Ninja Fight Club
Shidoshi Blog
05-05-11Freak Occurrence or
Dissonance?
Last night I was flipping through the channels and stumbled on one of the many
police related shows where a camera crew follows an officer in the daily routine
of their duties on patrol. This particular officer was a smallish framed female,
working in a cold weather climate. She responded to a disturbing the peace call
at a local bar involving a big drunk guy refusing to leave. She went back to the
alley behind the bar and sure enough, there he was, slightly staggering, and
completely uninterested in following the officers verbal commands. After several
attempts to make him respond she pulled out her taser and fired, but without any
result. As we all know a thick coat can often make a fool out of the most
committed taser deployment. She fired again with the same result, and as she
approached to contact fire the taser, he grabbed it. They began a tussle in
which she was out weighed by at least 50 pounds with someone who was feeling no
pain. She let go of the taser and he staggered in front of her without
advancing. Although he made no attempt to escalate the situation, he did nothing
to de-escalate it either. He simply stood there being uncooperative. She had no
answer. She could not shoot him because he was not advancing or making efforts
to use the taser against her. She could not engage him because she lacked the
ability, and she could not make him comply with any of her orders. (Thankfully
for her, a backup officer came along who immediately went hands on in order to
affect the arrest.) She was lucky to be sure, but what really struck me as
completely odd was what she said to the camera crew in her patrol car
afterwards. She said that that situation was a one in a million "freak
occurrence" and that she was unlikely to have anything similar happen to her
during the rest of her 20 year career! She had no sense at all that she was
completely unskilled and unable to perform what most people would consider a
necessary requirement for police work - that is to arrest someone who isn't
exactly happy about it. If she is capable of only arresting uncooperative
children, or those adults who are willing to comply, then she needs to face the
facts that she needs additional training! But to chalk it up to a freak
occurrence is absolutely ridiculous. This kind of dissonance is exactly what
prevents officers who are in desperate need of good quality training from ever
seeking it out. Let's not even mention the dirth of good training that is even
available to officers, or departmental relunctance to fund training when it is
available. In the minds of officers like this, there isn't even a gap between
the skills they possess and the skills they need. It's time to face facts, and
train.
04-10-11 Facing a UFC
fighter
Recently on a trip to Santa Monica, CA. I had the pleasure of dropping in to
take a BJJ class at a small mixed martial arts dojo near the beach. There were
very few students training there and so the BJJ class was small and the people
were very nice. It was a great BJJ class and at the end I got to grapple with
the gym's other co-owner, the kickboxing and MMA teacher. I gulped a big swallow
as he made his way onto the mat. An imposing figure at 6'4" and a muscular
260lbs it took no time at all for him to absolutely manhandle me with his
jujutsu skill. His strength was crazy, but his technique was just a thing of
beauty. He dominated the match in every aspect from youth, to strength, to
speed, to intensity, to technical skill, and experience. At one point he had his
full weight on top of me in side control and I learned very quickly how hard it
is to grapple when you can't breath. I still had the will to fight, but lacked
the ability. It was a great learning experience and it made me think critically
about many of the topics that I have previously written about in this blog. It
was in no way a fair match up, but since when is life fair? Life can be brutal
and cruel and we either try our best to prepare for it, or life just hits you
like a 6'4", 260lb UFC fighter. It turns out my grappling opponent for those few
short minutes was a professional UFC fighter named Antoni Hardonk with a UFC
record of 8-6. He fought (and unfortunately lost to) two of the UFC's biggest
names, Cheick Kongo, and former Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. And although we
were not actually fighting for our lives, it was still enlightening. Most police
officers and long time martial artists I know, like to think that if the shit
hit the fan they would be able to come out ahead because of the years of
dedicated practice and honing of skills, but the fact is (as I have said
repeatedly in this blog) we are all getting older, slower, less flexible, and in
some cases less fit. Our only saving grace is that perhaps we can get smarter.
You can either keep learning, keep training, and keep improving, or you can just
wait for the superior fighter to clean your clock, and perhaps take your life.
Take my lead if you want to make it to retirement fellas: Put down the golf
clubs, tell your wife you are busy trying to survive, tell your kids you want to
be able to pay for their college yourself (and not installments from the widows
and orphans fund) and train, train, train. Then train some more.
04-06-11 Pepper spray the kid
The previous blog entry talked about how record numbers of police officers have
been killed in the beginning of this year. And also how there does not seem to
be any outrage by the public on making conditions safer for officers. The fallen
officers are all but forgotten the minute they reach their "end of tour".
However, as soon as an officer does anything that the public construes as
excessive, and the nation is in an uproar. Stories run for days on end until
finally the "victims" appear on Maury or Oprah lobbying for a cash settlement. A
perfect example is the following story that just took place in Colorado, was
followed up with interviews on the "Today Show", and resulted in cries of
excessive force and for officer punishment. The story involved a troubled kid
(with admitted anger issues) who was in the midst of a violent rage at school.
