"EL COTORRO" INTERVIEW WITH VOODOO DOC

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you where born and how did this place made you who you are today ?

I was born and raised in the deep south in the USA in areas that voodoo is still practiced today. My mother's, mother is 100% Native American and my father is 3rd generation born here over from Scotland- which made for a very unique upbringing and exposure to, two very different sides of belief systems. Throw that together with the unique blend of Huju and Voodoo practice in the area I lived, and being schooled in a private religious school and also child and teen rebellion leading me to learn things in the streets; I had a very expansive exposure to many cultures and their ways from the time I could walk and talk as far back as I can remember.   That area taught me 2 of the 4 languages I speak as well as my ability to adapt to local customs and dialects very well.  It also taught me to make my own decisions on what to believe and what was "real"..

- What has been your favorite job in life and what would you have liked to have done for a living if you could do it all over again?

My favorite job has always been my various roles in the teams ive been on, specifically long range target engagements and target acquisitions.  Going into medicine was a thing that happened because I was qualified and had the background and it made me viable to stay in the jobs I loved most.  I walked into the recruiting office turning down a full ride scholarship (rebellion as many of my family are also MD and surgeons) the recruiter asked what job do you want to do, to which I simply replied:  I want to learn how to jump out of airplanes, and kill people.. I've never seen someone that high rank smile that big since then, as he sat me down to sign me up.
If I could do anything and get paid for it as a child I wanted to be a ninja.. I kinda got that.. As an adult I'd like to be a real life Dr. Lector minus the eating people criminal part.  I think hes one of the most intriguing fantasy characters out there and his job appeals to me... minus the evil parts of his psychosis.

Organic Medium Entry Class Mixed with Weaponized Medical Management

- What made you decide to go in to a life of service?

In one word rebellion.  My father was an actual Legit Recondo from Vietnam war. One of the toughest schools ever.. I always wanted to be like that but there was no war when I started this gig.  Add that to the fact my grandfather and aunts and eventually mother were all MD and or Medical Surgeons and they told me I was going to go to this school because they said so.. it was rebellion.. After that I soon realized the difference in us and them, meaning those who serve and those who don't. I realized I was not like them and probably never would be like them. I never looked back even after completing multiple levels of schooling I just used that to go higher in what I already was doing..  I also have since childhood always hated a bully or an abuser of power and hypocrisy.. the life of service in its various levels has allowed me to even those playing fields as much as I can personally and deal with bullies..

- What is the story behind your infamous nick name ( Voodoo Doc )? 

Throughout my career I have had various call signs and nicknames.  Some are not as cool as others but they are given to you for a reason and you own it.  The only one that has stuck this long was VooDoo ...... now it hasn't always been "doc" but many nick names are related to a unit call signs or your roll or the team or the job site etc.. Mine has just followed me almost my whole career for my geographic background growing up to my sense of the mystical and supernatural and then obviously my very unique take on austere and combat medicine practices now..

- Why did you decide to open up your very particular brand of training to the public ?

I was very much not for this at first.  Conflicts of interest concerned me, Codes of silence unspoken oaths etc.  Then the more I was working down south with guys in the field like Ed Calderon, I started seeing that there is a huge gap in what is out there verses what is a legitimate way to do some of these things.  The common knowledge or the passed around bullshit information I like to call "bro logic", from one bro to another, many times is very bad information and will get someone killed.  I've been doing this a long time and have some good karma to make up for also. I know first hand how many lives I've lost etc. And how many I question if I could have saved..  if I can save one more life with each class I do, the trade off is worth it..  Dont expect any movie deals or books anytime soon, quiet professionals still exist.  I minimize any risk by choosing what I show and to what groups. I also decided to teach openly when ed showed me how bad this material is needed to do it correctly and that so much misinformation is floating out on the internet that will get you killed.  Or worse kill someone else you are "trying to help"..

Live animal medical training down in Tijuana Mexico

- What specifically do you think separates your Medical Management curriculum from the other companies doing emergency medical classes?

I dont honestly follow many other companies.  Mostly ones I do see are EMT or Paramedic based doing their version of what they think would work in an austere or field setting.  Theory is not a good thing in combat medicine or austere medical management.. evidence based practice and life experience of working knowledge is what saves lives in these types of environments.   Its honestly just not something most people would ever come across in a world of cell phones and "911"- to need to know reality of the "oh shit what now" medicine.  Our class puts the fact YOU are 911 over everything else.. just saying stabilize treat and transport to the hospital isnt austere medicine. It doesnt cut it.. That has its place but that's just not realistic for the area people are asking about.  To be specific what separates our classes is reality based experience and evidence based practice .  Honestly I am not sure if others have similarities or not I'm only going off the multiple Medical Doctors who are students in our classes giving us feedback on what they see and their experiences..

There may be many relevant groups teaching out in the community.  My thing is make sure whomever you choose is being realistic with their training and not basing it on what they think would happen or theories.. and mostly that they pressure test and qualify everything they show you.

