The Portuguese government banned Rhodesian recruitment in the late 1970s, but was unable to enforce the legislation. [56] The desertion rate among foreigners serving in the SAS was particularly high. and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the While a thousand organizations use the Holocaust as a platform for speeches about tolerance, Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Children Of Jewish Holocaust Survivors [Jews Can Shoot]. [40] They were recruited by the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) from a French military base in Djibouti. [79] Both the main nationalist groups believed that the volunteers' presence indicated that western governments supported the Rhodesian regime. Heads bob around erratically and the effective zone is relatively small. Successful applicants were then offered a rank in the security forces. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. Check out the most recent activity on High Ground Media, LLC! All too many of the other great tragedies of history - Stalin's atrocities, the killing fields of Cambodia, the Holocaust, to name but a few - were perpetrated by armed troops against unarmed populations. The Mozambique drill, originally developed by a Rhodesian mercenary, MIke Rousseau, is a standard practice drill for self defense. My Forums, Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com This bullet struck a bit low, entering the mans neck and severing his spinal cord, effectively ending the fight. The articles in Soldier of Fortune reflected Rhodesian government propaganda, as they claimed that the country was a western democracy, the war was being fought against communism and did not discuss the oppression of Rhodesia's black majority. The Mozambique drill is performed for both accuracy and time. Once you can achieve repeatable accuracy, then you can start to speed things up. The concept of the Mozambique Drill is to ensure a threat is stopped even if the initial center mass shots fail to get the job done. Mozambique Drill - Bryce Towsley Center mass shots are easier to make quickly. In 2021 White wrote that the numbers of foreign volunteers may have been small, and the ex-Rhodesian generals she had interviewed "scoffed at me when I asked if there were fifteen hundred foreigners in the Rhodesian Army". If the target continues to advance despite two well-placed shots to the torso, the shooter follows up with a more precisely aimed (and more difficult to accomplish) head shot. During fighting at the Loureno Marques airport (modern-day Maputo ), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla, 10 paces away and armed with an AK-47. [11], UDI and Rhodesia's racial inequalities led to the outbreak of the Rhodesian Bush War. [74], The Canadian spree killer Mathew Lamb was able to join the Rhodesian Army in 1974 after being released from a mental institution. [26][34] Other volunteers were expected to pay their own way. (snip) Rousseau related the story to an acquaintance, small arms expert Jeff Cooper, founder of the Gunsite Academy shooting school, who incorporated the "Mozambique Drill" into his . Sometimes in practice, I will draw my weapon and shoot one shot to the chest . |-- Places However, this drill is mostly concerned with improving your shooting skills rather than learning the nuances of self-defense tactics. In the 1960s he coined the term hoplophobia, an irrational fear of weapons. The two movements espoused Marxist beliefs and were regarded as communists by the Rhodesian government. European colonial powers like Belgium and Portugal fought to defend their interests, but the rebels had little to lose and everything to gain. FRELIMO's Marxist underpinnings earned it support from Russia and China. Now you understand the history and background as well as the importance of the Failure Drill. This drill was popularised by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau, during the Mozambican War of Independence, who was the inspiration for the character of Kuben Blisk. Although speed is definitely one of the goals of the Mozambique Drill, it isnt nearly as important as accuracy. Rousseau immediately brought up his Browning HP35 pistol and fired two bullets into the target's upper chest, usually enough to incapacitate or kill outright. During a fight, he bumped into a guerrilla soldier armed with an AK-47. It is commonly known as a" Mozambique Drill" because it comes from a story told to Cooper from Rhodesian Mike Rousseau, a mercenary during the Mozambican War of Independence. [86] Due to the difficulty of drafting legislation that could effectively ban Britons from serving with Rhodesia or enforcing the measures that were brought in, there is no record of any British citizens being punished for serving with the Rhodesian Security Forces during the war. However, in a dynamic situation, the fraction of a second it takes to assess the threat could put your life in danger. From the beginning, Africas indigenous people resisted. Multiple Gunshot Death - TV Tropes All Rights Reserved. Jews Can Shoot is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Easter Lessons by bmt | Mar 29, 2016 | Towsley on Tactical blog [7] Fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered an enemy combatant, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, at 10 paces (7.5m (25ft)). Before it was even a drill, it was actual shots fired in a gunfight. Miss the zone, and the projectile could deflect off the bony areas of the skull without eliminating the threat. [34], In addition to using advertisements, Rhodesian recruitment teams, including some led by Lamprecht, visited several countries. [57] By the end of the war there were around 6,000 SADF personnel in Rhodesia. Proper tactics can vary greatly depending on the circumstances and situation. Mozambique Drill - How It Works & Why To Use It - The Lodge at AmmoToGo.com If a few hundred Jewish fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars. So how does a Rhodesian mercenary figure into the story? Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. By 1979 the Rhodesian government was facing defeat and the war was costing 2,000 lives each month. The Rhodesian government openly advertised in the American Soldier of Fortune magazine during 1975. While catchy mottoes are easy to remember, the technique itself can be difficult to master. In 1976 former Portuguese officials offered 2,000 white soldiers who had served with the UNITA nationalist movement in Angola until that country's independence. You can support the efforts of Jews Can Shoot that Nothing Says Never Again Like an Armed Jew. The most effective way is two easy shots to the attackers center of mass, then assess the target. Damn the Terrs: American warriors fighting for Rhodesia The pelvis does not move as erratically as the head or shoulders, and should be an easier target than a bobbing and weaving head. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the Therefore, the more difficult head shot should be used as a follow up to your double tap. Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. He also noted that the party drew on the ideas and language used by the contemporary radical right movement in the United States to justify UDI. As he turned a corner, he bumped into a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. Guerrilla forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front (or FRELIMO) became embroiled in a war of independence with Portugal. During the Mozambican War of Independence, a Rhodesian mercenary by the name of Mike Rousseau was engaged in a firefight at the airport at Lourenco Marques. Relying on instinct and training, Rousseau delivered a double tap to the combatants chest with his Browning Hi Power pistol and, Upon hearing the story of Rousseaus encounter, Cooper incorporated a three-shot drill into his training at the famous, . Seeing that the fighter was still advancing, Rousseau attempted a head shot that hit the guerrilla through the base of his neck, severing the spinal cord. ATLAS 8 DRY-FIRE TRAINING SYSTEM Spotter Up Most of the mercenary soldiers carried FN FAL or HK G3 rifles. Copyright 2023 Jews Can Shoot. [78], The nationalists argued in their propaganda that the Rhodesian regime's need for foreign volunteers illustrated its political and military weaknesses. |-- Ask the Administrators The JEWS CAN SHOOT trademarks are owned and controlled by Doris Wise Montrose. |-- General Discussion | Discussion It was also unclear whether serving in the Rhodesian military was illegal under laws that prohibited service in foreign militaries as the British did not recognise Rhodesia's independence. These two additions to the drill could make a world of difference in a real-life self-defense situation. [17] The Army's structure of administrative corps was similar to that of the British Army, and many of its officers had undergone training in the United Kingdom. In the 1980s, the Los Angeles Police Department began teaching the drill but renamed it the more politically correct Failure Drill. Gun Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. a close quarter tactical method of killing a target with two shots to the chest and one follow up shot to the head. The United Nations General Assembly had adopted a similar motion several days earlier at the behest of several countries in southern Africa. He offered Rhodesia the services of these men after they completed training, though he intended to eventually use them to retake Albania. Dissecting the Mozambique Drill - Bearing Arms [67], The large group of Frenchmen who enlisted together were used to form 7 Independent Company. The Walther P38: Godfather of the modern combat handgun One would figure two slugs to the chest would drop the enemy fighter, but no. Rousseauarmed onyl with a pistolturned a corner and encountered an enemy soldier carrying an AK-47. [39][40][41] Sources differ on whether these men were paratroopers or members of the French Foreign Legion. Mike Rousseau was a trained soldier so he instinctively presented his handgun and shot the guerilla twice in the chest, launching both rounds in quick succession. Dont be surprised to hear the drill referred to as the Zombie Drill or Zombie Check. [46] Economic factors also influenced some of the volunteers, as they believed that the Rhodesian Security Forces offered better career prospects than those available in their home country. [32][33], The Rhodesian Security Forces' recruitment staff responded to people who wrote letters of inquiry after reading the advertisements. Many could well have been avoided or mitigated, had the perpetrators known their intended victims were equipped with a rifle and twenty bullets apiece, as the Militia Act required here. Two shots to the chest failed to stop the guy, so Rousseau had to transition point of aim for a head shot. Setup: 1x USPSA Silhouette Target: Rousseau had a pistol. Most of its members left Rhodesia after the company was withdrawn from operations to be retrained, though some settled in Rhodesia. As he turned a corner, he bumped into a FRELIMO guerrilla armed with an AK-47. History of the Failure Drill: - The Armory Life Fighting at the airport at Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau rounded a corner and encountered a FRELIMO guerrilla, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, at 10 paces. Portugal said it supported the Mozambique people and designated it an overseas territory in the 1950s in lieu of calling it a