Women of Caliber at Self-Reliance Expo–Colorado Springs

I’m pleased to be invited to be a part of the Self-Reliance Expo held in Colorado Springs, CO next weekend, May 18^th and 19^th at the Freedom Financial Services Center http://www.selfrelianceexpo.com/colorado-springs/

Hours of the show will be from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.

 

I’ll be teaching my popular rape prevention course, “Rape Prevention for Couch Potatoes” five different times during the event. If you’re one of those who’d like to attend you can register here: http://womenofcaliber.com/colorado.php

 

This course is one hour and requires very little physical effort as it’s intended to benefit both young and old, fit or fat, you name it. After all, regardless of any of that, EVERY woman has the right to defend themselves, right? It’s very, very disturbing to me that 1 out of 6 women are raped in their lifetime.  1 out of 6?! And the worst part about that is that on college campuses, it is believed that 95% of all rapes go unreported! It’s “only” 60% of all rapes that aren’t reported off campus. Good grief! What are we, some 3^rd world nation that has absolutely no respect for women?! This is heinous, in my opinion and I say that it’s got to stop! And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it stop on my watch! So…*breathing calmly now* if you’re able to come, not only will you be helping yourself, but part of your class tuition will go towards paying it forward in that I get to be able to afford to take this class right to the women who so desperately need it but where they won’t feel so vulnerable such as the women crisis centers, safe houses, etc. If you’re within even a couple of hours of driving time from this event, I highly recommend that you attend. I can honestly say that there’s NOTHING like this being taught elsewhere. I’ve often heard the remark from gals who take just this mini-class that it’s the best self-defense course they’ve ever attended. I hope to see you there.

 

In addition, I’ll also be teaching the Ten Principles of Preparedness class on each day on the main stage (10:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. respectively). That’s free for everyone.

 

I’ll also be participating in a special panel, Women of Prepping, that will be held on the mainstage from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on the 19^th.

 

There are a LOT of fabulous classes being hosted there—several of them that I’m going to try and attend as well. This event has got to be one of the most chocked full of education events like this that I’ve ever seen. Go to www.self-relianceexpo.com for more details.

 

Hope to see many of you there!

Women of Caliber: The Story Behind the Logo

By Kellene Bishop

Women of Caliber: The Story Behind the Logo

I don’t know if there’s a story behind every logo, but there is one behind the memorable logo created for Women of Caliber. But this isn’t just any story. It’s one of great relevance as we hope it inspires and encourages women all over as they venture on their journey to a confident life of strength and self-reliance.

What many people don’t understand about Israel’s history is that Britain was simply not their friend. In fact, Britain was an oppressive enemy to Israel. This story is specifically about the Hagannah Jews of Israel.

Reloaded Ammunition Strategies

By Kellene Bishop

This evening my husband and I went to the outdoor range for a little practice. As always, we brought a can of several hundred rounds.  Every once in a while I will shoot too limp wristed and get a stove pipe, but tonight it was happening on every single shot I took. Uh, that’s not my shooting, that’s something else. I inspected the firearm repeatedly. The slide smoothly racked back and forth. I was a bit stumped for a moment until I noticed that my husband was having the same problem. Well there you have it.  I think anyone would have a hard time believing he’s limp wristed. *grin* Looks like we’ve got a problem with the ammo.

Where Should You Wear Your Gun?

By Kellene Bishop

The other day I was on my way up to Salt Lake City to work a “self-reliance conference.”  My car has the entire back window taken up by a vinyl sign for Women of Caliber, mentioning the firearm and physical self-defense classes I offer. Being in a bit of a hurry, I zipped through a school zone without paying attention to my speedometer. After getting midway through the school zone, I slowed down, but if there was a police car watching for me or other speeders I most likely would have been pulled over for speeding.

