LAID - Legally Armed In Detroit (Michigan CCW Classes)

This blog chronicles the musings and adventures of an urban Firearms Instructor in the most violent city in the world - Detroit, Michigan. As seen on AP, UPI, NRAnews' "Cam and Co. Show," Gun Digest Magazine, Tactical-Life, The Urban Shooter Podcast, Firearms Truth, The Politics Daily, GunWebSites.com, Fox News Detroit's - "Channel 2 News" and "Let It Rip," Real Detroit Weekly, The Detroit News, The Detroit Examiner, WGPR's "Real Talk Show," "Mason Morning Show," and WJLB's "Gurl-Bye Show."

Friday, February 24, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Always Combat Park Your Vehicle

Personal Protection Tip: It is advisable to adopt the habit of "Combat Parking" your vehicle whenever angle parking. Parking lots are very dangerous places to be located. As such, either back your automobile into the open space or completely pull through the spot such that when leaving the venue you can leave quickly if needed.

About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about Detroit Michigan CPL Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Contact: Rick Ector
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Take A Chill Pill And Keep It Moving

Personal Protection Tip: An excellent way to stay safe is to refrain from losing your composure when a minor trespass has been committed upon you. It is preferable to be the bigger person during a minor dispute and to "keep it moving."

Recent media reports confirm that it is not far-fetched for an incident to spin out of control and result in violence. A triggering event can be as petty as being given a harsh look, being cut off in traffic, or having a parking spot being snatched from under you. Today's tip is to "take a chill pill" and avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Start A Neighborhood Watch Program

Personal Protection Tip: A great way to increase safety in your local community is to either join or start a Neighborhood Watch Organization. These community based groups are comprised of local residents and businesses who have agreed to watch for and to report suspicious and criminal activities to the local law enforcement agencies.

To be successful, there needs to be both "buy-in" by the residents who refuse to engage in "no-snitch" practices and a responsive police force that can quickly respond to suspected crimes.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Black Man With A Gun: Politically Incorrect Photo Album

There is a meme currently travelling through the Internet whereby people are posting photo albums on specific terms. I have assembled a photo album, perhaps a politically incorrect one, on the phrase "Black Man With A Gun."

Note: Depending on your device's screen resolution, you may have to click the photo below to see the entire image.

Note: Depending on your device's screen resolution, you may have to click the above photo to see the entire image.

About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about Detroit-area gun rights activism and Detroit Michigan CPL Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Contact: Rick Ector
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404

Friday, February 17, 2012

Recap: Starbucks Appreciation Day - Valentine's Day 2012

Gun owners from all over our great nation convened upon their local Starbucks Coffeehouse to "share the love" and to show appreciation for the chain's refusal to buckle under from pressure from an anti-freedom group.

An anti-gun group announced plans to boycott Starbucks because it refuses to deny service to law-abiding gun owners, whether they legally carry handguns openly or concealed. Accordingly, this video shows what happened when lawful gun owners and carriers held their own "Starbucks Appreciation Day" at the Royal Oak, MI location on February 14th, 2012. We had a great time!

About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about Detroit-area gun rights activism and Detroit Michigan CPL Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Contact: Rick Ector
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404

Personal Protection Tip: Know The Difference Between Personal Protection And Self-Defense

Personal Protection Tip: A great way to increase personal safety is to know the difference between self-defense and personal protection.

To start, self-defense is a subset of personal protection that comes into play when all other safety measures have failed. Examples of self-defense include the martial arts (e.g. Karate, Judo, and Krav Maga) and the defensive usage of self-defense products and hardware (e.g. Pepper Spray, TASERs, and firearms).

Alternatively, Personal Protection is a lifestyle in which a person uses "soft" skills to decrease the likelihood of being selected by a predator for victimization. The choices a person elects have a huge impact on whether they will be a crime victim.

Those choices include the community in which they live and work, the occupation in which they earn a livelihood, the friends they make, the level of situational awareness they maintain, and the activities in which they participate.

The base principal of Personal Protection is that the best defense against crime is one in which you avoid being placed into a situation in which you can be harmed. However, be mindful that a single person making the personal decision and choice to live the Personal Protection lifestyle will not decrease overall crime in your community. It merely means that a person who makes wise decisions will be safer. Criminals will still kill, rob, rape, and pillage. The only question is whether you will be one of their easy targets.

Finally, living the Personal Protection lifestyle does not mean that you will never be attacked. It just means that your odds of being hurt will be minimized. Thus, in such cases, you will need to then use your principal means of self-defense to protect yourself.

As a Firearms Instructor, I advocate the defensive use of a firearm. In my opinion, it is the best force disparity equalizer: female versus male, old versus young, single versus many, and weak versus strong. Whatever self-defense method you use, make sure you practice regularly and have the will to use it.

About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about Detroit Michigan CPL Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Contact: Rick Ector
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Judiciously Use Banking Services

Personal Protection Tip: One way to increase personal safety is to judiciously use banking services. First and foremost, a person desiring safety should have a banking account to safely receive and accept large financial deposits from a regular paycheck and income tax refunds via direct deposit.

