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, . Rounding a corner Rousseau found himself unexpectedly face to face with a FRELIMO guerilla armed with an AK47 at a range of about ten paces. [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. [39] An exception was a group of almost 200 French military personnel who enlisted together in late 1976. Two American ex-Marine deserters from the Forces who robbed jewelry stores in Salisbury, while carrying stolen Uzis, were involved in a shoot-out with authorities at the South African border. articles and videos are considered to be suggestions and not recommendations from Springfield Armory. At the time of UDI, the Rhodesian Army had a strength of over 18,400, including 15,000 reservists, the Rhodesian Air Force had a small but modern fleet of combat aircraft and the paramilitary British South Africa Police included 7,000 full time and 25,000 reserve personnel. [37] Some of the Americans volunteered to work as security guards on farms in Rhodesia as this offered the opportunity to fight communists while receiving higher pay than that offered by the security forces. | ContactUs | PrivacyPolicy. [16], The Rhodesian Security Forces were considerably expanded over the war. Over the years, this drill has morphed into a variety of other drills and, if you put any two firearms instructors together, youll get a different opinion as to how its to be properly executed. Now you understand the history and background as well as the importance of the Failure Drill. Engaged in a firefight at an airport in Lourenco Marques, Rousseau encountered a guerilla fighter armed with an AK-47. 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. In 1977 the pretender to the Albanian throne, Leka I, asked the Rhodesian government to train a battalion of Albanians that he hoped to recruit. and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the It sought to attract more white immigrants to the country, but from 1973 onwards the white population decreased. Habah l'hargecha hashkem l'hargo -- "If someone is coming to kill you, rise against him and kill him first.". It takes focus, determination, and plenty of practice to pull off the Mozambique Drill quickly and effectively. Home This little rhyme, refers to the Mozambique Drill. The Mozambique drill was made famous by Jeff Cooper after learning about this incident. It is not known how many Vietnam veterans fought in Rhodesia. [46], In addition to the actual volunteers, thousands of South African Police and South African Defence Force (SADF) personnel were deployed to Rhodesia by the South African government to serve in or alongside the Rhodesian Security Forces. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. [41][42] The CIO regarded this as a success, but all other elements of the Rhodesian government were sceptical. Portugal had ruled Mozambique for . Thank you for your support. Armed with a Browning HP35 pistol chambered in 9mm, Rousseau immediately brought up his Hi Power and shot the guerrilla twice in the chest. [30] As a result, White has observed that the volunteers were typically more willing to fight and even die for the ideology of the Rhodesian Front party than for Rhodesia itself. You may have also heard it called the Failure To Stop Drill. We must protect our Second Amendment and we must spread the word that Jews support the right to bear arms. [5][9], The Mozambique Drill is featured in a number of movies, notably Heat and Collateral, both directed by Michael Mann.[10]. Rousseau hit the target on either side of the sternum, usually enough to incapacitate or kill a target outright. [21], While most of the security forces' personnel were black, the Rhodesian government had a strong preference for whites. The JEWS CAN SHOOT trademarks are owned and controlled by Doris Wise Montrose. These organisations provided recruits for the security forces as well as private industry, including farms, mines and timber companies. [62] The revelations about Lamb's history embarrassed the Army and led to concerns in Rhodesia about the quality of the foreign volunteers. Heres the connection. That was in the 1400s and 1500s when Portugal set up trading settlements that evolved into colonies. 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. You can also take two steps to the side to get offline of the attack before making the final head shot. [103] Stephen Jeffreys' 1980 play 'The Jubilee Too' included a British volunteer who had returned from Rhodesia as one of its characters. [23] Other volunteers were posted to a range of units, including protection companies mainly made up of black soldiers and the largely white Grey's Scouts and Rhodesian Armoured Corps. Many of the Europeans had previously served with the French Foreign Legion. 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. Relying on instinct and training, Rousseau delivered a double tap to the combatants chest with his Browning Hi Power pistol and 9mm ammunition. [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. [28] This magazine had been established that year to promote mercenary opportunities, and provided a positive portrayal of the lifestyle available to mercenaries. Rousseau told his harrowing story to Jeff Cooper, who thought that it made a darn good defensive shooting drill. Remember that 9mm ammo circa late 1960s and late 1970s was marginally better than 9mm ammo from WWII. So how does a Rhodesian mercenary figure into the story? The Mozambique drill was made famous by Jeff Cooper after learning about this incident. Shooting Skills: The Mozambique-Failure Drill, Light Em Up: Home Defense Lasers and Lights. He was fighting in the Mozambican War of Independence 1964-1974. the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC. The British noted that such a resolution might prove impractical as many Rhodesians held dual citizenship. [44] Many volunteers were also strongly anti-communist, and wanted to stop the further spread of this ideology in Africa. It is estimated that between 800 and 2,000 foreign volunteers enlisted, with the exact number not being known. Got a message for Democratic Underground? [13], Guerrilla activities began in 1966, and mainly involved small groups operating in northern Rhodesia. 