If you haven’t gotten any Lucky Craft crankbaits yet, you may have missed the boat, (literally!). This is the hottest bait on the market besides the Sweet Beaver which will be in the Delaware Tackle store soon, (I just spoke to Andre Moore), and they are moving and backorders are down to 3-4 weeks now, and will soon be up to date. Anyway, back to the Lucky Craft crankbaits. Are they expensive? Yes!! Are they worth it?? YES!!! I climbed a tree to get one when it was the last one left in a particular color. One of our Pro Staff threw himself into the water from his boat to get one back, it is that good!
You can go right in behind any number of anglers competing at any level and catch bass right behind them on these baits. You don’t have to listen to me though, listen to Rick Clunn and a thousand others who know how effective this bait is!
Clunn’s Fishing Dreams
In 2001, Rick Clunn completed his quest for the BASS “Triple Crown” by winning Megabucks. Though he had won four Bassmasters Classics and an Angler of the Year title earlier in his career, it was the Megabucks title that eluded him the longest.
“I had been so close to winning Megabucks on two other occasions,” Clunn recalls. “So when I won Megabucks at Douglas Lake in 2001, it was certainly a satisfying win.”
Now that Clunn has won nearly every major title in competitive bass fishing, what’s left for him to accomplish?
For Clunn, the eternal dream of bass fishing is not about filling his shelves with trophies; his bass fishing dream is fueled by the quest to, “touch perfection.”
“Certainly winning is a part of the fishing dream,” Clunn says. “But it’s not the whole dream. Winning and touching perfection are two different things.”
Clunn defines touching perfection as a period during the fishing day when the universe becomes timeless and he is fishing every moment with such absolute perfection that doubt, judgment and expectation no longer exist.
“Everything becomes effortless because all negativity ceases to exists,” he explains. “All negative things are purged and transformed into positive things. The wind becomes a positive because it pushes you to the next fish. Getting hung up becomes a positive because it leads you to a different casting angle that produces a fish. Your mind, body and soul become one and everything works in harmony – it’s truly a special place.”
However, touching perfection is rare, even for Clunn.
“Sometimes it lasts for 15 minutes; sometimes it lasts for an hour,” he reveals. “Only once have I touched perfection for a full day, and it was amazing.”
The desire to touch perfection more frequently and for longer periods of time is what keeps Clunn casting.
“As humans we want to touch perfection in something – mine just happens to be in fishing,” he says. “To touch perfection on the water for any length of time is my eternal fishing dream; to touch perfection for an entire tournament and win is my ultimate fishing dream.”
Seasonal Patterns for the Lucky Craft Crankbait Series
Four-time Bassmaster Classic Champion Rick Clunn designed Lucky Craft’s crankbaits to be fished any time bass are shallow.
“The seasonal applications of the crankbait vary depending on the kind of fishery you are dealing with,” Clunn says. “For instance, you can use the RC almost anytime of the year on water bodies like river systems where fish live shallow most of the time. However, on deep clear impoundments, where fish go deep during the winters and summers, the bait has less of a seasonal range.”
No matter what kind of fishery he is on, Clunn has found these plugs to be most effective during two periods: late spring and fall. Also, he lets the season have some bearing on the size he will throw.
“The 2.5 and 3.5 are good for imitating pesky bream,” Clunn explains. “My favorite time to fish these bigger lures is the late spring, from the post-spawn through early summer. That’s when the bigger female bass have spawned out, but they’re still up shallow eating bream that are picking eggs off bass beds.”
Clunn’s second favorite time of year to fish these baits is in the
late summer to fall time when bass are following shad into the backs of creeks.
“During the late spring and early summer the 2.5 and 3.5 are my preferred sizes,” Clunn says. “In the fall, when shad are the main bass forage, I’ll start with the 2.5, but if bass want a smaller profile, I’ll drop down to the 1.5.”
Clunn’s Cranking Credibility
Rick Clunn knows crankbaits. Whether it was his astounding 1990 Bassmaster Classic win on the James River with a cedar “coffin-bill” diver, or his 2000 FLW Tour Wal-Mart Open victory on Beaver Lake with a shallow square-billed wobbler, or his impressive 2001 BASS Megabucks victory on an ultra-deep diving plug – Clunn has fashioned a legendary bass fishing career out of his knowledge of diving baits.
Of course, he is best known for his four Bassmaster Classic wins, three of which came on crankbaits. In addition, he has won 10 other BASS events and 3 FLW events. Of those 13 victories, 8 were achieved with crankbaits.
Essentially, Clunn has turned crankbaits into a science. He has spent hundreds of hours analyzing crankbait actions in an effort to identify their strike provoking qualities. He coined the term “deflection” to describe the way a crankbait should “bounce” off a piece of cover to trigger a strike.
Lucky Craft Lures tapped Clunn’s rich crankbait knowledge when they set out to design the ultimate square-billed shallow diver.
“Wood crankbaits have always been heralded for having the best deflection properties,” Clunn says. “However, wood baits are fragile; they have trouble standing up to the abuse a tournament angler can dole out during a rigorous day of cranking stumps or rock. So I helped Lucky Craft design a bait that combines the durability of plastic with the intense deflection of wood.”
These buoyant, fat-bodied shallow runners feature a unique square bill that gives a more radical deflection for a plastic bait.
“Many of the bills on traditional square-lipped baits are thick and it hinders their ability to dive and reach a critical vibration,” Clunn says. “I worked with Lucky Craft in designing a bill for the Lucky Craft that is much thinner so it cuts the water better for consistent tracking and enhanced deflection.”
How to Fish the Lucky Craft Series
When Rick Clunn fishes his Lucky Craft Series crankbaits, he does it with attitude. The four-time Bassmaster Classic Champion designed these fat-bodied, square-billed lures to boldly crash through cover and provoke strikes – and that’s exactly how he fishes them.
“The crankbait is a ‘target’ bait,” Clunn explains. “By that I mean it’s designed to make contact with specific objects or targets, usually shallow, visible pieces of cover like stumps, laydowns, pilings or rocks.”
They will run to a depth of 4 feet, but Clunn uses his rod to manipulate the lure’s depth as it approaches a target.
“I use the rod to control the angle and depth of the bait to make sure I contact the ‘sweet spot’ on the target,” he reveals.
On one cast, Clunn may crank the bait with his rod tip down low in order to hit the base of a stump in 4 feet of water. On the next cast he might raise the rod tip up to get the bait to crawl over top of the stump.
Since he is often cranking around hard cover, Clunn uses line in the 14- to 20- pound test class.
