Course Description:

When an opponent gets right up to you, a pistol in its holster or a rifle on its sling can't defend itself. At this course you will learn to keep your weapon on you and handle a fight at contact distance in the gear you normally wear.

Hand to Hand Combat and Gun Retention is a one-day close combat course for those who carry a handgun or a long gun. We start with the fundamentals of fighting in gear, strikes and kicks that work with weapons on your body, working with your center of gravity and stability in a ballistic vest, and keeping a safe distance. Then comes the main part: defending against a grab or snatch of your pistol or rifle, gun retention techniques and weapon strikes as a last resort. You will learn to defend against an edged weapon attack at close range, the basic principles of disarming an armed opponent and transitioning from a physical fight back to controlled use of your weapon. You will try everything in scenarios.

You don't need a live weapon; a deactivated gun or a replica is entirely sufficient. Train in what you normally wear on duty or at work; you don't need to buy tactical gear for the course.

We never have more than 8 students per instructor, so you practice every technique yourself and we correct you.

Choose a date in the calendar below.

Who Is This Course For:

For members of the armed forces, security personnel, close protection operators and civilians who carry a gun and want to be ready for contact with an attacker within arm's reach. Expect a physically demanding day and contact with a partner. No previous course is required.

What You Will Learn:

After the course you can fight at contact distance in gear, stay stable even in a ballistic vest and maintain distance from your opponent. You know how to retain both a handgun and a long gun when someone tries to snatch it, and that a weapon strike is a last resort. You can defend against an edged weapon attack at close range, and you know the basic principles of disarming an opponent. And you can safely transition from a physical fight back to controlled use of your weapon.

Contents:

Fundamentals of contact-distance fighting in gear, striking and kicking techniques adapted to carrying weapons, working with the center of gravity and stability in a ballistic vest, space control and maintaining a safe distance, defense against attempts to grab or snatch a handgun or long gun, gun retention techniques, weapon strikes as a last resort, defense against close-range edged weapon attacks, basic principles of disarming an armed opponent, transitioning from a physical fight back to a controlled weapon situation, scenarios simulating real attacks.

Required Equipment:

Tactical gear including a helmet and ballistic protection if possible, but of course only if you serve or work in that gear and with weapons. Indoor gym shoes. Above all, come to the course in clothing and gear that match your everyday carry or work as closely as possible, without having to buy any tactical gear. We recommend bringing protective glasses and tactical gloves.

Weapon:

A handgun and a long gun (a deactivated firearm or a self-defense training replica is entirely sufficient). If you don't have them, we will provide you with pistol and rifle replicas designed for self-defense training free of charge.

Self-defense Courses and the Law:

Czech law does not regulate participation in self-defense courses in any way. You don't need any permit, and it doesn't matter whether you are a citizen of the Czech Republic, another EU country or a country outside the EU. Czech law sets no fixed minimum age, but a minor participant must be reasonably mature, both mentally and physically. We do not recommend registering children under 15 for a course this intensive.

Timing:

Class starts at 9:00 am. Please arrive at the venue no later than 8:30–8:45 am. The course usually ends around 6:00 pm, with a 30-minute lunch break during the day.

Venue:

We run our courses at various locations across the Czech Republic. You will find the exact venue for each date in the calendar, just click on the date. For multi-day courses that use more than one location, all venues are listed there.

Please check the venue carefully before booking. The same course often runs at different locations on different dates. Every now and then a student books a date expecting it to be at our home base, the Oleško shooting range, only to find out on the day that the course is taking place in Moravia, some 300 km away. To avoid this, always click on the date before booking and check where that particular date takes place.

Language:

Czech with English translation available.

Accommodation and Food:

Accommodation is not included in the course fee, each participant arranges and pays for it themselves. There is a 30-minute lunch break, so bring food that doesn't need cooking or ordering, such as an Adventure Menu type ration, an MRE or food from home, and enough to drink for the whole day.

Where to Go Next:

If you carry a pistol for self-defense and have completed Dynamic Pistol 1, 2 and 3, you can continue with Dynamic Pistol 4, which adds drawing from concealed carry, shooting at contact distance and shooting after physical exertion in scenarios with FX Simunition weapons. We train decision-making about the use of a weapon in civilian situations at Self-defense Scenarios, and working with an expandable baton at Expandable Baton.

Have a Question?

You will find answers to the most common questions in our Questions and Answers section. Didn't find what you were looking for? Write or call us using any of our contacts, we will be happy to help.

Got everything you need? Choose a date below and don't forget to check where your chosen date takes place.