Action Fighting Arts : Knife Defense : Ground Fighting : Defensive Tactics

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THE FIGHTING FIREBIRD The authorized newsletter of Action Fighting Arts
- By - Harry Wigder, President, Action Fighting Arts

If you know anything about PPCT Management Systems, Inc., you know that the world’s most formidable law enforcement and civilian (self defense and subject control) training organization is always researching and designing trainings that will give students the optimal opportunity to go home safely every day. That commitment to providing realistic trainings that work where it counts the most – under survival stress against aggression – is why PPCT is the training arm of Homeland Security.

After the catastrophic terror attacks of 9/11, PPCT Instructor Trainers Don Garon and Steve Bisnette recognized the need for an emergency self defense and subject control (instructor) training program designed to manage and overcome violent spontaneous close quarter attacks in both narrow and open environments. Airline security and other staff as well as law enforcement officers are forced to defend themselves and others in narrow aisle ways, between seats, in cluttered homes, offices, jail cells, as well as open spaces. GAGE, an acronym for Ground Avoidance and Ground Escapes, then, is a training every officer should take. I say this because research indicates that about 80% of all enforcement conflicts end up on the ground. I’m a believer. In my 35-years of experience – in New York and Pennsylvania – almost every time a Bad Guy resisted arrest or attacked his first move was to “bum rush” me and try to take me off my feet. GAGE is based on the premise that officers are better off on their feet where they can access their weapons and have leverage and mobility. On the ground, an officer’s ability to move and fight is restricted by his uniform and his weapon. A good portion of the training involves simple but effective escapes once an officer hits the ground.

I believe all officers should have this course. Officers who have taken this course quickly agree. GAGE has just about every kind of preemptory survival skill an officer needs, including defensive countermeasures (kicks and arm strikes); grappling techniques; pressure points; balance and leverage techniques (rolling-the-ball); the unilateral vascular neck restraint (shoulder pin); stranding techniques; weapon retention and a dozen or so effective ground fighting and escape techniques.

Dan Solla, an IT out of the Philadelphia area has conducted one GAGE; and that training was an unqualified success, graduating 14 police officers from all over the east coast. Dan has several
other GAGE’s scheduled (see Future Trainings) and I have a GAGE scheduled for the Washington County (Pa) area in March (05) and Ephrata, Pa. in April.

By David Merth, Chester County (PA)
Parole Officer and Current PPCT SKD Instructor

Probation and Parole Officers are most effective when they work the field. Collateral contacts to make sure the ex-offender is working, attending drug, alcohol and psychiatric therapy. Contacts with local and state police. Without a doubt, though, random home visits are the best investigative, reconnaissance and rehabilitation tool a P.O. has. Trouble is, parole officers never know what they are going to run into once they step inside the parolee’s door.

On October 6, 2004, Louise Pargeter, 36, a parole officer in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and a mother of one child, was murdered during her initial home visit with Eli Ulayuk, 36. Police discovered Pargeter’s body in Ulayuk’s apartment after a fellow parole officer reported that she had failed to report back in after the home visit.

Ulayuk pleaded guilty in 1990 to second-degree murder in the death of Martha Ammaq and originally was not eligible for parole for 15 years. However, in 1992 the conviction was appealed on a technicality and he pleaded to a lesser charge (manslaughter).

As a result of officer Pargeter’s death, correctional authorities are taking steps to enhance the safety of its officers. Including directing that two staff members, rather than one, will go on all home visits with violent histories for the first three months of their supervision. After 3 months an assessment will be made regarding the need to continue with two staff member visits. Training will also be improved for all parole staff.

Donations can be made c/o Avery Cooper & Company, 4918-50th Street, P.O. Box 1620, Yellowknife, NTXIA-2P2

PPCT INSTRUCTOR USES JUGULAR NOTCH TO REPEL ATTACK
Chester County Probation Officer
Credits Recent Instructor Training

James Bean recognized years ago that not only was Chester County one of the most dangerous areas in the state but, if attacked, he was probably not prepared to overcome the aggression. In his 8 years with the county, Bean has pushed the administration to allow officers to carry OC and firearms, succeeding on the first count. Pushed the county to enhance the use of force training. Make it more realistic, more consistent, standardized. When that didn’t materialize, Bean realized he was the only entity he had control over. He was responsible for his own safety and survival. He would acquire training that would make him a tougher, more effective officer.

