Paladin Planet

Paladin Author Kit Cessna on the Fort Hood Tragedy

2009-11-10T11:25:00.003-07:00

The mass murders in Fort Hood Texas should serve to remind us all of two simple facts.

First, military service to one’s nation is sometimes a duty and always a privilege. It is not now, nor has it ever been, a right. The armed forces were not created to function as a trade school or a convenient place to warehouse wayward youth. They are not here for the purpose of conducting experiments in social engineering or confirming the concept of fairness for the average citizen. Our military exists for one reason only, and that is to defend this nation and its interests. It is not unreasonable for the United States to expect loyalty from those who are tasked with the duty of that defense.

While radical statements espousing hatred for the United States are something that can be ignored on the part of the average citizen, they are totally unacceptable on the part of a commissioned officer serving in the United States Army. Such actions should result in an investigation by a superior officer. If it is discovered that the sentiment is heartfelt, the individual in question should be immediately and permanently discharged. That did not happen in this case, and good people died as a result.

Second, the Constitution of the United States was not written to serve as a suicide pact, and we have no obligation to allow either our foreign or domestic enemies to use our freedoms against us. Those who seek to destroy this society should not enjoy the benefits of it. They are enemies and should be treated as such, and to ignore the presence of one’s enemies in a time of war is the very definition of insanity. That insanity has a name, and its name is “political correctness.” If we are going to prevail in this conflict, that “correctness” is going to have to be replaced with common sense. Unfortunately, history shows us that the return to common sense usually comes about as a result of pain and death. Let’s hope the pain and death at Fort Hood were sufficient to the task.

Kit Cessna served in the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force and is the author of the soon-to-be-released Paladin book, All Enemies Foreign and Domestic (available December 1, 2009), in which he discusses the role of American citizens in the global war on terror, including the roles of the military and law enforcement. The tragedy at Fort Hood underlines the important points he makes in his timely new book. He is also the author of the Paladin book Equal or Greater Force.

Kelly McCann's Crucible HRE Series

2009-11-09T11:29:00.004-07:00

In early 2009, Paladin Press went to Kelly McCann’s Crucible facility, arguably the most highly respected security management company in the world. We filmed hours of footage of Kelly and the combat-hardened staff at the Crucible, and the result is Kelly McCann’s Crucible High-Risk Environment Training Series, a six-volume set of instructional videos designed to give you the real-world skills required to keep yourself alive under a variety of hazardous situations.

The material presented in these videos isn’t based on theory or what their respective authors think should work: these men have been there and done that, and their livelihood is based on their ability to perform in combat and teach others how to not only survive the same life-threatening circumstances, but prevail.

Kem-‘ba-tiv Knife shows Kelly McCann’s knife fighting system, giving you only the tools you need to defend yourself with an edged weapon. There is nothing extraneous here, no frills, no complicated angles. If you’re looking for knife fighting instruction that doesn’t require complicated Filipino flow drills to learn to get yourself out of a jam, this is the video for you.

Pocket Pistols, by the Crucible’s Director of Firearms Training Phil Motzer, teaches you the pros and cons of using small-frame handguns in combat. He focuses on general pocket pistol tactics rather than makes and models, and shows what the different calibers can do on flesh when placed properly. Many times, it’s not the size of the gun that will spell the difference between life and death in a gunfight, but how and where you place your rounds.

Combative Conditioning is taught by long-time Crucible employee John Garman, who shows you how to develop the kind of cold-shot power you need on the fly when you’re faced with the horrible reality of street violence. From calisthenics to weight training to plyometrics and beyond, if you want to fight like the men at the Crucible, you have to work out like them, too.

Mission-Essential Off-Road Driving, presented by former Marines Ty Washington and Chad Morman, shows you how to get yourself and your vehicle from Point A to Point B no matter what the terrain. From outfitting your vehicle to navigating hills, ditches, and pits, if you’re behind the wheel in a high-risk environment, you need to know what they’re teaching.

Exploding Handgun Myths is Phil Motzer’s second video with Paladin, and in it he blows away the common handgun myths about stance, grip, multiple shots, trigger control, and the rest of the BS that keeps high-end firearms training schools in business, but has little to do with how you and your body will truly react under the physiological effects of imminent danger. If you want to know how to shoot for real, when your life is on the line, this video is a must-see.

Ground Kem-‘ba-tivz is the final video in the series. Taught by Kelly McCann, it presents instruction in real-world solutions to common MMA set-ups. You don’t have to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in order to defeat a seasoned grappler on the street: McCann teaches you how to fight by your rules, not his. If you liked the material in his Jim Grover’s Combatives, you love this video: it goes far beyond what he showed there while keeping the same functional, simple, and brutal core of what Combatives is all about.

These clips represent a small sample of what the Crucible High-Risk Environment Training Series has to offer. Paladin has been an industry leader in video instruction for years, and we continue to raise the bar in production value and content. Want to learn from the best? You can find it at Paladin Press.

And while the Crucible High-Risk Environment Training Series is limited to these six volumes, it doesn’t mean we don’t have other videos planned with Kelly McCann and the staff at the Crucible. Check back often to learn more about what we have in store.

New Kelly McCann video just released.

2009-11-03T14:01:00.004-07:00

With the prevalence of mixed martial arts in today's media, the street thug now has a new weapon in his arsenal: grappling. You need to be prepared to deal with the MMA-enhanced street fighter, and Kelly McCann’s Crucible High-Risk Environment Training: Ground Kem-‘ba-tivz will teach you how to take out any mixed martial artist, from the wannabe wrestler to the proficient brawler.

Going far beyond the groundfighting material he taught in his best-selling Jim Grover's Combatives Series, McCann shows you combatives-oriented defenses against common MMA set-ups such as the devastating triangle choke, the crippling Muay Thai leg kick, the tackle attempt, and much more. McCann's lesson is that you don't have to fear the groundfighter: defeat him with simple, brutal techniques proven through the experience of real-world violent encounters, not half-baked martial arts moves taught by Walter Mittys wearing black. The Crucible's motto is "Nothing we do is competition legal, because your life's no game." Take that to heart and beat the grappler whichever way he tries to attack you.

For more details about Kelly McCann's new video Ground Kem-'ba-tivz, visit paladin-press.com or click here.

Paladin publishes important new book on police training abroad

2009-10-28T07:51:00.011-06:00

It doesn’t matter what President Obama decides about troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq: American military and police trainers are going to be deeply involved in both countries for years to come. But if there’s going to be any chance for longstanding stability in either region, U.S. policymakers need to reevaluate their usual formula of taking American soldiers and cops, dropping them into the middle of broiling conflicts in foreign lands, and leaving them to figure out the enormous challenges of cross-cultural police training on their own.

A good start would be to read Bryan Vila’s new book, Micronesian Blues. Besides recounting the former Marine and LA cop’s adventures assisting the Pacific island trust territories of Micronesia develop professional police forces, the book details the 10 most important lessons Bryan learned about cross-cultural police training—lessons that can and should be applied to today’s global hot spots.

Some high-level sources agree. Advance praise for Micronesian Blues has come in from such heavyweights as former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker (whom former President George W. Bush called “America’s Lawrence of Arabia”) and former Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Reagan Administration Bing West.

But the lessons in Micronesian Blues are not limited to police trainers operating in foreign countries. As Greg Morrison (familiar to long-time Paladin readers as a former senior instructor at Jeff Cooper’s Gunsite and the author of Modern Technique of the Pistol) observes, “Micronesian Blues is a thoroughly entertaining read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to understand what it takes to be an effective police officer, trainer, or leader. Many of the lessons Bryan Vila learned about policing during his six years in Micronesia apply to community policing and police training here in the U.S. given our increasingly diverse and complex nation, just as much as they do to cross-cultural police training assignments abroad.”

