I think we’ve all heard the joke, gun control means using both hands, but when an attacker closes with you, you have a real fight on your hands, and it doesn’t matter how much time you spend on the range.  Some people have even suggested that it’s wrong to carry a knife or pepper spray on you, because it can be taken away and used on you during an attack, sure that can happen, but only if you let it happen.  It seems more than a few martial artists are repacking their old techniques and are reinventing themselves as self defense experts.  While traditional martial arts was once a selling point they now know it is all about self defense, but you have to be wary when you go for weapons retention training, because you could be buying the same old crap just in a new box.  When you pickup a weapon to defense yourself or do your job use it to it’s full potential, and don’t let anyone take it away, and we can teach you that.

People have a variety of reasons for wanting to get into law enforcement, for some it is a desire to help their community, others are following a proud family tradition, while still others simply want a good steady job with good pay and benefits.  Whatever your reason your life will be on the line as you help the public, and deal with society’s worst.  Often times you’ll arrive after the violence has already taken place, but it is up to you to pursue the suspects, and that can be very dangerous.  In the course of your job you can expected to be physically and verbally attacked and have to deal with legal issues, but the more training you have the more problems you can avoid.  Whether you’re watching the clock or patrolling all hours you need to be ready to fight and that is where we come in, and it is all about police officers.

Defensive Tactics can be summed up in two complimentary strategies: avoidance and initiation. I believe these two concepts comprise one single mindset that will give a police officer a distinct advantage in any situation where they might have to practice the use of force, deadly or otherwise.

The first half of this mindset is avoidance. In the context of defensive tactics, the word “avoidance” does not mean running away. It does not mean being passive and waiting for someone to bring the fight to you. What it means is, as a police officer, you make sure that you have taken every step available to you to stop a use of force situation before it begins. Avoidance means making effective choices in your actions when you face a situation that may result in conflict. These choices should leave you in a position of control, and in a position where you are unlikely to be injured or thrown off physical or mental balance. Effective avoidance choices put a police officer in the best position to win.

Close Combat in the Emerald Isles

With the British busy fighting World War I Sinn Fein launched their Easter Rising in 1916, but it resulted in just a week worth of fighting, no real gains, and the population of Dublin didn’t even support their efforts.  If Irish nationalists wanted a free Ireland they were going to need new tactics and strategies if they wanted to win their fight.  They would force Great Britain to change their tactics, and eventually come to the negations table, but not before plenty of bloody fighting.  Through training, structure, and discipline the Irish volunteers would become the Irish Republican Army and accomplish many of their goals.