Weapons vs Willpower

 The following applies to both police and civilians equally at times I see outdated logic with both. The fact is that I know alot of people who still don't think unarmed combatives are important. They think if they carry a weapon if they get in trouble they can just use that. The truth is sometimes you can and sometimes you can't but you can't depend on it. Many officers are too reliant on their weapons and many concealed and carry civilians are the same way. This is a dangerous game your playing. The fact is even if you can get your weapon out in time(which you usually can't) and even on top of that if you hit the guy it still may not stop the attack. I see this myth in knife sparring all the time in so-called reality based self defense schools. I want to show you a couple videos just to illustrate my point. I do want to warn you these are very graphic.

 In the above video sadly a man was shot to death and we hope the scum responsible are brought to justice. Our condolences go out the the family who suffered this loss. What I do want to point out in this video however is that this man was shot in the head and continued to fight until another person intervened and he was finally killed with his own gun. One shot didn't top him. Two shots didn't stop him. He kept fighting even with a head wound. Even fighting on the ground to pull his weapon if that other person hadn't jumped in he may have gotten to it and survived. We see it all the time in airsoft training one shot one kill and there are hundreds of videos on the internet that show this isn't always the case. Of course the caliber of the gun will definitely have alot to do with it but one shot isn't always a kill. On the other side of this which is valuable when your training in self defense you need to know that just because you've been hit with a bullet doesn't always mean your dead. You need to keep fighting you could actually survive. I know many people who have been shot and lived to tell about it. Some unarmed training wouldn't have hurt his chances in the above video alot of time was lost trying to get to a weapon. Yes if the attacker is carrying a pocket canon and you get shot in the head it's going to be over more than likely but that isn't always the case either. Training should reflect these variables. I've seen criminals use sheer willpower to override TASER successfully and everything else. If you carry a gun you STILL need unarmed training and your delusional if you think otherwise no matter if your law enforcement or a civilian.

 This is a well known video from Thailand. Fortunately everyone survived this one. There's no telling how many times this security guard was stabbed yet he survived. I have several instructor friends that train with the Shock Knife. Looking at how they knife spar I really don't like it they get shocked once and stop. This is bad training and it isn't realistic. Now I've never been shot but I have been cut in a knife fight. When I used to work as a bouncer we had a scuffle one time in the club(well there were many scuffles in the club but this specific one)  and we threw a bunch of guys out and turned them over to the police. Late that night when I got home and was taking off my shirt  to take a shower I realized I'd been sliced open below my left shoulder blade. I didn't even know it when it happened I even had to get stitches though I can't remember how many it seems like it was 8 or 9. Most of the time when people find out they were stabbed afterward they say things like they thought they were being hammerfisted or something. This man was stabbed countless times and kept fighting and survived. The criminal attacking the guard was hit with pretty much everything but the kitchen sink and didn't even go down. One stab one kill in training doesn't get it so get real.

   In closing if you carry a weapon for whatever reason it isn't a valid replacement for unarmed training so do yourself a favor and get some. Just because you shoot someone or stab them doesn't mean they will stop fighting you. Just because you've been shot or stabbed it doesn't mean your necessarily going to die and it definitely doesn't mean your going to stop fighting for your life so if your training doesn't reflect these variables then you need to address it.

Nothing Works All The Time, Everything Works Sometimes

     Nothing works all the time, Everything works sometimes

                                                              - W. Hock Hocheim

    It's a very profound statement if you think about it. It's simple....but profound. It's the way a good technique should be if you really think about it. It has depth and can be used for more than one purpose and mean many things. I remember the first time I ever heard it in Decatur, AL a couple years ago at a clinic taught by Hock Hocheim, a mentor of mine. He say's it at the start of all his seminars. Now I'm one of these guys that thinks alot..probably too much. If I come up with a tactic I then try to come up with a counter. Then a counter to that until I can't even think of a counter anymore. This statement means a couple different things to me and I think everyone should learn it and understand it. Below I'm going to list a few ways that I apply this statement in my career and hopefully enlighten some to the value of it.

1. It's just flat out true - You take the craziest most unrealistic technique you ever saw and you can find someone on youtube being knocked out by it. However just because it works for one person doesn't mean it will work for everyone. As a police trainer I see this stuff all the time. I see some of the worst courses you could think of with the craziest things. However, you can go on the websites for these courses and there will be all kinds of testimonials from officers that used that system and it worked for them.As trainers and coaches if we are striving for the safety of those we teach it's best to use  tactics or concepts that are most likely to work for everyone consistently. That's our job. When people use these high risk low reward systems and they work it can keep bad systems around and make it harder to convince departments to upgrade to a better system even if that bad system is failing for everyone else. In a way for them it's about perspective. I had a meeting with a police chief locally a few months back. He had done one of these big national courses that in all honestly most departments are abandoning because of it's low success rate in the field. However he loved the course because he'd used a couple tactics from it that had saved his life in his career. He's spent 40 hours in that class and learned 4 or 5 really good techniques. Now to my ears that's evidence of a bad course not a good one to spend that much time in a class and 4 or 5 useful things is all you got but he was convinced. He was convinced because nothing works all the time, everything works sometimes and those times it worked for him. You may run into people sometimes that think they see a flaw in your system because of something in their background. If that happens and it will. Remember that statement and don't blow it off. Maybe what they are saying is unfounded but maybe since they came from a different background they see something that you missed. It could be a chance for your system to grow and have more depth so when someone else thinks they seem the same flaw you'll have an answer for them. Then again they may be full of crap but you should at least think about it.

2. It's a warning to the arrogant - The reality based self defense community can be filled with the most egotistical arrogant people in the world. They know the real truth about everything, but they are the only ones that know....yeah right. It would take 100 RBSD instructors to change a light bulb. 1 to actually do it and 99 to say they could've done it better and they'll have scientific studies to back it up too. They could go on for hours about how you should've tilted your hand more or applied more force when you pushed up and they'll make sure to unknowingly be as condescending as humanly possible when they do it. They just seem to have conveniently forgotten to never say never. The technique everyone seems to jump on is high kicks. Now I personally am not a fan of high kicks and I don't teach them. With my background being Jujutsu when I see that leg in the air I'm thinking their balance is mine. In the confrontations I've been in I make sure I stay too close however so I'm not in kicking range. That's my perspective but it doesn't mean they could never work. I think for the average person it's too high risk of a technique because of the position it puts you in. However someone like Bill Wallace could kick you in the head all day. I've grown to hate threads on boards and facebook groups. I rarely post in them anymore just for the simple fact that people love to take things out of context so they can jump on them and make themselves look more intelligent than others that are trying to do the same thing. It's transparent and it makes me angry. Throw a discussion about high kicking into one of those threads and it's like dumping blood in a shark tank. I would caution them to remember this statement. It'll keep you honest before you open your mouth. We preach all the time that attacks are random and we don't know who the attacker will be. If you preach it then you should apply it to all your logic. Once again high kicks have a very very low success rate but that doesn't mean that someone couldn't kick your beak around like Daffy Duck. To think that it could never happen is ignorant and could someday be your downfall. Not because someone might kick you in the head but that dismissive attitude will affect how you build your courses and how you apply your concepts as well as how you prepare others. Before you get on your lectern to pontificate remember the statement. Then remember that your not as smart as you think you are..

3. It's a disarming and diplomatic tool for trainers - I teach people from all kinds of backgrounds. Sure when I was younger I had a short sighted view of things like alot of these other guys around. However I always tried to be honest with myself and put the people I'm teaching first. When I go to teach a seminar I don't know the background of everyone that's in there. If I go in there with a dismissive attitude about certain martial arts bashing them and silly things like that and how this and that is BS then I'm blowing an opportunity. If someone from that style is their they are just going to shut down and tune me out. I'll never get through to them. You can't just go in there and talk to people that way and tell them something they've worked their butts off in is crap. If someone done that to me the first thing I'd think is this guy doesn't have much teaching experience he's too immature. You open your seminar with the statement it's diplomatic. You allow them to clutch the thing they hold onto and by not taking everything away from them you get their ear. If you have a better way and your a good teacher they'll find it on their own you don't have to say that stuff. Be diplomatic when they ask questions about how it fits in with the thing they do. Always be positive and helpful. Build....don't tear down. This gets back to the negativity and dismissive attitude sinking you. If you still want to be negative and are thinking well I don't want those idiots in my class... then your the idiot. You shouldn't be teaching because you don't care about the people you only care about your dogma. Remember the statement.

I want to thank Hock for making that statement and I hope this short article even though I probably went to deep and over thought it will enlighten some of you in a small way. Thank you for your time.

