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Realistic CQC Drills - Part 1,  Realistice CQC Drills - Part 3

Recently I examined the theory that should underlie realistic close-quarter combat (CQC) pistol training. To summarize, you need to rehearse countering a sudden (though not completely unexpected if your situational awareness skills are up to par) attack from any direction that dictates little reaction time and engagement at very short range, putting as many rounds as possible into the target without precision aiming.

In Part 1 of this series, I made some recommendations for training against live rather than static targets, using a partner and an Airsoft gun. To recap, these are available inexpensively in a wide range of fairly realistic models, and they can be employed safely for training with the use of ballistic-grade eye protection and heavy clothing.

In this article we’ll contemplate another situation that you’re likely to encounter in a real-world self-defense engagement. One of the mantras of the U.S. Army Combatives program is that “All fights end up on the ground.” While you might have personally experienced a rare exception to that rule, for the most part it’s accurate. That means you’d best be prepared to employ your weapon from the ground after being knocked down by an opponent.

In the first iteration of this training, rehearse going to one knee. (Since a real opponent won’t show you the courtesy of asking which knee you prefer, practice each knee as well as both together.) Staying with the gross vs. fine weapon control and the principles of multiple shots into your assailant, keep the weapon close to your body when firing. This will force an opponent to close with you if he wants to attempt to take the weapon from you or deflect your aim, whereas if you extend your arms in a traditional firing posture, you’re offering the weapon to him. Remember, this is close quarters combat, not a 25-meter firing range.

In the second iteration, you’ll go all the way to the ground. A training mat is the way to go with this, or if you don’t have one available, at least use a nice grassy surface. Good training requires lots of repetition, and you’ll be a lot more willing to put in those repetitions if hitting the ground every time isn’t an exercise in pain management. (If you don’t know how to break a fall properly, this is an excellent time to learn—before you start working on this drill.) Again, keep the weapon close in while firing—in this case your opponent will have to not only get in close but also bend down if he wants to get at your pistol, in which case he’ll be particularly vulnerable.

When you’re knocked all the way to the ground, you’ll want to fend off your attacker if you can—firearms are standoff weapons, after all, and you’d rather engage someone who’s three to five feet away than someone who’s on top of you and trying to take your weapon. To accomplish this, once you’ve hit the ground, roll to your non-firing side. Cock your non-firing leg slightly to stabilize you in this position, and use your firing leg (which will be on top) to kick up and out, hopefully shoving your opponent back. (This position also enables you to use your non-firing arm to rotate your body in case your attacker comes at you from a different direction.) Be very particular to drop your leg out of the way before you fire your weapon, for obvious reasons—this is why practicing first with an Airsoft gun is preferable.

Just as I discussed in Part 1, have your training partner attack you from multiple directions and take you down in various ways—shoving, tripping, grappling, etc. You want to be acquainted with the mechanics of any number of potential scenarios for this type of assault.

Transitioning to live-fire training for these techniques is a matter of engaging static targets from the positions you’ve rehearsed. Have your training partner give you the command to fall (either to a knee or all the way to the ground) and fire multiple rounds into the target. To make these drills slightly more demanding, your partner can randomly vary commands of “left knee,” “right knee,” “both knees,” and “ground.”

In both Airsoft and live-fire training, be sure to practice engagements with your weapon both drawn and holstered. There may be situations in which your opponent’s actions have already caused you to draw prior to the attack that knocks you down, but you should also train on drawing your weapon while on the ground.

In the final piece of this series, we’ll discuss some training techniques to enhance your reaction to sudden and unexpected attacks.