Barricade Positions

BARRICADE POSITIONS

This barricade location could be a bedroom in your home with a reinforced door and deadbolt lock, or it could be the office at the back of a store that’s being robbed or where a mass killing is happening. Where do you position yourself inside that smaller space?

1. 90 degrees offline from the line of travel. In other words, if the room has one door, the bad guys will come in by it, so position yourself perpendicular to the door.

2. Greater than two arms’ reach from the point of entry (door). That’s the full extension of your arm and the full extension of the threat’s arm.

DETAILS

When Rob teaches this in classes, students often want to talk about where the hinge on the door is and should they be behind the door as it opens or in front of it so they can see who is coming through (it may be the police), and whether the door opens inward or outward.

If you’re talking about a public space, you most likely don’t know this. If you’re talking about home defense, you know or should learn these details about your home so you can do some advance planning.

IN YOUR HOME

Think about the layout of the most likely barricade location in your home and if it is viable for you to be 90 degrees offline and greater than two arms’ reach from the entry. Perhaps furniture is positioned in all of those spots — then what should you do?

Rob wants you to take the self-defense concepts presented in this and other PDN videos and apply them to your particular circumstances. Advance planning is one of the keys to self-defense readiness.