Officers get black belts

[Ceicei]

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[font=Georgia,Verdana] Twelve officers who work as gang detectives and on the SWAT team received black belts this past week in Dong Yong Do, a Korean martial art that was modified for police work by Master Dong Jin Kim. He volunteered three to four hours a week for the past 18 months with the officers. Kim also teaches martial arts to the Utah National Guard 19th Special Forces.

[/font][font=Georgia,Verdana][/font][font=Georgia,Verdana]See the rest of the article: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595055375,00.html
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[KenpoTex]

Thanks for posting this, it's always nice to hear that the officer's are getting more training. However, I think that the publicity that this has generated could have a negative impact future "use of force" situations. In other words, from now on, every time an officer has to use a level of force that exceeds empty hand techniques everyone is going to whining and saying "he/she should have just used his/her M.A. training...he didn't have to shoot/hit/stun..." or whatever. You can see that sentiment expressed by the mother of the "gun-grabber" that the article mentions. "No matter if it was justified or not, I really think the important thing is to respect other people's (lives)," she said. "I understand people lose control, but with training — not only martial arts, but psychology in approaching other(s) — they'll react in a different manner." I'd like to know how else they could have reacted. Granted, better hand-to-hand training might have helped the officer retain his weapon but once the guy grabbed it, the bullet in the head was justified. Based on the information presented in the article I don't think the officers "lost control," I'd have shot the guy too.

Oh well, at least it sounds like they're getting some good training.

 

[theletch1]

Every school I have attended has had at least a couple of folks in the LE field as students. I've talked to these guys and been appalled (sp) at the lack of empty hand training that most officers recieve. The county that I live in does a rudimentary h2h class at the academy and offers a once a month 1 hour class to "touch up" those skills once on the job. So many officers are forced to attend classes in the civilian world for self defense that it's not even funny. Once they learn techniques they have to be very careful what they use for fear of repercussions of excessive force with empty hands. I'm well aware that there are officers out there with less than savory intentions but if an officer orders compliance in a situation and I resist, I expect to get my butt whooped.

 

[Rick Wade]

I live in Honolulu, Hawaii. There is a man here named Bobby Lowe he was the fifth person in the United States to receive his Black Belt even before Ed Parker. He then broke off from William Chow and studied under Mas Oyama in Japan. He is the Chief of Police and also has a dojo here. He is one OLD TOUGH COOKIE. I am 35 and wouldn't want any problems with him.

Thanks

 

[MA-Caver]

From all the various Martial Arts that I've (studied) and read about I have the opinion that either Hapkido which combines joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and strikes for practical self-defense. More soft than hard and more internal than external, but elements of each are included. Emphasizes circular motion, non-resistive movements, and control of the opponent.or Aikido which emphasizes evasion and circular/spiral redirection of an attacker's aggressive force into throws, pins, and immobilizations as a primary strategy rather than punches and kicks.
The idea is to immobilize the "suspect" so that they can be cuffed and detained.
I'm sure that empty hand and many other MA are as effective in subduing a suspect but those two (to me (and it's just MY opinon)) would be the most effective for the purpose of taking down a (resisting) suspect.

But yes any LE or individual which has to come into "physical" contact with another person who may or may not react violently should have a good base training in self-defense or MA as a whole.

 

[KenpoTex]

MACaver, most police departments do teach a system based on either Aikido or Hapkido. For example, Here in Missouri (and in many other places) they use a system called Pressure Point Control Techniques (P.P.C.T.) which, I believe, was designed by a man who studied Hapkido. And yes, the goal is to restrain and control rather than to injure. I think that they should receive more training than they do including training on techniques/methods that do not just restrain/control for those situations where more force is needed. Unfortunately, like Letch said, they have to be extremely careful so some dumba$$ doesn't sue them over it...let me rephrase that, they get sued all the time, they just have to make sure they didn't do anything that would actually cause them to be held liable for doing the same thing to the scumbag that he/she was trying to do to them.