– teacher and student – practice these techniques and any variations you devise, with responsibility and constant analysis as to the moves you’re using and the imagined situations in which you’re employing them. You want to consider these elements for your training partner’s safety and for the legal impact they can have on you. Why do all this? Because too often we just practice defense and counters with intent to reap mayhem on our pretend attacker without considering the legal outcome had this situation been real.
Train for real in all aspects
The old axiom of how you practice is how you will respond in a real situation is true (for more on this see Chapter 2). If you practice an eye gouge and a windpipe choke in response to someone grabbing your wrist, then that is likely how you will respond in a real situation. Do you want to try to convince a judge and jury that that was the best way for you, a trained martial artist, to react? Well, you can try, but bring a toothbrush because you’re likely going to jail. And you’re going to get sued.
Karate instructor Lawrence Kane (Chapters 6 and 11) has an expression I like. “Self-defense Rule #3: Don’t go to jail.” A good one to keep in mind.
You might argue that you and your teacher have no intention of ever responding in such an extreme manner in a real situation where the wrist is grabbed. You say that the grab is simply a device, a stimulus, so that you can practice your counter attack – your over-kill counter attack. It’s just practice. Your training partner grabs your wrist and you go postal on him, and you practice it over and over until … it’s ingrained.
It’s ingrained. It’s fixed in your brain. Imbedded. Deep rooted.
There are thousands of schools and millions of students who practice that way.
Continuum of force
The Continuum of Force model has been used by law enforcement agencies for years, though many agencies across the country are now moving to a different one, a new and improved version called “Force Options.” For the purpose of our discussion here, the Continuum of Force still works nicely.
Police
Force Options and Continuum of Force provide the police with a guideline to follow when they are compelled to respond with force in a situation. To give you a visual, think of the continuum as a ladder with several rungs. Read it from the bottom rung up.
Lethal force (firearms)Impact weapons (batons)Defensive body tactics (hands-on tactics)Pepper spray (A dash of cayenne to shut down the vision and disturb the breathing)Passive control (physically moving a person)Verbal commands (voice commands)Officer’s presence (commanding and authoritative presence)
To give you an example of how it works, I’ll simplify it and make the ladder a little one with just three steps.
On the fist rung, the officer uses his presence and voice commands to control an agitated person.When the subject escalates the situation, the officer moves up the continuum of force to use physical control techniques, such as wrist locks and takedowns, pepper spray, and the police baton.Should the subject threaten or attempt to use a weapon against the officer or someone in the officer’s presence, the officer can escalate all the way up the continuum ladder to lethal force, to include extreme empty hand techniques, extreme baton techniques, or the firearm.
Now, some violent situations occur so suddenly that the officer must bypass the first rung or two on the continuum and immediately use pepper spray or the baton. Some explosive situations necessitate that the officer, within a second or two of contact with a dangerous subject, jump all the way up to lethal force.
Civilians
Civilians should also follow a continuum of force, one that is somewhat similar to that used by law enforcement. Before I get into it, allow me to say that civilians have one primary advantage that law enforcement doesn’t enjoy. When there is an opportunity, civilians can move away from danger; they can run from it. However, law enforcement must move toward the danger. That is a huge difference that many people don’t recognize.
Civilian continuum of force model Here is a simple civilian continuum I devised for discussion. Again, read from the bottom of the ladder up.
Lethal forceHands on with force, including injury, to stop the threatHands on with pain to controlHands on with little or no painStrong presence and firm voiceVoice and presenceAvoid high-risk situations
To help see and understand the levels, let’s use three scenarios in which you respond at the lowest continuum with an erect posture, a neutral expression, direct gaze, and verbiage that leaves no confusion as to it meaning. Then the scenarios are going to get increasingly more dangerous and you’re going to escalate your response in kind.
Avoid high-risk situations
Follow your common sense and avoid dangerous bars, street corners, convenience stores and parks. People often get into trouble because they blunder into situations that, after the dust settles and their wounds heal, they see that their decision was not a wise one. Avoid a problem by not putting yourself into its midst.
You know there is a bully in your school or at your job. While it’s not always easy, do all that you can to avoid being around him and giving him an opportunity to intimidate you. Though you might be able to successfully fight him off, who needs the hassle?You see a street beggar a few yards up the sidewalk grabbing at passersby. Why put yourself at risk? Swallow your pride and cross the street. You will soon forget about it and life will be grand. But should you choose to walk by the aggressive beggar, a situation might unfold that could be costly in terms of your well-being, his well-being, court time, lawyers, and so on.One of your uncles is an obnoxious alcoholic and a pervert to boot. Every time there is a family gathering he grabs at you and says awful things. During the last few family events he has gotten progressively worse. Before the situation explodes, you need to talk to other family members and let them know what is going on. Maybe even tell them that you’re not going to participate in family events as long as he is invited.
Voice and presence
Most high-risk situations – bullies, drunks, road ragers - can be controlled with a commanding presence, an authoritative voice tone, and well-chosen words. Accept the blame for the problem, apologize, and sprinkle lots of “sir” or “ma’am” in your talk.
Most of the time these things work. Those times they don’t work is why we train so hard.
Let’s proceed up the ladder using these same three characters: the bully, the aggressive beggar, and the drunken uncle.
Strong presence and firm voice
A bully reaches for your arm.Standing straight and tall, you look at him sternly and say in a clear, strong voice, “Don’t touch me.”A street beggar approaches you from your side and asks for money.You look directly at him and say in a clear, strong voice, “Not today.”Your drunken uncle at the family party says something inappropriate to you.You look straight at him with a stern expression, and say clearly, “ “Please don’t talk to me that way.”
Hands on with little or no pain
The
