How to Keep Control of Your Gun When Someone Tries to Grab It

In this blog post:

• Why is BJJ Essential for Defending Against Gun Grabs?
• Defending Against a Gun Grab from the Knee-on-Belly Position
• Countering a Gun Grab from the Front
• Defending a Gun Grab from Behind
• Defending Against a Gun Grab on the Ground
• Defending Grab Attempts From Full Mount
• Conclusion

In this post, we’ll break down these techniques and show you how to apply them to ensure you never lose your weapon to a would-be assailant.

Why is BJJ Essential for Defending Against Gun Grabs?

When someone attempts to grab your gun, it’s not just about overpowering them. It’s about using the right technique to outmaneuver and neutralize the threat. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu excels in these areas by emphasizing positional control, leverage, and efficiency—critical elements when defending against a gun grab.

What Doesn’t Work: 

• Relying on Strength Alone: Attempting to stop a gun grab solely through physical strength is not effective. In a high-pressure situation, your strength can quickly give way to an attacker’s superior position or technique. Instead, BJJ emphasizes using leverage and technique over raw power, which proves to be much more reliable when under duress.

The fundamental principle behind BJJ’s effectiveness is simple: if an attacker can’t control your body, they can’t control your weapon. By applying BJJ techniques, you learn to break grips, create distance, and transition into dominant positions that keep you in control of your firearm, even when grabbing a gun seems imminent. 

For a deeper look at how BJJ can be used in real-world scenarios, explore our BJJ Against Gun Grabs | Reality Check video, where we showcase these techniques in action.

Defending Against a Gun Grab from the Knee-on-Belly Position

When an attacker is underneath and attempts to grab your gun, the response needs to be quick and decisive. The most effective way to prevent an opponent from grabbing a gun is to control their head by turning it away—without covering the mouth, as they may bite your hand and regain control. This redirection helps prevent them from successfully reaching for your weapon.

Key Tactics:

• Creating Distance: If the situation isn't under control, stepping back and re-engaging from a better position gives you more space and time to protect your firearm.
• Pinning the Arm: When the attacker’s arm is free, use your knee to pin it down, preventing further attempts to grab your weapon.
• Countering the Grab: If the attacker does manage to grab your gun, securing their wrist and applying downward pressure limits their ability to control the weapon. Manipulating the elbow and armpit forces them into a weaker position, making it easier for you to regain control.
• Using the Kimura Grip: If the opponent resists, transitioning to a Kimura grip adds control by restricting their mobility.

What Doesn’t Work: 

• Leaving the Opponent's Arm Free: Failing to pin or control the opponent's arm can make it easier for them to continue reaching for the gun. Not addressing the gun grab immediately, or assuming a "wait and see" approach, will likely result in losing control of the weapon.

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Countering a Gun Grab from the Front

Grabbing a gun from the front is one of the most common threats, and your response must differ depending on whether the grab is direct or cross-handed.

Countering Cross-Grabs (Right Hand to Left Hip)

When the attacker reaches across your body with their right hand to grab your firearm, immediate action is required to maintain control of your weapon.

Key Tactics:

• Securing the Wrist: Push down on the attacker’s wrist to make it more difficult for them to pull the gun away.
• Underhook and Head Placement: Move your left arm under the attacker’s armpit while positioning your forehead against their jaw. This off-balances the attacker and prevents further attempts to grab your gun.
• Shoulder Pressure: Applying pressure with your shoulder while squeezing their hand towards your body increases control, making it harder for them to succeed in grabbing your firearm.
• Off-Balancing: If resistance continues, using the leg to swing between the opponent’s legs helps destabilize them. The combination of shoulder pressure and leg positioning makes it easier to take them to the ground.
• Control on the Ground: Once the opponent is down, the defender breaks their grip and transitions into a back control position, securing the wrist behind the back.

What Doesn’t Work: 

• Attempting to Force the Gun Away: Trying to muscle the weapon out of the attacker’s grasp without securing their wrist and body will likely lead to failure. Pulling away from the gun grab without control often makes the situation worse.
• Failing to Secure Positioning: Without proper head placement and body positioning, simply grabbing the attacker’s wrist or hand is ineffective. The attacker may be able to twist their body and gain leverage to continue attempting the grab.

