guilty of paying too much attention to the gear. If we are realistic about our defensive needs it becomes pretty clear pretty quickly that no one NEEDS a $2500 defensive handgun. Yet there are plenty of very expensive defensive guns out there and plenty of people that are willing to pay for them.

Rarely will a $2500 custom GLOCK out perform a stock GLOCK in meaningful terms. Sometimes the effect is exactly the opposite. In tweaking the standard we can create more problems.

If you took the $2000 excess and spent it on training rather than on costly enhancements to an already capable gun think of the difference that you might see in your performance. You would be faster and would be prepared to deal with much more than a skeletonized slide can provide.

The idea is, we can take equipment too far. If, however, you don’t understand that some gear is going to perform better than other gear in defensive situations, you are missing the point.

There are some important ideas that people need to understand about gear. When we ignore defensive equipment it leaves the evaluation process of defensive tools up in the air.

New defensive shooters
Folks looking for a change
People trying to correct an error

Folks need to have discussions, hear opinions and learn about concealed carry gear. If CCW gear isn’t being talked about, how is that learning supposed to take place.

You can get the links to the free resources I talked about in today's show by following this link.

0370 - Friday 15 - Mindset

Sat, 12 Dec 2015 00:53:49 +0000

Today, people are clamoring for safety and for good reason. San Bernardino was a wake up call. Paris got people’s attention, but San Bernardino hit home. It took place in a state with some of the most restrictive laws. The people that were killed were unable to stop it and police, as fast as their response was, were unable to stop it. As a result terrorists murdered Americans in cold blood.

San Bernardino is smelling salts under the nose of America. The problem is that America has been asleep for years and when you wake up from that deep of an unconsciousness you tend to be a bit groggy.

The fighting spirit of the American people has dissipated with sleep. We have lost our mindset.

Today in episode 370 are going to take and unscripted harsh look at why mindset is the key to your personal safety. In some ways the rush for the tools that many people are making is a mistake because it short cuts the reality of what you really need and we will take a look at what it is that you can do to increase your commitment to your personal safety.

When it comes to defensive training and concealed carry there are typically 3 areas the people can choose to focus on within any specific discipline. We might be talking about unarmed aspect of self-defense or the medical aftermath that you may need to deal with or even the legal fight you might face following a use of lethal force. It doesn’t matter what the area is it can be approached from three different angles:

Mindset
Skills & Tactics
Tools

If we take a look at each aspect and what it is it would break down something like this:

Mindset

Mindset is your willingness to act. What will it take for you to actually respond to a situation. Where is your line in the sand?

Skills & Tactics

Think of skills and tactics as how it is that you will act after the line has been crossed. This may take into account your previous experience and the pedagogy that you have invested in.

Tools

Tools make up the actual physical assets that you act with.

When it comes to Mindset, Skills and Tactics or Tools, the list is ordinal. It simply means that one of the list is more important than all the others. The most important is MINDSET.

Consider this:

Without the willingness to act you have nothing. The way you do something is irrelevant if you never do it. The tool you do something with doesn’t matter if you never do it. You must have the willingness to act.

Doing it is the answer.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Those are the words of Theodore Roosevelt spoke these words in Paris of all places.

The question that you should be asking yourself is not what gun should I get. The gun is the tool. Instead you need to be asking do I have what it takes to DO SOMETHING?

Some ways to build mindset:

Get outside

Push your limits

Reflect on what you value and what you are willing to do to preserve it.

Christmas morning look at the people around you.

What are you willing to do to keep those people safe? What are you willing to do to keep yourself safe so that those people have you to enjoy and guid e them in life.

Reflect on who you fear and what they are willing to sacrifice. YOU MUST BE WILLING TO raise their bet. You must go all in.

If you appreciated this Friday 15, if you want to learn more about how you can harden yourself and increase your mindset, I want you to connect with me.

When you do I am going to send you a pdf of the resources I talked about in this episode and future resources that are going to help you to make real improvements in your personal safety.

All you need to do is take out your cell phone and text the word “Friday15” to 33444 and I will get you a link to where you can download your free pdf.

Thank you for spending some time with me prepare yourself and those that you love by increasing your mindset.

Get out there get some training, when you do, keep it simple, stay safe and have a great day.

0369 - 15 Min Friday - Calling 911

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 23:33:33 +0000

You! Call 911!

When you need help in an emergency situation you usually need it pretty quickly. Yet we know that once you call, you are on your own for minutes before help arrives.

Minutes can seem like an eternity when lives are on the line, but so often people hesitate to call 911 when they see emergency circumstances on the horizon.

Know why to call 911, when to call 911, and how to call 911.

Knowing what the right reasons are for calling 911, when to call 911, and what needs to happen when you call 911 can make a big difference in the outcome of an emergency.

In general, the more information we can help the dispatcher understand about a situation, the more likely emergency responders are to have the information they need to help resolve the situation once they arrive on scene. In some situations, the call itself can help get the correct response to the scene.

It makes sense to take some time to consider why we might call 911, when that call should be placed and what the important aspects of the call are BEFORE we ever have to place that call.

Important Resources

Here is a children’s book you can use to help your children understand how to call 911 in an emergency.
Here is a resource for adults to understand the importance of the information that a 911 Dispatcher needs.
Lone Star Medics is one of my go to resources when it comes to getting proper tactical medical training.

What you should do next:

Gain knowledge
Develop skills
Procure tools

You can do all those things by connecting with Safety Solutions Academy. Simply use your phone to text “friday15” to the #33444 for additional resources delivered to your inbox in an easy to use pdf document. The links are right there for you to follow so that you can figure it all out.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

0368 - 15 Minute Friday - Medical Skills Matter

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 19:18:57 +0000

You are doing self defense wrong!

