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(Updated from the original article with the same title, published in Karate/Kung Fu Illustrated, August 1991, pp.16-19. Reproduced with permission of Bob Orlando 07 June 2001)

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Introduction     There is a tendency among martial artists today to maintain a lengthy list of techniques: 100 punch counters; 200 grab counters; 50 club counters; multiple knife, kick, and throwing counters; not to mention the untold counters for more exotic weapons -- a technique for every occasion. The problem with this kind of thinking is that every new situation often requires the addition of another new technique. Perhaps past masters saw a similar trend because the Chinese word chuan fa (kenpo in Japanese) seems to address this very problem. Chuan fa and kenpo have been translated variously as fist way, fist law, and so on, but the best translation into English is actually "fighting principles" (see Translation notes below.)     That's "fighting principles," not "fighting techniques." Unfortunately, most of us do not study fighting principles. Too often, we study (and teach) techniques rather than principles. Fighting techniques are not the same as fighting principles (actually, good techniques demonstrate the principles). Too many practitioners today believe that "the more techniques I know, the better fighter I will be." In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Moreover, fighting principles encompass more than just our techniques and methods of attack and defense; they also include our opponent's. His direction, speed, distance, and angle of attack frequently dictate our responses. Techniques     Most of us realize that fighting is dynamic. Despite this, we still pursue every technique that comes along believing we need to have at least one technique for every possible situation. How many of us have gone to seminars straining to learn in detail, and later recall, every technique we were shown? Even if we could recall them all, how many of us actually absorb the underlying principles behind the techniques demonstrated? Most of us could not. Most of us can only remember the smallest fraction of all the techniques to which we have been exposed, even if we practiced them. This is because we try to look at every technique with a microscope when we really should be using a telescope.     We need to stand back and see what a given technique is trying to accomplish. Instead, we try to put our hands exactly where the instructor put his, holding them exactly as he did. We do the same with our feet, the height of our stance, and on and on. We attempt a micro view of a macro process. The micro view is necessary but it must be carefully balanced with the big picture.     Beginning and intermediate students need a lot of "put your foot here," "hold your hand like this," and "bring your knee up at this angle." This is a necessary part of the learning process. As the student moves up in knowledge and skill, however, the amount of time spent on details like these should diminish, and he should eventually come to a point where greater emphasis is placed on how to evaluate technique to see the under lying principle. (This assumes, of course, that the student is being taught techniques designed to demonstrate and reinforce sound principles.)     This is not to say that techniques are only for beginners. They are not. As teaching tools, techniques serve all students -- beginning through advanced. The problem is that too many students today are required to learn and memorize many times more techniques than are really necessary. One instructor recently said there were more than 400 techniques in his system. I know another who claims 250. Why?     Techniques are not to be memorized as part of a long list. Rather, they should be used as a means to an end -- a vehicle to bring the student to an understanding of the principles involved. Techniques provide hooks for the students to hang the principles on, so a certain number of them are necessary. However, considering the finite number of ways you can manipulate the human body, there is no reason for any system to maintain and perpetuate hundreds of them.     To grasp the underlying principle of any technique we have to change our thinking in two ways. First, we must realize that every technique can be broken down into basic movements. Basic movements are like the letters of the alphabet. From a knowledge of the letters and how they are used and combined, we make words. From just the 26 letters in the English language more than half a million words can be formed. Furthermore, language is dynamic; alive. Words become obsolete. New words are constantly being made. But, the underlying letters do not change. Principles     Fighting is equally dynamic and alive. It changes with every generation. Techniques become obsolete. New techniques are constantly being developed. The underlying movements, on the other hand, rarely change. You don't think so? Consider this. Raise your right arm. That is a movement. Is that movement an upward block or a strike with the forearm and hand? It can be either. Its application determines what it is -- or as we often say, "What it does determines what it is."     Another example: Bring your right hand to a position beside your right ear. Is this a protective maneuver or a vertical elbow strike? Are not the movements identical? Again, the application of the movement is the determining factor. In an upward arm movement, like the one just described, how much difference does it make if the hand is formed in a fist or a chop? Most of the time, when learning a fighting principle, it makes very little difference. (It may make a difference in the specific technique, but not usually in the principle.)     This brings us to the next change that must occur in our thinking. Armed with the concept that a given technique is made up of basic movements, we zero in on the technique's objective. Is the goal to send your opponent flying 10 feet away? Is it to dump him at your feet? To bring him to his knees? Control him? What? Is the objective to place yourself behind him? To place him between you and another? To strike as a setup for another move? Here we take a broader look at the technique. We spend less time on minor intricacies (exact hand and foot placement, width of the stance, etc.) and more on the majors. (Realization of this fact alone greatly improves forms or kata appreciation and practice.)     For example, in a given form you may not like your hand formed in a fist here or there; you may not even see it as necessary or even practical. But if you can see the purpose of the basic movement (the major), then you can live with the fist (the minor) and move on to understanding the underlying principle. You can say to yourself that in the absence of an actual opponent, your hand is formed as a fist. If, however, there were an arm there, you might hold your hand open, or bent this way or that. Breaking a technique down into it basic movements, then, leads to an understanding of the technique's underlying principle. The Attack     The same rules regarding techniques also apply to attacks. For example, how many different ways can a right hand come at you? "Hand" is emphasized because it might be a fist, a slap, or be holding a weapon. There are really only so many ways that the hand can come -- crossing, straight, over the top, uppercut, whatever. Obviously, allowances are made for variances in angle, but still there are only so many ways that hand can come. Likewise, kicks can come from outside. straight in, over-the-top, up from the ground, etc. And again, there are minor variations in angle, but, like the hand, there are only so many ways that a foot can come at you. Train to recognize this smaller number of movements and quit thinking that, 'if he does this, I'll do this. If he comes with that, I'll have to ...' The problem with having too many techniques is that they clutter your thought processes. Too many choices means too many decisions.     In a computer, the toughest instructions are those which make decisions. They take the most time to execute and require more of the machine's resources. In this respect, the human brain is no different. Our brains may be more sophisticated than the world's fastest computers, but it is still the decision-making process that takes all the time. By learning general principles rather than specific techniques, we need to make fewer decisions in reacting to a situation. Moreover, because there are far fewer principles to learn, assimilation and subsequent development of spontaneous repetition are greatly accelerated. Mastering the Principles     When practicing self-defense techniques, focus on the basic movements and principles of defense (response to an attack). Likewise, use the technique to analyse and understand the basic movements and principles behind your opponent's attack. In other words, take the macro view. If, on the other hand, you are preparing for a belt testing or attending a seminar addressing the finer points of traditional shotokan forms, then the micro view is the goal. The "put your foot here," "hold your hand like this," and "bring your knee up at this angle" become very important. But beyond situations like these, don't fall into the trap of seeking to learn hundreds of techniques in the hope of being a better fighter or more capable martial artist. Realize that with a thorough understanding of movement and principles of movement you can create hundreds of your own techniques. There is an old Chinese proverb that says something like, "I can give you fish and feed you today, or I can teach you to fish and you can feed yourself today and tomorrow." Learn to look for basic movements in techniques and you will be well on your way to understanding fighting principles. Master the principles and you master the techniques.   Translation Notes     In Japanese it is pronounced kenpo, in Mandarin Chinese, chuan fa, and in the Hokkien Chinese dialect, kuntao. Regardless of how it is pronounced, all of these words come from the same Chinese characters and all have been translated variously as fist law, fist rule, fist way, and way of the fist. Using Hepburn's Japanese and English Dictionary, a long-standing authority on the Japanese language, the word kenpo is made from two Chinese characters: ken and ho. Ken, translated literally means "a game played with the hands." Ho means "rule" or "law." When these two simple characters are combined, they change. Ken and ho become kenpo.     The literal translation of these two characters, then, is a game played with the hands, and "rule" or "law." But, as with most languages, literal translation is woefully inadequate. Take the case of the computer translating program that attempted to translate Russian technical journals into English. Since it could only translate literally, it completely missed the mark when it translated the Russian term for a "hydraulic ram" into "water goat." "Fist way" and "fist law" also miss the mark (although not as dramatically). If we move beyond the literal translation of "rules of a game played with the hands" [rearranged] we come to "boxing principles." "Fist law," "fist rule," and "fist way" are all acceptable, but "boxing principles" better captures the characters' real meaning.     One more refinement, however, will bring us still closer. Substitute the word "fighting" for "boxing." We do this because, to the Western mind, "boxing" carries a hands-only connotation, where in Asian martial arts "boxing" naturally includes both hands and feet. Substituting "fighting" for "boxing," then, removes that "hands-only" connotation, yielding "fighting principles" as the best translation of this term. ©Copyright Bob Orlando, 1999 All rights reserved Reproduced with permission May 2001 Return to Home Page http://www.OrlandoKuntao.com E-mail: Bob@OrlandoKuntao.com Last update: March 30, 2001 by Bob Orlando