The Psychopathic Suspect by John Reid & Associates

Imagine what it would be like to make everyday decisions without caring how your choices affected others and to live each day with the only goal being to elevate your insatiable self-worth.* When telling lies or engaging in criminal activity you experience no guilt or remorse and you have such confidence in your ability to escape punishment that you lie at will; in fact, engaging in illegal behavior, and the thrill of getting away with it, becomes a driving force in your life allowing you to express superiority over others: Welcome to the mind of the primary psychopath.

Fortunately, less than one percent of the population is diagnosed as a primary psychopath.* The predominant traits that characterize this psychological disorder include lack of remorse or guilt, poor behavioral control, need for emotional stimulation,* irresponsibility, shallow affect, failure to learn from experience, and involvement in anti-social behavior, including frequent lying. Primary psychopaths are usually diagnosed in their twenties, tend to be male and have a higher than average IQ.** They experience a psychological burn-out by mid-life after which they are likely to be nonproductive members of society (incarcerated, drug addicts, recluses).

Statistically, an investigator is much more likely to encounter a secondary psychopath.* These are individuals who possess some psychopathic traits in combination with symptoms from other personality disorders or mental illness.* About fifty percent of the prison population is diagnosed as having some psychopathic traits.

Identifying the psychopath

An investigator is generally not concerned with exactly what mental illness a suspect suffers from, but rather how to recognize fundamental symptoms of a disorder and how to effectively deal with the suspect.* A suspect with psychopathic tendencies will exhibit several of the following behaviors:

1.* Glibness / superficial charm e.g., unconcerned attitude, overly polite, inappropriate levity

2.* Irresponsibility e.g., failure to meet financial obligations, failure to keep appointments, not following through on promises

3.* Reckless disregard of other's safety or feelings / lack of empathy e.g., irrationally shooting a customer during a robbery, purposefully aiming a car toward an animal trying to cross the road

4.* Pervasive engagement in anti-social behavior, e.g., lying, cheating, theft, fraud

5.* Impulsive behaviors, e.g., promiscuous sexual behavior, spontaneous crimes

6.* Feelings of entitlement, e.g., strive for positions of authority and power, expectation of special treatment (or claims of unfair treatment)

There are a number of key behaviors that may indicate a suspect has psychopathic tendencies.* The first is the suspect who, upon meeting the investigator, exhibits no fear or anxiety.* Rather, the suspect appears to almost enjoy the challenge of answering questions and does not present any outward symptoms of anxiety or guilt even when caught making an inconsistent or false statement.*

The suspect may engage in testing behavior shortly after meeting the investigator.* This concept comes from con men who would stage certain scenarios to test the gullibility of a potential victim.* Examples of testing behavior may include asking the investigator for a business card, to draw a map showing the best route to the freeway, or simply for the current time.* By engaging in this preemptive behavior, the suspect gains a sense of control during the interview.

Finally, it is not uncommon for psychopaths to falsify their credentials and even impersonate others.* When psychopathy is suspected, the investigator should question the suspect about his background, education, professional licenses and certification.* It may be productive to ask the suspect, "Have you ever pretended to be someone else, where you posed as another person?"

Interviewing The Psychopath   ***********

Because of the psychopath's high level of self confidence, he often believes that he does not need an attorney.* A psychopath is likely to waive his Miranda rights and agree to be interviewed.* During the interview he is easily engaged and appears to be helpful and cooperative.* In reality this "cooperative facade" allows the psychopath to manipulate the investigator with the intent to convince the investigator of his innocence.

The challenge in interviewing a psychopath is that, depending on the degree of psychopathy, the suspect may exhibit minimal behavior symptoms of deception when lying.* This includes the lack of specific nonverbal or paralinguistic behaviors reflecting anxiety, guilt, fear or low confidence.* Similarly, on the verbal level, the psychopath may not reduce anxiety by using memory qualifiers e.g., "to the best of my knowledge."*

In fact, psychopaths often tell bold lies that invite a challenge, e.g.,** "I had nothing to do with this whatsoever.* Iill give you my fingerprints because I know you won't find them at the crime scene."* Later, the investigator finds the suspect's fingerprints all over the crime scene.* Needless to say, when a suspect exhibits psychopathic traits the investigator should not take anything the suspect says at face value.* Rather, the investigator should carefully document the suspects alleged credentials or alibi, obtain exemplars, get blood sample, take fingerprints etc. and check everything out.

The psychopathis weakness is within his attitudes.* During an interview he will come across as unconcerned (inappropriate levity, express leniency toward the guilty party), offer unrealistic assessments of the crime, and express insincere emotions.* The predominant feature is the absence of anxiety or concern that is typically observed from innocent suspects.* Moreover, because psychopaths engage in spontaneous behavior, often there is clear evidence that places them at the crime scene or with the victim.* Of course, when confronted with the evidence, the suspect will have an explanation for the evidence and protest his innocence with a great deal of conviction.

Interrogating the Psychopath

Hard-wired within the psychopathis affected personality is a very high index of suspicion; psychopaths are incapable of fully trusting another human being and believe that everyone only acts in their own best interests.* Consequently, if the investigator attempts to come across as someone who understands the suspects' situation and can sympathize with the suspectis reasons for committing the crime, the investigator will lose credibility.*

Rather, the investigator should use a factual approach to the interrogation.* The investigators' statements should focus on evidence and attacking the suspect's credibility.* The investigator's demeanor should be professional, emotionally detached and confident.* It is rare for a primary psychopath to fully confess his crime.* More often, he will make incriminating statements and ultimately accept a plea bargain from the prosecutor n the psychopath will not fully admit wrong-doing, but may acknowledge that it is in his best interest to plead guilty.

In conclusion, investigators must guard against labeling every suspect who commits a despicable crime or who frequently lies as a psychopath.* While it is true that many people who commit crimes have psychopathic tendencies, certainly not all criminals are primary psychopaths.* Psychopathy occurs on a wide continuum.* Consequently, rather than asking, "Is this suspect a psychopath?" the investigator may be better off asking, " To what extent does this suspect exhibit psychopathic tendencies?"*

The more psychopathic tendencies a suspect exhibits, the less weight should be placed on specific behavior symptoms of truth or deception during the interview.* In fact, the focus of the interview should be to obtain detailed information, about the suspects' alibi, relationship with the victim, financial situation etc., and that information should be verified (or refuted).* The psychopath's guilt is usually revealed by detecting not one big lie, but several little ones.* Also, the interrogation approach should appeal less to the suspectis emotions and more to logic and intellectual arguments.

Credit and Permission Statement: This Investigator Tip was developed by John E. Reid and Associates Inc. Permission is hereby granted to those who wish to share or copy the article. For additional 'tips' visit www.reid.com; select 'Educational Information' and 'Investigator Tip'. Inquiries regarding Investigator Tips should be directed to Janet Finnerty johnreid@htc.net. For more information regarding Reid seminars and training products, contact John E. Reid and Associates, Inc. at 800-255-5747 or www.reid.com

How MMA Can Be Bad for Police Training

    As I make my way across the country I've seen an alarming trend. That trend being that officers are using MMA for DT training. MMA can teach you how to fight no doubt about it over time but it isn't right for what you do. There are huge inherent flaws in this type of training that will give you the wrong training for the wrong situation. Now before you jump my case you should know I've been doing Jujutsu for 34 years and hold a rank of 6th Dan. I trained with some of the earlier UFC fighters from back in the days when it was a tournament. I've worked the corner for US Title fights. I was backstage during some of the earlier UFC's watching guys like Oleg Taktarov, Ken Shamrock, and Fabio Gurgel prep for fights. I've been on the mat with Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, and Helio Soneca. I was an Alabama State Heavyweight Champion in sport jiu-jitsu in 1999. So I'm well aware of what MMA is so keep that in mind.

1. The pace is wrong - As BJ Penn pointed out in his Book of Knowledge. When he first started in MMA he had to learn to pace himself.. MMA was different than street fighting because in street fighting you go balls out you can't pace yourself. MMA teaches you to pace yourself because you don't want to gas out in later rounds just like any other sport. The longer a fight in the street goes on the more the chance exists of you being injured or the situation escalating even further.

2. Requires physical prowess to be effective - MMA fighters are always in great shape which isn't true of alot of officers or at least not on that level. A good defensive tactics program should be able to work for every officer not just certain officers. To use an MMA program as your DT program is short sighted and doesn't take into account the needs of all your officers. Plus at the same time you have officers of different sizes and shapes trying to apply the same tactics which doesn't work. What works for an officer 5'2 doesn't work for an officer 6'4. MMA has weight classes real life does not. Alot of the moves are designed to work only on people the same size as you and you need to be aware of it.