Most defensive shooters out there are doing it wrong. By definition. If you are a defensive shooter, it means that you are specialized in a very specific area of defense. Shooting might be the most fun area to specialize in. It might be the sexiest. When you need shooting it certainly is important.

Most folks never need the gun.

Instead they need avoidance skills. They need unarmed skills. The need medical skills.

Yet very few take that seriously.

Medical Skills: More important than defensive firearm skills.

It is true. Medical skills are more likely to be used in a much wider set of circumstances than defensive handgun skills.

As a professional defensive firearms instructor, I have never had to fire my gun in self defense, yet there are 4 times where I have used medical skills to impact another person’s life in a significantly positive manner.

It is probably the same with you.

Even if you do find yourself involved in violence, serious injury is a common consequence of violence. So it only makes sense that you would want to have medical skills to help deal with the consequences of violence once you do what needs to be done.

So do something about it.

Important Resources

American Red Cross - Common first aid and CPR courses.
American Heart Association - Common first aid and CPR courses.
Lone Star Medics is one of my go to resources when it comes to getting proper tactical medical training.

What you should do next:

Gain knowledge
Develop skills
Procure tools

I will also include an easy fill in the blank Range Emergency Action Plan for you to use to organize your resources. This will help to make sure you are ready should you ever face a accident on the range.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

0367 - 15 Minute Friday - Emotions

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 15:55:08 +0000

15 Minute Friday is a fast paced short presentation designed to get you thinking about your own personal safety and the safety of those around you. Today in episode 0367 we are going to talk about our emotions and how our emotional state can effect our personal security.

15 Minute Friday: Your emotions and personal protection.

I have experienced it and I’m sure you have as well. My emotions, whether good or bad, have at time distracted me from important tasks that need to be dealt with. This experience can range from exciting, to slightly annoying to downright dangerous, depending on the emotions and how we learn to recognize and deal with them.

Understanding that our emotions have an impact on our personal security is the first step to harnessing our emotional power to increase our safety.

What you can expect to learn:

Different ways that you emotions can distract you from important things that are going on in your life
Ways you might evaluate your emotions and their appropriateness depending on the circumstances
Remember that avoidance is a powerful tool and understanding and regulating your emotions can be a big step in the right direction toward increasing your safety
Some ways to understand the positives and negatives of your emotions and their impact on your personal security.

Important resources:

You can find more resources on important personal safety topics at Safety Solutions Academy
Subscribe to the SSA Podcast on iTunes
Take a look at what SSA has to offer on it’s YouTube Channel

Know that your emotions can distract you.

At the same time we must understand that our emotions are there for a reason. Emotions can be a very rewarding part of life and at times they can be a tool that can help you to recognize and respond to danger. Develop strategies and skills to that you can maximize the benefits of your emotions.

Realize that at time your emotions may overwhelm you and at those times you may be the most venerable to risks associated with personal protection. As a result, you need to recognize and accept that you may face threats when you are least prepared and least expecting them.

What you should do next:

Right now I want you to take a moment and do something for me. Take your phone and open up your text messaging app. Open up a new text message and enter the number 33444 in the to: field That is 33444 the text message I want you to send is friday15 the word “friday” followed by the digits 15. With no spaces “friday15” when you do this you will receive a link to download a quick pdf with some reminders about how your emotions can impact your personal safety.

Again text “friday15” to the number 33444.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

0366 - An Interview with Bob Mayne of Handgun World and Ben Branam of Modern Self Protection

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 01:55:31 +0000

Ben Branam and Bob Mayne of Modern Self Protection and Handgun World

In the modern world there is all kinds of information available to us just about any topic we want to learn about. That info is right at our finger tips ready for us to access at a moments notice.

The firearms industry is no different. In fact it may be an industry with a higher than average density of new media options for its consumers. There are tons of YouTube channels, podcasts, blogposts, and more. That is a good thing.

Today I am sitting down with two folks that are active in the firearms podcast and instruction world. Bob Mayne, of the Handgun World Podcast and Ben Branam of Modern Self Protection are two of the many people that in the industry that are creating quality content for consumers in the firearms and personal protection industry. Today we are going to have a conversation about podcasts, firearms instruction and the gun world in general and it is gonna be a blast!

In a world where three gun podcasts collide…

One of the most rewarding aspects of the firearms industry is the people. It is people like Ben and Bob and you that make my job as awesome as it is. When I heard from John, a SSA Alumni and a listener and friend of Ben and Bob’s that this dynamic duo was going to be in NE Ohio to teach a two day course, I did my best to clear my schedule so that I could network, make new friends and record some audio for you.

I am glad that I did. I was able to spend all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening with Bob and Ben. I got to know their program, their instructional styles and then as individuals. It was a good weekend.

Bob and Ben were in town to teach their Beyond Concealed Carry Course and I am guessing that they will be back in Ohio in the future to teach again. Until that happens you have the opportunity to train with Safety Solutions Academy. SSA’s Parallel course would be our Critical Defensive Handgun Course. It is carefully designed to help you understand and master THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS for defending yourself and those that you love should you face a violent encounter where innocent life is on the line. Follow the link and check out the course outline for our Critical Defensive Handgun course and get registered today!

What you can expect to learn:

Why Bob and Ben like podcasting as a way to reach folks like you
How the Handgun World Show and Modern Self Protection got their start
What it is that motivated these two firearms industry podcasters to move into firearms training
What Beyond Concealed Carry is all about
What challenges the course and it’s instructors have faced as they have matured in both instruction and podcasting

Take Advantage of These Important Resources:

Find Bob Mayne and the Handgun World Podcast at Handgun World and in iTunes
You can find Ben Branam at Modern Self Protection and iTunes
Make sure to take a look at their course schedules for their next Beyond Concealed Carry Course or for SSA’s Critical Defensive Handgun.

