When we find ourselves in any self defense scenario, the ability to move quickly, run or strike back is in some cases determined by training.  In others, simply being “physically fit” will help in assuring your of survival.

A physically fit person is usually more alert and avoids or responds to an attack better than the person who is not.  Being lethargic, grossly overweight or having poor muscle tone, will make you more susceptible to becoming injured or victimized in a violent crime.

Of course no one can dodge a bullet, but one can easily duck out of the way of a haymaker or rip themselves away from an attacker’s grip if they are fit and alert.

The more physically fit a person is, their reaction time and strength to perform any task is increased proportionately, thus enabling them to survive a physical encounter with greater assurance than one who is out of shape and has an apathetic mindset.

How many of us have decided that this year we will lose weight, quit smoking, build up some muscle?  Lots of folks have I’m sure, but getting started is the hardest part of any discipline.  Once begun, a fitness program of any type will have a snow-balling effect and build up momentum as time goes by.  Just get started!

Stew Smith is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former Navy SEAL, and author of several fitness and self defense books such as The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness, Maximum Fitness, and SWAT Workout. His books are available at Amazon and are all 4.5 and 5 star rated by customers who have purchased them.

Stew has released as a gift, in the first week of January, his 45 Day Beginner Plan.  Check it out and see how easy it to increase your energy and drop a few pounds.  Don’t forget his other books either.  If you go to Amazon online, just copy and paste the titles into the search box, or enter his name and you’ll find them!

I was on my way home and a State Highway Patrol cruiser came whizzing past me at a high rate of speed.  I wondered where he was heading in such a hurry?

I pulled into the driveway and came inside to find my wife on the phone with a family member who has a police scanner.  One of our local youths was killed in an auto accident, only minutes before.  No other details are known as of this post.  That’s where the police car was headed.

I pondered how painful this Christmas would be for the family of that youth who lost his life.  A terrible blow to be sure.  It gives one pause to consider how precious life is.

So, as I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, my hopes are that you’ll all be careful in your comings in and your  goings out.  Use common sense and defend your lives by being aware and not driving if you drink.  See you in 2010!

I sharpened my Benchmade 710D2 the other day and it was a new experience for me.  I’m not accustomed to sharpening re-curve blades, but my Spyderco Sharpmaker and strop was more than up to the task.

D2 is a high grade tool steel and will grind similar to S30V, maybe even a little faster it’s doubtful that you’ll see much difference.  The part you’ll see the difference with is when you pass the brown ceramic stones and start to polish. D2 seems to like a coarser edge better than a polished one, the edge will polish and get very sharp but you do a lot of burr chasing and the performance is no better than if you stopped around 1000 grit.

I began with the diamond rods corners and flats, then the brown, ending with the white ceramic rods.  I put a pencil under the Sharpmaker to get about a 22.5 degree primary bevel, since I like a finer, wider,  edge.  Next, I used the same rods as above at the 30 degree setting to obtain a secondary micro-bevel.   I moved on to the 40 degree setting and repeated again putting a 3rd micro-bevel on the edge. 

This consumed about a good hour but was well worth it as the knife was razor sharp but still just a little bit toothy.  I took a few minute break and took out my stop block which is a shaved, suede leather and soaked with just enough of the green stropping compound, like you get in the Bark River bars.  I then began to lightly strop the toothy D2 edge back and forth, paying attention to my strokes and not missing that re-curved area.  I probably hit it about 30 times per side, softly and letting the blade’s weight do the work.  On the last few passes, I lifted the spine up a bit to convex these bevels. I applied no pressure.

When you strop after sharpening, the slight give that the leather has, follows this multi-angle bevel you’ve applied and blends it into one.  What you end up with is a micro-convexed edge and it’s beautiful.  With my glasses on I could see no more gritty look to the edge, only a mirror like surface.  I had to get a magnifying glass to see the little spikes that the D2 steel retained.

Not bad at all - it shaved hair and cut the finest curly-q’s on a paper cutting test.  It’s no Spyderco edge, but for a hard use blade made of D2 tool steel, I’ll take it.  It’s way sharper than when I got it and better than any grind you’re going to see on a D2 production folding knife.  If you’re going to carry folding knives they’re much safer when they’re sharp!

I rotate my EDC folders and another of my favorites is the Benchmade 940 Osborne folding knife. It’s 4.47 inches closed with an Aluminum handle and a plain edge, reverse Tanto blade that’s 3.4 inches of razor sharp S30V premium steel.

With an overall length of 7.87 inches, this knife is very slim in profile and features a stylish design by Warren Osborne.
 
The anodized green handle is just a smidge chalky and feel very good in hand. It has a purple titanium spacer on the knife’s back with custom ridges – very cool – it changes color in the lighting.

The patented AXIS lock is a Benchmade feature that makes your knife easy to unlock while remaining bombshell tough. The 940 has a reversible pocket clip with dual thumbstuds for right and left hand users. This lightweight marvel weighs in at a mere 2.9 ounces!

The S30V blade is easy to keep razor sharp with just a few passes over a fine stone or a kit such as the Spyderco Sharpmaker. The trick is to touch them up before they get really dull.