3. Takes too long to become proficient - MMA fighters train there asses off. Some of them work 4 to 6 hours everyday on honing those skills. Your officers do not have that luxury. Even with 4 to 6 hours training a day it takes them months to become proficient. When your officers attend a course they need something that works now not later. What happens if they get attacked now...not later? Plus MMA tends to focus on techniques not concepts. Concepts applied correctly work for everyone....techniques don't.

4. The situation is wrong - MMA fights know who they are going to fight and they know it's only going to be one unarmed person. Your officers will never know any of those things. If you teach an officer a course that tells them to go to the ground on purpose in a violent assault while they are wearing all that gear you might as well help their families pick out a casket ahead of time. It is ignorant and irresponsible to do that. Much less the fact that it could be multiple attackers. MMA fighters know they won't be ambushed in the ring either plus they can always tap if they put themselves in a bad situation....but you can't. Not only is it physically different it is mentally different. They are almost nothing alike.

    These are only 4 examples and I can go on all day on this stuff but I think you see my point. Alot of the things taught in MMA courses can work for some. The tactics themselves aren't the problem I teach some of those same tactics in my courses. The problem is the structure is not conducive to learning quickly and the stuff just isn't right for everyone. Many times the instructors in the courses don't even truly understand the needs of officers and everything that factors into it. In closing when you choose a DT program for your officers please think about these points I've highlighted and make a more educated decision.

