YouTube is lousy with how-to gun disarmament videos. The Rabbi spied this one with his little eye and it pleases him not. He writes: “Gun disarming techniques work, but do take a lot of practice. And yes, they can be done fast. I teach them as a last ditch effort because they are dangerous. Given that the attacker’s finger will be on the trigger, the gun will probably go off. If you step offline as part of your first step, it won’t be you that gets shot, but it might be someone else if they are in the wrong place. If you think you are about to get shot and there are no other options, disarm. I am not fond of the particular technique shown as it relies on hitting a small location on the wrist. Works well with a cooperative training partner, but perhaps not so much when it’s real. Also, never use your assailant’s gun against him as you don’t know the condition of the weapon. It may not even be real, may not be loaded, may be jammed, etc. Proper technique is to disarm, then draw your own firearm.” The wider lesson: find a gun guru you trust and then remain skeptical. Find what makes sense, question it without fear or favor, make sure the recommended techniques work for you and practice. Then be prepared to do it all again if/when you find something better.

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33 COMMENTS

  1. In many cases, the “tactical” stuff this specific youtube channel puts up strikes me as ranging from mall-ninja-ish to downright dangerous. YMMV I suppose.

    • +1. Tim Larkin is the only person I have heard of who really understands how this sh*t goes down. Ignore the weapon. Focus on the attacker.

      • he used to be a trainer for Jerry Perterson and taught SCARS,TFT is quite similar to this.I guess they had a falling out.He is also banned from the UK because of what he teaches,He seems like a good guy and genualy(sp?) wants to teach and for people to learn.Not a money grubber.

  3. Put on a face mask, repeat drill with paintball or airsoft pistol.

    I’d put money on Mr. Tacticool getting shot in the face.

  4. I assume everything they know is correct. For them. But not for me.

    That’s the problem that I have with all instruction and training. It might be great for you if you just got back from a deployment in Kandahar, but not so great for you if you just got home from an appointment with your cardiologist.

    When instruction is tailored for the protection of the student and not for the pretensions of the instructor, then put me down for the full ration. Otherwise, no.

    • Tactical training is fun, even useful sometimes but it is almost always geared to people who are legally allowed to assume an offensive posture. If you learn the lessons you could end up serious trouble ranging from criminal charges to a slab in morgue. The only thing you can do during a DGU is defend. Once you neutralize the threat from a defensive posture you are done.

      • Once you neutralize the threat from a defensive posture you are done.

        Yes, for sure. But some people would like to do more, and for the life of me I don’t know why.

  5. Wow… That’s right out of ’80s 2nd reelers.

    If you take it with salt, you’ll get your salt.

  6. We practice a similar deal, but draw our own guns. Inside bad breath distances, fast hands could be a better weapon than guns. Maybe. If your assailant has any training, a good CQB stance is almost impossible to disarm.

    • Reason 472 to never get within arms reach of whomever you are assailing – such as the burglar you’ve got covered while you’re waiting for transport.

      Presupposing that you’re feeling generous, of course.

  8. Actually, this is good advice. There’s only a few real ways to disarm someone holding a gun, and you strike at both the strongest and weakest part of the person: the grip. Same as escaping from a wrist grab.

    What he DIDN’T cover, though, was a suitable distraction. Make the person focus on something other than you. Make them lower their guard. Make yourself seem like less of a threat. Once their focus is off, THEN you can move, and ONLY if you know you can pull it off with a high chance of success.

    • “There’s only a few real ways to disarm someone holding a gun, and you strike at both the strongest and weakest part of the person…”
      The genitals.
      “What he DIDN’T cover, though, was a suitable distraction.”
      I rest my case.

    • Years ago a rather small gentleman who had been a martial arts trainer for the military appeared on Johnny Carson and proceded to disarm Arnold Schwartzenegger and take him to his knees all in one motion. Arnold had a snubby .38 and was very close to him, finger on the trigger.

      The thing I recall as being vastly different from this video is that he swept the pistol to the left, brought his right arm around for leverage, and trapped Arnold’s trigger finger in the trigger guard. So long as he retained pressure against the finger Arnold could not move without his finger being broken. Wish I could find THAT one on YouTube.

  9. Yeah, mall ninja whatever. Learn an hour of weapon retention, and all this is useless horseplay. Real life isn’t movie scenarios.

    Deflecting and shooting is a useful thing to practice. Don’t get your hopes up, though.

    “Just enough to not get shot” — words to live by. I guess.

