There is a major advantage to using dry fire as a practice tool, no matter your skill level. If done safely, there are few disadvantages, but there is also a wrong way to dry fire. Dry Fire Safety When it comes to dry fire, do not cut corners on safety. Most dry fire practice happens in homes or residences where a negligent discharge can prove disastrous, even fatal. It starts by identifying a safe practice area. The best is a room or area you can close off the outside world. In this area, there can be no live ammunition of any sort. If you only have one firearm to use, clear and safe outside ..read more

In this episode I spoke with Jeff Gonzales, the best dressed former Navy SEAL I know and Founder & CEO of @tridentconcepts, Author of @concealedcarrymanual Host of @bulletproofworkshop A big thank you to Dr Mike Simpson, former Green Beret who introduced us, and in the show we mention mutual friends, Clint Emerson, Dr Kirk Parsley, Basic Dude Stuff guy- Pat McNamara. Jeff shares his personal experiences and insights from his military career, why he became a SEAL, and highlighting the significance of character, teamwork, and continuous learning. Drawing from his own journey, Jeff emphasize ..read more

There are a lot of details that go into shooting both accurately and precisely. There are five key details to improving your performance when it comes to being accurate. Know The Basics The first detail has to do with understanding the principles of marksmanship. No matter what, they do not change. What changes is the precision with which each of the principles is applied. In this case, the level of precision is high; which means I need to have a fine application of trigger control versus a rough application for close range shots. This flexing is something all shooters must develop and the ear ..read more

As we begin a new year once again, I’m excited for what lays ahead. Excited in the sense I’m living through history and how will I leave my mark. Aim For Being Multifaceted Those of us born into the blade, know training never ends. You are never “good enough”, you only reach new plateaus. You strive to improve the smallest facet of the overall skill set. I often comment about the importance of being well-rounded. No one and I mean no one can say definitely what type of trouble will befall you. All they can do is give you their best guess. Remember that, burn that into your training psyche. I’m ..read more

After a recent OIS I had an interesting conversation with a student regarding contact shots and near contact shots. Contact shots work, but near contact shots are more complicated. A Dangerous Gambit Contact shots are based around the fact the violent criminal actor’s hands are not doing anything or they are not aware of your intentions. If the VCA’s hands are not occupied with a task and they are aware of the gun in close proximity you can bet there will be a lot of effort directed towards controlling the gun. At this point, the viability of contact shots is low, opening up near contact shots ..read more

Dive into the depths of the rigorous world of a Navy SEAL with retired Navy Seal, Jeff Gonzales. A unique episode, as Jeff isn’t just a SEAL; he’s been my personal firearms instructor. We embark on a detailed journey discussing his evolution in the SEALs, the making of a BUDS instructor, his raw perspective on school shootings, and the delicate balance between open vs concealed carry. We touch on topics that resonate, stimulate thought, and sometimes stir controversy. The clock wasn’t on our side, and there’s more to explore. So, stay tuned for another episode with Jeff, but for now, delve de ..read more

There is something to be said about periodically reviewing your own set of tactics, techniques and procedures. I can vividly recall a dramatic change to my own TTP’s after the Aurora Colorado mass shooting. Close Call Why the big change? Because, only a few days earlier my son and I sat in that very same movie theater. After enough accurate information was released I put myself back in those seats to brainstorm how I would’ve handled a similar situation. I’ve had many conversations about my thoughts with close friends. The big take aways were; low light, moderate distance and high percentage s ..read more

Jeff Gonzales is a former Navy Seal and nationally recognized weapons and tactics instructor. He’s the president of @tridentconcepts and the current host of the BulletProof Workshop podcast. Jeff’s background comes from Naval Special Warfare as a respected operator and instructor. He pioneered new advances in weapons and tactic instruction. His understanding of adult learning, detailed curriculum development and rigorous adherence to performance standards continue to set him apart. In recent years, Jeff has been recognized as a subject matter expert on concealed carry. He is the author of the ..read more

At some point or another I get a question about what distance to zero a pistol mounted optic in our courses. Followed closely by how to zero the optic to the desired zero distance. Point Blank Range The big question is what distance will you zero? There are a lot of factors to consider on this topic. Similar to the maximum point blank range for the rifle I want to know the maximum vertical spread without any shooter applied adjustments. In other words, if I were to make no adjustments or holds at what distance will the trajectory deliver the round out of the target zone. For the rifle, we use ..read more

When I decided to get serious about self-defense, obviously I thought about carrying a concealed weapon–specifically a gun. But everything I was learning about carrying a concealed weapon was confusing to me at first. How do I pick a holster, what knife and why, what else do I need to carry, etc? Well, little did I know that a guy I was already training BJJ with was one of the best concealed carry experts in the world: Jeff Gonzales. Jeff Gonzales helped build the “low-vis” program for many organizations, and now trains civilians on all aspects of carrying concealed weapons. So I sat down wit ..read more