International Personal Self-Defense Blog by Robb Hamic

Another Bank Robbery in Albuquerque... What Would You Do?

November 10, 2010 Albuquerque, NM. Lately I feel like we are back in the old west. There seems to be another bank robbery every week in the Albuquerque area. According to KOB news, there was another incident today forcing the lockdown of several schools in the area. 

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s1832829.shtml?cat=504  

My question is this.  If you were standing in line at your local bank and an armed individual entered the bank yelling commands at the tellers and at the patrons, what would you do?

More and more often these days, citizens are buying firearms and seeking out Concealed Carry Training and legally carrying a concealed firearm. It is only a matter of time until one of our armed readers comes across this situation.

I can only speak for myself here. If I am standing in line and a bank robbery begins to happen while I am there, the specifics of the situation will dictate my need for action. I am not a law enforcement officer, It is not my responsibility to try to apprehend the perpetrator. By reacting unnecessarily, I could add to the escalation of the violence. If someone is threatening, but there are not shots being fired and no one is being hurt, I would try to be the best witness I can be. I would make mental notes of everything about the offender from size, hight, weight, clothing, shoes...etc.

If, on the other hand, innocent people are being harmed, I do feel that it is my moral responsibility to do something. I do not know what the outcome would be. I only know that I would find myself reacting and relying on my training to eliminate the threat. I would not be able to let innocent people be harmed if I had any ability to stop it from happening. It is much more desirable to let the criminal do what they came to do without violence, if possible. Most bank robberies in Albuquerque are eventually solved. 

Summit Self Defense www.summitselfdefense.com specializes in training citizens, military and law enforcement in the responsible, and effective use of all firearm platforms. If you find yourself in this situation and lack the necessary tools and training, you don't have a decision at all. Try praying!

Ryan Fellows is a nationally accredited law enforcement trainer; NRA instructor certified in multiple disciplines, NRA Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, a CHL Instructor and is a federally licensed firearms dealer. He provides group and private training in CHL, CCW and concealed carry. He has attended various firearms schools. He is certified by Glock as an armorer, and is an Israeli Combat Shooting Instructor. He is a professional action sports photographer, experienced outdoorsman and backcountry skier. He has spent his lifetime in the mountains and has experience with various types of weapon systems. He has been married for eighteen years with three daughters. Ryan is the owner of several businesses and resides in New Mexico.

Home Invasion Don't Let It Happen To You

October 18, 2010 Albuquerque, NM. We have seen several home invasions in the Albuquerque area in the last few weeks. As the economy continues to struggle, the police are reporting an increase in robberies, burglaries, property crimes and now, home invasions seem to be on that list.
 

There are several fairly common ways that these crimes are being perpetrated. One of the ways that is probably the easiest for the public to remedy is leaving your garage door open. This is just asking for trouble. The thugs don't even have to work at this one, they simply help themselves through the open door into your home. Another avenue is by breaking into your car in the driveway and using the garage door opener which is often sitting in plain view on your visor.

It is time to become more proactive in your self-defense. Do not make it easy for these lunatics to do what they do. Criminals are by nature opportunists, and ague-ably lazy too. If they weren't lazy, they would have a job like you and I, and not resort to crime. If your car is in the closed garage, they may continue down the street looking for an easier target.

There are also a couple of other patterns of gaining entry to your home. You need to be hyper-aware of unknown people knocking on your door.  We have all been visited by door to door sales people at one time or other. Once you have opened the door to speak to them, they can rush you and there may be accomplices hiding out of view. Another 'modus operandi' of these criminals is to bang on the door yelling "POLICE". While this is very alarming to experience, it is important to keep a cool head. Look out a window, verify that there is a police car out front. Insist on seeing ID before opening the door. If you cannot see the person, call 911 and ask if there should be an officer at your home. 

There are really only two ways the police are going to visit your home. The first is for; information about an accident or a loved ones status, a welfare check, something mostly benign. In this case, they knock politely and wait for you to come to the door. The second way the police visit is with a warrant and they kick in the door whether you are there or not. As Tony Blauer says, "Don't be fooled by the sophistication of the ruse".

Ryan Fellows is a nationally accredited law enforcement trainer; NRA Firearm Instructor certified in multiple disciplines, NRA Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, a CHL Instructor and is a federally licensed firearms dealer. He provides group and private training in firearms and close quarter combatives. He has attended various firearms schools. He is certified by Glock as an armorer, and is an Israeli Combat Shooting Instructor. 

ryan@summitseldefense. com

Contact Summit Self Defense™ for your self defense, Concealed Carry or other needs.  