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Contents

Part 1 Introduction

Part 2 Conflict Resolution Model

• Profiled Offender Behaviour
• Reasonable Officer Response Options
• Impact Factors

Part 3 Approach and Positioning

Part 4 Movement

Part 5 Tactical Communucations

• Prior to the Encounter
• During the Encounter
• Following the Encounter with Control Achieved

Part 6 Empty hand Skills

• Body Weapons
• Identification of Body Targets

Part 7 Defensive Blocking Skills

Part 8 Control Techniques

Part 9 Ground Fighting

Part 10 Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

With the increase in popularity of TV programmes such as Martial Law with the skilful and personable Sammo Hung and predecessors such as Walker Texas Ranger starring Chuck Norris, there isn’t a Cop film which reaches the silver screen without the star exhibiting a dazzling display of competent martial ability and flexibility which would leave the incredible rubber man envious!. But how does this fit the reality of the cop on the street, or in particular the British Bobby.

First living in a society which prides itself on its traditional values we are inclined to overlook progression and the changes that occur through evolution, in essence there hasn’t been the ‘Bobby’ on the beat since before Dixon of Dock Green took his long overdue retirement from the small screen. Secondly the system of Beat policing has long since fallen into decline having been replaced by mobile sector or area policing, this forms part of the structure of society and the whole Crime and Disorder debate which we are not here to consider, it does however set the scene for the society which needs to be policed.

When I first joined the police service in the mid seventies the extent of the ‘self defence’ and arrest techniques were expected to be mastered in several half day gym sessions from a PTI dressed in the compulsory track suit bottoms and white vest and comprised of several wrist and arm locks to be used as come-along-holds with a few basic self defence ‘moves’ including disarming the obligatory villain armed with a pistol, a technique which if I remember correctly failed to install any confidence at all other than the guarantee of injury to one or both parties while practicing the move. In those days baton training related to the old style police truncheon and was satisfied with words of advice from the PTI stating “Never aim for the head, aim for the shoulder and remember if you hit him on the head say you were aiming at his shoulder”.

