Drills for Direct Action Combatives with a Carbine
Chris FryDescription
PDN Contributor Chris Fry of M.D.T.S. Training looks at utilizing the carbine as an intermediate-force option, or what we call direct-action combatives. This may be in a situation where we are not justified in using lethal force, or where the carbine has a malfunction or stoppage, and we need to use the carbine as an impact tool. In other words, not our usual carbine training drills!
Paddle or Spear Grip
As part of our self-defense training, the first thing to master is how to grip the carbine (or any other long arm) to maximize its effectiveness when striking with it. The Paddle Grip starts with the carbine mounted in the shoulder. Rotate your hands backwards so both thumbs point at you. By assuming this grip, the carbine is turned into a spear.
Bayonet Grip
If you have a retention issue, which should be practiced for during carbine training drills, utilize the Bayonet Grip. Bring the long arm down and clamp it underneath your strong-side arm. Next, bring the strong-side elbow up a bit and drop the stock into your strong hand. The support hand is on the barrel and both thumbs point forward. Spear your target with the muzzle.
Striking Methods
Using both grips, Chris demonstrates four striking methods. The first is striking directly with the muzzle. The second is striking with the heel or toe of the buttstock. The third brings the long gun forward and strikes with the front sight or tip of the muzzle. The fourth is a cross-face strike with the middle of the long gun. With the Spear Grip, strike with the charging handle or top of the gun. With the Bayonet Grip, strike with the base of the magazine. Integrate these strikes into your carbine training drills.
Chris has several more training videos and articles, and PDN has many more rifle training videos.
Here's another important tip from the Personal Defense Network Now we're gonna look at utilizing the carbine as an intermediate force option, or what we call direct action combatives. And, again, this might be a situation where I'm not justified in utilizing lethal force, or the carbine has a stoppage or a malfunction, the firearm has a stoppage or malfunction. So I want to utilize this long-arm in a capacity as an impact tool. The first thing that we're gonna look at is how we're gonna use this, how we're gonna grip the long-arm, so that we can maximize our effectiveness when striking with it. With the long-arm mounted, we're gonna start off first with the long-arm mounted in our shoulder. The first grip is where I'm going to rotate my hands backwards, and this is what we call the 'paddle grip'. So from the grip here, I'm actually taking my finger off the trigger at this point. I'm going to rotate my hand up, so that this thumb, my strong-side thumb, is pointing at me. The fore-end hand, my support hand, is just gonna do the same thing and rotate back, so that both my thumbs are now pointing at me. What I've done by assuming this grip, is I've now taken this long gun, and made it into a spear. I can utilize the muzzle as my primary impact surface. And I can exert a large, large amount of pressure and force with that muzzle in this grip. So, from that first paddle grip, I'm taking the long gun and utilizing it as a spear. The second important grip that we're gonna look at is where I've experienced that retention problem. I've had the long-arm mounted in my shoulder pocket, but I've had to bring it underneath my arm and follow my core principle, clamp it underneath my strong-side arm, because of a retention issue here. At this point when I go to ram into my adversary, I want to have a positive grip, a very positive grip on the long gun. And, if I'm operating a shot gun, or some type of hunting rifle, I might not have this grip. So our second grip is what we call our 'bayonet grip'. And all I'm going to do from the clamp position, is I'm going to bring my support-side elbow up a little bit and drop the stock, or the saddle. If I'm already in this grip with a shot gun I'm good to go, but if I'm running an M4, M16 type rifle, then I'm going to drop the receiver extension tube into my strong hand here. So I end up with a grip like this. Now if you notice, my thumbs are both forward. From this bayonet grip, again, I can utilize the muzzle as my primary impact surface, and spear my target. So, utilizing both of those grips, we're gonna look at four striking methods with the long gun. First we're gonna start off from our spear grip. I'm gonna rotate my thumbs backwards and my first strike is where I'm utilizing just that muzzle for that impact. That's one. My second strike, I'm going to utilize the top of, or the heel, of my butt stock. And that's where I'm going to bring the butt stock down as a striking implement. My third strike is where I'm coming back forward, and utilizing either the front side if the long gun that I have in my hands has a front side like this, or the tip of the muzzle. So, one... two... and three. My fourth and final strike in my combated direct action series, is where I'm using the charging handle, or the top of the firearm. If this was a stick we'd call this the bar or the middle, and I'm going to use that in a cross face type manor, where I'm striking with the middle of that long gun. Those are the four strikes that we look at from this spear grip. From the bayonet grip, where I drop it down into this grip here, I'm gonna do the same exact four strikes. I have my muzzle strike, I have my butt strike, but now I'm using the toe of the butt stock, I strike again with the muzzle, tip of the muzzle, and then my last and final one is this cross bar, or cross face strike with the base of my magazine pad, the sharp edges of the magazine pad. If, again, I'm running a shot gun, or some type of hunting