How To Stop a Time Bomb

   I wanted to talk with you all today about something that's been rolling in my head for a little while. There's been alot of anger and emotion floating around as of late and it seems to be getting worse. I see alot more cop bashing than what I used to see. I also see alot more cops losing it. Things seem to be building towards something ominous if we don't get a handle in it. We all seem to be losing a little perspective and with emotions at an all time high something is bound to explode.
   First of all I want to talk about anger. Anger is a natural emotion and anyone that says otherwise is delusional, there is nothing wrong with being angry about something. It's very common to want to hurt someone badly. We all have those thoughts no matter if we admit them or not. We all have that tipping point in my experience it seems to be usually caused in some form or other by a lack of respect or perceived lack of respect but that's another article. Sometimes it can get pretty deep and you'll shock yourself but I promise you that you aren't the only one who has had those thoughts its just in our society we seem to be so repressed about everything and deny everything that doesn't conform to some social protocol.
   Years ago I was struggling and decided to get a roommate so I'd could have cheap rent. Seemed like a pretty good idea at the time and the guy seemed easy to get along with so I didn't see a problem. Well after this dude moved in and I got to know this person better...there was a problem. He was one of these wannabe "hustlas" that thought he could bullshit his way out of anything and rip people off. He was incredibly immature and irresponsible for his age. My main beef is that the bills didn't get paid on time but he always had money to party and buy video games. There was always a bullshit excuse that was obviously crap and I was insulted that someone thought I'd believe it. I'd always paid my stuff on time I wasn't going to let this jerk mess up my credit simply because he was an idiot. Over time I found myself getting angrier and angrier and I was always an even tempered person. Even when I worked in the strip clubs bouncing and had to toss a guy I wasn't angry when I did it. It was just another fun part of the job. But I was pissed. I was tired of the excuses. At the same time I was starting a business and beating this guy senseless and putting him in ICU was a charge I didn't need especially if I was going to be training police I had to hold myself to a higher standard. I would sit around sometimes and just think about where and how I was going to take him out. I even picked out a spot in the hall where his body would fall. I thought often about would I just break a finger or his entire arm. For a short time I even thought about after he was beaten so bad he couldn't move I'd cut off part of his tongue so I'd never have to hear him talk again. Even thought about taking pictures of his bruised and battered body and posting it on facebook so others could see him being humiliated.
   Sounds pretty messed up doesn't it? It is but you've probably thought something similar. In the end I realized how crazy that was because this was a worthless insignificant person and I had a future. I always say, "Don't let someone who has nothing to lose take away everything you have to gain." What I decided to do was tell a mutual friend my plan to break his legs knowing he'd go blab it. I told several people actually. They told the guy and scared the hell outta him and he started paying everything on time until I broke the lease and had him kicked out on his ass. Sure it was manipulation but he deserved it and I didn't break a law.
   The point is everyone gets pissed and thinks messed up stuff but there's a big difference between thinking about it and actually doing it. When your a police officer dealing with the public the first trick is you can't personalize anything. You represent a department and you wear a badge you are not the badge. People are going to provoke you all the time and they'll probably be ignorant when they do it. Screaming about a constitution they've never read. Yelling about how they pay your salary. How they know their rights when it's obvious they don't. There's a special place in hell for the ones that do know there rights but don't think anyone else has them. You see some disgusting things that bother you and they should. If you go to a domestic violence call and see a woman beat half to death by some jerk that doesn't care and you aren't upset about it then you need to take a vacation or find another line of work. At the same time you have to have control of your emotions because in the end it isn't about you. When you've lost your humanity you've lost something far more than a job. Being an officer is a hard job very few will ever understand. We see the worst the world has to offer everyday. It's hard to shake it when you clock out which is why police have a very high divorce and suicide rate. Sometimes it's like your a time bomb just waiting to explode. Some people just don't get it. I was on a police site awhile back and was watching a video about an incident in Oakland where it appeared an officer shot a cameraman with a beanbag for the hell of it. Now from my understanding since then there may have been some editing done on that video similar to what was done in the UC Davis incident where protestors attempted to kidnap police and threaten them then edited a video to make it look like  police where pepper spraying "peaceful" protestors for no reason. However you couldn't tell that from the Oakland video at the time. Some of the officers posting on the thread about it didn't sound much different than the protestors that were bashing them. They were saying things like," Those protestors are scumbags they deserve whatever they get kill them all." An friend of mine that retired from the FBI always used to tell me, " Be careful in your pursuit of the monsters lest you become one." These officers posting on that board were well on their way you could tell it was beyond thinking about it. If you allow those dorks to provoke you into becoming just like them then they win. Remember you have to uphold a higher standard. But we all get angry and that isn't as easy as it sounds is it?
   Remember you can't personalize or politicize things. When someone provokes you they aren't provoking you they are trying to provoke an ideal or displace responsibility for something that they've done maybe they are just really ignorant and immature. Do you really want to let a childish idiot beat you? Take your job and damage your department's credibility? That doesn't just hurt you it hurts all good cops because at that moment you are the face of police everywhere and how you behave affects them as well.
   Being a cop may be who you are but it isn't all that you are it isn't the sum of every part of you. You need to find unrelated things to do to keep perspective. If your on all the time it'll drive you nuts. I've already mentioned divorce and suicide rates. If the occupational stress becomes a problem get help don't let it mess up your family as well. Remember when a bomb goes off that bomb is also destroyed and a big enough bomb not only destroys it's target but everything around it. I encourage you to find other things to focus on. Personally I write short stories as well as music. There are times when I'm calling departments  to try to get a course set up and it's like they are delusional or just don't give a damn about officer safety. Usually after about 3 calls I have to take a break and I pick up the guitar by the bed and play a few songs until I feel better then go back at it. Remember these things I've said and remember your not the only one going through them. Continue to be a solution to the problems don't become a part of them

Instructor Fun vs Your Development

    You know I was sitting around with a friend today and we were talking about instructors and how they teach and such. I'd had something on my mind for a few days that had been bugging me and he was a good enough guy to dig it out. There had been a recent incident with another friend at a dojo that he attended and it had been bothering me. I'm sure this has been around a long time but lately I've realized it more and more and I wanted to talk about it in this blog.
    There are too many instructors out there today that care more about having fun for themselves than  actually helping their own students develop. most don't realize they are doing it and they aren't bad people...just unaware. Now my friend likes to go to this dojo and train and they spar all the time. Now before I move on I want to explain something. If you do a sport martial art then sparring is very important. You need to spar and get those reps in the last thing you want is ring rust. However studies in this field shows that if your in it for self defense that too much sparring can be a detriment and harm your development. For example let's say your a Tae Kwon Do guy. If all you do is constantly spar TKD guys then all you have really learned is how to defend yourself against other TKD guys because most likely you won't be attacked that way. The consensus is that scenario based training is much better for self defense regardless of the art. Let's say your a knife guy and you spar the same guy all the time. You pretty much know what he'll do before he does it and at that point it loses relevance. Now the instructor over this dojo knows all this and has been shown the data and knows what he's doing is counter productive but he does it anyway. Now sparring isn't the only example of this issue it's just the first one that came to mind when I sat down. To spar or not or how much is not the point of this article. The point is this guy is supposed to be teaching Jujitsu not kickboxing. So why does he make his students spar so much. Easy.. because he likes to spar and just wants to do it. He punched one of his students on the ear and caused the guy to have to go and have it drained. So I taught the guy how to use a shell better and upturned elbows so he went back and when the instructor tried that crap again he got his hands hurt and couldn't hit the guy he couldn't get past his guard. Guess what he did? Yep he banned his students from using the shell during sparring so he could hit them. This my friends is a shitty instructor.
     This is an example of how some guys like to teach but what they teach isn't always to your benefit and even when they know it they don't care. When it gets down to it they care more about their enjoyment of teaching than they do your learning so you need to beware of these people. When your an instructor it isn't about you. It's about helping and educating others for their benefit not your own. Everyone wants to be a black belt and be an instructor because they think it's prestigious and all that crap. Well...it is if you do it right and have the right attitude. Too many today open dojos just so they'll have training partners it's ridiculous. When your a teacher it's about giving and helping others. Your enjoyment should come from helping your students and see them grow and benefit it isn't about you anymore. If your one of these instructors that's all about your ego and your prestige and seeing your name in magazines please stop teaching because you are probably not doing anyone any good. If you put your students first ironically you'll still end up with all that stuff anyway but you got it the right way. Get over yourself and help someone and be somebody.