colony, but it was still a colony no matter how Portugal presented it. They generally joined the Rhodesian Security Forces individually after seeing advertisements or after being contacted by recruiters. One such soldier of fortune was Mike Rousseau. [29] Advertisements were also placed in other American magazines, including Shotgun News and Shooting Times. Save my name and email to use for future comments. Rousseau immediately performed a double tap two shots to the center of the torso. [30] Some ads described service in Rhodesia as "fun". [47], All foreign volunteers were required to complete basic training upon arrival in Rhodesia, even if they had prior military experience. Due to factors such as body armor, the bolstering effect of drugs, or failure to hit vital organs, the body shots may not be immediately effective, necessitating the third shot. Copyright 2023 BearingArms.com/Salem Media. The third shot should be aimed to destroy the brain or brain stem, killing the target and preventing the target from retaliating. The so-called Mozambique Drill (two shots to the chest, one to the head) was actually developed by accident by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the War of Independence in Mozambique when two pistol shots to the torso failed to bring down an enemy guerrilla. If youve been around defensive pistol shooting for a while, youve likely heard of the Mozambique Drill (AKA, failure to stop drill). [14] Rhodesia's security situation deteriorated during the mid-1970s when the nationalists were able to establish bases in Mozambique as Portuguese rule faltered and finally ended in 1975. His third shot was low, taking out the fighters neck and spinal cord. In 1980, two Los Angeles Police Department SWAT officers, Larry Mudgett and John Helms, attended pistol training at Gunsite and received permission from Cooper to teach the technique to the LAPD, and to rename it the Failure Drill (concerned that "Mozambique" might have racist overtones). [66] The difficult conditions contributed to high desertion rates. A par time for this drill should be four seconds. The Australian parliament passed legislation banning Australians from serving with Rhodesia in 1978. Editors Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. While engaged in fighting at the airport of Loureno Marques (modern-day Maputo), Rousseau was armed with only a Browning HP35 pistol. dissenting.). Home [83] Various approaches were considered to develop legislation to ban recruitment by the Rhodesian Security Forces during the late 1970s, but none eventuated. No matter the reason, the third shot should stop the attacker in his tracks. [4][5][6], According to anecdotal history, the technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, engaged in the Mozambican War of Independence (19641974). Rousseau relayed this story to Jeff Cooper, who then began employing this failure to stop drill in his teaching at Gunsite. |-- Topic Forums Portugal had ruled Mozambique for four hundred years, had subsequent deep roots in the country, and was not leaving without a fight. The drill was inspired by an incident encountered by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the Mozambican War of Independence (1964 to about 1974). Rousseau was later killed in action in the Rhodesian War. [65] Most of the volunteers served under Rhodesian officers. The Portuguese forces collaborated with Rhodesia which had experience from the Bush War in the early 1960s to create special forces teams to deal with FRELIMO. Its a handy tool to have in your defensive tool box just in case shots to center mass dont accomplish what they are supposed to do. The drill is also sometimes called the Failure Drill, as the third and final shot is made in response to a situation when the double tap fails to stop an advancing threat. ), Shoulder Holster: 8 Pro Up-Top Carry Options (2023). What these European countries didnt factor in was the determination of the African people. Click the Go To Forum Thread link below to jump in! [62] He had previously attempted to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces, but was rejected. [73] Foreign volunteers typically received a hostile reception from their Rhodesian comrades, which contributed to many leaving before the end of their contract. Semi-automatic pistols in those days relied on FMJ bullets so the pistol would function properly. The drill was inspired by an incident encountered by Rhodesian mercenary Mike Rousseau during the Mozambican War of Independence (1964 to about 1974). The Mozambique Drill is a close-quarter shooting technique in which the shooter fires twice into the torso of a target (known as a double tap to the center of mass), momentarily assesses the hits, then follows them up with a carefully aimed shot to the head of the target. the phrase was coined by a rhodesian mercenary named Mike Rousseau while he was serving in Mozambique. In many countries it was illegal to serve with the Rhodesian Security Forces. This proposal was quickly dismissed as the Rhodesians did not see how they could arm or use large numbers of non-English speakers. However, here we are more concerned with your shooting than tactics, because the subtle nuances of the proper tactics can vary from situation to situation. If a few hundred Jewish fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto could hold off the Wehrmacht for almost a month with only a handful of weapons, six million Jews armed with rifles could not so easily have been herded into cattle cars." The Mozambique drill was made famous by Jeff Cooper after learning about this incident. Rousseau immediately brought up his Browning HP35 pistol and fired two bullets into the target's upper chest, usually enough to incapacitate