His rod length preference is 7 feet, but he warns that rod action is more important than rod length.
When it comes to hooking fish, Clunn likens this style of shallow cranking to flipping or pitching where the rod must have enough power to turn the bait in the fish’s mouth so the hooks can penetrate.
“When choosing equipment to fish the crankbaits, pay the close attention to your rod action,” Clunn advises. “Shallow cranking calls for a very stout rod – a true heavy action rod, not a medium-heavy. These are big-bodied baits that are attacked by big fish in thick cover, and a softer rod simply does not provide enough power to hook the fish and move it out away from the cover.”
These baits are available in the Delaware Tackle store at www.delawaretackle.com
Big Bass World Champ/De NAFC Hall Of Famehttp://www.reeltimeanglers.com
Try Ireland for a golf holiday full of emerald green magic!
Ireland is, without doubt, one of the world’s friendliest countries. If you take a golf holiday in Ireland then you are certain to return home with memories to treasure for the rest of your golfing days.
The Irish landscape is full of history and steeped in legend – and it has a truly magical and mysterious quality that you simply don’t find elsewhere in the world. Each little village will bewitch you with tales of it’s past – while entertaining you richly with its beers, whiskies and food. This is hospitality at its simplest and best. Your golf holiday in Ireland will be truly unique.
Holiday golf in Ireland lets you choose from some of the world’s best links courses and the softest, lushest inland fairways and greens. No excuses then! This really is the place to make all your golf holiday dreams come true.
For many golf holiday visitors to Ireland or Scotland playing on an ancient seaside links course is a large part of the attraction. But links golf will test both your stamina and your golf game in a way entirely unlike anything you’ve previously experienced. Links courses rarely allow electronic golf buggies or golf carts. Walking is the rule. This is partly to protect the courses and partly because the terrain would make it impossible to drive a buggy safely. Some of the larger more prestigious courses may have caddies available and most will allow you to pull a simple club carrying golf cart or trolley.
Be prepared too, for what is often the most unique and challenging feature of golf on a seaside links course – the wind! You should brace yourself
(sometimes literally) for the fact that it is going to blow very hard and – by some remarkably twisted freak of nature – in such a way that it always seems to be in your face, no matter what direction you are headed in! No golf holiday in Ireland would be complete without almost being blown over as you line up that last tantalising three footer.
The fame of the golf links of Scotland – just a hop over the waters of the Irish Sea – has meant that the golf courses of Ireland remain relatively undiscovered. Ireland’s golfers have been long-known and respected around the world but – for more than a hundred years – her golf courses have hidden quietly under the emerald green petticoats of their homeland. But not any longer! Names like Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Portmarnock, Ballybunion, Mount Juliet, Druids Glen and The K Club are now reaching the lips of discerning players the world over. If you visit you will find that they are well worthy of the accolades they gather.
Treat yourself to the golf holiday of a lifetime – and may some of Ireland’s magic rub off onto your putter!
Gordon Cameron is a doctor based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
When he’s not busy saving lives he likes to hop over the Irish sea and attempt to save par on the golf courses of Ireland.
Dr Cameron’s website can be found here
Click on the following link to begin planning your Ireland Golf Vacation or golf holiday to Ireland. You’ll find lots of details about the golf courses of Ireland and helpful tips in planning your holiday golf.
Irish golf is unique and not to be missed.
I was talking to a parent recently and they told me that their son was not going to compete in wrestling because they were afraid they would get frustrated when he lost. The parent felt the child was far too sensitive to handle the frustration of failure and may get ‘burnt out’. My response was, “What will they do when they get frustrated in life?” What happens when that kid has got to suck it up and go forward when it REALLY counts? Being a new parent, my daughter is 2 and I have another on the way, I only want the best for my child. What parent doesn’t? It’s obvious this parent I mentioned loves their child, but that’s not the issue. The issue is what’s best for everyone involved. What this child is being taught is to quit when things get tough. In an effort to protect the child, the parent winds up doing a disservice to the child. The result is undermining the ultimate goal- the training of the child.
Life is training
How does this pertain to you and why the hell am I brining it up? The segue’s here: when you train, you want to look good. You want to hit hard and perfect every time. You want to throw for ippon every time. You want to score a knock out or submission every time. Every technique you throw hits its mark. Just like that parent- you want everything to go smoothly with out any hiccups or mistakes. As in life: “what you want and what you got, aren’t exactly the same thing.” If you are training and you never make a mistake, you are probably not pushing your self or being pushed enough. If that’s not the case- give me your number, I want to train with you. If you have ever been in a situation where you had to survive, hardly anything goes smoothly- save the one punch knock out. It’s frustrating, it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing; it’s moments of frustration highlighted by some good or bad luck. Please note: according to my Dad “luck” is where preparation meets opportunity. No doubt a sentiment echoed from his days in the Marines.
Like that parent I mentioned before- you treat your training like that child. You are worried about the minutia. Micro-managing your work out so you feel better every second without looking at the big picture. How will you deal with the frustration of a real knock down, drag out fight? Unless you’re dealing with a push-over, you will
you’re your hands full. Where a lot of tradition type martial artists fail is that they expect that perfect reverse punch to hit its target EVERY TIME. This is a goal of training. An idea, like finding the perfect cherry blossom or the perfect cheese steak; the one shot, one kill can be translated any number of ways. Again, the Japanese language is comprised of a lot of synonyms. It could mean, when you get the opportunity- make it count!
In your training you need to replicate the frustration when you train. If you are hitting your training dummy perfect every time- go harder and faster. If you are being too successful- push the people around you. Get them a little agitated (I’ll leave that to your imagination). If you don’t, you will be setting yourself up for a big let down. When it really counts- YOUR instincts will not be ready to fight through it. Just like that child, you will look to back away and quit because that’s what you were taught. What do you do when you get frustrated?- you train harder and fight through it.
Remember: Life is Training
Training enables you to handle what life hands you better. Experience is what you get after you deal with what life gives you. Your experience gets put back into your training.
You are constantly training and teaching- whether you like it or not. No matter what you do you are shaping your behavior and the behavior of people around you. People affect you the way you allow them to. But that’s a whole other discussion.
Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©
Damian Ross is the owner of Zenshin and instructor of Tekkenryu jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, Shinan Cestari gave a seminar at Sensei Ross’s dojo. Sensei Ross has trained under Shinan Cestari’s direction ever since. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross has also studied Bando. Sensei Ross continues his study of Judo under the direction of 8th degree black belt Yoshisada Yonezuka and Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it’s founder, Carl Cestari. Below are is a list of some of his title ranksYodan (fourth degree black belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under Carl CestariShodan (First degree black belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada YonezukaVarsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner2nd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do
Fly fishing is all about finding a great location, preferably in the middle of a hatch. The Green River in Utah was one such place, but is it still?
