You know him, you love him, we have all been reading his articles since we were kids, the one and only, Massad Ayoob. Although I have read almost everything he ever wrote, I never took one of his classes until this past weekend. I know, shame on me.
John Murphy of FPF Training, the self-defense guru of the mid-Atlantic region, has actually hosted Ayoob for this exact class for a number of years now. I have wanted to attend each time, but it did not work out. If I recall, for several years the class fell right at the entrance of hunting season in November, so it did not work for me (priorities, don’t judge). And, for the past two years, I have been afraid to take this class because it requires what is an impossible physical challenge for myself……..sitting. 20 hours’ worth of sitting. Due to a split disc in my lumbar back, and constant sciatic nerve pain, I can roam a shooting range all day, but I can’t sit in a chair for 10 minutes without crippling pain.
However, this year, John Murphy came through, as he always does. He said now is the time to take the class, and the conference room had plenty of space to accommodate my issue. So, I claimed the back wall of the room and set up a reclining gaming chair with a variety of pillows (I can recline, but not sit at a right angle on a regular chair), apologized to Mas for the spectacle, and proceeded to take the 20-hour marathon of information that is MAG 20 – Citizen’s Rules of Engagement.
Ayoob’s training company, MAG (Massad Ayoob Group) offers their classes titled according to the accumulated hours of instruction. For the entry level classes there is the quintessential experience that is called MAG 40, which consists of 20 hours of classroom work and 20 hours of range time. This same 40 hours is also offered as two separate 20 hour classes, MAG 20 Citizen’s Rules of Engagement, and MAG 20 Range. Citizen’s Rules of Engagement is the 20 hours’ worth of classroom time that focuses on the legalities of use of force as they apply to the armed citizen in the United States.
I am thrilled that I finally took this class. I presume the full MAG 40 class must be stellar, as all of the legal information would be interwoven with Ayoob’s defensive firearms instruction, but if an induvial who already has a lot of firearms training can only carve out 20 hours, the classroom portion should probably be the priority. I say that because, despite all of the books I have read on the subject, and all the classes I have taken that touch on it (including classes with attorneys who presented entire blocks on use-of-force law) I still learned a lot in this class and I doubt that there is anything else out there that goes this deep on the subject, save for Ayoob’s own instructor level self-defense law class that he occasionally offers.
So, although it sounds cliché, this is, certainly, a cornerstone class that every gun carrier should take. While you can learn much of this information from books and other classes, there is more information here that, in my experience, is simply not available elsewhere. In particular, this class spends a lot of time educating the student on the tactics used by prosecutors against righteous self-defenders in court. This is the content that is hard, if not impossible, to find elsewhere, as Mas has a staggering level of experience in court as an expert witness.
Caveat: This class includes blocks of instruction that are not open to the public. To attend this class you need to produce your carry permit and ID, and Mas makes it clear that the sensitive portions should not be shared by the participants with anyone beyond advanced students who are similarly background checked. Therefore, there will be no reference to any of that material in this AAR, but I will share an overview of some of the publicly accessible themes covered (all of which Mas addresses himself in his widely available books).
Initial Themes
Mas begins the first day with an introduction to some themes that will continue throughout, and he also urges his students to carefully document their training. This is advice that I have heard before from him, I presume from his writing, as it was familiar. He urges the documentation of one’s entire training history, including the final notes from this class, and suggests mailing it in a sealed envelope (or box, if needed) to yourself to be safely stored until it is, potentially, needed in court as discoverable documentation that can be used to explain the decisions made by the highly trained self-defender.
Mas then discusses things that are accessible in books and classes elsewhere, such as the “reasonable man/prudent person doctrine, ability-opportunity-jeopardy, disparity of force, proportional force, jurisprudence, and such, although there is much added and additional, even here, as he uses finely placed examples from court throughout to emphasize and illustrate.
Mas also introduces the theme of “quicksand” early on, referring to legal quicksand, essentially tricks that prosecutors will use to trip up legitimate self-defenders. This theme carries throughout and, even compared to his books on the subject, there is simply unparalleled detail given in this class that is golden for anyone who may face a politically motivated prosecutor in the future.
CYA
Mas spends a lot of time building the framework of his variation of a well-known acronym, CYA. For Massad Ayoob, this stands for Can you Articulate, and Can you Authenticate. You must be able to explain everything you do. While these themes are present in his writing, this class provides a significant deep dive. Arming one’s self with knowledge of these legal principles fosters the ability to be able to articulate the reasons why, ultimately to a jury of laypeople, who will not be familiar with such use-of-force doctrine.
Mas goes into significant detail about shots in the back, debunking the idea that these are necessarily malicious, demonstrating how perpetrators can so quickly turn away that a self-defender can simply not stop shooting in time. Again, he addresses this in his writing, but the demonstrations and extended explanation in the class imparts an entirely different level of understanding. He also spends a good deal of time on the importance of distance, reaction time, the Tueller principle, and the like.