I remember training with Mike Finn in the late seventies at the Elite Martial Academy in St.Oswalds Place, Vauxhall, Mike himself a former police officer with the Metropolitan and City forces had several students within his group who were serving police officers, one who was an Instructor at the Metropolitan Police College Hendon, even then Mike was actively involved in attempting to educate the Home Office of the woefully inadequate training available to police officers, it is a testament to Mike’s determination and conviction of his beliefs that he was able to continue to pioneer Officer Safety Training despite the frustrations and bureaucracy experienced when attempting to deal with Government departments and their inhabitant Civil Servants.

Long gone are those days and the police service has moved on. Partly due to the continuous pressure applied by individuals and the slow process of education, through all forms of the media it became understood and in someway accepted that police officers face, often on a daily basis excessive forms of assault, from verbal aggression to violent and often planned physical attacks. In such situations the only preparation and appropriate way to combat and reduce such behaviour is by adequately training a officers’ response. Over the years various systems have been considered mainly based on Ju-jitsu and Aikido styles leading to the trial and implementation of Tai-jutsu, although these systems undoubtedly have effective techniques when introduced to organisations such as the police service where further training is of a limited nature their effectiveness becomes greatly reduced. The requirement for Instructors to be reassessed to qualify annually also led to an unacceptable level of injuries due mainly to the lack of continued physical conditioning and over enthusiastic application of techniques during assessments.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION MODEL

The Unarmed Defensive Tactics system now taught to police is by far the best to date, inasmuch that not only does it teach easily learnt techniques with a low injury potential they offer a realistic alternative for officers to attempt lower levels of control with the ability to escalate accordingly to achieve compliance where necessary, in addition to the physical aspect of the training it provides a comprehensive Conflict Resolution Model which covers the three interactive areas :- a) Profiled Offender Behaviour b) Reasonable Officer Responses c) Impact Factors

These can be broken down accordingly:

PROFILED OFFENDER BEHAVIOUR

Compliance

Offender offers no resistance

Complies with officer request

Verbal resistance and Gestures

Offender refuses verbally to comply

Exhibits body language indicating non-compliance

Passive Resistance

Offender sits/stands still and will not move

Active Resistance

Offender pulls away or pushes officer

No deliberate attempt to strike or injure the officer

Aggressive Resistance

Offender fights with officer – kicking/punching, wrestling, biting etc.

Serious or Aggravated Resistance

Any assault where there exists the possibility of great bodily harm or death

Includes the production of a weapon by offender

REASONABLE OFFICER RESPONSE OPTIONS

Officer Presence

Includes method of approach

Uniform or plain clothes / pronouncement of office

Tactical Communications

Can be verbal or non-verbal (i.e. uniform presence)

Can be with or without batons

Primary Control Skills

Use of empty hand skills

Use of handcuffs

Use of baton for restraint techniques

Secondary Control Techniques

Incapacitant sprays if available

Defensive Tactics

Blocks / Strikes / Takedowns

With empty hands and batons, followed by control techniques

Deadly Force

Any action which may cause serious bodily injury or death

Empty hands or baton skills

Firearms

IMPACT FACTORS

The officer’s choice of the use of force option is based on their perception of all the circumstances.

Factors in addition to offender behaviour which may influence the officer’s response include but are not limited to:

• Sex – age – size
• Relative strength
• Skill level
• Exhaustion or injury
• Numbers
• Special knowledge
• Alcohol or drugs
• Mental derangement
• Weapons
• Imminent danger
• Being in a position of disadvantage and the officer’s perception of the subjects willingness to resist

The techniques taught to achieve the maximum success with relation to the Conflict Resolution Model are therefore, Easy to learn, Easy to remember, Effective for smaller persons against larger persons / females against males and useful to persons no longer in their physical prime. In the past many techniques have been martial arts based. Unfortunately many police officers do not devote the hours of training necessary to maintain the required skill level. Additionally many martial arts do not provide the goal to be achieved – control without major injury. Therefore the police system of empty hand tactics has been formulated to be simple and to have a lower injury potential and techniques contained within this system are more specific to policing needs and easier to perform, with minimal training, allowing an officer to gain and maintain control of a resistant or potentially resistant subject.The inclusion of techniques has required a combination of the maximum potential for control with a minimum injury potential.

APPROACH AND POSITIONING

Having completed and understood the classroom element of UDT namely the Conflict Resolution Model the officer is ready to begin the practical aspect of the training. This begins with Approach and Positioning, aimed at reducing the possibility of assault or injury to the officer while enabling a position and approach which allows a tactical advantage without making other persons feel threatened or uncomfortable. During this element of the training the officer learns about the Fighting Arc (See Figure 1), a 90% arc in front of the body in which people have a high degree of natural fighting skill, and Proxemics, the distance between themselves and a potential aggressor, the reactionary gap of less than six feet which makes it extremely difficult to defend against a spontaneous assault.

Tests have shown that a gap of twelve feet can be covered in less than a second!, and how by using good approach and positioning combined with tactical communication skills officers are able to maintain a reactionary gap of six feet without alienating people. A further area which is added to positioning is that of proper stance. This stance is easily recognizable to martial art practioners with the dominant (or strong side) back, feet shoulder width apart with knees slightly bent and weight evenly distributed. In this one of two stances taught the hands are brought above the waist in a non-threatening but tactically advantageous manner.(See Figure 2)

The second stance (See Figures 3 & 3A) is a higher profile with the arms raised palms facing out in a defensive gesture, which allows for fast natural blocking or striking but at the same time permits the officer to attempt tactical communication with the aggressor even though the arms are forming a barrier between the two.

