March 7th, 2013 at 1:47 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, texas outdoor education, the combat medic, outdoor survival, field medicine, tracking, bushcraft, scouting, disaster preparedness, readiness, survival scenario, survival gear, weapons, herbal medic)
In today’s podcast, Sam Coffman talks with his former Green Beret buddy, Mykel Hawke.

This is an introductory podcast, and one that we hope to continue on a more regular basis, so in this podcast, we learn more about Mykel, to include:
- What is the history behind the Green Beret Survival Manual that Mykel wrote?
- Is it still in print? Why is it a good book to buy if you want an overall picture of survival?
- What projects does Mykel have going on?
- What products (knives, hats, etc.) does Mykel have out right now?
- What is the latest on his upcoming survival show with Travel Channel?
- Why is land navigation so important and how does it play into the new show with Mykel and his wife?
- What land navigation classes do we have coming up at The Human Path, and why should you be interested in learning and practicing this skill?
Join Mykel and Sam in the future as they discuss more survival topics and skills.
Upcoming Land Navigation course on March 16th
Spring Scout Training Course
 
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December 31st, 2012 at 1:18 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, texas outdoor education, herbology, the combat medic, martial arts, Outdoor Fitness and Self Defense, outdoor survival, trauma medicine, field medicine, disaster preparedness, readiness, health and nutrition, weapons, community, herbal medic)
In today's podcast, Sam Coffman discusses the role of the Combat Medic and what it takes to become a combat medic through The Human Path.

The Combat Medic fulfills a role that is vital to the real-world mission of Herbal Medics. In todays discussion, Sam addresses topics and questions such as:
- What is the difference between "Combat Medic" and "Herbal Medic"
- Why are self-defense and tactics a core component of the Combat Medic Specialty, along with Herbal Medicine and Wilderness First Aid?
- what does it mean that the Combat Medic is based off of the relationship between us and our bodies?
- How can understanding martial arts help a person become a better healer?
- There are many roles that a Combat Medic plays on a team - Herbal Medic, Security, Resource Management, Health Care Oversight, Herbal Pharmacy, to name some of the most important ones. What are these roles and how do they play a part in the mission of Herbal Medics?
- What are the prerequisites to take the Level 1 Combat Medic classes? What electives/peripheral classes?
Combat Medic courses are in motion!
January 5th: Herbal Sports Medicine, Fitness, Chi Kung and Nutrition (no pre-requisite needed)
January 6th: Dealing With Infection Using Only Herbs (no pre-requisite needed)
January 11th: Herbal Clinic, for members
January 12-13th: Wilderness First Aid Certification, 16 hr. course. (no pre-requisistes needed)
Winter 2013 Schedule
 
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December 27th, 2012 at 9:21 am (survival skills, urban survival, primitive living, fire-building, the human path, permaculture, texas outdoor education, herbology, the combat medic, martial arts, Outdoor Fitness and Self Defense, primitive hunting, wild food sources, outdoor survival, green homesteading, aquaponics, self sufficiency farming, long-term food storage, trauma medicine, field medicine, tracking, bushcraft, primitive bowmaking, nature spiritulity, scouting, disaster preparedness, readiness, parkour, health and nutrition, economic collapse, power shortage, survival scenario, weapons, self sustainability, pet survival, eco building, homestead livestock, prepping, homesteading, intentional community, community, societal collapse, gardening, herbal medic)
In today's podcast, Sam Coffman discusses the entire structure of classes and programs at The Human Path.

He addresses many of the questions that people have about how the program is structured at The Human Path, to include:
- What are the differences between core classes and peripheral or elective classes?
- What are the 4 paths or specialties that a person can follow within the core curriculum?
- What specific things do students learn in each of the specialties?
- What makes The Human Path so different from other survival schools?
- How does learning these skills make a difference in day-to-day life?
- What is the difference between Urban and Primitive tracks of instruction?
- What are the "Four A's" of survival that are a part of the core curriculum?
- How does a student move up from level 1 to level 2 in a specialty?
- How are concepts like teamwork, leadership and community taught as part of the classes?
The next Urban Core Basic class is January 25 - 27th, 2013.
Check out the Winter 2013 schedule for the next 2-3 months!
 