His fearful teachers had called the police on this child twice before, and on
this occasion he had thrown chairs and was admittedly tearing off the wood trim
from of the walls in order to fashion a "shank" to use on them. He screamed to
his terrified teachers who had locked themselves in a closet and called police,
that should they come out, that they would be dead! The police responded, and
seeing the boy with the weapon, told him to drop it. When he did not comply he
was pepper sprayed in the face. Normally the officer would be praised for saving
the teachers from the crazy kid, but the ensuing outrage came from the fact that
the boy is eight years old. Television stories then chronicled an angelic little
fellow, laughing and playing with his dog, and calling for disciplinary action
against the cold cruel officers who would dare to pepper spray this cherubic
child. I for one see a child who has learned how to manipulate both his mother
(single parent) and his teachers into getting his way simply by throwing
uncontrollable tantrums. His previous encounters with police taught him that
there are no consequences for doing such things. Perhaps now he will rethink
that. Let's not forget that police officers are not trained child psychologists
or psychiatrists. They are not social workers or counselors. They are paid to
protect public safety, and if some irrational tantrum throwing kid, or adult is
threatening to stab other people, then they are within the law to use an
appropriate level of force to protect the public AND THEMSELVES. I am certain
that had the officer chosen to try to reason with the out of control child and
been stabbed himself, that no one would have made a fuss. Just one of the risks
of being a police officer, they'd say. I for one would tell the kid, "You just
learned a valuable lesson: If you were a few years older and you pulled that
same crap you would have gotten tased, and as an adult you might have gotten
shot!" Come to think of it, the officer just might be on to something!
03-14-11 A BANNER YEAR
Unfortunately 2011 has been a banner year. More officers have been killed in the
line of duty in the first three months of this year than in recent years past.
This weekend alone four police officers died in the line of duty. An officer in
Limon, Colorado was killed serving a warrant, two other officers were gunned
down in Buchanen, Virginia and a fourth officer was killed trying to make an
arrest in NYC. As far as I can tell there is no public outrage. There is no
crackdown among departments to better train their men and women. We just keep
going along as if nothing is wrong. It's never been more dangerous to be in law
enforcement, the numbers of those killed in action keep piling up, and yet no
one is doing anything different! The elephant in the room are the corpses of
those fallen heroes, and the response by the public should be exasperation and
the response by departments around the country should be a shift to more officer
preparedness. But no one is talking about the problem and ways to combat it. A
simple "Be careful out there!" is not going to make an officer better skilled at
defending his life, or the lives of the general public. I for one want the
police to be so damned skilled that they have the ability to save not only
themselves but also me and my family. If I am in a room with a police officer
and a would-be attacker, I don't want to be the most skilled person when it
comes to arrest control, weapon retention, and weapon use. There once was a time
when police officers were respected and the thought of killing one of them was
as taboo as you could get. Now-a-days it's a badge of honor among criminals to
kill cops. Does anyone else see the writing on the wall? We are in the midst of
a cultural shift where it is totally o.k. for people to kill police officers. As
long as this is the "new reality" then it's up to all of us to start changing
our "normal" routine into something more effective. After all, the definition of
insanity is to do the same things over and over again, expecting a different
outcome. Stop the insanity and start training.
02/23/11 LOSING CONTROL
Recently there have been a higher than usual number of well publicized
nationwide incidents in which police officers are caught on tape punching people
they are trying to arrest, and the public outcry is predictably loud. The most
current involves Troopers in Utah who, unable to get a woman out of her car
following a chase, resort to punching her in the face several times until she
goes limp. Police departments elsewhere around the country are likely bracing
for what appear to be similar potential litigation cases since most Americans
feel it is wrong for police officers to punch people, no matter how egregious
the offense. They feel, naively, that the police have enough tools at their
disposal, and have adequate training, to always allow for cool heads and
responses to prevail no matter how dangerous a particular scenario might be. But
the fact is, being a police officer is not only a completely thankless job, it
is also an ever increasingly dangerous job. The numbers of police officers
killed just since the start of the new year is staggering. If you look closely
at the events involving these and other excessive force offenses, the common
denominator is almost always the same. An officer's commands to comply are met
with either passive or active resistance. The officer's department-sanctioned
attempts to forcibly make the subject comply begin to fail, and panic mode
begins to take over. A typical officer receives a ridiculously small amount of
training in arrest control and DT anyway, and when those infrequently practiced
techniques predictably fail, the officer is left with the only thing they know
how to do - punch and kick. It is classic fight or flight response. Most police
departments do not even practice forcibly removing someone from a car even
though automobile contacts are very, very common. More frequent, more creative,
and more effective training combats the fight or flight response because the
officer is better equipped at staying in control longer. They have more
techniques to cope with a resistant subject, thereby reducing the numbers of
excessive force incidents (and youtube videos out there), Departments are less
open to litigation, and fewer people get punched. Win-win. The problem is
overcoming both Departmental and individual complacency. Training takes time and
dedication that could be spent on other things, so the problem will likely
continue until, sadly, enough citizens get punched, enough departments get sued,
or enough officers die in the line of duty. Lose-lose. You choose....
