Posted: 11/5/2007 1:37:14 PM EDT
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Those of you who ever did any self-defence shooting may have heard of the 'reaction gap' nominally 21', claimed as being the distance at or within which you cannot react quickly enough to a charging man intent on doing you harm. Picture the scene, a training establishment somewhere in England..... Students, armed with Taser and simunition Glock (breech safe) , are undergoing Taser training (max effective range 21', ideal range 15'), practising options on what to do if Taser misses/fails.. Instructor: (Who we will call Ted, 'cos that's his name)..yes there is no way you can react in time inside that distance... Student: (Who we will call Student)..I reckon I could you know.. Ted: Absoloutely not.. Student: I appreciate what you're saying but I think for a frontal charge I could do it.. Ted: Okay we'l try it. I'll charge you with a knife and I'll prove you do not have time to react if the Taser fails.. Student: Do you think you should put some body armour on? Ted: No, won't need it, you won't even get your gun out.. Student: I'd feel happier if you put armour on.. Ted: No, come on, get on with it. You ready? Student : Ready Ted: Aaaaaarghh screams Ted rushing forward in his best knife-wielding maniac impression.. Student: Says nothing, dumps 'faulty' Taser, click/clack bang! Ted: ...aaarghhh......OWWWWWWWWWW! Sh*t, F+@k, and clutches at his chest squealing like a girl.... It may only be a paint round but it's still travelling at @400fps.. Student: You know Ted, I reckon I could get a head shot off, do you want to go again? Remember readers, these exercises are carried out by 'hily trayned professhnulls' Do NOT try this at home... |
agreed...when you know it's coming you're in code red awareness level, ready and waiting for it. it would have been different if the student was unaware of the attack in the first place. |
and who's to say that one shot would have stopped the attack? |
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And who is to say the kid has any speed at all ........ I am sure an olympic sprinter could do it in half the time my fat ass could. I am sure the stastic is geared tword the faster end of the human spectrum. Never know when an olympic sprinter is going to try and shank your ass. 
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Sounds like your instructor needs to go to some updated training. The 21 foot rule is a myth. It was originally called the "Tueller Drill" and was not meant to be a "rule" of any kind. Print it out and give it to him. A better explanation here. The Tueller Drill Misinterpreted |
One of your flaws isn't a flaw. In the original tests that developed the 21 foot rule, the defender knew of the imminent attack. We watched the videos in the academy. Still, it's more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule - and I've yet to have the luxury in policework to deal with many people who are 21 feet or more away... |
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I volunteered as the "agressor" for several charges during a tactical HG class recently. One guy very leisurely drew and fired at me three times. He looked like he could have been holding a cup of coffee while he did it. Yes, I did wear the new lightweight armor.  Yes, I still wound up with a "red badge of courage" A little more effective is having the Agg at a right angle, and having the shooter have to detect the motion through peripheral vision, rather than the "telegraph" that accompanies a frontal charge. |
That's my take on it. I never understood the 21 foot rule to mean that you couldn't get a shot off before the guy was up on you (although, with no warning, I doubt that many people could). The bigger problem is that the person you shoot has to be immediately and totally disabled in like half a second to keep him from going ahead and stabbing you. And, without a lucky shot to the spine or brain stem, that isn't likely to happen (and my old partner, returned fire on a perp, after he was shot in the head and had received an injury that resulted in his hospitalization for over a month). Getting stabbed numerous times by a guy you have just shot, who dies from your shots, ten minutes after he has stabbed you, is surviving the fight, not winning it. |