Modern Self Protection: Recent Episodes
Ben Branam
So you want to be a hero?
Click the Image to Subscribe on iTunesFor this podcast, I got with Rob Morse of the Slow Facts Blog, Self-Defense Gun Stories, and Gun Freedom Radio.
We talked about some of the terrorist attacks in Israel and what you can do if those come to our shores.
The post Heroism Podcast appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
When should you change your carry ammo? Is it necessary? Will carry ammo go bad? What could make it go bad?
The post When to Change out Carry Ammo appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Be the leader now so that you can learn to be better if you ever have to defend yourself or your family.
The post Battlefield Leadership; Prepare Now appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Like every skill you have for self-defense, de-escalation should be practiced any time you can.
The post De-Escalation Requires Practice appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
How skilled are you with your EDC? Are you skilled enough? Do those skills matter?
You’ve seen all the pocket dumps. I’m sure you have argued and heard the arguments of what gun is better to carry and why. Whether it’s for the zombie attack or to carry every day. We argue about gear all the time. Then, sometimes, we talk about skills with that gear.
I’m here to tell you that tactics are more important than the gear and the skill you have with the gear. Your understanding of what is going on and your move toward what you want to happen is your tactics.
A definition of gear is obvious, it’s the stuff you have. The definition of skill is how you can use that gear. Your tactics are the overall mindset and how to employ your skills towards a goal. It’s just bigger thinking.
The first part of being better at tactics is defining a mission. Think strategically now, because when someone is trying to kill you it’s hard to think about anything else besides surviving and panic.
Decide what you will and will not do to further that mission. Some hard questions to ask yourself are will you pass an injured kid to stop a killer or evacuate your family? What about a kid you know that is calling your name for help? To even the toughest warrior, that is a hard question. Answer them now so later you don’t have to stop in the heat of the moment and make a decision.
Part of defining your mission is knowing your priorities of work. Those priorities becomes your SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). Mine are, in this order, on purpose, my wife, my kid, myself, other people in my charge, extended family members, kids, and other people when I can.
If you look at my priorities of work; mall shooting with my family at my side, you are on your own. A school shooting with my kid in a class room, everyone else is on their own. I’ll help if I can, but my kid comes first.
Part of my priorities of work is also my mission parameters; 1 – I have to be able to look myself in the mirror every day no matter what I do or don’t do. 2 – My family has to survive, then me. 3 – Is the United States’ “Justice System.” I’ll deal with life in that order.
So if it is a school shooting and my kid is in there, law enforcement better have a good plan and be executing it when get there or I will. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do something when no one else was and my kid didn’t survive.
When you start thinking at the upper level everything just starts falling into place. In any situation, I will figure out my mission very quickly by going t hrough my mission parameters and priorities of work.
If you do the “what-if” game when you see things in the news and go through your priorities of work and mission parameters you will figure out what your mission is and how to execute it.
If you need a quick reference the Marine Corps provides the acronym DrawD or what the enemy can do in the defense; Defend, Retreat, Attack, Withdraw, and Delay. If something happens in the “real world” you are in the defense and you can choose one of the five.
Whatever you chose, do it, and do it well. Your life depends on it. These quick thoughts are the beginning of tactics.
Stay Safe,
Ben
The post Tactics over Skills appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Everyone seems to be catching up to me lately… and it sucks.
I spent 10 years in the Marine Corps including a combat tour and being part of an anti-terrorism force. I left the Marine Corps to return to Iraq as a private contractor for the U.S. Government fighting terrorism. I gave a large portion of my adult life to fighting terrorism and the horrors that most people don’t want to deal with. To me, a terrorist is about the lowest scum on earth.
Then in 2008, I was called a terrorist for the first time by then-President Obama. The term domestic terrorist had just started and I was on the list. Being a white male, military-aged, former military, contractor, Christian, and gun owner I was on the top of the list. Everyone thought I was crazy for saying the United States Government could do such a thing. The truth is they have been doing it for a long time. Welcome to the party!
Through the years it has only gotten worse. I know I’m on every watch list the government has which makes me both sad and proud. Yes, I will associate with the deplorable’s, that is almost half the country. Yes, I cling to my religion and my guns. Yes, I’m proud to be an American. Yes, I think our government f’s things up a lot. At least I’m not on the no-fly list… yet.
All of these lists that you don’t know you are on, how you got there, or how to get off are a threat to every free person in the world. And I don’t know how to fix it.
It is not time to fight the great boogaloo (which is now a terrorist word as indicated by a leaked FBI memo). I’m trying to get more involved at my local political level because I know local politicians grow up to be state and federal politicians.
