subject: Advanced Self Defense - An Overlooked Situation When Defending Against An Attacker With A Firearm [print this page] Do you train with firearms as a part of your overall self defense strategy? Regardless of what some people say about whether firearms should be legal or not - the fact that criminal attackers will always have access to them, means that you must, at the very least train to be able to disarm an armed assailant, and be able to use the weapon you now have in your hand. This article explores a critical situation that, if you're not prepared to handle it, could leave you in the same position as those who have no training at all!
But, this article is not about whether or not you should add this skill to your self defense toolbox. What I want to focus on here is an overlooked situation that you can find yourself in - even if you are armed and highly skilled at hitting your target.
It can be easy to convince ourselves that, if we are carrying a firearm, that we will always be in control of a situation. After all, we have the advantage because we can always pull the weapon if we need to. But, the truth is that, we can only control a situation once the weapon is "out" and trained on our assailant - and then only if they are concerned enough about their well-being to comply!
But, one of the most overlooked scenarios that I see, even among those who train long and hard to be proficient with their weapon, is one that is highly likely - even if you are armed yourself. The scenario involves your attacker having pulled their weapon before you can get to yours.
In this case, you are no better off than if you had no weapon at all. And, since action is faster than reaction, you are going to be on the losing end if you try - or even hint at - going for your weapon.
In this situation, you must either wait for an opportunity to go for your weapon, or apply a weapon disarm to save your life. Of course, if you have trained to be able to draw your weapon while simultaneously moving, controlling your assailant's balance and ability to get at you, and the direction that the muzzle (exit hole for the bullet) of his gun is pointing - you can of course go for it as a part of your self defense action.
Either way, the point here is to make sure that, even if you are armed all or most of the time, that you consider this attack scenario and add effective disarm strategies, tactics, and techniques to your arsenal for dealing with and surviving it.