The Secret Is Out
No less than five years ago, it seemed like you head to the Green River and see few others along your little stretch of paradise. These days, it seems like a freeway.
The Green River starts at Flaming Gorge in the far Northeast of Utah. It then winds down through the Dinosaur National Monument area before passing through the deserts of central Utah and eventually flows into the Colorado River. The best fishing is around Flaming Gorge where the scenery and water make for a great trip.
Perhaps it is just me, but this area of the river must have been highlighted in more than a few magazines. There are all manner of people on the river and jet skis aren’t unheard of. Admittedly, there has always been white
water rafting groups in sections, but nothing like this. Kayakers and so on seem to be flourishing like mad. If there had been a few more boats on the river, you would’ve needed a traffic cop!
Now don’t get me wrong. The river is for everyone. It is just a bummer when a little known spot becomes a hot spot. Sort of a case of paradise lost.
While the river is certainly more busy, the fish still seem to be biting. Browns and Rainbows are the catch of the day.
Perhaps I was just there on a bad day. The Green River is so nice that even a bad day is still a good day. What the heck, I could’ve been working!
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of writing journals. Fly fishing journals are great fly fishing gifts for anglers and fly fishing trips and vacations. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com for more fly fishing articles and stories.
The biggest secret of street fighting success revealed!
Most people start doing self defence because they don’t want to get hit in the head but isn’t it interesting that most people after years of martial arts training still struggle to deal with a variety of random strikes being thrown at their head. Sound familiar?
So why is that?
The first thing you need to address is the teaching methods in which the material you have been taught has been delivered too you. If you are still not confident with randomization drills after years of training, it is time to question your instructors teaching methods.
The simple answer is that you have been taught incorrectly. In fact, most self defence systems across the globe teach people incorrectly so don’t feel bad. Most self defence systems teach you in a controlled relaxed state, in an environment where your brain has conscious thought, so that you have the advantage of being able to either pre-determine the attack or know exactly what technique is coming at you. You have time to consciously assess the situation.
Unfortunately in a real situation or in drills of randomization, the brain slips into sub-conscious thought. That means that whatever you have trained most against, that stimulus will come out without conscious thought. In other words without thinking about it.
Here is the catch 22. How many times have you sat there thinking it’s going to be a jab, cross, hook, uppercut etc? How many times have you focused on the technique coming at you? This sort of thinking can possibly get you killed.
So what is the answer?
There are two main secrets that I will reveal too you. They are simple and they work. It has taken me over 18 years to understand and develop this simple theory. It isn’t something that was ever presented to me like this, but I wish it was.
Secret 1: Combative footwork- It is your base that must move before all else. Train it so it is in your subconscious memory. Be able to evasively maneuver in any given direction, left and right. Remember someone can’t hit you if you’re not there to hit.
Secret 2: Ok this is the main one. Study to defend against the 4 main angles, not the technique. Here is the basic theory for hand strikes. Learn to move and counter straight, around, up and down both left and right handed. I hear
what you’re saying though. What about the technique? It doesn’t matter about the technique. It’s only the angle of delivery that matters.
Always remember “the body only functions on a few angles but there are many hundreds of techniques that apply to those angles”
Let’s look at the straight angle for example. It can be – cross punch, extended uppercut, jab, five finger spear, vertical fist punch, palm strike and the list goes on.
By countering just the angles of delivering we lessen the amount of things we need to concentrate on. Remember, the brain is like your desk at work. If you have everything neatly organized its quick and easy to grab information when needed. If it’s cluttered and messy it will take you a lot longer to find the information.
The theory is easy and works. Think less, react more. Remember the brain consciously only thinks about 7 things at a time. So keep it simple.
Here is a basic training theory to rapidly increase your ability to defend against random attacks.
Practice your 8 directions of movement
Practice countering all angle strikes in isolation first
Practice moving your body out of the way of strikes being delivered at you.
Practice countering random strikes using your base and defensive tactics
Practice countering random strikes with full combat scenarios
Until next time stay safe
Glenn Zwiers
Glenn has diverse experience in combative arts, spanning more than 18 years from oriental to western and European fighting arts. He also has real world experience working as a bouncer at many of Melbourne’s pubs and night clubs. Glenn has also worked as a bodyguard and has protected a variety of clients including the former Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennet. Glenn has also spent time in infantry reserve units with the Australian Army.
Glenn has appeared on National Television programs such as a Current Affairs and the Today Show and has been in magazines such as Blitz Martial Arts Magazine, Security Oz magazine, Ralph magazine, close quarter combat magazine. He was the first in the world to reach level 6 of the SFC elite. He was first in Australia to reach level 10 of the SFC unarmed combative and is currently the only level 11 in Australia and one of handful in the world. He is also one of the few people in the world ranked as a Level 10 Master in Knife Combat. You can contact Glenn directly at http://www.cqctactics.com
Are women golfers more likely to accept, understand and use ‘non-traditional’ performance enhancement techniques? Particularly techniques that call for the use one’s intuitive facilities?
When it comes to golf, women have nearly always had the ‘mental’ advantage over their male counterparts. It is only the physical brawn that has kept men in separate ranks when it comes to the game of golf.
But that may quickly be changing, as more and more women learn about the new performance breakthrough technique known as EFT.
You may have already heard about EFT – perhaps you saw it on CNN, or maybe you saw it demonstrated on TV’s Discovery Channel, or read the cover story on it in Women’s World magazine.
Women are more likely to be open to trying ‘unorthodox’ performance enhancement techniques, and EFT certainly falls in the category of ‘non-traditional’ game performance enhancement methods. However, the results of applying EFT have been nothing short of spectacular.
While technique is equally important for golfers of either sex,
women may be more likely to get greater benefits in less time by the application of this performance enhancement technique to their game. EFT is a very intuitive technique and it may just be that women are better attuned to this realm.
Indeed many of the top EFT practitioners are women, and the application of this technique to a woman’s well tuned golf game may allow for greater breakthroughs in less time than for men.
Contributing author Stacey Vornbrock in particular is devoted to focusing her EFT talents on sports performance and range of motion issues. She continues to set the leading edge in energy techniques for golfers and others with sports performance issues.
For complete details and a great free report on this subject, please visit www.NolimitEFTbooks.com .
