Tactical Tangents

Craig Douglas is a retired SWAT and undercover narcotics cop who started a company called Shivworks, specializing in close-range and entangled gunfighting and knife defense. His classes and training philosophies are legendary, and he joined us on the podcast to discuss some of those things. He also has courses dealing with solo building searches and fighting in a vehicle, which both present a pret...

Whether you are organizing an air battle campaign or you are wrestling over a gun with a bad guy, there is a lot to be said about the element of time. Mike and Jim discuss how we have to account for the time variable in a conflict, and how staying disciplined, gaining initiative, and being patient are important factors to consider in terms of keeping up with the fight or shaping the outcome of any...

We met with the commanders of the Air Unit and SWAT Team for the Bernalillo Co Sheriff in Albuquerque. This is a busy agency with a lot going on. We talk about leadership, career paths to special teams in law enforcement, discuss a police helicopter shot down, and cover practical tips to keep yourself and your stuff safe. Thanks to Undersheriff Koren, Lieutenant Blackmon, and Deputy Maggard for ar...

Doctor Tang is a trauma surgeon, professor of surgery, and the Director of Trauma at the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson, AZ. Doctor Tang joins Mike and Jim to discuss things related not only to trauma and medicine, but also leadership, teaching, and working under pressure. Hear the Doc explain what he knows about certain prehospital practices and what we could do better as part of...

We are just starting to comprehend the impact of information protection and cyber security on tactical reality. It turns out that you don't have to be a level 9 computer hacker ninja – you just have to manage your risk and actively work on your security. Self-awareness and layers will help you a lot. Alridge Ames Interview The Interrogator Protecting the Gift DEFCON 15 No Tech Hacking Remember tha...

Language warning! In an earlier episode , we had our buddy Isaac on the show who was getting ready to start the police academy. Isaac graduated the academy and is now a sworn officer in the middle of field training, and he's checking in with us to share some lessons learned. He's going to talk to us about active shooter training and a shift in his thinking, away from gadgets and gear towards train...

A police officer on the east coast was fired for failing to shoot a suicidal person with a gun. We talk about applying critical thinking to discussions like this, because it's important that we consider the arguments of both sides to such a debate. We're going to talk about context in use of force, how lawsuits and litigation fit in to these sorts of discussions, and reconciling the fact that some...

The courts make the final judgement on use of force--but they rely heavily on the expert testimony of legends like Massad Ayoob. Mas is a champion shooter and long-time teacher in matters related to self-defense, police doctrine, and use of force. He joined Mike on the podcast to answer some questions from our audience. What are we lacking in training? What should a citizen look for in an self-def...

Annette is a competitive shooter, private firearms instructor, attorney, author, blogger, and she was gracious enough to join Mike on the podcast for an interview. If you are just getting into shooting as a private citizen, listening to her talk about learning a new skill is worth your time. She and I talk about her progression from casual shooting to serious self-defense, and the value of steepin...

Communicating during a crisis is its own skill all by itself. We're going to talk about some principles that can help you get it right whether you use radios professionally in public safety, aviation, or the military--or if you are a private citizen trying to get that 911 call out in a hurry. Ideas in here to think about: "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate." Don't be "that guy" on the radio, take one...

Ambush is a term that we tend to overuse to mean any attack that catches us off guard. We are going to define the term ambush and, more importantly, define the counter-tactics to apply if you are ambushed. The important thing to realize is that the sooner you identify an imminent or in-progress ambush, the sooner you are able to effectively respond to it. So we have to make sure we aren't getting...

Like many good ideas in the tactical community, "Slow is smooth, Smooth is Fast," is one of those that started out with strong roots and grew into something barely recognizable. We lose IQ points when the adrenaline hits--the emotional response that we experience under stress bypasses our ability to make rational decisions. We think that this phrase is best applied to our cognitive awareness and a...

In the mid-nineties a Fedex employee facing termination attempted to hijack Fedex Flight 705 from Memphis to San Jose. His plan was to take over the plane and crash it into the Fedex headquarters, and he wanted to make it look like an accident. Armed with a hammer and a spear gun, he launched a surprise attack against the crew of three shortly after takeoff. This is one of many chilling examples o...

Boyd used to walk people through a thought experiment in which he wanted people to use their imagination to "create a new reality," to illustate the creative nature of our minds. In a tactical sense, we can take lessons learned from several different places and apply those principles to whatever realm is important to us. At Tactical Tangents, we are always trying to find a balance among law enforc...

John Boyd was the guy behind the OODA loop, the F-15, the F-16. He and his group of reformers were also largely responsible for the A-10, the Warfighting manual for the USMC, and some of the planning of Desert Storm. Boyd said, "War is ever changing, and men are ever fallible-Teach men to think!" He was also, in a lot of ways, the inspiration for the Tactical Tangents project. Hear about the gueri...

In episode 6 we discuss a couple of road rage incidents that escalated to the point someone got hurt or killed, and one that was handled pretty well by a guy in Indiana. These stories are important because most of us tend to feel pretty tough behind the wheel of our car. The distance and physical barrier that our cars put between us and other drivers make us feel like we aren't in much danger, but...

Strong Language Warning--probably don't play this out loud at work or around your kids! Full disclosure, we actually recorded this episode a little while back when our buddy Isaac was getting ready for the police academy. We wanted to take advantage of the Q and A opportunity before he kicked off his career. We have some follow-up recordings in the works with Isaac so you can check in and see how...

Break down of the 1997 North Hollywood Shootout. 20 years ago this year, two dudes brought the LAPD and a few assisting agencies to their knees during a bank robbery that turned into an epic gunfight. Amazingly, the only two fatalities that day were the bad guys, but there were about 20 others wounded (civilian and police). Some of the big take aways have to do with the proliferation of long guns...

Mike and Jim talk about ways they learned and apply the fundamentals to shooting practice, specifically trying to bridge the gap from "beginner," to "decent," to "good."  We talk about ways to balance speed and accuracy, and some things to think about when you are trying to diagnose a problem or isolate certain variables to improve your ability to shoot. We talk about adding stress/pressure to our...

One of the themes we discussed in our last episode was that just because something is technically legal, or not against the rules, that doesn't necessarily make it a good idea. We build on that theme today and discuss how we use rules and guidelines to manage risk and shape our decisions. We talk about the risks associated with car chases, the 21-foot rule, and how some parents worry more about ha...

In our inaugural episode, we delve into the notorious Utah nurse incident where a nurse was seemingly "arrested" for her refusal to perform a blood draw, a case that ignited intense scrutiny over the law enforcement officer's actions. This incident serves as a poignant example of how individuals can become entangled in the intricate web of legal analysis when examining the decisions made by law en...