I recently came across a video put out by the folks at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy and their YouTube channel, GracieBreakdown. It was thought-provoking for myriad reasons, but the most important one is this:
Train on transitioning to firearm — and the other tools on your belt — from the supine position.
I’m not a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighter, and what’s being instructed in the below video is NOT the core message of this tip.
In fact, I’m in no way advocating for the tactics in the video. Unless you’re a serious martial artist, I’d suggest that the specific tactical instruction in the video is the LAST THING you need to take away from this video (if you’re a badass-mo-fo in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, then by all means, okay, go get ‘em).
What I want you to take away from this video is the knowledge that a great many street fights end up with the good guy (or gal) being on his (her) back, in a position of serious disadvantage, and that we need to incorporate into our training this potential outcome.
I’ve been very fortunate in that some of my live-fire training has been conducted on my back, shooting from the ground in a simulation of the type of fight in the video below. Further, using an inert “Blue Gun” in a sterile environment, I’ve worked the problem of drawing while under physical attack of a training partner.
Consult with the training cadre in your agency and determine with them the changes — if any are needed — to adopt in your DT/CQC drills. Ensure that policy questions which may arise in that process are fully addressed.
In the process of writing up this tip, I asked two of my Police1 friends and colleagues, Dan Marcou and Duane Wolfe — who I know to be serious martial artists — to share their impressions on this topic as well. I’ve pasted their thoughts below the video. Add yours in the comments area. As always, stay safe out there my friends.
GracieBreakdown
Dan Marcou
I have trained in and taught ground control and ground fighting for many years. I would have to say when a subject aggressively resisted me during my career, most of these struggles ended up on the ground, where I felt comfortable that I had the skills to win and did.
Many departments — and even individual officers — are loath to train in ground control and ground fighting. This incident shows ground control and ground fighting is an inevitability in law enforcement. In spite of this, very few officers train regularly in developing ground control and ground fighting skills. If your department doesn’t train in these skills now is as good a time as any to start.
Duane Wolfe
A ground-and-pound position allows the suspect above the officer to hit with four to eight times the power they can hit with when standing up, because the officer has no way to roll with the punches to get away from the force. Officers need to understand this when dealing with ground assaults. Martial arts techniques work great, for martial artists, people who train diligently, and daily for years.
According to Graham v. Connor officers can use whatever force is reasonable. When you are on the ground being hit or being threatened with be hit in the head, a blow that can result in broken bones, unconsciousness and brain damage and the obvious level of threat is deadly force, officers should be prepared to use deadly force in those situations.
They must be prepared when justified to use whatever tools, hands, feet, elbows, knees, teeth. Have you trained to strike or gouge into the throat, ear and eye to defeat a deadly-force threat.
Officers should also know how to utilize their tool belt in a deadly-force scenario. A baton in a collapsed position can be used to strike with as well as an OC container, radio or handcuffs. A TASER shot into the eye can also be used.
The important question is: are you trained to do that? Can you access your knife and use it. I know some officers who carry three knives, one low, one at midline and one high to be able to access it regardless of the position of the fight.
Consider your current ground assault tactics and ask yourself, if you were to open the rule book for the sport it comes from does it follow the rules of the sport? If it does the tactics are not designed to be used in a deadly force situation, let alone most police use of force scenarios, which a ground assault can be, and you are ill-trained to respond.
Effective police training and programs teach officers to respond at all levels of force for ALL levels of resistance. Jujitsu, and any other martial art, may work well for officers who continually train and practice, but the average police officer doesn’t and won’t.