rifle, it's just the base of that long gun striking. So in review, the four combative strikes that I'm going to utilize for carbine, or rifle, long gun combatives. Muzzle... butt strike... muzzle... cross face. From my bayonet grip, muzzle... butt strike... muzzle... cross face. These four strikes provide us with tools now, so that we can effectively utilize all parts of the long gun that's in our grasp, to protect ourselves. If it's a retention-type situation where I've clamped the gun and I'm wrestling with my adversary, I can orient the muzzle, ram into them, retract. And now if they're still a no shoot, or if this carbine or rifle, whatever, has malfunctioned or has a stoppage, I can transition immediately into one of these grips, and utilize all parts of the long-arm in a combated manor. If we have to utilize the carbine in a combated manor, utilizing one of the four strikes that we've already shown, it's important that we want to maximize our impact effectiveness. One way that we're going to do that, is utilizing a little bit of footwork, and it's important for me to point out that you're gonna try to strike from whatever position you're already in. If you're in a good platform and you have the ability to step like I'm gonna show, then you want to do so, you want to train that. But, worst case scenario you're compromised, you're still gonna strike whatever way you can, and utilize those four strikes that we've shown. So, looking at my feet, what we're gonna do is we're gonna focus on putting as much force on each part of the carbine that we're striking with. And the way we do that is, just before we strike, I'm gonna raise my lead foot off the ground, so that all my body weight is behind the piece of surface area that I'm striking with. So an example of that might be with the muzzle strike, I'm gonna switch into my spear grip, I'm gonna raise my foot, and I'm gonna stomp that front foot as I impact with that muzzle. There's a lot more force generated by taking that step and stomping, than if I just sit here and piston strike with my arms. While those are effective, I can maximize my impact power by simply raising my lead foot and stomping aggressively into my target. And I'm gonna do that with all of my strikes, not just my muzzle strike. So, again, from my spear grip here, I'm gonna raise my lead foot, stomp in and strike. With the butt stock strike, I'm gonna raise my foot and strike. With the muzzle strike, or the front side strike, raise my foot and strike. And then with the cross face, carry handle, top of the receiver, I'm gonna raise my foot and strike. So I'm gonna stomp the floor at the same time that I make application with the impact surface of the carbine, or long gun. By raising my foot, I'm putting all of my body weight behind that surface area that I'm striking with. If you found this video helpful, make sure to post a comment at the personaldefensenetwork.com.
Lots to think about, but really critical to know. It's about preparedness and leverage.
Your use of the carbine as a combative tool is simple and effective. The great thing is anyone practicing these techniques could employ the same techniques with any long object, i.e. an umbrella, a cane, a walking/hiking stick. The emphasis on stepping/stomping into the combative strike is a very good point also. Much more power can/will be added to the strike.
Excellent video. I'm sure all eight strikes work great with the rubber rifle -- and I expect that 7 of them work with an AR, but I'm a bit concerned about the strike with the toe of the stock in the "bayonet grip." As demonstrated in the video this appears to be a diagonal upward strike -- about halfway between what the Army used to call a Horizontal Butt Stroke or a Vertical Butt Stroke. I happened to be at Fort Jackson when the Army first started using the M16 in place of the M14 for all of Basic Training (during earlier cycles trainees used the M14 in training and used the M16 just on the rifle range). The first unit that used M16s for Bayonet training physically broke a large percentage of their rifles when executing a butt stroke using a grip that was essentially identical to the "bayonet grip" demonstrated in the video. I recognize that the target used in Army bayonet training at that time was more rigid than a real person and trainees were making a longer faster stroke than would be likely in the close combatives sequence recommended in the video, but any butt stroke using the "bayonet grip" shown does put a LOT of stress on a very weak point of the AR if the rearward hand is kept as far forward as shown - either the buffer tube or the lower receiver itself may fail if this stroke is performed forcefully.
Great video. I never did think about using my weapon like this.
I just caught it when you mentioned if it is still a "no shoot" to continue using weapon surfaces. Can you give examples of no shoot situations, other than a weapon malfunction? Please assume an AR15. Would over penetration be likely to occur at close distance (be aware of what's behind the target?) What other "no shoot" circumstances are possible. I'm new to learning the AR in urban settings. Thanks!
I love the video. Not only can you get a decent workout out of it, you can practice for a situation that you hope will never have to be used. I will bookmark this one and come back to it, often.
I like it. Simple and effective. If we train to react, we'll react as trained. Good video.
good information - striking techniques could be easily applied to any long object
great video, it is almost counter intuitive to use my weapon as a striking tool. of course if it is not working it is better then your hands. if there is a round in the chamber it is certainly going to be pointing the weapon at yourself.
Great drills. Simple but effective.