One of the things that Ben and I talked about was the book, The Gift of Fear. It should be on the top of your reading list if you haven’t read it.

Here is What You Should Do Next:

Listen to Modern Self Protection
Listen to Handgun World
Get some training

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

0365 - Massad Ayoob on Deadly Force

Sat, 05 Sep 2015 18:47:36 +0000

It would be nice to live in a world where a good defensive shoot was a good defensive shoot. The unfortunate reality is that there are many things that can get involved in the legal aspect of self-defense that simply don’t belong there. Of course sometimes people make errors, or they misunderstand, but people also attack others for political gain and in the name of “social progress.”

When you consider what is at stake when you find yourself in the legal system as the result of a defensive gun use, it makes sense to consider how you can position yourself best to avoid the potential loss of freedom and the serious financial consequences that can come from a bout with the legal system.

Massad Ayoob on Deadly Force

Massad Ayoob began writing in the firearms industry in 1971 and as an author, law enforcement officer and expert witness he quickly became the industry’s noted expert on the use of deadly force.

Mas continues his work today traveling the country and instructing law enforcement officers and armed citizens in the use of deadly force and the legal defense of the use of deadly force. Massad Ayoob Group’s MAG-20 is a 20 hour lecture based course designed to help the layman understand the critical nuances that make self-defense law different from other forms of criminal law and for the cost of less than two hours with a top criminal attorney students are able to get a more solid grasp on self-defense law than most attorneys receive in their formal education.

Each year Safety Solutions Academy hosts Massad Ayoob for both his MAG-20 and MAG-40 course which includes 20 hours of live fire training. Dates for the 2016 courses will be coming soon.

What you Can Expect to Learn:

What specific actions you can take today to reduce your legal profile should you need to defend yourself or other innocent people.
Defensive handgun modifications that should be avoided and modifications that are good to go.
What legal concepts are important to understand and where you can learn about them.
How to find a good attorney so that you have the legal representation you need.
And much more!

Take Advantage of These Important Resources:

Pick up a copy of Massad Ayoob’s book, Deadly Force
Take a look at the course descriptions for the MAG-40 and MAG-20 courses and determine which one is the right course for you and then set a goal to attend that course in 2016.
Increase you level of defensive proficiency with your defensive handgun by taking a Critical Defensive Handgun Course with Safety Solutions Academy.

Here is What You Should Do Next:

Pick up a copy of Massad Ayoob’s book, Deadly Force
Take a look at the course descriptions for the MAG-40 and MAG-20 courses and determine which one is the right course for you and then set a goal to attend that course in 2016.
Increase you level of defensive proficiency with your defensive handgun by taking a Critical Defensive Handgun Course with Safety Solutions Academy.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

0364 - Paul Gomez and Paul-E-Palooza

Sat, 29 Aug 2015 14:52:28 +0000

When you find yourself in the midst of 100+ hot, dirty, tired, sweaty, men and women who have been training hard all day in the sun, and they have smiles on their faces, while they are digging deep into their pockets you know that you have found a special place and a special group of people.

Each year in mid August I find myself in just such a scenario in Garettsville, Ohio at an wonderful event called Paul-E-Palooza.

Today’s Safety Solutions Academy Podcast Episode # 364 we are going to talk about an amazing event for an amazing purpose that brings together an amazing bunch of people. We are going to cover a recap of sorts of Paul-E-Palooza 3.

It is one of my favorite times of year. It’s like Christmas for defensive training junkies and at the same time, it is an opportunity to spend time with a wonderful group of people, whom many of which I am lucky enough to call friends.

I’m going to do my best to try and share with you what Paul-E-Palooza 3 was like. Those of you that were there will probably smile and think back fondly. Those that were at PEP 1 or Paul-E-Palooza 2, Electric Bugaloo and missed PEP3 might feel a tinge of frustration that you missed it but think back fondly to your time in past years.

Those of you that have never been to a PEP hopefully will get some idea of what PEP is all about.

Paul-E-Palooza is a Memorial Fund Raiser

The fact that PEP is a MEMORIAL fund raiser, again, A MEMORIAL means that there are a lot of people that wish that Paul-E-Palooza didn’t exist. You see. It Is because of the death of Paul Gomez that it exists. Those that knew Paul would rather have him than Paul-E-Palooza.

Yet at the same time Paul-E-Palooza is a beautiful thing. The friends and colleagues of Paul Gomez came to gather to support his children in an impressive way.

As a result a training event evolved in a fashion that organizers believed Paul would have a appreciated and it has been an outstanding success.

Each year that PEP has run it has earned mid 5 digits to help provide for Paul’s children the things that all children need like braces, and school tuition.

From that aspect PEP is really a beautiful thing.

PEP an Opportunity to Train for Reality

Realistic training can be invaluable and at the same time difficult to find. Not so at Paul-E-Palooza.

You can see the list of instructors here at the PEP website and also here at an after action report I wrote regarding Paul-E-Palooza 3.

There are few places where you can get so many different genres of personal defense related training. PEP is one of them and this year at Paul-E-Palooza 3 is one of the places.

You can get great medical training, outstanding defensive theory courses, a better understanding of mindset, unarmed combatives training, experience with sharp weapons, weapon retention skills, disarm work and general preparedness information.

I talked about this in a recent blog post I wrote for the personal defense network you can read it at SSA.training/trainforreality. Take a few minutes to take a look at the blog post.