Awareness and Mindset
Mas gives a detailed explanation of the Cooper color code, and explains why he and others favor the 5-level code as compared to Cooper’s abbreviated 4-level code. He also delves into the need for the individual to be completely certain of their ability to use deadly force, if that becomes the only solution to stopping life threatening violence, as carrying a gun is a liability if that mindset is not cemented. While none of this is particularly unique to this class, his explanation of the color code, from a legal standpoint, is unique, in my experience.
The Criminal Justice Process
This class delves into what one should expect if they are ever unfortunate enough to be swept up into the justice system after a use of force. You will likely be arrested, get your one phone call, be placed in a holding cell, etc… Mas goes into detail on who that phone call should be made to, the importance of not speaking with cell mates, the bail and bond process, etc… He discusses the importance of being a member of a support network and having designated people in place to contact and get the ball rolling for your defense. There is significant discussion on the political motivations for prosecutors to go after legitimate self-defenders, and how a solid defense team acts as a deterrent against malicious prosecution.
Arguing your Innocence in Court
A lot of prosecutorial “tricks” are examined in this class, and Mas provides much advice on how to deal with it. Prosecutors can attack on almost any issue, and they will try to make the self-defender look unhinged, like a gun nut, like a “Rambo,” etc…, and these attacks can be offset by educating the jury on why decisions were made. Mas even delves into dealing with witnesses who legitimately believe their own interpretation of events, but prove inaccurate, through pointing out the facts of the event and the use of expert witnesses.
Gun Modifications and Equipment Choices
In my lifetime, Ayoob has been the foremost voice in urging caution in weapon selection, ammunition selection, and weapon modification, as it pertains to the legal aftermath. He stresses the usual in this regard, don’t put things on your gun or equipment that make you look unhinged, like Punisher skull plates. Don’t carry zombie ammo, etc… He also provides significant detail on trigger pull weight, as it can certainly become an issue in court. Staying within factory recommendations and common custom and practice is his advice.
Navigating the Aftermath
This class even spends considerable time discussing the social and psychological aftermath of use of force. This is information that Ayoob touches on in his books, but there is a plethora of additional information here. Many seem to have the cavalier attitude of thinking a righteous use of force makes one a hero with no ramifications, and that is far from the truth. This block of information is exceedingly useful for not only those who find themselves in such a position, but for those around the individual who can support and help.
What to Say at the Scene
The class ends with a deep dive into a fairly well-known principle that Ayoob instituted years ago; a five-point list of principles to cover in a brief, initial statement at the scene before shutting up. I will not bother going through this information here as Mas has written about it, extensively, in plenty of places. There is, however, significant additional detail as to why to do this presented in this class.
Overall Presentation
About half of this class is presented through video as pre-recorded lecture. While this might seem strange, it is to ensure the message is consistent and discoverable for court, should any of the participants need to call upon it after a use of force. Following each video Mas answers questions and furthers discussion on many topics. In terms of teaching style and presentation, Ayoob has few equals. His fluency and mastery of speaking is undeniable, and he is an excellent educator. While he makes numerous jokes about his own monotone voice, he actually gets very animated and dynamic when illustrating certain points. The delivery of information is simply masterful.
Who Should Take This Class?
Honestly, anyone who carries a gun should take this class. Still, let’s expand: an armed citizen who reads Ayoob’s work, particularly the book Deadly Force: Understanding your Right to Armed Defense, will have a good command of use-of-force law as it dictates the actions of the citizen self-defender on the street. The other book I always suggest in this capacity is Andrew Branca’s The Law of Self-Defense: The Indispensable Guide to the Armed Citizen. If you read these two books you will be well ahead of the curve compared to most concealed carriers in terms of your knowledge in self-defense law.
However, this class not only goes deep into the themes covered in those books, and beyond, but it presents insight into the legal system and the court room that is exceedingly beneficial, should you find yourself there. This additional information on the court room and justice system is hard to come by, and I don’t think an armed citizen can find a better avenue into this information anywhere else. Especially if you teach concealed carry or self-defense in any capacity, this course is even that much more worthwhile. If at all possible, take this course.
Final Thoughts
There is so much more to this class that simply cannot be addressed at even the 30,000 foot view in an AAR. My advice is very much to take this class as soon as you have the opportunity to do so. Massad Ayoob is now in his mid-seventies, so nobody will hold it against him if he wants to eventually retire. With that said, he seems to still be in great condition, and he is still at the top of his game, remaining a walking encyclopedia of such information, and he does not seem like a “retire and take it easy” kind of guy. So, get into this class if you can. If you vowed never to sit for this many hours in a classroom since graduating school or college, I think this would make the one, worthy, exception.
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