Instinctively when I recognize

If It Happened to You

By Kellene Bishop

There was a tragic crime committed here in SLC last night. A man held a gun on a clerk at a gas station located as part of a major grocery store chain. The clerk was in the windowed area that you typically see in the gas stations nowadays. The gunman demanded cash which the clerk did not have. As a result the gunman demanded that he go into the main portion of the store and get him cash. (This guy clearly is not operating with a full deck.) After the clerk left (and called 9-1-1 from the main store) a woman pulled up to fill her car with gas. The gunman approached her and demanded her money which she informed him she did not have. The gunman then ordered her into her car to drive him to an ATM machine. She complied and after giving the gunman money he then ordered her to get back into the car and drive to a cul de sac where he sexually assaulted her.  He then required her to drive a few more blocks away and then got out of the car and instructed her to drive in the opposite direction.

There simply aren’t any words to describe how heinous and shocking this crime is, however, it causes me to write about it in hopes that women will read this and learn how they should handle a similar prospect.

A couple of ground rules here first of all –it’s very, very important that when you have a gun pulled on you like this, regardless of how many movies you’ve seen, you need to remind yourself that the gun is a tool of control in the hands of most criminals—not a murder weapon.  Don’t fixate on the gun. Next, there should never be a situation in which you fail to be aware of your surroundings. As you pull up to the gas station, always select the most lighted and well seen area—even if it means you have to wait in line to get your fuel. When you get out of the car, look around at your surroundings.  Never face the gas dispensing machine directly, always at an angle. And if it has a reflective cover on it, keep an eye out in that reflection for what may be happening behind you.

As you are filling your car with fuel, use the reflection of your windows to help assess your surroundings. Don’t allow yourself to be fixated on the numbers running on the dispenser, the gas nozzle etc. Be aware of what’s going on around you. You can use the reflection in the windows of your car to help you with that as well as constantly moving your head around to see.

Now, on to some actions that I hope each woman reading this will remember. If you are approached while filling your tank, understand that the gas nozzle is a weapon. Pull it while spraying fuel at your would-be assailant and RUN behind shelter immediately.  Even trained police officers miss 70% of their firearm shots, so even IF the perpetrator is intent on shooting you for non-compliance it’s very likely he will miss even when only 6 or 7 feet away from you.  Remember, no matter which end of the gun you are, there will be climatic emotions. Even well-seasoned criminals rarely practice shooting moving targets—and they certainly aren’t able to do so in a manner which will mimic the adrenaline high that they’ve got running through their body. This surge of emotion slows the physical responses as all of the blood is diverted from their brain to other parts of their body for fight or flight. So unless you’re dealing with an expertly trained marksman, moving quickly to shelter is a viable solution. Even better is if you’ve got the opportunity to move to their weak side of their body. (That would be the opposite side of their body which is hold the firearm.  If they are holding the firearm with both hands, then they are likely to have one foot more forward of another.  That foot forward will indicate which side is their non-dominant side.

O.K. So let’s say escaping at the gas pump isn’t possible for some reason or another—and let’s say that I’m your typical female who is not packing heat.  In which case I can guarantee you that I would have tried to throw my keys and my wallet far away from the perpetrator and then run as described previously.

Which reminds me, carrying a firearm may not be realistic for you. If that’s the case then you should always view your cell phone as a necessary “weapon”—meaning that when you get in or out of the car, it’s with you so that you will always be able to call for help after you’ve run.

Moving on… Now let’s look at a situation in which he’s in the car, gun pointed at you, and telling you to drive somewhere specific. Put your seatbelt on, drive towards where he’s telling you, and then step on it, Mama, and run into something, preferably targeting the passenger’s side of the front car. As you’re speeding up, he can’t shoot you because you’re driving. The moment you start to aggressively speed up that gun is going to move because he will have a natural physical reaction. It is VERY unlikely that he will have put his seatbelt on. Most criminals aren’t going to buckle in for a nice leisurely ride to the bank. They will be on the edge of their seat with a minimal amount of balance. If he’s in the seat directly behind you, this is still a viable strategy and once you have selected your ramming target, get your right hand on the seat belt and be prepared to release it and evacuate the car. Yes, you’ll be in some pain regardless of how great your airbags are, but I assure you that victorious pain heals a lot better than victimized pain.