This blog is about self-defense. So you might ask how all that plays into your self-defense. Well, the “Justice System” hasn’t been not been impartial for a long time, it has gotten worse. If the “they” of the world think you are on the wrong side it appears unlikely you will get a fair trial.
Do you remember the Austin protester during a BLM protest that was carrying an AK openly and gave a weird interview with his rifle right before the shooting? Then an Army Sergeant driving for Uber, carrying a concealed handgun with a license smoked him after ending up in the crowd by mistake. The Army Sergeant got convicted of Murder early this year over three years after the shooting.
I’ve known since I was a teenager that the deck was stacked against me if I have to use deadly force. It was what I was taught in Law Enforcement and it didn’t take much research at the time to see that if the U.S. Government wanted you, they were going to convict you.
So, you are out there, just trying to protect yourself. Take extra care in what you do. Be more mindful to stay out of places that might put you and your family in danger. Be more careful about where you insert yourself into other people’s problems. And be more careful about who you argue with. All of this could end you up in prison for the rest of your life… and is more likely to happen now than it was five years ago.
In conclusion, welcome to this shitty party that somehow we all ended up in.
Stay Safe,
Ben
The post Welcome to the Party appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Going against the grain takes humility, guts, and the chance to lose.
The post Wimps in Our World appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
If you have to defend yourself should you give medical aid to the person that just tried to hurt you?
The post Should You Give Medical Attention to a Bad Guy appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
What training scars and bad habits do you have that will "get you killed in the street?"
I know you have at least one, we all do.
The post Habits, Good, Bad, and Training Scars appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Be Prepared for anything is about accepting what is and acting upon it.
The post Be Prepared for anything Podcast 336 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Should you get involved in a crime in progress?
The post Should You Get Involved? appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Use the Girt of Fear and trust your instincts because they could save your life.
The post Trust Your instincts; The Gift of Fear appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
If you get caught in the aftermath of a mass shooter what should you do? Yes, mass killer would be a better description now that vehicles and knives are becoming popular.
The post Caught in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooter appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Traditional knowledge of self-defense says you should be changing your schedule for your safety; but doesn’t it really help that much?
The post Changing Schedules and Your Safety appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
The self-defense mechanisms to use are the ones you probably already know.
The post Self Defense Mechanisms to Use appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Do you ever just go shooting for fun? Or is there always something to learn? There is always something to learn, but you can go shooting for fun.
The post Shooting for Fun appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
September 11, 2001, changed the world, for the better and the worse.
The post 9-11 20 Years Later appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
This podcast is all about different things. It will be explicit because the NRA really enraged me with their cancellation of the Annual Meeting.
The post Podcast 328 Mixed Bag or Crap: NRA Cancelled, Broken Gun, and Heat Injuries appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
We can't always carry a gun in a conventional method, sometimes you have to learn unconventional carry methods to be able to carry a gun every day.
The post Unconventional Carry Methods: Podcast 327 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Do you go to the square range to practice self-defense? Should you?
The post The Square Range: Podcast 326 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Having a plan for your self defense begins with what is your mission? What are those things most important to you?
The post Back to Basics: Have a Plan – Podcast 325 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
How you can measure risk better, why we suck at it, and how to do it better. I spent the last couple of weeks in…
The post Measuring Risk: Why We Suck at It. Podcast 324 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Your situational awareness is the best skill for you to learn, practice, and master for your self-defense.
The post The Best Skill to Practice for Self Defense: Situational Awareness Podcast 323 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Mind set is the ultimate self defense skill. Learn it, use it, live it and it will make you and your family safer.
The post Mind Set: The Ultimate Self Defense Skill – Podcast 322 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Last week I shot a Sig P365XL with a Romeo 0 Dot to review. I shot it at an AASA competition and learned a lot about the gun and dot.
The post A Dot and a Miss: Sig P365XL and Romeo 0 Review Podcast 321 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Do you suffer from shinny new gun syndrome? Do you always need the newest and bestest guns and gear thinking that will make you better?
The post New Gun, The Shiny Syndrom: Podcast 320 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Do Glocks have a safety? Should they? With handguns, like most everything in the world, it depends. Check out the podcast for a discussion on yes and no.
The post Do Glocks Have a Safety? Should They? Podcast 319 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
If you watch the news things are bleak at best. No matter what happens out there we are done is what the news says. But what can you do now?
The post What You Can Start Doing Now: Podcast 318 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Are you prepared for what the worst could really be? Do you have any idea how bad it could get in America? Are you ready?
