If you are a CCW holder that has been forced to defend yourself, or if like me you just have an addiction to CCTV footage, you know that carrying a weapon isn’t enough to keep you safe. You need to be able to get your weapon in the fight, and you need to do so safely and effectively. This generally means that you have to do so quickly and without your attacker being aware of it. These are a few strategies you can use to help you get your weapon in the fight.
Keep Your Strong Hand Free
This isn’t something that you will be able to do constantly, but it is something that you should do in areas or situations that are common for ambushes like muggings or car-jackings such as gas stations, parking lots, or bus stops. If you leaving a store with bags of groceries, use the cart, or if there is no cart available carry all your bags in your weak hand. Pump your gas with your weak hand and keep an eye on your surroundings. Most importantly, never carry your child in your strong hand in a vulnerable area, you might drop your groceries, you will stop pumping gas, but you will not drop your kid on the ground, this will mean that you must take time you don’t have to transfer the child to your weak hand to defend from an attack.
Don’t “Israeli Carry”
Don’t carry a firearm without chambering a round. It will take you longer to get your weapon in the fight, it will take both hands, and it will be much more obvious to an attacker.
Watch this video of an ex-delta force soldier reenacting a gun play scene from the movie collateral
Distract the Attacker
Often times your attacker is going to be wanting to rob you, and they may already have their weapon out and ready. To get the opportunity to safely bring your weapon into the fight you will need to distract them. Throw your wallet, car keys, or cell phone on the ground and step back from them with your hands up, when your attacker bends down to retrieve your property, draw your weapon and attack.
Wait and Fight
If you draw on someone aiming a gun at you, your chances of survival are going down fast. If you have to, wait to get for your chance to counter attack. You won’t always see it coming either, you might have to fight your attacker off with only your hands in order to get distance to draw your weapon, the last thing you want is for your attacker to get your weapon because you went for it incorrectly.
If you watch as much CCTV as I do to learn about self-protection then you know that none of the people being attacked knew when they left their home that day they would be the victim of violent crime, but those that planned for the possibility and trained for the response are the ones that come out alive more often than not.
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