Random tangent regarding disarms and defenses against weapons ranging from guns to knives to clubs, I find that much of what we see taught is far removed from reality. Check out the two examples below.
I remember an open seminar with Rene Latosa many years back. He gave trainer knives to a mixed a group of students from various different martial arts backgrounds and had them practice a few simple stabbing and slashing movements. Then we pared up with one "attacker" armed with a trainer, and one unarmed "defender". He told the defender to try to apply any disarm they knew, and he told the attacker to basically cut the living hell out of the defender, and above all, keep from getting disarmed.
OK it was just a drill, and of course we were all holding back some to keep from hurting our partners, but still the outcome was pretty clear. The attackers won almost every time.
On another occaision, also many years ago, I was in Saginaw MI giving a WC/Escrima seminar for a friend, a former LEO who held a very high dan ranking in Hakkoryu Aikijutsu and also taught police techniques for arresting and controling suspects. He offered to show me some pistol disarming techniques. As I was not very familiar with handguns, he began by instructing me in the basic use of his 9mm auto. He removed the clip, cleared the chamber and showed me how to fire it. then he had me play the role of "mugger. I asked him if he wanted me to act "like I meant it". He said absolutely.
He asked me to stand right in front of him like you see in so many pistol disarm drills. I said, "No way. I've got the gun, I make the rules"So from about 8 feet away I pointed the gun straight at the center of his chest (largest target and all) and told him to stop and slowly get out his wallet, and toss it to me on the ground. As he began to comply by reaching for his wallet, tried to distract me with a verbal response and close the distance. I matched him step for step, keeping my range and told him to stay back and drop his f-ing wallet on the ground and slid it over to me with his foot. He tried to close distance again so I pulled the trigger. So much for another "Self defense master". If this was "for reals", he be dead.
Now if this is what relatively inexperienced people can do as "attackers", in a well lit studio working aginst experienced martial artists, how dependable are disarming techniques in real life in some back alley? Well, maybe those techniques are all you've got in a bad situation, but I'll put my money on avoiding getting into situations like that to begin with.