| Testimonies |
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Being a Police Chief and Defensive Tactics Instructor in a small central Nebraska town, I have always felt it vitally important that an officer be able to defend him/herself quite proficiently as at times there may be only one officer working and hence, a delay in getting assistance. As such, I have dedicated much of the past 10 years into improving my and my subordinates skills in the defensive tactics arena. My background, personally and professionally, includes training and actual experience in boxing, wrestling, american and mui thai kickboxing, vale tudo fights, brazilian jiu jitsu and certifications as a PPCT Insructor, Side Handle Baton and Impact Weapon Instructor and Tactical Ground Fighting Instructor. I have always been on the lookout for ways to improve upon my knowledge base and after conferring with several other DT Instructors in Nebraska, I opted to attend the Defensive Tactics Instructor Course at the Regional Training Center in Sioux City, IA. Ken Good was facilitating the instruction in PCR, a totally new concept that I truly didn't know much about before attending the training. For the first two days, I was completely befuddled by the concepts and principles that Ken and Drew were trying to get across to me and the others attending. I had always leaned toward the school of being faster and stronger than my opponent and simply overpowering him/her by strength and technique as quickly and as suddenly as possible. Concomitantly, this means that inevitably there would be someone who was faster and stronger than I, and certainly there would come a time when there was more than one opponent I would be facing. The PCR course I attended was so different from my ingrained beliefs that I had great difficulty sleeping the first two nights of the class as it went against much of what I believed to be true. Although I had problems absorbing the principles those first two days, about half way through day three, I began garnering the concepts that I was there to learn. Inevitably, there will be someone faster and stronger, and additionally there will come a time and place where I (or someone I train) am confronted by multiple assailants. The class was presented in a logical fashion, and it showed me a new way of working and training. I cannot thank Ken and Drew enough for sticking with me as I had that "ah ha" experience and things really started clicking. I can without hesitation state that this type of training should be a staple of each Defensive Tactics Instructor's arsenal. Relax, and fight smarter, not harder. A great concept that after a changing of my own paradigms, I'm sure will be a mainstay of my Instruction. Thank you, Ken, for enhancing my base of knowledge and giving me another set of tools for my toolbox. My deeply entrenched beliefs have been shaken, but it ultimately will help me be nothing but better in my instruction. I look forward to attending any additional classes that Strategos might present in my area as I undoubtedly will be attending, and I again recommend it to all DT Instructors and officers as well. God's Blessings. Mark A. Powell Sr. |
| I think I have attended at last count, 5 or 6 of your courses courses. All courses emphasized some sort of suspect control training. The technique that has been most beneficial for me is the basic head tip. The best thing about this technique was that it was almost effortless. I've used it in numerous situations and it has always worked as advertised. There are two situations that immediately come to mind: #1 Bar Fight: I arrive, put light in suspect's face, move in and utilize head tip from the side. There was absolutely no resistance from the suspect as he quickly went from vertical to horizontal position. Impacted the ground with enough force to stun suspect. This made control and handcuffing of suspect easy. Suspect later informed me that he did not know what happened after the "bright light" was put in his eyes, only that he hit the ground and was taken into custody. Suspect was fairly intoxicated at time of contact, resulting in his refusal to obey verbal commands. #2 Domestic Violence Assault: Two officers move in to handcuff suspect, who is talking to third officer. Suspect hears officer behind him snap the handcuff case as officer takes cuffs out. Suspect immediately tenses up. Cuffing officer grabs right hand and attempts to handcuff. Suspect begins shaking officer around like rag doll. Officer two grabs left arm, attempts to apply some sort of finger lock. Suspect laughs at him as he pulls hand away. We now have three folks struggling on a third floor landing of an apartment complex. Needless to say, space is limited. I was inside the apartment speaking with the victim when the fight began. I come outside and see both officers getting tossed around as they try to hang onto suspect's arms and hands. Third officer, that was outside initially is some what blocked on the stairwell by the other officers and is having a hard time getting into the fight. I'm able to move up the middle and use a frontal head tip. Again, this technique works well but due to space issues, we don't go straight to the ground. Instead, suspect strikes head on neighbors door. This works out alright as it stuns suspect enough to reapply head tip, this time taking him all the way to the ground. The only other problem I encountered was that the two other officers were still trying to hold on to the suspect. This minimized the impact onto the landing but it still worked well enough to take suspect into custody without officers or suspect sustaining any injuries. These techniques are principle based, easy to learn and easy to apply. All my officers have been shown the basic head tipping drills and have utilized them on numerous occasions. In closing, I whole heatedly support the information that Ken has been putting out regarding suspect contact and control issues. I highly recommend that any officer interested in improving their defensive tactics skills attend any of the upcoming courses offered. Respectfully submitted, Sgt. Eric Hamry |
Ken, I have been a police officer for nearly 17 years and teaching law enforcement officers and police recruits in the area of defensive tactics for nearly 13 years. I have held the qualifications of "National Trainer", "Instructor-Trainer", "Staff Instructor", and "Master Instructor" in several disciplines of law enforcement training and have assisted instructing at international conferences such as the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers and military personnel prior their deployment overseas. I have attempted to approach training as a "street officer" and have found that although the techniques taught in a controlled, static environment for a short period of time appear to be effective within that sterile environment, they do not provide the street officer with the required skills to effectively protect themselves let alone take resistive subjects into custody. Many of these skills require too many steps to learn the techniques, take too long or worse yet, are not applicable to the "real" street setting. I do believe however, that each of the systems that I have taught at one time or another were the best available at that time. The reality is, we can not hold onto something because "that's the way we always have done it", but must look at the ever evolving world of law enforcement and even in the area of subject control must evaluate what we teach, and whether or not it is the correct tool for the "street officer". Since becoming associated with you, your staff and organization I have found that the courses taught regarding subject control are not only effective, easy to teach and learn, but actually step from the paradigm of the traditional police training and provide a simplistic approach to realistic encounters for the officer. It is for this reason that I am sending you this letter. I have been teaching, and demonstrating your techniques for nearly two years. I have found that these techniques are at the forefront of police training. