Whether it’s long guns or handguns, its important to be proficient with both sides of our bodies. “Weak” Side. Off Side. Support Side. Reaction Side. Whatever it’s being referred to, it involves training with our least favorite side, our non-dominant side. Most of us hate it. Why? Because it’s harder to perform tasks with the side that we don’t normally use. It takes us outside of our comfort zone, and we don’t like that.
I dislike the term “Weak” side because it suggests that if I’m using my non-dominant hand (or side), it is weaker. More realistically, I’d say I’m less coordinated on my non-dominant side.
In fact, I’m going to clarify some terminology here and now. A man whom I respected in the training field (sadly, he has passed away), Paul Castle, coined the terms “Weapon Side” to delineate our dominant side, and “Reaction Side” to delineate our non-dominant side. I like the way he named these terms and I’d like to use them here for continuity.
Reaction Side Strategies
Can you shoot with your non-dominant hand? Draw a flashlight or knife? Access a magazine for your pistol?
Years ago, I first heard the philosophy that we should be firing just as many rounds at the range with our non-dominant hand as we do with our dominant hand. Over the years, the training and qualifications that I went through forced me out of my comfort zone and made me fire with my Reaction Side hand. I’ll tell you what, I’m very glad they did because I would not have done that on my own. Even though I know it is necessary, it’s not likely that I’d have done it myself.
50% firing on the Reaction Side is a good goal. Even better, try an occasional range session where you fire only using your Reaction Side. It definitely will help you shift gears in a positive way. At this point, I’m as comfortable firing with my “off” hand as I am with my Weapon Hand. Yeah, it sucks to train in things that we’re uncomfortable doing, but once we’ve raised our proficiency, there’s that huge feeling of satisfaction.
You can also switch things up while you’re performing shooting drills. Switching from one hand to another is good training and will force you to concentrate a lot more on what you’re doing.
Gear Setup
Civilian/Plain Clothes
I no longer wear a uniform, so my main focus is on civilian capacity and attire. It’s a good idea to make all the gear that we carry accessible to either side, for both Weapons Side and Reaction Side. However, this might not always be practical.
Ammo/Magazines
Take spare ammo and magazines, for instance. I normally carry a spare magazine in the left, rear back pocket of my pants or shorts these days. Were I firing left-handed (my Reaction Side), I suppose I could reach back there with my right hand and access a magazine, but it would take some contorting.
Typically, when people are in uniform, they’ll carry their magazines in pouches up front so that they can access them easily with either hand, which is a good practice. In civilian attire, however, most of us don’t do that simply because it makes them difficult to conceal, and we carry concealed in civilian attire. If we’re wearing a duty rig, concealment is not an issue, obviously.
Flashlight
I always have a flashlight on my keyring with my keys as a backup that’s always there, just in case. It came in handy one night when I was helping to rescue someone from a burning vehicle.
Beyond that, I keep a light clipped on my Reaction Side (left) pocket of my shorts or pants. If I draw my weapon with my right hand, I can easily access my light with my left hand and be able to use the two easily and efficiently. If the light were on my right side, I’d be trying to do two things with the same hand simultaneously, and…well, it wouldn’t work!
My flashlight is probably my most-used piece of gear that I carry daily. I’d say I use it at least a dozen times a day, if not more. For utility, you cannot beat a good light! I have both rechargeable lights and ones that run on regular batteries. Make sure you pick up a reliable light.
Knives
I habitually keep a knife clipped to both the front left and right pockets of my pants. Why? For redundancy (two is one, one is none). And because I like knives a lot because they’re so damn useful, both for utility work and for defense. They never run out of ammo.
So why both sides? Let’s say a person tackles me and I’m lying on my side as he’s trying to kill me. Whichever side I’m lying on, I likely cannot access the knife that’s between me and the ground on that particular side. There’s a chance I can access the knife on the other side, though.
By the same token, if the person with ill intent is attempting to disarm me and my Weapon Side hand is occupied with not letting him disarm it, I can draw the knife on the opposite side and use it for Weapons Retention. Should someone be attempting to disarm you of your firearm, you are in a Deadly Force situation and you may need to cut that attacker off of you.
In a far less dramatic example, I often keep the knife that I use more for utility on my left side and access it whenever I want to cut something mundane. Typically, this will be my Spyderco Native. On the other side is often my Spyderco PM2, which makes for a better weapon, so it’s on my right side.
These are just examples, and not hard and fast rules; a different system might work best for you. However, I do absolutely advocate carrying two knives, whatever your choices might be, one on each side of your body, for the reasons mentioned above. I do occasionally switch up the knives that I carry just for something different, depending on my mood or particular cutting needs.
Cell Phone
These days, having a magical communications device (AKA, the cell phone) with us everywhere means we can summon help if we need it as long as we are within range of cell towers. We can call the police, ambulance, or other services as needed. Calling an ambulance in the event that we are forced to shoot an attacker will show good faith when you go to court, which may help turn things in your favor. Summoning the police could also save your life, or even the attacker’s life.
It can be very important to be able to access that phone with your Reaction Side while covering an attacker with your Weapon Side.
Uniform/Duty
When I was in uniform, my agency did not authorize us to carry a knife. During tactical operations, I ignored that policy and carried one anyway. When we transported inmates from the prison to outside appointments such as legal or medical, we left straight from the prison, so I didn’t have a knife on me at the time, which meant I typically did not carry one. I carried cuffs, a duty handgun, radio, flashlight, OC spray, gloves in a pouch, spare ammo for the weapon, and possibly a shotgun, depending on the custody level of the inmate we were transporting.
These days, cops and other law enforcement personnel have a ton-and-a-half of stuff on their belts! Among these items are their duty weapon, spare ammo, medical kit, Taser, handcuffs, radio, OC spray, baton, flashlight, gloves, and goodness knows what else.
That’s a lot of crap to be carrying around! Certain important items, such as spare ammo being typically up front, (and the cuffs being in their pouch toward the rear), facilitate being reached by both the left and right hands. However, with all the gear I listed (and some that I undoubtedly forgot), it can’t all be accessed ambidextrously. Some of it has to be prioritized.
I’ve seen police officers hide a small, fixed-bladed knife behind a pouch on their belt, although I don’t see this practice being done as much these days. Perhaps it’s because it’s possible for a suspect to snatch it off the cop’s belt during a struggle.
Nowadays, I see most cops carrying at least one folding knife clipped to the pants pocket. I’ve even noticed a few carrying a knife on both sides, which is a smart move for reasons we’ve already covered. Most of the knives carried seem to be of the inexpensive variety.
In Summary
Make it a goal to become as proficient with your Reaction Side as you are with your Weapon Side, not only with your firearm but also with other items. Take stock of where you carry your gear, whether it’s in civilian attire or in uniform, and possibly adjust items as you see fit, depending on their level of importance. I believe it’s healthy to reevaluate and take stock occasionally to see if we are doing things in the most efficient manner possible.
Are you willing to invest the time?
