Please tell me that was meant as some kind of parody.

There are so many things wrong with that I don't even know where to start.
I will tell you the real way to deal with someone pointing a gun at you: DO WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT.

This kind of bullshit just does not work. Don't believe me? Go get a white tshirt, and a water pistol filled with ink or juice. Try this and see how often you don't get shot.

My preferred technique is to disarm an assailant with charm and flattery.

Step 1: My, that's a handsome neck tattoo.
Step 2: Beautiful evening for an armed robbery
Step 3: Let me get you my wallet
Step 4: I always tell my wife how you meet the most interesting people in dark alleys and you sir, do not disappoint.
Step 5: Well, I've really enjoyed meeting you. Give my best to your baby's mama and...watch out for the limit on that American Express card. I'll be on my way.

Actually it's pretty easy to disarm someone within 3 feet of you -- the closer they are the better. (Bruce Lee popularized the idea but it's a concept that's been around for a long time.) We did it the other way though so as to break the trigger finger and keep the gun to the outside.
No need for a water pistol -- I would do this experiment.
I would get in front of a student, hands at my side. I WOULD TELL him: "I'm going to smack you in the forehead with my open hand. All you have to do is stop me. Ready?"
Within 3 feet you will always tag them EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW IT'S COMING. The human brain cannot perceive motion and react to it fast enough. Go ahead and try it for yourself...
The Hollywood cliche where one guy has a gun to the other guy's forehead makes me laugh. Dude could easily pluck that gun from him.
Now if the gunman is any further than 3 feet from you... then you ARE in trouble.

That is such bullshit. If the gunman's finger had been on the trigger, the gun would have gone off in his face. Or shot the person standing next to him.

Don't try this at home?

I'd like to see a video where the gun is filled with blanks, and safety is off. (both should have proper hearing protection too). Then they demonstrate the same disarm technique and see if "the perp" can pull the trigger, or even if he can't, the gun might go off anyway during the disarm procedure. Then the instructor repeats this with several different students.

Not directly related - I wonder why you don't see more stories of muggers using tasers?

Yeah, you do that. Bend over backwards and do whatever they want. I hear that works out super well.

I have tried this, years ago, both ways (me as gunman and defendant) at the same distance as this video. The gunman reacts too slow every single time (as others have pointed out).

You're half right though. A well trained armed assailant won't close the distance like that. In which case every situation is different. If you think they are going to kill you anyway, i.e. they're on a rampage or you think they'll murder you after you do what they say, then it's time to man up and do whatever you can to stop them and every scenario will be different. You can't outrun a bullet and so running away may not be an option, in which case would you rather be found with a bullet in the front of your body as you attempt to stop them or in the back of your body as you tried to vainly run away?

I'm always concerned that I'd get shot in a mugging because I never carry enough money to assuage a desperate stick-up thug-That's why I always carry a few rocks of crack in my otherwise empty bi-fold along with some meth in case the rouge be some Oklahoman

So what happens when you run into a gunman that knows the same trick?

One thing that happens with the technique shown is how quickly the gun is actually turned towards the gunner.

I took a self defense class once and they introduced us to the techniques for dealing with armed assailants. It was NOT a complete course, it was just a glimpse.

Breaking the wrist, hanging on for dear life, and pointing the gun towards the assailant will get the gunner shot, not you.

This was also a self defense class for women, when it is not the money that is the target, it is yourself. Which means the assailant will indeed be very close to you. Every situation is different, as has been noted on this comment stream. So even though I am not fully trained in dealing with a situation like this, I do have that little factoid tucked away -- get the gun pointed towards the gunner.

^ The hand of the aggressor (attached to trigger) naturally flows like water into their body-You bend it the other way and to has to pass in front of yours before the wrist snaps.

Run from a knife, rush to a gun.. But that is pretty unnatural setup, no one gives you those changes.. both hands behind the gun, right..

Yeah, actually it does. I know a few people that have mugged at knife point and gun point. Everytime they handed over the money and walked away from the experience. In my book that worked out "super well".

The vast majority of time they're not out to kill you. Most of the time they want your money. Is it worth risking your life?

If you're in a situation where they want to kill you, I completely agree that running away is pointless. At that point, you may as well try this kind of move, since you have nothing to lose.

Probably still won't work anyway. Maybe if you practiced it a few thousand times first, but random guy on the street?

@bareboards2, that's obviously a bad situation for the woman, but there are still better ways of dealing with it than trying some ridiculous gun disarm.

@ChaosEngine -- I meant to be careful to say that each situation is different. I didn't want to get into everything I learned. I absolutely agree with you. You do the ridiculous when it is the last resort. You fight over a gun when you think you are going to be killed.

Given the (in)accuracy of your typical person wielding a pistol, even one who's got practice, running away is surprisingly pointful. Just don't run away in a perfectly straight line. If you do, then you're not truly a moving target.