part 2
Marine Corps Technique
The development of this technique is attributed to U.S. Marine Corps embassy guards. A hands-together technique, it is executed by grasping the flashlight in a sword grip with the thumb or finger on a body-mounted on/off switch. The rim of the flashlight lens is pressed forward against the tips of the firing hand's gripping fingers, even locking the fingers in place if the rim of the flashlight's bezel is deep enough, creating a stabilizing tension.
Pros
Surprisingly comfortable and stable, even with large flashlights.
Keeps the flashlight beam well aligned with the gun barrel.
Enables steadier, two-hand support of the weapon prior to shooting.
Cons
Limited only to side-switch flashlights with fairly large lenses.
Displaces the beam from the weapon's alignment during firing.
Proximity of the hands increases the chance of a sympathetic contraction of the gun hand when the side-switch is pressed, and can cause "hand confusion."
Misalignment of the flashlight beam with the target can alter the alignment of the weapon with target, and vice versa.
Light is located at the shooter's center of mass.
Chapman Technique
Named for Ray Chapman, one of the five original Combat Masters of the Southwest Combat Pistol League, founder of the Chapman Academy and the 1976 IPSC world champion, the Chapman Technique is a hands-together method that adapts well to an isosceles or modified isosceles stance. It is perhaps the second most widely taught technique, behind the Harries. To execute the Chapman Technique, the flashlight is held in a sword grip, but only with the thumb and forefinger encircling the body of the light. The technique was developed for use with body-mounted switches on traditional "police flashlights," hence the positioning of the thumb or finger to operates the on/off button. The other three fingers of the light hand wrap around the gripping fingers of the weapon hand, in an approximation of a normal two-hand firing grip. The arms provide stabilizing isometric tension.
Pros
Works with small or large flashlights.
Aligns the beam automatically with the weapon's muzzle.
Enables a steady, two-hand support of the pistol prior to shooting.Assumed naturally and easily by isosceles or modified isosceles shooters.
Mimics closely a normal two-handed firing grip.
Cons
Limited only to side-switch flashlights.
Difficult to perform for those with small hands or with a heavy flashlight.
Displaces alignment of the light and pistol during firing.
Fatiguing if performed steadily for more than a few moments, especially with large flashlights.
Proximity of hands increases the chance of a sympathetic contraction of the firing hand and induces "hand confusion."
Weapon can bang into the flashlight during a hasty execution.
Difficult to use with an injured hand or arm.
Attempted alignment of the flashlight beam with the target can alter the alignment of weapon with the target, and vice versa.
Light is located on the shooter's center of mass.
Ayoob Technique
Developed by famed shooting instructor Massad Ayoob, whose resume also boasts a career as a law enforcement officer, prolific writer and martial arts instructor, the Ayoob Technique is a hands-together method that utilizes isometric tension to stablize the gun-light platform. Practicing this technique emphasizes the fact that it is best suited for a quick, even unprepared and sudden, response to a nearby threat. It is less suited for searching or for prolonged operations such as house clearing. The technique is at its best in a fast and dirty CQB environment. Users find that it is not the most conducive method for shooting at assailants beyond a few feet.
To employ the Ayoob Technique, the flashlight is grasped in sword grip with the thumb or any finger on the side-mounted on/off switch. The thumb of the flashlight hand is pressed against the thumb of the weapon hand, creating isometric tension that steadies the weapon. The hands may be held near the body in a ready position or the arms may be extended in a firing position. A variation on this technique calls for the thumb of the flashlight hand to be pressed inward just below, but still in contact with, the firing hand's thumb, thus somewhat lowering the angle of the flashlight beam. Another variation calls for pressing the fingers of the light hand against the fingers of the weapon hand, which significantly reduces the amount of wrist rotation required.
Pros
Assumed easily from a normal (sword) grip on a flashlight with quick, gross motor movements.
Beam aligns automatically with the muzzle and is directed into the assailant's eyes at close range.
Excellent close-in technique such that the flashlight can be held close to body, reducing the chance of loss due to an assailant's grabbing or accidental contact with objects.
Cons
Limited only to side-switch flashlights.
Displaces the alignment of the beam and the barrel during firing.
Fatiguing if performed steadily for more than a few moments, especially with large flashlights.
Proximity of the hands increases the chance of a sympathetic contraction of the gun hand when the side-switch is pressed, and can cause "hand confusion."