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December 26th, 2012 at 10:33 am (survival skills, urban survival, primitive living, fire-building, the human path, permaculture, texas outdoor education, herbology, martial arts, Outdoor Fitness and Self Defense, wild food sources, outdoor survival, green homesteading, aquaponics, self sufficiency farming, long-term food storage, trauma medicine, field medicine, bushcraft, primitive bowmaking, nature spiritulity, scouting, disaster preparedness, readiness, parkour, health and nutrition, power shortage, survival scenario, weapons, self sustainability, pet survival, eco building, homestead livestock, prepping, homesteading, intentional community, community, societal collapse, gardening, herbal medic)
In this podcast, Sam Coffman discusses The Human Path growth, classes and real-world action during 2012, as well as the direction for 2013 and beyond.

Sam answers questions such as:
- What kinds of learning experiences were developed throughout 2012 and what can we look forward to in 2013?
- How has the breadth of the curriculum has been defined over the past few years at The Human Path? What exactly does that breadth of information include?
- How have The Human Path instructors evolved with the school?
- Why is it necessary to implement testing and selection procedures for higher level classes and real-world teams? What might that testing procedure look like, and at what point in the different levels will we see it?
- As we focus in the 4 areas of our curriculum delivery - Lecture, Hands-on, Scenario and Real-world missions – how does this all merge to create an ideal learning and even life-changing environment?
- How did Nicaragua figure into learning experience during 2012, and what's next?
- What can we expect to see in 2013 in regards to real-world missions and new classes?
Our new calendar for 2013 is up online here.
 
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March 21st, 2012 at 1:07 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, texas outdoor education, Outdoor Fitness and Self Defense, outdoor survival, disaster preparedness, readiness, survival scenario, weapons, reviews, societal collapse)
In today's podcast, Sam Coffman discusses the zombie apocalypse series - The Walking Dead - and how we can learn from critically thinking during and after watching shows pertaining to social collapse.

Sam discusses:
- Why it helps to think critically, even while watching fictional TV or Movies
- What we can learn from The Walking Dead in regards to basic self defense concepts
- What some of the different styles of leadership can do to group dynamics
- How to think about leadership with a group of random people
- If you have to fight to survive, then you have to discard false notions of anything other than fighting to win
- How important it is to think outside the box in a fight or a war
The Zombie Apocalypse is coming up in about 7 months. You must have taken the Urban or Primitive Core Basic in order to participate in the Zombie Apocalypse. Sign up now for the UCB or PCB.
May 2012 Urban Core Basic, Part 1 May 4 - 6th, and Part 2, June 1 - 3rd.
September Urban Core Basic, 5-Day Intensive: September 17 - 21st.
September 2012 Primitive Core Basic, Part 1 September 7 - 9th and Part 2, October 5 - 7th.
 
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February 29th, 2012 at 6:48 pm (survival skills, urban survival, primitive living, the human path, texas outdoor education, wild food sources, outdoor survival, self sufficiency farming, long-term food storage, disaster preparedness, readiness, power shortage, survival scenario, survival gear, weapons, self sustainability, prepping)
In today’s podcast, Sam Coffman reviews last night’s “Doomsday Preppers” show (National Geographic channel) –
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/doomsday-preppers/