The post Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst Podcast 317 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Top 4 Self Defense Techniques aren't what you think. No special punch or kick, the top three you do before you leave your house.
The post Top 4 Self Defense Techniques Podcast 316 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Christmas travel safety tips are just reminders of things you should probably be doing while you are traveling this holiday season.
The post Christmas Travel Safety Tips Podcast 315 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
The second half of yesterday's show.
The post Podcast 314B Carrying a Firearm in the Cold appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Carrying a firearm in the cold weather requires a little shift in how we do things. You may need to change your gun and clothes.
The post Podcast 314 Carrying a Firearm in the Cold appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Range Etiquette is how we respect other people while shooting. Safety is what we do everywhere, always; at the range, at home, or in combat.
The post Firearms Safety and Range Etiquette Podcast 313 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
How I used my mindset to survive Covid-19 without going to the hospital.
The post Personally Surviving Covid and Mind Set Podcast 312 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Stupid myths that continue on for ever and ever. Can’t we just stop it!
The post Stop Stupid in the Firearm World Podcast 311 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
I invited Frank Sharp Jr from Fortress Defense Consultants to join me to talk about the “great boogaloo” sort of…
The post Kitting Up Part II with Frank Sharp Jr of Fortress Defense Consultants Podcast 310 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Are you ready for the fight that maybe coming? Frank Sharp Jr from Fortress Defense Consultants joins us to talk about the fight.
The post Kitting Up for the Fight w/ Frank Sharp Jr of Fortress Defense Consultants Podcast 309 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Remembering 911 to make the world a better place. Do you remember the feelings and what happen in the weeks following?
The post FMF 34 Remembering 9-11 and Unity appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Running makes you stick out. You will be noticed. And everyone has this drive to either catch the person running or at least see what is happening.
The post The Hunter Within appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
What can we learn from the Kyle Rittenhouse Shooting? Legally and tactically you can learn lots of things to make sure you do better. Podcast here...
The post The Kyle Rittenhouse Shooting: Murder, Victim, or Self-Defense Podcast 308 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
The things you may have missed last week in the shooting and self defense world.
The post W.A.A.R On Monday 9-7-2020 Labor Day appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
How many rounds should be in your AR mags? and how can you tell if they are loaded correctly without unloading them.
The post Are Your AR Mags Loaded? FMF 33 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
The MagPul Sling MS3 is a great place to start for a first sling or if you don’t know what you want in a sling.…
The post Magpul Sling MS3 Review appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
We go into depth on what you can and should do before and during an attack to make sure you have the best chance of winning. Winning in this case means saving your family.
The post Protecting Your Loved Ones When They Can’t Protect Themselves Podcast 307 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Weekly After Action Report on what you might have missed last week. Here are a couple things you may have missed last week. From Kenosha…
The post W.A.A.R on Monday 8-31-2020 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Mobs have been moving around as protests for months now. The violence seems more and more eminent. The chances of you getting stuck in one of these “protests” seems more and more likely
The post Rioters, Vehicles, and Self Defense appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
The things you may have missed last week in the self defense and firearms world.
The post W.A.A.R. on Monday 8-24-2020 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Five Minute Friday; A quick tip to keep you safe. Should you wear a face mask or not? I think you should for your personal security. Here's why...
The post Face Masks and Your Physical Security FMF 32 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Walker Silencer BT 2.0 Review; the good, the bad, the ugly. I've had them for a week, not sure if I'm keeping them. Are they right for you?
The post Walker Silencer BT 2.0 Hearing Protection Review: Are They Right for You? appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
In this podcast I’ll share my experience of how the gun industry and gun market are looking right now. As well as some of the research I’ve been doing lately about what is going on.
The post The State of the Firearms industry Podcast 305 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Violence of action is something in our world we need to learn to deal with. Once you learn to deal with it, you can use it if you have to.
The post Violence of Action, Where is your Line in the Sand appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Beginning or advanced students, we all want to get the most out of our firearms training budget. Here are some things you can do to improve your class.
The post How to get the most out of a Firearms Training Class Podcast 304 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
What you may have missed last week.
The post W.A.A.R on Monday 7-27-2020 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Are you as prepared as you think you are? Have you been tested? Have you tested yourself? Are you improving everything in your life?
The post Prepare and Test Podcast 303 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Week After Action Report of what you might have missed last week. Here are a couple things you may have missed last week. This week…
The post W.A.A.R on Monday 7-20-2020 appeared first on Modern Self Protection.
Do you except evil exist in our world? What do you think the evil of our time is right now?
The post Evil in Our Time appeared first on Modern Self Protection.