Reality based… Knife Defense Training for Military/Police classes (PART-1)

Author: Odhinn  Kohout

   

 

A term that I constantly hear regarding knife defense training is “create space.”

To many students this has almost no context and has become a mantra repeated over and over instead of addressing the problem head on. I tell my own classes that if I need to tell you to get away from an attacker who is attempting to stab/slash you, then training may be the least of your concerns.

What if…there is no space?

What if… you are pinned up against a wall or wedged between furniture in a cramped apartment?

I can come up with a myriad of example but it is a moot point. You knife training MUST incorporate the seemingly hopeless situation of restricted surroundings when facing the blade.

Military/Police self-defense should be geared toward the worst possible situation that you can dream up and NOT the everyday mundane aspects of your job.

 One of PRATT’s learning theories DEVELOPMENTAL-develop a more sophisticated cognitive mindset as it relates to the content, readily applies to this subject matter and should be incorporated.

I use hostage situations as a basis for one component of my programs because they could happen and are difficult to solve. Trapping your students and jamming a steel training knife against the skin on their throat gets their heart rates up and forces them to remember what you have taught them under stress. It is incumbent on you as an Instructor to set the pace for your students and challenge their thinking. This thinking “outside the box” or abstract conceptualization will make training much more enjoyable for your Officers as they will feel that you are trying to provide them with practical solutions to real dangers that they may have to face.

One easy change that you can make to improve your next teaching session is to replace your black rubber training knives or red plastic ones with a realistic metal training knife. The last time I checked, there were no in-line-of-duty service deaths to our Officers with “colored plastic” knives as the weapon.

Over the course of training when your students become accustomed to working with a shiny metallic knife you are assisting them in creating realistic skill-sets and a cognitive mindset which can be called upon under extreme stress. I there more of a safety aspect to consider when training with a metal object? Yes, but there is more of a consequence when an Officer is ill prepared both mentally and physically and the attack is a real one.

Special Operations are constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to training and this mindset can successfully be used regardless of class. If you do not provide stress inoculation in your training program then you should have no illusions that the tactics that you are teaching have little chance of being successful when your students may need them the most

Teaching and helping Adults with Learning Disabilities (PART 3)

Author: Odhinn Kohout

Excerpt from:

Curtis Rush (Police Reporter) Toronto Star Wed Oct 24/2012

“Ontario Ombudsman André Marin has slammed the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services for being “reluctant” to acknowledge and take action to support police officers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, likening the response to a “bureaucratic brush-off.”

Severe Organizational problems that appear with your students can literally hold back their advancement or result in constant disciplinary actions. I take this very seriously at the cadet/recruit level as it shows a lack of respect for the organization they have been hired by and the course Instructor.

In the event that regardless of how many pushups the student performs or warnings about impending suspensions and this behavior continues, there is evidence to support a probable organizational LD. Punitive measures must not be instituted and the student will require not only your understanding but also your help.

In a very well documented and supported study from “The Royal College of Psychiatrists” (Anxiety disorders in people with learning disabilities) provides clinical documentation of varying levels of anxiety that often accompanies learning disabilities.

I have added an excerpt from this article;

“Physiological manifestations Include: dry mouth, difficulty in swallowing, flushing, sweating, pallor, palpitations, tremor, hyperventilation, chest pain/tightness, headache, backache, fatigue, muscle tension, diarrhea, increased urinary frequency, paraesthesia, heightened startled response and insomnia. Avoidance is a common behavioral manifestation of anxiety.”

There is enough pressure on our Military/Police personnel without adding chronic anxiety to the mix. This should be apparent that assistance given to the student with an LD early on with pay dividends at a later date.

Reinforcement Strategies:

·         Poor sense of direction /easily lost or confused -this is no joking matter in the Military/Police world and could have tragic consequences regarding health and safety both to the general public, and fellow Officers

(GPS is now a standard feature in most Police Dept’s patrol vehicles. Training that is provided is extensive and this use of assistive technology would be a great asset to the person with an LD.

·         Performs poorly comparative to overall class results on timed tests

(Offer alternative types of testing I.E. oral, supplement your courses with pre-test class exercises both written and discussion based to help prepare the student and lower anxiety.

·         Cannot organize an itinerary for class scheduling

(Assist by providing handout with a full course outline including due dates for each assignment and other testing)

Anxiety and Stress Ramifications:

Leaving anxiety unchecked and allowing dangerous levels of stress to continually build is something that has only recently come to light in recent years. ABC News reporter “Kristina Wong” in her article “Military Losing the Battle Against Suicide” posted some frightening data.

“Between 2005 to 2010, a U.S. service member took his or her own life every 36 hours…”

I could not find any published statistical suicide data studies for persons with an LD directly but…

 In a study entitled “Patterns of Change and Predictors of Success in Individuals with Learning Disabilities: Results from a Twenty-Year Longitudinal Study” by authors Marshall H. Raskind, Roberta J. Goldberg, Eleanor L. Higgins, and Kenneth L. Herman” points to a very high percentage of persons who are incarcerated HAVE some sort of LD.

