Airsoft Gun Training

 If you are looking for a safe, but real enough way to see if your gun evasion / disarm techniques really would work I suggest using a low powered airsoft pistol.

 I cannot stress enough that the gun needs to be low powered. Spring loaded is best and cheapest (walmart had them for under $10) and CO2 powered airsoft guns are too powerful to be used safely in my opinion. Safety goggles designed for airsoft are also available usually wherever airsoft products are sold and are also cheap and a must have for safety. If you choose to train with this method, you do so at your own risk!
(Also please note that airsoft guns are the type that fire the plastic pellets, do not mistake an actual pellet or BB gun for an airsoft gun!)


 Now that the safety speech is out of the way lets talk about the training method itself.

 The concept is that when used properly the airsoft pistol can show you whether or not you were struck by the "bullet" when you attempt an evasion or disarm technique. Airsoft guns are powerful enough that you will feel the pellet hit you, it can kind of sting a little sometimes but through a gi jacket it shouldn't be that bad. You do however want to get a spring loaded airsoft gun with the LOWEST fps (feet per second) rating available. This rating is always printed on the packaging and if it doesn't say, then don't buy that particular model as it may be too powerful to use safely.

 So, you have your Uke (training partner) "hold you up" at gunpoint and you attempt your evasion or disarm. He will fire the gun just as someone would in real life (trying to hit you) and you can then see if the "bullet" would have hit you or not.

 I know full well that an airsoft gun isn't as powerful as the real thing. A pellet coming from an airsoft gun that's rated at 200 fps is MUCH slower than a real firearm that has an fps rating in the thousands. But for training purposes I feel that an airsoft gun is a good example of what it is like to face off against the real thing as far as timing goes. Because you aren't "dodging" the pellet. If you evade a shot from an airsoft gun that means you were out of the way before the gun fired (or better, the person using it).

 This training model has probably already been used by alot of people. It was only yesterday that the thought crossed my mind so if you have any insight to add feel free to leave a comment.

 Happy (Safe) Training!