Countless “rules for a gunfight” have been bandied about for decades, if not centuries. Most focus on hard and fast principles like moving and shooting. However, the list with what I believe to be one of the most important winning components is rare. You must be able to get your gun into the fight. Many assume the attacker will be several yards away. The reality is that said dirtbag may be in physical contact with you. In many cases, you will need CQB skills for your CCW.
CQB Skills for Your CCW
This leads me to shoot down a cliché the gun culture must get away from: “I don’t need any fighting techniques…I carry a gun.” This could not be further from the truth on so many levels that it makes my head spin. While I am not saying you need to get a black belt, I would encourage you to understand the basics of close-quarters fighting for CCW.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to draw your gun if someone is up against it. You must get distance between your gun and the bad guy as quickly as possible. Now notice I said distance between your gun and the bad guy. The ultimate plan, of course, would be to get them completely off and away from you, but if they are physically assaulting you, it could be challenging.
Get Some Distance
One solid technique for this is simply called “press and draw.” Use your support-side hand and press up into the jaw area of the assailant. At the same time, turn your hips away from the attacker. This will put distance between them and the gun and give you room to work. Now, quickly draw your handgun and engage the threat.
Once you have delivered your ballistic response to their attack, break completely away from them and move to safety. In that no single technique works against every attack, let’s look at another version of this idea. This is still a two-part technique we should strive to do simultaneously.
This version will incorporate striking the assailant as we move our gun away. One quick note regarding striking: There can be no half-measures or incremental steps. This is a moment of sheer ferocity that can stun the assailant in and of itself. For this striking version, we will focus on the nose and eyes. The nose is especially useful because it is easy to strike and full of nerves that cause pain and physiological responses, such as watering the eyes. This is a classic CQB skills for CCW move.
Get to the Point
We will follow the same path as we did with our first technique, but in place of the shove to the face, we will use a closed fist and hammer down onto the bridge of the nose. Not only will we smash the nose, but we will also focus on trying to stretch the nose tissue downward as we hit.
This is a centuries-old pressure point attack, and for good reason. This is more than just a bop on the nose. You must focus on not just hitting the surface of the nose but deep inside and beyond the nose. The strike must penetrate the head and make them regret the moment they chose you as a target. As we smash the nose, we turn our hips as we did before and follow through the same way. Get your pistol into the fight and end this.
Get Into the Fight
One thing that a dedicated dirtbag may try to do is impede your draw. They may reach out and grab your arm or hand and block you from getting your trusty blaster into the discussion. If they reach for you in this manner, we will use a principle called “de-fanging the snake.” While it sounds like something from Sunday morning Kung-Fu theatre, it is a very effective principle. The fangs in this setting are the attacker’s hands and arms.
We will cause significant dysfunction in them to the point that they are no longer useful as weapons. We will strike once again; as before, it will be ferocious. Our target this time will be the meaty area of the forearm up close to the elbow. This is a very sensitive spot and works well at causing dysfunction. With your free hand, hammer down onto the forearm muscle just off the center of the bone. It can be on the inside or outside, depending on where you are oriented.
Dysfunction Over Pain
Like our nose strike, we want to get serious penetration into the target. Strike with your entire body, intent on snapping the forearm in half if possible. Even if you miss the specific target, the sheer force of the strike can break their grip. Once the grip breaks, you must once again turn your hips away and get your gun into the fight. Striking is like shooting in many ways. The first “shot” or strike may not get it done, so be ready to hit them again.
The small space that I have been granted to share these principles is limiting beyond belief. So much must be glossed over simply to allow this to fit. With that being said, I feel compelled to share a couple more techniques that go beyond striking nerve points. A physical assault is no minor item, and you must respond with sufficient force to repel the attacker and protect your life and possibly the life of a loved one. With that in mind, it is also important to know that real-world combatives can be a messy business.
CQB For Survival
This is especially true with our next technique. One principle that I teach in all combatives classes is that we focus on mechanical compliance as opposed to pain compliance. What I mean by this is that pain will not always be a deterring factor. Some techniques simply do not cause certain people pain. However, The techniques I have discussed here also cause mechanical dysfunction. Even if they do not cause a great deal of pain, they cause weakness and inhibit the attacker’s ability. This is especially true with our next technique for CQB skills for CCW.
In a close-quarter setting, the assailant will offer us a variety of targets. One of the most sensitive is the eyes. Several of you are squirming in your chairs right now because you know what is about to go down. Make a fist, but instead of putting the thumb on the outside of the fingers, rest it on the top. Just like you had given the thumbs up to someone and then dropped your thumb down onto the other fingers. Now press the thumb forward, just slighting so that it overhangs the fist. This is now a supported striking and pressing weapon.
Attack the Eyes
The eyes are a tougher target than most people think; once the eyelids close, it gets harder. With your supported thumb, drive straight into the eye of the attacker. As we did with our strikes, do not stop just at the point of contact. We aim to drive our thumb towards the back of the head. They will flinch back to escape our attack if they have any sense. If not, you will damage their ability to see and, in turn, fight. If they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the pain once again may not be there, but function is diminished or gone. Gruesome…yes. It is also very effective.
A short article like this can only give you the basics of a complicated topic. However, there are some fundamental principles that I can share. These apply across the board and to any technique you choose to use. The first is a psychological point. You must be dedicated to the fight. There is no halfway point, nor should there be any attempt at escalation of force models. Save that for the police.
Embrace CQB Skills for CCW
If someone attacks you, you must respond with a ferocity that the attacker cannot manage. Dirtbags do not choose targets that they know are going to fight. They hope you comply and submit while they complete their crime. A second point in that arena is self-confidence. This is especially true for people of smaller stature. What I would ask you, however, is how much a full-grown leopard weighs. Generally, it is less than 100 pounds, yet you do not doubt its ability to fight. Have that mindset. Training is also key. This article can help in a pinch, but you must train to protect yourself and your loved ones. Several options are available, and you should visit some of the local training locations. Find something that you enjoy that at the same time provides you with solid skills. Like your shooting skills, you will need to continue to practice and, in turn, improve. One of the greatest byproducts of this type of training is an enhanced awareness of your surroundings. The greatest thing about that is you improve your chances of never having to fight.
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