Cops: Good or Bad? Can Meditation Tip the Scales

Interesting perceptive from someone who treats officers.

Lisa Wimberger

Considering that Occupy Wall Street has put our nation’s law enforcement ethics on center stage, it seems more relevant now than ever, to address this topic. I am not an officer, but because I consult for many agencies as a stress-management practitioner, I do have the benefit of a unique perspective to offer you.

I am not interested in consensus on whether cops are good or bad.

Admittedly, it’s a loaded question. Those in the profession will defend its honor, and those on the civilian side of its sometimes-misguided force, might say that cops are bad.

I’m interested in giving you an insider’s glimpse into some of the insidious nuances of the profession so that you, too, will never again look at this topic as having a black-and-white answer.

Here is a very basic distillation of some of the most recent statistics in the profession.

• Cops have the highest rate of divorce, alcohol abuse, substance abuse and clinical depression out of any profession.

• One in three cops suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is more than the statistics for the military.

• The life spans of cops are, on average, 10 years shorter than in any other profession.

• A cop’s risk of depression and suicide increases drastically after retirement.

• Four times more cops die from suicide than in the line of duty.

• According to the Badge of Life organization, cops have the next highest rate of suicide after the Marines. With an estimated 450 officer suicides a year, even if that number were reduced by half, that would still mean twice as many officers die from suicide than from felons.

Why is this?

My experience over the last five years of working with law-enforcement agencies has revealed to me a very ailing and desperate industry. Cops see, experience and hear about more traumas on a daily basis than most individuals. Potential and perpetual exposure to theft, domestic abuse, substance abuse, rape, incest, drug trafficking, human trafficking, crimes against children, homicide, serial killing, and mental neglect and disease permeates each and every workday.

As this becomes the norm, a cop is primed to function at a high state of alert at all times.

This mental state is the prime function of the limbic brain. When the limbic brain is active it floods our bodies with adrenaline and cortisol. If an individual doesn’t have an opportunity to discharge these hormones, or have ample time to regulate them (which can take up to 18 hours of rest and sleep), they begin to create a very disturbing physiological and neurological response.

Physiologically, these hormones increase an individual’s predisposition to cardiac arrest, type II diabetes, immune dysfunction, inflammation, cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression and even suicide.

The human body was never meant to sustain excessive daily levels of these hormones. Chronic exposure to these factors neurologically increases the thickness of the cortex in the limbic brain, making the fight-or-flight response stronger and more apt to engage, even erroneously. This also shrinks the prefrontal cortex, reducing one’s ability to feel empathy, see the big picture, creatively problem solve, see things from a different perspective, be creative, have insights and/or experience joy.

With most of our law-enforcement agencies’ money going towards tactical trainings, there’s little time and resources left to address the debilitating stress cycles inherent in the industry.

Most agencies have an Employee Assistance Program, where a psychologist offers confidential treatments. However, I’ve trained over 600 officers – very few of whom have been willing to even talk to a psychologist. Typically, this is viewed as a weakness and job risk to admit vulnerability and the need for help. Many cops would rather not talk about it at all, than risk being labeled as weak. So, this service often goes unused, even as suicide rates increase.

