2008 PS Event

24 Feb 08

"Polite Society" Event, Memphis, TN, 2008

I just completed the 2008 PS Event in Memphis, TN. Friend and colleague, Tom Givens, puts this extravaganza on every February, and it was, as always, an enormous benefit to all who attended. As last year, the event took place at MPD's Academy.

Shooting exercises consisted of three "situational" drills,two in low light, and one in normal, outdoor light. In the first one, you are compelled to engage three, armed thugs in a parking lot, using your car as cover. In the next, you are compelled to rescue your wife from armed thugs who are attempting to kidnap her. Range in both exercises was four to seven meters. Flashlight use was optional. Targets were fully-dressed mannequins that toppled when hit. Targets were visibly armed and perniciously threatening. "Non-targets " were also dressed mannequins, but plainly represented no threat. In low light, you really had to look closely! "Hit-zones" were undefined, and, for most of us, multiple hits were required to take out each target. I elected not to use my flashlight, as the situation developed so rapidly. I just moved, drew, and started fighting!

A third low-light exercise required us all to fire at paper targets, but starting from supine and requiring the use of only the non-dominant hand! This was designed to simulate being wounded and down and still having to continue the fight. Range was five meters. Many of us need to practice more with one-hand shooting! Rollins on your side works much better than trying to arch your back.

The outside drill required us to start seated in a car, then engage two, armed attackers out the passenger-side window. Then, the contestant had to tactically exit the vehicle, move to a brick wall, and, using it for cover, engage two more armed, thugs, the view of whom was obscured by an unarmed bystander. Again, targets and non-targets were dressed mannequins. Rangewas four to seven meters.

The final drill was also outdoors and required each of us to shoot down a row of steel plates, strong-hand, support-hand, and free-style. Range was five and seven meters.

I was armed with my Beretta PX4 (40S&W) and 140gr Cor-Bon DPX ammunition. Back-up pistol was my Rohrbaugh R9, also loaded with DPX. Pistol and ammunition ran fine. I didn't deploy my backup pistol nor Cold-Steel blades.

It was an excellent training exercise, and, as with the NTI, extremely valuable, as each of us get to go into each drill cold, having little idea of what to expect. It is an priceless opportunity to test and evaluate oneself, under stress. The best way to approach it is to not think about scores/times at all, and stop worrying about what you think some evaluator wants to see you do or not do. You run each drill as realistically and tactically sound as you can, making what mistakes you will, moving on without hesitation, and charging through to the end. Great day!

There were many valuable classes this year, all instructed by my personal friends and colleagues, and I did my best to attend all of them!

TJ Pilline put on an excellent, live-fire Urban Rifle Class, stressing optical-offset on close targets, particularly brain-stem shots at close range. TJ is an advocate for one-point slings!

John Hearne presented his excellent summary of FBI's OIS data. He reminded us that we're often too polite for our own good, and that we need to look upon VCAs as an entirely different species, as their capacity for violence and depravity is virtually unlimited. John reminded us all that frequent, stressful training is the key to victory, along with personal tenacity. I love this: "Getting shot is no big deal. Getting shot again, because you failed to take decisive action, IS a big deal!"

"South-Nark" is the AKA for another of our instructor who presented an excellent hand-on Class called "Managing Unknown Contacts." We all learned how to use posture, movement, and verbalization to maintain adequate reactionary distance and how to recognize pernicious duplicity.

William Aprill, best known for his excellent Retention-and-Disarms Class, this year spoke, in his capacity as a practicing psychologist, about Post-Trauma Disorder. He acquainted us with the latest information on this subject as well as treatment options. He stressed the importance of always "staying in the game," in order to avoid "fear and helplessness" that is the source of so much heartburn.

Henry Mahmoud and Steve Moses did a wonderful presentation on Team Tactics. He indicated that teams are often thrown together hastily, so each of us needs to have necessary tactical gear with us always, including a serious pistol and at least one reload. Henry said that five is the maximum number for an effective tactical team. More than that, and it becomes unmanageable and dangerous.

Andy Stanford talked with us about flashlights, assuring us that LED is the trend, and that conventional, xenon bulbs were on their way out. Few know as much about low-light fighting as Andy!

Paul Gomez presented an interesting Class on the "Evolution of the Draw-stroke." Paul never ceases to astonish me with his vast historical knowledge!

Randy Harris showed us an excellent series of videos demonstrating how to put your opponent at the maximum disadvantage through aggressive movement, the kind of movement that forces him into aggravated muzzle whip.

Claude Werner, representing the Rogers School, showed us all how to run the trigger and move the muzzle onto target simultaneously. He also stressed the importance of catching the link, again, while the muzzle is moving. Claude personally demonstrated all this with his Beretta 92F. I'm going tohave to drill myself on this so I can decide how much of it I'm going to steal from Claude!

Skip Gochenour had another of his classic "head-scratchers"for us! Skip talked about the concept of "Honor" and "Shame" and the way the two influence our civilization. He went through the historical development of law pertaining to the use of deadly force. He pointed out that in most civilizations, particularly the "Thug-ocracies" of the Middle-East, governments insist on an monopoly on the use of force. Citizens/subjects are allowed no individual discretion. Only in the "New World" do we see individual citizens with the right to defend themselves, even with deadly force, at their own, personal command and judgement.

Mike Brown, in his hands-on class, showed us all how to successfully access one's pistol while otherwise engaged in a physical fight. It can be challenging, but Mike showed us some excellent tricks.

Mike Warsocki's well-organized mind took us, step-by-step, through the exigent decision-making process. Mike explains the procedure in great detail, far more detailed than I had ever thought about.

Jim Yeager, as few others are qualified to, explained to us accessories that come in handy on a serious rifle, and ones that are more trouble than they' re worth. Like TJ, Jim likes a one-point sling. He is also a fan of EOTech and Aimpoint.

I highly recommend the PS Event to all Operators. Not to be missed!

/John