Proper Shooting Stance!

There is a lot of debate about what is the best shooting stance to use when you are out on the range. I have tried several different shooting stances over the years and my “go to” standing shooting stance is the what has been called the “Combat Shooting Stance” or the “Tactical Shooting Stance.”

Here I am doing a drill at an advanced carbine class where I am running to my right between stations and I stop briefly to engage 4 targets.

My mentors have taught me well.  I seek the best in the firearms training industry to help advance my own skills when I am a student on the range.  My boys at Charles Ferrera and Anson Beck at Falcon Operations Group have drilled the tactical shooting stance into my head and it makes sense.

To assume the Combat Shooting stance you square up to your target, extend your arms forward with your firearm using a nice firm firing grip, your center of gravity should be slightly forward, and the weight on your legs should be slightly staggered with your firing side leg slightly behind your other leg.

There are several reasons I like the Combat Shooting Stance.

1. In a fight or flight situation your body’s natural response will most likely be to square up to your target, rather than contort your body into a sideways or weaver position.

2. When you square up to your target more of your body-armored chest is facing the target rather than exposing your vital organs on your uncovered side. 

3. In the tactical stance your firing side leg is positioned slightly behind the other leg.  This gives you approximately a 60-40 split to how you bear the weight through your legs.  Most of your weight will be on your forward leg.  Not only does this give you a wider more stable standing platform, but it also allows you to move quickly and change positions easier. 

You want to be able to “Get Off the X” as James Yeager would say. 

Consider trying the Combat Shooting stance your next time out on the range. 

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

If It Ain’t Rainin’ It Ain’t Trainin’!

“If it Ain’t Rainin’ It Ain’t Trainin'” is a popular saying amongst gun training enthusiasts.  Rain or Shine you do not cancel a class.  Why because training in less than ideal weather all helps your conditioning.

If you wait for the perfect weather to go out to the shooting range for some training you will never find the right moment.  You need to be prepared to fight for your life in less than ideal circumstances. 

Bad guys are not going to wait until it is convenient for you to be attacked.  Criminals do not make appointments with their victims. 

So take a lesson from me and add some interesting wrenches like bad weather to your training. 

I mean take a look at me and my man.  After this particular day on the range we were drenched, but OH SO HAPPY!

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

Urban Survival Chick Valentine’s Day Wishlist!

Does your lady ask for flowers and chocolates on Valentine’s Day?  Do you try to impress your girlfriend with a fancy dinner and some overpriced jewelry?  Have you ever asked yourself what a real woman wants for Valentine’s Day?

My man knows the straightest way to my heart.  This image shows how well he knows me.  Check it out.

Flowers and Chocolate are for amateurs and little girls.  I am not like most women and that’s fine by me.  I’ll take a gun and a case of ammo over a necklace any day.  Consider thinking outside the box and getting you man or woman a tactical gift on your next special occasion.

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

Urban Survival Chick at The Grammy Awards with NO Ghillie Suit!

Every Year I am blessed with the opportunity to attend the annual Grammy Awards show in Los Angeles, CA.  This is one of the few days per year I will put away my camouflage clothes and face paint, and put on a pair of high heels.

I don’t normally wear high heels but I do make an exception to attend Grammy Events!  As members of the recording academy my man Jorge Bueno and I love to support music of all genres.  In fact, the students that attend our live workshops and seminars tell us one of the best things at our events is the break music.

The whole Grammy Team does an amazing job of putting the show together.  I will do my best to set a new fashion trend by going to the Grammy Awards in a furry flowing Chewbacca looking”Ghillie Suit” next year.  Wish me LUCK getting through security wearing that thing!

I will bring you more as the Urban Survival Chick hits the Red Carpet at the Grammy’s next year!

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

Fight Back like Chuck Norris!

I love to channel the spirit of Chuck Norris.  You might remember the famous scene of Chick Norris’ long running show Walker Texas Ranger where he fought a bear with his bear hands.  In the United States an actual polar bear attack is not likely, but a physical attack or assault may feel like a ferocious beast is about to eat you for dinner.

As you can see the polar bear is not alive.  Maybe I am stating the obvious but I was having fun at my favorite shooting range and I thought this would be a good metaphor to talk to you about the fighting mindset.

In this instance I have a threat in front of me in the form of a polar bear.  The fight is on but do I back down? NO!  When you are confronted with a threat your instinct might be to run.  If you can safely get out of harm’s way do it.  Don’t let your ego tell you you have to puff up your chest and show off for your buddies. 

However, if a criminal is charging at you full steam ahead the best thing you can do in my mind is fight back and let them know you won’t be easy prey.  You might get hurt but your chances of living to tell your story are far greater if you fight back.

I would rather end up with a black eye or a broken rib and have the criminal laying on the ground wondering what the hell happened than the other way around.  Give the criminal the beating of their life or if you are trained to carry a firearm and you feel using it is justified, you are within your rights to use it appropriately.  It is your right and your responsibility to protect yourself. 

Too often people tell me, “MaryAnne, I don’t want to hurt anyone!” I say that is too bad for the criminal.  They are the one who made the dumb decision to come after you.  They don’t deserve your kindness or mercy. 

Fight back as if a Polar Bear were attacking you.  You owe it your family to do whatever it takes to get home safe.

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

Real Target Practice v.s Call Of Duty!