- Can anyone attend one of your Medical Management seminars ?

We have open seating classes that is made for anyone who wants to learn can come. Open seating mixes all students together to form a unique environment of skill levels that creates a team building atmosphere unlike anything else. You can have a neurological surgeon paired with a corrections officer and see how the dynamics change their interventions etc. Its part of our process.
We also have classes just for military and federal and law enforcement etc that are contract. But basically if you are seeing it advertised you can come because we dont openly show our contract and sub contract classes to be advertised to everyone.  Now within our open seating classes we have level 1 and level 2 classes etc. These just are ways to allow students who come back to know they are getting a complete different module. We dont teach the same class over and over and over. You can do level 1, level 2, and the HIVE class in one year and see 3 different sets of medical management skill sets completely,  but build off one another.  You arent attending the same class 3 times in a row unless you sign up for that same level 1 class over and again.
To answer though basically if its openly advertised you can attend it, if you come and you are not up to speed immediately, we will catch you up..

- What advice would you have for someone that has seen some of the high pressure drills we put on at the seminars that might be intimidated ?

We literally have close to 65 years of experience between the main instructors in the area of skills and operations and as they pertain to training people.  With that amount of time and skill, comes a huge understanding of how far each individual can be safely pushed to accommodate them at the same time accomplish the needed goal of pressure testing the installed material we just taught them.  Basically if you are on the outside looking in, no matter what you think you know, you dont know what WE are doing there specifically.. and my number one rule is we dont do ANYTHING without an established and proven reason behind it.  After that it becomes a level of professionalism and trust that the student sees first hand in us as the instructors, and that we are capable of doing these events.  Everyone is different and each evolution is different for every student. I specifically and personally cater the mental and psychological level of the final drills based on a lot of education and experience in this field, in order to take everyone to the door- lean them through that threshold and let them experience what is needed, and jerk them back safely.  It is something that can not be faked, and should not be mimicked or tried to copy by others although they do.  We never put our hands on anyone without a training reason and we never do any evolution without a skill set to be installed.  It all has its place and it is without question the most important gold standard to qualify your training class and material with these qualified pressure testing evolutions.

- What is the essential emergency medical gear every one should know how to use and carry ?

Inside the USA or UK?  A charged cell phone.  The ability to handle an adrenaline dump and do well in a high stress situation.  Good observation and communication skills.  Aside from that, CORRECT CPR and Choking procedure as well as AED usage.
If you carry a gun carry a CAT or Soft-T and know how to actually use it and when.  If you want to go above those basics then you need to install correct training over gear all day every day.  Theres a huge movement to sell fancy gear that's not proven to work and the gear that does work a huge portion of those buying it assume they can just figure it out on the spot in the moment of need...  Reality and training is the top of the medical gear list for me.  Otherwise a plug, a seal, a tie, and a clamp..

- How do you recommend people carry such equipment ?

Whatever you are trained to carry and will carry I suggest you do so in the manner that fits your reality. Not the movie playing in your head. Your reality as an IT guy at a big company is not the same as my reality being deployed to Afghanistan etc.   So first make sure it will be carried and not left at home, meaning it is capable and comfortable to be on your person.  If you off body carry your gear make sure it is easily able to be grabbed and you can move with it quickly.
Tourniquets can be loaded out variety of ways and if you carry a spare magazine but no tourniquet and it's not your job to have a firearm on you at all times; you are watching that movie playing in your head a little too much.  Tourniquets can fit anywhere a spare magazine can go.  If you want to graduate into a IFAK or blow out kit then get one you can flat pack and will fit in a cargo pocket or a purse or even a back pocket and you actually will carry it.  If your reality dictates some of these ankle rigs work, and you will carry it, awesome.  If that ankle rig is just giving a bad guy something to anchor too, reevaluate your gear and what you think works. Remember it's about being realistic if you want to live anyway.

- What are in your opinion, the most ignored aspects of training when it comes to emergency medical management ?

Long term or prolonged field care.  Hands down. Everyone assumes you will treat the wounded and they will be swooped off to Operating theater.  Thank goodness for Americans and most Europeans they are close to hospitals and have 911 ems etc.. the reality for most of the world is not the same.
Guys who give these answers of stabilization and transport are in for a rude awakening when they have to sit on that patient for whatever possible reason for 2 hours.. 6 hours.. 24 hours. 72 hours. Etc.   This is easily the most over looked aspect of all medical training across the board until extremely high level special operations courses and federal levels outside the US..  there is a movement to teach prolonged field care but it is slow going.  Aside from that is blood transfusions in field fresh whole blood etc.   We got to get civilian medicine on board with understanding that saline doesnt save lives in blood loss. Blood saves lives.

Full immersion

- Not many people know yet that you are also a high level firearms instructor as well. What can you tell us about how that integrates in to your particular brand of teaching emergency medical management?