The idea that we can’t be dependent on the gun and the gun alone. We have to have other skills. Think of the train to Paris and the 3 U.S. service men. There they were with no firearms pitted against a well armed if ill prepared terrorist. They needed a wide variety of skills including medical skills to keep everyone on that train alive.

PEP can help you round out your skills if you are willing to do it.

You might not master those skills, but you at least you can find the instructors that can help you to master the skills in the future.

PEP 3: A nest in a tree of trust and understanding…

PEP is a place where lots of big people come together. I don’t mean big like Paul Sharp, Greg Elifritz big. Instead I mean big as in big time. What is interesting is that although there are lots of egos they don’t seem to bump like we might expect us to do.

It’s pretty awesome when you get lots of alpha dogs together yet they get along better than most regular groups of people.

Maybe its the idea that an armed society is a polite society
Or maybe when big people come to gather for big reasons they set the little things aside.

I love it but with very few exceptions, people just aren’t cross at Paul-E-Palooza.

I think we might tear each other apart on social media if it wasn’t for the common ground we have come together to celebrate and that is a very cool aspect of PEP.

If you regularly have issues with your ego bumping into other egos, maybe you should take a look at this link: GetSSAGear.com/cantwealljustgetalong

If you are motivated to be prepared to protect yourself and your family you might want to take at Paul-E-Palooza. It is more than a training class. Instead it is a top notch and outstanding training event. It’s also a gathering of excellent people for an excellent cause. Finally, Paul-E-Palooza is where you should be come mid August 2016.

Take Advantage of These Important Resources:

•Safety Solutions Academy PEP3 Blog Post here at http://www.ssa.training/pep3

•PDN Article on training for reality SSA.training/trainforreality

•Safety Solutions Academy Handgun Courses

•Getssagear.com/cantwealljustgetalong

•Triple Aught Designs

•Ballistic Radio

•Safety Solutions Academy

•Century Arms

•Southington Hunt Club

What You Should Do Next:

Make sure that you take a solid look at the resources above.
Please visit the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast on the iTunes store and leave a rating and review.
Think about you training and what you can to to train for your reality! You can take a look at the courses that Safety Solutions Academy offers by following this link.

Thanks for taking the time to consider what I have to say!

-= Paul Carlson =-

363 - Easy Ways to Increase Your Safety

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 23:59:12 +0000

Everyone wants to live a safe life right?

In the firearms community folks tend to purchase a gun, head to the range and then call it good. Some folks that are a bit more dedicated get their permit and some actually get real defensive handgun training. But the question we really need to be asking our selves is, does any of that really make us safer?

Today on the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast Episode # 363 we are going to talk about some very simple changes you can make to your life so that it is truly safer.

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Safety is an interesting topic. Why? Probably because the majority of people are happy just FEELING safer.

Let me say that again. They aren’t worried abut actually being safer, instead they are content with just feeling like they are safer. Those same folks often take actions that might be headed in the right direction toward true safety, but they fail to follow through on actually increasing their safety.

This dude cannot abide.

Safety is critical to life. If we don’t actually increase our safety we are relying on luck and hope to keep us around.

Call me a control freak, but I actually want to survive to be an old man. So, today we will take a look at some simple things you can do to really be safer.

In Episode 363 you can expect to hear about:

Why locking doors can be a big increase in safety
A strategy for keeping your office door relatively secure without locking everyone else out of your office
A key fob car lock strategy that impressed even the LE officers in a recent Critical Vehicle Concealed Carry class
What kinds of training can really make a difference in your safety
What tool you actually need to have with you if you depend on it or safety
Steps you can take to improve your health
More!

Important Resources:

Legal Courses

Medical Courses

Avoidance Courses

Defensive Handgun Courses

Critical Vehicle Concealed Carry

Here is what you should do next:

Please head to the podcast blog page at SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/363 and comment with one step you are going to take to lead a safer life!

Carry the discussion on social media by using the hashtag #ssapodcast363.

Please point your browser to SafetySolutionsAcademy.com/itunes and leave a review for the SSA Podcast.

Thanks for taking the time to download and listen to the Safety Solutions Academy Podcast!

-= Paul Carlson =-

Here is the latest episode of Safety Solutions Academy

0361 - Handgun Weapon Mounted Lights

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 17:20:27 +0000

When it comes to defensive shooting in the home, light is important. Light is what allows our eye to see what is around us and since vision is the primary input when it comes to defensive situations that means light is important to home-defense.

It helps to see so that we can gather information to know that an attack is imminent or in progress

We need to be able to see when the threat ceases so that our use of force can also terminate.

Maybe most importantly, we need to be able to see so that we can identify our “threat.”

Since we need to see the attack and the attacker we need light. It is generally accepted (and correct) that violence is statistically more likely to take place at night and as a result, it happens when there is less light available to see what we need to see.

The opposable thumb part of the human loves tools and so lights have become an important part of the defensive shooting world. And we have come a long way since the days of the 4 D Cell maglight that we all thought was so bright at the time.

So far in fact that lights are small enough and bright enough to be mounted directly on handguns seems like a perfect solution.

A bit back I received an email from Bryan Bolivar one of the hosts at Modern Rifleman Radio and Bryan wanted to know what I thought about Weapon Mounted Lights as a tool for home defense. Bryan asked all the right questions in his email and we had a great conversation sorting through the issues.

One of the things Bryan asked about specifically was if this was a topic covered in Safety Solutions Academy’s Critical Defensive Handgun class. We don’t specifically address WMLs as a training point in our CDH Course, however, we do address specific questions that students have. If you come to class with a WML we are likely to be talking about Weapon Mounted Lights!