The strong (dominant) hand may remain at belt level if access to defensive equipment is required. (Figure 4)

Where in the past all techniques were taught as static activities it is now recognised that self defence and the ability to control a subject depends on the officers mobility, and this is taught with the following factors in mind:

• Maintain distance
• Create distance
• Close distance
• Place the officer in a position of advantage
• Add power to a technique

MOVEMENT

Officers are shown how the whole body is used in defensive and control situations, how movement can be forwards, backwards, laterally to the strong side or laterally to the weak side.

The method of movement is taught with several basic movements, the first, the ‘Shuffle Step’ is readily familiar with any Wing Chun Kung Fu student as the Arrow Walk, and involves the officer adopting a defensive stance and sliding his front foot forward, as momentum moves him forwards he slides his rear foot forwards to re-assume the defensive stance, at all time ensuring his weight is concentrated to the rear to reduce the risk of having the lead foot swept from beneath him. The shuffle step is taught both forwards and backwards and research has shown that the shuffle step allows much faster controlled backwards movement than merely walking or trying to run backwards. From this the officer is taught lateral movement, using the same principle of the foot nearest the intended direction leading the way. Lateral movement is taught to both strong and weak side with the officer adopting a defensive stance. An alternative to the lateral shuffle is a Forward or Rear Pivot, this is performed by the officer having formed a defensive stance quickly turns on the ball of his weak (leading) foot outwards and rapidly sweeping the strong foot forward, as momentum carries the officer forward he rotates his body and ends in a position with his strong foot forward. The officer may wish to return to a defensive stance with the weak leg leading and this can be achieved by either completing another forward pivot or he may pivot backwards.

While teaching patterns of movement these should be practiced with combinations utilizing blocks and palm heel strikes (Punches used to form part of the UDT curriculum but have now been removed to lower the risk potential to the subject and the officer who may have small or weak wrists and suffer fractures as a consequence.) Students are taught in pairs with one reacting to movement from the other, this enables students to learn to react to visual cues and not the Instructors verbal commands. During the exercise students must continue to verbalize as they move. This is an area which will be alien to most students but will be explained in the next paragraph on Tactical Communications.

TACTICAL COMMUNICATIONS

Communication skills are an integral part of the police defensive tactics system, with experts worldwide believing that in excess of 90% of incidents of physical violence could be avoided with good communication skills. The concept of crisis communication skills an be briefly explained with the following three perspectives:

1. Prior to physical engagement

2. During the encounter

3. Following the incident with control achieved

1. Prior to the Encounter

• Use quiet tones
• Avoid remarks of a threatening / intimidatory nature
• Use simple language with short phrases as an excited person will not understand complicated messages
• Listen closely to what the other person is saying in an attempt to identify the problem

When an assault appears imminent change the dialogue to shorter one or two word phrases STOP – GET BACK – STAY BACK. Volume should also increase dramatically to add impact to the message. Should the situation escalate to the use of physical techniques following this line of communication any witnesses will have had their perception of what is taking place enhanced with a clear understanding that the officer(s) had attempted to resolve the situation without using physical force.

2. During the Encounter

The officers actions must obviously take priority but if possible loud, simple and clear messages should be given STOP FIGHTING – STOP RESISTING – STOP KICKING This again helps with witness perception and could aid in any defence of the officers actions in court.

3. Following the Encounter with Control Achieved

This is the stage where it is of utmost importance to show the ability to de-escalate, lower the volume and attempt to calm and reassure the offender, particularly if you have lowered them into a prone position or brought them under control by using pain. Tell them “Relax it’s over” and “Calm down, stop struggling” also tell them what your next steps are going to be, tell them that you are going to handcuff them or you are going to stand them up. Such information gives the offender the opportunity to comply and assist the officer in his actions.

An important Impact Factor which has to be considered at this stage of training is Stress Reactions for Officer Survival. When involved in stressful or threatening situations animals suffer particular physical reactions, humans are no different. Modern research have recorded over 150 changes which occur in such situations, some of these are:

Adrenalin surges

Increase in heart rate / circulation

Increase in respiration rate

Increase in muscular tension

Reduction in the peripheral field

Reduction in decision making ability

Reduction in fine / complex motor skill ability

Auditory exclusion

Perceptual distortions

While these are just a few of the stress reactions which occur, all have a significant bearing on a officers ability to defend himself. Only through preparation and training can reaction times be improved and by awareness of the physical changes in the body under stress can panic be prevented. The police system of empty hand skills has therefore, been designed around motor skills which are simple, require little decision making and are enhanced by increased heart rate and muscular tension presenting a system which is both usable and effective in stressful confrontations.

EMPTY HAND SKILLS

When teaching police empty hand skills the following three areas must be taught and fully understood:

1. Identification of body weapons (the parts of the body used to apply force)

2. Identification of body targets (the areas of the body to apply force to)

3. Method of application –

Touch pressure – pressure point control

Striking and Blocking

Compliance holds

Pressure Point Control is used to overcome low level resistance. Persons offering passive resistance can often be controlled by the use of such techniques. Pressure point control can also be effective in separating people who are fighting or struggling with each other. The pressure point techniques used are limited to the head and neck areas and are readily accessible. Light touch pressure causes transitory discomfort leading to compliance, if light touch pressure is ineffective quick penetration techniques may be applied, causing a mental stunning effect lasting 3 to 7 seconds. With all the pressure point control techniques the body weapon used will be the finger or thumb tips. While applying these techniques the officer should give loud repetitive verbal commands – LET GO, LET GO - STAND UP, STAND UP. It is extremely important that the subject is made aware of what the officer requires him to do and has the opportunity to comply and thereby avoid the further application of force.