Weapon tends to bang into the flashlight during execution.
Misalignment of the flashlight beam with the target can alter the alignment of the weapon with target, and vice versa.
Light is located at the shooter's center of mass.
FBI Technique
In this often-maligned technique, the flashlight is held in a sword or ice pick grip, with the weak arm extended well away from the body. Often the technique involves extending the arm upward. Also, the lens of the flashlight is held slightly in front of body to avoid illuminating the user. The weapon is held in any position desired, well out of contact with the flashlight hand. The FBI Technique is probably the oldest formally taught flashlight-and-gun technique. The technique was originally emphasized as a way to prevent the user's flashlight from "marking" his exact position. By moving the light away from the user's body, an assailant who simply shot at the light source would be less likely to hit the agent. Some disparage this technique as outmoded. Advocates of specific hands-together techniques generally express this view. However, the fact is that a relaxed, movement-oriented, unstructured version of the FBI Technique, employed with proper cover, is extremely useful in room-clearing tactics and in dynamic firefight situations. This technique was frequently portrayed with the operator in a low crouch, the so-called "FBI crouch." This shooting position is separate from the flashlight technique and the two should not be considered intertwined.
Pros
Works with both small and large flashlights.
Eliminates the displacement of either the beam or the firing grip upon firing.
Reduces the chance of a sympathetic contraction of the hands that could result in an accidental discharge as the trigger is squeezed simultaneously with pressing the light's on/off button.
Minimizes the possibility of "hand confusion" in which the user muddles up which hand has the gun and which has the light - not as far fetched as it sounds in a high-stress CQB fight.
Enables searching with the flashlight without simultaneously pointing the muzzle with the beam, a consideration for home owners with small children or anyone who might reasonably encounter a "no-shoot" during a search.
Peripheral light illuminates the front and rear sights, if desired.
Minimizes exposure of the user's body during room clearing or firing around obstacles.
Masks the precise location of the shooter - the original premise is still valid, although limited by ambient conditions such as reflective walls.
Transitions well to the Neck Index Technique.
Adapts for shoulder-fired weapons and transitions easily to the SFI shoulder-fired weapon technique.
Supports the principle of "light-and-move," a fundamental tactic of low-light combatives, and can be extremely deceptive if utilized properly.
Optimizes bilateral operation for ambidextrous shooting.
Cons
Limits the user to shooting one-handed.
Difficult to maintain alignment of the beam on the threat.
Fatiguing if performed steadily for more than a few moments, especially with large flashlights.
Hard to use with an injured hand or arm.
Precise, instant alignment of the flashlight beam with the target requires extensive practice.
Hargreaves Lite-Touch Technique
Named for Mike Hargreaves, a former British Army operator and bouncer at a boisterous bar called the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Mike has been a full-time firearms instructor for 20 years and a board member of IALEFI for the past 16 years. To employ the Lite-Touch Technique, the flashlight is held in the palm of the support hand. The method of deployment is to draw the pistol and light together, punch the pistol forward in a straight line at the target with the weak-hand pointing the flashlight like a fencing foil. The two hands come together, just like a two-hand punch-draw, but the weak-hand is under the pistol with the momentary tailcap pressed against the knuckles of the shooting hand.
Pros
Simple, effective, easy to learn. A gross motor skill, it requires less practice to ingrain than a more complex technique.
Automatically aligns the flashlight beam with the muzzle.
Enables steadier, two-hand support of the weapon prior to shooting.
Cons
Limited only to flashlights with momentary tailcaps, not with side-switch flashlights.
Difficult to use with an injured hand or arm.
Light is located at the user's center of mass.
Keller Technique
Named for Georgia State Police trooper, Van Keller, this hands-together technique has been described as merely a variation of the Harries Technique, however, it is quite distinct. To execute the Keller Technique, the flashlight is held in a sword grip, with the thumb on the on/off switch. The shooter's arms are extended outward, with the arm of the shooting hand below the arm of the flashlight hand. The wrists nest together and the back of the weapon hand presses firmly against the back of flashlight hand to create stabilizing tension. A complex motor skill, the Keller Technique must be practiced to create muscle memory in order to avoid having the pistol's slide slam into the wrist or forearm during discharge, especially when the arms aren't fully extended.
Pros
Aligns flashlight beam fairly well with the pistol's barrel.