    • Just enough to not get shot, but you’re going to take that muzzle blast right next to your right ear. Seems likely to be a bit disorienting.

  10. Try that post-disarm weapon manipulation a bit too fast, a tiny bit sloppy, with a single action pistol loaded & off-safe & prepare to shoot yourself in the junk.

    I prefer the “disarm & beat dude in head with his own pistol” version in order to create distance & stagger/down him to prevent him from coming right back at you to grab his gun back, before any heat of the moment manipulations with an unknown pistol.

  11. I was trained in close quarters disarming techniques. I got good at it. When the real thing happened, the bad guy unfortunately didn’t cooperate. He didn’t stick the gun out where I could get a good grip on it. It was also cocked single action (S&W .45 Long Colt we found out later). He held it down by his side at his hip while he carjacked me. He had no idea I was a cop, thank God.

    After he took my wallet and keys he told me to run. I said “Yes Sir”, and ran like I’ve never run before. I got behind a parked car, and as he was backing up in my six day old Ford truck, I got my Kimber Ultra Carry out of my pocket and got some revenge.

    This dude in the video is a mall ninja.

  13. I am reminded of an interview I saw many moons ago. A former Special Operator who was a pro-wrestler got caught up in a bank robbery. The BG pointed a shotgun at him. The good guy reverted back to his military days. Stated that the disarming technique he was taught came with a warning. “It only works 50% of the time”. Well as luck would have it the gun went boom. The wrestler became a former wrestler as the shotgun took off his leg. Can’t remember the guys name, but boy oh boy did that story stick in my mind.

  14. Wow…

    1) I’m pretty sure I can rotate my wrist faster than he can move his entire body. Especially if we’re not at an idiot distance (see #2).
    2) What kind of an assailant holds a gun six inches from the target? A stupid one…or one acting as a training dummy for a youtard video.
    3) He’s training with a real gun. I would say he’s breaking the “don’t point a gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy” rule, but…
    4) The bad guy had a docile, one handed grip. Not very likely.
    5) The baddy had a 1911 in condition 2 (at best). Clearly he doesn’t know how guns work. So just draw your own gun and shoot him at your leisure, while he keeps pushing on that trigger, wondering why nothing happens.

  15. Sure it works great in his video. But what happens when the bad guy is able to draw his gun hand back and you are not quick enough with your left hand (or right hand). More practice? The technique is questionable (your momentum is going in the opposite direction as you reach with the left hand, instead moving forward off channel), not saying it can’t work, but it’s too risky. I’ve trained with some Israelis in Krav Maga, and they teach weapons disarmament (and retention). I’ve been taught some of their methodology, which can work. With bang bangs they emphasize situational awareness (e.g. how many people are present and where), and as others have mentioned distraction. But, I’m with the Rabbi on this, last ditch. Definitely last ditch.

  16. It takes longer to react than to act. The movement of you moving the gun off of you, has to register with the other guys eyes, then to brain then to finger. With practice it can be done. Knife, stick….anything.

    If he points and is within reach you can act faster.
    Little test – crumple up a dollar, lay it on a table have someone hold there hand 6 inches above it, you hold your hand about 10 inches to the side, Sweep in and grab the dollar. Your hand is already in motion before they can react. You get the dollar everytime.

    Split seconds are all you need to live, but you have to practice. Even if you just move the muzzle with one hand and draw your weapon, you have a very good chance of surviving. Better to fight, and maybe get shot, then stand and get shot and do nothing.

      • It is not about quickness it is about REACTION. You move his eyes see, his brain reacts then signals his response. Still try the crumpled dollar bill test and prove it yourself.

        Better to try then to not. How many times do we hear a gun wielding criminal shoots even if given the wallet or watch? It is the same as concealed carry and drawing when you feel the need. Do you choose not to draw when the attacker already has his weapon out?

  17. 20 years ago there were a bunch of us who used to train in this tactic. You can go to either side. It works pretty well. There is a great possibility that you will fracture the trigger finger when you apply this technique in a slightly different fashion.
    Going offline is the key. If my spouse is next to me, what happens behind me is of less importance than harm to her. I agree that disarming a person with a handgun pointed at you and his finger on the trigger is a last ditch move. Gotta keep them close or this won’t work.
    The poster did not like the technique as he believes it relies on striking a “small” part of the wrist. With both hands going in opposite directions being off some is not an issue but you do need to make contact with the wrist/forearm.

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