Which direction to move in while taking fire?

[therewolf]

Truthfully, IMO, I feel I( and possibly others) would fail to try to approach

someone who is shooting at me, in order to breach their shooting radius, and

ruin their aim, if the shooting had already started.

No matter how much sense it makes.

It's just counter-intuitive.

I can only hope I can do the right thing when my life depends upon it.

 

[GCBurner]

In the Immortal words of Monty Python..."Run away!"

"He bravely ran away, away,
Brave, brave Sir Robin. . ."

Sounds about right to me, better than trying to duplicate the moves you saw in some martial arts movie, anyway.

 

[uspJ]

Truthfully, IMO, I feel I( and possibly others) would fail to try to approach

someone who is shooting at me, in order to breach their shooting radius, and

ruin their aim, if the shooting had already started.

No matter how much sense it makes.

It's just counter-intuitive.

I can only hope I can do the right thing when my life depends upon it.

I agree it seems counter-intuitive, but depending on the situation (bad breath distance, one bg) it could be going against that intuition to run away that could save your life.

I don't really see too many realistic scenarios where you would be taking fire and not be up close and personal with the bg. Armed robbery, car jacking, mugging etc the bg has to be up close to accomplish his task. I can't imagine a bg yelling at you from 30ft away to give him your wallet and keys. If you had the advantage of distance you would most likely take use of it to escape or get to a better defensible position (cover, concealment).

As counter intuitive as it seems to you it will also seem that way to the bg if you do move in and try to take the fight to him. Being rushed and attacked is the last thing the bg would expect, he would now have to react to your actions instead of following his original game plan, he may continue to fight or he may flee due to the surprise of your actions.

Sounds about right to me, better than trying to duplicate the moves you saw in some martial arts movie, anyway.

Agreed, I wouldn't suggest trying anything you saw in a movie. Some simple self-defense moves that can be learned and practiced easily could be of some help. There are many hand to hand SD systems that don't consist of having a 10th degree super secret black belt and 20 years to master. Most quality hand to hand systems would teach something that would apply moves consisting of gross moter skill movements, no fancy finesse filled stuff that only works when the bg is standing a certain way and does nothing to resist.

 

[charlie echo]

cover or move in

take cover then run or fire or move in while firing

 

[HOLYROLLER]

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0mCjEvDORE[/URL]

Mexico subway shooting. Maybe not probable scenario for most of us, but it does show people instinctually trying to avoid getting shot at close range. Not completely WFS, not bloody graphic, but reality graphic.
HR

 

[FriedRice]

Good thread. I'm up for handgun retention training and disarming next. It seems like quite a few experienced people here recommend moving toward the BG if the gun is already out and on you.

I'm curious if you would recommend that same strategy to someone with vastly inferior upper body strength. If I move it, I have my doubt as to being able to disarm him, punch hard enough in the right spot with my weak hand, all while trying to draw.

So far, I've been taught to back up on a diagonal, while facing the BG, talking and drawing.

I'm definitely up for opinions on this. Moving in seems counterintuitive unless I can do some damage hand to hand, and I don't think I can.

 

[uspJ]

Good thread. I'm up for handgun retention training and disarming next. It seems like quite a few experienced people here recommend moving toward the BG if the gun is already out and on you.

I'm curious if you would recommend that same strategy to someone with vastly inferior upper body strength. If I move it, I have my doubt as to being able to disarm him, punch hard enough in the right spot with my weak hand, all while trying to draw.

So far, I've been taught to back up on a diagonal, while facing the BG, talking and drawing.

I'm definitely up for opinions on this. Moving in seems counterintuitive unless I can do some damage hand to hand, and I don't think I can.

That is one reason why I am a big advocate of carrying a knife, preferably a small fixed blade that can be deployed quickly in addition to carrying a firearm. I have always been told and read that distance is your friend when using a firearm, if I'm closing in to make the bg's gun less effective then I'm also making my firearm less effective. A good sharp knife is hard to take away, most will get cut attempting to do so. Personally I don't feel you have to have alot of training with it, just repeatedly stab (I worked in a prison for several years and seen how effective multiple stab wounds were) aim for the face, neck, and groin. Those areas will usually cause the opponent to panic and try to break contact even if only slightly wounded. This could then give you time and space to access your gun and use it should the bg try to mount an attack again.

 

[William Lee]

+1 for uspJ on carrying a knife. After being caught in a situation where my seatbelt prevented me from quickly accessing my folder in my right side pocket, I now carry the folder in the pocket plus a fixed blade Gerber in my jacket pocket (you know those pockets on the inside of your jacket near the collar--great place for a sheathed fixed blade) for ease of access. I can draw a knife with either hand while standing, sitting, or whatever--not to mention the revolver on the hip.
I'm glad people have responded so positively to this thread. Thanks for the advice.

 

[anewconvert]

I'm curious if you would recommend that same strategy to someone with vastly inferior upper body strength. If I move it, I have my doubt as to being able to disarm him, punch hard enough in the right spot with my weak hand, all while trying to draw.

Its not the strength or disarm that is the important variable here. Whats is important is that a) you are moving in a manner that requires the bg to adjust to you, taking the initiative and b) impacting him at all. All this is doing is buying you a few moments. You are causing him to have to address your actions instead of being able to determine the course of the encounter and any impact at all will force a further adjustment buying more time.


Moving to his strong side and closing in is the best course of action. What also needs to be mentioned is NOT maintaining eye contact with him. Whether you want it to or not your eyes give a momentary hint to the fact that you intend to act. Even an untrained person intuitively knows this. Whether they act or not is a person to person response, but you telegraph your intent through your eyes.

 

[figment]

wadcutter45:

When the shooting starts, "a plan is just a guess in a party dress".

ooooh I like that!