Austin Concealed handgun Licensing (CHL) and Albuquerque Concealed Carry (CCW) classes offered.

October 14, 2010- Austin, TX- Summit Self Defense™ is offering large group classes for Concealed handgun Licensing (CHL) in Austin and Concealed Carry (CCW) in Albuquerque.  These classes will provide training for students to apply for a 34 state CHL. CCW permit.  The cost can be kept very low due to the large class size but the instructions is superb.  Class dates are October 22, 29 and November 5.  Summit plans to host the same number of large classes per month in these locations.  Summit will be adding Taos New Mexico as a training location starting in December.

The course is a 34 state Concealed Handgun License (CHL) and Introduction to Combat Focus® Shooting.  This course is for individuals who want to obtain their CHL/ CCW Permit training but don’t want to sit in a classroom for many hours listening to an instructor.  Students will receive all instruction on the range and this is a fun and fast paced course.  Each student will receive a Florida CHL License certificate, which is good in 34 states (including Texas and New Mexico).  The processing time for new licenses is only 3 weeks (Texas or New Mexico may take as long as 6 months) and the permit is good for 7 years.  In addition students will have an introduction to Combat Focus® Shooting and its efficiency in dynamic critical incidents.

Robb Hamic, CLET, CPOI-  http://www.robbhamic.com is the Chief Instructor for Summit Self Defense™ and is to teach CHL/ CCW in many US states.  He is a Certified Combat Focus Shooting Instructor and teaches law enforcement, military and people at an international level.

 
Ryan Fellows- http://www.summitselfdefense.com/aboutselfdefense.htm is a partner in Summit Self Defense™ and based in Albuquerque.  He is a CHL/ CCW instructor and he teaches to law enforcement and people at a national level.Combat Focus® Shooting is an intuitive shooting program designed to help the student become a more efficient shooter in the context of a Dynamic Critical Incident. This is not a marksmanship course, nor is it designed to accentuate skills that only work well on a square range in front of paper targets.

For decades, combat shooters have known (and progressive trainers have acknowledged) that the human body and mind have predictable, instinctive responses to surprise and lethal threats. While the basics of weapons handling and marksmanship are important skills for all shooters, they are not the basis for success during most lethal encounters involving the defensive use of a handgun. You are much more likely to be caught off-guard by an aggressive attacker in close quarters and low-light.  

Many CHL/ CCW classes stress only the theory of a violent encounter and give students the opportunity to shoot 25 rounds under no stress at the range.  Summit's course provides for students to shoot continuously and will entail a minimum 400 round count for the course.  This class is really designed for anyone who wants to learn how to use a gun for defensive shooting purposes.

Cost:

$300 + Ammunition + $16 range fee + sales tax (prepayment required)

Contact/ RSVP:

Robb Hamic- robb@summitselfdefense.com or 512-284-0087Ryan Fellows- ryan@summitselfdefense.com or 505-463-7820

Armed robberies on the rise.

Albuquerque, New Mexico October 4, 2010. 

Albuquerque Police Department is reporting three armed robberies this past weekend. The first was a purse snatching at gun-point in the northeast area of the city. The second incident was reported to be a armed robbery at a popular fast food establishment in the central part of the city. The third incident, and most bizarre, was reported as an armed robbery of a armed security guard at an apartment complex on the west side of the city. Citizens need to be aware of the wide-spread, apparently random escalation of crime in the area. There have been no arrests in these reported crimes and police warn of more to come. The state fair recently ended, the Balloon Fiesta is in town and many visitors remain in the Albuquerque area. Unfortunately, this makes for easy pickings for the would-be criminals. 

Learn how to protect yourself and be aware of your surroundings. Don't be an easy target. Criminals are opportunists, they want the easy way out otherwise they would have a real job. Don't give them the chance. Pay attention to others around you. Make eye contact, stay alert, and be a good witness if you in contact or see a crime. We must all be proactive in our own self-defense.

Summit Self Defense specializes in training people to defend themselves in a violent lethal confrontation, We train men, women, military and law enforcement in the areas of hand-to-hand tactics, firearms, CHL/CCW, OC spray, and Tasers. Contacts us for details.

