We`ve all seen the drill (some of you have done it..) Your sitting in a car, the timer beeps, you draw and shoot at a cardboard target sitting outside the window. Or you exit the vehicle, move to cover and shoot.
These drills are great for training basic gunhandling but arent very realistic. They do little to simulate the violence and stress of a real attack while in a vehicle. In the following videos we did the best we could to try to simulate an actual attack.
We went with the worst case scenario. You have either just parked or have just entered your vehicle. You are distracted, the engine is off, windows down and the doors unlocked. We did this with the seatbelt on and off. The start signal is getting punched in the head.
In the first video the BG attacks through the open window.
Lessons learned:
Getting hit in the head when your not ready for it sucks.
You need to be able to clear and draw your gun with one hand while using the other to protect your head.
Untucking your shirt from under the seatbelt made the draw consistantly faster.
Leaning toward the passenger seat gave me the space I needed to draw and be in a position to shoot.
In the second video the BG attacks and then opens the door to gain access.
Lessons learned:
This actually seemed easier than the first drill. When the BG stops punching to open the door it gave me time to lean back and draw my gun.
In the third video the attack comes from the passenger side. The BG is wearing a helmet so we can strike to his head and face. I am able to react quickly enough that I undo the seatbelt and escape. Please excuse the cameraman, he thinks this is funny
Lessons learned:
Escape is the best option for this attack.
If you are right handed, drawing from this position is very difficult. We were able to excecute some support hand draws but the gun is in an awkward position.
We did this particular drill more than 10 times. I was only able to undo the seatbelt a couple of times. Loss of fine motor skill along with the speed and violence of the attack made this nearly impossible. The majority of the time I couldnt get out of the car. If the seatbelt were off to begin with this would not be an issue.
The last video demonstrates this all very well. I dont get the belt undone quickly enough and have to use my hands to defend myself. The BG sees my draw and gets his hands on the gun. All bets are off at this point and I even resort to biting in an attempt to get him to let go of my gun.
Lessons learned:
Fighting in the front seat of a small car sucks but you may have to do it if you are belted in.
The leverage techniques we teach for gun takeaways and defense dont work well when seated with little room to move.
Keep your windows up and doors locked.
We did over 50 repetitions between the four of us. The attacks from the drivers side seemed easier to deal with than I thought they would be. While the attacks from the passenger side were much harder. Depending on your size, what vehicle you drive and how you carry your gun, there are many variations that we all can bring to this. Try it yourself and let us know how it goes.
Next time the BG gets a weapon.
- Shawn
