The Combative Drawstroke in Pictures & Video

[Guest Paul Gomez]

I've been a proponent of the 4 count drawstroke since I first became aware of it sometime around 1996. Prior to that, I utilized the textbook Modern Technique drawstroke which was promulgated by Jeff Cooper, Chuck Taylor and legion of acolytes. In the classic Modern Technique drawstroke, as soon as the pistol clears the holster, it is thrust forward and the support hand mates with the gun hand [at Guard or Low Ready] as the package travels out and up. The gun travels in an arc from the holster to extension. Originally, it was taught as Grip...Clear...Click...Smack...Up... [followed by Look...Press].


In contrast, the 4 count draw has the gun clearing the holster and continuing upward until the gun hand hits its natural limit of travel and the muzzle is cammed forward at Count 2. The hands join high on the chest and the gun is driven straight out to target. Variations on the 4 count draw can be seen on the ShivWorks Fighting Handgun DVD, Kelly McCann's videos, Ron Avery's video series and from more and more trainers. To the best of my knowledge, Louis Awerbuck was the first trainer to introduce the 90-degree/4-Count drawstroke to the training community, but I'm sure their was much parallel development going on.


We need a robust drawstroke that takes into account the widest range of foreseeable problems and allows for a singular response. Under duress is not the time to have to sort out which drawstroke, or how to modify a drawstroke, or what gun position you should employ.


What follows is a very detailed breakdown illustrating the 4-Count, or 90-degree, Drawstroke as I teach it. Additionally, I'll illustrate some commonly taught variations of some of the counts and explain the thought processes behind them.


Some Basic Points


Drawstroke is the definitive motor skill related to fighting with a handgun.


Drawstroke is a 4-Count maneuver consisting of a, primarily, vertical line followed by a, primarily, horizontal line.


At each count, the weapon is higher and further forward than at the previous count.


The further from your torso the gun is, the greater the weapon retention issues.


The photos for this sequence will begin with establishing the Full Firing Grip on the holstered handgun.


Pic One illustrates the initial interface with the pistol. The thumb is flagged. The fingers, including the trigger finger, are extended and the web of the hand [between the thumb and forefinger] is driven deep into the tang of the pistol.


By keeping the thumb rigidly extended, we maximize contact between the gun hand thumb and the body, thereby increasing tactile awareness of gun position, we allow the highest practical position of the web of the hand relative to the butt of the gun and we do not have to reposition the gun hand thumb when it comes time to establish our two hand grip.





Next, the fingertips of the gun hand TOUCH the front strap of the pistol. This may seem insignificant. If you always open carry in duty gear or only carry outside the waistband with an open front concealment garment, you may never appreciate the need for this. However, if you truly carry concealed, particularly with an undershirt between your gun and a closed front cover garment, you'll probably recognize the import.





If you allow the fingers to simply wrap around the butt of the gun, very often you will wind up with material between your hand and the gun. Obviously, this could present a problem during a reactive draw, when you can least afford it. If you always touch the front strap and slide your fingers into position, you mitigate this issue.





While the primary hand is establishing the FFG on the holstered weapon, the other hand is staged flat against the chest no lower than the nipple line.


This position of the left hand [for a right handed shooter] supports a high collection point [e.g. where the two hand grasp of the firearm is established] which, in turn, supports getting the gun into the eye-target line as early in the horizontal line as practical.


Additionally, the off hand is in a position above the muzzle when the gun is at Count 2 and has more 'workspace' to become involved in physical manipulation and striking without covering oneself with the muzzle.


Following the establishment of the Full Firing Grip at Count One, we progress to Count Two. Count Two is the end of the vertical line of presentation and the beginning of the horizontal line of presentation. While we tend to drive the gun straight ahead of the torso, directly towards the paper target in front of us, one of the beauties of Count Two is that the gun may be driven straight to threat regardless of orientation to said threat. From Count Two, the weapon is driven straight to threat anywhere along the horizontal plane established by consistent 'stroke. If the threat is 30-degrees off-square, the gun is still driven straight to threat. If the threat is 95-degrees off-square, the gun is still driven straight to threat. If you are seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle and the threat presents at a hard left rear angle, the gun is still drawn to Count Two and driven straight to threat. Count Two is also a close quarters/retention firing position built into drawstroke. Notice the flagged thumb, locked wrist, high elbow and significant downward angle of the muzzle. The wrist and elbow are in the same orientation relative to the gun as they are at full extension. Familiarity with the downward angle and with the shotline thus established allows for much greater confidence when it comes to integrating unarmed skills and contact distance shooting into our skill sets.








An oft seen variation on count two of drawstroke has the shooter dropping the gun side elbow to bring the muzzle horizontal with the ground. The reasons exspoused tend to focus on getting 'better hits' on the target. This is pretty meaningless. The assumption that 'A zone' hits are going to shut someone down in the midst of a contact distance violent encounter and, somehow cause the problem to go away is ludicrous. You are in a fight for your life and your gun skill had damn well better support your ability to fight.








The gun is one piece of the overall situation. Bullets do not stop the aggressor's forward momentum. Bullets on the bad guy will not keep you on your feet. Gun pointed at bad guy will not keep you conscious when his big right hand crushes the bones around your left eye and his bulk drives you to the ground, crushing the air out of you .


Moving from Count Two to Count Three is accomplished by driving the gun across the torso until it enters the peripheral vision. Notice the gun is further forward and higher than it was at count two.


Contact is maintained with the flagged thumb from count two until the gun reaches its' position under the dominant eye. The package moves forward until it enters the peripheral vision.


It's still Count Three even if we are firing one-handed. As a general rule, if we're going to put two hands on the gun, we do so at Count Three, but 'hands meeting' is not the defining attribute.





Count Four is a bit more conceptual than the others. Count Four is defined as 'Appropriate Extension or Compression'. While full extension [arms locked out, gun in eye-target line, focus on front sight, working trigger] is the most common form that Count Four takes, it is by no means the only one.Here's a series of pictures illustrating various degrees of extension within the horizontal line of presentation.

[LagerHead]

I'll tell you what I don't like about the 4 count draw stroke. If wearing a cover garment it will be difficult to get that kind of holster clearance. Also, with the classic you can shoot at 2. Both seem to have their strong points though.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Thanks for that! I do that mostly, except for keeping my weak hand high on the

chest. That makes a lot more sense, keeping it out of the way and preparing to

use it. the only problem I have is converting all that in my brain for this lefty:D

Good video!

[Cruel Hand Luke]

I'll tell you what I don't like about the 4 count draw stroke. If wearing a cover garment it will be difficult to get that kind of holster clearance. Also, with the classic you can shoot at 2. Both seem to have their strong points though.

I'm not sure why you say that about doing it with a cover garment. I use a slight variation of that draw stroke and have no issues with it at all with even a closed front cover garment. In fact I shoot IDPA matches with a closed front cover garment and have no issues with clearing the garment enough to bring the gun to my pectoral muscle to drive it forward. And my 1st shot from the holster normally breaks at between .70 and .80 so lifting it to pec level certainly is not slow. And yes, I used a timer not just guessing how fast it was.

On shooting from the #2..... if you really pressure test this stuff against a live opponent with Sims or Airsoft guns you'll see that if they are REALLY close enough to NEED to shoot from the #2 then they are close enough that the shots from #2 Paul shows will still hit them and do it without hitting your off side hand that will most likely be up defending your high line. If you take a look at Paul's video posted here at TGO about retention it will make sense.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Cruel Hand Luke

[LagerHead]

I'm not sure why you say that about doing it with a cover garment. I use a slight variation of that draw stroke and have no issues with it at all with even a closed front cover garment. In fact I shoot IDPA matches with a closed front cover garment and have no issues with clearing the garment enough to bring the gun to my pectoral muscle to drive it forward. And my 1st shot from the holster normally breaks at between .70 and .80 so lifting it to pec level certainly is not slow. And yes, I used a timer not just guessing how fast it was.

