What martial arts training has taught me as a Police Officer

Practical Budo Blog – writing about the application of martial arts for contemporary military and law enforcement.  So what has martial arts training taught me as a Police Officer?

Recently I have been working the deep end of the use of force continuum with a couple of different groups.  Up to and including justifiably ending (euphemism for taking the life of) the threat with empty hand skills.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not teaching civilians the gentle art of murder.  I’m not too dangerous to be allowed into the United Kingdom J.  However, there are times when the only way professionals can protect them selves or others from death or great bodily harm is to end the life of the threat.  Also, there may be instances like that where the only means the professional has to end the threat are their hands or what ever weapons they can improvise in time to stop the threat.

I enjoy this class because it re-enforces the werewolf I've discussed previously on this blog.  What I mean by that is smaller stature men, and petite female professionals who have said things to me like – I could never take you in a fight see that yes, that may be true so don’t fucking fight me hunt me and if necessary kill me.

It’s fun to see confidence rise because they could end someone with their hands fairly easily should they have to

It’s scary because even with my training and experience these relatively untrained people could end me with their hands fairly easily should they have to

So what has martial arts training taught me as a Police Officer?

Just how vulnerable I am, just how vulnerable we all are as human beings.

When you look into the abyss the abyss looks back into you.

When you learn how to hurt someone, you learn how easily you can be hurt

The opposite is also true.  If you don’t know how to hurt someone, you don’t realize how vulnerable you are.

Here is an example from a recent incident in Colorado.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21987190/man-who-nearly-severed-auraria-cops-finger-samurai

Man who nearly severed Auraria cop's finger with samurai sword identified

The Denver Post

Police investigate the scene of an officer-involved shooting involving a sword-wielding man on the Auraria Campus in Denver, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post)

A man who was fatally shot by an Auraria Campus police officer, after allegedly attacking the cop with a samurai-style sword near the Tivoli Student Center, has been identified.

Jeffrey Albert Musick, 38, died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner.

Musick was taken to a local hospital on Saturday after being shot near Ninth and Walnut streets on the Auraria Campus. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, the coroner's office said.

The officer confronted Musick, who was wielding a sword in a crosswalk near the Tivoli building, Denver police said.

According to police reports, Musick swung his sword at the police officer, nearly lopping off one of the cop's fingers and the officer opened fire. The officer, who still has not been identified, was released from a local hospital on Sunday.

Musick has an arrest record in the state, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, including a 1999 unlawful carry concealed weapon charge in which he pleaded guilty. In the 1999 case, out of Littleton, Musick was carrying nunchaku, another traditional Asian fighting weapon.

In 2011, Musick was convicted of obstruction of a peace officer in Lakewood and he was sentenced to 59 days in jail. Also in 2011, Musick was arrested in on suspicion of felony assault and menacing with a deadly weapon. The disposition of the 2011 assault case was not readily available.

Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kierannicholson

Follow this link for a news clip

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/12/15114938-denver-cop-fatally-shoots-man-wielding-samurai-sword?lite

A suspect carrying a Samurai sword on the campus of Metropolitan State University of Denver was shot and killed after allegedly attacking a police officer. KUSA's Raquel Villanueva reports.

By NBC News staff

A man wielding a Samurai sword at a college campus in Colorado was shot and killed after allegedly attacking a police officer over the weekend, authorities said.

Both the suspect and police officer, who have not been identified, were rushed to the hospital Saturday following the confrontation on the Auraria campus of Metropolitan State University, Denver Police Spokesperson Raquel Lopez told the Denver Post.

The suspect was pronounced dead, and the officer was critically injured.

“His finger was almost severed,” Lopez said.

Auraria police were called to the campus near the Tivoli Student Center at 5:54 a.m. Saturday, Denver Fire Department Spokesman Lt. Phil Champagne told the Post.

Lopez said a caller phoned the police station and said, "'Hey, there’s a guy out there with a sword.’ Anytime you see someone walking around with a sword and swinging it around, you want to take precautions.”

