John and I (Sifu Alan Baker) share a mutual affection for sushi, which has brought us together time and time again over the past few years. Our get-togethers transformed into a solid friendship, where topics ranged from our shared hobbies to more personal matters. Work, particularly the realm of defensive tactics, was never a central discussion point—until one day earlier this year. As we delv

How can you tell if someone’s a good or bad person? I’m (John Lovell) not talking necessarily about the Spidey senses that help you avoid immediate danger, but rather the kind of markers of the type of person who, if you make them a confidante, might cause you trouble months or years down the road. How can you tell a person of character from a con artist or a wolf in sheep’s clothing? I've lea

I (John Lovell) decided this year to buy three guns that I normally would never purchase. They're not in my wheelhouse for a variety of reasons, but that doesn't mean they're not worth a try. So I branched out to see how some less expensive guns would hold up under action on the range.#1: ATI Omni Hybrid 300 Blackout This polymer AR-15 300 Blackout made me nervous from the start because plasti

John Lovell went to the rifle range and “edge tested” his favorite poly-plate body armor to see how it holds up to repeated rounds at varying distances and contact points. The Rifle: U.S. Arms AR-15 Rounds: 55 grain 5.56 Distance: 15 meters The Test: Withstanding rounds within an inch of the plate's edge. The Test Subject: The Duritium GT2 polyethylene plates strapped to my

John Lovell was watching the news the other night, watching the world and the country fall to shambles, and so he did what any freedom-loving American is tempted to do in such circumstances—he turned to gun-shopping therapy. Only this time he bought polymer—two of them—two polymer AR-15s in 5.56 and 300 Blackout  Polymer rifles make me nervous for a variety of reasons, so I'm not sure why

Getting stranded on the side of the road isn't normally a life-and-death situation. You just call AAA or other roadside assistance or the local towing service. Getting stranded in the middle of nowhere or in a snowstorm or in the midst of the zombie apocalypse–those can be terrifying situations if you aren't prepared for survival. Pro knife thrower and survival guide Jason Johnson walked John Lo

So often it’s the little things that can be a game changer when it comes to precision and speed with your handgun. Here are two simple adjustments you can make in your thinking and form that’ll give you immediate results out on the range.  First of all, if you’re interested in knowing the exact opposite of good recoil management, watch some of the military or action films of the 80s and 9

If your line of work requires you to see the worst of humanity and the worst situations imaginable, then you probably already know the answer to this question. If you're facing dark stuff every day, heavy doses of inappropriate humor are indispensable in seeing your way through to the other side with some of your sanity intact. One of the worst and most hilarious things anyone has ever said to

This often-underrated and underappreciated round is usually relegated to the status of plinking and barn varmints, but I (John Lovell) pretty much don’t go anywhere without a suppressed .22 handgun stowed in my EDC pack. There’s a number of legitimate defensive and training reasons for everyone to add this to their arsenal.Why Own a .22 Handgun?Reason 1: The .22 Caliber is Perfect for Shoot

There’s no question that a high-lumen and versatile light should be in every defender’s toolkit. About 80 percent of violent encounters happen during hours of limited visibility. But there is some debate about how lights should be deployed during a tactical encounter. Sure it’s convenient to have a mounted light that points wherever you aim your gun, but is it the most effective use of this tool

At Warrior Poet Society, it is our firm belief that everyone should own a shotgun. Surprisingly enough, not everyone agrees with this sentiment, so we're here to tell those people (at least 5 reasons) why they're wrong. Reason number six will shock you.Shotguns Offer the Biggest Bang for Your Buck Literally. Shotguns are some of the loudest, most powerful guns you can own for self and home def