Putting the Focus on Training Pads

2009-10-15T10:16:00.006-06:00

Joseph Simonet has an interesting article in the January 2010 issue of Inside Kung-Fu magazine promoting the many benefits of focus mitt training.

In “A Fighter’s Secret Weapon?” Simonet points out that, “Focus mitt training is among the most valuable assets a fighter of any discipline has at his disposal.”

Heavy bags and speed bags are certainly important tools in your arsenal, but they don’t offer any feedback. “A highly skilled pad holder will include hitting back and exposing weak points in your stance, while demanding execution of clean technique,” Simonet says. He offers tips on choosing a sturdy, effective set of mitts and includes a photo spread demonstrating focus-mitt drills and accompanying empty-hand techniques.

Simonet, who is also writes a regular column on KI Fighting Concepts for Inside Kung-Fu, emphasizes the important role focus mitts play in MMA training. “MMA stylists are discovering that many hand and elbow combinations work well from the mount and few training devices provide as much immediate effect as focus mitts.”

Martial artists looking for complete instruction in the proper use of focus mitts, Thai pads, and kicking shields of all sizes need look no further than the recent Paladin release, Pad Man: A Video Guide to Full-Contact Partner Training, featuring Wim Demeere. In this comprehensive 4-disc set, Demeere trains you to handle high- and low-line punches and kicks, ground-fighting techniques, shoulder slams, rising strikes, and more.

Arvanitis Hailed as Black Belt’s 2009 Instructor of the Year

2009-10-13T15:08:00.005-06:00

Jim Arvanitis has been inducted into Black Belt magazine’s Hall of Fame as the 2009 Instructor of the Year.

In the December 2009 issue, the folks at Black Belt honor Arvanitis not only for his martial arts skills but also for his role as a historian. A practitioner of pankration, the ancient Greek martial art, Arvanitis has taken up the challenge of filling in the blanks where information has been lost over the millennia and blending that information with modern forms of mixed martial arts. His senior student, Nick Hines, says in the article that Arvanitis “spent years researching the history, modifying the training methodology and codifying the techniques into a contemporary form of hybrid fighting.”

Arvanitis is the author of two Paladin Press titles — the three-volume DVD Secrets of Pankration and the book Pankration: The Traditional Greek Combat Sport and Modern Mixed Martial Art.

Declare Independence from Dependency!

2009-10-06T14:04:00.003-06:00

Leaf through the titles in Paladin’s Survival library and you’ll see one particular question posed in different ways in different scenarios: Could you thrive if you had no help from authorities and had to fend for yourself in a hostile environment?

In some parts of the world it’s not a mental exercise, just daily reality. An inspiring story posted on CNN’s site recently described what happened when a 14-year-old boy in drought-ravaged Malawi wondered if he could improve his life and the lives of his villagers by building a windmill to generate electricity and pump water. Too poor to attend school and unskilled in building, he turned to a library and found a book on windmills. As we like to say, "Knowledge is Power," and after months of scrounging parts, experimenting, and enduring taunts from doubters, his first little windmill was actually producing power. (William Kamkwamba, now 22 and the builder of several windmills, is the subject of a new book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.)

If you find this idea intriguing, you will definitely want to check out The Internet Guide to Survival and Self-Reliance: More Than 300 Web Sites to Help You Live Better, Live Cheaper, and Survive When Things Get Tough. In the book and accompanying website, Rich Gray provides links to dozens of amazing do-it-yourself alternative energy sites, including about 10 that address wind power. Besides this topic, Gray covers everything else you'd ever need to become self-reliant, with topics ranging from growing and preserving food to making and repairing electrical and mechanical devices and building shelters.

Or just click on our Survival & Self-Reliance section to see all the other ways you can better your life just by opening a book.

New Paladin Podcast Episode 16 Released

2009-10-02T13:27:00.004-06:00

On the Paladin Podcast Episode 16, we take a special inside look at the popular Tough Times Survival Guides, Volumes 1 and 2. These books are a collection of offbeat, unusual essays on economic survival from a broad spectrum of Paladin’s most accomplished authors.