Now, let’s look at another scenario, one in which you’re armed. To be honest, it’s very unlikely that this would have happened to me simply as a result of preventative measures. But also, if the guy comes at me from the back of my vehicle, I suspect he’d notice the Women of Caliber car sign that takes up my entire back window.  I’m positive this has been a deterrent in the past as I’ve traveled at all hours all across the nation.  But enough about me—let’s talk about you. If you are carrying your firearm, I’d still go for the gas pump spray and run first if there is enough distance between you. But if not, I’d pull my firearm with my weak side pointed towards him in order to ensure the element of surprise, and then fire. This action means that two fundamentals need to be in place; 1) that you have practiced shooting across your body like that, and 2) that you have the mental fortitude to pull your firearm when necessary. Just so you don’t feel defeated in reading this advice, keep in mind that this is ideal. Dog gone it, if you have to pull your firearm and shoot it in some other way that’s comfortable to you, then do it and don’t worry about the physical angle. It’s simply offered as a strategic suggestion and one in which I’m comfortable with after practicing it for years.

In spite of many women taking to carrying firearms nowadays– like never before in history—I  find that the majority of them still are not carrying them on their person for whatever reasons.  Instead they are in their purses. I have a firearm in my purse as well. As such,  I have literally practiced a specific response repeatedly in which I feign a frightened and frenzy response to a would-be criminal in an attempt to get my “money” out of my purse, only to be able to grab the trigger of my firearm, point the purse at him, and shoot through the purse towards the perpetrator. If you are unable to shoot through your purse (easier done with a revolver rather than a semi-auto, depending on the type of purse you carry) then you should definitely be practicing a quick-draw movement of your firearm from the purse.

As I traveled cross country over the last month and half, I drove through several states which would prefer women to remain easy targets and have minimal ways in which I could be licensed to carry a firearm, or they do not recognize my Utah Concealed Firearm permit. As such, every time I got out of the car to fuel up the car or to get food or whatever, I always had my Asp weapon on me, as well as my finger on the trigger of my long-distant red-dyed pepper spray. (The dye is much like what they put on money in the event of a bank robbery and it will “mark” the perpetrator for two weeks.) If the woman who was attacked had either of those on her, along with the mental fortitude and physical rehearsal needed to use those defenses, she would have had ample opportunity to strike effectively and run. I can’t imagine she would have had to get in the car with the criminal in the first place.  Either of these weapons can be used effectively with a minimal amount of physical strength and either one will still provide you with an element of surprise which successfully interrupts the synapse of the criminal’s mind.  Remember, he’s probably talked to himself in the mirror, planning his bad-boy bully actions. But I assure you he didn’t practice with an aware and strategic victim in mind. The moment you interrupt his synapse, you’ve got yourself a suitable distraction and you need to take advantage of it by getting away as quickly as possible.  (The throwing of the purse and keys accomplishes this as well in most scenarios.)

In case you weren’t aware, getting into the car with a criminal is one of the worst things you can do and it should be your number one priority to avoid. Use the panic button on your remote control. (Yes, this means stop leaving your keys in the car when you’re filling it up.) Lay on the horn, etc.

The most important key to escaping the same fate as the woman in this story is to mentally prepare yourself for it and the actions you intend to take.

For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

 

Copyright Protected 2011, Women of Caliber and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

Government Confiscation of Guns Right Now in AZ

This is SOOOO not O.K. Read the link: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=326601

 

 

Now THAT’S What I Call Bling!

Now that’s what I call Christmas Bling

I’ve had the occasion recently to try out a new line of ammo.  I have to say. I think I’m in love with www.ammoforsale.com So, here’s what I tested and how it panned out.

Magtech 9mm Luger (115gr) – These came with the standard 9mm round-nose, full-metal-jacketed bullet seated in good, reloadable brass, and appearing to use an anvil primer. I ran these through a standard Beretta 92FS (tests 1 and 2) and a standard Gen 3 Glock 17 (tests 3 and 4) with my standard battery of four-target tests, which consisted of (test 1) ten rounds of slow-fire for accuracy, (test 2) ten rounds of two-shot double-taps, (test 3) fifteen rounds of three-shot triple-taps, and, finally, (test 4) fifteen shots of slow-fire for accuracy. All rounds functioned flawlessly with no stoppages, no misfires, and no feeding problems. Though it is hard to find a round that won’t pass through these two firearms, the same can not be said for the basic accuracy of several 9mm rounds that I’ve tested. These rounds passed my accuracy test with no problems, which shows a consistency in the bullet weight, the measured powder load, and the overall cartridge length (bullet seating). Of course, your accuracy mileage may vary since the shooter is usually the weak link in the firing process. Overall, this is a cartridge I would have no problem recommending to fellow shooting enthusiasts.