I trained and certified Bean as a PPCT DT Instructor this past April. I was impressed with Bean’s commitment to learn and practice the myriad of techniques required to be mastered in the PPCT Defensive Tactics system.

This September, while administering a urine test on one of his probationers, Bean was attacked. Bean had noticed that the subject was trying to switch a “false” urine sample and confronted the offender. The offender rushed at Bean, most likely trying to escape. It was a low level attack, but it required instantaneous subject control, maybe even self defense.

“I immediately remembered my training,” Bean said. “He was in my face fast and my hands were up in a startle response. Next thing I had my middle two fingers in his jugular notch and I just stepped in and turned my shoulder a bit and his eyes glazed over, like he was surprised or stunned. In about two seconds he was sliding down the wall and he ended up seated and the fight was over before it began..”

• DECEMBER 8 & 9, 2004—RAMADA INN, STATE COLLEGE, PA. –WEAPON RETENTION & DISARMING ---HARRY WIGDER, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (484-542-0049) harrywigder@rcn.com (web site: www.ActionFightingArts.com)

• JANUARY 18 TO 20, 2005—DAYS INN, STATE COLLEGE, PA.—SPONTANEOUS KNIFE DEFENSE (SKD)—HARRY WIGDER, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (484-542-0040) harrywigder@rcn.com (web) www.ActionFightingArts.com)

• FEBRUARY 21 TO 23, 2005—BUCKS COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CENTER, DOYLESTOWN, PA.—SKD – DANIEL SOLLA, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (215-646-5828, OR, 215-738-9681 (CELL) dansolla@earthlink.net

• FEBRUARY 23 TO 24/2005----BUCKS COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CENTER, DOYLESTOWN, PA. –GAGE – DANIEL SOLLA, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (215-646-5828, OR, 215-738-9681/CELL dansolla@earthlink.net

• FEBRUARY 28 TO MARCH 4, 2005—PENN STATER CONFERENCE CENTER, STATE COLLEGE, PA- DEFENSIVE TACTICS –HARRY WIGDER, INSTRUCOR TRAINER (484-542-0040/CELL & 610-253-3666/HOME) (harrywigder@rcn.com & Web site: www.ActionFightingArts.com)

• MARCH 8 TO 10, 2005, EIGHTY FOUR FITNESS CENTER, EIGHTY FOUR, PA.---GAGE ----- HARRY WIGDER, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (610-253-3666/HOME & 484-542-0040/CELL ---harrywigder@rcn.com ---web site: www.ActionFightingArts.com

• MARCH 21 TO 25, 2005—BUCKS COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CENTER, DOYLESTOWN, PA.—DEFENSIVE TACTICS ---DANIEL SOLLA, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (215-646-5828(H), OR, (CELL) 215-738-9681---dansolla@earthlink.net

• APRIL 12 TO 14, 2004—TRAINING SITE TO BE ANNOUNCED – DEFENSIVE TACTICS RE-CERTIFICATION ---HARRY WIGDER, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (610-253-3666/h & 484-542-0040/CELL ---harrywigder@rcn.com ---web site: www.ActionFightingArts.com

• APRIL, 2005—EPHRATA RECREATION CENTER, EPHRATA, PA. –GAGE AND SHARP (SEXUAL HARASSMENT ASSAULT & RAPE PREVENTION) MONDAY THRU WEDNESDAY-GAGE & WEDNESDAY THRU FRIDAY – SHARP. SPECIFIC DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED ---HARRY WIGDER, INSTRUCTOR TRAINER (610-253-3666 & 484-542-0040/ harrywigder@rcn.com & web site: www.ActionFightingArts.com

• Coming in 2005: Action Fighting Arts On-Line Use of Force Instructor Course.

