Cruel Hand Luke

This one is coming up THIS Saturday !!!!

Harris Combative Strategies TN/GA/AL Training Group! Coming up on Saturday Sep 30 we will have a TN/GA/AL Training Group event focusing on shotgun and pistol skills. You will need 100 rounds of birdshot and 50 rounds of pistol ammo. We will work primarily with the shotgun on quickly engaging targets, keeping it topped off, dealing with multiple targets and then finishing up with some man vs man competition to get you some work under a little bit of stress and excitement. Location: Phillips /Edwards Farm 763 County Rd 332 Pisgah AL 35765 (about 35 min SW of Chattanooga) Price: $80 – You can register and pay through Eventbrite OR pay at class by cash or check OR you can pay by electronic payment by paypal or venmo (Friends and family option) in advance OR I can take payment by credit card (call or email for options on that – 423 827 9133 or Randy@harriscombative.com) Be sure to RSVP with Randy if you plan to attend and pay at class. Paypal – cruelhandluke2000@yahoo.com Venmo – www.venmo.com/Randy-Harris-47 Eventbrite - Eventbrite Link What you need to bring: Pistol, at least 2 pistol magazines and at least 50 rounds of pistol ammo. Revolvers are welcome if you want to party like it is 1899. A Shotgun and at least 100 rounds of birdshot ammo. And just a final reminder EVERYONE is welcome ! The TN/GA/AL Training Group started as a way for alumni of classes taught by Randy Harris to get together and stay current on skills and get some coaching in a one day format at a discounted price from what a normal class would cost. As it continued to grow we opened it up to ANYONE who is interested in coming out and learning some skills and just seeing what it is that we do and meet some new people with the same interests. So even if you are not an alum of one of my classes you are welcome to come join us!

Dr William Aprill used to talk about "They are not like you" in regards to the way criminals think and act. Read this text exchange between a mother and her son as she helps him plan and perpetrate a murder. The first key to being able to deal with people like this is to admit to yourself that they exist and their moral and value system likely looks nothing like yours. https://www.foxnews.com/us/mother-charged-incomprehensible-texts-reveal-helped-son-plan-deadly-shooting

Thanks Chances R . I really appreciate that.

Here is what I submitted.....Red Flag Laws are arguably unconstitutional. You should never be able to have your property seized without legal due process in court. Unless strong safeguards are put in place to keep people from frivolously using the red flag law as a means of harassing gun owners, this will end up being the "angry ex girlfriend law". NO RED FLAG LAWS !

Coming up this weekend !!! You can see a preview of this upcoming weekend in the videos from Aug 5th at the Harris Combative Strategies Facebook page.....Harris Combative Facebook Page

REMINDER !!! This one is coming up THIS SATURDAY !!!

I am one of the guests on the That Weems Guy Show podcasts episode that drops tomorrow. We will be discussing John Hearne ‘s Cognitive Pistol with Tactical Anatomy and Who Wins Who Loses and Why classes . You can listen on Spotify or watch on YouTube. Check us out ! This is the link for YouTube…..https://m.youtube.com/c/leeweems . If you want to listen to just the audio in podcast form it is on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2OvkQAuGC0vhyolnjXWfTW And on Apple Podcast...https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/that-weems-guy/id1575361538 The episode is the latest one that started today.