Where lower levels of control have been attempted and proved unsuccessful or are inappropriate against an aggressive assault, officers may use striking techniques to achieve control. Such techniques can also be referred to as distraction techniques, as their purpose is to distract an attacker / offender by causing:

Balance displacement

Mental Stunning – lasting 3 to 7 seconds

Weakening of motor action

Transitory discomfort

Motor dysfunction – lasting for 30 seconds to several minutes

The sole purpose for such techniques are to overcome resistance and achieve control and never for punishment. Because strikes are powerful, impacting more energy the potential for injury increases and only by choosing correct target areas can the injury potential be minimised. Primary target areas for empty hand strikes consist of nerve motor points, which enhances effectiveness for control potential while at the same time reduces the chance of injury to the subject. As these target areas are soft tissue the risk of injury to the officer striking is also greatly reduced, also being nerve motor points, which can cause temporary motor dysfunction, the effectiveness of the strike is not based on pain compliance. This being useful when attempting to control a person who is drunk or under the influence of drugs whose threshold to pain has been artificially raised.

Primary Target Areas:

Suprascapular

Bicep

Median and Radial Nerves

Lateral Femoral

Anterior Femoral Nerve

Common Peroneal Nerve

Tibial Nerve

If use of the primary target areas proves ineffective or are judged to be inappropriate the officer may select the Secondary Target Areas. Caution must be exercised as these areas have a higher injury potential and the use of such force will require more justification in line with offender behaviour and impact factors.

Secondary Target Areas:

Face

Knees

Ankles

Wrists

Elbows

Groin

Striking these areas can cause substantial, possible long lasting or permanent damage to joints and connective tissues. The risk of injury to the officer striking these areas is also increased.

When all the target areas already mentioned have proved ineffective or the circumstances are so extreme that those areas are judged by the officer to be inappropriate he my have to resort to the Final Target Areas.

Final Target Areas:

Eyes

Throat

Spine

Striking these areas can cause serious and even fatal results. As such officers must be able to justify striking such a target with all the evidence required for a deadly force response.

As with all empty hand systems different parts of the body can be used to strike the target areas. Within the police empty hand system these parts are known as Body Weapons, these weapons are instinctive and simple, which maximise performance under stress.

BODY WEAPONS

The Front (Knuckle) edge of fist

The bottom edge of fist

The heel of the palm

The forearm

The knee

The shin

The head

The foot

The elbow

Although as a rule punches have been replaced by palm heel strikes and do not form part of the UDT, as a situation escalates and the violence offered towards an officer becomes more determined, the use of body weapons cannot be restricted and the officer must be free to use whatever means is available to gain control. The method of matching the most suitable body weapon to the target area is taught in the Practical Application section of the training programme and cover the strike, appropriate target areas, technique execution and expected medical implications.

The first practical applications cover those strikes using the leg. Only three strikes are taught for simplicity.

The Knee Strike, a simple strike delivered from close quarters and used to strike the thigh and the surrounding motor points, designed to perform three functions:

1. To stop forward momentum of an aggressive offender

2. To overcome resistance to the escort position

3. To separate an aggressive offender from another person or fixed object

The Sweeping Kick, using the shin as the body weapon, can be used from in front of the subject to strike the thigh or from the side or rear to strike the calf. Officers are taught to ensure that the shin stays in contact with the target area long enough to maximise energy transfer and to use hip rotation to deliver force to the technique. The purpose of the sweeping kick is to stop the forward momentum of an aggressive offender and allow the officer to take control.

The Front Kick, now the preferred kick in the police UDT system uses the ball of the foot as the body weapon and is directed towards the offenders shin and calf area. Used to stop an offenders forward momentum allowing the officer to achieve control it can also be effectively used to block an offenders attempt to kick the officer. Officers are taught to maintain good balance when executing kicking techniques, to maximise energy transfer and to use communication skills – STOP – GET BACK.

The next stage of practical applications involve strikes using the arms, all the techniques in this section require the use of tactical positioning and movement. Strikes using the arms are limited to four simple and instinctive movements:

1. Palm heel strike

2. Punch

3. Bottom Fist

4. Forearm

The Palm Heel Strike is the preferred striking technique of the syllabus due to the reduced injury potential. Because contact is made using the fleshy part of the palm rather than the knuckles the risk of injury to the hand are lessened. Public perception is more acceptable which makes use of such action more defensible. The purpose for using this technique is to stop forward momentum and to distract an aggressor to enable the officer to take control or to re-establish the reactionary gap. The target areas for the palm heel strike are the front upper torso avoiding the centre of chest. The chest and face have now been redefined as target areas which have the highest level of resultant trauma, with effects that can range from serious and long lasting injury, unconsciousness, shock and possibly death. The palm heel strike can be delivered using either or both hands and can be expected to achieve temporary disorientation of the offender, a check or hesitation in forward movement and a change in the offenders thought process. During training, officers use strike pads to allow proper dynamic development and application of this technique.

The Punch has now been removed from the UDT curriculum, but as previously mentioned no technique can be prohibited providing its use is essential and in line with the escalating aggression of a violent offender. The punch which had been part of the curriculum was a straight punch with the officers strong hand. As with the palm heel strike it was directed towards the aggressors upper torso with the intention of stopping forward momentum and causing balance displacement and distraction. The punch when delivered with the right hand was carried out with the left leg forward and the officer in the correct defensive stance. The officer was taught to ensure his fist was tight, it was delivered in a straight thrusting motion utilizing power achieved through hip rotation. As with most striking skills practice was carried out with the aid of strike pads.

