What if you need to shoot a target behind you? You turn around to engage it. It sounds simple enough, but it requires a bit of skill to remain safe and maintain your shooting position.
Self-defense situations don’t generally conform to shooting-range training scenarios. So, what do you do if your assailant is behind you? Without sounding too trite, obviously, you’re going to have to turn around to engage them. And this takes a bit of forethought so you don’t endanger innocent bystanders and aren’t left spinning your wheels.
As Richard Mann breaks down in the video above, there are two main facets you need to achieve when turning: staying safe and maintaining a good shooting position. While there are other techniques, the firearms instructor suggests a three-step motion. For a right-handed shooter it would break down thusly (opposite way lefties): left face, step, left face. This maintains control in your turn, while keeping your gun away from the bad guy and puts you quickly in the position to draw and present.
And your draw should come after your turn—this is the primary safety aspect of the movement. Doing so ensures you aren’t inadvertently flagging anyone standing around you, putting them in danger. It can prove a bit daunting to pull off at first, but with time and practice, you’ll find you can face any danger—even the ones directly behind you.
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