Even if you don't regularly carry guns I find it important as a martial artist to be familiar with guns, the different types of guns, and how they function. The reason for this is that so you know how to defend against guns. Lots of martial arts schools do teach gun defenses using practice guns and there are articles in martial arts magazines that explain various gun defenses. So even if you don't use guns I find it important to be familiar enough with them to be able to defend against them.
Why its important for martial artists to be familiar with guns
- Thread starter PhotonGuy
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It is important, but if you're not going to train those techniques to the point of expertise, don't count on them. An article or a seminar is just about enough to get you killed.
Depends on why the person is studying martial arts. If they're doing it for fitness, flexibility, or any of the other myriad non-fighting reasons people study martial arts, then learning about guns may well be an utter waste of time.
I'll add never assailant's weapon either, if you should in a situation that you take a firearm from an assailant. Couple of law enforcement friends have told me some great stories of weapons that they have confiscated from criminals. Wrong ammunition, improperly loaded weapons, etc. Best one I recall was a crook that had a stolen 9mm but only had .380 ammunition available to him. He scotch taped the rounds so they'd fit into the magazine/chamber properly.
Then it's likely that these officers are some combination of idiots, liars, and/or repeating urban myths.
A .380 round is the exact same diameter as a 9mm. That's why it's also called a 9mm short. A .380 round will fit in the chamber and magazine of a 9mm handgun just fine. And it will fire. The problem will be that subsequent rounds are unlikely to feed reliably from the magazine, because the recoil spring in a 9mm is too stiff to be reliably cycled by the lower-powered .380 ACP. If you care to load it up and cycle it manually, you can shoot all the .380 you'd like from a 9mm pistol.
Danny T
Senior Master
At what age do feel a martial artist should be learning to be familiar with guns, the different types of guns, and how they function? At what age is a student martial artist mature enough to start to understand how to defend against a firearm?
To what level of competence with and against a firearm should the average martial artist be in order to defend themselves? At what range are you concerned with? Point blank, 2 yards, 5 yards or less/more, 10 yards, longer…? Pistol or rifle? And again at what range?
What specifically do you find important to know about a firearm to be able to defend yourself in an active shooter situation?
- Thread Starter
- #8
If anything, the purpose of an article or a seminar is to persuade you to to train in such techniques on a regular basis.
Agreed. Sadly, many collect seminars as if they were rock concert tickets. As eye-openers, they may be useful. As substitutes for constant training, not only useless but dangerous.
- Thread Starter
- #10
Well first of all it would depend on why a person is taking up martial arts in the first place. If they're not taking up martial arts with self defense as being one of the reasons for doing so than learning gun defenses might not be all that important for them to learn, I should've clarified that in my first post. As for most of the rest of your questions, that really would depend on the student. When a student is ready to learn about guns and how they function and how to defend against them varies from student to student. Some students are ready much earlier than other students. Such training does not have to involve the use of real guns. I do think its smart, for somebody who does want to learn gun defenses, if they've never used real guns to take a trip to a range sometime and try firing a few different guns just to get the feel of how they work its not necessary. When training with a partner in gun defenses you obviously would not use real guns. They do make guns for practice and for reenactments that will do everything that a real gun will do except fire live rounds. Aside from a solid bore they're mechanically identical. As for range, point blank up to maybe a few feet away. Personally for me, if the gunman was 2 yards away or further and his weapon was drawn I would run if I didn't have a gun of my own.
What training guns do not do is hurt you if you twist the barrel into alignment with your body. If seen a few of those supposed techs. Good way to get dead.
- Thread Starter
- #12
In some gun defense classes they do use water guns or airsoft guns, for the latter you would need eye protection of course.
Another aspect of being familiar with firearms would be what to do with that firearm once you have it under your control.
Drop the mag and clear the barrel in a semi auto or clear the cylinder in a revolver. Once you have cleared the weapon and made it safe prepare for the arrival of law enforcement.
One person down with another person standing with a gun in hand will not bode well for the good guy.
Drop the mag and clear the barrel in a semi auto or clear the cylinder in a revolver. Once you have cleared the weapon and made it safe prepare for the arrival of law enforcement.
One person down with another person standing with a gun in hand will not bode well for the good guy.
I'm pretty sure the bad guy is still a threat and needs to be shot. A lot. When the gun is empty, just drop it.
I kid, I kid!
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I might, I might!
In many cases, your advice would be spot on.
ballen0351
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That's where communication comes in. Make sure You call 911 explain your the good guy, what your wearing, you are armed, and you will drop it as soon as you see the police and as soon as they police start pulling up gun goes down hands go up.
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I often tell the story of the kid trying to steal my motorcycle....had him pinned and called 911-told the Denver PD that I was the black guy holding the phone up in the air, and I would stay on the line until the officers showed up...so there I was, in the dark of morning, squirming, stupid, skinny white-boy under my 200+ pounds of black guy's knee, holding my still active cell phone in the air, and three Denver cop cars roll up....
made those guy's morning, I did-they all got out of their cars laughing their asses off.....all good. Communication is key.....neutralizing the weapon and putting it down is pretty helpful, too....
ballen0351
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LOL I love when the good guy wins. BUT yes them more you let us know before we arrive the better it will go for you.
If anything, I improperly relayed the story. Been some time ago. As for liars, no. They are stand up folks I train with a bit. Bottom line -- Don't trust a weapon you don't know.
