Uechi-Ryu.com

If you're ever involved in a defensive situation _ armed on unharmed that is "questionable" don't think for a minute that your ENTIRE life won't be investigated.

This includes all your online posts, your macho 'flexing'_ how skilled you are in all kinds of martial arts or weapons_ the guns ...knives and other concealed 'toys' you carry... where and under whom you trained...how tough you perceive yourself to be...and what you would do/not do in a self defense situation.

I'm often amazed at what some people post on line and how that would paint them if I were on a jury. Not that we all need to be PC posters.

But a little common sense and using your brain before you post may help prevent something from coming back to bite you down the road. I remember a long time ago my father telling me that it didn't matter what I said, what mattered is how people perceived what I said. Not always something that's easy to remember, but nonetheless vital to understand.

And don't forget your "trainers" if you've had any formal, documented training. They may very well be scrutinized if your intent is in question. If they don't present themselves well - neither will you.
I'm not going to call any particular names, but getting your picture taken on graduation day with everyone doing the "one finger salute" is not going to impress a jury of your peers.

I can't count on one hand the people I will associate my name and reputation with when it comes to force training for this very reason.


The point is that while most of us here are type-A personalities and generally don't care what other people think of us, if you're EVER in a questionable force on force encounter... the chances are good that your very future will be decided by 12 people. If that ever happens, how THOSE people perceive you will be ALL that matters. So what picture will they have of YOU?

If you act, dress, talk and generally carry yourself as a professional, you will almost always be perceived and treated that way. If you act like the people in the picture described above (or at least how they are PERCEIVED to act), then expect to be treated as such.

Every single aspect - EVERY SINGLE ASPECT - of your life will be scrutinized by the investigation and, depending on the aggressiveness of the Prosecutor, made to paint you in a certain light. Every credit card transaction you've made related to firearms.

Every internet post or e-mail you've made. The statements of friends, family and neighbors (and possibly enemies) regarding any training you've had. Who you associate with. How often? Anything in your past that can be used against you. Your ENTIRE life under a microscope. How will yours be perceived?

The Grey Man is always invisible in plain sight.

The Grey Man is totally aware of his environs, his own capabilities or lack thereof, his weaponry and his levels of competence with that weaponry. He constantly strives to improve upon both his capabilities and competence. In public, he is always respectful, even to the point of obsequiousness if the situation calls for it. He always appears to be just a little confused by what is happening around him, while in reality he is alertly doing a tactical assessment.

The Grey Man NEVER draws attention to himself by word, dress, action, or mannerism. The Young Grey Man is dismissed as a wimp, the Older as a doddering old fool. The Grey Man derives great inner satisfaction from having this portrayal of himself accepted by all he meets, for it means he is succeeding in his disguise of his actual persona.

The Grey Man is a private man. He practices with his weaponry in private, or only with his fellow Grey Men, always in a secluded location. If he must resort to use of a public facility, he schedules his practice for times when he is likely to be the only one there.

At such times he would probably wear bright clothing, to be remembered only as ‘that guy in the red jacket and sunglasses’, a quite different person from his usual persona. If right-handed, he would always occupy the leftmost station on a NRA bullseye pistol range, with his back to an observer, or the rightmost one for riflery or combat pistol practice.

The Grey Man does not drive a pink Cadillac with steer horns on the hood, NOR does he drive the biggest mutherin’ 4X4-with-all-the-bells-and-whistles BOV in the lot. The older his vehicle is, the rustier, the less likely it is to draw attention (or to be stolen, for that matter). This vehicle is, under its exterior, scrupulously maintained and in excellent running order.

If pulled over by authority on the basis of appearance, it can be shown to meet or exceed all requirements under licensing laws, and an obsequious co-operative manner precludes a search under the seats. The Grey Man does not speed on the highway: cruise control is his friend.

So is the Highway Patrol: he waves to any he sees. If he travels the same route constantly, at the same times, The Grey Man becomes a ‘fixture’ and can be dismissed from conscious observation.

It helps the Survivor to build up this persona of The Grey Man gradually and over time. The anti-gun sheeple neighbors will quickly rat out the ‘Patriot’ who is always loudly declaiming about his ‘Rights’ and ‘what will happen if they try to take my guns’.

The Grey Man goes far out of his way never to offend anyone, imitating the duck which appears calm on the surface of his pond whilst paddling like hell under the surface.

Be seen as conservative in all you do. A Survivor is a Grey Man, and that little old grey man alone over there in the corner is probably a Survivor!

And that young guy next to him? Just another wimp? Or are they both watching each other’s backs?

Making the other guy waste precious time in assessing the situation is a big part of staying alive. Practice being grey now, while there's time to build your skills.