I very much started this roller coaster ride learning how to destroy the human body first. Very efficiently I would add, from breathing distance to easily within 1000 meters away.  As time and education progressed I evolved and like every coin there is a flip side.  The misunderstandings of anatomical targeting and the lack of true medical understanding was apparent when I went through med school relearning what I thought I knew based on destruction and traditional combat training only.  Now after I have seen and been formally schooled on both sides of that coin, I take what I know from the Medical side and apply it to the combat side running my gun or teaching others to shoot more accurately and with their target acquisition.  This also has helped me tremendously, especially in the field of trauma and general surgery having my previous exposure to violence of force and combat.  I would say that like everything we do in Callidus Collective it's just one more level of evidence based practice. We are not teaching you from theory or what "we think will happen" if you stab someone in a certain spot, or shoot someone in a certain target zone- we teach based in reality and the real working knowledge that simply can not be substituted.

- What other skillsets do you cover in your course offerings outside of Medical Management?

My focus in Callidus Collective is on the mental and psychological training outside that of medical management.  I teach very specifically the reverse engineering aspect of weaponization of anatomical targeting and physiology.  I also have contributed a large part to the counter custody psychological skills as well as information integrity and protection of yourself on the mental side of these events we talk about. I focus on overlooked aspects like managing stress exposure, adrenaline dump, fine motor skill manipulation verses gross motor skills, psychological conditioning and exposure training and so on.  I spend quite a bit of time on close quarters manipulations of combat with blade empty hands and fire arms as well as team movement and tactics skills too.
The TPP in the name - Austere Medical Management TPP, stands for Tirsia Pugna Phase. Or Latin for third fight phase, meaning the mental fight after the fight is over and the physical wounds are dealt with, the warrior, the medic the soldier the cop etc still has to deal with this third fight phase.   I have quite a bit of material we teach to help cope and deal with a healthy way to bring that into your reality and level you after the event.

- What auxiliary skill do you think all people looking to prepare themselves need to have ?

Obviously it sounds biased but I say this from personal experience of being a gunslinger first and medical guy second, you need good correct up to date medical management skills. Everyone overlooks this for some reason the movie in their head has them never getting hurt.  Next is team building and team movement skills. If you think you are taking on the zombies as a lone wolf,  the zombies are the least unlikely thing in your scenario.. you have got to train teamwork and how to move and work as a team.  That can be your family your friends your actual team, but this skill set needs to be worked on. Natural survival in urban and suburban settings is huge and a dying thing as kids get less out doors like.  Driving but specifically driving with your team.  And lastly internet and communication security... this I can not stress enough is the way of the future.  Speaking additional languages and understanding the internet and its security.. must haves..

- Book recommendations?

I'm horrible at these. I have some I wouldn't openly list but ask me at a class.  Otherwise some are so cliche but of all the cliche the most useful one for me was the Hagakure.  Sun tzu, book of 5 rings, bear went over the mountain etc everyone says those..  the Hagakure if you read it and think on it was really useful to me. Personally I think everyone should read the Hobbit..

- What does your edc look like?  ( picture and content list )

This depends on work or off work. I carry a gun. Everywhere. Yes everywhere. Legally.
On my body I have 2 blades the Kramer Voodoo and the Tracker Dan Blood Shark.
A soft tourniquet.  A Pocket Brujo (the pocket med kit Brujo Negro makes for his guys doing work in the jungles down south) this fits in my back pocket.
A slim rfid card/ID case. A cell device and a cell phone.
A small bushnell flashlight from walmart (because I've not found a nicer one I like yet).
And a leather man Signal. A spare pistol mag and
Keys. Pretty much everywhere unless I'm working and in kit with rifle etc then it all changes..

- Up coming classes ?

Oakland May 11 12 13.. Huge class for the first level 2 medical. Total immersion open to anyone but it's set up for provider level training and it will not let down for any level.

We will be in Oklahoma in October.

Washington DC area at some point this year as well as southern California dates this year.

Ed's Random questions :

How do you feel about the movie Sicario ripping off our life story ?

At first it was funny. Then it was tragic, now it seems surreal.  I've been asked more times if I'm getting royalties for that than anything else lately..  At least we have good hair in the movie...

Some dudes in some place

Top 5 favorite moves ?

13th warrior.
Aliens.
Kingdom of Heaven.
Troy.
Way of the gun.

What is the one thing you hate most about people ?

Stupidity.. ignorance is forgivable because you dont know. If you've been educated and exposed and still choose incorrectly, that's stupidity.. and that's not forgivable..

Favorite quote ?

"Oh that's never happened to you? Well no ones ever been dead before until they died either."

If you could fight anyone living or dead, who would it be and why ?

Living- (I hope she doesnt read this) Rachel Ray.  So many reasons. (I wouldn't really fight her. But... you know)

Dead- Ghengis Khan.. I'd like to see if he was as bad ass as his legacy or it was all just numbers.

Drink of choice ?

Dr. Pepper of course,

Alcohol-

6 demon moonshine from the back hills of the south mixed in apple pie flavor.. or laudanum...

Can you finally tell us your real name ?

No more questions.........

Doc finally killed the bird.