Pistol Threats: Fear, Control, and Real-Life Reactions

Dealing with an attacker armed with a firearm is probably one of the most—if not the most—dangerous situations you can face.And it’s not just dangerous for the direct victim. It puts everyone nearby at risk—passersby, family, friends, total strangers.Because once a bullet is fired, it doesn’t choose who to hit. It doesn’t care about your background, profession, age, or gender. Once it’s out—it’s out. And it will hit something.

When it comes to pistol threats in Krav Maga, there’s a lot of debate: What should be done? What shouldn’t? What’s realistic? What’s suicidal?In this post, I’ll break it down and share my personal take on the subject.

What Do I Mean by “Pistol”?

When I say “pistol,” I’m referring to semi-automatic handguns like the Glock 17 or 19. A medium-sized weapon—not a tiny snub-nosed revolver, and not a Desert Eagle (which, unless you’re in a movie, you’re probably not facing). I ’ll leave revolvers and hand cannons for another post. Gotta keep something for later, right?

This Isn’t an Assassination Scenario

Let’s be clear: we’re not talking about a hit. If you’re not a drug lord, no one’s paying a professional to take you out—and if you are, well... stop reading this and go rethink your life.

A pistol threat means the attacker wants or needs something from you, and they’re using the gun to get it.

Sometimes it’s short and sharp:“Don Corleone says hi” BANG—a message delivered in seconds.

Other times, it’s drawn out: a hostage situation, a robbery, an extended demand—“Go there. Do this. Give me that.”

But whether it lasts five seconds or five hours, the goal is always the same: dominate and create fear.

Visibility = Fear

Here’s the first key point:If the goal is fear, the pistol needs to be visible.

This brings us to a common debate—how static or dynamic is the pistol during a threat?

In my experience, and in many real-life cases, the weapon is relatively static. The attacker wants you to see it. To feel it. The pistol becomes a symbol of control.

Do Your Homework

Don’t just take my word for it. Go online. Watch real-life incidents: Security footage, body cam videos, mobile phone clips. Study them.

Observe how attackers move. Where the weapon is. How people respond. Build your own statistics. Develop your own insights.

Yes, even in Krav Maga—use your brain.

Control or Counterattack?

Another thing we should ask:Should we focus on control, or on the counterattack?

Like I explained before in the post about “Control in Krav Maga,” there are two “schools” of thought:

• One says: Deal first with the attack—with the tool. Control it as strong as possible, then counterattack.

• The other says: Deal with the person holding the weapon.

  
  

Originally, Imi and later Krav Maga leaned toward the second school. So what do we do?

We redirect the barrel (line of fire) and at the same time move out of the line of fire.By doing both, we create 200% defense:

• 100% by redirecting the line of fire

• 100% by moving the body out of it

  
  

Right after that:

• The same hand controls the gun

• The other hand delivers the strongest punch toward the attacker’s face

Next Debate: Control the Arm or the Gun? One Hand or Two?

Let’s talk about pistol control.

Why control the gun?

A) Distance – It’s closer to us, so usually easier to reach

B) Leverage – It’s farther from the attacker’s shoulder (their power base), so easier to redirect

C) Stoppage – A control on the pistol might stop a second round from firing, making it safer for the defender—and even more so for the people around

One-Handed vs. Two-Handed Control

The difference is simple:

• One-handed control gives you an earlier counterattack—but it’s weaker control

• Double-handed control gives you a stronger grip—but delays the counterattack and may make it weaker

In Krav Maga, we train both options.And in a real scenario, you decide what matters most in the moment.

What Happens After the First Strike?

Right after the punch, your free hand should go straight to the gun to establish double control.

Now, what you do next depends on the effect of your first strike:

• If the punch caused a knockout or at least a knockdown, go for the disarm and move away to a safe zone

• If not, continue with more counterattacks, keeping double control on the weapon

Moving away is part of what we call the Finishing Mode (something I’ve talked about in another post).

To summarize the actions:

Act only when prevention and compliance have failed—or weren’t possible.

A) Redirect the barrel while moving out of the line

B) Control the weapon as soon as possible

C) Counterattack as hard and as fast as possible

D) Regain double control immediately after

E) Disarm the weapon when possible

F) Move away to the safe zone

Final Words

Please remember: these are just the basic principles for pistol threats from the front.There are more options, more angles, different weapons, and different attackers with their own goals, knowledge, and experience.

But we all need to start somewhere.And one thing’s for sure:

The learning never ends.The more we practice, the better we get.

And personally? I only know one thing:I know how much more I still don’t know.