FEATURED AUTHOR
CLYDE CACERES

Clyde Caceres is a highly regarded firearms instructor with many years of experience in training law enforcement and civilians. He is featured in the Paladin video Shots in the Dark: A Complete Guide to the Tactical Use of Laser Sights, which debuted in May 2000. Clyde is currently the law enforcement training director for Crimson Trace Corporation, one of the largest manufacturers of laser sights in the world. Having grown up in Hawaii, Clyde was raised on the island tradition of "talking story," so we'll let him tell his! Read on.

To some, training police officers in tactical laser application in low-light operations might seem an odd pursuit for a guy who, in the early '70s, would have figured the best use of a laser was pointing out the straightest line between the beach and a wave. I mean, how can you take seriously a guy who, at age 18, moves from the beaches of Hawaii to the rain of Oregon? From the outside looking in, you'd think the guy has got to be out of his mind . . . and has the credibility of one big coconut! But 30 years later, that's what I'm doing--conducting training workshops at law enforcement agencies throughout the country and beyond, and promoting my video on tactical laser application in low-light operations.

Most of my early years were spent more in the water than on land. My earliest memories are of seawater--being in it, under it, and on it. The precise feeling of crusted salt drying on my back is a vivid one in my mind to this day. Evenings were often spent surrounded by friends, neighbors, and relatives (o'hana) gathered under breeze-rustled coconut fronds, "talking story" and playing music . . . and often drinking too much beer.

Before I was even a teenager, martial arts were a compelling force in my life. Growing up, my studies included the arts of shotokan, hun gar, wing chun, and arnis. Of course, 20 years ago arnis was still called kali and escrima, and learning took place in Guro's backyard--in shorts and an undershirt. The commercialization of the arts had not yet begun. At that time in my life, firearms were nothing more than a recreational outlet for some target shooting, a bit of hunting, and shooting varmints ("mongooses") at the local dump. Lots and lots of notches got cut into the stock of that .22 . . .

College brought a big change of life in which "Island Boy" became "Rain Man." It was for the better, although college ended in three years (. . . I still might finish). Among other things, I learned that "going to the beach" didn’t mean Jams, surf wax, and "sleepas." (To me, sleepas were what you wore on your feet--a rubber sole with a strap between your big toe and the next. Locals in Hawaii used to laugh at tourists, or haoles, who called them "go-aheads, flip-flops, or thongs". . . though I'm all for thongs as we know them today.) The Oregon beach was cold, gray, and damp, and often described with positive words like "dramatic," "cozy," and "romantic." (Quite frankly, I'd have preferred words like "warm," "sunny," and "thong-infested!") Friends took me skiing . . . in the freaking snow, no less! In the lodge, they pointed to the skis that would fit me, measured from the ground to where my wrist and hand broke over the tip of the ski. These sure looked long to a guy who had experienced the trend toward shorter and shorter surfboards in recent years. I was laughed out of the ski shop for daring to suggest that I would prefer the short skis along the other wall. In unison, everyone said, "Those are kid's skis; you can’t use them! They're too short, and you won't be able to control them." So guess what their response was when I asked the next question: "Is there something I could use that looks like a small surfboard, where both of my feet attach to it, so I can go down the slope like I'm on a wave?" I was laughed out of the shop even louder! Turns out, when it came to skiing "Island Boy" was a visionary (ahead of his time by 20 years or so). Had he stuck to his intuitions . . . Ah, well, we can only speculate about hindsight or where we'd be today.

Life on the mainland eventually brought a wife (is that spelled with an "X" or "Ex"?) and three wonderful sons. It also brought a move from Oregon to Toronto (that's in Canada, eh!), where I spent three years, and lots more martial arts study. By the mid-'80s I had established a school for martial arts and made the transition from empty-hand to superior tools. I had long before witnessed a demonstration by an aikido master named (I believe) Uyeshiba-Sensei, from Japan. He tossed guys three times his size all over the dojo. When he was asked to break some concrete blocks, he said, "Hai," and positioned himself in front of the blocks. While the crowd stood, oohing and aahing, he politely said, "Please, hammer." The event spokesman said, "No, Sensei, with your hands." to which Sensei replied, "Why should I use hands if I can use hammer?" Reflecting on that logic, I began to feel guns made more and more sense, and my relationship with firearms changed from one of simple recreation to one that blended recreational pursuits with traditional defensive tactics.

