Gun Defence

Family

Translation: gun defence

Range & classification

Overview

The Gun Defence family covers defensive techniques against firearm threats, including disarms and redirections at close range. ^[1] Gun defence is the most extreme self-defence scenario and should only be attempted when escape is impossible and the threat of harm is imminent — compliance is generally the safest response when avoidance is not possible. ^[1],[2] Gun defence techniques focus on redirecting the muzzle away from the body, controlling the weapon hand, and executing a disarm before the attacker can fire or recover control. ^[2],[3]

Also known as

Firearm Defence^[1]Pistol Defence^[2]Gun Disarm^[3]

Used in

Krav Maga Systema MCMAP Kapap Hapkido

History & Origin

Modern gun defence techniques were developed primarily through military and law enforcement training programmes, with Krav Maga's firearm defence curriculum being among the most widely taught civilian systems. ^[1] These techniques are regularly debated in the self-defence community due to the extreme risk involved, with most experts emphasising that gun defences should only be attempted as an absolute last resort. ^[2],[3]

Country of origin· shown in random order

IsraelKrav Maga, Kapap
RussiaSystema
USAMCMAP
KoreaHapkido

Effectiveness

Gun defences redirect the weapon away from the body and control the attacker's weapon hand. ^[1]

Lineage

Gun defence techniques are primarily associated with Krav Maga, developed by Imi Lichtenfeld for the Israeli Defence Forces. ^[1]

Competition Record

Gun defence is a self-defence discipline, not a competitive sport. ^[1]

Images

No images yet for this technique.

Biomechanical Mechanism

Primary Action — Preventing or reducing the effect of an incoming attack through physical interception, evasion, or structural positioning

Joints Involved — Varies by defence type — blocks use arms/shins, evasions use head/body movement, sprawls use hips

Force Vector — Opposing or tangential to the attack — either absorbing, redirecting, or evading the incoming force

Defensive Principle — Economy of motion — the best defence uses minimal movement to neutralise the maximum threat

Position & Entry

From fighting stance (under fire) — Bring both hands to the head, elbows tight, tuck the chin — absorb the flurry while protecting vital targets

As emergency defence — When overwhelmed by volume, shell up in the cover position until the opponent pauses

Videos

Jason Hanson

How to Disarm a Gun From Behind

Gun Defence·Jason Hanson

How to Disarm a Gun From Behind! 00:00 Intro 01:03 How to Disarm a Gun From Behind Thank you for watching!! Watch ne…

1 video

Learn This Technique

No instructional courses yet for this technique.

Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Extreme9/10

Weapon defence scenarios involve lethal threats; failure risk is catastrophic

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Expert

Competition Legality

Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets

— Unified MMA — Legal defensive technique

Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF

— IBJJF — Legal

IBJJF Rules Book v6.0, June 2024PDF

— IJF — Legal defensive action

IJF Sport and Organisation Rules 2025, Article 27PDF

WBC/Boxing — Legal {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}

— WKF — Legal

WKF Competition Rules 2024PDF

— WT — Legal

WT Competition Rules 2024PDF

Training Notes

✓Gun defence addresses firearm threats at contact distance — these techniques only apply when the gun is within arm's reach and compliance is not an option (Krav Maga Global, Firearms Defence, 2015)

✓The absolute first rule: if there is any distance between you and the gun, compliance is almost always safer than attempting a defence

✓Gun defence only works at contact distance — the gun must be within your arm's reach

✓The principle: redirect the muzzle off your body line, control the weapon and the weapon hand, counter-attack, and disarm

✓Speed and commitment are essential — gun defences must be executed with 100% explosive commitment; hesitation is fatal

✓The muzzle redirect must happen in the first fraction of a second — push the barrel offline (away from your body) before doing anything else

✓After redirecting, secure two-handed control of the gun hand and deliver immediate, aggressive counter-strikes

✓Gun defence is the highest-stakes self-defence scenario — train only with verified dummy weapons and strict safety protocols

✓Realistic gun defence training includes stress inoculation — simulated stress, darkness, confusion, and multiple scenarios

Common Mistakes

!Attempting gun defence at distance — at any distance beyond contact range, compliance or escape is safer than a disarm attempt

!Hesitating or telegraphing the defence — gun defence must be explosive and immediate; any pause is lethal

!Redirecting the muzzle toward bystanders — redirect away from yourself AND away from others

!Trying to grab the gun barrel from the front — redirect the slide/barrel from the side

!Not delivering immediate counter-attacks after the redirect — the redirect alone doesn't neutralize the threat

!Training gun defence with a casual attitude — gun defence training must maintain the gravity of the scenario

!Over-confidence in gun defence techniques — even trained military operators acknowledge that gun defences have low success rates in real scenarios

Related Techniques

Counter-Attack — offensive follow-up that capitalizes on successful defence

Counter Techniques

Timing — attack when the defence is recovering or between movements Feint — use deception to create openings in the defensive structure Angle Change — attack from an unexpected angle that the defence does not cover