As an Advanced Verbal Judo Instructor, I recognize the importance of the professional use of language as a compliment to the correct and effective use of (physical) force. Believe me, I have seen it happen too many times. Been guilty of it myself. That is, a law enforcement officer executing a perfect block of a punch followed by a plu-perfect Straight Arm Bar Takedown, but losing the case in court, or, worse, spending a few days on suspension because he or she allowed him or herself to take it personal, or, heap profanity on the “Bad Guy” and/or witnesses because, quite frankly, the officer felt entitled because of his badge or his gun and reacted to his or her anger over some “low-life” questioning his or her authority.

If the officer is not under control and if she or he doesn’t stay defused and professional in a crisis, well, who is going to? The citizen? Courts expect officers to be professional and will almost always rule them when their verbals go out of control.

It is also important for officers to use professional language because the officer’s partner(s) will feel more confident when they know their (lead) officer is in control of him(her)self as well as the situation. It is axiomatic that confidence allows officers to react quicker and more decisively in survival situations. Bad Guys know this instinctively, which is why profanity and personal insults are in their arsenal in the first place. Their goal is to influence officers to lose their cool. When officers lose their cool, they lose their tactical focus, which, of course, means that the Bad Guy, not the officers, are in control of the situation.

I have been training use of force and self defense for about 20 years and even before I became interested in Verbal Judo I combined verbal tactics with physical techniques during static, fluid and dynamic training programs. On the streets, under stress, officers really do replicate what they do in the training class. So, always require your trainees to verbalize professionally. Have them exaggerate politeness, using “sir, “or, “miss,” or whatever it takes to demonstrate respect for the other person(s). It is my belief that we need to get dramatic, to exaggerate verbal and physical techniques during training, so, under combat stress, when an officer’s response has to be automatic, part of the bloodstream, as I like to say, she/he will do the Right Thing. It is a simple proposition: Requiring your officers to always use Tactical Communications in realistic training situations and scenarios develops what Verbal Judo calls a Habit of Mind.. What might have originated as a forced cluster of training exercises requiring trainees to work hard at using respectful and courteous language – just as they are working hard to learn how to handcuff, move, strike and block correctly - eventually melts into a natural habit. I have found that the result will be officers who will give clear, authoritative and relevant verbal direction, and, even more importantly, have the ability to influence their subjects and bystanders to do what the officer needs them to do while believing it was their (the subject’s) idea in the first place. In other words, if you can get your officers to be as proficient verbally as they are tactically and physically, you will create formidable officers. Officers capable of generating voluntary compliance. An officer who can generate voluntary compliance is a powerful force because she or he has what we know as Professional or Command Presence. Since 97 to 98% of all use of force interactions can be successfully managed through Command Presence, which consists of a combination of the first two levels of control (Officer Presence and Verbal Direction), no Use of Force instructor worth his or her salt can afford to pass up this powerful safety resource. When training force, always have the “officer” use Tactical Communication. I have included just a few examples of Peace Phrases that I have used or have seen or heard of other officers with Command Presence use to calm situations and individuals who could have gone out of control:

Tactical Communications and Peace Phrases

• “Sir, I know you probably could hurt a few of us, but why would you want to? You’re not in trouble. You’ll be out in no time, and---“

• “John, do you really need this kind of trouble today.? C’mon, you’re smarter than that---“

• “Sir, stop resisting. We don’t want you to get hurt.”

• Miss Jones, for your safety and mine, stay in your chair and put your hands behind you---“

• “Bill, you understand that if you cooperate, you won’t get hurt, right?”

• (After a hard takedown and a fight to get the Bad Guy handcuffed with the suspect squirming and fighting) “John, you okay?” (Bad Guy: “F*** you, a**hole!”) “I know you’re upset, John, but I need to know if the cuffs are too tight, and---“ (The cuffs are a secondary concern: The questions and politeness are used to distract him from his anger, get him to redirect his focus from the officers to himself, and to calm his family and friends. The officer stood the suspect up after noticing he was starting to calm, but still red-faced) “John, do like I do. Take a deep breath and hold it. It will make you feel better (the officer took in a deep breath, the Bad Guy cursed again, but everyone could see that the fight had gone out of John. Bystanders walked away. Once again, the words were not necessarily to make John feel better, but to defuse the situation. Interestingly, but predictably, on the transport to prison, once away from his friends, John admitted to all charges and was friendly and cooperative (which is also a byproduct of good Tactical Communications).

• “Sir, I appreciate you cooperating. I know you could have made it tough on us.”