Larry Phillips is an EFT practitioner located in Williston VT, offering on line EFT sessions to the general public. He is also the author of EFT for Golfers. The publishers website is http://www.NoLimitEFTbooks.com
It’s a question that we went back and forth with for awhile ourselves many moons ago. The “how” and “why” of our conclusions may be of some interest. Whether or not anyone agrees with them, well at the least you’ll fully understand the basis for them.
The question is this:
Why does Fairbairn stress the straight thumb in line with the barrel, even for one handed shooting?
Years ago when we first began our attempt to sort out the mechanics, methods and reasoning behind this type of shooting we had the exact same question! It really is an excellent question.
We need a little history here. When a group of us started to “experiement” with this method of shooting we had all been indoctrinated and trained in one or both of the prevailing “practical” shooting methods extant. One being the “cutting edge method” of the time, that owing to Jeff Cooper and the methods being taught at Gunsite. The other being the fairly standard FBI clone known as the “Practical Pistol Course”. Most police recruit training of this period emphasized the PPC tactical course of fire over any other method, including the much touted “Weaver”. Full sight alignment, “positive” grip with a two-hand “isoceles”, barricade firing with both single and double action(most departments carried wheel guns) all done at varying distancesand various battery firing positions. The only time ANYTHING approaching “instinct” shooting was even mentioed was at the six foot range distance when passing commentary went something like…….”Maybe you won’t be able to get the gun all the way up, so……………”
This was the prevailing situation at that time for those interested in “combat” or “practical” shooting either by vocation or hobby. To make matters worse, MOST if not all “civilian” instruction STILL was based on the old “Olympic” style of competitve target work.
Now REMEMBER this was at a time when specially trained units like ESU or SWAT were still in their infancy! And William Shatner’s ONLY claim to fame was as Captain Kirk. When cops went on a job they were fully expected to handle it. ONLY the most EXTREME situations were responded to by “something” resembling a special tactics unit. At BEST most departments had only a semi-organized squad of “hats and bats”, and that was it. So the street cop responded to EVERY type of call and was FULLY expected to handle whatever emergency arose.
So that gamut runs from Bank alarms, to convenience store robberies, to building, warehouse and residential searches, from alleyways and stairwells to rooftops and basements. Sometimes you creep and sometimes you run. Sometimes you know there’s a potential threat, sometimes it just leaps out at you. Sometimes there is plenty of light(good and bad), sometimes just a dim streetlight near an alleyway that YOU have to clean out. Sometimes, and more often than not, there is NO real light, just dark. And shadows!
Search a warehouse for a suspect and you may get shot from a distance, from behind cover or concealment. Search an apartment building or private residence for a suspect and you may get shot from “sneezing” distance. You may see the threat and “prepare’ yourself, or maybe the threat just SPRINGS out at you. Maybe the badguy is in front of you, maybe he’s lurking and creeping just there behind you.
Maybe it’s a car stop gone bad. Maybe it’s a “nut” who approaches YOU while you’re in a patrol unit sipping coffee and shooting the shit with your partner. Maybe you’re off duty.
The point is this: In the real world ANYTHING can and probably WILL happen. As bad as it gets, is about as BAD as it WILL GET.
Now add THIS: Will you be wounded, injured, or in someway incapacitated, less than at optimum ability. Will you be firing your duty weapon, or will you be using your “back up” or has the shit degenerated to the degree that you have to use your last ditch “hide out” piece. I’ve known situations where an officer has HAD to grab and use one of the “downed” perps weapons, to save his wounded partners life. What POSITION will you be in when all hell breaks loose? Maybe you CAN’T run for cover, maybe there is NO cover. You can do everything RIGHT and still die, and you can do everything WRONG and survive. Life’s kinda crazy that way.
The obvious part of this, at least to an open-minded and “thinking” individual is that it IS impossible to train and/or prepare for EVERY situation, every contingency. Can’t BE DONE.
What CAN be done is to figure out what method or system of training will GIVE YOU the BEST all around overall preparation for survival.
The “PPC” wasn’t the answer, and neither was Copper’s “Modern Pistolcraft”. Something was missing.
A round about way to answer a single question, huh? Well without understanding the genesis or the seed that all of this begins with and the “base” of experience that FORCED certain questions to be asked and answered the whole point will be missed. The “straw man” arguements will flair up, and the whole “thing” will turn into a pile of shit. And NO one will learn a goddamn thing.
The group of men that formed the core of our “cadre” so to speak were mostly cops drawn together initially by interests in other areas than firearms. Most I had met thru my martial arts training, some were from the “iron” pit(what a shithole, I loved it), some we met at competitive “practical” matches. We had at one time or another guys from local, state, and federal agencies. A tremendous amount of experience and the desire to really “train” was the bond(not the shaker joints and sundries). A rare quality for cops in those days.
So we weren’t stumbling in the dark here. We had the access, time, opportunity and means(most of us were single and making a pretty good payday) to really travel, and train. And….get in a whole helluva lot of range time. There was one point where at any given time I had several 5 gallon pails filled with spent brass in my trunk waiting for their weekly drop off at my buddy who was a reloading fanatic. With no real responsibilty in life you can live PRETTY LARGE(right Boyoo?).
Frank Behlert(remember him?) still had his old shop on Lehigh Ave. in Union. That was a great hub of activity and a great place to meet all sorts of interesting characters. It was also one of the first places that really took an actice role in pushing the “practical” shooting matches in the metro area.
Now when some street “cherries” or FNG’s get out of the academy and hit the streets they clam up tighter than an asshole in a bath house. Sometimes it is good to just shut the fuck up and keep your eyes and ears open. But by the same token, if you don’t ask you don’t learn. So when ever a dicey situation arose I would always “debrief”(sometimes that took on a WHOLE ‘nother meaning) myself and sort out what went “good”, what went “bad”, what could have been done better and what could have hit the fan. If I needed to question something I did. Still do.
Alot of the older cops were really playing the old “salty dawg”. 30 years and a wake up and the papers were in and off to Florida they went. Probably to drop dead of heart failure in a year. Life sucks and then you die, or life sucks, you relocate to Florida and THEN you die. Doesn’t matter, end result the same.
Still these guys were a TREMENDOUS source of knowledge. On a whole RANGE of “police” related subjects. Most, if not all of these men were combat vets of WWII or Korea. So when I had a question I asked. If my screwy facial expression betrayed my disbelief at the answer, I usually heard the following refrain(if I had a dime……),”Listen wet nose, that’s the square, the real deal, just remember I got more time in the shithouse than you have on the road”……followed invariably by…….”So just shut the FUCK up and learn”. Well as things go, I never did learn to shut the fuck up, but I did learn.