Seller & Bellot .40cal (180gr) – These came with the standard .40cal snub-nose, full-metal-jacketed bullet seated in good, reloadable brass, and using a sealed boxer primer. I ran these through a standard Beretta 96FS Brigadier (tests 1 and 2) and a standard Gen 3 Glock 22 (tests 3 and 4) with my standard battery of four-target tests, which consisted of (test 1) ten rounds of slow-fire for accuracy, (test 2) ten rounds of two-shot double-taps, (test 3) fifteen rounds of three-shot triple-taps, and, finally, (test 4) fifteen shots of slow-fire for accuracy. All rounds functioned flawlessly with no stoppages, no misfires, and no feeding problems. It is hard to find a round that won’t pass through these two firearms, and these rounds were no different. The same can not be said for the basic accuracy of several .40cal rounds that I’ve tested. These rounds passed my accuracy test with no problems, which shows a consistency in the bullet weight, the measured powder load, and the overall cartridge length (bullet seating). Of course, your accuracy mileage may vary since the shooter is usually the weak link in the firing process. Overall, this is a cartridge I would have no problem recommending to fellow shooting enthusiasts.

.50cal ammo can – Sure, it’s just meant to storage ammo or other supplies, but you have to admit that most .50cal ammo cans that you see look like they’ve been on the muzzle-end of a day at the range or dragged through every available mud-hole and sandpit east of the Mississippi before getting to you. Not so with this one; repainted to look near-new; clean inside and out; this can is one that you could set on the front table as a decoration – with the right doily on top, of course. Seriously though, this can is in good shape and great working condition. If all of their cans come looking like this, I know where to find my new supplier.

I believe you’ll find a broad range of offerings, and respectable pricing. Enjoy—no really, ENJOY!

Kellene Bishop

Founder Women of Caliber/ The Preparedness Pro

Instincts to Live By

Watching TV with TIVO. What has that done to our lives? photo c/o http://www.splendicity.com

by Kellene Bishop

Instincts. Believe it or not, we have the power to control and condition them to protect us.

Two years ago I asked my hubby for TIVO for my birthday.  He’s very protective of his time and thus is not a big proponent of watching television. So he wasn’t too thrilled with getting it for me. But after all, birthday gifts are about what the person wants, not what you want to give, right? (Boys, you should be nodding your heads in agreement right now. )  Yup. I’m busy and don’t “have time for TV either” but it does have its place in my life. For example, I use the Netflix service and though I was relinquished to bed rest this weekend, I still got some research done by watching several documentary movies right on my TV which educated me on many aspects of  the preparedness theme.  Television is nice when you’re not feeling well—unless all you have access to is Gilligan’s Island reruns and I’m usually on bed rest about 3 days a month. So I indulge.  Additionally, when I teach a class until 9:00 p.m., I just want to come home and turn my brain off and relax. The right kind of television entertainment helps with that. That all being said, I simply don’t have the time or inclination to give my time to advertisers.  If I’m going to take time to watch something, I want it over and done with as soon as possible. I’m a “get to the point” kind of person in many respects—so skipping the commercials is very attractive to me. Besides, I also find that the commercials are all too often morally objectionable as well. So when a commercial comes up, I instinctively go for my remote control and fast forward past them. As a result, I can now watch an “hour long show” in about 27 minutes. Even better, when I don’t quite get/hear/understand what I was listening to, I can rewind it and listen to it again. I’m also a big fan of slapstick comedy. So sometimes I can belly laugh again and again through the rewind process.  After two years, this habit is absolutely instinctive to me now. However, there is a downside to this.

