Loyalty

For the Christian Martialist, loyalty is a key character trait. According to Merriam-Webster, loyalty along with its synonyms (fidelity, allegiance, fealty, devotion and piety) means

faithfulness to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty.

In particular, loyalty implies a particular facet of faithfulness:

a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray 

I recently read the book of Job, and as I was meditating on the theme of loyalty this morning, I realized that the story of Job is not only about perseverance, but also about loyalty.

Hit  by multiple shock waves of loss and grief, it seemed that life itself had conspired against him. What reason did he have to maintain his loyalty? Even his wife exhorted him to curse God and die.

Through all this, Job maintained his integrity -- including his loyalty to the Lord.

How do you as a Christian Martialist express your loyalty to Christ the King? Do you ever experience conflicting loyalties? How do you discern a & deal with them?

Fodder for future posts, perhaps?

Gaston Glock: A Study in Self Defense

Gun designer and manufacturer Gaston Glock has provided us an interesting case study in self defense. My barber drew my attention to the account.

The scenario:  In 1999, the 60-ish Glock visits a Swiss employee who allegedly sets him up for murder by a "mugger" in a parking garage. The would-be assassin hits him from behind with a rubber mallet.

What would you expect a world-renowned gun maker to do? Why, spin around as he draws his personal weapon and blow the assailant to kingdom come . . . right?

Wrong! For whatever reason (concealed carry restrictions?) Glock is unarmed. So, instead he practices unarmed defense.

An article by Dyan Machan from Forbes Magazine describes the incident:

Springing up on legs toned by miles of daily swimming, Glock thrust his enormous fist into his assailant's eye socket. As the would-be assassin staggered, Glock pounded again, knocking out a few of the man's teeth. The bloodied attacker staggered, then collapsed on top of Glock "with his arms outstretched like Jesus," according to John Paul Frising, Luxembourg's deputy attorney general, who brought attempted murder charges against the attacker, the French-born Jacques (Spartacus) Pêcheur, 67.


It seems that mindset (aggressiveness) and superb conditioning carried him through to survive the assault and to prevail.

The Case for an Independent Militia, 5

Continued from "The Case for an Independent Militia, 4"

In my previous entries on the case for an independent militia, I have established the existence of two constitutional principles:

1. The People = The Militia
2. The People constitute the third level of federalism (Fedral, state & people; not federal, state & local).

On the second point rests the principle that the People have the ultimate veto power over their representatives in both Washington and their state capitols.

I always find it gratifying when I read someone who agrees with me. Such is the case with an article by Bojidar Marinov in which he lays down the very principle I've been building toward: the veto power of the people.

Marinov argues more from the Declaration of Independence than from the Constitution, but his underlying principles and his conclusions are the same as mine. As a native Bulgarian, his grasp of America's foundational principles far outdistances that of many natural-born citizens (would that I could say the same of our foreign-born president).

Here is the link to the article by Rev. Marinov:

"Consent Vs. Compliance"

The fact of the People's veto power is implicit in the U.S. Constitution. Coming up: the question of how the People lawfully enforce that power.

Loving Your Enemy

Some time back, at our one-and-only WARSKYL conference, a friend and Christian Martialist made an excellent presentation on loving your enemy and how it fit into the Biblical context of self defense. I wish everyone who has ever read this blog could hear it.

He mentioned some of the aspects of love toward an enemy in my presentation:

1. How going out of your way to avoid violence is an act of love toward an assailant we might have to otherwise hurt;
2. How assuming the non-threatening posture while saying, "Stop! Leave me alone," shows love by giving a potential assailant the opportunity to reconsider his actions;
3. How the intention to escape at the earliest possible opportunity shows love by not taking vengeance on a disabled attacker.

There was much more to that talk that would benefit all of us in our attitudes as Christian Martialists. But what reminded me of that talk was an email I received last night.

It seems that Charl Van Wyk will speak at the annual synod & retreat of the Federation of Reformed Churches. You may remember that I featured Van Wyk in a couple of posts -- "Terrorist Attack on Church" and "Shooting Back Missionary Still Armed for the Lord"

It does not look as though I'll be able to attend the retreat this year (sadly), but I did look up a video interview with Charl Van Wyk that emphasizes the theme of forgiving his enemies. Thought you might like to see it, as well.

A Practical Argument for an Independent Militia

This video comes from Gary DeMar's show & is posted over at American Vision.

Christian Martialists concerned not only with self defense, but long term defense of family & church will find Gary DeMar's comments instructive.

The Case for an Independent Militia, 4

Officially, there is a right of revolution. The People – capital P – are said to be sovereign. This is a convenient legal fiction. It keeps the citizenry satisfied and subdued. All civil governments have made armed revolution illegal. ("Is the Fed Too Big to Fail?" by Gary North)
Continued from "The Case for an Independent Militia, 3"

In my last entry on this topic, I concluded thus:

Whether or not the courts, the legislature and the executive acknowledge it, the Constitution tells us that the extent and limits of our government's power lies rooted in the will of the people.

And, as I demonstrated in the previous post, the people = the militia.

I want to build on that concept by referring to the 10th Amendment:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Can you see that officially -- by the Constitution -- there are three loci of power in the federal system? Your civics text taught you that the three levels of government are "federal, state and local", when in reality they are United States, state and  the people.

And don't forget, the people = the militia.

My Barber's Point Shooting Drills

I received an email from my barber about my post, "Point Shooting IS Combat Shooting". I thought you Christian Martialists would profit from a peek into how he works his training in to his daily routine.

yesterday's blog entry . . . 

loved it.  especially loved the seattle combatives link which i have added to my favorites.  as i told you previously,i practice point shooting everyday.  i try to train for all eventualities,close and far.  i use full-length mirror doors when practicing.  it adds realism. part of my nightly ritual when preparing for bed,is to extinguish all lights in the house.  then i go into the bathroom,using tactical lighting techniques,i use the toilet,then cover down on the medicine cabinet mirror, over the sink.  i execute three shots,point shooting from the simulated holster,up to the shoulder,then turning the muzzle in a 180-degree arc,fire three more back down to the holster position.  then I do my flashlight drills going up the steps to the bedroom.  a little room and hall clearing along the way,and i sleep like a baby.  after my Prayers,of course. my only gripe is that kimber should make a full-size .45 without sights!  i hate compact 1911s......to be effective as a warrior,we must be complelely comfortable,and excel in the no-light,lo-light situations.  the darkness is your ally in a fight.  as defender,you have the advantage,and all the edge with prudent use of tactical lighting.  i feel as comfortable engaging targets in the darkness as i do in the light.  for father's day, [daughter's name removed for privacy & security reasons] bought me a surefire combat light that i have been lusting after for 6 years.  confidence level just soared another 10 notches...Love and Peace to you and your family,Brother.