Question: What’s the most “practical” fighting style for someone in law enforcement?
Background: Well fit 30 year-old former Marine, 6’2 215#s, gearing up for Sheriff’s Academy and career in law enforcement.
Current opinion: Due to the nature of the job, I anticipate that most problems that occur will be when trying to “cuff” an unwilling individual, so I would think that the “goal” would be to physically subdue the perp if need be until the proper metallic/plastic restraints can be applied. Current/former law enforcement professionals with any relevant data/experience in this area are more then welcome to sound off as I would greatly appreciate the input. Thanks in advance.
Don’t law enforcement ppl learn a range of applications from various martial arts and apply them to their work? If so, I’m guessing they would utilise a lot of the joint locking and restraining techniques. Stuff found in aikido, chin-na, jiu jitsu and so forth. (I’m just making some assumptions here.)
As for studying a martial art for yourself that will benefit your work in law enforcement - any realistic martial art will benefit you. I’m partial to CMAs and BJJ/shootfighting - but it’s a personal thing really.
aye. plenty of joint locking, but many agencies avoid going over the throws and such – for one big reason: most people don’t know how to land, and the risk of breaking something vital is a big liability.
a couple people i study with are corrections officers, and they can beat me okay with the general stuff, but where they REALLY get me is on the joint manipulation.
I think you gotta find a really good teacher. I don’t think the style matters either, although you should enjoy it. I would seek to understand within any system why the moves work, whether pain compliance, nerve compliance, relfex compliance, all must be really understood to manipulate people that will be intoxicated, wasted, pumped on adrenaline, outraged by marital anguish, etc.
Joint locking can take too long to set up, may not work on some types, but works on others, etc. You just have to take time to learn how these things work. A real teacher with real experience is the only way to go here.
I would go with CD LEE, the teacher might be the more important element. Especially if he knows you will have to be using it and maybe soon.
I like kenpo karate (could be biased), it is very punishing art, however.
Jujitsu I believe would be good as well. I know there was some form of Aikido started by a police officer…that might be good to.
Regardless, the school must spar.
Check it. Good luck.
I think for a L/E officer the style really does matter. The idea isn’t to pummel a resisting offender into the ground so you can cuff 'em.
I would definitely say Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for ground control…there will be a lot of that in your line of work.
As for standup, a good aikido teacher would be great, and you might want to look into Kali (esp. Pekiti-Tirsia! :)) for weapon defenses…especially good for use with a baton.
Combat Tai Chi? Does this mean that the hippys have finaly taken over the Tai Chi name to the extent that people who remember what Tai Chi was really ment for have to call their art somthing else?
In answer to the question i would go for somthing that taught not only joint manipulation but also kinfe awarness as that may well be the main threat to you (assumeing that you are taught about gun s by the police).
I would stay away from BJJ as you really dont want to get tied up on the ground for any length of time in the situations that i forsee you going into and it really doesnt offer much else:D .
Also stay away from Aikido. Its a fine art and may or may not be affective after 30 years but its not really going to help you.
So if i were you i would be going to as many differant clubs as i could to see what fits your criteria.
i’m with ewallace. the filipino arts seem to be pretty popular with law enforcement for a couple of reasons. 1) they focus on the stick (baton) for striking, defending, controlling, grappling, etc. and 2) they emphasize weapon defenses against the stick, knife, etc. 3) it does have a viable empty-hand component (depending on the teacher, of course).
if memory serves, several police forces in california have even taken to using a rattan baton. a few years back, sam tendencia (i believe) began teaching at a few academies out there.
Well, here is a very important factor for law enforcement that most of us do not have to worry about. It is extreemly important that officers have at their disposal a RANGE of ‘level of force’ techniques. They MUST learn to control people with less force than a regular martial artist. Kung fu is very very effective in this area, as one learns balance and rooting/uprooting principles that can be used to control somebody without always smashing their nose in. Bouncers use a lot of these same methods for similar reasons. Chin Na is excellent of course, but you have to be able to switch gears quickly, very quickly if it is not working, and no, it does not always work.
Sombody mentioned Kenpo. I could be wrong, but is it not pretty normal to ingrain some very violent reactions to attacks in this style? Yes I am generalizing, but I said I could be wrong. Kenpo would scare me as an officer. Scared I would slam my fist into someones adams apple before I had a chance to think.
“Also stay away from Aikido. Its a fine art and may or may not be affective after 30 years but its not really going to help you.”
-Liokault
I respectfully disagree. The Yoshinkan Hombu’s police combative program is widely considered one of the finest finishing schools in police unarmed combatives in the world. Not only has it served the Tokyo Riot Police as their H2H system, there have also been countless foreign policemen who have attended the one-year high speed/high impact training. IF you graduate, I believe you would be quite capable of defending yourself.
Combat tai chi has been taught to RCMP officers of D-division back in my home town of winnipeg for over 20 years now.
by one Brian Cox sifu. I believe he published the manual about 10 or 15 years ago. Not sure if it’s available outside of Canada, but Shambala might carry it.
stranger, you familiar with robert twigger’s ‘angry white pyjamas’?
Great book about a guy and i once met the guy its about. The most reveling part of the book for me is where all the top aikido guys from around the world for the funeral and go out to get drunk. after getting drunk they all go from night club to night club fighting bouncers.
Now all the top aikido guys are fighting…but there are no nice locks or even throws just wild haymaker punches!!!