01/25/11 Cardio number
I have written in the past
about the importance of things like realism and stress in training, but one very
neglected aspect of training for most people who dabble in self defense or
martial arts is cardio training. Now it goes without saying that the better
shape you are in, the longer you have the "wind" to continue to fight, but
exactly how much wind do you have? Obviously that amount varies from person to
person and changes with age, fitness, stress, and whether or not you have to run
to the fight or whether or not you have someone's full weight on top of you
during the fight. Hyperventilation due to stress will affect the way, and the
length of time available for you to fight, but having someone on top of you
while fighting is an immense drain on a person's cardio reserves. Being skilled
at reversing bad positions is a skill unto itself of course but just paying
attention to how long you can fight before you are "sucking for air" is a very
important thing to know. We have all seen skilled fighters in the UFC for
example, who, somewhere in the second or third round, just don't have the "gas"
to keep fighting. Most people think that they can fight for many minutes at full
speed, but few people actually try to figure out how long they can actually
fight for. Most people would be surprised at just how short that time period
actually is. So although the easy answer is to train for improved fitness and
cardio, the real insight is to know what your cardio number is, and have a plan
for making sure that you get the fight overwith before you run out of gas. If
your number is 2 minutes then you know that you must complete your task in two
minutes or else! If you are in a fight and find that your number is about to
expire, then the deployment of a weapon may aid in the completion of the task,
and you must have a plan for the deployment and use of that weapon. If the fight
is for life and death, then knowing your cardio number may save your life.
01/23/11 Godan Test
In Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu the most important milestone is perhaps the Godan test. It is the milestone that signals a mental awareness and ability to have clarity of thought, allowing the body to perform as it senses and recoils from the danger of an attack with killing intent. All too often our mental noise (fear, expectations, excitement, etc.), gets in the way of physical performance and the results are usually disappointing but can also be deadly. During the 600 years or so of civil unrest in Japan (the year 1000 till the 1600's), the samurai class were always prepared for the dangers of real warefare (both in individual and group battles). Young samurai would test their skills with challenges that were common during those times and were often duels to the death. Organized battles between warring shogunates were also very common and those battles were fatal for many, many warriors. Being a martial artist or samurai could easily mean putting your life on the line at the drop of a single challenge. But in the year 1600, Ieyasu Tokugawa heralded in the Edo period and with it about 250 years of relative peace and stability. Samurai were slowly domesticated during those two centuries, turning the once strong warrior class into bureaucrats, and by the Meiji restoration (1868) they were emasculated altogether when it was ruled illegal for samurai to carry the swords that for centuries had been their collective symbols of power. The once mighty samurai were not willing to just throw away the knowledge they spent centuries acquiring so they turned to teaching martial arts as a way of preserving the life saving skills they coveted. And since it was not good form to have life and death tests to determine combat readiness, they came up with, among other things, milestones that would test awareness, both physical and mental. Enter the Godan test: one of many tests that would determine one's ability to survive should it ever be tested for real. Considering that passing-on "real" skills was important for the traditions of the samurai and ninja, you can imagine how important this and other tests became, if for no other reason that to test the veracity of the students. For us civilians out there, passing the Godan test indicates that we might be ready for whatever life throws at us. But the military and police, by the very nature of their jobs are the ones who are willing to be tested "for real" on the mean streets of America, every day. Like the samurai of old, they are willing to say, "I am not afraid to die today, so go ahead and draw that weapon". And that is the reason that I enjoy teaching my students, because for them, the Godan test does not demonstrate a "one-time" test of theoretical skills, it is a test they are willing to take every day. Bravo them.
11/25/10 Rest in Peace
The mission statement for this dojo is simple. It involves striving for mastery of arrest control, defensive tactics, weapon retention and weapon use. That is it. Our goal is not to be anything but survivors when it comes to the dangers of police work. To be skilled when all of the tools of the trade are unavailable or ineffective and it's down to a wrestling match for your life. I take the responsibility of training my students very seriously and for six months or more, this blog has talked about such topics as the importance of stress inoculation during training (blog entry 6/24/10), the pressures of departmental liability versus personal responsibility for training (7/21/10), the ever increasing potential energy of violence within our society (6/30/10), the ease and lack of training required to pursue a violent response against a police officer (8/20/10), the superior level of training required to offset youth and physical strength (9/28/10), and many more. They read like a prophecy for the tragic killing of a Colorado Sheriff that just occurred, the day before Thanksgiving - may he rest in peace. A 5 year veteran, age 43, the officer began pursuit and it turned into a high speed chase, according to reports. The adrenaline dump during a high speed chase is similar to being in a fight, and before long, the negative effects of adrenaline compound quickly. Without stress inoculation training it is a set up for disaster. Following the chase, the officer ran to the car of the offender, further accentuating the effects of the prolonged adrenaline dump. With decreased fine motor skills and likely being somewhat out of breath, a botched taser deployment and attempted arrest followed. Being a young, in shape, violent, gang member, the killer grabbed for the officer's gun and they wrestled on the ground until the officer was overpowered and shot twice in the chest and once in the head with his own gun. The officer was skilled in weapon use (firearms and taser instructor), but not sufficiently in arrest control, defensive tactics, and weapon retention. Too many officers rely on their fitness, their youth, their fine motor skills, or their weapons to properly react during crisis. But a simple injury will cancel out fitness, having a birthday every year cancels out youth, adrenaline will cancel out fine motor skills, a double feed will make your gun inoperable, and a thick winter coat will prevent taser prongs from sticking. What then? You must expect Plan A to fail, and continually be equally skilled in plan B, plan C, Plan D, etc. The bad guys are not getting older, they are getting younger, they have access to good training and they make more time for it than you do. And if you think your department is going to look at this most recent death and provide you with more training to avoid further deaths, think again. An investigation was launched as to whether the fallen officer's gun was properly holstered. Mark my words, in a month or so, the officer's department will issue a report saying that this was an anomalous event, and had his weapon been properly holstered, none of this would have occurred. And that will be the end of it. No need for more training, no need for stress inoculation, no need for change, cause change costs money. This very scenario should be the nightmare that wakes you all up in the middle of the night, and if it's not then your just waiting for the right "Homey" to put a bullet in your head, with your own gun. Get going, or rest in peace too.