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http://www.summitselfdefense.com

Firearm Instruction.......... Stay ahead of the curve

We have all heard the same old arguments about shooting stances and methods for a very long time. Do we teach weaver, isosceles, point shooting versus sight alignment and sight picture.If we consider all of the latest information available regarding the physiology of stress and how it relates to our bodies during a dynamic critical incident, it seems that we must also evaluate how we teach today’s warriors as it relates to stress under fire.  Many studies have shown that when placed under an extreme amount of stress, our bodies will react in a somewhat predictable way to protect itself. Some examples of these reactions are; the startle flinch, tunnel vision (the rise of visual acuity), auditory exclusion, lowering of center of gravity, facing the stimulus (indexing the threat), eyes opening wide (both eyes) to focus on the threat. It has been since the mid seventies and the beginnings of the dash cam videos that we have been able to see actual shootings and the chaotic way that they play out. It is unrealistic that we see anyone involved actually stand in a perfect weaver stance, focus on the front sights, squinting one eye, and squeeze off a controlled pair. It is shown repeatedly, assailants and officers, shooting seemingly uncontrollably with poor grip on their guns while running backwards towards some sort of cover or at least away from their opponent.We know that when confronted with a threat, our body is naturally going to lower its center of gravity, orient towards the threat, hands will move up to protect our head, and eyes will both open wide and focus on the threat (the startle flinch). Why then would we train students to blade off thirty degrees from the target and close one eye to focus on the sights. We as Professional Firearm Instructors have a duty to be the most informed people on the training range. We carry such an important load of responsibility when it comes to training people to win an encounter involving firearms. 

 

Combat Focus Shooting ™ in Austin Texas

Austin, TX- May 3, 2010-  I am proud to offer the Combat Focus Shooting ® program in Austin Texas for individuals, law enforcement and military personnel.  Combat Focus Shooting is an intuitive shooting program designed to help a shooter work more efficiently in the context of a dynamic critical incident.  In short, it shows students how to get fast combat accurate hits using less time, effort and energy.  

Rob Pincus is the creator of Combat Focus Shooting ™ and he has a group of certified instructors in the US and throughout the world that offer this training.  Rob has featured his teaching methods on the Outdoor Channel's America's Best Defense ™, SWAT TV™ AND SWAT Magazine.  Rob has authored two books on his research and several DVD's.  I am proud to be a certified Combat Focus Shooting Instructor and sought out the training so that I could bring it back to my students to make them safer.   

I am proud to deliver the concepts, methods and training locally or where ever I teach.  Currently, I offer private or semi-private training to individuals while I am in Austin (two weeks per month), Albuquerque and anywhere I travel to deliver training.  I train several law enforcement agencies and US Military.  If you are interested in training contact me- robb@summitselfdefense.com or check out my website for more information.  I am certified to teach civilian CHL and concealed carry in several states and deliver this state approved training with weapons deployment methods.  I will be teaching CFS to my CHL and CCW students.

Always a student.. Combat Focus Shooting Instructor Development

 I spent four days in Virginia Beach attending an instructor development course taught by Rob Pincus, founder of I.C.E Training Company and the Combat Focus Shooting (CFS)™ program.  My expectation was to improve my skills as a firearms instructor and to better learn Rob's method, which is gaining popularity in the civilian, military and law enforcement sectors.  

I heard that the course was difficult and that many of the   instructor candidates failed to achieve completion of the subjective teaching test and the written exam.  I met Rob a year before at Blauer Tactical's Summer Camp, hosted by self-defense expert Tony Blauer.  I immediately identified with his theories about effectiveness in gun deployment and I read his book Combat Focus Shooting and watched his DVDs.  I knew that something had happened after I read the book the first time as I started sharing the concepts with my firearms students the next day on the range.  I observed them learning faster.  That was a clue. 

 I contacted Rob for some clarifications and critiques via e-mail (half expecting no response from him).  He produces several TV shows and travels across the world teaching people CFS.  He not only responded, we started an exchange.  I had to remind myself that we are in the "pay me now" age and I was talking with one of the industry's leading experts and he never asked anything of me except clarity and integrity in my teaching his concepts to my students.  I was not a CFS certified instructor, just a gun instructor that wanted more options for my students.  He knew that and helped me anyway with no real expectation that he would ever see a profit from me.  That speaks to his integrity and professionalism.

I signed up for the Combat Focus Shooting instructor development class and traveled to Virginia at an expense.  I have high expectations for instructor development classes but they are rarely met.  I have been a semi-professional student of self defense for the last seven years, attending, I don't know how many schools.  I think many of the instructors from the various schools have read the same book on how to conduct class and training.  Powerpoint presentations, lots of end-user type of performance, lots of breaks and long lunches.  Early dismissal on the last day of class is a staple of most of the instructor development (ID) schools that I have attended as a cop or privately.  Rob broke the paradigm.  Plain and simple.

There was one part day spent at the range to experience the material as an end-user, with instructor level critiques included and the rest of the training was in the classroom focusing on REAL INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT.  Real is defined as 15ish hour days with more lecture and material than I have ever seen in one course.  Discussion, hard questions and study.  After dinner the time was usually around 11 PM.  It was study time until around 1:30 AM each night.  No time for hanging out and relaxing, which is common-place for most ID classes.  Class would start again early in the morning.