I hope that you are of the realization that this is only scratching the surface of the problems these persons face, and that they may be in your next class.

 Teaching Adults with Learning Disabilities (PART 2)

Author: Odhinn Kohout

One strategy is to assist those students in your class who may have some degree of visual LD. Up to this point you may have noticed different media being used in this PDF to facilitate learning. This is one type of alternative approach to delivering course material which you can use.

 Being able to properly visually interpret information is crucial in both Military/Police training and in the field. If we look at firearm training as an example, students in your class may have 20/20 vision and yet struggle with spatial problems or sequences (the order in which to acquire, multiple targets) on the firing range. One solution I am recommending is to do some research on targets which can be used to assist an Officer with a visual LD experiencing some difficulties shooting a weapon accurately.

 In “Abigail Marshall’s “article (Brain Scans Show Dyslexics Read Better with Alternative Strategies) it has been shown that individuals suffering from dyslexia show marked levels of improvement when blending together a variety of teaching strategies

Here are some exercises which I designed to illustrate alternate methods of testing your students on pistol accuracy:

·         Call out shapes ; “Acquire and shoot two triangles on the target”

·         Sequencing; “In order; Acquire and shoot a square, circle, and triangle on either side or center of the target”

·         Numbering; “Acquire and shoot the number 4 and the number 2

·         Shading; “Acquire and shoot ONLY the shaded squares”

·         Combinations; “Acquire and shoot a triangle, the number 3 and a circle

If you notice I gave the students a lot of freedom to pick different sides and locations of their own choosing.

Why? In order to use “alternative strategies” to help them learn, and not to be so stringent as to raise their anxiety. Remember that this course was created to help your students become more comfortable and not only attain their own personal goals, but to reach the desired proficiency level as defined by your Agency and or Provincial standard.

Question: What are the added benefits that this target configuration and exercises brings to the rest of your class?

·         Adds variety instead of static exercises

·         Can be made to be very challenging

Is it not enough to affect physical change to the environment of your student with a visual LD. In the article “Helping Dyslexic Students Succeed” (teachingtoday.glencoe.com) there are some great follow up strategies that will assist you in building up the confidence of your students especially those with LD (visual in this study).

• Praise and commend often.
• Help students to see their strengths.
• Provide opportunities to increase confidence.
• Do not tell students that they are not trying hard enough.

Once a visual LD has been identified, let’s look at some solutions to the previous examples:

§  Has difficulty keeping up with the class regarding reading materials

(Provide notes of your course material to the class)

§  Poor note taking

(Record lectures on CD or email these as MP3 files to students)

§  Remembering images that have been presented during class is difficult

(If the certain images I.E. Equipment can be reinforced with the real object it will provide a “tactile” alternative strategy for retention. You could also provide aspects of your curriculum in PDF format with embedded video links (assistive technology)

 Teaching Adult Learners with mild learning disabilities (PART 1)


Author: Odhinn Kohout

Illustration: Odhinn Kohout

 

We will begin by focusing on the Cognitive Process and see the connection and importance of learning, retention, and absorption in a critical incident of life/death. For the purposes of this course, only two of the terms on this chart will be examined as they are crucial to the topic of LDs (Learning Disabilities) for Military/Police personnel.

These terms are credited to Abraham Maslow (Author and American professor of psychology) and although not as well known as his “Needs Hierarchy” theories, I feel they are a catalyst to explaining an Officer’s actions in a time of crisis. This chart will also offer you as an Instructor some assistance in connecting the material which you are teaching in law enforcement and ensuring that your students with an LD are able to comprehend this, as their lives, or those of their partners may depend on it.

Unconscious competence is the ability to access information or a pre- learned skill-set without extensive cognitive processes. An example of this in the civilian world would be tying a shoe. In your Agencies training this may run the gambit of drawing a firearm to defensive tactics.

Unconscious incompetence would be the brain NOT being able to recall any relevant information at the time of critical incident (I do not know, what I do not know) and by default, cause the body to enter a state of elevated heat-rate (sympathetic nervous system) and fear caused by this autonomic response.

Your previous training as Instructors have prepared you for stress inoculated training as it related to an Officer’s performance.

Question: 1. How does this relate to your current methods of teaching?

                   2. Can you recall a time on the job when you could not remember your training at a crucial moment?

Take a few minutes and make some brief notes in answering these questions.

You already know the responsibility you have to your students as their Instructor. To young recruits you take on the dual role of being a mentor and someone who sets the tone for day of learning. By understanding the importance of the unconscious competence/ incompetence relationship you will see the necessity of why all your students need to understand what it is you are teaching them. Unlike other jobs, front line responders need to have the ability to think under stress and react appropriately.

This first flowchart was created to show the totality of your teaching methodologies. You cannot skip this step and proceed to actual strategies for your students with an LD if you do not understand it. This is not from an academic standpoint but one of practical application so that your role is not understated in your mind. The end goal should be not to have your students “think” that they know your program but to see measureable results proving this, as you observe them reproducing and practicing the curriculum under YOUR supervision.