Harris Combative Strategies TN/GA/AL Training Group AUGUST 12 !!! Subject: Part II of Point Blank Pistol Skills : Alternative Indexing Methods in Close Quarter Shooting . This class will continue with the material covered in July. After a brief review from material covered in the last session we will get into dealing with contact weapon attacks at touching distance , getting off the X and shooting on the move while moving with a purpose, and shooting from the ground. While it helps to have attended the 1st part of this class in July, it is not mandatory. So even if you missed the last one come on out to this one! You don't get to work on these skills every day and especially not under supervision of someone extensively trained in this material. Instructor: Randy Harris – Randy's BIO Location: Windrock Shooting Range & Training Center 720 Windrock Road Oliver Springs, TN 37840 https://windrockshootingrange.com/ Time: 12:30pm-4:30pm EASTERN Price: $100 What you need to bring: Pistol (revolvers are welcome too), at least 2 spare pistol magazines (or speedloaders if you plan to party like it is 1899) and at least 150 rounds of ammo..... If you have a "blue gun" or "red gun" or other non firing replica of the pistol you carry please bring it. If you do not have one I do have loaners but they are mostly full size glock, 1911, SW MP and Sig so if you carry something else and have a non firing replica that matches it and fits your holster please bring it with you. Payments: You can register and pay through Eventbrite OR you can pay at class by cash or check OR you can pay by electronic payment by paypal or venmo (Friends and family option) in advance OR I can take payment by credit card (call or email for options on that – 423 827 9133 or Randy@harriscombative.com) Be sure to RSVP with Randy if you plan to attend and pay at class. Paypal – cruelhandluke2000@yahoo.com Venmo – www.venmo.com/Randy-Harris-47 Eventbrite - Eventbrite Link

HARRIS COMBATIVE STRATEGIES TN/GA/AL Training Group Subject: Point Blank Pistol Skills - Alternative Indexing Methods In Close Quarter Shooting Date: Saturday August 5th Eventbrite Link Point Blank Pistol Skills is a study in the deployment and effective use of the pistol at distances fewer than 10 feet. This is the distance envelope where time (and timing) are paramount. In this critical space there is little time to react and no time to be wasted . At touching distance , empty hand combative skills are often needed to facilitate a clean un-fouled draw and decisive hits. We will focus on improving draw stroke , gaining better position, in-fight weapon access, and making hits from physical contact with the target to touching distance and shooting on the move getting out of "the hole". This is an extended version of the presentation Randy taught at the 2018 Rangemaster Tactical Conference. Instructor: Randy Harris –Randy's Bio Location: Phillips Edwards Farm 763 CR 332 Pisgah Al 35765 Time: 9AM-3PM CENTRAL TIME Price: $100 What you need to bring: Pistol (revolvers are welcome too), at least 2 spare pistol magazines (or speedloaders if you plan to party like it is 1899) and at least 150 rounds of ammo..... If you have a "blue gun" or "red gun" or other non firing replica of the pistol you carry please bring it. If you do not have one I do have loaners but they are mostly full size glock, 1911, SW MP and Sig so if you carry something else and have a non firing replica that matches it please bring it with you. Payments: You can register and pay through Eventbrite OR you can pay at class by cash or check OR you can pay by electronic payment by paypal or venmo (Friends and family option) in advance OR I can take payment by credit card (call or email for options on that – 423 827 9133 or Randy@harriscombative.com) Be sure to RSVP with Randy if you plan to attend and pay at class. Paypal – cruelhandluke2000@yahoo.com Venmo – www.venmo.com/Randy-Harris-47 Eventbrite - Eventbrite Link