The Bottom Fist technique, is easily used by all officers and can be used to separate subjects grappling with each other, to make an offender release their grip on a officer or to release a weapon they are holding. The hand is made into a tight fist with the fleshy bottom of the fist used to strike down in a hammer blow. The technique is used to adversely effect an offender’s ability to maintain their grip by causing motor dysfunction, balance displacement and mental stunning. All target areas may be struck with the exception of the brachial plexus. Depending on the target area the technique can be delivered from the front, side or rear of the subject. As with the sweeping kick officers are taught to allow the body weapon to remain in contact with the target area long enough to allow the maximum transfer of energy.

Only one strike using the Forearm is taught within the police UDT system and is intended for use in overcoming straight arm resistance to the escort position. (See Figure 5)

It is applied as the prisoner who is being escorted straightens his arm and attempts to pull free to the side, the officer releases his grip on the prisoner’s elbow and swings his arm straight up using the thumb side of the forearm to impact on the inside edge of the prisoner’s bicep, this action is intended to cause balance displacement, distraction, motor dysfunction and weakening of the motor action, allowing a suitable follow up / compliance hold to be used. Officers are taught to recognise and react to resistance (stimulus response) and to ensure maximum energy transfer is allowed. As with all the techniques within the police UDT system officers are reminded to use their communication skills - STOP FIGHTING – STOP RESISTING.

Striking techniques have a higher potential for injury and as such the officer must be able to identify the offender behaviour which is either aggressive or develops into violent resistance or threatens the same and that other methods of control have been used and proved ineffective or were judged by the officer to be inappropriate. Striking techniques should always be defensive options and when aggression or violent resistance ceases so should the use of strikes and be replaced by control / compliance techniques.

DEFENSIVE BLOCKING SKILLS

On perceiving a threat or entering into a potentially threatening situation officers should assume the defensive stance, this stance with both arms raised in front of the body is ideal for instinctive blocking, with the officer able to block threats from any line of attack – high, low, lateral from the strong or weak side. Blocks can be either on the inside or outside of the attackers arm and form the most important staff protection techniques. The inside block is used against an attacker’s strike coming in from the outside of the officer’s guard, usually with a swinging, circular motion and aimed at the side of the officer’s face commonly known as ‘Haymakers’. To perform this block the officer turns the palm of the blocking hand upwards, with the arm bent at an angle of approximately 120% aims to block the attacking arm close to the inside of the elbow, the attacker’s left arm blocked by the officers right arm, and a right attack blocked by a defending left. By executing the technique in this manner the force of the blow is absorbed along the arm of the officer into the body and down into the ground, thus allowing a smaller officer of low physical strength to easily block a powerful strike from a large attacker. At the same time the block is executed the officer moves in towards the attacker moving his body out of the direction of the incoming blow, making the technique safer and stronger, at the same time creating a tactical advantage. The outside block is used when the attack is directed to the inside of the officers guard, usually in the form of a straight punch without any circular or swinging movement. With this type of block the officer is taught to use his palm to block the outside of the attacker’s arm (attacker’s left blocked by officer’s right, and an attacking right blocked by a defending left) at the same time moving in towards the attacker. Having successfully executed this block the officer should be in an excellent position to apply a control or compliance technique to his attacker. While practicing the blocking skills officers are taught counter strikes and application of appropriate control / compliance techniques

CONTROL TECHNIQUES

Control techniques and pressure point control in the police UDT system are known as primary control skills. They are used to maintain control over a resistant prisoner or to bring a non-compliant subject into compliance. Although not designed to cause injury, officers are taught that with all physical tactics there is a risk of potential injury. Only 2 control techniques are included within the system, Both are simple to execute and allow the officer, in the event of continued resistance, to take the subject to the ground quickly and effectively. The techniques are taught to be applied from the escort position but with practice can be used from other angles. The techniques are:

1. Transport wristlock (gooseneck)

2. Entangled armlock (hammerlock)

Before a control technique can be applied to a resistant offender it is essential that the subject is at first distracted. Failure to do this will result in the technique becoming a battle of strength with the strongest winning. To enable the officer to distract the resisting offender 2 distraction techniques are taught, these are:

1. The knee strike to the thigh

2. The forearm strike to the bicep

Distraction techniques used effectively will cause loss of balance, motor dysfunction and mental stunning, together these add to the weakening of resistance making a control technique easier to apply. Loud repetitive verbal commands should be employed informing the subject what is required and offering the opportunity to comply. This can prove advantageous when the subject is drunk. Officers should utilize their tactical communications skills to enlist the subjects compliance and to promote witness perception.

Control techniques should always end with the ability to handcuff the offender as a physical restraint to prevent further violence, in the case of a resisting or aggressive offender it is usually best carried out from the prone position. The transition to the prone position must therefore be smoothly controlled without any opportunity for the offender to escape or escalate resistance. Directing a subject to the prone position is taught from both of the control techniques and a combination of resistance to control. Controlling a resistant or violent offender is a difficult skill, effected by many impact factors which can make control difficult or impossible to achieve, in such a case the officer may have to disengage and escalate to defensive tactics. The effects of alcohol and drugs are emphasised due to the artificial rise in the user’s tolerance to pain, to the extent where control techniques can be applied to the point of causing fracture without achieving control.