On shooting from the #2..... if you really pressure test this stuff against a live opponent with Sims or Airsoft guns you'll see that if they are REALLY close enough to NEED to shoot from the #2 then they are close enough that the shots from #2 Paul shows will still hit them and do it without hitting your off side hand that will most likely be up defending your high line. If you take a look at Paul's video posted here at TGO about retention it will make sense.

Maybe I need to see that video then.

When talking about the issue with the drawstroke I guess I was thinking more of a jacket or open shirt, where it might get bunched up as your're following your torso up. In truth they're not significantly different, just a little in the details where one might work better for one person than another.

Edited January 11, 2012 by LagerHead

[Will Carry]

I'm taking a handgun self defense class in a few weeks. So I have a question. What are the advantages of the 4 point draw system? I'm not challenging the validity of the method, I'm really trying to learn.

[Westwindmike]

Thanks Paul. Good stuff! Keep it coming.

[Guest Paul Gomez]

I'll tell you what I don't like about the 4 count draw stroke. If wearing a cover garment it will be difficult to get that kind of holster clearance.

Not in my experience. I've utilized this drawstroke since the latter 90s with a variety of guns, holsters and cover garments and never seen an issue with it.

Also, with the classic you can shoot at 2.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. Would you explain?

BTW, here's the video that Randy referred to. It is a very brief coverage of Count 2 as Retention Position but it should get some of the idea across.

And here's the original thread

6.8AR,

Keeping the offhand high on the chest does a number of very important things, both as it pertains to shooting and to problem solving with a gun.

WillCarry,

A good 4-count draw accomplishes several things. 1. It works across a broad range of circumstances. In other words, you don't have to have a 'standing on the range' drawstroke, a sitting down at a table drawstroke, an in car drawstroke, a grounded drawstroke, etc.

2. It is optimized for the close quarters problem. I think we can all agree that the fight that starts in your face is going to be worse for you than the fight that starts 7M away. Having a drawstroke that doesn't address this is, at minimum, a sub-optimal way to go. 3. It allows you to get the gun into the eyeline sooner which translates into more visual information, sooner in the process than a 'stroke that doesn't get the gun into the eyeline until the last moments before extension. This allows greater accuracy in less time than other drawstrokes.

Edited January 12, 2012 by Paul Gomez

[Will Carry]

It seems that in a situation where the attacker is danger close, you are in deep do do. All the bad guy had to do in that video is reach with his left hand and punch with his right. (A "knife hand" to the throat will end a fight and it is faster than drawing a gun) I know the instructor did it in slow motion for the camera and in real life he would have been formidable but it really hits home that when you let an attacker get that close you better be good, or try to get distance on him (That means RUN!). Thanks for posting that.

[MphsTiger1981]

Good information! Welcome to TGO, and thanks for sharing.

[Guest Paul Gomez]

It seems that in a situation where the attacker is danger close, you are in deep do do.

Absolutely. And, unfortunately, real world assaults most often occur at these ranges. As Tony Blauer used to say, 'Real fights happen in the space of a phone booth'. If your skills do not work at contact distances, they simply do not work.

All the bad guy had to do in that video is reach with his left hand and punch with his right.

The video is, of course, a picture of a water fall. The offside elbow is used to shield the head and to inflict some pain/damage on the aggressor while the gun is being fired at the same time. You should be driving forward, applying pressure to the bad guy throughout the process.

A "knife hand" to the throat will end a fight and it is faster than drawing a gun

Again, absolutely. However, that would've occurred earlier, as a preemptive strike to prevent the closing of range that has necessitated the more aggressive course of action now ongoing.

MphsTiger1981,

Thanks for the welcome.

[rgaper]

One comment, one question...

First, the comment; Sweet Baby Jesus! In your video you put an empty magazine into your mag carrier. It was like watching two dudes make out.

Question - Based on your statements, we seem to agree that there is a need for a consistent drawstroke that will allow you to deal with a threat. However, observing your trigger figger slide-indexed and the very late trigger contact & trigger press (only at fully extension at count 4) seems to go against this philosophy. I'm curious how you arrived at that and who teaches that method?

