Through MCS, I have created an incredibly diverse think tank who does not sugarcoat their opinions to the world, much less each other. We strive to deliver that information to you. So if we give away all this information, how do we make money? Well, it's pretty simple. Over the years I have gone out of my way to provide lots of solid, usually free, vetted information. This will always be the primary driver behind MCS. My hope is, and it has worked so far anyway, is that when you see me selling a new book or DVD you buy it. If you see me doing a class close enough for you to attend, you try to be there or at least recommend it to a friend. If you have bought into our training over tools mindset, we have probably saved you the expense of purchasing the next toy before considering whether or not it would make you better or just feel better. Back to your Personal Protection Program. Most people reading this are guys between 35-55 and can be placed in one of the three following groups.
1) Pretty new to this stuff and freaking out because you are so overwhelmed by the sheer mass of information you are finding.
2) You are a VET, maybe a lifetime ago, and believe your training to be dated even though your mindset is not. You might have done some stuff here and there but know you need more.
3) You are the guy who loves this stuff. You love the guns, the gear, and the training. But maybe you have come to a place where you are sitting on the floor with all your toys and realize that much of what you have spent money doing and buying has little continuity.
Of course you could not fit into any of the above and just love to read my blog. In all cases, I am good with that. No matter the case, more and more I think everyone needs to concentrate on keeping things "closer to the flag pole," meaning closer to you as a person and considering your personal and family needs first. This is regardless of what you do for a living. Even if you are not married and don't have a family, you still have close family and friends. Tough times are coming and your survival will be tested a million times mentally to every physical challenge so prepare that way.
Below I have listed what I believe in exact order the things that will make you happier, more confident, and more prepared to deal with day to day challenges. It only makes sense then that they will serve you well in the case of true emergency situations. They are listed in the order of how much impact they have on not only every day of your life but coincidentally your ability to practice them every day and how little they cost. There are no doubt things that you would add, or subtract. They are based on the cumulative effect of my personal experiences, the other MCS instructors, and the people we have been lucky enough to train.
Mental Heath- the way you "think" you feel has a bigger impact on your day to day life than anything else. It effects the choices you make and how you interact with others. If you are a slave to your emotions, then do something about it. So far the best book I have read on this subject and many more is Gorilla Mindset by Mike Cernovich. There are so many actionable life changing principles and concepts in that book that I am unable to list them here.
Physical Health- here is the place where people start talking about what and why they can't MOVE instead of focusing on what they can do. If you can only walk, walk a little each day. If you can lift a little, then lift a little. If you are able bodied, do yourself a favor and get into the gym. Remember it is like the training hall or range, hanging out there does not make you better. It is what you do while you are there, not the length of time. Remember that the word optimize was in title of this post. It is there for a reason. We do not have time or money to spend on nonsense.
Interpersonal Communication Skills- most people's suck and they wonder why they are frustrated and angry all the time and never seem to get what they want. You need to read How to Win friends and influence people by Dale Carnege. This book first came out in 1935, but has been updated to stay relevant. Not to mention, people have changed less than you think. Also check out this article I wrote a while back. The more offensive you are in the use of your people skills the less likely you are to need your physical skills.
Traumatic Injury Management- the bottom line is that if you are conscious and injured you need to be able to save your own life. By the fact that you are reading this it is safe to assume that everyone you know will expect you to save them if something bad happens. Knowing how to place an airway or perform a chest decompression is important. Just worry about it after you know how to treat a severe burn, traumatic amputation, and massive hemorrhage. If you want to be a hero to your wife and kids, carry some clove oil for bug bites and tooth aches, and band-aides for boo boos before worrying about carrying an IV. Remember, closer to the flag pole.
Driving- this can be a tough one because you have lots of bad habits. Courses, because of insurance, are mega expensive and out of the reach of most. Plus the fact that unless the previous areas are squared away you should be spending money on them first. Read up on it at least and watch some videos. If I had to give you one takeaway, it would be to learn not to slam on your brakes in an emergency. It contributes to many crashes.
Open hand combatives- People can spend all the time they want playing with guns and knives, but the reality is that in most situations your initial response to attacks, even involving weapons, will be open handed because that is what you will have time and opportunity to use. That is why it is the physical foundation of MCS. If the world crumbles, you are going to want a handgun you can conceal to drive away those who want to take away what you have. A long gun will only attract unwanted attention from good guys and bad guys.
Handgun- it makes sense that when it comes to firearms you make the handgun the primary tool. It is the equivalent of the sword in the modern day. Tragically, although so many carry a handgun and train in its use, they are ill prepared for its use during a real life deadly confrontation. Much training is flawed from the very beginning because of starting strings of fire using audible cues such as bells, whistles, and buzzers. Relying on square range training is expensive, limiting, and deadly. Consider getting a Blue Gun and an Airsoft.
Shotgun- its importance comes from the fact that ammunition or various types is readily available. Ignore the old wives tales and load it with ammunition based on your environment, not what you read in a magazine or on a forum.
Rifle- everyone should have one because we are Americans damn it. Simple as it sounds, that is the real reason why so many people have rushed to buy one. I have an AR, the same one I carried as a cop, but prefer my 8MM Mauser. The problem is that nobody does a class for that where I can get dolled up in Multicam footy pajamas and wear a chest rig. The two realistic reasons for "needing" a rifle are distance (terminal ballistics at distance.) and ammo capacity.
All I can say is that if you get one, learn to use it. As you learn something, always do so with the mindset that you will have to teach it. You will learn more and actually be able to share the information. With MCS York opening up next week, I will have more time to write and post videos. We will be spending lots of time covering mental health, physical health (of course the school is in a state of the art gym), interpersonal communication skills, traumatic injury management, open hand combatives, and handgun skills and classes so we will be sharing that here.
Take a few minutes to sit back and digest what has been discussed here. We all have 24 hours in a day. It is up to us to decide how to best use it. This takes self reflection and optimization. There is no time to waste when it comes to preparing yourself for a life or death scenario. You know neither the time nor the details of it. It would only make sense to spend your time gaining knowledge and then applying that knowledge to maintain a state of readiness. Stay Safe- George