When I’m at someone else’s home and they have the TV on, the sound of a commercial is so foreign to me, that I look for the remote to fast forward through them.  Even worse, when I’m listening to a person speak and didn’t quite hear what they were saying, I find myself wishing I could just TIVO the conversation and hear it again.  When I’m driving in the car and listening to talk radio, I keep finding myself wanting to hit the fast forward or rewind button, to no avail.  The ultimate is when I’m at the movie theater. When the commercials are blasted at the beginning, I instinctively grip my arm rest as if it was the TIVO remote.  I once absent mindedly went to the bathroom during a movie thinking that I could just rewind it when I got back. Yup. TIVO has definitely learned to control me and my life.

As crazy as all of this may sound, it’s actually demonstrative of what can happen naturally with a lot of physical practice. The instincts can be put into place in spite of a chaotic experience.  What makes the TIVO action so memorable and instinctive is that it’s a physical action triggered by a mental one.  The same kind of instincts that I have with the remote control can easily be duplicated with firearm self-defense training.

Consistent firearm practice will create muscle memory and you can fire your weapon instinctively

When you practice physically to defend yourself with a firearm, be sure to go through the entire motion of doing so. One of the dumbest things I think that folks do is stand at a shooting range and shoot one shot right after another. From a fun standpoint that’s great. But if they are trying to improve their self-defense skills, shooting one shot after another is self-defeating.  In terms of a real life self-defense scenario, no one ever sets their firearm up and just starts shooting an immobile target.  I’m thinking that a criminal is not going to wait while you put yourself in the same position that you practice at the range—you know…ammo laid to the side, shooting a stable target at whatever distance you’re comfortable with, etc.  “Excuse me Mr. Bad Guy. Can you give me a moment while I put you in my sights. Oh, and come forward just about 12 inches more. I shoot much better that way.” In a realistic scenario, you should practice drawing your firearm properly, shoot at your target, evaluating the environment (stay engaged), shoot again as necessary, and then safely reholster your firearm.  Don’t worry about the speed of this. Instead be focused on the proper physical actions. The speed will come later. This kind of practice is the only kind that will help you in a genuine self-defense scenario.  It’s important that you not create bad physical habits that will impair you from protecting yourself. So be sure that every step of your practice is conducted properly. Again—the speed will come.  I assure you that if you only practice shooting at the range instead of the rest of the self-defense motions that are necessary, regardless what a great shot you are at the range, you will inevitably miss your target due to the physical movement, the heightened emotions, and a foreign scenario. Missing your target isn’t just about you protecting yourself. It’s also about confidently knowing you won’t hurt anyone else. Practicing with deliberate physical movements through the entire defensive scenario will put more of those unknown factors in your favor.

By the way, if it’s any consolation, this year I’m asking for a full-fledged square foot garden plot built for me this year for my birthday. Perhaps it will help me sleep too. 🙂

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Copyright Protected 2010, Women of Caliber and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

The Death of Expected Peace

I simply cannot allow the news of the three security guards standing by while a 15 year old girl got pummeled go by without comment. http://rawstory.com/2010/02/security-guards-inothingi-15yearold-girl-beaten/ In spite of a very heavy writing schedule, I feel that I have to address this issue on Women of Caliber in order to translate it into a valuable lesson from which we all can—and MUST—learn.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the story, a 15 year old girl was brutally attacked by another teenage girl all while she was in front of three male “security” officers in a Seattle bus tunnel.  The security officers did absolutely nothing in spite of the 15 year old being thrown down to the ground at the feet of the officers and repeatedly kicked in the head. (see the video footage at the link noted above) This story has a very familiar tune to the event in New York in which MTA employees in Queens New York were legally absolved of any wrong doing for acting as nothing more than spectators while a woman was repeatedly raped at the train station. http://www.nypost.com/seven/04012009/news/regionalnews/subway_rapist_victims_shock_162317.htm  

Both of these incidences as well as others like them should teach us all something very real, but most unpleasant—we must take responsibility for our own safety and peace.