GROUND FIGHTING

All the elements of the police UDT system form the foundation for continuation training in the use of the Quick-kuf rigid handcuff and baton techniques. The final section of the UDT to be mentioned is that which covers ground fighting. As with most defensive skills it is accepted that vulnerability is increased when grounded, a situation in which police officers will sometimes find themselves, often with the offender dominating. The fear of being kicked or beaten on the ground possibly with others joining in is paramount. Although this situation offers no tactical advantage there are in fact useful tactical options. In the situation where the officer is on the ground and his attacker is standing, the officer must use his legs as his defensive weapons, by rotating to ensure the legs are facing the attacker, he can utilize kicks to the shins, knees and groin should the attacker advance, at the same time he should raise his arms in a defensive manner to protect his face and head. In the situation where both parties are on the ground wrestling and grappling are not recommended, unless the officer is highly skilled or has considerable upper body strength in which case having gained control of the offender, handcuffs should be applied before the offender is allowed to regain his feet. However, in most cases the appropriate action to be taken is for the officer to use his legs to push the offender away and in so doing create enough space to allow him to quickly regain his feet and achieve the tactical advantage. Although the examples given are mainly in the masculine this by no way implies that these techniques cannot be equally and effectively used by female officers.

CONCLUSION

No defensive system can guarantee the safety of its user and the police Unarmed Defensive Tactics programme is no different. However, by providing skills which can easily be used the chances of officers’ establishing control effectively without injury is enhanced. The techniques within this system have been chosen because they are:

• Quickly learned
• Effective
• Flexible
• Defensible in terms of injury potential

Police officers often operate in a volatile environment, sometimes facing extreme violence and hostility, and as such an officers response cannot be restricted to those techniques contained within this system, if an officer uses a technique not contained within this system it should not be regarded as unacceptable or improper but rather was it reasonable under the circumstances. By using the Conflict Resolution Model officers are given considerable guidance as to what may be reasonable. By following the guidance contained within the police UDT system officers will receive the maximum potential for safety and effectiveness and a powerful defence of their actions in the civil and criminal courts.

Brian Ware can be contacted by e-mail: BLW1956@AOL.COM

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CHANGING PRIORITIES

ADAPTING FROM CONTROL AND RESTRAINT TO SELF DEFENCE

By Brian Ware

 

(Reproduced with permission of Brian Ware July 2001)

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In this article Brian Ware looks at the question of pre-emptive strikes and can they be legally justified, also the suitability of Control and Restraint Instructors teaching self defence.

Since Combat Magazine(UK) published my last article Martial Law (Vol.27, Issue 2) which covered the Police Unarmed Defensive Tactics programme, I have been approached by various people and groups interested in the principles discussed in the article.

Several have asked whether the pre-emptive strike forms part of the police UDT system and whether a civilian would be entitled to use such a technique.

Firstly, the pre-emptive strike is very much a part of the police system and can equally be used by any member of the public. However, justification would be required in any resulting investigation or court proceedings following such an incident, for this purpose it is necessary to look at the Conflict Resolution Model which is a foundation stone in the police UDT system, by identifying the 'Profiled Offender Behaviour' together with the 'Reasonable Officer/Person Response' as affected by the various 'Impact Factors' it becomes easy to legally justify the defenders actions including the use of pre-emptive strikes.

A particular relevant impact factor is 'Being in a position of disadvantage and the perception of the attacker's ability or willingness to carry out a threat.' The facts which helped formulate your opinion and subsequent action would clearly need to be included in any defence statement, but such an impact factor would certainly help justify a 'Reasonable Response' against the 'Profiled Offender's Behaviour'.

The difference between a Self Protection System based on the police UDT and some other self defence systems is that it provides clear guidelines which help protect the individual after the event where suddenly following their physical ordeal they now find themselves accused of excessive and unreasonable force.

A recent development has been that Officer Safety Instructors from my Force were approached concerning Self Defence training for Local Government staff, in particular those who dealt face to face with the public or were at risk due to the unsocial hours they worked, often in isolated environments, such as parks and open spaces. At first this seemed the perfect arrangement both convenient and a pleasant variation from teaching police officers. Somehow and at short notice arranging the training programme fell firmly in my lap, as I started laying down the fundamentals for the course, certain discrepancies started to appear.

It occurred to me how often in the past have military or civilian unarmed combat instructors found themselves running courses for security personnel in Control and Restraint and how many police control and restraint instructors found themselves teaching women's groups the art of self defence. Before this type of cross training can be correctly implemented the precise goals for each must be identified.

In the case of police and other security enforcement the first aim is to achieve control, either to prevent a crime or breach of the peace taking place or to affect an arrest, whereas a self defence situation demands a more brutal reaction. Instructors in both disciplines must be aware of these distinctions and any restrictions which may exist. What adequately disables a soldier on the battlefield could be wholly unacceptable on the streets of Manchester with little or no legal defence in a Court of Law.

Having said this we also know any person is legally entitled to meet and defeat a threat to their life, but how this is identified and later presented to justify the action taken is more often than not overlooked. Another consideration is the time allocated to this type of training, which drastically controls the range of techniques which can be successfully taught. Unlike Martial Arts Students employees who find themselves sent to a self defence class often have little desire to be there, concerned more with the prospect of showing themselves up or being subjected to pain and discomfort.

A large part of these reservations can be overcome by the attitude of the Instructor by not trying to demonstrate how fit he is at the cost of his students, it must always be remembered as instructors we are there to pass our knowledge to others and not impress those we are there to teach, if after the course your students are impressed, it should be with the simplicity and effectiveness of the techniques and their own ability to perform them.

Having looked carefully at the structure of the police UDT system, I found it consisted of many components which formed an essential nucleus for a legally defensible self protection system in line with today's society and would encompass principles otherwise missing from current self defence programmes. From this concept a one day course started to take shape, adjusted presentations in the 'Justification and Use of Force ' and 'Conflict Resolution and Tactical Communication' models were put together. This it was decided would last no longer than two hours with use of a PowerPoint presentation and together with course handouts it would not only answer the students questions on what they could legally do and help them form a tactical frame of mind, it also helped them get to know their instructors and feel comfortable with their fellow students.

