Dean Walsh asked: It is the kind of situation we all pray that we will never find ourselves in – a dangerous criminal threatening you with a handgun. But nevertheless it is something that does happen to people, and there is a very real possibility that one day it could happen to you. It always pays to be prepared, so with that in mind this article will describe a technique that you can use to disarm a thug threatening you with a gun.
But Before I describe the technique itself it is important to know in exactly which situations it is appropriate to use it. The most important piece of advice I can give you is simply this: it’s not worth dying over a few dollars. If you are being robbed, either in the street or in a shop or other workplace, your preferred option should always be to cooperate; give them the money, don’t antagonize them, and hope that they leave quickly without it ever getting violent. We all love to hear about ‘have a go heroes’ who stand up to criminals, and we admire these people greatly, but when you here news stories like this there is a tendency to forget about those people who tried and failed, and ended up getting themselves killed.
Unfortunately, however, it is not always possible to just cooperate. So here are the kind of situations in which you should consider trying to disarm a thug with a gun:
- If the main purpose of the thug is violence, such as a rape or assault rather than a robbery.
- If they are behaving very erratically, if they are very nervous and jumpy, or if they are obviously out of their minds on drugs. In any of these situations they are more likely to turn violent suddenly or for no apparent reason.
-If a thief, during a robbery, displays violent behavior, such as striking people, this can indicate that they are more likely to use their weapon.
Once you have made the decision to try to disarm the aggressor the first thing you must think about is whether or not they are within your range. It may be that they are standing right in front of you holding the gun in your face, in which case you can use the technique from where you are; otherwise you will need to close the gap and get within reach of the gun without being shot. To do this you should hold your arms up in front of you with your palms facing outwards – this looks like an appeasing and submissive gesture, but it is also the perfect position from which to begin the technique. Do not just walk towards a thug with a gun without any apparent reason, as they will immediately perceive you as a threat. A good idea is to talk to them, perhaps pretending to negotiate or to plead and beg, as you close the gap.
When you are close enough to reach out to the gun you will need them to be momentarily distracted to give yourself the best chance of success. Even a blink can be enough, or alternatively you can try to make them glance away towards something or someone else in the room. Don’t worry about directing their attention on to another person – they will probably keep the gun pointing at you as you are so close, and if they move you can take the chance to disarm them before they get the chance to aim it at another person.
When you see your chance you need to move quickly and confidently, completing the whole technique in one unbroken movement. The following directions apply to a right handed thug, just reverse everything if they are holding the gun in their left hand:
Step diagonally forward and to the side, out of the line of fire. You can step to either side, but the direction you go in will influence which foot you lead with and which hand performs each function. If moving to the left is easiest then lead with your left foot while simultaneously pivoting on your back foot so that you are facing towards the thug with his arms outstretched directly in front of you. At the same time as doing this you should grab hold of the thug’s wrist with your left hand, while bringing your right hand up to grab the barrel of the gun from underneath. Simultaneously push down on the thugs wrist with your left hand whilst twisting the gun and pushing the barrel to point upwards with your right hand. This will break the thugs trigger finger. Now simply push downwards towards the ground with your right hand and the gun will slip out of their grip. As soon as you have the weapon it is important to step back out of their reach before taking a proper hold of the weapon and using it to subdue the thug, otherwise they may be able to wrestle it back off you.
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