Countering Direct Grabs (Left Hand to Left Hip)

When the attacker directly grabs your firearm with their left hand, you have two main options for countering the gun grab:

Key Tactics:

• Underhook and Shoulder Grip: Move under the opponent’s armpit and over their shoulder, clasping your palms together to control their movements and prevent further grabbing of your gun.
• Kimura Grip: This technique provides an alternative but requires careful handling, as it can be countered by the attacker hugging you or attempting to lift you.
• By controlling distance with the elbow and maintaining pressure, the defender prevents strikes and further grabbing attempts. To break the grip:
  • Pull Down and Move Back: Moving backward while applying downward pressure on the attacker’s shoulder weakens their hold.
  • Rotational Movement: If more space is available, circling around the opponent while opening the elbow helps break their grip effectively.
  • Quick Execution: Timing is critical. The defender should act immediately to prevent the opponent from securing a stronger grip.

What Doesn’t Work: 

• Struggling Without a Plan: Simply pulling and resisting can wear you out and give the attacker more control.
• Ignoring Your Footing: If you’re unbalanced, the attacker can easily pull you off your feet.
• Grabbing the Gun with Both Hands: While it may seem intuitive to grab the gun with both hands in a desperate attempt to hold onto it, this can leave you vulnerable to further attacks and limit your ability to counter the grab. It’s critical to focus on using one hand to control the attacker and the other to secure the weapon.

Defending a Gun Grab from Behind

When an attacker is behind you and reaches for your firearm, they typically use their right hand to grab your gun. Your response needs to be swift and forceful.

Key Tactics:

• Secure Their Wrist: Immediately secure the attacker’s wrist and move your free hand to grab your own wrist for better control.
• Rotational Movement: Rotate forcefully while applying pressure with your elbow to break their grip and reposition safely.

What Doesn’t Work: 

• Trying to Pull Away Without Securing the Wrist: This allows the attacker to maintain a grip on the firearm, making it difficult to regain control.
• Standing Still and Struggling: Simply standing still while the opponent is behind you trying to grab your firearm is a recipe for failure. Not moving and addressing the gun grab will leave you at a severe disadvantage, allowing the opponent to overpower you.

Defending Against a Gun Grab on the Ground

Once the fight goes to the ground, firearm retention becomes even more critical. The focus is on preventing strikes while securing your weapon.

Key Tactics:

• Sit-Up Sweep (Hip Bump Sweep): This technique reverses the position by securing the attacker’s head, pulling them forward, and using a strong bridge to flip them over.
• Maintaining Control: Once on top, chest pressure over the opponent’s elbow prevents them from accessing the firearm.
• Kimura Grip Control: If the attacker maintains a hold on your firearm, a Kimura grip can help break their grasp and regain control.
• Standing Up Quickly: If a sweep attempt fails, immediately getting to the feet prevents the attacker from capitalizing on the ground position.

What Doesn’t Work: 

• Trying to Push the Attacker Away: On the ground, simply pushing the attacker away or trying to forcefully extract your firearm can leave you vulnerable. Without control of their wrist or body, the attacker will be able to follow through on the gun grab.

Defending Grab Attempts From Full Mount

If an attacker gains full mount, they have multiple attack options, including striking, pushing away, or reaching for your firearm. The best response is to break their grip and control their upper body movement.

Key Tactics: 

• Control and Pin: Control the attacker’s head to prevent firearm access and pin their arm to limit ability to generate force.
• Wrist and Elbow Manipulation: If they attempt to reach for your weapon, use leverage to break their grip. A two-on-one grip (both your hands controlling one of theirs) gives you better control.
• Proper Weight Distribution: Use a strong bridge (hip explosion) to disrupt their balance and create space. Keeping your elbows close to your body prevents them from isolating your arms and limits their ability to land strikes.
• Kimura Grip: If the attacker’s arm is extended, securing a Kimura grip gives you control over their movement and can set up an escape or a reversal.

What Doesn’t Work: 

• Overcommitting to a Technique Without Securing Control: If you attempt an escape too early without proper control, the attacker can easily counter.
• Ignoring Positional Stability Before Engaging: If you don’t establish a solid defensive posture, the attacker can maintain control and continue their assault.

Conclusion

Mastering BJJ techniques for defending against gun grabs is a valuable skill for anyone carrying a firearm. By focusing on leverage, positioning, and pressure, BJJ provides practical methods to maintain control of your weapon when under attack. Understanding what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to grabbing a gun can mean the difference between maintaining control and being overpowered. 

For a closer look at BJJ techniques for law enforcement, check out our Pro’s Guide to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for Law Enforcement. In this video Nejc Hodnik covers key techniques like body locks and knee on belly, specifically tailored for safely restraining suspects. Additionally, explore our previous post on How BJJ Can Support Law Enforcement and Military Personnel for more insights.