HARRIS COMBATIVE STRATEGIES Saturday August 26th Real World Rifle Skills This class is designed as a primer in defensive application of the rifle or carbine. This class is all about running your rifle or carbine as an individual in a combative environment from home or business defense to natural disaster. Topics Include : How to set up your carbine, Ballistics, Fight stopping hits, Use of cover and concealment, Proactive and reactive reloads, Shooting on the move , Transition to pistol and much more is covered. Eventbrite Link Instructor : Randy Harris Location: Windrock Shooting Range and Training Center 720 Windrock Road Oliver Springs, TN 37840 Time: 8:30AM to 4:30PM Price : $200 (discount available if signing up for both the Saturday rifle and Sunday shotgun class) Required Equipment: Rifle with sling, At least 3 rifle magazines and a way to carry them (such as shoulder bag, chest rig, ALICE gear, pants pockets) ,Pistol and at least 2 magazines, Carry gear , Eye and Ear Protection Ammo Count: 200 rounds rifle, 25 rounds pistol IF YOU SIGN UP THROUGH EVENTBRITE FOR BOTH THE RIFLE CLASS ON SATURDAY AND THE SHOTGUN CLASS ON SUNDAY YOU CAN USE THE CODE "rifle/shotgun" ON BOTH SIGN UPS TO SAVE $25 per class. Payments: You can register and pay through Eventbrite OR you can pay at class by cash or check OR you can pay by electronic payment by paypal or venmo (Friends and family option) in advance OR I can take payment by credit card (call or email for options on that – 423 827 9133 or Randy@harriscombative.com) Paypal – cruelhandluke2000@yahoo.com Venmo – www.venmo.com/Randy-Harris-47 Eventbrite - Real World Rifle Skills Sunday August 27 REAL WORLD SHOTGUN SKILLS This class is designed as a primer in defensive use of the shotgun. This class is all about running your defensive shotgun as an individual in a combative environment from home or business defense to natural disaster. Topics include : How to set up your shotgun, Ballistics, Fight stopping hits, Use of cover and concealment, Proactive and reactive reloads, Transition to pistol and much more . Take your shotgun skill and confidence to the next level ! Eventbrite Link Location: Windrock Shooting Range and Training Center 720 Windrock Road Oliver Springs, TN 37840 Time: 8:30AM to 4:30PM Price : $200 ( (discount available if signing up for both the Saturday rifle and Sunday shotgun class) Required Equipment: Defensive Shotgun ,Pistol and at least 2 magazines, Carry gear, Eye and Ear Protection Ammo Count: 75 Rounds Birdshot,25 Rounds Buckshot,10 Slugs, 20 rounds for pistol Payments: You can register and pay through Eventbrite OR you can pay at class by cash or check OR you can pay by electronic payment by paypal or venmo (Friends and family option) in advance OR I can take payment by credit card (call or email for options on that – 423 827 9133 or Randy@harriscombative.com) Paypal – cruelhandluke2000@yahoo.com Venmo – www.venmo.com/Randy-Harris-47 Eventbrite - Real World Shotgun Skills IF YOU SIGN UP THROUGH EVENTBRITE FOR BOTH THE RIFLE CLASS ON SATURDAY AND THE SHOTGUN CLASS ON SUNDAY YOU CAN USE THE CODE "rifle/shotgun" ON BOTH SIGN UPS TO SAVE $25 per class.

Harris Combative Strategies TN/GA/AL Training Group Date: Saturday July 8 2023 Subject: Point Blank Pistol Skills - Alternative Indexing Methods In Close Quarter Shooting Point Blank Pistol Skills is a study in the deployment and effective use of the pistol at distances fewer than 10 feet. This is the distance envelope where time (and timing) are paramount. In this critical space there is little time to react and no time to be wasted . At touching distance , empty hand combative skills are often needed to facilitate a clean un-fouled draw and decisive hits. We will focus on improving draw stroke , gaining better position, in-fight weapon access, and making hits from physical contact with the target to touching distance and shooting on the move getting out of "the hole". This is an extended version of the presentation Randy taught at the 2018 Rangemaster Tactical Conference. Instructor: Randy Harris – Randy's Bio Location: Windrock Shooting Range & Training Center 720 Windrock Road Oliver Springs, TN 37840 https://windrockshootingrange.com/ Time: 12:30pm-5:00pm EASTERN Price: $100 Payments: You can register and pay through Eventbrite OR you can pay at class by cash or check OR you can pay by electronic payment by paypal or venmo (Friends and family option) in advance OR I can take payment by credit card (call or email for options on that – 423 827 9133 or Randy@harriscombative.com) Be sure to RSVP with Randy if you plan to attend and pay at class. Paypal – cruelhandluke2000@yahoo.com Venmo – www.venmo.com/Randy-Harris-47 Eventbrite - Eventbrite Link What you need to bring: Pistol (revolvers are welcome too), at least 2 spare pistol magazines (or speedloaders if you plan to party like it is 1899) and at least 150 rounds of ammo..... If you have a "blue gun" or "red gun" or other non firing replica of the pistol you carry please bring it. If you do not have one I do have loaners but they are mostly full size glock, 1911, SW MP and Sig so if you carry something else and have a non firing replica that matches it and fits your holster please bring it with you.