I soaked up knowledge like a sponge for the next bunch of years, visiting, meeting, discussing, communicating, and studying with every authority I could. I was on a quest to understand their approach to both empty-hand and firearms techniques. Blending all of this brought some clear perspective as to what works and what doesn't. And it boils down to the often-repeated Bruce Lee quote, "Absorb what is useful." Sometimes it's empty hand, sometimes it's an extension of the empty hand, and sometimes it's superior tools.

I maintained my own martial arts and firearms training business until Crimson Trace Corporation came calling. They wanted me to come to work for this fledgling company that had developed a new twist on "laser-sighting" for pistols. Big changes from the old stuff. My initial response was cold: "No thanks; I'm enjoying what I'm doing." I'd think to myself, "What's up with this toy? It's against the rules to use Star Wars add-ons." They asked again, and my response was the same. ("Great bunch of guys, talented engineers," I thought, "but this is a gimmick that won't make it.") On their third approach, I took a lesson from my own book ("keep an open mind") and thought, maybe I should look at what might be "good" about this new brand of laser-sighting kung fu. I simply asked for some test units of Lasergrips, told them "no promises," and headed to the field for a month of open-minded testing. When my list of positive uses (about 20) dwarfed my list of negatives (three or four, all of them essentially training or discipline issues), I was humbled. That's OK; many of the world's finest tacticians have likewise been humbled over the past few years. And thus, my work with Crimson Trace started. In 1996 they basically handed me a blank slate and told me, "We want to get this product to military and law enforcement."

Gradually, the rest of the world has begun to recognize the huge benefits of using Lasergrips. For me, the past four years have been an incredible study in new ideas, new technology, and the psychology of resistance. The fable of The Emperor's New Clothes has played over and over in my mind as I have attempted to understand the mind-set of "don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is already made up." The world has been slow to believe, but individuals have been convinced totally once they adopt an open mind and experiment with this powerful new technology. Over time, we are amassing significant evidence that this newfangled piece of high-tech equipment is a powerful tool to add to the toolbox that is truly saving lives, money, and a whole lot of grief. Experience has shown that the real-world application of laser sighting is clear as a laser beam on a dark night. Watch the video Shots in the Dark and see for yourself!

Q & A

Paladin: Where did you get your firearms training?
Caceres: Originally, by applying martial arts concepts to firearms use; looking at the firearm as an extremely long extension of your weaponry. Eventually I trained under some of the finest teachers and people in the field: Massad Ayoob, Jim Cirillo, Marty Hayes, and many others--all of whom I consider teachers, mentors, and, most importantly, friends. I've shot alongside and trained with the most high-speed agencies in the world, and I have taught and learned at the finest training organizations, including IALEFI, ASLET, NRA Law Enforcement cadre, and more. I now provide training for the department with which I'm sworn. I teach from the perspective of fighting from "a fighting platform" or "engagement platform," rather than a specialized platform of arranging yourself to be in different positions based on whether you hold a pistol, shotgun, knife, baton, or fists. The focus is on learning to fight from a solid base, regardless of the weapon.

Paladin: Explain the main benefits of using laser sights in training.
Caceres: The three Ts of use are Training, Tactics, and Threat de-escalation. In training the applications are huge. What lasers do is provide a feedback system that is visual. This feedback system does more than the traditional bullet holes system. Used as the only feedback system, bullet holes requires facilities, scheduling, transportation, and so on. Through the final measurement, bullet holes show result (sometimes creating more anxiety than good); the laser (used with dry or live fire) shows process. Process is what allows you to see what you are doing and make corrections. The laser then shows you the changes in your process, allowing you to make intuitive the adaptations. The changes are inscribed in your muscle memory, not simply in your ear by a range officer who continues to yell commands. The result is that the student learns more effectively and quickly. The goal is for the laser to be used for training to increase the fundamentals of proficiency, so that the shooter's skill level increases even if he turns off the laser. I've used this technique, and I've seen it work many times.

