Defense Against a Handgun Threat from the Front G1 - Syllabus

Defending a pistol threat from the front. You are at arm’s reach from the pistol. The components of this technique are the hand defense. This is the active defense. The body defense is the dynamic defense. The control, the counterattack, and the disarm, which belongs to the finishing mode. You should start with the hand defense, and as soon as possible also with a body defense.

With the hand defense, send your palm below the barrel. Then in a turning motion, send the thumb down and the fingers up. This stoke should create a full deflection of the pistol. You’re sending the pistol diagonally forward towards the opponent. Grab the pistol as soon as possible, to deflect and grab the pistol practically simultaneously. At the same time as you move your hand towards the pistol, you also move your body away from the line of fire. Use a body turn, meaning pelvis and torso, and shift your weight diagonally forward. At the same time as you’re executing your hand defense, the other hand is coming near the face. Shift your weight and move diagonally forward and strike the opponent as soon as possible.

Striking the opponent that holds the pistol strongly, enables you to turn the pistol, manipulate its grip with your palm and wrist. Now you can send the pistol down when it’s directed away from you. One should not send the pistol down unless the pistol has been turned so the barrel is pointing sideways. After the strike, you should recall your hand towards your body, so the hand will not cross the line of fire. The two hands meet down and create a double control on the pistol. The back hand with the palm fingers together like a hook, like a cup, grabs the backside of the pistol, the hammer side of it. Turn the pistol, rotate it in the opponent’s hand. The barrel should be pointing sideways, away from you. The pistol should be brought to a perpendicular angle, meaning vertical to you, vertical to the ground. So if you would be looking downwards to the magazine, you will see the butt of the magazine, the low part of the magazine towards you. Your whole body is outside the channel of the attack.

Step away and then pull the gun, disarming the opponent. Stepping diagonally forward, the front leg should be brought to a line approximately of the body or the front leg of the opponent. Closing with the back leg, brought your body to 45 degrees, more or less, to the opponent. Meaning, you are completely outside of the channel of the attack.

Regarding the control of the weapon. The grip with one hand, starts the control. The punch and the turning of the pistol in the opponent’s hand away from you is the second section of the control. The third section of the control is to put your weight on it. As this is a threatening type of situation, not a dynamic attack, you should be ready that your punch cause the opponent to fly backwards, to move away, stumble, or even fall towards the ground. Be ready for this.

Start with the hand defense, follow with the body defense, the control, the counterattack, the descending the hands down for the double control, the disarming, and the finishing mode. The hand defense should be 100% efficient. The body defense too, should be 100% efficient. The body tow and moving diagonally forward. Thus you have 200% defense executed simultaneously. If the opponent grabs the pistol in a strong grip, only after the counterattack you’ll be able to push the pistol down. Indeed, the pistol should be brought under your shoulder. However, in this position it must be horizontal and turning sideways. Like this, the attacker cannot manipulate and cannot redirect the weapon towards you.

After disarming, move away from the danger zone. However, if it is extremely needed and definitely possible, one can use the weapon. If you know this pistol, you can use it. Making the pistol usable, one should know how to operate it. However, if you have got the pistol in your hand, governmental forces may treat you like a criminal or a terrorist. Be aware of this.