“They teach you what they teach in the academy ’cause they got to”…………………………”The street has it’s own rules, and only the street really knows what the hell those are”. Rule # 1 – CYA. Rule # 2 – Never EVER forget rule # 1.
So where does this lead us? Well, this attitude between what is “percieved” as real and what really is REAL caused us to constantly question, examine, and re-examine everything we were “taught” to do against everything we “really” DID.
The bulbs really began flashing when we got hold of a copy of “Kill or Get Killed” followed by “Shooting to Live”. At first we all, myself included, looked at these old pictures, drawings and “dust covered” verbiage as absolutely outdated, “know what I did during the BIG ONE……………” bullshit! But “Get Tough” had my sincere interest. One of those old timers I mentioned had been a US Navy “landing force” instructor during the “BIG ONE”. I had seen him in action for real, unflitered “Lucky Strike” hanging out the side if his mouth and wreaking holy havoc on some young “puffy chested” bucks. It was a thing of beauty! I on the other was “fighting” these guys and looked like I was “rode hard and put away wet”.
Something didn’t add up. The methods my tour sargeant used WERE right out of “Get Tough”, even how he handled a “nightstick” and BOY he did that with relish(remember NO ONE knew what a camcorder was!). Maybe there was something to this “Farburn” guy. I mean, up to this point “Fairbairn” was a good tan we got during “I & I” down at LBI. And “Applegate”? Sheeet, that was the entrance to an orchard, right?
So then we ACTUALLY started READING these texts. Really trying to keep an open mind. After ALL if “Guru” Jeff said it was so, well damn youngin’ IT’S SO!
Now here’s the “bitch” in the whole thing…………Pretty much EVERY reason WEF and Colonel Rex GAVE for the validity of the methods(THEY ARE DIFFERENT BOYS & GIRLS) were exactly what we all knew were “missing” from the “practical” shooting we were doing. The difference in a nutshell…….”How you are SUPPOSSED to do it, and how you REALLY do IT”.
Yes, if I have the “drop” on a suspected badman, like on a hinky title 39 stop when YOU KNOW the shit is just hanging in front of that fan READY to go SPLAT all over everyone, then YES, ALL the “rules” get followed. If I had to arrest a suspect on a felony warrany or who was a known “A & D” then yes……ALL the rules got followed. In those situations assessing, finding and moving to real “cover”(as opposed to just concealment) was viable, actually anything else was STUPID. If that was NOT an option then covering the skel from a stable picture perfect “Weaver” or “isoceles” with positive sight alignment and all things neat and tidy was the way to go. ANYTHING else would have been STUPID.
BUT……………….then there were those multitude of OTHER TIMES.
SEE there is a HUGE difference between having “IT” your way, playing your “game”, ACTING by your rules and being forced to “REACT” to someone else’s “gamebook”. You get forced into playing the other guy’s game and you’re probably gonna lose. Especially when the rules change constantly.
So let’s answer this “job” together. Straight up and no bullshit. You’re working the graveyard tour mid-week. From your experience you figure that this tour on this day is usually pretty quiet. So it’s around 3:00 am, you have made your “beat” rounds, done your shift reports, answered a few calls, shitcanned them and now need a little “resting of the eyes”. You coop up. Oh YEA, it’s winter time. Snow, ice, and it’s bone chilling cold out. Just as you find that “comfortable” position and settle in the radio goes bananas. Two seperate confirmed alarms at a warehouse that has been hit several times before. OFF to the races you GO!
No siren, just the overheads, a couple of blocks away you go “silent”. You make a cursory pass in the unit and spot the probable position of enrty (an open window, in JANUARY). Maybe. Maybe these guys followed the “rules” and immediately left a second avenue of escape available to them. Maybe you get a back up unit, maybe you don’t. Doesn’t matter, you gotta roll with punches and you got a JOB to do. The warehouse is HUGE, completely dark, multi-level with more “nooks and crannies” than a Thomas’s muffin. And it’s BEEN months since YOU answered a call here (or maybe never) so the layout is NOT “fresh” in your mind.
You approach the window cautiously and realize that the snowy, slushy, muddy ground beneath has a distinct set of LARGE boot prints, NO, wait, TWO sets of distinct footprints. Let’s see………okay the window has been jimmied. Pretty secure industrial window. These pry marks were done by something pretty big and pretty sharp. Keep that in mind.
Enough bullshit, time to go into the “party”.
Let’s stop for a moment and take stock of our situation:
1. NO light, either inside(if we could even find them) or OUTSIDE.2. At least two potential threats.3. Unknown area of operation. Little if any idea of how the joint is layed out.4. At least one perp is armed with something big, and sharp. At the LEAST.5. Have other officers to worry about.6. Cold as a sonofabitch. Stiff, wearing winter uniform, can’t move all that well. Adrenalin pumping like a MOTHER. 7. Why didn’t I become a dentist like Mama wanted?
So you go IN. Your partner or your back up takes the “shit catcher” position at the rear, you handle the “flush”. C’mon now, in you GO……………………………..
I know what I’ve done in those situation, I know what OTHERS have done in those situations, and I KNOW how we were TRAINED to do it, and MOST importantly, I know how it was REALLY handled. Here’s the “rub”…………pretty much everything WEF states in Shooting to Live is EXACTLY what I have seen, and experienced BOTH in my OWN actions and those of others. ALL well trained, diligent and “good” cops, knew their business. AND this was before we EVER heard of these methods or researched these sources.
SEE………………………THIS was the MISSING link that we all KNEW, but COULDN’T really pin down. This was IT. You can forget the “stats”, the “percents”, ignore the over SIX decades of emprical knowledge from agencies all over the WORLD including the FBI, the DOJ, and virtually every major department throughout the free world( not even to mention a worldwide conflagration then went on FOR years). Forget all of that. I KNOW what my “instinct” was and what was the “instinct” of a host of others in similar situations. Does that make it RIGHT or WRONG? Does it matter? It is what it is. Kinda like death and taxes, or at least death. You can talk up a storm about it, still is what it is.
Okay. So, comparing what I knew to be relevant in my experience and having seen first hand, as well as thru various first person accounts, the reasoning that WEF outlined as WELL as the method of use and mode of INSTRUCTION made a great deal of sense to me, as well as others whose opinions I had grown to respect. What we HAD experienced was IN that little old manual.
The task NOW was to do more research and to make these methods come alive. That meant studying as much material as we could find on this topic, and then understanding it and perfecting it.
BUT, you
may ask, what about the “instinct” part. Didn’t you KNOW this already? Yes, we did KNOW how many(certainly not all) individuals will react when placed in sudden life and death emergency situations. The JOB was to rip this method apart, find any flaws, find any strengths, and to make it fully our own. ONLY then, once we really KNEW what the hell we were doing(and talking about), could we DECIDE if it offered any REAL solutions to us. ANYTHING less than FULLY studying, inculcating and UNDERSTANDING the method would constitute INTELLECTUAL FRAUD in terms of any real incisive and HONEST comparison with any other “method”.
How the hell do you judge something without that mind-set.
During this period(mid to late 70′s) there were a growing number of “experts” entering the field. Cooper first and foremost, then names like Taylor, Farnam, Ayoob, and many others. For the most part, all “towed” the party line. Weaver was IT. Everything else was outdated, outmoded and “old” fashioned. Well, at this point I started collecting EVERYTHING I could about shooting. Everything. From the oldest manuals and books to the most up to date. Magazine upon magazine, and of course continued ACTUAL training. What I was constantly learning was really eye opening.
Studying McGivern, Hatcher, Roper, Nichols, Weston, Gaylord, Askins, Jordan, “old” works by Copper, and so many other men and other sources like Leatherneck and the Infantry Journal, old issues of the American Rifleman was astonishing. My research collection has NEVER stopped growing. I don’t “stop” learning, but more on that later.
The only contemporary voice getting a little play in the popular gun journals was Brad Steiner. Much of what he wrote reflected what I had known to be true based on MY experience. There really WAS a gap and a need for methods that dealt specifically with CLOSE QUARTERS GUN BATTLES. The only really close quarters method being bantered about at this time was the “speed rock”. Steiner’s contemporary articles were very interesting and he stirred alot of resentment and controversy.
I remember one slam made aginst Steiner and John McSweeny by Mas Ayoob. It concerned the use of a mirror to check and adjust firing poistion, alignment and so forth. This was a method advocated by MANY “old timers” as a tried and true way of DAILY practice away from the range. Easy. Simple. No “brainer”. Everyone has a mirror. Made perfect sense to me. And it WORKED. Great! Well, Ayoob likened this to “mental” masturbation. I’m not really one to mince words, it’s usually(not always) better to just speak plainly. I couldn’t help but wonder what the reaction of men like Paul Weston of the NYPD(who advocated this mirror training highly) or “Jelly” Bryce would have been to that comment. I also pondered what Brad Steiner’s reaction, and perhaps more SO, John McSweeny’s reaction would have been to Mr. Ayoob had he made that comment nose to nose instead of in print. Basically, what Ayoob was saying, thinly veiled as it was, was, you’re a “jerk off”.
Where were we? Oh YEA…………………………………………………….
What to do with ALL of this information, both new and “old”. Well, logically the thing to do was to look at the most basic problems presented by any situation and BUILD from there.
Easy enough. Right? Well, actually no………………………………..
First thing we did was to DEFINE the terms that we would use. When so and so said this, made this statement, what did he REALLY mean? When Shooter A talks about this to Shooter B are they REALLY understanding the terms being USED. Or is one party ASSUMING he knows what a certain phrase or descriptive term means. Damn, w’re back to that logical foundation jammy again. Let’s see…………….I stop some guy on the street and tell him in NO uncertain terms that I LOVE his wife, and always will. As a matter of fact, I have loved her for years. The man may be pretty shocked, he would have a right to be, maybe even take a swing at me. But, if we defined what was really said, well, the situation changes. The guy’s wife is MY sister. And yes, I love her deeply, always have, and always will. Before any honest up front dialogue seeks to edify we should make sure we’re on the same page. That was job 1. As I said anything less is intellectual fraud.
So we did a thorough job of defining the terms we used and what they meant.
Now we ruthlessly went about tearing apart everything on both sides of the hill.
What does the REALITY of the street teach us, and how do we find REAL useful solutions to those problems presented.
AND, here’s the REAL catch………………………….how does all of this tie in to the LEAST common denominator. In other words what is the MOST basic overall approach to these problems, taking into account first and foremost the least in ability, skill, experience and knowledge. If we can begin to build on that, then we have something really worthwhile.
So here are the “problems”:
1. Visibility. Perfect to zero.
2. Extreme close range sudden violence. Unprepared. Reactive. Prepared. Active.
3. Enagaging adversaries at varying distances and/or heights/360 degrees. Close/medium/long range. Effective transition. Active and reactive.
4. Ability to manuever and fire.
5. Ability to effect fire on a moving target.
6. Ability to fire from dis-advantage or awkward positions.
7. Ability to fire from cover and/or concealment. Two different tactical problems.
8. Ability to fire with both hands. Tandem-strong and weak. Single-strong and weak.
9. Ability to fire when vision is impaired.
10. Ability to transition from weapon to weapon.
11. Emergency reloading and malfunction clearing.
12. The MUST DO shot.
We did NOT address specific tactical problems. This list was designed for the MOST basic overall components facing every type of “shooter” regardless of “job” specificity. A six three 200lb. police tactical officer could face these “problems” in the same way that a 5 foot five 100lb. housewife may have to. Sounds silly? Think about it.
How we put together the syllabus-
No forced or awkward positions or manuevers.Everything based to the GREATEST extent possible on gross motor skill, natural body dynamics, and “instinctive” action/reaction. takes into account next to worst case scenario and works from there(worst case being you’re already dead).
The entire system should be as seamless as possible. One component dovetailing with another. Not just a “grouping” of techniques independent of one another. As general as possible to cover the greatest number of contingencies. Weak offhand shooting is composed of the EXACT same mechanics as TWO HANDED braced firing. The fundamentals are EASILY retainable and apply throughout the entire shooting system. The grip on the draw is the same grip for firing. The grip when running, climbing, jumping is the same for drawing and firing. The grip when prone is the same when kneeling is the same whenusing braced barricade, is the same when using the “pop out” and fire. This is a bad thing under the stress of real world violence?
The system? That we have to be another long winded thread(if I survive this one). But for many of you, it won’t be what you think or what you have “pidgeonholed”.
FINALLY……………………………..the GRIP!
Okay. First. Re-read all these parts over again. Really put some effort into understanding what is being said here.
Fairbairn admonishes us to extend the thumb along the “slide release”(for clarification). Mentions it several times. WE DON’T teach that grip as part of the basic syllabus. We practiced it alot and some liked it and some did not. BUT that’s NOT the issue here.
The grip as advocated by WEF is particular to the weapon shown, NOT to WEF. Many gunners of the period in many different manuals and sources advocate the same grip for THAT weapon. For the .45 ACP. It was almost de rigueur. Did it help some achieve the standards for it that WEF set forth, MOST certainly. For others it was a far less successful venture. Some improved with practice, others did not.