Not long ago I invested in a Play Station 3 and the only game I have is Call of Duty.

The only reason I got it is because my buddies at the shooting range and in the firearms industry kept saying how realistic the game was.  So I finally gave in to the peer pressure.  I was even out of town at the time I bought it and searched every Costco near my hotel until I found a gaming unit that was bundled with the latest Call of Duty game.  I was definitely a woman on a mission.

When I started learning how to play it I spent hours at a time engrossed in the game hypnotically.  I ended up with a headache every time I played because I was so intensely focused on completing the mission in the game.  I didn’t understand much about half lives so I played the game doing my best not to get hit, clear all the corners and doorways, and advance to the next station with high awareness.  It was mentally exhausting. I didn’t think a game could affect me physiologically like that.

Then I started watching YouTube videos for strategies on how to get to the next levels and more advanced missions.  What I saw was a bunch of guys filming themselves as they played the game and running right through a line of fire.  They didn’t care if they got hit.  They were not using any tactics at all.  Then I realized they probably didn’t have have the years of firearms training that I have had.

They were treating it like a video game where I was treating the game like a real live scenario.  I do my best to approach every training opportunity as realistic as possible.

I believe that video games like this can inoculate people from all the violence they see in the media.  I mean they are certainly fun to play.  However, video games are no substitute for real life solid instruction from world renowned firearms training experts.  So put the gaming controls down for a while and get out to the shooting range.  Just some advice to keep your shooting skills sharp.  That is all on that subject for now!

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

The Truth About Crime Statistics and Gun Violence!

The Truth About Crime Statistics and Gun Violence!

There has been a lot of mistaken reporting in the mainstream media about the statistics surrounding violent crime and a tremendous bias towards what reporters are calling “assault weapons” and the deaths they cause.  Certainly the death of school children is an emotional issue and people should be angry about it.  However, the sudden focus on banning guns and controlling guns is all wrong here.  The person who allegedly perpetrated the school shooting in Newtown was mentally ill and was reported to have left his assault weapon in the trunk of the car he drove to the elementary school that day.

If that is the case then why are the politicians not up in arms about the state of mental health care?  Why don’t they scream about scrutinizing the track record of mental health professionals and pharmaceutical companies?  Why is there no focus on the fact that overall violent crime rates rise in areas where there is the strictest gun control?

Here is a graphic comparing the number of deaths by the so called assault weapon used in the recent mass shooting and other causes like a hammer or medical malpractice.  You are more likely to die by shopping at your local hardware store, walking in your kitchen, driving on the street, or visiting your doctor.

The bottom line is that these tools are not the violent items they are portrayed to be in the media.  It is the people who use them with malicious intent that are the real problem and deserve the focus of government and media attention!

That is my opinion, let me know your thoughts on the subject.

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

Hundreds Gather in Sacramento in support of the 2nd Amendment

“Guns Across America” was a nationwide effort to bring firearms enthusiasts all over the nation together to speak out in support of the 2nd amendment and protect our right to bear arms.  This event was scheduled as a peaceful protest to happen at state capitols in every state on January 19th, 2013 at high noon.

In California close to two thousand people came together to support this effort on the steps of the  state capitol in Sacramento.  They brought their families, their signs, and their enthusiasm for the pro gun community.  They represent the law abiding citizens who use firearms for self defense.

This is one the ways to fight back against unconstitutional gun control.  The theme of this demonstration?  Gun Control = More Crime!  We all understand that criminals will not obey any laws so voting in more gun control will only lead to hurting law abiding citizens an create more victims.

The next rally is scheduled for Friday February 8th, 2013 at 10:00am.

CLICK HERE to read about the rally on Facebook.

To Your Surviving and Thriving,

MaryAnne Morcos, The Urban Survival Chick

Obama’s Blueprint to Destroy the 2nd Amendment Analyzed

Infowars.com
January 16, 2013

Barack Obama’s bold use of executive orders to ‘take action without Congress’ amounts to an outrageous unconstitutional overreach of powers, and is impeachable action on its face. And Obama isn’t even done; he has vowed to push Congress on a new assault weapons ban along with other legislative restrictions on the guaranteed 2nd Amendment, which “shall not be infringed.”

But worse, the 23 executive orders issued today by Obama make clear that the vast medical bureaucracy centralized under ObamaCare will be used to profile and harass Americans in order to disqualify them for gun ownership based on “mental health” history.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

View the complete commentary below with Aaron Dykes:

Urban Survival Chick to Speak at Pro 2nd Amendment Rally

The Urban Survival Chick will speak in favor of the 2nd Amendment at Pro Gun Rally.

The Urban Survival Chick will be speaking at the state capitol in Sacramento, CA on January 19th, 2013 as part of the nationwide effort called “Guns Across America” to rally support for the 2nd amendment and keep the rights of law abiding gun owners across America.

This will be a peaceful demonstration of law abiding citizens who want their voices heard on the steps of the California State Capitol.

We must speak out against the outright infringement of our rights and the impeachable offenses Obama is boldly taking.  This is too important.

Let us make our founding fathers proud they fought for our liberty so long ago.  Show your support for our right to bear arms this weekend.  If you don’t live in California chances are there is a rally happening in your state capitol.  Check on the link below for information in your area.

https://www.facebook.com/events/144639815690301/