A Combative Drawstroke In Pictures

[Paul Gomez]

As per Skunks request, I've broken out the digital camera again.

What follows are pictures of the 4-count drawstroke as taught by OPS and many other trainers. I shoot from a Mod Iso platform, so the gun meets the support hand on centerline at Count Three. If you are a Weaver shooter, the support hand generally runs over to mate with the gun hand while it stays at the pectoral reference point.

To the best of my knowledge, Louis Awerbuck was the first guy that I'm aware of teaching this drawstroke.

Count One -- A three fingered grip is established on the holstered pistol and the other hand posts flat on the chest at roughly nipple level.

Count Two -- The gun travels up the torso until the pectoral reference point is reached and the wrist is locked. The gun muzzle should be oriented at a slight muzzle downward angle. This is important!!

Count Three -- For Mod Iso, the gunhand tracks across the chest and hands mate on the body centerline forward of the torso. For Weaver shooters, the nongunhand tracks across the chest and hands mate at the pec ref.

Count Four -- Gun is extended to a normal firing platform.

Here are the pics:

 

[Paul Gomez]

Count Two, Retention Position, is absolutely critical for fighting in the real world. This is where the gun is used in the close range unexpected assault. This position is what allows successful integration of unarmed and pistol skills. Without a thouroughly dialed in understanding of Retention Position, you are in a world of hurt when it comes to 'things other than cardboard'.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Count Three is where the hands mate. The important part is the hands mating rather than a definite location where this occurs. As the hands mate, your two handed grip is established and the gun is driven upwards and forward. You are driving the gun up your vertical centerline and forward along a horizontal plane between you and the threat. You want to get the gun up, so that the sights cut the line between your eye and the threat.

Count Three is also the 'chest ready' position discussed elsewhere.

Regardless of where you are focusing [this is not a sighted fire/point shooting thread], the idea of getting the gun into the eye target line rapidly is generally considered a 'good thing' when possible.

 

[Paul Gomez]

And Count Four is full extension. This is the thing that most of us practice the most and, truth be told, is the least likely thing we'll do.

 

[Soap]

Thank you! I've been wanting to see it published clearly in this forum. That rocks and hopefully it will cure many people of bowling.

BTW- Is that a Shivworks on your belt?

 

[YammyMonkey]

Thanks Paul. I like pictures

Count Three is also the 'chest ready' position discussed elsewhere.

Would that be the thread that I started, and if so, does that mean I'm actually contributing something here instead of just sucking in information

 

[Paul Gomez]

Daniel,

Yep, that'd be a Clinch Pick. I borrowed one from SouthNarc a few months ago and fell in love with it. All I've done to mine is swap out the mini-Tek Lock for a fullsize TekLock, since I wear 1.75-inch belts and the MTL won't fit. Great little blade.

YM,

Yep, you'd be the proximate cause of this.

 

[Fred]

Count Two -- The gun travels up the torso until the pectoral reference point is reached and the wrist is locked. The gun muzzle should be oriented at a slight muzzle downward angle. This is important!!

Why?

I tend to disagree. That said, I understand using the support side hand for blocking, punching, break aways, and all that, but if you're going hands on I want this guy off me and out of the fight ASAP, and I would target the most effective target zone, and that's not the lower torso but the thoracic cavity.

Granted with the pistol pointed in on this area the support side arm/hand becomes a concern, but shooting low to the torso is less effective than a high line.

They only have to live long enough to kill you.

AAYMMV.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Fred,

By locking the gun into Retention Position, I know where my bullets are going and I know what I can do with my live hand. If I allow the gun to be parallel to the deck in an attempt to get A-zone hits, I'm increasing the variables that I have to account for under stress. The more variables that I can remove, the more mental acumen I can bring to bear on solving the problem at hand.

The fight where I am using Retention Position is in that 0 - 5 feet range. It's close, unexpected and very dynamic. It generally is iniated by sudden violence on the part of the aggressor. Given these facets of the encounter, minimizing the branching that I have to go through under stress just makes sense.

If you'd like to evaluate the difference between a locked retention and a muzzle parallel to the deck position, get some training partners with fist helmets and simunitions and work through scenarios.

I've worked with many permutations of Retention Position and this one is what allows the seemless integration of unarmed skills to allow me to best equip my students with the tools needed to dominate the fight.

 

[Fred]

Paul,

Thanks for the response. You write some great stuff, but we'll agree to disagree on this one. that said, I still think you're a cool tactical dude.

Take care.

 

[Ktulu]

Paul, love the game face. Good informative posts. Thanks.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Why, thank you, Fred. You're pretty swell, too.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Jeff,

That's not a game face. I was just born UGLY.

 

[JamisJockey]

Seems like alot of physical travel for the firearm. I was taught to immediately rotate the muzzle upon clearing leather. At any range that is considered an immediate threat, you can hit from the hip. Still using the non-firing hand for blocking, hitting, and weapon retention.

 

[Zundfolge]

Here ... makes more sense animated

 

[Paul Gomez]

One of the ideas behind the 90-degree drawstroke is that it works regardless of the particulars in the environment.

For instance, if I were taught to rotate the the gun immediately upon clearing the holster this would not work when seated at a table, or standing at a bar or behind the steering wheel of a car. Also, to rotate the muzzle immediately upon clearing the holster would require me to either break the wrist [ie not maintain a locked wrist], if I were keeping the gun near the holster or to drive the gun further forward into a "Half Hip" or "Body Point" with the elbow over the holster, if I were to keep the wrist locked. Neither of those options gives me the control and the ability to integrate unarmed techniques as easily as a locked Retention Position.

By drawing the gun straight up to the natural limit of travel prior to beginning forward movement, I can clear most obstacles in the environment with out thinking about it. By bringing the gun higher on my torso prior to advancing it, it is closer to the eye-target line, which means that I can get visually verify weapon alignment sooner.

By bringing the gun into and through Retention Position both going out and returning to holster, I can reengage as needed without changing my lower body and I can easily reestablish my two handed grip do to the RP serving as a physical reference point.


Is this combative drawstroke the FASTEST method? Nope, sure ain't.

If you are interested in the FASTEST methods, look towards speed-driven contests. I can show you several drawstroke variations that will give you a faster par time on an IPSC target.

However, do those faster drawstrokes offer the ability to integrate unarmed skills? Do those other drawstrokes offer the means to access your gun while also fending aggressive adversaries who want to hurt you? Do other drawstrokes offer you answers to weapon access while you are grounded and Mutt & Jeff are closing distance to stomp your guts?

In my experience, no, they do not. So I am willing to sacrifice a bit of speed for enhanced functionality, much like I am willing to accept the slightly slower times to draw & shoot from an IWB holster over a kydex paddle for the IWBs advantages when it comes to rolling around on the ground fighting badguys.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Z,

That's funny. Cool.

 

[Island Beretta]

Paul, thanks for sharing.. we all learn from each other.

 

[JamisJockey]

Paul:
Makes alot more sense now. Thanks!

 

[Shadowman]

Thanks guys

 

[Paul Gomez]

I've gone ahead and bumped the older picture threads to the top for anyone who hasn't seen them. Hope they all make sense.