We have an industry that breeds a masculine façade who then has to deal with the civilian expectation that they should perform above and beyond any ethical reproach. Within 10 years on the force, a typical cop can go from being an idealistic person who believes they can make a positive change in the world, to a cynical, jaded, depressed and broken individual who’s encouraged to hide their emotions, bury their fears, and slowly recede into a shell.

PTSD is a debilitating disease if untreated. Individuals under the best care often struggle with this disease. Cops perceive they don’t have the luxury to seek treatment.

So many of our nation’s law-enforcement agents are walking time-bombs, which are made worse by the constant pressure to meet our highest expectations.

Mindfulness and meditation has the potential to change all of that. The meditation techniques I teach to law-enforcement agencies seem to be a way around this dilemma. They give officers preventative techniques to help mitigate some of their debilitating cycles. Cops who devote regular and consistent time to practicing the techniques are able to identify patterns attributed to their limbic brain, and renegotiate their responses. The result of overriding the limbic brain is nothing short of miraculous.

Black-and-white thinking opens up to new possibilities as the prefrontal cortex becomes active. States of happiness and joy become accessible. Individuals begin to think outside of the box to find new solutions or approaches to life. As the prefrontal cortex strengthens, individuals develop the ability to override biases and prejudices, which are typically hardwired in to the limbic system. Empathy takes center stage once the limbic brain is quieted. What could the industry culture be like if all agencies offered these types of preventative well-being services to their officers? Would we see a type of officer emerge?

I have seen cops break down in tears as they’ve told me that nothing is what they hoped it would be. I have heard personal tales of drunken cops with loaded guns, waiting with their fingers on the trigger for their spouse to get home. I have witnessed high levels of trauma turn good-hearted men and women into callous and confused masochists. I have watched cops alienate themselves from their families, friends and society as they slip into downward spirals of depression. In those moments, the very question of whether they’re good or bad seems preposterous.

What would I be like if that were my reality? What would you be like if that were your reality?

There are some that sail through their careers unscathed, content, fulfilled and heroic. I know some of them and they are a rare breed. But for the most part, they are individuals lost in a thick mire of our society’s darkest forces.

My stomach turns when I hear about:

• Stories of excessive police abuse against innocent people…

• Stories of civilians wrongfully treated…

• Tales of the deviants a cop must deal with when investigating child homicides…

• Stories of graphic suicides…

• Stories of teenagers wrongfully killed…

And because of this, I no longer can separate cop from civilian, or “us” from “them.”

Albert Einstein said that it was our sacred human responsibility to help where we can. I think he meant that for all of us.

As I continue my life’s work to teach neuro-sculpting and meditation to those in need, I cannot draw a line in the sand and stand on one side of it. I often find myself walking a tightrope between worlds that outwardly seem conflicting. I am committed to looking at individuals as mirrors, regardless of their ideologies, political beliefs, economic status or religious affiliation. When I take this view, then I can’t answer the question of whether cops are good or bad. I can only notice individuals in pain who need help.

How different would our lives be if we could truly put ourselves in one another’s shoes?

I leave you with my mantra: We are the storytellers and this life is our story.

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Lisa Wimberger holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Stonybrook, NY. She is a certified MBTI consultant and a private healing and psychic practitioner, teaching clients who suffer from stress disorders. Lisa studied Ascension training for four years with Ishaya monks. She completed two and a half years of psychic awareness training at ICI, applying the tools of the Berkeley Psychic Institute. She spent a year and a half in post-graduate studies and is certified in the Foundations of Neuro Leadership. Feel free to tell her your story and visit her website to learn more about how these techniques are targeted to First Responders.

Lisa is the Founder of the Trance Personnel Consulting Group. Lisa has created and facilitated leadership trainings for executive teams in Fortune 500 companies, the Colorado State Department and worked individually with international management. She has created and facilitated Emotional Survival programs for Colorado Law Enforcement Agencies and peer counsel groups. Over the last two years, 500 police officers have attended her workshops. Lisa writes for CopsAlive and partners with the Law Enforcement Survival Institute. Additionally, Lisa’s services are sought on a national level by individuals in law enforcement looking to find a new way to navigate through their stress patterns. Lisa is a member of the National Center for Crisis Management and ILEETA (International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association