An interesting but not at all surprising article. If you carry a gun, especially in your job duties , you probably want to be as proficient with it as you reasonably can be. It is one piece of equipment that if not used with the appropriate level of skill can result in a very negative outcome....and possibly a life ending outcome for the user. This is why we at Harriscombative.com offer in the TN/GA/AL Training Group our "How Qualified Are You" days where the participants get the opportunity to shoot various courses of fire to determine how their skills stack up against known standards and what they need to work on to get to where they want to be. The next one is coming up this Saturday June 10 at Windrock Shooting Range & Training Center........https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tngaal-training-group-oliver-springs-tn-tickets-500097032687?aff=ebdsoporgprofile HOW DO YOU STACK UP? How do you measure your ability to actually use your firearm? Written by Louie Tirona Louie has been a police officer for over 27 years in one of the most active cities in California and has worked various assignments, primarily in the areas of violent crime investigation and use of force training. How do you measure your ability to actually use your firearm? Is the training and subsequent qualification in which you participated sufficient to know that you are “good enough?” When was the last time you measured your skill? How do you compare your qualification scores against others from different jurisdictions, agencies/departments or military units? This article is written primarily for any of you who may carry a gun as a requirement of your profession but it applies equally to those who choose firearms as part of one’s safety gear. I am going to discuss an experiment I conducted with my own law enforcement department within the past few months. As a brief background, I have been a cop for almost 27 years in California in one of the most active cities in the Golden State. I have been involved in use of force training for the majority of my career. I was fortunate enough to enter into a department largely influenced by Jeff Cooper’s training and found, compared to the training I saw at other departments, that our training program laid a solid foundation for applying marksmanship, gun-handling and mindset. However, what I found glaring was that the time frames for applying marksmanship seemed rather extended and did not match the situations I experienced on the streets. Our “qualification” course was still based on the PPC courses popular in the 70s and 80s…lots of six round strings at various distances on the rather large B27 targets with very generous par times. As I gained in experience, influence and authority, I altered the qualification course. The course was modified to include tighter par times and stages that incorporated shooting while moving, all on a smaller silhouette target with better anatomically-correct target areas. Surprisingly, several of the nearby departments adopted this course of fire. This allowed for an apples-to-apples comparison of shooting skill among the departments that used our qualification course. It may be surprising to learn, but there is no nationally recognized standard for law enforcement-related firearms training and/or methods for demonstrating proficiency. Most departments throughout the state and the country utilize different firearms training programs and shooting tests to satisfy department and state liability concerns. This situation did not and does not allow for an officer in one department to compare his/her skill with an officer from another department or state. Of course, the ultimate arbiter of skill in a real-life deadly force confrontation is who wins and who loses. However, the reality is (contrary to the popular narrative) most police officers never have to use their firearms in the performance of their duties. The question came to mind as I became more involved in training outside of my own department, “How do my cops compare to others (both in the LE profession and outside) when it comes to pure shooting skills where marksmanship under speed is measured?” The answer was right in front of my nose. I have been an avid competitive shooter for some time. In two of the shooting sports I participate in (IDPA and USPSA), there are “classifier” courses of fire that allow participants to compare themselves with other competitors and compete against those of similar skill. I decided to use the IDPA 5X5 classifier with ALL members of my department (approximately 200 sworn). I chose this classifier as it is very simple to administer and score while testing a good set of shooting abilities. At the end of eight separate training sessions (all with the same program of instruction), I had each of my officers shoot this classifier and I recorded their individual stage times, penalties, points down, overall score and classification (as if they were trying to attain an IDPA classification). Everyone used duty type holsters and belts (minimally with a Safariland ALS retention system). One modification I made was to use the CDP (Custom Defensive Pistol) classifier times with all of the participants for simplicity’s sake. Another thing to note is that my department allows for individual officers to carry personal sidearms as their duty gun and we have a rather “liberal” policy when it comes to weapon make/model/caliber. We have officers carrying most of the more popular service weapons currently in use to include Sig 320s, Glocks and M&Ps. We also have quite a few officers carrying single stack 1911s and double stack 2011s. Some officers use slide mounted dot sights. The course of fire is comprised of four strings of fire, all shot at 10 yards on an official IDPA target using current IDPA scoring. All strings of fire begin with hands