During this episode, we will meet three of the many authors who contributed chapters to Tough Times: low-tech homestead expert Phil Garlington, former bill collector and pawnbroker Max Edison, and computer maintenance expert James MacLaren.

First we speak to Phil Garlington, author of Rancho Costa Nada, about building your own shelter, finding decent living conditions almost anywhere you’ll go, and comfortable tent living. Next we speak with Max Edison who is the author of How to Haggle and Beat the Bill Collector, about the little-known secrets of haggling, the banking industry, and protecting your money in these difficult economic times. And last but not least, we chat with James MacLaren. James is the author of Free Computers and in this podcast speaks to us about places to look for free computers and how to work them.

Listen to the Tough Times Podcast by clicking here and then selecting the direct download link.

Indonesian Emergency Rescuers Struggle to Save Lives

2009-10-01T07:09:00.006-06:00

The 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the port city, Padang, Indonesia, on Wednesday left multitudes of people trapped under debris and thousands more are presumed to be dead. Reports state that rescue teams attempted to extract people from the rubble and survivors begged for aid.

Communication is minimal as telephone lines were destroyed, leaving many unknowns as to the number of people that lost their life to such a horrific natural disaster. "I have been through quakes here before and this was the worst. There is blood everywhere, people with their limbs cut off. We saw buildings collapsed, people dying," said American Greg Hunt, 38, who was at Padang airport.

In situations like these, you never want to be panicked and unprepared. Often, firefighters, police officers and paramedics quickly become overburdened with requests to handle simple emergencies, so it's up to the common civilian to take matters into his or her own hands. Read Self-Reliance During Natural Disasters and Civil Unrest and gain the knowledge to handle nine basic crises that typically follow a disaster and motivate you to assist your family and neighbors should a large-scale catastrophe strike your community.

Be prepared.

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear McDonald v. Chicago Gun Rights Case

2009-09-30T14:00:00.007-06:00

The Supreme Court has accepted an appeal “challenging the ability of state and local governments to enforce strict limits on handguns and other weapons” according to a news story posted today on CNN.com.

Oral arguments are expected to start early next year. The most anticipated of the 10 cases chosen for review has to be McDonald v. Chicago, in which the city of Chicago’s ban on handguns is being challenged by community activist Otis McDonald. A resident of a high-crime neighborhood in Chicago, McDonald was denied a handgun permit despite the fact that his work has subjected him to violent threats from drug dealers and other criminals.

Chicago’s ban is considered one of the toughest in the country. (Luckily for Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley, the ban doesn’t extend to his personal security team; one of his armed guards was able to safely apprehend a convicted killer lurking near the mayor’s vacation home in Michigan last July after a prison break.)

An amphibious bike?

2009-09-30T09:27:00.007-06:00

After Makeshift Workshop Skills author James Ballou is done with his homemade helicopter, maybe he'll turn his attention to building an amphibious bicycle similar to the one put together by this intrepid inventor.

If you can't get enough of makeshift solutions to construction and repair challenges, check out There, I Fixed It. Some of the photos show clever jury-rigged jobs; most fall into the "kids, do not try this at home" category.

Guns and Ammo Shortage? It’s Not a Problem for Do-It-Yourselfers

2009-09-24T13:25:00.012-06:00

Nothing clears the shelves of a valuable commodity quicker than the fear that it’s about to run out. Whether it’s buying extra groceries and gassing up the car before the predicted blizzard closes the roads or stocking up on, well, everything when Y2K was the boogeyman, most people have a strong desire to feel prepared.

The perceived threat to the future availability of weapons and ammunition has been driving sales through the roof since the presidential election last fall. A recent AP story noted that, “Shooting ranges, gun dealers and manufacturers say they have never seen such shortages. Bullets, especially for handguns, have been scarce for months because gun enthusiasts are stocking up on ammo, in part because they fear President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress will pass antigun legislation — even though nothing specific has been proposed and the president last month signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.”

