Close Range Combatives Part I

[Brian LaMaster]

Later tonight you are coming out of the restaurant and you are confronted by an attacker who is pointing a gun at you. The offender is standing approximately three feet away from you (the end of the muzzle). You are deciding whether or not you should play the odds and give up your wallet, or you should attempt to draw your gun. Any hesitancy in this situation could cost your life. Have you trained to handle this particular situation? More than likely you have been taught to create distance and draw your gun. However, creating distance in this particular situation could result in serious injury or even death. But creating distance is what is commonly taught in firearms training and that is what “they” told me to do. But for some reason you just do not feel that it is the right thing to do, but, creating distance and drawing your gun is all that you know. So, do you execute what you know, or do you chance doing something different? If so, can you pull it off?

By now you are probably thinking that you should have trained more than you did. If you had it all to do over again you would train more or get some training. Well, at least that is what you are telling yourself right now. Would you really train more? The majority of people who live normally do something after experiencing a life changing event. Notice what I said, “The majority of people who live…” When you are confronted is not the time to question your abilities or “wish” you had done something different. NOW is time to do something about the situation you could find yourself in! You may be questioning your training as well. Has my “firearms” training truly prepared me for this particular situation?

If you create distance the attacker stands a good chance of shooting you. So, is creating distance the best option for you to execute? There are a number of things that you could do in this situation. We are going to discuss a couple of options. It is important to understand that you have the element of surprise. Most attackers do not expect you to fight back. You need to understand that you must move QUICKLY! If you telegraph your movement at all, at this close range you are probably going to get shot. In order to reduce the chances of you getting shot, you need to move the target. I have seen some instructors teach people to move the weapon then move the target. I disagree with this because if someone has their finger on the trigger (which is a natural action for those who haven’t handled a gun much) and you “slap” the gun or move the gun, you may cause them to pull the trigger. Now, if the target (your body) is still on the muzzle end of the gun, well, you might just get shot. That is not part of our plan! So, move the target then move the weapon.

Alright, in the first technique the gun is being held about chest high. Your arms should be below the muzzle (photo #1) because if your hands are held high and you move your drawing hand could get shot as you move.



We are going to be moving in on the attacker because of the close range and because it may be your only or best option. Remember that the muzzle end of the gun in the most dangerous part of the gun. If you move in past the muzzle, you should be relatively safe for a moment or two. Now, you are going to move outside of the attacker’s gun arm. You are going to be moving forward in a circular manner clearing the muzzle of the gun. When you move outside of the arm you are going to begin to draw your gun (photo #2) while your left hand guards against the arm turning on you and shooting you.




If you want to, you can “grab” the attacker’s gun arm to help control it . By the time you have “grabbed” the gun arm your gun should be out and aimed at the attacker from a retention position as shown in photo #3.



The gun is canted outward at approximately at 35-45 degree angle. The reason for this is that I don’t want casings flying up in my face.

Now, from the retention position you are going to shoot as many rounds as it takes to stop the threat. As you can imagine at this close distance you may get a bit messy. I can hear the emails coming now about the positioning of your left arm and that it could get shot. Yes, that is a possibility. I would suggest that you fire two round bursts to keep muzzle climb to a minimum. Shooting from a retention position is something that a lot of people do not do. In all reality, this is probably the most likely position you will be shooting from since most attacks take place within ten feet. Now, if there are multiple threats you may need to move behind the attacker and use them as a shield. Another thing that I want to mention is that depending upon how deep you step forward will determine the position of your gun. What I mean by deep is that how far down the arm are you? You want to be close to the attacker! You do not want to be at arms length away from the attacker’s gun arm and try this! Another warning is that you probably do not want to “punch” the attacker with the muzzle of your gun because you may cause the slide to move out of battery. Try to keep this from happening. Yes, you want to step deep to get past the muzzle of his gun. However, as you are moving and drawing your gun try not to make contact with the muzzle of your gun and attacker’s body.

[Brian LaMaster]

Another option is to move to the attacker’s free side (inside the gun arm). I cannot emphasize the importance of the fact that whenever you move to the free side of the attacker you are placing yourself in danger of being hit, kicked, etc. Again, you have the element of surprise. The attacker is holding the gun about chest high. Your hands are below the muzzle. When you move, move quickly! You are going to move “straight” in towards the attacker. As you can see, my left foot is towards the attacker (photo #4).



(In order to see a video clip of this technique go here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TXLOQvWe0w )

I am going to take my right foot and step in as deep as I can getting past the muzzle of the gun. My left arm is going to guard/control and my right hand is going to draw as I step with my right foot (photo #5 below). Now, when you step you need to turn your upper body as well. Your chest should be almost parallel with the attacker’s gun arm if it is still extended outward. Notice how my left foot comes with me when I move. It is not where it was when I started.



When you step and turn your torso you are clearing the muzzle. However, if you step without turning your torso (photo #6 below), you are not necessarily going to be safe.




Notice my body positioning relative to the attacker. I am not stepping outward away from the attacker but rather directly into the attacker’s torso while getting off the line of danger. Also note that my body is erect and not bent in any direction causing me to be off balance. Shooting from "retention" is a bit more difficult at this particular angle. You do want to keep the gun in as close to your body as you can.

[Brian LaMaster]

You do not want to “bend” your upper body backwards (photo #8 below) to get past the muzzle because you are now off balance. Balance is a critical in your survival.


In reality, I am doing the same thing as if I did not have a gun and I was punching the bad guy (photo #9).



Once again, you are probably going to get bloody. That is just how it is. Possessing the ability to move in on someone and draw your gun is going to take a lot of practice! You have to be confident in your skills! The great thing about these techniques is that even if you blow drawing your gun you are still “safe” from being shot for a few seconds. For some of you reading this, you may have never practiced moving in on the attacker. It can be a very intimidating thing for those of you who do not have unarmed combat skills. If you are unable to get your gun out, you are going to need plan “B”.

Train hard, train often, and train realistically!