at sides. A shooting timer is used to measure the shooter’s time to complete each string of fire. On the first string, the shooter draws and fires five rounds to the chest of the target. The second string is the same as string #1 but is fired with the strong/primary hand only. The third string begins with the gun holstered and loaded with only five rounds. The shooter draws and fires five rounds to the chest of the target, conducts a slide-lock reload and fires five additional rounds to the chest. The fourth and final string consists of firing four rounds to the chest and one to the head. The overall breakdown (in percentage of all participants and scoring ranges) of classifications is as follows: Master: 0.5 % 19.18 or less Expert: 0.5 % 19.19 to 24.09 Sharpshooter: 8.8 % 24.10 to 29.92 Marksman: 24.2 % 29.93 to 37.63 Novice: 66.0 % 37.64 or greater The results were not very surprising for anyone familiar with competitive shooting sports. However, the results were very surprising for the vast majority of the officers involved. Before your jaws drop too much, I would submit to the reader that these results are actually better than what I would expect from the majority of people out there who carry guns as a condition of employment or own guns for personal protection. As a side note, this also included members of my SWAT team. The bulk of these shooters fell into the Sharpshooter and Marksman categories. A good friend of mine teaches the use of firearms at one of the regional police academies. Before any of you roll your eyes at the level of instruction at most police academies, this one is different from the standpoint that this instructor uses teaching material heavily based on true shooting performance. To top it off, he is a top-notch teacher and takes his role seriously. As a favor, during a recent academy class he had his students also run through the IDPA classifier. His students’ results were as follows: Marksman: 27.3 % Novice: 72.7 % Based upon my own experience, most officers are at their peak when it comes to pure performance in hard skills such as firearms, driving, defensive tactics and first aid when they graduate from the police academy. After that, it becomes very department-dependent if those skills actually improve. An acquaintance from another department graciously administered this same classifier to his SWAT members at my request. He is another excellent instructor and student of the gun. His team results were as follows: Expert: 0.6 % Sharpshooter: 13.3 % Marksman: 46.7 % Novice: 33.3 % Again, for most of you familiar with competitive shooting sports, these results are not very surprising. For the officers though, the results were quite eye-opening. They were faced with the realization that they were not as good as they thought, especially compared to “hobby/enthusiast” shooters. One of the positive take-aways was that I saw quite a bit of a competitiveness among the officers as we conducted this classifier (and that can be a very positive motivator for skill improvement) and I had several cops ask about getting involved in competitive shooting to improve their shooting skills. Of course, shooting a classifier is only a test of shooting skill and not a test of tactics or the mindset needed to prevail in a lethal force confrontation. However, having a high degree of skill can only be an asset when involved in a shooting or a gunfight. Of similar importance is the knowledge gained from objectively testing one’s skill among others. This is the comparative knowledge that can be gained through measuring one’s skill against a large sample of shooters in an identical “qualification” course of fire. Knowing one’s true abilities can directly influence one’s decision making in serious social encounters (not to mention match environments). Not meant to be an excuse, but shooting comprises a very small (but extraordinarily important) facet of the training an officer must complete regularly. Training such as emergency vehicle operation, defensive tactics, trauma care, investigative skills, interview and interrogation training, crisis intervention training and a myriad of other training needs make huge demands on an officer’s time and a department’s resources. This does not even include the regular duties an officer must attend to on a daily basis. However, not truly understanding one’s skill level in any of these important training areas can be a detriment for the public, the officer and the department. I would challenge anybody reading this to use objective methods of measuring skill, not just the same old state or department-mandated courses of fire when possible. Whether that is shooting an established “classifier” from one of the major shooting sports or getting involved in competitive shooting, knowing (and not guessing) how well you can apply marksmanship at speed is something worthwhile. If any of you have the opportunity to try this classifier with your own departments/units/agencies and would like to share your results, please feel free to send them to me. I haven’t even discussed how I changed our actual qualification course (yet again) to better measure these skills, but that is an article for another time. Louie Tirona – High rank LE Officer and Lead Instructor at Tactical Performance Center Louie Tirona is a life-long martial artist and first generation American. He has been a police officer for over 27 years in one of the most active cities in California and has worked various assignments, primarily in the areas of violent crime investigation and use of force training. He has been an active participant in the national discussion over policing and use of force and has implemented training that has garnered national attention for its effectiveness in these critical areas. He is an avid competitive shooter, an IDPA master and member since 2014.