11-11-10 Keeping your training real
We have all heard the much overused saying, "Keeping it real". For the purposes of the fighting or martial arts it has significant consequences. We must all strive for more reality in our training, avoiding complacency, which can be deadly. I am not talking about the sporting martial arts whose only consequence of improper training is the loss of points or a match. But of the martial arts practitioners whose lives depend on the realism of their training, i.e. military & law enforcement. Poor instruction, infrequent practice, improper practice, improper attitude, etc. can all lead to injury and death. We must all strive for realism within our practice but we must also constantly be searching out areas where complacency can be found. There are countless examples, but one is found in the Bujinkan. Punches are often thrown in the traditional manner where the punching hand is accompanied by the same side leg. This is contrary to the more modern boxing style punch which includes a punching hand and opposing leg. This seemingly small variation changes all of the angles and balance one might be trying to disrupt. Ultimately one must be familiar with all of the common methods of punching (and ultimately attacking) in order to be well-versed in the proper means of response. I have witnessed many people within the Bujinkan that have mastered dealing with the traditional punch, only to find themselves clueless when facing a varied attack. The same is true in Aikido, where almost all of the responses are based on a continuing, committed, linear, traditional punch. That kind of generous attack results in twirling and flying attackers. But a simple uncommitted jab seems to nullify the cool, made for movies, responses we are accustomed to seeing. Practicing with people of varied backgrounds and levels of expertise, and seeking out what others might be studying, is the only way to avoid these pitfalls. Expanding your horizons shows you how little you really do know, and how much work is ahead. Strikers need to seek out grapplers or wrestlers. Grapplers need to seek out what strikers have to offer. They both need to seek out street brawlers, where there are weapons and no rules. And law enforcement officers need to know it all. A tall order...but...keeping it real, equals, keeping you alive.
11-03-10 Trade in your black belt for a white one
It is counterintuitive for most people to consider that relying on their
strengths can be a bad thing. Most people identify the things that they excel
at, and they rely on those things. This relates to most things in life,
including martial arts and defensive tactics. They devote more practice time to
their strengths rather than their weaknesses, perhaps without even knowing it,
and before long they are lopsided in their development. It's natural for
people to want to feel they are good at something, and so feeding that
subconscious desire is to be expected. To be sure, practicing the stuff you are
not good at can be, painstaking, tedious and in some cases demoralizing. It is
a constant reminder that you have more work that needs to be done. I advise
everyone to ask yourself the question, "If I were a bad guy trying to kill me,
how would I do it." Then work on the areas that need the most attention. A good
martial arts teacher should pose these questions to students all the time and
encourage students not to fear starting anew. The hardest part will be putting
aside your ego and pride. These two traits will certainly be whispering to you
that it's not necessary, and that your previous accomplishments are of too great
importance to simply start over! Let's all help give each other the courage to
be an empty vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge, just as a new martial
arts student dons a white belt in order to begin training.
10-12-10 Watermelon smoothie as a martial arts lesson?
I always encourage my students to become martial artists, not just defensive tactics enthusiasts. What is the difference you might ask? Well, the term martial artist implies not only mastery of the physical techniques but also internalization of the guiding principles beyond the physical. Even cursory conversations with true martial artists quickly lead to examples of how living the martial path changes lives. Everything from job performance, relationships, etc. can be improved just by seeing the guiding principles of martial arts in everything around us. I found a recent example online recently when looking for details of the Gracie diet. I found several video clips of the brothers Ryron and Rener describing certain healthy concoctions (like a watermelon smoothie), but what struck me was not so much the drink itself, or the ingredients, but how they were both always striving for supreme efficiency in their movement (which is a guiding principle of BJJ). Not only did they explain the ingredients and benefits, but they went to great lengths to describe how making these various drinks could be done with maximum conservation of movement and time! In a couple of videos they actually timed him making a drink and the clean up afterwards to illustrate the point. Whereas a chef might show you the types of mushrooms used in a dish and perhaps show them being stirred into the sauce, a martial artist first shows the optimal method for picking, cleaning, and handling of the mushrooms, explains the optimal placement of the pan, the best type of stove to achieve the proper temperature, the best angle to hold the spoon, and the subtle movement of the arm, all before showing them being stirred into the sauce! The Gracie brothers clearly see martial arts in everything they do, and by applying the principles that allow for mastery of martial artists, they also master life! Bravo them!
