The biggest mistake people make about fighting is that we practice to stand and deliver everything. With firearms, we stand there and practice drawing without moving our feet. The people that do move their feet generally move to get to some kind of stance that they have practiced from a million times. There isn’t much of a reason for it, they just have always practiced getting into that stance and then drawing.
I’ve seen the same thing with people that are training to fight in any fashion. We start by learning the correct stance and then learn how to strike, block, and do whatever the art teaches. With guns, we’ve done the same thing. This is totally detrimental to your survival in self defense.
I’ve watched how much time it takes students to draw their weapon when they take a step to get into their perfect drawing position and then draw. It takes them half a second or more to get into the stance and then draw. In a real fight, will they ever be able to get into that perfect position? Have they ever tried drawing from another position? Could they?
I learned a little piece of truth while working for an armored car company; draw from where you are. Chances were really good that, as a courier, I would be walking when I had to draw my gun, so I learned how to draw while moving. As I learned more and more about civilian self defense, it occurred to me that most, if not all, fights will be started by someone else and they will choose when and where we are when they attack.
When they attack us, we will be behind the power curve desperately trying to catch up. We need to be able to fight from whatever position we end up in! That could be any position, anywhere.
Some attacks have started by the attacker knocking down the person he is attacking. Can you draw your gun or knife from the ground? Can you fight from the ground? What if the attacker pushes you against a wall and pins you there. Can you draw your gun or knife? Do you know how to use the wall as leverage to fight from? Can you escape a hold to get into the fight?
I teach people to start by moving and then drawing. Lots of fights will start by an outside indicator like the other guy drawing a weapon on you. Once that happens, you can’t stand and deliver. You will get killed. You need to do something else like move, draw, fire. Being able to move is the most important skill you need to learn to keep from getting hit.
The Marine Corps MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) now teaches: move, block, strike for everything. We need to be thinking about that when we practice our gun techniques. Think about moving first and then drawing your weapon.
Start slow. Use an unloaded gun (check it 3 or 4 times before you start). Then walk and draw your weapon. Start by taking a couple steps one way or another and then draw your gun. Moving is more important at first than getting your gun out. If you telegraph your draw, you’ll probably get shot before you can move. If you move, the stats are in your favor and the probability of you winning goes way up.
I was working on this today and found that my CKRT M16 Knife doesn’t come open like I want it to when I pull it from my pocket while on the move. I can rip the knife out of my pocket and have it open automatically every time while standing still (video). Once I’m moving it becomes harder. Now I know what to work on.
When is the last time you practiced something different than just standing there?
Stay Safe,
Ben