If you are interested in taking your defensive handgun training to the next level, visit Ssa.training/cdh

Here is the email that Bryan sent:

I was interested in your discussion about weapons mounted lights on TGN Ep133. You opened my eyes a bit and raised some questions. I keep a weapon mounted light on my home defence pistol but can see how it can be less effective outside of the home. Since that is not really an option up here, I never really gave it much thought. I can tend to be myopic in my focus of my own situation as much as I call foul when others do this.

The reason I have it on the gun is in fact to use as an indirect flash light, shining either at the floor or ceiling. It is a impressive how much the TLR-1 lights up a room especially off a white ceiling. My thought on this is that by using the light when pointed either up or down, I am not going to inadvertently flag a family member, yet can clearly see any threats in the room. I also am not focusing a beam of light on something that may in fact reflect back on me, blinding me (say a mirror).

Also, when I do point at a target with the weapon mounted light, it provides bright contrasting background for me to see the front sight post and align the gun naturally with a good sight picture.

Finally, I am concerned about my ability to accurately make hits with a flash light in one hand and the gun in another. I have never been taught techniques to do this successfully.

I am curious to hear your thoughts on this and I am wondering if this is something that gets covered in your courses, say the 2 day critical defensive handgun course October 24-25, 2015?

Cheers, Bryan

The discussion Bryan and I had answered the questions he had in his email and really got to the bottom of some big training concepts that applied not only to Weapon Mounted Lights on a handgun, but to other areas as well.

Handgun Mounted Lights Increase Complexity

Guns aren’t the most complicated of tools out there, however, when we add gear like a weapon mounted light to a handgun, the complexity of the tool increases significantly.

We have to understand that under stress our capacity for dealing with complexity is diminished. Humans have a tendency to focus on the treat to the exclusion of all else. It is a normal, natural survival instinct that has many positive benefits. That tendency however, makes it more difficult to operate our tools. We really need to be able to operate our firearms without thought to the operation so that we can place our cognitive attention on the remainder of factors that need our focus. Adding complexity to our handgun means an increase in training time or more focus needed on the mechanics of running the gun when we should be attending to other matters.

It also should be noted that the most difficult part of operating a gun is pressing the trigger when you mount a light on your handgun you are very likely increasing the task load on the trigger finger. Yes, we should use the weak hand thumb to operate the switch on the handgun, however, this leaves us in a difficult situation if the weak hand is not on the gun. Keep in mind that one of the big arguments FOR a Weapon Mounted Light on a Handgun is the idea that you can operate a gun and a light with only one hand. We cannot allow our method of operation of the light negate that benefit because it requires two hands.

Handgun Mounted Weapon Lights Can’t Take the Place of a Handheld Light

There are plenty of situations where a light can come in handy, threat recognition, assisting in movement, treating medical emergencies and more. These situations are realistic scenarios that you could encounter in a home defense scenario.

When I hear a bump in the night, I am much more likely to be dealing with a family member doing something out of the ordinary instead of a lethal threat. The last thing I want to do is point my loaded firearm at someone I love.
When the lights go out due to a power outage, I can’t be tempted to use my Weapon Mounted Light to illuminate the situation.
If I am dealing with the aftermath of a home defense scenario and treating a family member for injuries, the last thing I want to do is point my gun at them to see what I am working on.

There certainly is a time and a place for a weapon mounted light, but I would argue that there are lots of times that you need a light that you DON’T want it to be on your handgun.

Handgun Mounted Lights Are Single Purpose

Until a potential threat is identified as an actual threat, A light mounted on a handgun serves very little practical purpose.

A light on a handgun serves as an outstanding tool to disorient a threat as they are being held at gunpoint. I don’t want to hold someone at gunpoint as a home owner. I would much rather have them turn tail and run, but if they choose not to a light could be handy.

A Weapon mounted light on a handgun can do a good job of helping us understand if a threat needs to be shot, or if the shooting of a threat needs to stop. Having the threat fully illuminated can allow you to see indicators that determine when your use of force should begin if at all and when it should cease. As important as these ideas are, they both take place after the threat has been identified as a threat.

Why am I making such a big deal about this post threat identification stage? Cause it is a BIG DEAL.

We have already mentioned this concept and Claude Werner has pointed out that threat identification is key. Why? Because the bump you hear in the night is much more likely to be someone you know and love than an intruder with malicious intent. Claude is absolutely spot on. I don’t want to find out that the intruder is my daughter sneaking back in the house while my gun is pointed at her.

Lots of folks talk about washing the light from your weapon mounted light off of the floor to illuminate the threat. I don’t prefer this technique. It does a poor job of helping you see the threat and gathering information that you need to make decisions and it does a fabulous job of letting the threat know exactly where you are. A weapon mounted light is designed to throw light directly onto the threat. That is its purpose and it does it well.

Understanding the purpose of a weapon mounted light on your defensive handgun is important. It is very good at doing what it is designed to do, and can be a serious liability when it is used in some other fashion.

When a Weapon Mounted Light comes in handy:

Weapon mounted lights are not all bad. There are some specific circumstances where a weapon mounted light excels. The list grows considerably for law enforcement officers, but here are a few of the situations where an average Joe might find a weapon mounted light to be particularly helpful:

Holding a known threat at gunpoint
When the location of all family members is in a known barricade position
When one hand is occupied and a threat has already been identified

There certainly can be other situations where a WML might be useful, but let’s not think that it is somehow a magical solution to dealing with threats.

A Weapon Mounted Light Is Rarely A Solution Alone

Have a hand held light. If you have the resources to own a light to mount on your handgun AND to train with it properly go ahead and scoop up a light for your pistol. Don’t forget about having a quality hand held light to go with it so that you can deal with all the circumstances that fall outside of the real that a WML is built for.

Have a hand held light.
Turn on the lights.
Understand when it is appropriate to use a WML and when it is not.