Sam gives his own feedback on the preppers that were featured in this show, as well as some of the concepts involved in their method of prepping. Aside from talking about the details of each individual prepper and some various feedback on their plans, he also talks about:
- bird alarms as a method of early warning in a rural environment
- lifestyle adjustments for the first family of primitive skills enthusiasts for prepping
- over-population as a possible disaster scenario and why it works well
- firearms' role in survival
- living off the 'fat of the land'
- surviving in a bunker: what happens when they have to inevitably emerge from the bunker?
- changing a culture of 'distraction' to ensure a positive survival of the species
- security: humans vs. machinery
- prepping for martial law: what this means
- water: what is the bare minimum per person needed, and how much for comfort?
- what is to be gained through sniper tactics in a survival situation?
- the difference between these prepper's everyday lifestyle compared to what they are prepping for
There are two survival courses coming up that deal specifically with survival in all types of situations.
See the online schedule for:
The Primitive Core Basic: 5-Day Intensive, March 12 - 16th, online registration
The Urban Core Basic: Part one, May 4 - 6th, online registration
 
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February 15th, 2012 at 12:38 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, texas outdoor education, self sufficiency farming, long-term food storage, disaster preparedness, readiness, economic collapse, power shortage, survival scenario, survival gear, weapons, self sustainability, prepping)
In today’s podcast, Sam Coffman reviews last night’s “Doomsday Preppers” show (National Geographic channel) –
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/doomsday-preppers/

Sam gives his own feedback on the preppers that were featured in this show, as well as some of the concepts involved in their method of prepping. Aside from talking about the details of each individual prepper and some various feedback on their plans, he also talks about:
- The general 2 main types of preppers
- Gear vs. Skills
- Prepping in a huge urban area like NYC, and bugging in
- Security vs. Food
- The “stereotypical” prepper and where that idea will lead us
- The concepts behind “prepping” at The Human Path
There are still a few slots open in the Urban Core Basic, where you can learn, practice and apply preparedness concepts in hands-on and scenario-based environments - Online calendar and registration
 
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February 14th, 2012 at 1:58 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, texas outdoor education, the combat medic, martial arts, Outdoor Fitness and Self Defense, outdoor survival, readiness, weapons)
In part 2 of the discussion between Tony Blauer and Sam Coffman, they talk about:
- How do you teach the body and brain to react to panic?
- What is the primal flinch or survival reflex, and how can that help us?
- What is Hick’s Law and how do we get the most out of our hard-wired survival mechanism during training for a violent street encounter?
- What is “stress inoculation” and how does that play a role in our response mechanism in a fight?
- How do you practice fighting in a way that forces your body to always know intuitively where its balance point is?
- Why should you avoid hitting someone with your fists?
- Where does ground-fighting and grappling figure into a street fight?
- Why is it important to learn to fight in small, claustrophobic spaces?
Learn more about Tony Blauer’s training programs, calendar of classes, unique training gear and more at his website:
Tony Blauer is founder and CEO of BLAUER TACTICAL CONFRONTATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS©. Mr. Blauer has pioneered research and training methodologies that have influenced and inspired martial art & combative systems around the world.
His company, BLAUER TACTICAL SYSTEMS (BTS) is now one of the world's leading consulting firms specializing in research & development of combative training & equipment for the military, law enforcement and self-defense communities. BTS has taught key performance enhancement, fear management, and combatives based on S.P.E.A.R. System research to military, law enforcement and civilian personnel since 1988.
 
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October 18th, 2011 at 1:39 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, texas outdoor education, Outdoor Fitness and Self Defense, readiness, survival gear, weapons)
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Firearms 101 - Handguns: In this episode, Sam Coffman begins what will probably end up being an ongoing, intermittent series on firearms. As law-abiding citizens we use firearms for hunting, target shooting (sport) and self-defense. In a self-defense situation, guns become the great equalizer for those who are physically less strong or outnumbered by others who wish to do harm. In hunting, firearms present us with an incredible advantage over wild game as a food source. |
One of the biggest hurdles to get over, if you have never owned or even shot a firearm, is what to buy and why? Sam breaks down the information starting with handguns. In this episode he starts at the very beginning, covering:
- Firearm safety
- Definitions like "caliber," "rim-fire," "center-fire," "semi-automatic vs. revolver" and more
- What caliber weapon should you buy as a first gun and why?
- When does "stopping power" matter, if ever?
- Practice makes perfect
- New vs. Used, which should you buy?
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