Holiday Vigilance

Several days ago the jury working on the Dr. Petit family murders in Connecticut came back with a death sentence for the animals that tortured and brutally murdered this husband and father's wife and two daughters in front of him.  My sympathy and prayers go out to Dr. Petit.  

I sit here in my home at peace and taking a break from a spirited game of "Wits and Wagers" with the family I love so much.  I am at peace but still vigilant.  Our shrubs are kept low, exterior lights are on including the motion sensors, the intrusion alarm system is on, and...........my wife and I are both presently armed under our cardigan sweaters.  

Earlier today we welcomed friends and neighbors who stopped by to chat or run an errand.  No one knows my wife and I both carry at home nor did our varied guests notice when I opened the door to greet them I also scanned the street and side walk. We live in a comfortable house in a nice quiet neighborhood.  The police department is about six blocks away.  Our neighborhood probably shares many things in common with the Petit family and probably the one you live in also.  I pray that when evil passes by our home it will not stop as it did with the Petit family in Connecticut.  

Tragically, evil will stop at someone's happy home tonight because evil is invited in through complacency or naivety.  In Missouri approximately 2% of our population has taken a Concealed Carry class.  That means we as trainers have a lot of work yet to do in teaching individuals and families about how to be safe.  

If you as a trainer are not including a situational awareness piece in your CCW courses you are short changing your students.  Massob Ayoob has some excellent information on situational awareness in his several books as does the late Jim Cirrilo in his two books.  If you haven't read these two giants in the self defense field, and the information they have pass along, you are short changing your students.  

Always be in a Yellow alert level, constantly scan your mirrors when stopped in traffic, know what to look for per attack behavior in others, and have a challenge boundary around you and your loved ones when in public.  If you want to learn more go by my web site at www.SafeShoot.com and click on the Course and Cost tab.  Order the Situational Awareness DVD.  Take notes and please  use the information in your class room if you aren't already doing so.  Yes, we are in business and probably competitors.  Just remember we are in the business of saving innocent life.  As much as we can let's work together towards that good end.  

God's Blessings to you all and Merry Christmas!  P.S. Happy חנוכה to our Jewish brothers and sisters.  

 

New Indoor Range and New Instructor Mentoring Program

One of my favorite quotes is from a sign I saw at a gun range:  

"The Sound you hear is the Sound of Freedom". 

 In a few days (once the final lighting is installed on Wednesday) the new Trainers Indoor Range will be ready to use.  The 10 lane range is located at the Inter State Storage Cavern at I-435 and 23rd Street at the edge of the Kansas City and Independence, Missouri city boundaries.  The cave entrance is the first cavern on the left as you pull into the drive from 23rd street.  

It is a gated entrance and you will need to get a key from the Independence Square class room lock box to gain access or other arrangement with me.  To keep everyone's schedule organized, use of the range will be by reservation only.  Call me at 816-353-6826 to schedule the range and I will give you the lock box combo number.  Please call me before you utilize the facility for a tour and I'll show you where the light switch is at (another very important detail when in a mine).  

The range is available seven days a week from 0700-2200hrs.  Later this week I will put  a small bumper sticker size sign on the gate that says, "www.SafeShoot.com".   

The range time costs $10. per student and I'll include the target for either the Kansas or Missouri CCW students.  I'm flexible on time but it is assumed the CCW instructor can normally complete their course of fire with students  in 60-90 minutes.  There are no hand washing or restrooms in the facility but, if there is enough use, the budget may be able to afford a porta-potty.  The porta potty may acquire the  nick name; Sasquatch  Hunting Lodge.  

The facility is an old lime stone mine which was closed in the 1960's.  The entrance and the gun range is in an area that has been minimally developed.  The other entrances of the cavern have been converted over to commercial storage and small business use.  

My Independence Square class room is also available to instructors for a small rental fee and includes props appropriate to a CCW class.  Hand gun rental is also available.  Also ask about my CCW Instructor Mentoring Program for new CCW trainers.  This is a very inexpensive investment that will save you hours of curriculum development time plus will get your program started right away.  

Hopefully the availability of these inexpensive training facilities will alleviate a difficulty faced by many area firearms instructors.  I've heard from so many CCW trainers what a difficult time they have had trying to find a place to teach a class and then trying to shoe horn into a noisy public range for the CCW course of fire.   

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, as of 10-31-10, there were 116,254 CCW permits issued in Missouri (9,255 in Jackson County).  Compare that to the nearly 6 million people living in Missouri and that means there is still a lot of business out there folks.  Our basic intent in teaching a CCW class should be to impart self defense skills to individuals and families.  By working together we can accomplish that goal.   

My Contact Info:

Bruce Luedeman

Ph# 816-353-6826

bnmluedeman@sbcglobal.net

www.SafeShoot.com