09/28/10 Physical attributes
Size, speed, strength, flexibility, explosiveness, killer
instinct, endurance, intensity, etc. are all physical attributes that a person
brings to any match, fight, or violent physical encounter. If you are
underprepared for any one of these traits you can easily find yourself on the
receiving end of a beating, or worse. Of course the use of leverage, angles,
timing, the infliction of injury, or the correct deployment of weapons can be
used to overcome mismatches in physical attributes. However, in order to
overcome 50 pounds of muscle or offset 10 years of aging, your skill level must
be 2-3 times better than your opponent. That is a tall order for anyone. If
your opponents superior physical attributes are supplemented by even a modest
amount of training, your task to overcome him would be extremely daunting. A
fitting example is found in the UFC. During the first couple of UFC's Royce
Gracie defeated numerous bigger opponents by implementing a superior martial
art. However, the Gracie's began teaching the principles of BJJ to the world
and in just 13 or so years the world had improved in skill level to the point
where a very skilled wrestler with decent submission skills named Matt Hughes
could easily defeat Royce, despite Royce's superior technical knowledge base.
He was overwhelmed by strength, intensity, and explosiveness, with
only an adequate amount of BJJ training. He went on to continue
his career in Japan fighting mainly people without knowledge of BJJ. So
what is the take home message? I think there are two take home messages, the
first being that we must strive to learn what our opponents are learning. And
secondly, that unless we plan to stop aging, stop losing muscle mass, stop
losing felxibility, stop losing endurance and explosiveness, we need to
constantly practice so that we aren't caught in a scenario where, like Royce
Gracie, people say about us, "I don't know what happened, I expected him to
win."
08/20/10 NO TRAINING REQUIRED
Learning to be violent, and the act of delivering violence requires no training whatsoever. It is so easy that children can do it. All that is required is the desire to be violent. It does not require weekly classes, taxing homework, special workouts, or have belt ranks to mark your progress. It can be done by anyone, young or old, fat or thin. It does not care if you are male or female, or how much money you make. It is an equal opportunity employer. It is easy because violence has no set form and it can be executed with calm, collected, precision, or with all the fury of a hurricane. But the fact is, controlling violence is anything but easy. It can not be done freestyle, without practice and be effective. Without a healthy dose of luck on your side, training is your only ally. To control that which is complex and has no form requires, among other things, a plan, and lots of rehearsal. To master the "control" portion of arrest control, or the "defensive" part of defensive tactics does not happen by accident, or without constant, tedious practice. Take time off from training and it shows. Take too much time off and the results can be deadly, if not for you, then for innocent people who depend on you to save the day. After all, isn't that what they pay you for? So don't look for training done twice a year that promises quick, everlasting results. The truth is, controlling violence takes a lifetime of dedicated practice to be good. So what are you waiting for? Let's get started "softy", you are already behind.
08/10/10
Balance
Historically, even though there have been some closely guarded secretive
practices within martial arts, the vast majority of our study of martial arts is
not mystical or secretive in any way. If you strip away the notion of learning
mind control techniques found in secret scrolls, the lion's share of what we are
really studying is
Balance.
Early on, we learn rolling and breakfalls so that we are more aware and are in
better control of our own balance. We build on that by learning that effective
off balancing angles and limiting the opponents mobility (by stepping on feet)
are guiding principles. Together with the previously mentioned off balancing
angles, distance and timing also become the mainstay of our study. Distance,
angles and timing (DAT) can be thought of as a necessary triad for balance
disruption and all three must be present in order to truly control the (Kukan)
and maximally affect the balance of the opponent. Learning joint destruction,
tissue tearing, and bone breaking, supplements balance control with necessary
distractions. At high levels the implementation of (DAT plus distractions) can
be seen as freedom of movement without predetermined form. Put another way, it
is channeling pure creativity as the invention of the correct movement needed to
overcome the opponent takes place. The study of balance can also be used as a
benchmark, allowing us to gauge where we are in our martial abilities. Ask
yourself, "Where am I on this continuum?" Am I still struggling with my own
balance, or have I moved on to the study of balance in others? Have I mastered
my own balance and that of a single opponent, but now I struggle with multiple
opponents? How can I affect the balance of others using less
energy myself? Furthermore, the study of balance can be applied to more than
just physical balance. Our inner, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual
balance all have repercussions on our personal health and well being. Just as
our community, societal, and worldwide balance all have repercussions on the
health and well being of our planet and future generations. Our cultivation of
balance never ends, it only changes as we grow as a martial artist and as a
human being.
7/21/10 Departmental Liability vs. Personal Protection
A police department is like a big company, and like any big company in today's
litigious society it needs to protect itself against lawsuits. Limiting a
company's exposure to liability is a very important aspect of survival for any
organization. How does a company limit their liability? Well, they institute
protocols, in-service training, and policies directed at proving in court,
should they ever get sued, that they are acting in a responsible way. These
policies are not, however, designed to protect the individuals within the
company. Some officers think that if they need certain training to survive,
then the department would be providing or requiring it, and since they don't,
then it must not be so critical. What they are forgetting is that although
certain training may be critical for the "individual" to survive, it may not be
necessary for the survival of the organization. For example, 8 hours
of semi-annual departmental DT training is not designed to maintain competency
for the individual officer, but rather is just there to prove that the
department provided some minimal training every year, thereby limiting the
liability of the department against a lawsuit.