or kill outright. Center mass is easier to hit quickly, and in most cases will effectively stop a threat. [51] As a result, there are a range of estimates of the numbers of foreigners who travelled to Rhodesia to serve with the security forces: British citizens made up the majority of the foreign volunteers who served with the Rhodesian Security Forces. Modern zombie culture has also appropriated the Mozambique Drill. Rousseau told his harrowing story to Jeff Cooper, who thought that it made a darn good defensive shooting drill. [72], The Rhodesian Army regarded the volunteers as disloyal and undisciplined. [40], The Rhodesian government did not accept all offers of volunteers. While it might seem strange at first, its not a long stretch to connect the dots from a country off the east coast of Africa, to a Rhodesian mercenary, to a shooting technique, and finally to someone who conceal carries and trains to defend themselves. [39] An exception was a group of almost 200 French military personnel who enlisted together in late 1976. 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, Sometimes shooting a bad guy in the chest just isnt enough. He named it after the country where the incident occurred, dubbing his drill the Mozambique Drill., Practical Variations to the Mozambique Drill, El Presidente Drill Assessing Your Shooting Skills, The Best Self Defense Ammo Ballistic Testing. The term refers to his encounter with an AK-47 armed guerilla at an airport in Mozambique where he was armed with a Browning Hi-Power. Transitioning between targets can take some getting used to, especially for shooters still trying to get some experience under their belts. We can either live in a paranoid politically correct world frantically trying not to offend the Hitlers and Mohammeds, and blaming their victims when they kill, or we can be free men and women who have chosen to take the power to defend our rights into our own hands. He is the author of numerous gun books, including 9MM Guide to America's Most Popular Caliber, a #1 New Release on Amazon. Rhodesian Mike Rousseau was serving as a mercenary in the Mozambican War of Independence. There arent a lot of guarantees in a gunfight, but the Failure Drill just might be your best defense in time of need, particularly if you are facing an opponent wearing body armor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Cooper_%28colonel%29. The volunteers had a range of motivations. You may have also heard it called the Failure To Stop Drill. Seeing that the fighter was still advancing, Rousseau attempted a head shot that hit the guerrilla through the base of his neck, severing the spinal cord. Two to the body and one to the head is guaranteed to stop a threat. According to anecdotal history, the technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, engaged in the Mozambican War of Independence (1964-1974). [87] The historian Hugh Patterson noted that the relatively small numbers of volunteers from the UK indicates that "however vocal the support for Rhodesia by some on the political right, very few men were actually willing to put their futures on the line for the Smith [Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith] regime". [2][3] Accordingly, the government issued Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from the United Kingdom in November 1965, with the colony becoming Rhodesia. [60] Foreign volunteers who openly expressed extreme racial views were deported. |-- General Discussion: Presidency [67] Many of the volunteers were frustrated that they were paid only in Rhodesian dollars, as foreign banks would not process this currency and the Rhodesian government allowed no more than R$1,500 to be converted to other currencies. According to the anecdotal history, the technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau, engaged in the Mozambican War of Independence (1964-1974). The failure to stop drill is a great drill but it is only a drill, and one of many. [26], Several individuals and companies recruited United States citizens to fight in Rhodesia. During a fight, he bumped into a guerrilla soldier armed with an AK-47. Soldier of Fortune ran large numbers of articles on foreigners in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Bush War; each edition published between 1975 and 1980 included at least one article on the subject. The British military did not take up a suggestion by the FCO that it warn servicemen against enlisting with the Rhodesian Security Forces on the grounds that serving as a mercenary was not actually illegal. Frankly, I dont know of many shooters who maintain the level of skill to pull this off consistently at 3-5 yards. Of course, we have to be careful of adhering to dogma, no matter where it comes from. 2003) (Kozinski, J. [35] Organisations representing veterans were another method used to contact potential recruits. [66], The volunteers typically found conditions in Rhodesia to be tough, and those who had joined up due to a belief that they would enjoy a good lifestyle were rapidly disappointed. views and opinions of Springfield Armory. They observed that the volunteers "failed in their efforts to protect the white regime, but not before they supported and contributed to a conflict that lasted fifteen years and claimed tens of thousands of lives". Today, with the proliferation of zombies in our culture, it could be called the zombie drill or zombie check, because a head shot is the only way to kill a zombie. [9] It took pains to not be seen as racially or politically extreme, and the party's rhetoric was focused on the need to combat the perceived communist threat rather than the goal of sustaining racial superiority. Portugal still maintained strong control over Mozambique.