Setup Chain

1Anticipate the Attack — read the opponent's intention through body cues

2Execute Defence — apply the specific defensive technique with proper timing

3Recover Stance — return to a balanced fighting position immediately

4Counter or Disengage — capitalize on the opening or create safe distance

Sources & References

Primary Source

Boxing (Edwin Haislet, 1940)

1BookBoxing (Dempsey, 1950)

Alias sources — [1] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [2] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [3] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008)

2BookKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)

Effectiveness sources — [1] Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault (Lichtenfeld & Yanilov, 2001)

3SyllabusJapan Karate Association (JKA) — Official Technical Terminology

Official karate technique names (和語/漢語)

4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)

Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)

5CitationBoxing (Dempsey, 1950)

Alias sources — [1] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [2] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [3] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008)

6CitationKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)

Effectiveness sources — [1] Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault (Lichtenfeld & Yanilov, 2001)

Community

Athletics

Requires

reaction speed, structural body mechanics, defensive awareness

Favours

quick reflexes and conditioned defensive surfaces

Key muscles

varies — forearms (blocking), legs (movement), core (stability)

Sub-techniques

Find by what a technique does — not its name

Every move, in any martial art, shares a few universal traits. Mix and match below to pinpoint the right tool — or compare equivalents across styles.

Standard Gun Defence

SubFamily

The Standard Gun Defence subfamily covers the fundamental techniques for defending against a handgun presented at close range, including muzzle redirection, weapon control, and disarm sequences. [1] The standard gun defence follows a principle-based approach: redirect the muzzle away from the body, control the weapon and weapon hand, counterattack to disrupt the attacker, and disarm the weapon. [1,2] All gun defence techniques require the firearm to be within arm's reach and rely on explosive speed and commitment to redirect the muzzle before the attacker can react. [2,3]

1 genera·1 techniquesExplore

Notes

Gun defenses are taught in Krav Maga and military combatives — the fundamental principle is redirecting the muzzle line while simultaneously controlling the weapon hand. These techniques are extremely high-risk and practiced only in controlled training environments. (Krav Maga manuals; military combatives; Lichtenfeld system)

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most critical thing to do first when someone has a gun to your back?

According to Jason Hanson, the most important step is to get out of the barrel of the gun immediately, because if the attacker pulls the trigger while you're in line with it, you will be shot.

Which direction should I spin if I'm unsure whether the attacker is right or left-handed?

Jason Hanson recommends always spinning to your right, since most people are right-handed and the odds will be in your favor when you spin that direction.

What happens if I spin the wrong way and the attacker is left-handed?

If you spin into the attacker's armed side, you will end up trapping the gun rather than creating distance, but you can then control their arm and immobilize their elbow.

How does the Gun Defence work?

The Gun Defence family covers defensive techniques against firearm threats, including disarms and redirections at close range. Gun defence is the most extreme self-defence scenario and should only be attempted when escape is impossible and the threat of harm is imminent — compliance is generally the safest response when avoidance is not possible.

Where does the Gun Defence come from?

Modern gun defence techniques were developed primarily through military and law enforcement training programmes, with Krav Maga's firearm defence curriculum being among the most widely taught civilian systems. These techniques are regularly debated in the self-defence community due to the extreme risk involved, with most experts emphasising that gun defences should only be attempted as an absolute last resort.

Is the Gun Defence legal in competition?

Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive technique; IBJJF: legal — Legal; IJF: legal — Legal defensive action; WBC/Boxing: legal — Legal; WKF: legal — Legal; WT: legal — Legal

How dangerous is the Gun Defence?

Danger rating 9/10. Extreme — weapon defence scenarios involve lethal threats; failure risk is catastrophic

How do I set up the Gun Defence?

The standard setup chain: Anticipate the Attack → Execute Defence → Recover Stance → Counter or Disengage.

How do I defend against the Gun Defence?

Standard counters include: Timing — attack when the defence is recovering or between movements / Feint — use deception to create openings in the defensive structure / Angle Change — attack from an unexpected angle that the defence does not cover.

What are the variants of the Gun Defence?

Common variants: Standard defence (primary defensive technique from the most common position); Reactive defence (triggered by the opponent's attack, minimal movement for …); Proactive defence (anticipating the attack and positioning to neutralise it …); Counter defence (using the defensive movement to create an immediate count…).

How effective is the Gun Defence in competition?

Gun defence is a self-defence discipline, not a competitive sport.

What are common mistakes when doing the Gun Defence?

Top errors to watch for: Attempting gun defence at distance — at any distance beyond contact range, compliance or escape is safer than a disar… / Hesitating or telegraphing the defence — gun defence must be explosive and immediate; any pause is lethal / Redirecting the muzzle toward bystanders — redirect away from yourself AND away from others / Trying to grab the gun barrel from the front — redirect the slide/barrel from the side.

What are other names for the Gun Defence?

The Gun Defence is also known as Jū Bōgyo, Firearm Defence, Pistol Defence, Gun Disarm.

gun firearm pistol disarm weapon defence self-defence close range