Additionally, a checking account will allow its owner to avoid patronizing check cashing stores and convenience stores which in our community are opportunistic locations for armed robberies.

Moreover, a debit card issued by a bank and traveler's checks obtained for large cash transactions can help reduce the chances of a financial loss due to loss or theft.

Another banking safety tip includes not using services at a bank with metal detectors; they assure robbers that only victims who are "safe" to rob will be exiting and entering the building.

Personal Protection Tip: Exercise Discretion About Your Personal Finances

Personal Protection Tip: One excellent way to remain safe is to exercise reasonable discretion about your personal finances. It is certainly understandable that a sudden financial windfall would elate the average beneficiary but that is no reason to share the news with any and every person you know, you associate with on an infrequent basis, or communicate with via social media.

Many people in our community have been set up for violent attacks by violent predators who were informed of that person's good fortune: lottery and gambling winnings, an inheritance, a profit sharing distribution, or an income tax refund. Thus, it would be wise to only disclose a change in financial holdings to only people who have a need to know.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Learn Michigan Self-Defense Law From A Credible Authority

Personal Protection Tip: One excellent way to stay safe is to consult with a credible legal authority to learn lawful strategies to defend yourself against violent attacks. There is a difference between what is actually specified in Michigan law and what you may have been told by a well-intentioned but misinformed cop.

Penalties for acting outside of the law could include prison time, fines, lawsuit judgements, and being harmed because you hesitated due to ignorance. A sound Personal Protection Plan should include knowledge of key Michigan legal concepts: Lethal Force, Castle Doctrine, Transfer of Intent, and Statements to Police.

For sound info, seek the services of an experienced attorney - either separately or one who lectures in conjunction with a Personal Protection Class.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Last Media Appearance: The Cam & Company Show - February 7th, 2012

I was a guest on the Cam & Company Show this past Tuesday night. During my feature on the show we discussed a recently published article that disclosed to a national audience that the city of Detroit recorded a 79% increase in the number of justified homicides in 2011.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Practice Defense Through Visualization Games

Personal Protection Tip: A great strategy to enhance your personal safety is to engage in the regular practice of visualization. As such, you could pretend at different times of the day that a threat suddenly appeared and immediately presented a threat to your safety.

Mentally imagine what your response would be considering your location, your mindset, your tools, your physical condition, your limitations, and the actual danger before you. Would you fight? How so? With what? Under what circumstances would you not fight? Alternatively, would you run or take cover? Look around you and then decide where you would go.

Playing mental "what if" visualization games in your head will allow you to quickly train your mind how to respond to attacks to your safety. Personally, I play this mental game every time my car is not moving: parked or stopped at a stop sign or red light - especially near freeway entrance ramps. Where could a carjacker appear? Who are in the cars next to me? If others try to run me off the road, what will I do?

Try it sometime.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Detroit Michigan CCW Class Instructor To Appear On NRA Talk Show Tonight

Rick Ector, a National Rifle Association (NRA) Credentialed Firearms Trainer based in Detroit Michigan, will make his fourteenth appearance on the "Cam & Co. Show" tonight.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Detroit, MI – February 7, 2012 – Rick Ector, a National Rifle Association (NRA) Credentialed Firearms Trainer and gun rights activist based in Detroit Michigan, will be a featured guest tonight on the "Cam & Company Show." Tonight's appearance will be Ector's fourteenth overall and first of this year. Ector usually appears as a guest correspondent whenever there is a story about Detroit that is of national interest.

Tonight's segment will discuss public safety concerns raised by a published account that discussed a rise in the amount of "justified homicides" in the city of Detroit. Many Detroit residents are no longer content with relying on the Detroit Police Department to keep them safe. Violent crime in Detroit is out of control and police are not keeping pace with crime. Tune in tonight and hear what I have say.

Tonight's broadcast of the show begins at 9:00pm EST on Sirius Satellite's XM Patriot Channel. Ector's feature will start at 11:20pm EST. Also, the show can be watched in high definition (HD) over the Internet at web address http://www.NRAnews.com at the same time.

Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, UPI, NRAnews, Guns Digest, Tactical-Life, The Truth About Guns, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, The Detroit Examiner, WJLB, WGPR, and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about free shooting lessons for women and Michigan CCW Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com.
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Be a Nosy Neighbor And Report Suspicious Activities To The Authorities

Personal Protection Tip: One excellent way to improve public safety in our community is to become nosy neighbors like the fictional "Bewitched" character Gladys Kravitz. It seems these days that people can literally live next door to another person and not know anything about them. We need to both be "neighborly" and watch out for each other.

If you see any suspicious activities in your community, call and alert the authorities. Don't be the neighbor who later admits to a crime victim that you saw something odd but did nothing to help. The crime you help prevent could stop others from being crime victims in the future.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Don't Associate With Known Criminals And Violent People

Personal Protection Tip: If you want to maximize the likelihood that you will not be subjected to violence, you should limit your contact and associations with known criminals and folks with violent behavioral tendencies.

Many of us personally know criminals and violent people. In some cases, they are our family members, our neighbors, co-workers, love interests, or friends of a friend. Do not make the mistake of thinking that just because they have not yet directed any violence towards you that they won't in the future.