THIS IS COMING UP THIS SATURDAY !!!!!!!

JUNE 10 we will be at the Windrock Shooting Range for a meeting of the Harris Combative Strategies TN/GA/AL training group. Everyone is welcome! This 4 hour training event will take place after lunch following the monthly Back Up Gun Match at Windrock Shooting Range. If you want to REALLY test your skills come shoot the BUG match and then shoot the Training Day qualifications with your backup gun ! Subject: HOW QUALIFIED ARE YOU ? Instructor: Randy Harris Randy's Bio Harriscombative.com Location: Windrock Shooting Range 720 Windrock Rd, Oliver Springs, TN 37840 http://www.windrockshootingrange.com/ DATE : Saturday June 10 Time: 12:30 PM EASTERN time – 4:30PM EASTERN time Price: $80 – You can register and pay through Eventbrite OR you can pay at class by cash or check OR you can pay by electronic payment by paypal or venmo (Friends and family option) in advance OR I can take payment by credit card (call or email for options on that – 423 827 9133 or Randy@harriscombative.com) Be sure to RSVP with Randy if you plan to attend and pay at class. Paypal – cruelhandluke2000@yahoo.com Venmo – www.venmo.com/Randy-Harris-47 Eventbrite - EVENTBRITE LINK What you need to bring: Pistol, at least 2 pistol magazines and at least 150 rounds of pistol ammo. Revolvers are welcome if you want to party like it is 1899. We will be shooting some challenging warm up drills and then the Bakersfield PD Qual, Federal Air Marshal pistol qualification, FBI pistol qualification courses and a few others and finish up with a man vs man shoot off on steel and bowling pins! I will also keep records of these (if you are happy with your scores) for future reference and use . This will serve to get your shooting prowess on record by a third party in case it is ever needed in the future in some legal matter. This is also something your church might like to have for their records if you are a member of a church security team. As far as the courts are concerned if it isn’t documented it didn’t happen so this is an opportunity to get some official scores on paper in case you ever need them . Not only that but it will be a good day of shooting some somewhat challenging and well known courses of fire. This is an EXCELLENT chance to bring someone you know who might need a “reality check” on where their skills actually are. We all know people who are gun owners who keep threatening to get some training. The training days (especially the pistol qual day) are a great way to get them into that and show them what is possible with some directed practice and see where they REALLY are at their present skill level. And it is a good chance to get to meet people with the same interests that don’t think you are “crazy”. And just a final reminder EVERYONE is welcome ! The TN/GA/AL Training Group started as a way for alumni of classes taught by Randy Harris to get together and stay current on skills and get some coaching in a one day format at a discounted price from what a normal class would cost. As it continued to grow we opened it up to ANYONE who is interested in coming out and learning some skills and just seeing what it is that we do and meet some new people with the same interests. So even if you are not an alum of one of my classes you are welcome to come join us!