Paladin: How does a shooter handle a worst-case situation where the laser sights fail at a critical moment?
Caceres: If you train properly and to high tactical standards, you'll be looking over your gun (just above sight plane) when your laser is working or if it fails. If you train properly, the laser will have ingrained the proper presentation methods you need in a critical incident. In close-quarter engagement, the sight referencing you get from this position is often the shooting position you would be at in CQB as you visually engage your threat. At longer distances (say 10 yards plus), the immediate action response is to tilt your head about an inch down and engage the sights.

Any aspect of procedure or equipment could fail in the presence or absence of a laser. Pistols have many mechanical shutdowns. The failure could be the pistol itself, ammo, the magazine or the exchange of ammo from mag to pistol. Our fix is an immediate action response or redundant equipment. We even teach people to clear a level II gun stoppage with only the support hand. It takes 10 to 20 seconds, and we consider it viable training for a gun fight. If a laser fails, the sights are already in front of your nose; tip your head an inch and use them. Takes a quarter of a second--if you're slow.

Paladin: Can you give us an example of a prominent firearms trainer who was won over by your demo of laser sights?
Caceres: It's hard to limit it to one. I'd like to say Massad Ayoob, but he's about 50-percent convinced. Those on board include Jim Cirillo, Bill Rogers, Marty Hayes, Ken Vogel, Rob Leatham, Todd Jarrett and many more.

Paladin: Have you trained police officers in the use of laser sights? What has been their reaction?
Caceres: Those who have used laser sights before are almost unanimously on board. They have seen the impact this tool has on performing their jobs. Those who approach the technology with an open mind--understanding that we are talking tools and options, not voodoo--and put the equipment to the test almost unanimously become outspoken advocates. And there are still those who speak vehemently against laser sights. The irony is that those with strong negative opinions, almost to the person, have fired only a handful of rounds using a laser or, worse, refuse to try them. This equipment works great in de-escalating a hostile situation and allows officers to peripheralize their vision. It gives a visual cue as to who is covering which suspect. Lasergrips allow much better use of cover. They allow an officer to engage without his eyes being behind the sights. I could go on and on.

Paladin: What makes the Crimson Trace Lasergrip system different from other laser sights?
Caceres: Many things. If I had to pick one, it would be activation. Most laser manufacturers design a housing that projects a red beam, then they attach it to a gun, then figure out a way for the person to connect the two. Crimson Trace continues to design equipment with a human operator in mind. Almost everyon else's product is activate by flipping a switch or pressing a button. They anticipate that the operator will be in a static, sterile environment, staging, with nothing else on his mind. When you need the laser, you reach up with an appendage (often the trigger finger) and push a button. Within the safety of the training range, this may work. In the real world, the precious tenths of seconds it takes to cognitively decide, "Oh! turn on laser," plus the time it takes to redirect the trigger finger from its primary duty to now become a button pusher, added to the time it takes to fulfill the mental directive could cost your life. Picture drawing your gun and having to take your support hand and flip up your hinged iron sights before you engage. Your sighting system needs to work intuitively and be ready when you are. There's more, but I've said enough. Buy the video!

Paladin: What kind of feedback have your received on the Shots in the Dark video?
Caceres: Those who have watched it and communicated with me have raved about it. I think it's a presentation that is ahead of its time. We'll see what the next couple of years hold as more and more of this equipment is successfully used on the front line.

Paladin: Do you ever return to Hawaii for visits?
Caceres: Yes, but the frequency of visits had an inverse relation to the number of kids . . . go figure. And family has been either passing on or moving to opportunities on the mainland.

Paladin: What is your favorite island?
Caceres: My favorite? All of them. They each have their charm: Oahu, night life; Maui, beaches; Kauai, beauty; Hawaii (my home), size and grandeur; even Kaho'olawe . . . spiritual, even though this poor big rock has had the piss bombed out of it as a target island. I hold great pride in probably being part of the generation that was at the tail end of old Hawaii. . . . I remember the days of lots of beaches and virtually no resorts.

Paladin: Did you ever get to go snowboarding?
Caceres: Once. . . . OK, I fall a lot. I'd prefer falling into the warm ocean. Water in my trunks beats snow down my britches . . . any day.

Do you have questions of your own for Clyde? If so, please feel free to contact him via e-mail!

SHOTS IN THE DARK
A Complete Guide to the Tactical Use of Laser Sights