By Michael D.
Former Clandestine Officer, CIA, DIA, NSA
My right hand was entirely useless, which was big trouble because it’s my dominant hand.
The attacker continued to hit my right forearm as I tried to block his blows from hitting my head, throat, and face.
I knew I had to draw my revolver with my “weak” (left) hand from its concealed carry location on my left hip – sometimes called the 9 o’clock position.
But I was clumsy and under-practiced.
I glanced away from my attacker to look down on my left side so that I could see to draw my revolver from its cross-draw rig.
But before I could grip the pistol with my left hand, the padded end of the pugil stick struck my throat.
“Again.” I was becoming accustomed to Tony yelling that word.
He was training me to draw my concealed firearm from my “weak hand” holster (or “offhand” or “non-dominant hand).
The Agency instructors explained the reason they train us to carry cross-draw:
The majority of times a clandestine officer had to draw a weapon, they had already suffered defensive injuries to the dominant hand and arm.
Properly holstered and concealed, cross-draw allows you ease and speed of draw with both your dominant and “weak” hand.
The advantage of a cross-draw configuration is that you can more easily and quickly manipulate your non-dominant arm and hand to draw from your weak side than you can maneuver it efficiently to draw from your strong side.
Try it and you’ll see what I mean.
I had to unexpectedly use this skill a few years later to defend myself.
It wasn’t on a mission.
You see, I was stateside putting diesel fuel in my truck at about 3:30 am at a 24/7 gas station near I95, right before the 495/Capital Beltway exchange.
I had just started pumping gas with my dominant hand when I became aware of thugs rushing up on me.
Instinctively, I released my right hand’s grip on the pump handle and drew my revolver with my left hand – the hand closest to my attackers.
I managed to clear it from the cross-draw holster, present it, and “push it” (straight arm) while the would-be attackers were still six feet away.
They stopped cold in their tracks, and one said something lame like, “Oh, hey man, I thought you were somebody else.”
I replied something along the lines of, “Come on over and let me introduce myself, tough guy.”
To my dismay, the little twerps scampered away to find someone who did not have a firearm to defend themselves with.
When you make your plans and preparations, you must include the unlikely, even remotely possible events.
Things like having to draw your firearm from concealed carry with your weak hand because our dominant hand has been rendered useless.
It’s easy to prepare for what we expect can or will happen.
The truly prepared prepare for the unexpected.
Thinking outside of the box ahead of time may keep you from winding up in a pine box that day.
