There is so much garbage being taught surrounding gun and knife disarms.
For years, I avoided teaching this material to the general public. The internet is full of “instructors” showing complex, multi-step choreographies against compliant partners holding rubber weapons. It looks great on camera. But in the real world, against a committed attacker, most of what’s being taught will get you killed.
I finally decided to start teaching more of this, because the stakes are simply too high.
We don’t focus on fancy joint locks or Hollywood weapon takeaways. We focus on the raw, ugly reality of fighting over a weapon — primal gross motor movement that aligns with how fear and physiology move the human mind and body. The SPEAR System® only uses physiological principles that actually work when you’re fighting for your life.
In a weapon confrontation at extreme quarters, you need to control the armed limb. After reviewing the psychology of an armed assault and discussing fear, the first place we start when it comes to biomechanics is our “grip.”
Most disarms being taught will get you killed.
Before you can disarm an attacker, you have to control the weapon. And to control the weapon, you need a grip that won’t fail under pressure.
I always take the class through some black box physiology drills to help improve grip strength. (PSA: Did you know your grip is significantly stronger when you’re applying the SPEAR System® “Outside 90” principle?)
Take a look at this drill:
This is our CLEAR CONTROL COUNTER protocol.
First, clear yourself from the trajectory of the weapon. Then, control the armed limb. Once you have achieved clear and control, then and only then do you counter! We are blending concepts between grappling and violence.
Note the “outside 90” position of my elbows. This is very important in the SPEAR System®. This structure keeps a knife from being driven down into you, and those slightly bent elbows increase your grip strength by 10x.
Now, let’s look at what happens when things go wrong. Who’s the good guy in this next video?
When you’re grappling and fighting over a firearm, there’s a very good chance the weapon will malfunction. It can jam. It can go out of battery during a contact shot. This is especially true if a round goes off while somebody has their hand gripped tightly on the slide.
Have you practiced clearing your weapon in the middle of a close-quarter fight?
Building this drill into your training protocol will make you safer. But remember this rule above all else: Never use a real firearm when drilling hand-to-hand.
What questions do you have?
I truly hope you find value in these lessons. Drop me a line.
See you next Saturday.
Coach Blauer
WATCH THIS
Watch Coach Blauer teach the Saving Private Ryan Drill to former Navy SEAL Dom Raso.
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P.S. — If this lesson made you think about what your students, clients, team, or family are carrying into training, this is the work I teach inside the SPEAR System®. Many coaches, instructors, and CCW trainers already know how to fight. But many have not fully equipped their students to handle the startle-flinch, fear, and real-world pressure.
We pioneered scenario-based training and fear management education. Adding startle-flinch conversion, the SPEAR System®, and High Gear® drills gives your people a way to pressure test and gain real confidence. Whatever your background, method, or style, this work complements it.
This is how we make the world safer — by inspiring conscientious martial artists, self-defense instructors, first responders, and CCW trainers to teach holistic self-defense.
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