Joe Doakes' Place

Sorry about the title, I though it was funny 😆 Okay, I'm not much of a gear-queer nor am I a "Tacti-cool Tommy", however there are certain things I find a need for and these tweezers are one of them. These are the best darn tweezers I've ever used and they do stay put while clipped on my key chain. FYI, the tweezers on my SAK Camper are damn near useless IMO. I couldn't recommend these more highly and I've been carrying mine daily and using them frequently for several years now. FYI, I have the stainless steel version. Tweezers, Tick & Splinter Removal Update : I’ve had these for seven years now and I still completely agree with my original post. To add, a couple of years ago, for the first time, the tweezers fell off my key chain somehow. I was pissed but, amazingly enough, I found them. That was the only time that ever happened, before or since, and these are mounted on my key chain and are carried daily. They clipped back into their holder securely so ...

"iamthesaint", from ICCF, originally started this topic, however, since many of the links were dead I thought I'd take the opportunity of updating it. As well, I'd like to point out that, while the program is sound and well proven, some of the specific exercises, such as the sit-ups, may not be the best choice and, in fact, could do more harm than good in the long run. So you may want to see what the latest-n-greatest substitute would be. I've also included The Hacker's Diet by Walker as there's a revised version of this program in there. You may also find some of the information contained within useful as well. The 5BX (Five Basic Exercises) Plan is an exercise program developed for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) by Bill Orban in the late 1950s, first published in 1961. The plan was developed for men; a corresponding program was developed for women under the name XBX (Ten Basic Exercises). "In 1961, tired and listless Canadians head home after w...

The so-called “modern” use of the pistol in close combat is anything but modern. Reproduced below is an excerpt from a book entitled The Pistol as a Weapon of Defence in the House and on the Road . This most excellent text was penned in 1875, yes, 1875. I have the entire treatise and it is an interesting read to say the least. With an open mind, please read the following and see how much of Practical Combat Shooting is really new and innovative. As well, note and compare the complexities introduced and touted by the gurus in the last twenty years or so and the simplicity of this “manual”. Remember this; when one’s life is on the line, it is best to know well a few universal methods and a cornucopia of complex ones… For further reference into this subject, I suggest the subsequent manuscripts: Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting 1938 by Edward ('Ed') McGivern (mainly the police training section), Shooting to Live 1942 by Captains William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes, Ki...

Joe Doakes’ Place is the blog rendition of The Integrated Close Combat Forum aka ICCF. ICCF and JDP are family oriented way-places for women and men, the young and old, the ignorant and adroit, to seek and share knowledge of all facets of subjects such as close combat (or so-called self-defense) with or devoid of weaponry, home security, basic first-aid, emergency preparedness/survival, and multitude of other related issues. They are places where WE ALL CAN LEARN AND HELP EACH OTHER . Both JDP and ICCF differentiate between the needs of the non-professional aka “the average citizen”, the police/law enforcement officer, and the armed forces member, the highly skilled and the first day rookie, the young and old, the healthy/athletic types and those of us who are no longer very healthy and/or very athletic. As well, JDP and ICCF do not overlook the specific sub-categories thereof either, e.g. an infirmed person, a traffic officer, a working single mother, the urbanite, suburbanite, or ...

Apparently the new craze is the GHB of Get Home Bag...one of our members over at ICCF sent me a few links to these and yes, the idea makes a helluva lot more sense than the undoubtedly Jeremiah Johnson inspired BOB or Bug Out Bag concept as was discussed in this thread Bug Out Bag (BOB) Thoughts and Considerations . One thing that always sticks out in my mind's eye regarding that infamous Tuesday, September 11 2001 was the masses of people trying to get off Manhattan Island. They were totally unprepared, walking in that heat, many in office attire, which is not conducive to comfortable urban hiking. Your get home kit has to be tailored completely for you and your situation. You cannot buy a one-size-fits-all type. Make the kit up yourself it is not rocket science. Oh and remember, you are simply attempting to walk home from work or school, not trek the Amazon basin for a month, so keep it simple. I have seen “experts” come up with various levels of kits which, to me, is absolutely...

Buying a gun and/or taking a few martial arts lessons is what many think of as good individualized safety measures. They can be, assuming certain conditions are met and followed. However, most of the time they aren’t, which is a topic for another discussion. Likewise, the use of these tools involves direct physical action and most likely contact with the less desirable elements of society, something to be steered clear of at all costs. Engagement should be considered the last option and it’s necessity generally means you screwed up. Folks love to talk about weapons and training and such, but barely pay lip service to, what I consider to be, the most important facets of security. The practices that actually keep you out of trouble, that will help you regardless of your age or health. Remember, you, your home, and your vehicle, only have to be a slightly more difficult and less desirable target than everyone else. Lock things up, don’t leave anything in open view, have good lighting, a b...