If you have a WML on your handgun understand that it is one part of a system and it has a very narrow application.

What ever it is that we are looking at we need to look at its use in total as opposed to one simple aspect. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a technique or a tool. When we take a look at problems and their solutions we always need to consider the context of use.

Something that is a good idea for a k9 officer isn’t automatically a good idea for you and me.

If you are interested in taking your defensive handgun training to the next level, visit Ssa.training/cdh and if you are interested in making sure that you are integrating a Weapon Mounted Light appropriately in your training Critical Defensive Handgun is a place to do it.

0360 - Selecting the Best Defensive Firearms Instructor

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 13:00:00 +0000

In 2015 the firearms instructor business is booming! Folks from all different kinds of backgrounds are teaching all different kinds of classes. There are introductory classes and conceal carry being taught regularly. And you can add to that advanced classes competitive courses and the high speed Tactical stuff too. With everything that is out there, the firearms instruction consumer has many different choices to make.

As with anything else when there are lots of choices there are some that are good choices and some that are not so good.

Today we are going to speak with Rob Pincus of ICE Training. Rob is one of those folks offering up his instruction for sale but at the same time he spends a chunk of his time every year as a student. In addition in his role with the personal defense network he is someone that has to choose quality instructors to represent the PDN brand.

Today we're gonna discuss about how it is that Rob Pincus chooses quality instructors and how that might help you make good choices as well.

Honest reviews are are one of the ways that people make good decisions in today’s info filled world. And looking at reviews and ratings can be a great way to buy a vacuum but One of the issues we have to be worried about is the understanding and motives of the reviewer. That can make reviews a bit of a flawed system that is hard to trust alone when we are discussing a life and death issue like defensive firearm training.

And so today we talk with Rob Pincus to look at some other ways that we can work to select the best defensive firearms trainers.

You can find Rob Pincus at http://www.icetraining.us and at http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com.

What are the problems with having so many instructors?

As I mentioned in the intro right now in the firearms training industry there are heck of a lot of students and a heck of a lot of instructors. Some might even say a glut of trainers.

When you look at the number of instructors out there that are offering their courses in return for the resources of the student what problems do you see?

Who are the best instructors out there?

When I think about instructors that are out there I really think about 4 of groups of people that are teaching classes.

Avg Joes

Fanboys

Grand Masters

Coperators

Is there one group of instructors that tends to do a better job of instructing folks and defensive handgun use than the others? Or is an individuals background less important than marketing might make it seem?

If I just learn one thing…

Resources are something that are often left unconsidered by the student when selecting training and instructors. Usually when considered, it is simply from the standpoint of dollars which is one of the more concrete resources we deal with. Just because money can be held in your hand doesn’t make it the most important consideration.

There are a lot of people out there who take the attitude of if they learn one thing from an instructor, their investment in training was worth it. What do you think about that take on teaching and learning?

How do you select good instructors for PDN

In your role as managing editor of the personal defense network, you are tasked with bringing content from many different instructors together at a single resource, the personal defense network.

In a sense your task with the same problem that the consumer is. What is it that makes a good instructor and who is it that you wanted to give bandwidth to on the personal defense network?

How can our listeners apply your ideas to selecting a quality instructor.

How does your approach differ from what it is you think the consumer should do as they are looking for that quality instructor?

Distance Learning

Rob, you have several books out, one of which is called Counter Ambush, The science of Training for the Unexpected Defensive Shooting. It is a good look at an important and often over looked niche of defensive shooting, dealing with the ambush. Folks that are interested in taking a look at Counter Ambush can find it at

Getssagear.com/counterambush That will take you to amazon where there are only 4 copies left in stock

On page 147 of your book Counter Ambush you state:

“Sure, in-person coaching during a formal training class is probably the best format, but books, articles, blogs, online discussion forums, training DVD’s and various other resources are available to you. Of course, you need to use critical thinking and discretion when taking advice from any expert via any remote method. The further away you get from a face to face experience, the harder it may be to judge someone’s expertise.”

This gets back to the idea of using reviews and or after action reports as the sole method for vetting an instructor. With so much distance learning material being created in the defensive world, how is someone to judge that expertise?

Resources for Instructors

We have a lot of instructors that listen to this podcast which is pretty flattering.

The kind of instructor that takes the time to listen to the SSA podcast is fairly interested in professional development. If an instructor is interested in increasing their level of expertise, hat resources are there that are out there that they could use to improve their game?

Continuing Education

The Association of Defensive Shooting Instructors (ADSI) has a code of professionalism and the seventh tenet reads:

I believe that the best instructor is an avid student, and I will strive to continually upgrade my own skills and knowledge. As part of this belief, I understand that my own teachings need to be subject to critique and open to evolution.

How can the typical student make sure that the instructor that they are training with is committed to this idea?

PDN Tour

We talked about the resources and the bandwidth of the personal defense network you're about to kick off the 2015 PDN tour. Tell us about it.

Caleb Causey

William Aprill

Grant Cunningham

Daniel Shaw

Time, money, interest and energy are all finite resources. It doesn’t matter what activity we are talking about, when you start to run low on resources you have a tendency to want to hang things up.

I hope that our discussion with rob today might help you to find a quality instructor for your next course, Maybe even provide some good suggestions of instructors that will take you where you want to go, and hopefully provide you a bit of a recharge to get you out there and get some training in

To you folks out there listening, Thanks so much for spending your time with Safety Solutions Academy. The fact that you are willing to spend that time with me is some of the best news of my day.

Get out there, get some training. When you do, keep it simple, Stay safe and as always have a great day!