I lubricate my folders with “Militec-1″ and Latama’s “Quick Release” here’s my system:

I heat the pivot joint with a blow dryer and apply two drops of Militec-1 on top and bottom. Next, I work the blade a dozen times with each side in the up position and wipe off any excess with a bit of cloth and Q-tips. This process is performed 3 consecutive 24 hour days.

After my 3 applications of Militec-1 with heat is completed and everything’s bone dry again, I use a couple of drops of Latama’s Quick Release. The Militec-1 lays down some sort of ultra-thin barrier of lubrication that bonds with the steel on a molecular level.  The Quick Release is just a super slick oil that lays on top of that barrier.

I love folding knives that are very fast on deployment and this has worked for me to date. I’m very happy with the results.  I enjoy maintaining my guns and knives, it’s a lot of fun and probably what keeps them looking and working like brand new!!

Here’s a short clip to show how a Stun Master Hot Shot 975K volt stun gun will get anyone’s hands off you in a split second.

Many times someone will try to grab you through a car window or the front door of your home or apartment. This palm sized powerhouse will cause any arm to be withdrawn immediately.

A friend made this little video clip and we’d like you to have a look at just how fast a reaction it creates. Used to the abdomen area will cause a much more pronounced effect, even dropping an assailant to their knees.

Check out a 90 year old Grandpa touching a 25 year old soldier, home on leave from Iraq!

Crime-Information.com has moved to a faster server and also been given a facelift.

Let us know if you have any comments.  We’d love to hear from you!

I’m posting this request to two fighters that I respect and admire.

1.) Rich Franklin – Please retire Rich while you still have most of your education left between your ears.  You are a big hearted MMA fighter and possess a lot of skills, but it’s my opinion as a fan, that you’ve take some ferocious beatings.  Not only in your losses to Silva but also in the wars that you’ve emerged as a victor. You admittedly don’t even know what happened after Belfort connected with a single shot. You’ve been a class act and should use your “smarts” to parlay your profile into some other job than fighting. I’d hate to watch you get knocked out one more time Rich.  Give it up please.

2.) To my very favorite ass whupping MMA fighter, Chuck Liddell.  Chuck, I watched your weigh-in to beat Dana for the $10K “fat-ass” wager and I was thunderstruck to see that you use nail polish on your toes!!  What is up with that dude?  I sagged in my office recliner when I saw those shiny little toenails!  I don’t know what’s going on with you Chuck, mid-life crisis, or something?  First Dancing With The Stars and now painted toe nails. And this from the “Iceman,” the most fearsome puncher I’ve ever seen in the Octagon??

I’m totally at a loss for words.  C’mon!

Btw, I’m a fan so  please don’t show up at my house looking to kick my asterisk!

I got my weekly call from a lady who is experiencing attacks on her dogs while taking them on their evening walks. Neighbors don’t control their dogs and she is suffering for it. This is a phone call that I get at least once a week so let’s talk about it one more time.

This lady was a very pleasant and concerned pet owner.  Her choice for a deterrent was a stun gun. I tried to steer her to a stun baton but to no avail.

I took some time to explain that 16 to 20″ of reach would keep her hand out of harm’s way.  She told me that it was a natural response for her to grab the dogs.  She also admits that she had been chewed up pretty good one time.

I spent several minutes trying to dissuade her and get her to purchase a stun baton but she chose to order a small stun gun.  I told her that it was her choice and we would definitely send her the small stun gun that she had her mind set on.

I can’t stress it enough – keep some distance between your hands and those slashing teeth.  Dog bites are very painful and slow to heal.  For dog attacks, get a stun baton!

In another post we looked at the Beretta Bobcat 21A INOX in .22 long rifle. I would like to revisit this little pistol, as it has had about 1000 rounds run through it now and is, as the folks on the Beretta forum say, “just getting broken in.”

I was experiencing some stove-pipes and it was bad enough to not be a trustworthy self defense pistol for a “deep concealment” carry.

With the help of the good folks from the forums, I was able to find out that the problem was not the little gun but the lips of the magazines.  They were too open and allowing some rounds to pop up too high and end up, stove piped at the top of the chamber.

The fix took about 20 minutes and was achieved with a set of needle nose pliers, with a single wrap of electricians tape on each jaw of the pliers.

I bent each side “down and inward” just a bit – problem solved!  I proceeded to fire 100 rounds of CCI Mini Mags, without mishap. To illustrate the effectiveness of this tiny, “built for a lifetime” pistol:

I fired two magazines of 7 from 33 feet. 

I fired two magazines of 7 from 15 feet.

I fired two magazines of 7 from 6 feet.

That is 14 rounds at each distance. All were fired double action on the first round and no aim was taken.  I have practiced “point shooting” for a long time and at these ranges and for it’s use, you won’t have time for careful aiming.

All 42 rounds were fired into a Styrofoam picnic plate with no misses.

I am enclosing 3 pics below to show 1.) the tiny palm sized Beretta. 2.) the size of the plate with a ruler below it 3.) the plate taped over a sleeveless tee-shirt.

These should give you an idea of the accuracy of this pistol, when tuned up a bit and fired by a shooter who practices with it sufficiently.