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Most people don't consider working in an apparel store a high-risk job.  And it's not......until it is.

But earlier this week, tragedy struck when 37-year old Eunice Marie Vaquez, was fatally shot inside the Under Armour store in the International Premium Outlets mall where she worked in Orlando, Florida.

The suspected gunman, a former employee identified as 46-year old Daniel Everrett, who had been fired earlier in the day, entered the store during business hours and shot Ms. Vaquez, according to police.

"Everett allegedly sent an email to some Under Armour employees whom he felt were responsible for his firing, including Vazquez."  (Original article here.)

According to reports, the suspect fled the scene and is still at large.

Our hearts go out to the victim's family and those effected by this tragic attack.  As the story develops, it leaves us with a number of questions:

Today I want to talk to you about how to tactically respond to a mass attack.

Now when I say mass attack, I mean an active shooter event, mass stabbing, IED explosion, or combination thereof.

Coming off the Thanksgiving Day weekend, we saw three mass attacks in the West alone.  One at the London Bridge, where an alleged jihadist killed two and wounded three others with a knife; another stabbing in the Netherlands, and an active shooter event in New Orleans.

As security-minded citizens, we know these threats exist and it's our responsibility to be prepared so we can protect ourselves and others.  So where do we start?

I'm sure you're familiar with the "Run, Hide, Fight" mantra put out by DHS and other organizations.  It's a good start, but like most training out today, it tends to focus on an individual's response.  But what if you're with a group when the attack occurs?  What if you're with family members or people who aren't trained or as aware as you?  How do you manage that?

If that's got you wondering, then this post is for you.

In this post we're going to how to choose your EDC (everyday carry) knife. Now, why would you want to carry a knife with you every day, especially if you're already armed with a, with a firearm?

The reason is that the blade or the knife is the perfect backup weapon to the firearm. Why? Because it never malfunctions. It never jams and it never runs out of ammo. So how do we choose our EDC knife?

I'm sure you've heard the adage -  that no matter how good you are, there's always someone out there who's faster, stronger, and better than you.  Do you agree with that?

I've found it to be generally true with one exception.

A few years ago....the year 1600, to be exact, there was a samurai roaming the lands of Japan, named Miyamoto Musashi. 

He had just participated in the epic Battle of Sekigahara, where the warlord, Tokugawa Ieyasu, emerged victorious to claim the title of Shogun, united all the lands of Japan. 

As a successful leader, the new Shogun firmly established a dynasty that ushered a period of peace in Japan that lasted 250 years. 

While peace was a boon for the common folk, it presented a unique problem for the warriors of the time. 

With no more wars or battles, there was no way to attain glory, honor, or prove your worth to your lord.

In order to test their skills, certain samurai and sword masters reverted to public duels.  The duels were often fought to the death and provided an outlet for warriors to test and validate their skills, obtain honor, social standing. 

After Musashi, had engaged and wiped out after the local talent, he began roaming the Japanese countryside, seeking swordsmen of renown to challenge for a duel.

The story of the Barritus comes from the 4th century AD. Unlike the early Greeks who marched to the cadence of music, it was the Roman custom to march in silence.  Before the battle, the Romans would unleash a roar in unison, striking fear into the hearts of their enemy. 

This war cry was called the Barritus.  We don’t know how it sounded, but Tacitus tells us it began as a “harsh, intermittent roar.”  By holding their shields to their mouth, the reverberating sound would swell into a deafening crescendo, like waves smashing into the rocky shore.