Mass evacuation photo c/o http://www.meted.ucar.edu

Given the litigious society in which we live, many otherwise acceptable and expected human responses are delayed or eliminated as the result of legal exposure.  For example, New Orleans Mayor Nagin specifically delayed issuing a mass evacuation order sooner than he did because he had to consult with the city attorneys, and then the state, and then a national attorney to be sure that his butt . He had to be sure that the city would not be exposed to lawsuits for a loss of business revenue as a result of the evacuation order. As reported by the author Amanda Ripley in her book “The Unthinkable” companies have deliberately not held safety drills (such as evacuation, robbery, etc) because they don’t want to be held liable for someone getting hurt in the midst of the exercise.  It’s a very sad world indeed in which our brains are programmed to act as a responsible human being because instead we feed our minds the horrors of legal liabilities. But the fact of the matter is, that’s the way things are and we simply cannot change them fast enough to protect us today, tomorrow, or even a year from now. So we must take responsibility for our own safety. 

I don’t say that with any bitterness.  I say it in possession of expertise on the legal, realistic, logistical, as well as instinctive responses of human beings. I don’t say this with one iota of pessimism towards human nature. Even if half of all the world thought so inappropriately as those who put the security guards under such an asinine contract, or those three men who were “sheep” enough to follow such guidelines, I still believe in the unadulterated makeup of mankind.  I believe that they are inherently good and have to work hard at being changed into something otherwise. But unfortunately, there are many who have chosen to do so.  Thus I will prepare to defend myself appropriately and so should you. We must take responsibility to care for ourselves and those we love.  We must train our minds to respond with 100% ownership of our safety rather than telling ourselves that someone else is responsible for our peace and comfort. I implore you not to train your body or mind under conditions of panic, rage, or fear. Rather do so with a deliberate conscience in light of the matter of fact reality of the world around us. People have the agency to act inappropriately, and along with that comes our ability and choice to defend against the consequences of their criminal choices. Just because a business entity has successfully been sued for serving hot coffee, not clearing ice or snow from a walkway, or for not properly ensuring the safety of food—doesn’t give us license to surrender our own independence in providing ourselves with safety and peace.

Being prepared mentally and physically in self-defense trainging will be a great asset in any situation photo c/o http://www.sportskarate.net

So that being said, what else could the 15 year old girl have done other than standing next to the three security guards?  Well, by looks of the video, she certainly needed to learn to fight back better.  She didn’t get a good shot in at all and barely made contact.  She could have done so much more while she was on the ground too.  But all of that is pretty hard to teach in a written format such as this.  However, at the very least, she could have  pushed one of the security officers towards her attacker or hid directly behind one of them.  I strongly suspect this would have caused the female attacker to have lashed out at the security guard in response or at least it would have changed her thought process due to an unexpected maneuver. (Interrupting the thought process of an attacker is a highly underrated strategy.) Another suggestion would have been for the girl to have firmly yelled for help repeatedly. Whether a person is under orders to do more than make a phone call or not, the brain of most human beings (human being—the key phrase there) will instinctively respond. We’re simply programmed that way and we have to undergo a great deal of UN-programming to react otherwise. (Which makes the whole incident that much more tragic.) As I view this video tape repeatedly, I see a scared little girl and an enraged attacker.  The gal had the presence of mind to stand near the “security” officers. She also had the presence of mind earlier to ask one of the Macy’s security officers to escort her to a safer location. (which was refused-insert angry words of disbelief here) So she had some of her wits about her. However, I’m sure that when her sound strategy of standing next to the security officers crumbled, her brain couldn’t compute a ready response. Had she trained herself previously to breathe sufficiently to provide her brain with the much needed oxygen in a high stress situation, and be deliberate and strategic in her physical counter moves, the situation would have turned out very, very differently.

Seriously ladies. Can we all live and LEARN from this one?

 Copyright Protected 2010, Women of Caliber and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

11 Year Old Fends Off Robbers with .22 Rifle

Interesting story breaking today. This is exaclty why I believe in educating children on the proper use of firearms.  Firearms are life saving tools, not toys with a reset button. Other than the journalist being pathetic in his/her writing, this article says a great deal about the maturity of the parents who educated their son on the proper use and place of firearms.  Trigger locks and safes did not save this woman’s life. A knowldegable 11 year old son did who was even able to get an effective shot off AFTER he himself had been shot!   Way to go, kid and parents!

http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=402271