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. If the target is still advancing and active, apply a third, more surgical shot to the head to shut down the threat. [42] Small numbers of black ex-Flechas from Mozambique were also accepted after the end of Portuguese rule in that country; they were paid less than white soldiers. Its a port city in southern Mozambique where it can be hot with humidity over 80 percent. Although the legendary Col. Jeff Cooper is credited with developing the Mozambique Drill, he had a little help. Let your fellow shooters know share this article using the Facebook, Twitter and other social media icons below. Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Handgun Training for Personal Protection. Rousseau immediately performed a double tap two shots to the center of the torso. As of 2021, the literature largely comprises brief discussions of the topic as part of books and academic journal articles on broader issues. However, even with two new and bleeding nipples, the guerrilla was still coming at him, so Rousseau tried for the head. Portugal still maintained strong control over Mozambique. 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". 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. 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. [63], After completing training, many of the volunteers were assigned to the all-white Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) and particularly its 3 Commando sub-unit. The scope of these sanctions was increased over time, and included restrictions on support for its military. Two to the body and one to the head became the mantra. |-- Topic Forums The French troops were being withdrawn from Djibouti upon that country's independence, and French intelligence agents helped facilitate their recruitment by the Rhodesian Army. [25] Rhodesian recruitment leaflets were also circulated within British Army barracks that year. Semi-automatic pistols in those days relied on FMJ bullets so the pistol would function properly. Easter Lessons by bmt | Mar 29, 2016 | Towsley on Tactical blog He has trained with some of the countrys finest firearm instructors in handguns, rifles/carbines, shotguns and long-range shooting. [96][97] In January 1980 the British Lord Privy Seal, Ian Gilmour, stated that the British government had committed during the negotiations that led to the Lancaster House Agreement to not remove foreigners from the Rhodesian military prior to the election. These What these European countries didnt factor in was the determination of the African people. Mike Rousseau was a white Rhodesian mercenary engaged in combat against FRELIMO guerillas in and around the Mozambique capital of Maputo. Rousseau relayed this story to Jeff Cooper, who then began employing this failure to stop drill in his teaching at Gunsite. During a fight, he bumped into a guerrilla soldier armed with an AK-47. The Carter administration considered taking steps to stop Americans serving in Rhodesia, but this did not result in any policy changes. Copyright Ammotogo.com 2023 All Rights Reserved. [62][76], The nationalist groups that were fighting the Rhodesian regime and many progressive groups worldwide considered the volunteers to be mercenaries. Apparently, the only way to stop a zombie is with a well-placed head shot. 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. [65] Most of the volunteers served under Rhodesian officers. views and opinions of Springfield Armory. The story goes that this technique originated with a Rhodesian mercenary, Mike Rousseau. Failure in a gunfight is not an option. [38], Most of the foreigners who volunteered to fight for Rhodesia did so individually. This proved impossible due to the large numbers and difficulty of checking their backgrounds. 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. Body armor, extra thick clothing, psychoactive drugs, or even a massive adrenaline dump are all reasons those first two shots may not be effective on your target. The Rhodesian government attempted several strategies to address these shortages. 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. An accurate shot to the T-zone (the area between the eyebrows and upper lip, also called the ocular cavity) damages the brain and central nervous system and secures instant incapacitation of the target. [79] Both the main nationalist groups believed that the volunteers' presence indicated that western governments supported the Rhodesian regime. 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. Your goal should be three accurate shots in under four seconds. [67], The large group of Frenchmen who enlisted together were used to form 7 Independent Company. At least thats what Ive been told. In the chaotic maelstrom that swallowed up untold treasure and an entire generation of people, soldiers of fortune found employment opportunities on a previously unprecedented scale. How rude! The Rhodesian government openly advertised in the American Soldier of Fortune magazine during 1975. These men were often directed to wear Rhodesian uniforms, and the South African government falsely claimed that some had volunteered for the Rhodesian Security Forces. [71] There were concerns that many of the volunteers were motivated more by a desire to fight in a war than a commitment to Rhodesia. [73] Foreign volunteers typically received a hostile reception from their Rhodesian comrades, which contributed to many leaving before the end of their contract.