From The Classroom To The Gym

With the academic aspect of the training catered for, it was time to consider the techniques to be used. It was important that the techniques were to be simple to use, easily learnt and could equally be applied by male or female irrespective of age or size.

The Programme A look at the police UDT system, already plagarised for its Justification and Use of Force models, provided the foundations on which to build.

Warm Up Following a sufficient warm up routine, it must be remembered the students will be at all different stages of fitness and the purpose for the exercise is to promote cardio vascular activity and to make limbs supply and help prevent any strain injuries.

Stance Stance and patterns of movement are covered, particular time must be taken to demonstrate the principles of lowering weight, weight distribution and the importance of balance throughout.

Parries As with all self protection systems the student is learning to ward of unwelcomed applications of force directed towards them. To this end the system moves directly into Evasion, Interception and Parry. The use of the term block is avoided because this promotes a stagnant response - stop the punch, now hit back, more often than not the gap between stopping a blow and launching a defensive strike creates an ample opportunity for the attacker to press home his intention, therefore students are taught to parry and strike simultaneously to overcome the attack and take control of the situation.

Kick Defences This part of the training moves on to defence against kicks, these techniques are not designed for use against competent Martial Artists, who for all intents and purposes should have sufficient self discipline to prevent them assuming the role of predator, they are designed for use against the common thug who visualises his victim as little more than a football and should be effective in neutralising the threat and giving the victim superiority.

Pressure Point Control Having moved this far in the course the area of Pressure Point Control is introduced. It is stressed that the opportunity for using any PPC in a self defence situation is extremely limited, and that the Vulcan death grip only has a place in Star Trek. No assailant will be collapsing at your feet following a light application to a secret spot on his shoulder! However, the three PPC techniques taught are limited to the head and neck which require little pressure to achieve compliance, and make the techniques effective for persons with limited upper body strength.

If light touch pressure is ineffective quick penetration techniques can be applied, causing mental stunning lasting 3 to 7 seconds due to the overwhelming sensory input. Again it is emphasised that application of these techniques in a self defence situation are of very limited use and should only be used to overcome low level resistance, but practicing these techniques on each other boosts the students confidence, at the same time making them feel comfortable in achieving a purpose by using force against another. In fact following a recent course I held for a Local Authority the husband of one of the students confided in me, that following the days training his wife insisted on practicing the extent of her newly learned repertoire on him that evening, and despite the bruises he sustained I detected by the spark in his eye that somewhere along the way a transition from Martial Art to Marital Art had been made.

Target Areas and Body Weapons Before moving into the arena of strikes, it is necessary to identify Target areas and the body weapons which can be used, unlike the police UDT system in self protection there cannot be restrictions on Target areas, but the use of punching is deleted from the programme for exactly the same reason it has been from the police UDT, to prevent hand or wrist injury to an unskilled student.

Students are taught to hit with the palm, elbow, forearm, knee and finger strikes to vulnerable areas. To develop confidence in striking techniques the use of strike pads are introduced, working in pairs students have the opportunity to actually strike an opponent and feel their own power. Through this method students are helped to understand the meaning of power penetration.

In selecting the strikes to be included in the programme, techniques were selected from various Martial disciplines again for their simplicity and overall effectiveness. Anyone having studied Ju Jitsu, Aikido or Wing Chun will not find these techniques particularly alien. As the student practices their physical response to aggression the benefits of tactical communication are introduced, both as a means to attract attention and also to establish without doubt the clarity of the prevailing situation to bystanders.

Ground Work It is inevitable that in some instances the victim will find themselves taken by surprise and be grounded, although this presents one of the most dangerous places to be, the student is taught the basic principles of defence from being on the ground both from an attacker who is standing and also from the attacker who is also on the ground often with the intention of overpowering his victim.

Break Free Techniques With the course having moved fully into a physical mode, it now moves onto 'break free techniques' a total of seven techniques are shown each relying on a similar principle and therefore easily remembered and practiced by the student.

Finishing Off The final stage progresses into the area of 'finishing strikes' which are taught in combinations with break free techniques.

Final Points

The aim and objective of the course is to introduce the students to defending themselves by using physical options. The techniques have been carefully selected and are known to work well when the performer is under pressure. The course is carefully designed to build the student's confidence both in their physical ability and also establish firmly the justification and legality of their actions in their minds. There is no guarantee that anyone attending the course will effectively use the techniques taught should the need arise, it is only with confidence and a 100% commitment to defend themselves from unwarranted aggression that the individual will succeed, but if only several techniques are mastered and subsequently used with good effect by an attendee who has been selected as a victim, then the overall course must be warranted a success. Additionally the hardest fact to accept and one which must be stressed to the student is that when they are chosen to be the victim, they have absolutely no say in that decision, but they do have a choice in changing the outcome of that decision, but it has to be remembered any attack will result in some injury, it is hoped that by being in a position to defend oneself it will reduce the extent of the injury and enable the victim to become the victor.

Brian Ware is a police officer and Qualified Officer Safety Instructor, who trains in Wing Chun Kung Fu with Sifu Steve Hazel. Together they have developed 'Self Protection Systems' which is a training programme available to private students and corporate bodies from the basic one day course described above to more advanced training packages.

For further information and club and corporate rates contact Brian Ware by E mail on BLW1956@AOL.COM or Steve Hazell on steve.hazell@blueyonder.co.uk