GemStar Group, Ltd.
LET’S MAKE THE CONNECTION You’re on the street, you’re making an arrest, the subject is forcibly resisting. You begin to apply your academy taught arm lock and suddenly you realize the subject is now placing you in a similar hold. The scene is all too familiar. What do you do next? One of the biggest problems plaguing our students of street survival is to be able to continue to defend themselves or control the subject once an initial move or technique does not work. I have observed that people do not always flow with an attack when their defense (perhaps planned) doesn’t work like it did during training. People sometimes freeze up when a new element is introduced into the action. The element might be the sudden appearance of a weapon, no response to a control point or a strike to a vital area. Something may be lacking in either the way we pass on information or the way our students perceive the training concepts.....perhaps a little of both. As instructors we must teach our students to make the connection that allows them to continue from the start of the situation to the end. If a student freezes up in the controlled setting of a training center, what happens on the street in a life and death situation when adrenaline is pumping? We need to incorporate follow through techniques that have multiple uses which facilitate the ability to defend against a threat. Some people refer to follow up actions as "plan B" or "follow up moves", as well as other things. Call it what you will. It is necessary for our students to simultaneously assess what is happening and not freeze up at the moment. They must make the connection. We all know that a positive mental attitude is paramount to survival. My focus is on the physical actions during a confrontation once we have the mind set working. If we teach a system of one strike, one counter/takedown, we set the stage for the belief that all we need to neutralize a threat is one or two moves. If these moves don’t work, freezing up is a serious possibility. During the training process a series of basic moves is taught to deal with common lines of attack. When the student is comfortable and proficient enough to carry out the technique, it is time to incorporate a series of follow through moves that can be utilized for multiple situations. In an actual confrontation, the student must have the ability to flow with whatever is going on. In teaching, I find that the three step approach often works well. Step one is to learn the technique from an initial contact and control standpoint only. Step two, which is the connection, applies various techniques that can be used to defend and control against different lines of attack. Step three introduces a weapon or various attack angles. Once the student is comfortable with the above steps, speed and more resistance from the attacker can be added. Throughout the process, gross motor skills are the primary elements being employed. While working on the above, it is helpful to add realism to the training by using varied lighting, terrain and clothing. During training the attacker does not stop the assault until he or she is subdued. Not every person being detained or arrested will stop and comply, therefore we need to train for the worst case scenarios. KEEP MOVING!....which way???? Since attacks are usually dynamic in nature and not static, we must keep moving as long as we are under attack. But "moving" has many meanings. If we are being shot at, depending on whether or not we are armed or if cover is available, we might move closer or further away. In a hand to hand situation, we may not have the time or luxury to find cover, wait for backup, or put some distance between you and the attacker. We may have to move in to the attacker to neutralize and arrest. Another situation may require keeping some distance and drawing a firearm. The possibilities may seem endless but we, as instructors, must stress the importance of being aware of what is going on while trying to neutralize the assault. Keep the training focused on gross motor skills and techniques that cover a wide range of uses. Less is indeed more.
In a perfect world everything would have a clear beginning, middle, and end. In the real world, we may not always know what part we are up to. We must teach our students to always have their radar on, and never tunnel on one thing. While we are dealing with the confrontation at hand we must also be aware of what is going on around us. We must stress the importance of continuing to move and completing the task. There is no time to assess and think about what to do next once the action begins. While training, create scenarios, change the method of attack and the response of the attacker. The exercise is not finished until the attacker is neutralized whether he be cuffed, secured-- no longer a threat. Then and only then is the attack over. As instructors our goal should be to give our students techniques that are highly effective, yet simple to learn and retain. We must make the connection within these techniques so that they can be properly applied to multiple situations. Our success as instructors is measured in the safety of our students.
Sam Arlen is president of the Gemstar Group, Ltd. Specialized classes are available to law enforcement, executive protection and civilians. Offices are located in Long Island, NY and Naples, FL. OFFICES THE GEMSTAR GROUP, LTD.
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05/19/05
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