[Guest NYCrulesU]

We all agree that a consistant draw stroke is vital...and while I appreciate the OP's willingness to share...I won't be employing this method anytime some.

While I may not have a fancy name or acronym for my draw stroke...it is the same one that has worked for me since I was 10 shooting in the woods of SC. I've used it at the range, in FOF training, as a LEO and as a combat vet of the US Army.

I will go with "if it's not broke, don't fix it".

Not to be disrespectful to anyone...but I have always had an issue with any teacher/instructor (especially those that do it for a fee and are teaching beginners) that suggests that one set way is better than another.

I prefer the Bruce Lee method of learning and teaching. Learn and try many different methods/techniques...weed out what doesn't work for you and impliment what does.

I would also agree with one of the posters above me...that trigger finger position (firmly on the slide) is the last place I would want my finger. But that's just my opinion.

Op, thank you for sharing.

Edited January 18, 2012 by NYCrulesU

[TMF]

However, observing your trigger figger slide-indexed and the very late trigger contact & trigger press (only at fully extension at count 4) seems to go against this philosophy. I'm curious how you arrived at that and who teaches that method?

I would also agree with one of the posters above me...that trigger finger position (firmly on the slide) is the last place I would want my finger. But that's just my opinion.

^^

[Guest Paul Gomez]

First, the comment; Sweet Baby Jesus! In your video you put an empty magazine into your mag carrier.

No, I stick the empty mag in my waistband. If you look at the video again, you can see it sticking out of the belt, behind the TDI knife on my left side.

Question - Based on your statements, we seem to agree that there is a need for a consistent drawstroke that will allow you to deal with a threat. However, observing your trigger figger slide-indexed and the very late trigger contact & trigger press (only at fully extension at count 4) seems to go against this philosophy.

Thank you for bringing this up. It took me a minute to figure out where you were getting the 'very late trigger contact' idea from, as in the videos it is apparent that the trigger finger is contacting the trigger at Count 3 and working the trigger while the gun is being extended. Then I looked at the still pictures!!! When I originally wrote the article, I didn't move my trigger finger into contact with the trigger in the pics because I was attempting to communicate to an audience that was adamant that touching the trigger prior to full extension/front sight was crazy. I wanted to get them looking at the mechanics of drawstroke. I will definitely replace those pics.

I'm curious how you arrived at that and who teaches that method?

The techniques that I use and teach have evolved over many years but the single greatest influence on the drawstroke that I teach is, definitely, Craig Douglas/SouthNarc. There are many schools that teach a similar 4 Count/Up & Out draw but none have the attention to detail that Craig's does. In most situations, it won't matter. However, in a close range, high pressure situation, nothing that I have seen holds up near as well.

As far as the trigger finger placement, Andy Stanford and I began experimenting with it in the early 2000s. It keeps the finger as far from the trigger & pressed into the gun, which goes a long way to addressing subconscious 'trigger checking'. It takes no more 'real time' to get on the trigger from there than straight along the frame or curled in on the takedown notch as Ayoob teaches but it does minimize the likelihood of an ND. More trainers have adopted this sort of 'Hard Register' in light of the problems within the law enforcement community with NDs due to tape switch activated weapon mounted lights.

[Guest Paul Gomez]

I will go with "if it's not broke, don't fix it".

And, of course, you 'will get what you've always got'. And, of course, that is your choice.

I have always had an issue with any teacher/instructor (especially those that do it for a fee and are teaching beginners) that suggests that one set way is better than another.

Because everything is equal and should be given the same credence? If an instructor doesn't have a well reasoned and articulate opinion, what use would he be?

I prefer the Bruce Lee method of learning and teaching. Learn and try many different methods/techniques...weed out what doesn't work for you and impliment what does.

This is a great attitude. I would submit that the better you define your goals, the more able you are to make knowledgeable assessments.

Op, thank you for sharing.

You are welcome.

[Guest Paul Gomez]

Since several folks have questions about my trigger finger placement, I figured this is the easiest way to cover my thoughts on it.

I've used this position since the early 2000s and have seen more and more instructors take to it particularly following the Force Science condemnation of the Surefire x300 with the DevGru switch last year.