0358 - Critical Medical Skills For Everyday People

Sun, 01 Mar 2015 01:41:44 +0000

Often, when people make the decision to take an active role in their own safety, they take steps that seem to have a great impact as opposed to steps that really make marked difference in the safety of the life they lead.

A perfect example is the rush that many people have to acquire a firearm, ammunition, accessories and training that they believe will keep them safe. Now do not take this the wrong way folks! For some people, that firearm WILL mean the difference between life and death.

But for many more, there are other skills and tools that will be the keys to saving lives. Skills like, first aid and CPR. Skills that deal with choking, or treating someone with traumatic injury.

Nope. Not anywhere near as sexy as defending your family with a gun, But, it is statistically MUCH MORE LIKELY that you will provide someone with life saving care than protect them with your gun.

To that end, today we are going to talk to Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics about the importance of emergency medical skills. What skills are the most critical? Who needs to have them? What tools are critical to saving lives and where you can get those skills?

I am looking forward to sorting out some important ideas regarding defensive training today with Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics.

When folks think about their personal security and self-defense they immediately move towards shooting, striking, you know the sexy stuff. But the fact is that is only part of the equation.

People like Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics are critical to personal protection as they help round out the package and help you develop all the skills you need to truly be safer that is why we are talking to Caleb today and that is why we will be hosting Caleb next month for Lone Star Medics Medicine X EDC.

During today’s episode we talk about:
Caleb’s Background
His work with the Personal Defense Network
Why Medical Skills are so important
What medical tools are important for preserving life?
We answer some of your medical related emails

And a whole lot more!

On March 21st and 22nd we will be hosting Lone Star Medics here in Cleveland Ohio to teach Medicine X EDC.

This is a two day course that combines a touch of lecture, a strong dose of practical medical skills with life fire and FoF scenarios to help you gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to deal with injuries that you or someone you love could sustain in a violent attack or simply while going about your daily life.

Then get a tactical medical course under your belt!

Our next episode we will be back to talking about holsters!

Thank you for investing your valuable time with us today! I appreciate it greatly.

Get out there, get some training, some medical training. When you do, keep it simple, stay safe and as always have a great day!

Please visit us at Safety Solutions Academy for information about Med X EDC and other important courses.

Concealed Carry Holsters

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 06:00:22 +0000

When it comes to equipment issues there is no area where folks struggle more than in selecting the right concealed carry holster.

Getting it wrong can have some serious consequences ranging from discomfort to safety issues. This means that there are some things you need to get right the first time.

In my trailer, I have a bin full of holsters that students often need to dip into to solve holster problems in class. Wouldn’t it be better if we could sort out some of these issues before we make a holster mistake. Or even before we make another holster mistake?

The Jobs of a Concealed Carry Holster

A concealed carry holster has a complex job. Often times the different duties of the concealed carry holster are counter to each other. This makes a holster difficult to design and difficult to select. This can be one of the most difficult and at times frustrating aspects of concealed carry.

If we work to understand concealed carry from a conceptual concept it can help us to break down the complexity and make some good choices.

Conceptual Purpose of a Concealed Carry Holster

You should expect your concealed carry holster to carry your concealed carry handgun safely, comfortably and securely while allowing you quick access to your handgun should you need to defend yourself or your loved ones in a life threatening violent encounter.

Your Concealed Carry Holster and Safety

Your Concealed Carry Holster and Comfort

Your Concealed Carry Holster and Security

Your Concealed Carry Holster and Quick Access

Characteristics of a Quality Concealed Carry Holster

Let’s take a look at the characteristics of a quality concealed carry holster.

A Decent Concealed Carry Holster Works With Your Concealed Carry System
A Good Concealed Carry Holster is Built for YOUR Gun
A Quality Concealed Carry Holster Protects the Trigger
A Quality Concealed Carry Holster Retains Your Gun
A Good Concealed Carry Holster Allows You to Draw Your Pistol Quickly
A Quality Concealed Carry Holster Makes it Relatively Easy to Re-Holster
A Good Concealed Carry Holster Maintains It's Position
A Good Concealed Carry Holster Helps You to Conceal Your Handgun

Everyone that carries a gun has to deal with holsters of one kind or another and there seems to be no more universal frustration among those that carry concealed than holsters.

Hopefully today’s show gave some good quality concepts for you to start looking at you holster as a tool to accomplish a goal as opposed to a pain in your rear.

If you found today’s pod-cast helpful please head to iTunes or Google or Facebook and leave an honest review and rating regarding SSA and what it is that we do.

This gives me valuable feedback when it comes to improving the show as well as help others find the information on the interwebs that will be truly beneficial to them.

Thank you for taking the time to leave those reviews and ratings!

Also:

Critical Defensive Handgun

March 7th and 8th 2015 Atlanta GA

One or two day options

If you don’t live in Atlanta, or if class has come and gone, don’t despair,

Head to www.ssa.training/cdh for info and registration.

Next podcast we will be taking to Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics. We are going to dive deep into the idea of Medical care and why it should be a key part of your defensive skill set.

Then we will be back on holsters taking a specific look at how you can find the right holster for you. We will discuss carry position, holster material and how to evaluate that holster you have or are thinking about buying

William Aprill

Sat, 14 Feb 2015 04:07:07 +0000

William Aprill is a mental health professional with almost 20 years of experience in a wide variety of roles. His back ground as a Sherrif's Deputy and a Special Deputy to the US Marshall's Service combined with his mental health experience and tenure as an instructor in the combative arts puts William in a Uniqu position to understand the violent criminal's mind and what that means for those that train to lead a safer life.

William takes the time to discuss why understanding the violent criminal mind is important and why failing to understand can lead to inappropriate training and a failed response when we are faced with violence.