Now we have to find out why? Colonel Applegate had HIS answer and we had ours(more on that later) BUT still we wanted to understand why WEF advocated it and what we might have been missing.
First we have to remember that “Shooting to Live” was written in it’s original form(we have the manual) as a manual for the SMP. An organized UNIFORM police agency. “Shooting to live” is an expanded version of the original SMP manual. Why is that important? Because the SMP, like most agencies issued a specific “duty” weapon. A standard pistol. That was the .45 ACP. But that wasn’t all! The .380 ACP was ALSO issued and for a VERY pertinent reason. The use of the thumb extended grip advocated for the .45 ACP had more to do with the DESIGN of the weapon than with anything else. The angle between grip and barrel is such that a full “convulsive”(there’s that term again) grip with thumb wrapped DOWN will effect the horizontal barrel to floor alignment that is so important to ALL forms of accurate shooting. MORE so in the method taught by WEF. The thumb extension helped seat the weapon from backstrap to muzzle in a “better” way for THAT gun. A full “fisted’ grip tended to drop the muzzle DOWN. Also, WEF had fairly large hands and a great grip. He also realized this and adjusted accordingly. Officer’s with smaller hands who could NOT adjust or use the .45 ACP were issued the smaller .380 ACP. Now notice the line drawing on pg. 19 of STL. These drawings were made directly from still photos. Look at how far the thumb is extended in the picture. I have fairly normal size hands and a fair grip, and my thumb doesn’t come near to that position. I am certainly NOT alone in this problem. WEF recignized it too, THAT is why he issued smaller pistols for some officers.
Again, this manual was done before the second world war and done with the STANDARD issue .45 ACP or .380 ACP in mind as a UNIFORM piece of ordinance. WEF use of the extended thumb index was also obvious in his method of firing both the M1 A1 carbine and the Thompson sub-machin gun. He liked this method.
Colonel Applegate had different ideas. His duties exposed him to a VAST number of handguns that WOULD be used in combat in varying countries. From the Luger to the Walther, from a Colt revolver to an automatic, from a Browning to a Mauser. Applegate sought A SINGLE method of battle firing that was applicable to ANY handgun, anywhere in the world. THIS is why Colonel Applegate advocated the “point shoulder” locked wrist, convulsive grip method. That system alone would allow anyone to grab ANY handgun and be able to fire with effect(his words-Man Killing Accuracy). Since each design had a different angle between handle and muzzle, differing weight, balance, muzzle length, sight aperture and so on he devised a singular method to ADAPT to a GREAT number of handguns. That is GENIUS! So on this point I disagree with WEF’s approach. How about all the other shootists? Like Bill Jordan. Look at his grip, about as tight fisted and convulsive as you can get. And he is one of many that took a differing approach from what is shown in STL. All I want to do is keep it to the MOST basic FIRST. MOST BASIC FIRST. MOST BASIC FIRST! M O S T B A S I C F I R S T !
Was Applegate completely HAPPY with what he taught during WWII. NO, he wasn’t. He told us personally that he would have taught FULLY sighted fire FIRST, then “point shoulder” if he had to do it again. YEP! NOTHING is written in stone!
There are other SOLID reasons behind the differences between WEF and Applegate, as well as others extant during this time. But, hell all that’s in the past. Who cares, right?
Okey dokey. Back to WEF and the extended thumb. NOW…….try this…………even if you like the extended thumb for your .45 replace that auto with another auto, large/medium/small frame. How’s the “feel”, bet you adjust with each differing piece.
Now grab a wheel gun. Try it WITH THAT! Hmmmmmmm…..how’s that working out? No, not the Model 29 S&W, the small frame two inch……try that. Well I don’t see HOW that extended thumb grip works AT ALL with a revolver. Not for double action most certainly!
SO now what? How about this………..You carry a primary duty weapon that is a large frame auto. Okay. You also carry a small frame “snubby” on your ankle….the “just in case” gun. And, maybe a Beretta .25 as your “oh SHIT” gonna be late for dinner piece. THREE different guns, three DIFFERENT grips and THREE differing “feels”. Or look down the firing line at people who are looking to YOU for instruction. All shapes and sizes, all different in so many ways, and probably all preferring a different handgun. Damn, you HAVE to find the most fundamental starting point.
My answer? A strong, natural and (dare I say it) convulsive grip. The same GRIP you have used since INFANCY to hold and use tools and objects, to make a fist, to lift weights, etc. etc.
Opposable thumb. Simple. This is THE most basic action possible. Everyone can do it. Everyone understands IT. And it is APPLICABLE across the board for a GREAT variety of hand types, builds, disabilities and WEAPONS. It can be used for any size autoloader or any size wheel gun.
NOW!!!!! READ THIS………………………..Did I EVER SAY IT WAS THE ONLY OR BEST METHOD? NO, I did NOT! I only said it was the MOST basic!
What I did say was that it was the most basic, simple, accessible GRIP to USE as a FOUNDATION. Get something SOLID under your belt NOW, then work towards whatever method and/or goal you wish. AND all the MORE power to you!
My philosophy in a nutshell: I could teach you very effective techniques that would take a bit of time to master. But along with that I can teach you something you can USE right now when you leave here and cross that deserted parking lot. Master BASICS first and then the sky’s the limit. Even WEF said given more time he would have taught different methods. Ernie Cates when he set up the USMC close combat program with Nakabyashi choose his basics carefully. he told me that rule one was: The part of the hand with NO hair is the palm! At it’s core that’s all I’m saying.
I’m sure I’ve missed some salient points (combat draw and some other issues), but I’ve wasted a whole day on this and I’m pretty wasted by now. I did my best to offer sound reasoning. That’s all I can do. This line of thought can be applied to just about anything, certainly all aspects of armed and unarmed close-combat.
Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©
Carl Cestari began his study of the martial arts with judo at the age of 7 under the direction of Yoshisada Yonezuka. During the past forty plus years Carl has dedicated his life to studying the martial arts, hand to hand combat systems, history and religion. He is continually improving himself through his studies. What makes Carl unique is his combination of martial arts, law enforcement, military and real world experience. Carl has been exposed to a multitude of people with a wide variety experience. The following is a list of some of Carl’s ranks and honors.
