Indigenous Ability

The following are some Random Quotes from our Upcoming Book on Indigenous Awareness & Stalking . For release dates and further info see this blog or our free newsletter . Members of our RAW Crew will get early acce ss to the information. Information on joining the RAW crew here. ] Keep this in mind, when you make a decision to be an animal observer, whether that be birdwatching, looking for deer in the forest, or a fisherman looking for signs of fish-- you are late to the game. The animals all see/sense you waaay before you sense them. They never decide to tune you out. Look to your own home, I wager your dog is far more aware of your activities than you are of theirs. We decide to interact and then notice, they were noticing all along. Giraffes in Botswana love the leaves of the acacia tree. The trees “desire” not to be eaten so once they are being eaten the tree begins to release tannins that deter the giraffes. Is t...

Let’s talk shark attacks for a few moments. Me, you, the media love shark attacks. No, not because we wish any of the victims harm, but we do love the “ Oh, my God ” moments, the brief titillating fascination of pondering the fact that there are still a few beasts out there capable and willing to feast on us occasionally (beyond microbes and insects, that is). Each time we hear one of these shark attack reports, and that’s pretty seldom according to the mighty Wikipedia the US average is 16 per year with an approximate death every two years; still, after hearing of an attack either we ourselves, or someone we know says “ You won’t get me into the water .” Now, looking at these numbers in no way diminishes the impact on the victims and/or their families, not at all. But I would like to point out to those who reason that there being man-eating fish in the sea and deciding not to enter the sea is not quite as wise at it may seem. Sure, any of us who have stood on a crowded shore...

Should you always fight back? Yes. “ But what if …”           Over the course of many years teaching survival-based strategies and tactics the above-exchange has taken place more than a few times. The “ but what if …” question is usually posed by well-meaning individuals who haven’t quite grasped the seriousness of physical violence. These are people whose own humanity, whose sense of civility is so strong that they are caught vacillating between fight or flight decisions. It is a shame that these good qualities can sometimes stand in the way of grasping the essential facts of just how dire the threat can be.           The “ but what if …” is usually followed by any number of justifications or pie-in-the-sky hopeful mitigations. These “ but what if …” objections are based on unfounded trust and an incorrect grasp of probability. The first objection, unfounded trust, is usually based...

In the course of researching and preparing material for the historical Frontier Rough & Tumble Combat Program I have also been compiling copious notes on indigenous methods of tracking, stalking, skulking, reading sign, reading water, sensory enhancement, elevated environmental interaction et cetera. These notes [200+ pages thus far] read as a sort of situational awareness bible/survival hacking handbook all 100% sourced from historical resources. We will be offering drills and exercises from these fascinating methods in an upcoming book and side-offering to the RAW Program as an adjunct to the pure combat-tactics side of things. Al Sieber And I can assure you, just as with the combat side of things, all are tested first for veracity and applicability. I have been kayak-rolling in rivers and learning to sail not simply for fun [it is much of that] but also to get a better handle on “water-reading,” “Iroquois crawls,” norsaq rolls [a Greenland Inuit method to accelerate ...

Lest we forget, mixed martial arts, mixed matches, and combination fights are not a new development. Whether we reference Greek pancratium and its long lineage through the fearsome hybridization-melting pot of American Frontier rough & tumble, fights that were more than mere boxing, more than mere grappling have been of great interest. The fascination often lies in the comparison of style vs. style as opposed to athlete versus athlete. We must never mistake that a kicker knocking out a grappler means that kicking holds utmost superiority, or that when a grappler chokes out a striker that grappling is the be-all-end-all. It merely means that in that particular instance the specific victorious athlete held sway or that luck had its way. With that preamble out of the way, we must admit no matter what is “proven” by mixed matches that they hold appeal. Let’s look to one such historical mixed match. Heavyweight boxing champion Jim “The Boilermaker” Jeffries was coming off ...

American Indians, scouts, and indigenous trackers the world over have been observed to survey terrain/territory in the following manner. A scan of the sky overhead, then towards the horizon, and then finally moving slowly towards the ground. The reason being that outdoors, what is overhead-the clouds, flying birds, monkeys in trees, the perched jaguar—these overhead conditions change more rapidly than what is at ground level. It has been observed by sociologists that Western man whether on a hike outdoors or in an urban environment seldom looks up from the ground or above eye-level. [I would wager that today, he seldom looks up from his phone.] For the next week I suggest, whether indoors or out, we adopt this native tracker habit. As you step into each new environment [or familiar ones for that matter] scan from the top down. I find that this grounds me in the awareness mindset. For example, I step into my local Wal-Mart [or an unfamiliar box store while travelli...

Allow me to say the following interview with Benerson Little is ostensibly about Pirate History and tactical matters of combat at sea, but, to my mind it is far more than that. Ben waxes sagely on the importance of the experimental method versus simply imbibing and regurgitating information and there is a touch of “ Get out there and live!” admonishment. I find myself in agreement with Ben 100%. For those not in the know, Ben Little is the mighty interesting hybrid of ex-Navy SEAL, fencer, and master historian of all things piratical. I urge you to have a look at Ben’s work: http://www.benersonlittle.com/ Read on! First things first, Ben, I became aware of your work via your book The Sea Rover's Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630-1730 , which is in a word-superlative! Exactly the sort of hands-on in-the-trenches history that appeals to me.   I love the immersive aspect that goes beyond the typical academic rehash. Your work feels alive and pas...