Door Kicking 101: How To Be A Major League Door Kicker

One of the best parts of this job is getting to do things that most people never get to do — at least legally. For example, kicking in other people’s doors.

For the life of me I can’t remember why we had been called there in the first place. I vividly remember being in the musty hallway of the apartment building, stepping in front of the door, and then finding my footing on the raggedy, stained carpet. With my left foot planted I took a breath and delivered my best front kick that had been informed by years of martial arts. The cheaply made and poorly installed door instantly gave way in a burst of splintering confetti.  Instant gratification.

Sadly, there was no one inside save an angry cat and the suffocating odor of a neglected litter box. That was of little consequence as I proudly surveyed my handiwork of broken lock and shattered door frame. Why can’t we do this all the time? I wondered.

Since that day early in my career I have had the opportunity to force open a number of doors. I have had some good training and learned from some great people about the mechanics of manual breaching (that’s the tactical way of saying it). And though I’ve made plenty of mistakes and had some real ugly and hilarious attempts, I’ve had the opportunity to get a little better each time.

To save yourself some trouble, consider these tactical tips that can help you become a major league door kicker:

I. Read the door.

Take a look at the door, the knob, and the hinges. Where are they? Does the door open inward or outward, left or right? What is the door made of? The answers to these questions will tell you how to go about forcing it open. You’ll want to pay attention because if you start kicking an outward opening door you’ll probably be there a while. (Hint: outward opening doors need to be pulled, pried, or picked).

II. Try the knob.

Try the knob? Thanks, Captain Obvious! The truth is that we all can get jacked up at scenarios that require forcing a door which could cause us to forget the basics. If you find yourself getting worked up: stop, take a breath, and then address the door properly. Not always, but sometimes, the door will be unlocked and you can tactically turn the knob and waltz right in (figuratively speaking, of course).

III. Consider your options.

If circumstances are exigent and there isn’t time to get the proper breaching tools, then by all means boot that sucker. If time is on your side, get the proper tools and personnel on site, make a plan, and you will significantly increase the likelihood of a timely, positive breach (that’s more tactical talk). If time is not on your side, request the breaching tools and then go ahead and attack the door. That way if the door is fortified or you didn’t eat your Wheaties that morning, you’ll cut down on further lag time by already having the proper tools headed your way.

IV. Put your gun away.

Never have a gun in your hand while breaching a door — ever. I know, I know — you’ve watched lots of movies and they always have a gun in their hand and strike a sexy pose just before kicking it open. Bad idea (The gun, that is. You can sexy pose if you want). You may be familiar with the term sympathetic reflex. If you’re not, you ought to be. A sympathetic reflex has nothing to do with your reflexes feeling bad for your sorry self. In short, a sympathetic reflex is simply that what you do with one part of your body is involuntarily mirrored by the other. For example, if I clench my right fist and throw a punch, my left hand will clench as well.

You can imagine that if I am exerting a lot of force into a kick that my hands and arms will sympathetically tighten up as I strain and brace for impact. If I have a gun in my hand, the chances of my trigger finger tightening up is pretty high. The last thing I want to do is negligently rip off a round as I Hollywood-style kick a door open. I could unintentionally shoot myself or someone else that doesn’t need shooting. It has happened. Don’t do it.

V. Fully commit.

Don’t half-butt throw a kick or you won’t be opening that door any time soon. A little seed of doubt that you won’t be able to do it is enough to cause you to pull your kick in the expectation that the door will not give way. That kind of mindset becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you’ve never learned a martial art, you should. Not only will it give you the skill and competence you need to win a street fight, but you’ll learn the mechanics of delivering a proper kick. That kind of confidence will help you fully commit. Square yourself to the door and give it everything you’ve got — that means the full force of your legs, hips, and body working together in a singular effort.

VI. Placement is key.

Aim for the portion of the door closet to the knob for maximum leverage. The closer you get to the hinge-side of the door decreases the force exerted on the lock or latch you are trying to defeat. Visualize the keyhole as the bullseye. (This goes for the battering ram as well).

VII. Don’t shoulder it.

Whatever you do, don’t throw your shoulder into a door — at least if you value your shoulder. It’s a complicated joint and abusing and injuring it will result in a very painful experience that will alter the course of your life. Ask anyone who has busted up their shoulder one way or the other and they will tell you. Not only that, but throwing your shoulder into a door is not the most effective or efficient means anyway. You can generate way more power with a front kick or a back kick.

VIII. Don’t go it alone.

If you are breaching a door, you have one job: breach the door. You don’t have three jobs: breach the door, be the first to make entry, and clear the room by yourself. That is how you get killed. You have one job, breach the door then get out of the way so the others can make entry. You should have a cover officer with a gun at the low or high ready — not a less lethal option — providing cover as you breach. Less lethal options should be number three or four in the stack. Lethal cover comes first. Less lethal can quickly and easily be called up if they are close at hand.  Once the door is open you can trail in behind the others.

IX. Know when to say when.

After several attempts and the door hasn’t opened, switch out with another officer. You will likely be gassed after several attempts and of little use after expending all that energy. Don’t get tunnel vision or let pride get in the way of efficiency. Before you are depleted, communicate that, and switch out with someone else. There’s no shame in it.

To sum it up, if you must boot a door, here’s how:

1. Have a cover officer
2. Holster your gun
3. Square yourself to the door
4. Use a front or back kick
5. Give it everything you’ve got
6. Get out of the way

____________________________

• What has your experience been breaching doors?
• What was the most effective method?
• How did your approach change based on the circumstances?
• Are you confident in your ability to manually breach a door?
• Where can you get more training and practice?

____________________________

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