The campus police officer confronted the sword-wielding man in a crosswalk near the front of the student center, Lopez said. The man did not obey orders and swung the sword, nearly lopping the officer’s finger off. The officer then shot the man, Lopez said.

It was not yet known whether the man was a student at the university.

Denver Police are still investigating the shooting, Lopez said.

Insert my standard disclaimer here.  I was not there.  My only source of information is from the news media which I have learned to take with a large grain of salt.  I do not second guess officers in the field from the comfort of my keyboard days later and thousands of miles away from danger.

Having said all of that, the reason I posted the story is not to judge, but so that we can learn from it.

So as I have mentioned, recently I have been working the deep end of the use of force continuum.  Any time you train people to use force you have an obligation to inform them when the use of force is justified (and when it is not).

To do that I like to use the acronym IMOP

I - Intent

M - Means

O - Opportunity

P – Preclusion (For those with out a duty to act)

I – Intent

n      Intent is the desire to do something bad, e.g. harm the officer, self or a third party; break a law; or refuse to comply with a lawful order.

n      We are very good at reading intent but many officers are very poor at articulating intent. 

I have walked through college campuses with a Katana (Samurai Sword).  It was in a nice nondescript bag and I was on my way to Kenjutsu class.  I had no intent to hurt anyone.  Jeffrey Albert Musick wasn’t on his way to Kenjutsu class.  He was waiving his sword around and acting in such a way that students were afraid and called the police.  Musick was showing intent.

M – Means

n      The threat must have the ability to carry out intent.

n       A person threatening to shoot you must have a gun to be an immediate threat, for instance.

n       A two-year old in a tantrum has pure intent but is not big or strong enough to have the means.

Clearly the sword provided Musick the means.

O – Opportunity

• The threat must be able to reach you with the means.

The officer’s severed finger can attest to the fact that Musick was able to reach the officer with the means

P – Preclusion (For those with out a duty to act)

• Do I need to engage?
• Is it safe to just leave?

Preclusion means if you don’t have to be there get the fuck out of there.  Run to safety! 

However, just like the girl in the news clip said “someone has to do it”.  Shit happens, and who ya gonna call?  Officers can’t run to safety.  They provide that safety for others.  They have to run to the danger.  They have a duty to act so preclusion does not apply.

When force is justified - use force and end the confrontation quickly.

How many cops need to get maimed to learn this lesson?

Did the Officer get close enough to lose a finger to a katana because swords are a joke?

I’m sorry this Officer was injured.  But anyone who has ever practiced tameshigeri knows just how lucky that officer is to still be alive.

When you learn how to hurt someone, you learn how easily you can be hurt

The opposite is also true.  If you don’t know how to hurt someone, you don’t realize how vulnerable you are.

I also feel that too many cops being praised for bad, up to suicidal tactics if they are lucky enough that the subject is eventually talked down.

The flip side is too many cops being crucified for good tactics if the subject has to be controlled by other means.

Training in martial arts, hell even a gun, badge, and armor doesn’t give you magical protection you are just as vulnerable as any other mammal on the planet.  Even more so because you run towards the danger the smart people run away from.

 

Hisako Ichiki is a teenage mutant from Japan that studied at the Xavier Institute before becoming an X-Man. Her mutant power allows her to create psionic "armor", giving her enhanced strength and durability. She is currently enrolled at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

As “bad ass” as your training might make you feel you don’t have psionic armor

Nor can you turn your skin into organic Steele

 

So what has martial arts training taught me as a Police Officer?

Just how vulnerable we all are as human beings

Know that, own that, use that knowledge to better articulate why you used force that you did, and  not only why lower levels of force wouldn't have worked, but how they would have put you and others at risk.

When force is justified - use force and end the confrontation quickly.

Lastly I’ll leave you with this quote from Josey Wales

Train hard, Train smart, Be safe