It was apparent that Rob had created something entirely different as I looked around me at the other students.  I would describe the group as diverse and successful instructors, some were high level operators.  No slackers or people that obviously didn't fit in, which is usually the case with most ID classes.  The curriculum was highly researched and intuitive, just like CFS.  Rob really placed a high standard on the instructor knowing the cause behind the effect and he was not satisfied with a word that you said versus with it really meant.  Example:

Tunnel Vision: This is a term that I have been taught and said many times without knowing its true meaning or survival positive for the end user.

Correct terminology: In the context of a dynamic critical incident, there are several internal factors   that happen to you such as a rise in visual acuity towards the center of your field of vision. (this might be what some people refer to as Tunnel Vision but can't really explain).

I am proud to have taken this course and I will continue my training with Rob.  I will continue my research and application of my skills to teach students how to be more efficient in dynamic critical incidents by using intuitive actions that take less time, effort and energy.  There is value in these concepts and I know my students want to be exposed to this learning.

Rob set the bar pretty high as a teacher and for my future expectations for Instructor Development schools.  My evolution continues.

Robb Hamic is a professional firearms teacher who resides in Austin Texas.  He provides instruction in intuitive shooting methods in Austin and surrounding areas on a private or semi-private basis to individuals.  He is a Certified Law Enforcement Trainer (CLET) and trains agencies across the United States in today's most up to date use of force options.  Robb also trains military units.  For further information contact him at 512-284-0087 or WEBSITE.

    

Concealed carry (CCW) training in Albuquerque

~By Instructor Ryan Fellows

November 11, 2009- Albuquerque, NM-  So you just bought a firearm………..now what? Many people have recently purchased firearms and are now wondering what is the next step. I get calls everyday from folks looking for training. It isn’t enough just to own a gun for self defense. You must train regularly and under the right conditions to be able to use your firearm if you must rely on it to save your life of the lives of the ones you love.  I provide concealed (CCW) carry training in Albuquerque.

It is important to understand the operation of your firearm. You first need to read the owners manual, many people take that for granted. I often see people at the range who don’t know how to load their gun or how to operate the safeties……..etc. Take the time to learn the nuances of how your particular weapon works. Every manufacturer has some subtle differences in the basic operation of their firearms.

Once you are ready to handle your firearm, there are some very important safety rules to follow that apply anytime you handle a gun. These rules must be obeyed at all times, whether you are at the range, home, gun store, or any other place where firearms are involved.

 

1.     Treat every gun as if it is loaded at all times

2.     Muzzle control- don’t point a gun at anything you aren’t willing to destroy

3.     Trigger discipline- don’t place your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire

4.     Know your target- be aware of your target and what is beyond, and what may pass in front of your target

 

While practicing safely with your firearm, there are some keys that will help you to become better. These are the points to be followed.

 

1.     Grip- the firing hand is high on the back strap firm grasp, not white knuckled

2.     Sight alignment- the relationship between the front sight, the rear sight and your firing-side eye

3.     Sight picture- where the sight alignment is place on the target

4.     Trigger control- Proper placement of the trigger finger on the trigger and the squeeze of the trigger without adversely affecting the sight alignment

5.     Follow through- the shot is fired, but how about the next one. You must be able to come back on target quickly. “Did I hit, does he need another hit, and are there any more threats?”

 

There is a right way to grip your firearm. It isn’t rocket science, but you do need

to learn how to do it properly. There are many ways to stand and to move while shooting safely. I teach in a dynamic environment that “takes the training to the street”. In a violent stressful situation we will be lucky to be half as good as we are on the range. I want to make the best you can be. Have you ever trained to shoot one handed, or with your weak hand only? How about reloading with only your weak hand? What if you are wounded in your dominant arm and lose its use? Is the fight over? Are you going to just give up and die? Not if you train with me!

             I have trained with many of the best instructors in the world. I am a certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, a Personal Defense Readiness (PDR) Fundamentals Coach and a Certified Concealed Carry Instructor for New Mexico. I feel very strongly about our rights to keep and bear arms, but I am passionate about the proper and safe ways to do so.

I teach people in many capacities, whether or not you are interested in obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon. I hold regular classes as well as private and semi-private lessons. Feel free to call me or email me for more information

 

Ryan Fellows, New Mexico Concealed Weapons Instructor

(505) 463-7820 Cellular

ryan@summitselfdefense.com

summitselfdefense.com