• “Sir, you have several good options here. You can slide out of the bar and talk to me for a few minutes. Or, we can arrest you. Up to you.”

• (Bad Guy: Heaps profanity on the officer, calls him fat, bald and ugly, makes a racial slur or two) The officer personifies professionalism and deflects rather than absorbs the insults. As a matter of fact, the officer depreciates the verbal icon, a term famed self defense guru Tony Blauer coined to describe how the officer diminished the insults and disempowered the Bad Guy (and empowered himself) by using the following Tactical Communication gem) “I ‘preciate that, John, but we still need you to turn around and put your hands behind you---“ One caveat, however: It is just as important to be in control of the situation as it is to be professional and respectful. Being nice is great, but exercise Tactical Empathy, which means, when it is time, do not stand around and negotiate. Take Action. In this last instance, John responded to the officer’s respectful verbal direction with some more nasty sound bites and the officers – who had planned to do this if the Bad Guy didn’t turn around and put his hands back as commanded – moved in, took John to the ground and handcuffed. At no time, though, did any officer express anger, rage or use profanity.

• The Subject was upset and adamant. No way was he going to allow any parole officers inside his house to look for his son. Two officers threatened him and that is when I came on the scene: “Mr. Phillips, is there anything I can say or do to get you to cooperate with us. I really hope there is because I have always looked out for your son’s interests. I think you know that---“ Not only did the guy stop for a second, looking kind of stunned, but in a second or two he actually smiled and then stepped aside. We were in. But it didn’t stop there: Mr Phillips led us to the son’s (the parolee) room and reassured him that things would be okay, if he would just come out and let us do our job.

Remember: The officer is not necessarily talking for the Subject’s welfare. Good verbals are Tactical Communications, and, as such, have the primary goal of officer safety, making the subject feel better is only an incidental benefit. A secondary goal is to defuse witnesses and bystanders who are thinking of getting involved or reporting the officer for excessive force. Arrests are almost always public events, and, since most arrests go down in the subject’s neighborhood, Tactical Communications defuses Bad Guys and often creates witnesses who will now testify on the officer’s behalf. Don’t laugh. I’ve seen it happen.

A final observation: I have seen tough officers who lost their cool and used profanity when dealing with resistors. Not only did the bad language rarely defuse the situation, it diminished the officers in my perception. I have also been with courageous officers who easily had the physical wherewithal to manhandle the subject, but chose to Be Nice. By showing respect to the subject while maintaining control over the crowd and the environment, the officer gave the subject the opportunity to (voluntarily) comply with our commands without being humiliated in front of his friends and family. It makes sense. Think about it. Being nice means that we benefited from the equation – MEMEME. Maximum Effectiveness and Maximum Efficiency with a Minimum of Effort. By being nasty and profane with the Bad Guy, we amp him or her up. The Subject literally becomes two to three times stronger. Someone is going to get hurt and someone is going to have to appear in court or in front of someone and explain why.

Being Nice, on the other hand, acts as a mental stun. There is a roomful of felony eyes and nasty scars and they are all getting geeked up for a rumble. But the officer is courteous, respectful, has no problem explaining why he is “asking” for the Subject’s cooperation, but is not being weak. He is confident and in control. Nobody fights, and, importantly, if anyone does resist or attack, there is no justification in the eyes of the witnesses, the media, the department or The Courts. In several cases witnesses have testified after scuffles that the suspect was threatening and insulting the officer(s), but the officer was being very professional the whole time until she or he had no choice but to use the baton (or gun, or OC).

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DO YOU HAVE A STORY, AN IDEA, A CONCEPT THAT CAN HELP OTHERS GO HOME EVERY DAY?

Action Fighting Arts and the Fighting Firebird invited you to contribute a story, article, feature or advertise your training in its monthly newsletter. The Firebird personally knows a lot of you out there who have innovative ideas and/or field experience when PPCT and/or other training programs have either worked or failed. Our readers (and I) can learn a great deal from those experiences. Plus, writing about your experiences and ideas can be fun and fulfilling, just as can seeing your thoughts in print can be.

Thanks to Rachel Goldstein, the founder of Artists Helping Children, for her help on art work and other features.