Additionally, you could be targeted for violence by rivals of your violent friend for no other reason than they found you first or they assumed that you were involved in a prior bad act with your friend.

In short, don't associate with people of bad character. It's only a matter of time until they hurt you.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Never Be Somewhere You Don't Have A Legal Right To Be

Personal Protection Tip: A good way to increase your odds of staying safe is to never be somewhere you shouldn't be. Obvious examples would be deserted and abandoned structures, private property owned by another without permission to occupy, illegal "after hours" bars and other places where questionable activities have been known to occur.

Not only are these aforementioned places fertile locations for violent crimes to occur, but you may forfeit your legal right under Michigan law to defend to defend yourself. A person may not be able to use self-defense as a justification for lethal force "if he/she has no legal right to be there."

Monday, January 30, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Don't Patronize Businesses With Loiterers On The Premises

Personal Protection Tip: Do not stop at or patronize any business that has loiterers on the premises. Loitering is the act of remaining on the premises of an establishment for no apparent reason.

Loiterers have been associated with illegal activity: graffiti, panhandling, robbery, prostitution, and drug-dealing. Popular locations for loitering include, but is not limited to, gas stations, diners, pharmacies, strip malls, and convenience stores.

If you see loitering activity at a place of business you wish to patronize, pass it by and give another more suitable establishment your business.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Personal Protection Tip: Stay Out Of Pistol-FREE Zones

Personal Protection Tip: Whenever feasibly possible avoid going to Pistol-FREE Zones (PFZs). PFZs are places where federal law, state law, or the private property owners have legally declared that all firearms are not allowed on the specified premises.

The reasoning behind this policy is based upon on the erroneous belief that everybody will comply. However, as time has repeatedly shown criminals and the mentally ill do not obey the law or follow rules. Thus, the only people carrying firearms in PFZs are bad actors.

As such, PFZs create a target rich environment for predators seeking to prey upon on unarmed law-abiding citizens. As a matter of public safety, stay out of PFZs whenever possible.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Name That Firearm Safety Violation: Ringo Starr

In the following photo, which fundamental firearm safety rules, if any, are being violated?

If you can't see the image, visit our Detroit Michigan CCW Class blog site.

About The Author
Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, NRAnews, Gun Digest, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, WJLB, WGPR and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about Detroit Michigan CPL Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Contact: Rick Ector
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404

Personal Protection Tip: Never Leave An Event With A Stranger

Personal Protection Tip: Never leave an event with someone you just met regardless of how nice he seems to be, how well he behaves, or how nicely he dresses. Further, if you accompany a friend to an event do not allow that friend to leave with a stranger. If you came to the event together, you should leave the event together.

Every single day in the city of Detroit, there is one murder, three rapes, 57 robberies, and 97 aggravated assaults. If this new guy is as great as you believe him to be, he'll call you later.

Moreover, this tip isn't just directed towards women; plenty of men get victimized and robbed shortly after following a lady out of a bar or club.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Michigan CCW Classes Instructor Organizes Local Starbucks Appreciation Day On Valentines Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Detroit, MI – January 27, 2012 – Rick Ector, a Michigan Gun Rights Activist is organizing a local "Starbucks Appreciation Day" on Valentines Day in support of that corporation's published position on gun-owners patronizing their stores.

The Starbucks chain recently was targeted for a national boycott by an anti-gun group - National Gun Victim’s Action Council - for allowing local laws where their stores are located to determine whether gun owners can patronize its stores while armed. The boycott is scheduled to start on February 14th.

In response to the announced boycott, pro-gun advocacy groups all over the United States are launching a Starbucks Appreciation Day. As such, all gun owners who legally carry firearms will be asked to patronize the chain on Valentines Day in support of Starbucks' refusal to get dragged in the gun control debate by anti-gun groups.

Accordingly, Ector - a well known Carry Concealed Weapon/Concealed Pistol License (CCW/CPL) Instructor and Gun Rights Activist - is organizing a local event in support of Starbucks. His event - one of thousands expected across the country - will be held at the Royal Oak Starbucks which is located at 31105 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, MI, 48073 between the hours of 12 noon and 2:00pm. Afterwards, interested patrons will be visiting a local gun range - two blocks away - to shoot at targets.

Rick Ector is a National Rifle Association credentialed Firearms Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Class training in Detroit for students at his firearms school - Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit.

Ector is a recognized expert in firearm safety and has been featured extensively in the national and local media: Associated Press, UPI, NRAnews, Guns Digest, Tactical-Life, The Truth About Guns, The Politics Daily, Fox News Detroit, The Detroit News, The Detroit Examiner, WJLB, WGPR, and the UrbanShooterPodcast.

For more info about the Royal Oak, MI Starbucks Appreciation Day and Michigan CCW Classes, please contact:

Rick's Firearm Academy of Detroit
Web: http://www.detroitccw.com.
Email: info@detroitccw.com
Phone: 313.733.7404

Friday, February 24, 2012

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Sunday, February 12, 2012

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Friday, January 27, 2012

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