Hi! My name’s Christian. I typically blog about music, books, movies, and TV, but I’m also a gun school enthusiast and aspiring student of the various disciplines of self-defense. At the time of writing, I’ve got only around 150 hours of formal firearms and combatives training, plus a few years of lackluster Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, to my name. But, I am fortunate to have trained under great instructors like Ashton Ray, Mickey Schuch, Mark Smith, and Tim Herron, so I’ve tried to make those classes count.

I’m obviously not qualified to teach anyone anything. But, as someone who deals in words, I understand the importance of good information communicated well. I’ll never try to pass off other people’s good info as my own, but I hope that I can introduce it to you, give the CliffsNotes when appropriate, add just a bit of opinion from my own limited experience, and hopefully provoke some thought.

My goal for this blog is to save anyone reading time, money, and frustration by helping them avoid the mistakes I made starting out, and by sharing the wisdom of people whose examples kept me from making those few mistakes I didn’t make.

Ultimately, I plan on publishing these insights in a book-to-be that I’ve tentatively titled Introduction to The Armed Lifestyle (I’m open to subtitle suggestions).

I’ve met a ton of extraordinary people since I began this journey. I’ve had internet acquaintances and even perfect strangers in this community go above and beyond to support and encourage me. I’ve had buddies help me swap out pistol sights, mutual friends sell or flat-out gift me hand-me-down gear and parts, show me how to mount and zero rifle optics, and give me advice and answers to my endless dumb questions. I want to give back to whoever I can in the same way.

I truly believe that the more good, sane, sober, moral, prudent folks are armed and vigilant, the better and safer the world will be. Furthermore, I want people to feel welcome in the spaces and communities where those people congregate.