stephen426
New member
I have read multiple times that action beats reaction. This always seems to come up on threads where someone is pointing a gun at you. I hate to say it but I really don't believe that action beats reaction. Some have even gone as far as saying it takes almost 2 seconds to react. I have very quick reflexes and I would not take a gamble that the person holding the gun does not. Do a quick calculation. How long does it take for you to move your foot from the accelerator to the brake if the person in front of you slams on their brakes? Calculate your speed and see how far you would travel if it took you 2 seconds to react to the brake light in front of you. The actions involved are even more than simply pulling a trigger since a driver must register the brake light, determine the rate of deceleration to calculate how hard he or she must brake, lift his or her foot from the accelerator, move his or her foot to the brake and press the brake. The only motion required for firing a gun when your fnger is already on the trigger is very short and simple. Unless the shooter is within contact distance and unless I can distract him somehow, there is no way I would draw on a drawn gun.
There are many factors that may have enabled people to draw on a drawn gun and win, but I see that as the exception rather than the norm. Maybe the person has slow reflexes. Maybe he was really not ready to pull the trigger and hesitated. Maybe you are really quick on the draw. My problem with the whole action beats reaction arguement it that someone will assume it is true and get themselves shot or even killed.
I am not saying that one simply give up and wait for the other person to shoot you. The most important thing is to catch the person off guard and not telegraph your intentions. Some bad guys would shoot you just because you've seen their face. If they got the feeling you were going to fight back, they would probably shoot you first. I believe that everyone should learn disarming techniques or at least slap the pistol away from your body and move before trying to draw. The most important thing is to get out of the line of fire. At contact distance, I might actually go for my knife before I go for my gun. I would also consider going for debilatating strikes such as the throat or a palm to the nose. If you are willing to take your safety into your own hands and carry a gun, I feel some disarming techniques would complement your training.
By the way, if there is any credible information to "prove" action really does beat reaction, please provide some links.
There are many factors that may have enabled people to draw on a drawn gun and win, but I see that as the exception rather than the norm. Maybe the person has slow reflexes. Maybe he was really not ready to pull the trigger and hesitated. Maybe you are really quick on the draw. My problem with the whole action beats reaction arguement it that someone will assume it is true and get themselves shot or even killed.
I am not saying that one simply give up and wait for the other person to shoot you. The most important thing is to catch the person off guard and not telegraph your intentions. Some bad guys would shoot you just because you've seen their face. If they got the feeling you were going to fight back, they would probably shoot you first. I believe that everyone should learn disarming techniques or at least slap the pistol away from your body and move before trying to draw. The most important thing is to get out of the line of fire. At contact distance, I might actually go for my knife before I go for my gun. I would also consider going for debilatating strikes such as the throat or a palm to the nose. If you are willing to take your safety into your own hands and carry a gun, I feel some disarming techniques would complement your training.
By the way, if there is any credible information to "prove" action really does beat reaction, please provide some links.