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Pistol 03
Grounded & Vulnerable Positions
This advanced defensive pistol course trains students to fight from their most vulnerable positions—on their back, side, or seated—and safely work back to a standing, mobile platform. The focus is on staying in the fight, maintaining control of your firearm, and making accurate, accountable hits while compromised.
Students will learn how to safely access, draw, and fire their handgun from the ground, manage threats at close range, and transition from the ground back to their feet under control.
Course Objectives
Students will:
Apply universal firearm safety while working from unconventional positions
Learn to draw and engage from the back, side, and seated positions
Maintain muzzle discipline and retention in close quarters
Practice defending the gun and managing space while down
Develop a safe, efficient process to get off the ground and back to standing
Build confidence operating their handgun while off-balance or under disadvantage
Practical Skills Covered
Drawing and firing from:
Supine (on your back)
Side/rolled positions
Seated or grounded positions
Using your legs and movement to create distance and manage threats
Weapon retention and protecting your handgun while down
Reloads and malfunction clearing from the ground
Controlled transitions:
Ground → kneeling → standing
Re-engaging or breaking contact once back on your feet
Class Format
Safety and technique briefing
Dry practice on the ground with unloaded firearms
Progressive live-fire drills from vulnerable positions and back to standing
Approximate duration: 4 hours (may vary by class size and range conditions)
Required Equipment
Personal handgun
Eye and ear protection
Rigid gun belt (1.5" or wider)
Outside-the-waistband (OWB) holster, strong-side only
No IWB, cross-draw, appendix, shoulder, nylon, cloth, or SERPA-style holsters
Magazine pouch(es) for at least 2 magazines
3 properly functioning magazines
350–400 rounds of range-approved ammunition
Clothing you can comfortably move and get up/down in (knee pads recommended)
Prerequisite
Successful completion of Pistol 02 / Defensive Handgun (or equivalent), and solid gun-handling skills under stress.
Grounded & Vulnerable Positions
This advanced defensive pistol course trains students to fight from their most vulnerable positions—on their back, side, or seated—and safely work back to a standing, mobile platform. The focus is on staying in the fight, maintaining control of your firearm, and making accurate, accountable hits while compromised.
Students will learn how to safely access, draw, and fire their handgun from the ground, manage threats at close range, and transition from the ground back to their feet under control.
Course Objectives
Students will:
Apply universal firearm safety while working from unconventional positions
Learn to draw and engage from the back, side, and seated positions
Maintain muzzle discipline and retention in close quarters
Practice defending the gun and managing space while down
Develop a safe, efficient process to get off the ground and back to standing
Build confidence operating their handgun while off-balance or under disadvantage
Practical Skills Covered
Drawing and firing from:
Supine (on your back)
Side/rolled positions
Seated or grounded positions
Using your legs and movement to create distance and manage threats
Weapon retention and protecting your handgun while down
Reloads and malfunction clearing from the ground
Controlled transitions:
Ground → kneeling → standing
Re-engaging or breaking contact once back on your feet
Class Format
Safety and technique briefing
Dry practice on the ground with unloaded firearms
Progressive live-fire drills from vulnerable positions and back to standing
Approximate duration: 4 hours (may vary by class size and range conditions)
Required Equipment
Personal handgun
Eye and ear protection
Rigid gun belt (1.5" or wider)
Outside-the-waistband (OWB) holster, strong-side only
No IWB, cross-draw, appendix, shoulder, nylon, cloth, or SERPA-style holsters
Magazine pouch(es) for at least 2 magazines
3 properly functioning magazines
350–400 rounds of range-approved ammunition
Clothing you can comfortably move and get up/down in (knee pads recommended)
Prerequisite
Successful completion of Pistol 02 / Defensive Handgun (or equivalent), and solid gun-handling skills under stress.