Krav Maga Yashir Boston - Gun & Firearm Threats

Krav Maga Solutions to Gun Threats

If somebody is trained, knows how to retain their weapon, and is at a distance, there may be little you can do other than try to run and/or seek cover and concealment etc. When looking at and considering reality-based self-defense it is important to understand the risks and odds that you are facing. However, if somebody is holding a firearm which is in reach, or even reach if a step can be taken then there is an opportunity to interact with the weapon, whether this simply involves redirecting it and/or attempting to control it etc. The closer you are to the weapon the better your chances of doing either. This means that when threatened with a firearm you may need to “cry yourself into position” e.g., if a mugger holds a gun to you, you may want to say, “hey, I have money, please take my wallet”, as you move towards them, using your words to explain why you are moving closer to them etc. Having your hands up, shoulders shrugged and avoiding eye-contact will mean that your body-language supports and reinforces what you are saying. Doing so may allow you to get closer to the weapon and if needed improve your chances of successfully redirecting and/or controlling it.

There are several different ways of dealing with a firearm threat, whether a semi-automatic or a revolver. The simplest may be to simply “slap” it away and run/disengage. TV and movies may lead us to believe that guns are easy to use and incredibly accurate, however this is not the case. Even those who take their firearms training relatively seriously and practice shooting at the range may be wildly inaccurate in their shot placement when asked/required to shoot a moving target when under stress and duress. When you consider that in most situations where you will encounter a gun threat you are probably going to be facing an untrained individual, expecting them to make the “decision” to shoot and overcome things such as trigger pull, aiming and shot placement in the moment etc., is requiring a lot of them. When you’re most likely to deal with such threats when in “busy” environments, which may contain objects such as cars and building which obscure their sight-lines, putting distance and objects between you and them, after redirecting their weapon may be the safest and most effective thing to do.

This idea of redirection and disengagement, rather than attempting to control the weapon may be more pertinent when you are dealing with a revolver than a semi-automatic pistol. With a semi-automatic pistol, the hot gasses which propel the bullet are contained internally and are used to move the “slide” which allows a new bullet to enter the chamber. Grabbing the barrel and controlling the weapon comes at little “cost” e.g., the heat of the barrel and the pull of the slide aren’t significant etc. However, with a revolver the hot gasses are released through the frame, so that if you hold the barrel, in order to control it, your hand will get burned/burnt. This doesn’t mean that you will be unable to hold and control it but that there is a cost to doing so. At Krav Maga Yashir Boston, we recognize that situations dictate solutions and not the other way round. There may be t imes when you need to control the weapon and there may be times when redirecting it and disengaging ,makes more sense/is effective. At our training facility just north of Boston we teach a variety of Krav Maga solutions/techniques so that the appropriate/effective one for that moment can be employed.

If you are interested in learning effective self-defense, using Israeli Krav Maga, you can register for one of our introductory Krav Maga classes, using the button below. Located a few miles north of Boston our Krav Maga training facility is conveniently located and offers free on-site parking.

Book Class