Traditionally, law enforcement training has been very technique driven. From the early stages of the academy, officers are taught a regimen of techniques, each designed to negate a specific attack. This approach is a logical first step in the training progression from that of a naïve citizen to a competent police officer.

In many cases, the bulk of an officer's training tends to focus on tactics for controlling suspect's who provide only minimal to moderate resistance. Unfortunately, due to limited time allotted for defensive tactics training, many officers are ill equipped to handle some of the most dangerous types of assaults, such as punches, takedowns, and attempts to disarm the officer.

To make matters worse, many instructors and systems advocate the use of complicated fine motor-based techniques that are difficult for the officer to remember much less perform effectively under stress. Hesitation often results when an officer can't effectively execute technique three in a series of seven due to the suspect's level of resistance. This can lead to the officer being injured because his/her techniques were ineffective or the suspect being injured because the officer resorts to using more force than "reasonable" or a technique not authorized by the department. In either case, both the officer and agency unnecessarily expose themselves to potential civil liability.

Only by continually evaluating our defensive tactics training programs and considering alternative techniques and tactics, can we ensure that officers are best prepared to win every encounter.

Why Martial Arts-Based Techniques Fail

Let's face it, most officers due not routinely practice defensive tactics techniques on their own time. When you account for the fact that most officers receive less than 20 hours of defensive tactics training per year, how proficient are they going to become?

Many of the defensive tactics systems that are heavily reliant on Aikido or Jiu Jitsu can do an officer more harm than good. I'm not knocking either of these arts, since both are valid fighting systems that can enable even a much smaller person to overcome an attack from a bigger, stronger opponent. Police administrators tend to look favorably on these systems because they are perceived as being less injurious to suspects.