William will be coming to NE Ohio April 25th and 26th, 2015, to co-teach a course called "Unthinkable" which will be a well balanced course that deals with unarmed combative skills, armed skills and criminal psychology.

Follow this link to find out more information about William Aprill, Unthinkables and how you can properly prepare to deal with a Violent Criminal Actor.

0355 - Convert a GLOCK 22 to 9mm

Sat, 29 Nov 2014 02:35:42 +0000

The GLOCK 22 is one of the most common handguns out there. It is a fullsized 40 Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun with a 15+1 capacity. Many law enforcement agencies selected the GLOCK 22 as their service weapon over the last decade and a half.

Recently however, many police agencies have started to transition to 9mm from the 40 as the 9mm gains strong favor as a defensive handgun round.

This transition means that there is a glut of 40 Smith & Wesson handguns on the market and these handguns can often be found for less money than the equivilant 9mm handguns.

GLOCK likes to tout Perfection which I think is a bit of an over statement. I would like to think about GLOCKs as Versatile. there are a tremendous number of accesories availible for GLOCK handguns including the simple parts required to convert a GLOCK 22 to a 9mm GLOCK.

It is certainly an economical and reasonable project to convert a 40 S&W GLOCK to a 9mm GLOCK. A simple conversion barrel and some new magizines can turn an inexpensive service pistol or the 40 caliber handgun you already have into a 9mm handgun that is perfect for a back up to your carry gun, or a great handgun for serious defensive training to save wear and tear on your defensive handgun.

If you would like to convert your GLOCK 22 or GLOCK 23 to a 9mm handgun listen to today's podcast for information on how you can make the conversion, what parts you need depending on the purpose for your converted handgun and what part you don't.

Click here to head to Safety Solutions Academy to take a look at the additional resources available for your conversion including links to the parts you need!

0354 - Situational Awareness:

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 21:02:58 +0000

Situational awareness is one of the pillars that has been taught for self-defense and personal protection for decades. It is an important skill that we should use whenever possible, but we need to understand bot the limitations of situational awareness and when it can fail us.

Today we will talk about specific examples where we count on situational awareness to save our tail when instead we should count on counter ambus training because awareness simply isn't likely to work. We will also talk in detail about how situational awareness really can make a difference in your personal safety.

Check out the resources that go along with this podcast at Safety Solutions Academy!

0353 - BLADETECH Straight Drop Eclipse Holster

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 15:50:48 +0000

I had the opportunity to speak with the General Manager of Blade-Tech, Kyle Thompson at the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers Show in Little Rock Arkansas.

Kyle and I talked about a variety of topics such as the difference between Kydex and injection molded hosters, how versitile holsters can help you decide how to select the best concealed carry holster, what makes for a quality belt for concealed carry and ambi appendix carry holsters.

Take a few minutes to listen to what Kyle has to say about BLade-Tech and concealed carry and then apply as needed.

HexMag Polymer AR-15 Magazines

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 15:02:10 +0000

If you own an AR-15 you probably appreciate the number of accessories that are readily available for your rifle. Whether its stocks, rails, sights, optics, lights, lasers, or cigar cutters you can hang it off of your rifle. Of all the accessories, the most important may be the one that feeds your blaster. Magazines are an important part of your rifles function.

Quality AR-15 magazines are reliable and durable. Today, magazines can do more than just feed your gun. The folks at HexMag have shown that they can work, look good and even make life a bit easier in some ways.

There are plenty of polymer magazine manufacturers for the AR-15 rifle and it's cousins out there. HexMag is a Colorado based company that is fairly new to the market and is committed to building quality mags for training, defensive use and use by professionals that carry rifles for a living.

The HexMag AR-15 Magazines are a full polymer body with a stainless steel spring. Of course the follower is a no tilt follower and the magazine can easily be disassembled with no tools. The easy disassemble encourages magazine maintenance and is accomplished through a colorful push button hexagon on the bottom of the magazine.

The Pushbutton hex on the bottom of the mag not only allows for easy cleaning, but it can also be swapped out for different colors. This allows the magazine to be easily identified by color as the hex is easily visible even when the magazine is stored in a pouch.

It is these types of innovations that separate HexMag from some of the polymer magazine manufacturers that have been around for awhile. I talk with the guys from HexMag about their magazines, the Second Amendment and much more. Give it a listen.

Hill and Mac Gunworks

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:04:56 +0000

Targets make a big difference when it comes to your defensive firearms training. Targets are more than measurement tools for recording your hits and misses. When used properly, they can also help you to recognize when scenarios require you to shoot and when they don't and even force you to think in ways that are similar to the ways you will need to in a real life violent encounter.

The folks at Hill and Mac Gunworks seem to have taken the steel target and refined it. Steel targets provide great auditory feedback and targets that fall give some good visual feedback as well.

Steel targets aren't without their difficulties though. If they are steel, they make lead and copper fly and with poor design that can be a problem.

If the targets are reactive, they need to be reset which takes time.

And neither of these points addresses the fact that typical steel targets don't address the fact that visual stimulation of the need to shoot is left out of the equation.

Hill and MAc Steel Target Systmes are certainly worth a look if you are searching for steel targets for defensive firearms training.

I haven't yet had the opportunity to shoot a HMG target, but with the experience I have with shooting steel, the targets are certainly promising. Their design increases safety and at the same time provides convienience.

The available accessories are also an important factor. The targets can be lifted up to traditional human heights with an elevation kit and there is an optional electric reset kit that will allow targets to be reset or exposed using the spring loaded base and a remote control.

As a defensive shooting instructor, the electronic reset is where I find the most value with the HMG targets.

HMG has taken on the challenges that targets present to quality defensive firearms training. Take a listen to my conversation with Mac to find out how.