If an officer is disabled or killed in an assault while on the job, the
department does not institute more defensive tactics training to improve safety
for all its officers, it simply hires a new recruit and puts them on the front
lines with the same meager training as the previous officer. And so it is up to
the individuals within the department to ensure that they have and
maintain effective personal protective training. No one from your department is
going to test your abilities, but I guarantee that there is at least a couple of
criminals who'd love to test you. Are you ready?
7/15/10 The Basic School
Our current Summer series on arrest control is a lot like the Marine corps TBS.
TBS appropriately stands for "The Basic School" and every newly minted Marine
officer is required to attend the 28 week training. They make sure that all
officers, even if they are destined to be far from the front lines (like
administrators or attorneys in the JAG corps) are grounded in the basic infantry
skills of a rifle platoon commander. They stress that every officer lives by
the five horizontal themes of exemplary character, devotion to leadership,
decision making & action, war fighting, and mental & physical toughness. The 5
themes parallel the ideals of law enforcement and leave no room for mediocrity,
laziness, or excuses. While every Marine officer is a rifleman at heart, so
should every police officer be completely competent with every aspect of simple
and complex arrest techniques. That should be true from the patrol officer on
the beat, to investigators, all the way up to the chief. The public does not
care how well written a report is, or how good of an administrator you might
be. But they expect all police officers to be shining examples of character,
leaders & problem solvers, and that they have the knowledge and ability to go
hands on with anyone, get them in cuffs, and make it look easy. It is one of
the most basic of skills and yet often ignored with too much dependence on
weapons like tasers, and backup. All of which can fail to function or show up
when you need them the most. I am proud that our students are putting in the
work necessary to master what we should be calling...The Basic School.
6/30/10 "Potential energy" and violence
In physics the term "potential energy" refers to the amount of built up energy in a system. Given the right conditions it can prove to be a harnessable source of energy, while an overload of potential energy can result in a dangerous release of the energy, like an explosion. Examples of potential energy include a compressed spring, water behind a dam, a truck parked at the top of a ramp, or a shaken soda can. Our current society can also be seen as a system that can build up potential energy, and the kind of potential energy law enforcement needs to worry about is society's propensity towards violence. We are all living in a time where children are exposed to ever increasing amounts of violence on television, movies, sports, the internet, and in video games. While some might say it's just good entertainment, most mental health professionals would argue that these video games are desensitizing our children to violence with "pathological play". They are rewarded for killing virtual human beings under hyper real conditions. While the military and various law enforcement agencies employ these videos to hone skills like marksmanship and target aquisition, in the hands of children they become mass murder simulators. A brief look at the ages of school shooters is not only disturbing but is telling as to what our future has in store for us. The Columbine (Colorado) High School shooters were 17 years old, the Pearl High School (Mississippi) shooter was 17 years old, the Paducah High School (Kentucky) shooter was 14 years old, the Taber, Canada school shooter was 15 years old, the Fort Gibson, Oklahoma school shooter was 13 years old, and the Jonesboro, Arkansas school shooters were 13 and 11 years old. All of them had an obsession with both video game and media violence. As our society asks, "Why is this trend of youth violence growing?" we need only look at the energy system of our society that has been filled with potential energy towards violence through video games and other factors. What we are beginning to witness now is the explosion.
6/24/10 Stress inoculation in training
Dr. Paul Whitesell (a famous psychologist, Vietnam veteran, law enforcement officer, and law enforcement trainer) performed some very insightful stress related experiments with rats that clearly demonstrated the importance of stress inoculation as it related to performance. Three groups of rats were used: the first control group were placed in a tub of water (without previous stress) and it was noted that on average it took the rats about 60 hours before they drown. The second control group was held upside down by their tales until they went into shock and stopped squirming and kicking (fear induced stress). Then they were placed in the tub of water and it took on average 20 minutes before drowning. The third group was also held upside down until shock set in, but instead of being placed in the tub of water like the second group, they were returned to their cages. This process was repeated throughout the day and finally at the end of the day, following a third session of stress they were then placed in the tub of water where they swam for 60 hours. The stress inoculation allowed the rats to perform at the same level as those who never encountered the stress, whereas for those rats who were newly stressed before swimming for their lives significantly failed to perform. This experiment clearly outlines the importance of stress inoculation during training. For those law enforcement officers who newly encounter a deadly situation and who have never experienced the effects of an adrenaline dump are likely to fail miserably at fighting for their lives. This is echoed by another report of police officers killed in combat. It noted that a full one third of officers were never able to defend themselves at all, presumably because the stress of the encounter forced them to freeze up at the very moment that their training should have kicked in. The solution lies in the constant preparation for combat including not only effective techniques, but also effective stress management. You can never be too well trained or too well prepared when your life may be on the line.