Whether you're stocking up to brace for some political shenanigans or just want to hit the range or your favorite hunting spot, the current shortage is a problem. So what’s a firearms enthusiast to do? To be truly well prepared you must become self-sufficient. Paladin’s Firearms section has you covered with an entire subcategory devoted to Home Workshop Guns & Ammo, featuring such DIY book and video titles as Homemade Guns and Homemade Ammo, The Home Workshop .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle, The Workbench AR-15 Project, and many, many more. Whether you have always been curious about making your own ammunition or want to build the rifle of your dreams from scratch, you'll find something up your alley right here.

How Long Does It Take to Bleed to Death? Michael Janich Takes a Look

2009-09-24T07:13:00.006-06:00

No one knows knife fighting better than Michael Janich. In the “Street Smarts” column of the January 2010 issue of Tactical Knives, Janich discusses how he became involved with the late Christopher Grosz, a decorated Colorado law enforcement officer and defensive tactics master, to determine how long it takes someone to bleed out when major arteries are severed. In the course of this research, Grosz determined that much of the information in Fairbairn’s Timetable of Death was inconsistent with modern medical data. Grosz decided to document his findings about the widely referenced yet scientifically unsubstantiated timetable in a book and teamed up with veteran martial artist and Paladin author Michael Janich. In the early stages of preparing the book, Contemporary Knife Targeting, Grosz suddenly passed away, and Janich completed the book as a tribute to Grosz and his research. Check out the article and then if you want to know more, read Contemporary Knife Targeting. It will change the way you approach a knife fight—and it may well save your life.

Mark Hatmaker on Fear

2009-09-22T11:40:00.006-06:00

In the October 2009 edition of Black Belt magazine, Paladin author Mark Hatmaker discusses the proper role of fear in personal protection. In the article, “When Fear Is an Unwelcome Gift,” Hatmaker discusses how to determine whether your fears are relics from long-ago survival instincts that are no longer relevant or from current and imminent dangers to which you need to react rationally. In short, you have to be able to immediately know when to go on alert or stand down when you feel fear.

Mark Hatmaker is the author of a couple of dozen instructional books and videos on such functional self-defense topics as grappling, boxing, combat conditioning, and MMA fighting. Check out the Paladin Press website for more of his books and DVDs, including his most recent, Below the Belt, a DVD filled with explosive low kicks for MMA and self-defense.

Signs of Impending Workplace Violence Too Easily Ignored

2009-09-21T11:47:00.004-06:00

The picture that is emerging of Raymond Clark, the accused killer in the murder of Yale grad student Annie Le, shows a man referred to by source after source as controlling and territorial.

“ ‘It is important to note that this is not about urban crime, university crime, domestic crime, but an issue of workplace violence, which is becoming a growing concern around the country,’ said New Haven, Conn., Police Chief James Lewis said after announcing the arrest of suspect Raymond Clark III.”

Both 24 years old, Le’s research held promise for treating diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and MS, while Clark’s job was to keep the mouse cages clean. According to a story in the New York Times, Clark’s supervisor had been alerted in the past that Clark was taking his duties too seriously, berating students for minor infractions and enforcing rules in “an officious manner” for such things as forgetting to wear shoe covers in the lab.

In Surviving Workplace Violence, Loren Christensen tells you how to spot the warning signs of a potentially violent coworker and teaches you how to analyze your work environment to identify possible escape routes, hiding places, and barricade positions. In the event of an actual emergency, this book teaches you how to react quickly and decisively to save your life and the lives of your friends and colleagues. Christensen, a retired police officer with years of experience with violent predators, answers the hard questions that other instructors leave out: exactly what you should do before a violent incident, and what you should do if violence ever explodes where you work.

