Become fluent in fighting in close quarters

When it comes to mastering your tactical skills, one of the most important skills to master is close quarters combat, or CQC for short. While you may think that getting all covered in camouflage and mastering long distance shots is going to be more beneficial, take a look at most modern conflicts and the tactics that are being used. Whether that be the United States’ involvement in the Middle East, or what is currently going on in Ukraine and Israel right now, you will see instances of close quarters combat. Soldiers are moving from building to building, clearing rooms and making sure that their missions get done and their teams stay safe. That being said, close quarters combat is essential to master, even as a civilian.

Let’s break down what exactly close quarters combat consists of, some key points of mastering it, and where to find the best training courses.

What is Close Quarters Combat?

CQC is the act of fighting in tight spaces, but it is kept to a range just beyond grappling distance meaning that hand to hand combat might not be able to be utilized in a situation like that. Close quarters combat may include lethal and non-lethal weapons, such as pistols or short barreled rifles of different calibers. Close quarters combat can be different in certain situations, depending upon the restrictions imposed by civilian law, military rules of engagement, or ethical codes.

Close quarters combat can involve room clearing, which is a term to describe making sure that a room is free from anything that could pose a threat to you or your team members. That being said, if there is a threat when going through room clearing, then the objective is to neutralize it before it can cause harm to you or your team.

Why Mastering Close Quarters Combat is Important

You may think that close quarters combat training is only important for military and law enforcement personnel, but this is not the case. Take a look at recent events in Ukraine and Israel and their recent going ons. Regardless of your personal opinion on the topic, the important thing to look at is that not every single person fighting in those fights was in the military. In those conflicts, civilians were thrown into the fight, whether they were trained or not.

That being said, you never know when something like that could happen where you live, and it is better to be prepared for something that may never happen, than to be unprepared and God forbid it does happen. As Miyamoto Musashi said, “It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.”

Home Defense

Not only is mastering close quarters combat important for if your country was invaded, but can be a useful skill for doing something such as defending your home. Think about it, your home is more than likely not an open terrain, and there are probably several rooms that you would have to clear to ensure the safety of yourself and your family. That being said, if one person or a group of people were to break into your home, that is a threat to you and your family, and you should be prepared should that day come.

Practicing and mastering close quarters combat in the comfort of your own home is a great way to become fluent in the art. While you more than likely will not be doing live fire drills in your house, you can use products like the Mantis to practice dry firing and really getting comfortable with your weapon and how to maneuver.

Active Shooter Scenarios

In today’s day and age, active shooters can be seen popping up in random places, often in close quarter environments, such as churches, night clubs, and shopping centers. The best thing you can do is be prepared. Not only do you want to have a concealed carry weapon on you, but also being trained in close quarter combat can help you save lives in a scenario like this.

Don’t Rely Solely on Your Gear

You may think that the gear you possess is what puts you at an advantage, but that is not the case. Sure, bulletproof vests and plate carriers are definitely going to help absorb the blow and can even help to keep you alive in a close quarters combat situation, and night vision goggles that attach to your tactical helmet can help you see in the dark, but technology will not outweigh manpower. Being trained and fluent in close quarters environments will help put you at an advantage 9 times out of 10, and then of course having all that gear to choose from in your backpack will certainly aid in that.

Where to Find the Best Close Quarters Combat Training

When it comes to close quarters combat training, you can certainly throw on all of your tactical gear in your house and do some dry fire drills, but using real tactics with an actual trainer and a team is way more fun, and far more beneficial. That being said, check out Core Vision Training to find some of the best close quarters training sessions that you can enroll yourself into. Core Vision Training offers different styles of close quarters combat training for you to choose from and become the best you can possibly be.

There are different training that involve different things. Let’s break it down.

CQB Primer/Refresher

The CQB Primer/Refresher is a one day, 8 hour course that will cover the following aspects of close quarters combat:

Understanding the basic principles of room clearing
Assessing structures to understand the best plan of action to achieve the most desirable outcome
Decision-making based on the size and layout of structure
Clearing in small elements such as solo or two-man CQC
Positive Threat Identification

Active Defense

The Active Defense Course is a two-day CQC course that will cover the following:

1 & 2 person room clearing tactics, techniques, and procedures
CCW Pistol mechanics & manipulations
Link up procedures
Casualty assessment and treatment
Positive Threat Identification
Med kit components, set up and use
Hand off reporting procedures for EMS

Structure Assessment - CQB 2

The Structure Assessment - CQB 2 is a two-day 16 hour course that covers the following:

Understanding the basic principles of room clearing
Assessing structures to understand the best plan of action to achieve the most desirable outcome
Decision making based on size and layout of structure
Clearing in small elements such as two man teams
Positive Threat Identification

White Light Structure Assessment - CQB 3

The White Light Structure Assessment CQB - 3 is a two-day, 16 hour course that covers the following:

Understanding varying lighting conditions
Different lights & their employment
How to effectively employ white light within a structure
Clearing in small elements such as solo or two-man teams
Different lighting techniques & their pros & cons
Psychological effects of light in a dark environment
How to efficiently and safely work in close proximity to teammates in a low-light environment

NVG Structure Assessment - CQB 4

This NVG Structure Assessment - CQB 4, is a 16 hour course that covers the following:

Employment of Night Vision in low light / no light environments
Assessing structures to understand the best plan of action to achieve the most desirable outcome
Night vision and laser setup and use
Clearing in small elements such as two man teams

As you can see, Core Vision Training offers plenty of different styles of CQC training for you to choose from and really become fluent in maneuvering in close quarter environments. This can translate over to real world scenarios if, God forbid, you ever get caught up in one like that.

Wrap Up

Overall, being trained in close quarters combat can be crucial to your survival in many different situations. Whether you are looking to be prepared for enemy combatants invading your country, a home invasion, an active shooter in the mall, and so on, it is better to be have mastered the skillset, than not have trained at all.

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