Hallways  by definition are “a corridor or passage in a building.” Corridors are by definition a passageway into which compartments or rooms open or a restricted lane as in an air traffic corridor. These hallways, corridors or passageways can restrict flow or movement and are generally found in conjunction with doors and corners.

Clearing Or Offense

When moving down the hall you have two choices. One is to stay close to the wall to minimize you as a target. Two is to move down the middle of the hall to reduce the potential of being hit by ricochets and flying debris. Select a technique based on the construction material of the walls. If is a hard material like concrete, it doesn’t take a mental giant to figure out you could be hit by gunfire or fragmentation and stuff coming down the hallway.

If it’s required to move in the hallway then approach open doors and corners with caution. Use the techniques on doors and doorways discussed in a previous issue. Visually slice the opening with your eyes keeping the muzzle of your weapon in support. Don’t lead into the opening with your elbow, foot, hat brim or the weapon’s muzzle. Work from the right side of the hall to clear the left corner then back up, cross over and work from the left side of the hall to visually clear the right corner. Look as far as possible into the area you’re clearing. Use fixtures inside the room to help you clear it — mirrors, windows, anything that would reflect or show movement or location of possible threats.

Holding Or In Defense

In applying defense there’re notable advantages to engaging your opponent in doorways, at corners and definitely in hallways. Their movement is restricted and exposure great while available cover is negligible. The length of your hallway or corridor of course dictates potential exposure time you’ll have to engage the threat. Anything that could be added to slow the forward momentum of your opponent is helpful — stairways, furniture, debris, gunfire or bright lights all serve to retard forward movement. Once movement is slowed or stopped the only deciding criteria in the hallway is who can provide the best marksmanship to stop and hold the threat’s forward movement.

An example of this is we may be holding safe ground at the end of a hallway on someone who says he wants to commit suicide by cop because they don’t have the guts to do it themselves. The problem with this scenario is sometimes the dummies kill us as part of their death wish, hence the reason for giving guidelines like the ones above.

Bad Places

When you start down a hallway remember the last safest place you cleared in case the hallway becomes uninhabitable. There’ll be a hallway that can’t be cleared by going straight ahead and you better consider it. You’ll either back up or be stuffed in a bag. Don’t apply the thought process of “Well, they may get me, but I will take them with me.” The bottom line is the same — you in the bag. Moving in a hallway restricting movement and flow is very dangerous. Minimize your exposure time in by either avoiding them or moving as quickly as possible.

There’re two choices, going fast or slow. Whatever your speed, your muzzle should be between you and the threat so you can protect yourself. If you can move to give you supporting fire — do it. Last, but not least the wise and prudent person would plan a method of an organized withdrawal to deal with the worst-case scenario.

Corners

Basic construction of doors, hallways and stairs creates corners. These corners restrict flow or movement. To clear or work around corners compresses the potential threats to close to us.

Corners can come singly or in pairs in the form of a ninety-degree turn or also as 180 degrees in a hallway entering a room. Corners are most often found in a vertical plane but can be horizontal as in a stairwell overhang. The same rules apply. Maximize the distance to the corner and minimize yourself while trying to see the most of the area you’re trying to clear. Use your eyes with the weapon muzzle in support as you clear the corner.

Home On The Range

You should never have a tactical problem in your own home. Clear it now and practice often — get it right. Set mirrors and furniture to your advantage to help clear areas without entering. Proper placement of a mirror can help you look down a hallway before you stick your head in. Maybe your opponent could look in the mirror and see you, but you’d rather they see you in the mirror than shoot you in the head while you attempt to clear an area. A good practice exercise is to have someone hide a full-length mirror any place in your home where a potential human could hide. Go find it. What you see in the mirror is the same thing a real threat will see of you. Did you expose your entire body or just a bit of your head with the muzzle in front while slicing the corner?

The application of tactics is dangerous. You should pass on doing it whenever possible. Then again if you have to do it, you better to be up to the task. This skill is acquired over time and practice and the more you practice, the less likely it is you’ll have to use or do it.

One final thought: People shoot you because they can see you and if they see you it’s because you let them. So, don’t let them see you.

I can be shot. I have been. But, I won’t do anything to help it happen again. If they want to shoot us, make the bastards work for it.