Paladin Author on Iraq’s Defense Needs After America Departs in 2011

2009-09-14T10:27:00.004-06:00

In its Friday, September 11 edition, the Wall Street Journal ran a commentary coauthored by Paladin author Austin Bay on the future of Iraq’s military after American troops withdraw in September 2011. In the article, entitled “Iraq Needs a Real Air Force,” Bay and Omar Fadhil Al-Nidawi identify Iraq’s most pressing military need as an air force made up of “high-performance aircraft flown by Iraqi crack pilots.” They also point out that this goal cannot be accomplished by 2011 and that a more realistic goal would be 2018 or 2020.

Concerning the article, Bay remarks, “On 9-11, 2001, who would have thought eight years later that an Iraqi and an American would be discussing solutions to a democratic Iraq’s air-space defense requirements?”

Bay couthored A Quick and Dirty Guide to War, Fourth Edition, with James Dunnigan for Paladin Press in 2008. For more insight into what the future may hold for Iraq, Iran, and other world hot spots, check out their book.

Dorothy Ainsworth on living a self-sufficient life

2009-09-14T08:36:00.007-06:00

She taught herself how to construct beautiful, functional buildings (including a workshop, pump house, water storage tank, and TWO log homes). She is a skilled practitioner of practical gardening. She raises chickens in a coop she built herself. She has mastered the art of eating inexpensively and healthily. She knows when to tackle a job herself and when to seek assistance from friends, acquaintances, and professionals. And she does it all on a $12,000-a-year waitress's income. In short, Dorothy Ainsworth embodies the message and spirit of Paladin's latest self-reliance title, Tough Times Survival Guide, to which she contributed the fantastic article, "The Art of Scrounging Building Materials." We asked Dorothy some of her secrets for living on less and attaining the skills to lead a self-sufficient lifestyle in this interview (click on the author's name in red). For more detailed background, advice, stories, and photos from Dorothy, visit her website.

Start Your Own Country author to speak at “Seasteading” convention

2009-09-10T15:01:00.005-06:00

Erwin Strauss, author of the classic manifesto on do-it-yourself nation building, How to Start Your Own Country, is scheduled to speak at the 2009 convention of The Seasteading Institute (TSI), September 28–30, in San Francisco.

Never heard of “seasteading,” you say? According to TSI’s mission statement:

"Seasteading is creating permanent dwellings on the ocean—homesteading the high seas. A seastead . . . is a structure meant for permanent occupation on the ocean."

TSI is one of several organizations and movements in the United States seeking to establish alternative ways to organize society free from the weight, entanglements, and baggage of the heavy-handed government we have today. The ones we've been tracking are dedicated to maximizing individual liberty and free-market principles to reach their goals. As TSI puts it:

“. . . the world needs a new frontier, a place where those who wish to experiment with building new societies can go to test out their ideas. By opening the ocean as a new frontier, we hope to revolutionize the quality of government and social systems worldwide by enabling experimentation, innovation, and competition.”

The seasteading concept is the brainchild of Patri Friedman, grandson of the late, great champion of free-market economics, Milton Friedman. (One of Milton’s more pithy statements: “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara desert, in five years there’d be a shortage of sand.”)

Erwin Strauss has been compiling information for an updated edition of How to Start Your Own Country. We’ll keep you posted on his progress.

For an entertaining look at the potential and problems of seasteading, see Brian Doherty’s comprehensive article, “20,000 Nations Above the Sea: Is floating the last, best hope for liberty?”

Seastead image credit: Wendy Sitler-Roddier.

Paladin Author Has Article in Combat Handguns

2009-09-08T13:21:00.003-06:00

The November 2009 issue of Combat Handguns has an article by Paladin author Richard Nance entitled “Under the Gun . . . Disarm Your Assailant.” Nance is the coauthor (along with David Hallford) of the newly released DVD, Firearm Acquisition Tactics, which is available from Paladin Press. Accompanying the article is a sidebar, “Life-Saving Drills on DVD,” in which it is noted that a U.S. soldier on a room-clearing mission in Iraq used one of the techniques from the Firearm Acquisition Tactics DVD to disarm an insurgent who had placed the muzzle of his rifle against the soldier’s back. The system taught in this DVD relies on one universal technique that, with only slight modification, can be applied to almost any type of firearm threat you might face. Nance and Hallford are also the authors another DVD available from Paladin, Up Close and Personal: A Street-Smart Guide to Fighting from the Clinch.

