28.03.13
Today’s lesson was mainly focused on weapon defence. My two private students will be living in a country that has a significantly higher level of risk of interpersonal violence. Firearms, including handguns of a wide variety, are legal and are commonplace. Therefore, it was important to build this factor into their bespoke training plan. All defensive tactics taught in my classes are extensions of a student’s natural abilities and modified through testing. It is my view that a student will better retain information if they feel it is more natural to them. This was starkly proven when the final area covered in the lesson included a more trained response.
We began with the unarmed area of anti-grappling. There were certain parts of this section I wanted covering and confirming before I used one aspect to take us into disarming tactics. We warmed up with some basic primal grappling games, involving protecting and taking the back position. Then we revised eye gouges and biting. Sprawling, as a method for defending against low-line takedown such as rugby tackles, was also covered. We then finished on finger-locks, which are really joint-breaking tactics. These are performed when only the hands can be immediately accessed and can be used to break grips.
I used the finger-locking procedure to cover handgun disarming at close-range. Here I think it is probably in my interests to address the argument that not all gunmen will conveniently stand close to you. However, those who wish to manhandle you in some way will often have to do this. There are those who will order you to compromise yourself in some way at a distance, of course, and here it is your judgment call. Your voice is best weapon at long range. The more sound and commotion you make the more chance you will alert attention and put your attacker off. Remember, if you haven’t already been shot by the firearm there is a possible silver lining under this particularly nasty cloud. It is not to say that you won’t get shot or eventually killed, but you still have some time and hope to survive. Everything here boils back down to the basics of personal security. You are at the crisis point and need to consider your options depending on what your attacker wants from you. As well as means for summoning help and putting your attacker off, your voice might also provide you with a means for getting closer or distraction. Remember, at all times to find your escape route.
The method for gun disarming was taught to me by Al Cain and covered in Mo Teague’s Hard Target System, which I have taught on several occasions. Key things to remember are to frame the weapon hand from the hands-up passive posture and to exaggerate the shaking so that when you act it will be less for the gunman to predict. When you do act, you must remove yourself from the line of fire as your grip the weapon hand. The likelihood is that the gun is going to fire. However, by gripping the top of the gun, most semi-automatics and revolvers will be jammed for the second shot. Expect to be scorched by the heat of gun and some superficial damage to your skin. The objective is to stop the gun from re-firing and to trap the index finger in the trigger-guard. From here you proceed with the finger-break, assisted by additional striking.
We then moved onto knife and stick disarms. These are covered in other diary entries. Both students were taught evasion tactics. This begins with fleeing upon seeing the presence of a weapon to an available exit. If the exit is blocked, then use of obstacles and incidental weapons are sound tactics. Finally we move onto close-range defence, which revolves around controlling the weapon hand and striking from this position.
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