6/9/10 The path to enlightenment
When people find out that I teach martial arts, they always say, "You must
like violence." And of course it sparks a discussion about what the true
essence of martial arts is all about. They seem dumbfounded when I answer, "A
true martial artist is the most peace-loving person you will ever find." "How
is THAT possible, when martial arts techniques seem so violent?", they
retort. I explain that martial arts in its highest form is no different that
meditation, yoga, the selfless practice of religion, and many other seemingly
unrelated activities. In their highest forms they all are simply paths to
enlightenment. The deepest levels of understanding all involve self
exploration, self actualization and the drive to be our "best self". At a base
level, a true martial arts master might teach the finer points of balance, joint
manipulation, anatomical weak points, etc. but advanced levels of instruction
involve higher levels of awareness and self discovery. That is of course, if
you can see it for what it truly is. The Zen master will tell you that the path
to enlightenment is through mindfulness, and seeing the interconnectedness of
all things in the Universe. Violence is paired with, and is continuous with
Peace, just as Order is paired with Disorder, and they represent the opposites
of Yin and Yang. They are incomplete when viewed separately, and it is only
when they are viewed together that they reveal the balance that makes up the
whole universe. Who better to appreciate the wholeness of mankind than those
who witness both the kindness and cruelty of us all - law enforcement. In order
to preserve Order, law enforcement personnel must deal firsthand with Disorder.
In order to preserve the peace, they must be skilled in the proper use of
force. My students are both being given a functional skill to aid in the better
execution of their duties, but also the opportunity to elevate themselves. And
so I remind my students that it is not by accident that at the beginning and end
of each class we recite in Japanese, "Shikin Haramitsu Dai Komio" which means,
"May our training bring us the keys to the enlightenment that we all seek."
6/2/10 Traditions
To visit Japan is to witness first-hand, the culture, traditions, and mindset of
one of the world's greatest martial arts Mecca's. It is only through seeing
the pride in a job well done, and attention to detail that you gain valuable
insight into the martial arts. The idea of dedicating decades of 100% effort to
a passionate calling is foreign to most Americans. In Japan, martial arts is a
life long apprenticeship. You don't just sign up at your local mini mall Karate
studio, show up when it's completely convenient, (only when flag football and
skiing are out of season) and expect to be given access to the secret scrolls.
Martial arts is a calling, a way of life, an expression of who you are. If your
effort and attendance is half-assed in the dojo, lets face it, it probably is in
every aspect of your life. Members of the lay public can choose to juggle
multiple hobbies, being a jack of all trades and master of none, but for those
in law enforcement, excellence in dealing with potentially deadly encounters is
not a luxury, but absolutely functional knowledge. Officers who do not
constantly strive toward proficiency, much less perfection, are woefully behind
the curve in today's growing MMA youth culture. So for today's law
enforcement, showing up to martial arts class everyday and giving 100% effort is
not just Traditional good form, but more a matter of survival.
6/2/10 My teacher does not speak English
For the past couple of weeks we have had several students have "a-ha" moments concerning the concept of off-balancing angles. That is the use of 45 degree angles to off-balance an attacker and take them down. And surprisingly some people have never really grasped the concept until now, even though the concept has been reviewed at almost every class for the past several years! It got me thinking about communication and how complex concepts are transmitted from teacher to student. But what if your teacher does not speak the same language? During the past decade or so, the vast majority of my teachers including the Grandmaster conduct class in Japanese. I asked myself, "How in fact did I learn this complex concept, and many others, with such a barrier present?" I vividly remember countless classes where not a single English word was spoken, and yet the class members seemed to understand the movement. If that is true, then is it a barrier at all? I submit that without the luxury of a common language it forces the student to stop listening, and start paying attention to distancing, angling, and timing provided by the teacher. The importance of each lesson can be found there. It is just another example of forcing your learning out of the "thinking" portion of your consciousness, and into the subconscious. The infinitely complex microprocessor that we call our brain is capable of so much more than we ever ask of it, and this is just another example of it. If we simply ask more of our brains and of ourselves, we will get more in return. Ask yourself to start learning will ALL your senses, not just the most convenient. Learn with your entire body, not just with your eyes and ears, but starting from your feet and hips to your limbic system and reticular formation. Every cell in your body should be alert and alive. Stop (only) listening, and the learning can begin.
5/27/10 Omote and Ura
The terms Omote and Ura refer to two wrist twisting techniques in the Bujinkan. Omote gyaku is the "original" wrist twist, while Ura gyaku is the "opposite" wrist twist. On the surface that is simple enough, but like many Japanese terms they have several meanings. The terms Omote and Ura also can be thought of as obvious vs. subtle, or that which is seen vs. hidden, and can refer not to wrist twisting per se, but rather to the entire world around us. In language there are the words that are spoken which are the Omote side of language, whereas the intonation and non-verbal cues represent the Ura side. Flowering plants and fruit bearing trees devote significant energy to the production of various colorful or tasty enticements (Omote), all the while it is just a clever ploy to lure bees or animals into the task of pollenization or seed mobilization (Ura). The animal kingdom employs countless uses of Omote and Ura as well. Some lizards, snakes and fish mimic the obvious (Omote) markings of poisonous or foul tasting entrees in order to avoid consumption, while others use mimicry (Ura) to look like poisonous types to avoid predation. And of course the fighting or military arts are no exception. The strength of a conventional military force is based largely on how many troops can be amassed (Omote) but no military is complete without unconventional or special forces (Ura). But historically no military group mastered Ura better than the ninja of old. For example, it wasn't the sharp penetration of the ninja's shuriken that killed you, but the infection from the rust or poison placed on it. Information gathering wasn't done with fancy technology or satellites, but rather was done right under the enemies nose. Disguised often as old women or beggars, these ninja operatives were both plainly seen by all, but cleverly invisible at the same time. For those people in law enforcement, critical training involves both taking in what is available, but also assessing what is out of place or missing. Both can be invaluable in determining when a subject may be lying, when a certain situation might look suspicious, or when a person's behavior may turn dangerous.
5/21/10 Don't fight in the past or present, fight in the future.
By "reacting" to an attacker you respond to his movements and are therefore slower than he is because of the inherent time it takes your brain to process what is occurring. You are behind in the current action-reaction scenario and are consequently doomed to fight in the past. However simply by "acting" in the first place, and not waiting for the attackers movement, we "shape" the encounter and it can be said that we are fighting in the present. While that in itself is desirable, I would submit that it is possible to take things further by fighting in the future. This requires the simple act of proper training and foreknowledge of likely encounters. Subtle and hidden movement against an attacker can make videotaped accounts of the event seem more subtle and even gentle when reviewed by authorities. Also verbal cues can plant the seeds of friendly testimony in the minds of witnesses as they recount exactly what was said during the exchange. And so by more fully utilizing cleverness and intelligence, we are no longer confined to the space and time of the present moment, and we are able to leap ahead as we shape both our present AND our future. Ancient tales of the ninja said that they could, among other things, read and control minds, when actually all it was... was fighting in the future.
5/20/10 Close your eyes and everything can be seen.
Proprioception is the brain's ability to sense body parts in relation to other body parts. In other words, it's your own self awareness of body position. It is one of the body's interoceptive senses which could include movement of internal organs, balance and pain. Exteroceptive senses on the other hand include sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch. A primary skill in the martial arts is the enhancement of one's proprioception, but by using a blindfold we also boost both our interoceptive sense of balance as well as our exteroceptive senses of hearing, touch, and smell. By hindering our primary sense (of sight) we unleash the spectrum of senses that are anxiously waiting to be experienced. Furthermore, many times, blind training allows the higher centers of the brain that control thinking (forebrain) to take a back seat to the mid and hindebrain centers which control more automatic functions as well as routines that are highly practiced. In sports it can be referenced as "being in the zone" where thought does not interfere with the skills learned and executed from the midbrain. Whereas "overthinking" even the most rehearsed action can result in less than ideal results. Simply closing your eyes can allow the splendor of movement to be seen first-hand.
5/5/10 The dojo garden.
Volunteering in our dojo garden is the form of payment we subscribe to. Unlike money that is a transient form of payment, every stone is permanently placed and is a constant representation of the hard work from years past. But like all gardens it requires upkeep and tender loving care, just like our training. A garden that is unkept is soon overrun with weeds and falls into disrepair, but a well cared for garden is a joy to behold. That metaphor parallels our training and the need for constant, sustained maintenance. Our dedicated students easily display the beautiful conservation of movement and precision placed responses that only come through dedication and hard work. Their ability to "bloom" under the harsh environment of violence is no different than a desert gardens ability to bloom under the most inhospitable of conditions. The stunning beauty of a blooming cactus flower is no different than a perfectly placed throat strike, for example, it can literally take your breath away.
5/4/10 Fight like a psychic chess master...
Once upon a time there was a young boy who asked the psychic chess master why no one ever challenged him to a game. The psychic replied, "Because I see the entire game before it is ever played." "Have you always been a psychic?" the boy added. "No, but through constant practice I slowly became one" answered the chess master as he leaned back in his chair smiling, never wavering from his study of the board and its many pieces.
4/27/10 He who owns the Kukan wins...
In class tonight we were talking about the "space" between opponents, and how valuable that "space" is. The Japanese term for that space is "Kukan" and it is alive with energy. It is the first and last breath of life, the vortex of infinity, the literal eye of the storm during violent conflict. It is a place of great danger, and infinite possibilities, much the same way that the Chinese character for both chaos and fortune are the same. It is both a place to be avoided and a place to own. As the Judo Master steps in for a throw he both reveals his back and simultaneously captures the balance from his opponent. The study of martial arts is not the study of violence but rather a bearing witness to the living embodiment of the yin and yang of life.
04-13-10 ~ Protecting the protectors...
As a nation we look to law enforcement to fulfill many duties. When we have a
dispute, when our cat is lost, when we are locked out of our cars, when we see a
drunk driver, when we fear for our lives, who do we call...the Police. Daily,
they are asked to be protectors, enforcers, counselors, arbitrators, referees,
baby sitters, doctors, priests, mentors, and in short, heroes. But heroes with
all these skills are not born, they are made over time. And it is only through
there own dedication and self drive to perfect the skills they may need some day
that they become heroes. They learn over time how to deal with the hysterical,
the infirmed, the intoxicated, the irate, the scared, the difficult, and yes,
the dangerous and deadly.
So who teaches these heroes the skills to be heroes? The answers are all around
us. We all do. Some in a positive way and others in a not-so-positive-way. So
the next time you want to test our heroes by trying to hurt or kill them (or the
people they protect), remember that you may be dealing with a hero that is
trained by me. And trust me when I say, you'll be much better off by turning
around, lying flat on the ground, and putting your hands over your head. (wink,
smile)