Cirillo, Applegate, Plaster: three classic Paladin centerfolds now online!

2009-09-04T06:43:00.012-06:00

We’ve updated our Paladin classic centerfold feature with three new entries covering some of Paladin’s most popular authors. In the first, we explore the long partnership between Paladin, its owner Peder Lund, and World War II combatives legend Colonel Rex Applegate. The second centerfold presents an interview with sniping authority John Plaster on his extraordinary new release, The History of Sniping and Sharpshooting. Finally, we talk to Paul Kirchner, author of the best-selling Jim Cirillo’s Tales of the Stakeout Squad, and ask him about how the book came about and what it was like to work with Jim.

If you haven’t already explored the classic centerfold feature, take a look. You’ll find all sorts of background on Paladin’s publishing history, plus revealing articles on some of our best-known authors and contributors: close-combat experts Kelly McCann, W.E. Fairbairn, Carl Cestari, and Charles Nelson; sniping legend Carlos Hathcock; the inimitable Jeff Cooper; noted military historians Peter Senich, Jim Morris, and Paul Balor; knife-making legends Bo Randall and Bob Terzoula; firearm suppressor authorities Al Paulson, N.R. Parker, and J. David Truby; pioneering “streetfighting” authors Peyton Quinn and Marc MacYoung; defensive driving groundbreaker Tony Scotti; ninjutsu master Masaaki Hatsumi; bounty hunter Bob Burton; smuggler M.C. Finn; old favorites Scott French and Ragnar Benson; and more!

Bob Kasper's Sting of The Scorpion Reviewed in Tactical Knives

2009-09-02T09:13:00.006-06:00

Steven Dick, editor of Tactical Knives, recently review Bob Kasper's Sting of The Scorpion in the November 2009 issue of Tactical Knives. Steven decribes Bob as an individual who was actually "going and doing" by carrying out covert operations around the world before the war on terror. All these missions overseas definitely influenced the knowledge that Bob writes about in his latest book.

Steven goes on to write, "Paladin's new book cover's Kasper's knowledge on knife design, selection, carry and draw, and, more importantly, using the blade on the modern battlefield. As one of the founders of the Gung-Ho Chuan Association, Kasper's techniques were all thoroughly tested and battle proven.... If you need a training manual by someone who worked off real life rather than theory, then this is the book for you."

Although Bob passed away, we are happy that he left some of his real-life knife fighting knowledge with us. To see more about his latest title Bob Kasper's Sting of The Scorpion, click here.

Bleeding Edge Part 2 with Michael Janich in Black Belt Magazine

2009-08-28T13:16:00.005-06:00

In the October issue of Black Belt magazine, Michael Janich writes part two of the article "Bleeding Edge" and this month discusses counter-blade concepts,(CBC). If the name Michael Janich sounds unfamiliar to you, he is the author of many Paladin knife titles like Martial Blade Concepts, Counter-Blade Concepts, Fighting Folders, Mastering the Balisong Knife, and many more. He is also the author of some exotic weapons titles like Breath of Death and Martial Cane Concepts. (Click here to see all Janich titles.)

In this second part of the article, Janich discusses empty-hand countering defenses against an assailant with a knife. Janich gives four phases to the counter-blade program and explanations why all four are important.

To read the full "Bleeding Edge" article, be sure to pick up the September issue for part one and the October issue for part two. To see more about the Counter-Blade Concepts by Michael Janich click here.

