My dad was Special Forces, a "Snake Eater," and growing up we always had pet snakes - which we eventually released back into the wild. We had non-poisonous and poisonous snakes. My brother and I, not so much my mom and sister, learned a lot about snakes. For example, 'round here we have three common poisonous snakes - water moccasins, or cottonmouths, copperheads, and rattle snakes. After spending time with them you learn that each of these snakes have different personalities. The cottonmouth is a thoroughly dangerous character. They are aggressive with absolutely no sense of humor, hate to be disturbed and will go out of their way to attack you, even while attempting to escape. You have to keep your eyes open, constantly checking for these guys, especially around standing or slow moving water, which we have a lot of here. When you spot one of these you take precautions, find another route and leave them be. Copperheads are not as aggressive. Their normal response to potential trouble is to freeze. The problem with this is we are programmed to look for movement, an indicator of possible trouble. A copperhead will let you walk right over them and never strike. Or, if you're not paying attention you step on it in which case it will defend itself. Rattlesnakes are very cool creatures. They have beautiful skins with amazing colors and patterns, which also act as camouflage. Rattlers are usually not very aggressive. When threatened they freeze, to avoid being spotted, or try to escape. When cornered or threatened they'll issue audible warnings, shaking their beads, rattling in order to scare off their opponent. If all else fails they bite. Rattlers are normally passive unless forced to defend. This is one of the reasons the American colonial rebels used the Timber rattler on their "Don't Tread On Me" flag. "So," you ask, "what does all this have to do with tactics?" We can learn a lot from snakes. Some people are a lot like the cottonmouth. They are aggressive, will attack without warning, and should be avoided at all costs. Other people are like copperheads. They're fine, right up until you corner them in your house or try to put the cuffs on 'em. I like to think of myself as a rattler. I wear regular clothing, trying to blend into the environment. If I sense something not quite right I try to sneak away without attracting attention. When faced with a potential threat, and the situation allows, I issue verbal commands; hopefully the threat(s) will comply. At the same time I'm getting ready to defend myself with my weapon. If necessary I'm ready and willing to "bite." In eastern martial arts nature was studied and often mimicked in style. And while you might not call your discipline the "snake" style, there is a lot we can learn about fighting, both defense and offensive actions, from the study of wild creatures. Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama. He is the author of "The Book of Two Guns," writes for several firearms/tactical publications, and is featured on GunTalk's DVD, "Fighting With The 1911 - http://shootrite.org/dvd/dvd.html Website: www.shootrite.org http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shootrite-Firearms-Academy/156608611038230?ref=ts