Shinan (Founder) Tekkenryu jujutsu
Ryokudan (6th degree) Koshinkai Karate under John Burrelle
Godan (5th degree) Jujutsu under Clarke of the World Jujutsu Fedaration (now defunct)
Sandan (3rd degree) Nippon Kempo under Narabu Sada
Nidan (2nd degree) Judo under Masafumi Suzuki
Shodan (1st degree) Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka
Shodan (1st degree) Shukokai Karate under Kimura, Kadachi and Yonezuka
Shodan (1st degree) Daitoryu Aikijujutsu
Instructors Certificate- Charles Nelson System of Self Defense under Charlie Nelson
What if I could give you three important exercises for golf and you were able to hit the ball further than you’ve ever hit it before? What if these exercises could be performed with a minimal investment of time and required no equipment. How about if I made it so simple and convenient you could simply perform them in the evening in the comfort of your own living space? What are you waiting for…let’s get started.
The golf swing starts with core stability, then adds in the elements of strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. Core conditioning is very important for a golfer because all movements in the upper and lower body are tied together, supported, and coordinated by your core.
The core is where the body’s center of gravity is located, and it is where movement begins. Because all movement begins at the core and then progresses out to the arms and legs, core strength is essential. The core acts to produce force, it stabilizes the body to permit other musculature to produce force, and it’s also called upon to transfer energy.
So, what types of equipment or tools are best to most effectively train this power region of the body? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not the machines in your gym. If you like the gym, then use the equipment that will provide the best results like pulley systems, free weights, and exercise/ medicine balls which provide far more neurological advantages than your typical exercise machine. Not only is the core challenged to fatigue with these alternatives to traditional machines, but you can recruit more muscle groups in two or three planes of motion compared to only one with machines.
Most people have a
very weak core, and as a result, chronic posture problems. Over time, this creates wear and tear on the body. A golfer with a weak core is vulnerable to injury and will never be efficient in their swing. These weaknesses must be reversed in order to promote proper health and function. For now, let’s put the gym equipment at rest and get started with those simple, home based exercises and get ready to create some serious distance with those woods.
Crunch – Lie on the floor facing up with knees bent. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest and crunch forward. Contract the abdominals to raise the shoulders off the floor, pause and lower. You may also try this exercise on a Swiss ball.
Twisting crunch – Identical to the crunch except as you crunch up you rotate the shoulders to alternating sides. Don’t forget to contract your abdominals.
Plank – Begin by lying on your stomach with legs extended. Place elbows directly beneath your shoulders with hands reaching forward. Push your body up onto your toes and elbows. Pull navel up and towards your spine. Do not allow your low back to drop towards the floor. Try and hold this position for 30 seconds to start.
Strengthen your core region for golf and add an extra 20 yards to your drive distance. Perform these three exercises several times weekly and you’ll see your hard work pay off in longer length off the tee.
Susan Hill is a CHEK Golf Biomechanic, Sports Performance Nutritionist and President of Fitness for Golf. For exercises targeted to lower your handicap and give you a competitive edge every time you play, then visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com
KY Fitness Tips – diet plan, exercises, weight loss and gain muscles latest information.
Frequently, I get asked about certifications, systems or methods. We made a decision a long time ago of purposely staying away from things like this.
Obviously, it’s a no-brainer, money maker and it’s not that I don’t want to make money; but our purpose was to give you real training on the real stuff. Certifications and acronyms lead to a false sense of security and there’s a fine line between sense of accomplishment and sense of security.
Personally, no matter how many black belts and “certifications” I have- I can always find people 10 feet outside my dojo who could care less. That and 5 bucks can get you a venti, no caff, half caff, caramel mochachinno deluxe, no whip of course.
I may be beating a dead horse….. but its about the TRAINING. Training and practice is what counts. Now ITS NOT YOUR FAULT that you search for this stuff. You have been conditioned with certifications, acronyms black belt clubs and all that. The only thing that’s good for is padding your resume. We “ain’t” about that. If you want something to hang on your wall- buy a mirror and take a long hard look in it. If you like what
you see and you are true to your training – that’s what matters.
We have been thinking of “naming” the system. Carl thought of this, I didn’t. It’s going to be called:
Fierce Unarmed Combat Karate Instinctive Training.
You figure it out.
Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©
Damian Ross is the owner of Zenshin and instructor of Tekkenryu jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, Shinan Cestari gave a seminar at Sensei Ross’s dojo. Sensei Ross has trained under Shinan Cestari’s direction ever since. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross has also studied Bando. Sensei Ross continues his study of Judo under the direction of 8th degree black belt Yoshisada Yonezuka and Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it’s founder, Carl Cestari. Below are is a list of some of his title ranksYodan (fourth degree black belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under Carl CestariShodan (First degree black belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada YonezukaVarsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner2nd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do
Making fishing lures may be easy for the seasoned do-it-yourself angler. But the maintenance of these lures is just as important to ensure a tip-top condition.
After buying or making the fishing lures there is still the responsibility of taking care of and repairing them so that they are always in good condition. This requires some effort and time but is usually easy for the angler who makes his own fishing lures.
Since he makes them and puts them together, he also knows how to take them apart and repair them. He also has the tools and fishing lure parts necessary for such work. All the tools required to assemble the parts and make the lures are explained on this page about hand tools.
Fishing lures in general do not require much care when storing them in a home or shop. The best idea is to put them into cabinet drawers or individual boxes so that they can be found easily and can be kept dry. In humid climates or near the seashore it is important not to expose the metal parts to the air; otherwise, hooks will rust and other metals will corrode.
Fishing lures that have feathers or hair should be kept in airtight containers so that moths and other insects or small animals will not get to them. This also applies to new fishing lures that haven’t yet been used. Lures which have been used require considerable care if you want to get the maximum use from them. Freshwater fishing lures usually require less care and repair than saltwater ones.
In general, when examining any fishing lure you
have made or bought it’s a wise policy to repair it if you are the least bit doubtful about its condition. Repairing usually means sandpapering the part of the lure body that is slightly chipped and then touching up with a small brush, using enamels or lacquers.
Replace the hooks with new ones if they are badly rusted. When doing this it is important to use the same size and weight as the old ones so that the action of the fishing lure is not changed in any way. If the damage is too bad and the lure cannot be repaired, throw it away after salvaging any usable parts.
It doesn’t pay to take chances with a fishing lure that is weak in any way. You may hook a record fish but lose it if the lure is not dependable. Many anglers who buy their fishing lures in tackle stores often use them until they fall apart, before buying new ones. But if you make your own fishing lures you can afford to use only those that are still in good condition.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
Keith Lee is a practical, do-it-yourself angler and owns Make-Your-Own-Fishing-Lures.com, an info-packed website on making fishing lures. Learn how to make fishing lures at Make Your Own Fishing Lures and use it as your trusted guide on home made fishing lures.
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