Melissa Soalt Podcast Now Available

2009-08-24T11:28:00.005-06:00

In Melissa Soalt's latest video Fierce and Female, Melissa teaches women how to remain focused and unleash a ferocious counterattack to repel rape-specific pins and assaults. Melissa, aka Dr. Ruthless, is a veteran women's self-defense trainer specializing in practical and full-force, scenario-based methods. Melissa is a Black Belt Hall of Fame Recipient and Woman of the Year, and was recently named Winner of Black Belt's Industry Award for Best Women's Self Defense of 2008.

Click here to listen to Melissa talk about the history of women’s self defense and what she would like people to learn from her experience and knowledge.

Bruce Clayton and Claire Wolfe on the modern preparedness movement

2009-08-20T14:00:00.008-06:00

Two of the best-known authors who contributed articles to Tough Times Survival Guide are Bruce Clayton and Claire Wolfe. See Paladin's author interview page for their insightful thoughts on the state of the preparedness movement today, including the broad political spectrum it encompasses, past and current trends, and some of the skills and sources they recommend to lead a more self-reliant lifestyle.

In two low-priced volumes, Tough Times Survival Guide provides more than 50 excerpts and essays on a broad range of economic survival skills. Here are just some of the topics covered:

• The Fine Art of Gleaning Food
• Where to Find Free Computers
• Full-Time Tent Living
• Hard-Times Transportation
• How to Get a Job in a War Zone
• Secrets of Haggling
• What to Do Before You're Fired
• Bill Collector Psychology
• Free Fuel for Cold Times
• Stockpiling, Stashing, and Caching Ammo
• The Survivalist's Medical Kit
• Home Security with Inexpensive Safes
• How to Handle a Vehicle Rescue on Your Own
• Inexpensive Tactical Firearms Training
• The Lucky 7 Dumpster Diving Spots
• Hiding Valuables in Your Home
• Family Survival Strategies for Large-Scale Emergencies
• The Top 10 Websites for Getting by in Tough Times

More than 35 other chapters round out the two volumes, all containing surprising, at times unusual advice on how to get by in these tough times!

UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira

2009-08-19T07:21:00.004-06:00

The UFC 102 card looks pretty darn good, I must say. I'm looking forward to watching several of the bouts on August 29th. The headliners, Couture and Nogueira, are not really doing much for me though. I think Nogueira will ultimately win despite the fact that I'd rather see Randy, "The Natural," defeat him. Overall, I think both those guys need to call it quits - they're great fighters, don't get me wrong, but one too many elbows to the head, if you know what I mean.

Which fights am I looking forward to? Show me the middleweights! Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt - this fight should be really, really good. Maia is an incredible fighter with world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and I would like to think that he would provide us with a better performance against the reigning champion, Anderson Silva, should Maia win and go toe-to-toe. Although reports say that UFC President, Dana White, will give that next shot to Dan Henderson. Which also means that the winner of this fight will be on the heels of "Hendo" for their next fight. Marquardt, however, has improved his stand-up game immensely under the direction of Greg Jackson. Should he take a win over Maia, Nate "The Great" may have a second shot at Silva (first shot Marquardt lost to a TKO in the first round) or Hendo - which would be a really great fight as well because they both possess wicked skill on the ground.

So, here's the line-up on the main card:

Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (heavyweight title contention)
Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva (light-heavyweight)
Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt (middleweight)
Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt (middleweight)
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera (light-heavyweight)

My picks are Nogueira, Jardine, Leben (I hope!), Marquardt and Soszynski. That Soszynski kid is a new face from the Ultimate Fighter 8 - and let me tell you, he's a force to be reckoned with. He's stepping in for injured fighter, Matt Hamill (one of my favorite fighters). I like Brandon Vera as a fighter, but I think Krzysztof could annihilate Vera - he's faster and has no qualms with killing someone in the octagon. Chris Leben's appearance is a welcomed surprise. This guy hasn't been on the scene since October 2008 so I will be really interested to see what happens there as I haven't heard a ton of chatter about his training. All in all, we'll have some good fights to watch on August 29th.