Enables steady, two-handed support of the weapon prior to shooting.
Cons
Limited only to side-switch flashlights.
Displaces the beam's alignment with the pistol during firing.
Fatiguing if performed steadily over time, especially with large flashlights.
Proximity of the hands increases the chance of a sympathetic contraction of the gun hand when the side-switch is pressed, and can cause hand confusion.
Difficult to use with an injured hand or arm.
Precise, rapid alignment of the flashlight beam with the target requires extensive practice.
Misalignment of the flashlight beam with the target can alter the alignment of the weapon with target, and vice versa.
Light is located at the shooter's center of mass.
Neck-Index Technique
One of the newest techniques to be developed, the Neck-Index Technique, is the culmination of much experimintation. It is a hands-apart technique in which the flashlight is held in an ice pick grip and the handgun is held in either the strong- or weak-hand. The first published description of this technique appeared in a June, 1994 magazine article by Brian Puckett and, since Americans love nothing more than to pigeonhole things, it was immediately dubbed the Puckett Technique. However, a version of this technique for use with SureFire's compact, powerful lithium-powered lights was taught by Ken Good and Dave Maynard of Combative Concepts about two years prior to the '94 article. Puckett and Good now use the term Neck Index Technique.
Employing the Neck Index requires that the light's reflector is held indexed against the jaw/neck juncture just below the ear, so that it moves in conjunction with user's head, yet blocks little peripheral vision. The thumb is placed on the momentary tailcap switch, if using a SureFire CombatLight, or a finger is positioned on the body-mounted switch, if using an old-style flashlight. For the older, large "police flashlights," the flashlight body is rested on the shoulder, indexed against the base of the neck. For compact, lithium-powered flashlights, the body of the flashlight, or the fist holding it, is indexed against the neck. The weapon is held in any position desired, out of contact with flashlight hand or arm.
An ancillary benefit of the Neck Index Technique is that it utilizes the same basic position as the common method of cops when they interview suspects - resting the light on the shoulder in order to deliver a fast strike if the suspect suddenly becomes aggressive. By employing a similar position, the Neck Index Technique allows an ergonomic, tactical and even psychological benefit. The Neck Index Technique breaks from the trend of hands-together techniques that have been universal since the Harries was first introduced. The goal of hands-together techniques is to steady the shooting hand and keep the flashlight beam aligned with the gun barrel. Good and Maynard's dynamic combat techniques did not require this, and anyone who has tested different techniques in a CQB environment - and not just on the range - will agree that the ability to take cover and shoot bilaterally from around corners more than offsets the putative drawback of the Neck Index's less stability than a hands-together technique.
Pros
Clear illumination of the sights and the target simultaneously.
Natural transition from the FBI Technique.
Works with small or large flashlights.
Adapts to both side-switch and rear tailcap on/off modes.
Minimizes muscle fatigue for large flashlights as the weight is borne almost entirely by the user's body.
Eliminates beam/grip displacement upon firing.
Reduces the chance of a sympathetic contraction of the hands that could result in an accidental discharge as the trigger is squeezed simultaneously with pressing the light's on/off button.
Minimizes the possibility of "hand confusion" in which the user muddles up which hand has the gun and which has the light - not as far fetched as it sounds in a high-stress CQB fight.
Enables searching with the flashlight independently of "sweeping" potential no-shoots with the weapon's muzzle.
Aligns the beam with the target such that there is no effect on the alignment of the weapon with the target.
Emergency strike can be delivered since the flashlight is "cocked" above the shoulder.
Usable with injured hand or arm, as it virtually duplicates the body's natural "flipper position" of a wounded limb.
Supports an aligned body position for movement in any direction.
Excellent for ambidextrous firing during lateral movement.
Transitions easily to "light-forward, weapon-back" deployment for maximizing weapon retention in close quarters.
Supports the "power with light" principle of low-light combative tactics.
Easy to use bilaterally.
Cons
User must shoot one-handed.
Can create excess "splash" of light off the rear of the weapon if the user is not familiar with the proper applications of the technique.
Light is located near the shooter's head.
Ken J. Good was the founding director of the SureFire Institute. His company, Strategos International, conducts authorized SureFire Institute training for qualified law enforcement and military personnel. For more information on classes available, contact Ken at
www.strategosinternational.com or call toll-free to 888-LOW-LIGHT.
