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The Intersection of Art and Science
EPISODE 44 THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND SCIENCEMerino Wool Socks are the way to go! Go check out Point6! They have Mastered Merino Wool and their socks are made in the US and have a lifetime guarantee. Use the discount code TacTangents2019 for 25% off! In many areas...

Boston Marathon Bombing
Two radicalized brothers built several bombs out of pressure cookers and other readily available items and detonated two of them near the finish line of the Boston Marathon back in April 2013. Mike runs us through an overview of this incident and several talking points for public safety personnel. We also touch on security for large public venues or events, the threat of improvised or homemade explosives, and potential warning signs for an attack.

MJ the Marine
EPISODE 42 MJ THE MARINE Merino Wool Socks are the way to go! Go check out Point6! They have Mastered Merino Wool and their socks are made in the US and have a lifetime guarantee. Use the discount code TacTangents2019 for 25% off! MJ the Marine talks to us about her...

Imagery and Instructor Development with Brian Willis
Brian Willis is a police trainer and speaker who founded a company called Winning Mind Training, which focuses on leadership and professional development for law enforcement but is also relevant to others in the military, public safety, or who are serious about survival and personal defense. He also did a TED talk which exemplifies what a good presentation should look like. Hear his thoughts on lesson plan design, use of visual aids, improving engagement, and the role of imagery and mental rehearsals in training.

On Valor
Mike and Jim examine courage, bravery, and valor. Can it be taught? We go over a few examples and also discuss the element of choice. There are some leadership/moral courage lessons in here as well.

Thomas Yoxall: A dark and cold morning on the side of the highway…
Thomas Yoxall is a regular guy who makes his living as a photo journalist and enjoys shooting in his free time. He carries a concealed Glock 26 and takes that responsibility seriously – Which is a good thing, because on January 12, 2017, he was driving along Interstate 10 enroute to California when he saw a State Trooper in serious trouble. DPS Officer Ed Andersson had been shot, pistol whipped, and was in a close-quarters fight for his life until Thomas drove by and stopped to help. Concealed weapon carriers and police officers alike need to hear this story.

Human Needs and Motivation
Some time ago, a psychologist named Abraham Maslow wrote up a list of human needs in roughly the order people need to satisfy them: food and water at the bottom of the pyramid, social and family needs in the middle, and self-esteem and purpose at the top. Mike and Jim discuss some ways we can apply this to tactical and leadership settings by figuring out how to influence behavior.

1993 Waco Standoff
A federal weapons investigation into a doomsday cult known as the Brand Davidians, formed by a guy name David Koresh, led to a 51-day standoff that resulted in the death of 75 people and at least 4 Federal Agents back in 1993. This was a high-profile event and there are several lessons learned that every one in public safety should hear about. Mike discusses some of those details in this solo episode.

Drunken War Stories with the Danimal
LANGUAGE WARNING! This episode is NOT safe for work! Uncle Dan like’s Jack Daniels and he’s had a little bit to drink so we’re gonna drag some war stories out of him and have a good time. Dan was one of Mike’s team leaders on SWAT when he first joined the team. He’s also a football coach for his son, and it turns out there’s quite a bit of crossover between the two in terms of leadership and tactics. As the alcohol level rises, you’ll get to hear a little bit about Dan has shaped the training culture in his agency and what he’s learned along the way. Good times!

Lessons from 17,000 Gun Fights
John Correia runs Active Self Protection (ASP), a massive YouTube channel analyzing self defense encounters from all over the world. He’s taken notes on 17,000 gunfights caught on camera, and he’s going to share some of those lessons with us in tonight’s episode. Link to John’s video discussed in the show here.

Teaching and Learning
EPISODE 51 If you’re not Outstanding, you’re Outprocessing. Learning and Teaching in Elite TeamsMerino Wool Socks are the way to go! Go check out Point6! They have Mastered Merino Wool and their socks are made in the US and have a lifetime guarantee. Use the discount...

John Johnston
John Johnston is the host of Ballistic Radio and teaches firearms with Melody Lauer at Citizen’s Defense Research. CDR has a one-day shooting class called Tests and Standards which is an entire day of assessments. We discuss how people identify metrics for performance and how they apply in context. CDR also has a course for The Armed Parent and Guardian, which led to an interesting discussion about the dichotomy of taking training and performance seriously while also enjoying life and having fun.

Terrorism 101
EPISODE 49 TERRORISM 101: WHY DO THEY HATE US? Merino Wool Socks are the way to go! Go check out Point6! They have Mastered Merino Wool and their socks are made in the US and have a lifetime guarantee. Use the discount code TacTangents2019 for 25% off! Jim spends...