Unarmed Responses against Static Weapon Threats

Hi Everyone,
Alrighty, what are your preferred physical responses against a static weapon threat (be it edged weapon or firearm) after all other options are exhausted or are not viable? Do you advocate grabbing the weapon-bearing limb (and attacking)? If so, do you advocate grabbing the weapon itself or the weapon-bearing hand or some other part of the weapon-bearing arm? Furthermore, do you advocate grabbing it with one or both hands or trapping it in the crook of your elbow (when applicable in certain situations)?

Now, if you don't advocate grabbing the weapon-bearing limb and prefer to strike the weapon-bearing limb to deflect/redirect it out of the line of attack (and attacking), do you advocate slapping it or chopping it with an edge-of-hand blow or striking it with a hammerfist? If so, where on the weapon-bearing arm do you advocate on hitting?

Why do you prefer grabbing over striking or vice-versa? Does it make any difference to you if you're dealing with a knife or a handgun? Do you apply the same concepts/tactics/techniques with both or different ones for each?

And finally (for now), do you prefer a mix of the two? If so, why?

Okay, I have more questions but will stop here for now as I've asked plenty already.

Before I share my two cents, I'd like to read what others think first.

Take Care,
Lito
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Fortuneately never had to deal with the se situations for real but I have trained them and stick to a simple premiss when doing so.

1) Only use technique which has been proven to work.

2) Learn the technique from someone who has done it for real.

First of all against the gun (pistol) if you are close enough and he has not already shot you then he has not yet made that decision which gives you one or two seconds to make your move so dont hang around.
Get off the X, parry the weapon offline and clamp it from above and below to prevent movement of the slide ( be aware there may be one in the chamber ) using your lower hand wrench it up and over toward the gunman so that it comes out of his grip and whack him in the face/head with the butt and make your escape unless you are comfortable doing so do not turn the weapon on him.

( If you are going to practise the above make sure that you Do not put your finger into the trigger gaurd )

Against the knife I practise a couple of options.

1) If it has not been deployed and I think he is attempting to access a weapon I like to "Shoot & Scoot" in other words whack him before he gets it out and scoot out of there.

2) If it's already in play I go with the G.U.N system, GRab, Undo, Neutralise.
Again move off the X, butterfly grip onto the attacking wrist taking the weapon past the body, hold the arm tight to you and weigh in heavy with knees and head butts if available, then pull him down or turn the arm over to take down, disable and escape.

Any swinging weapon such as a club, bottle or even knife slash, step inside with the fend and smash him to pieces, sometimes stepping in with the fend offers me the opportunity to trap the attacking arm but dont rely on this being the case.

With all of the above, take nothing for granted.

Alan

Joined : 17 Aug 2007 Posts : 46

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcLku6ZvIao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgRWQWmCkqA&feature=related

These are my take on static firearms disarms. Please don't think they are in any way a set move thing, most end up differently once you start to move. There are overiding principles - parry and secure the weapon, pull it to your centre and then tear it out of his hands. I don't mind if the weapon is secured and then you go to town on the man, neither is there anything wrong with going for the man and deliberately ignoring the weapon in my eyes. It's what you are able to pull off.

Coops

Admin Joined : 16 Aug 2007 Posts : 232

One question.. is a weapon ever really static once it has been deployed? Wink

My weapon drills come from one instance of having a blade waved at me from a distance... being hit in the head with a bottle and having someone throw a pint glass at my head. NOT a great deal of real world experience at all. The techniques I train largely come from guys who have had extensive experience in dealing with edged and blunt weapons. I take their lead on the subject and steal from their experience as police officers, armed forces and front line security staff.

That's my long winded way of saying I am nowhere near experienced practically to claim any expertise.

That said.. what FEEL works best and has worked best for me in training and my "real" encounters is the following.

- Prevent deployment. Controlling large circles (shoulder and elbow) forget the wrist/hand/fingers. Control those circles and you control impact and friction.Friction cuts and impact stabs (or thumps!)

- Firearms - can't add to what has been mentioned above.

- Blunt force trauma still rules. Attack attack attack and make the weapon secondary. Engage the attackers survival instinct!

Joined : 15 Aug 2007 Posts : 35

I'm firmly in the camp of attack and secure the weapon bearing limb and then go banzai, followed by disarm from a person in an altered state of consciousness.

Nothing fancy. Nothing overly prescribed. Just functional concepts. Use of deception and feigned compliance if appropriate.

Grip is always two handed. I've proven time and again in the suit that anything less means I can regain control, even against big guys using their bodies.

I got an email from one of my students who is a police officer today. It described a knife situation he was in.

Here are a couple of highlights of his email.

Hi Dik et al,
You wrote: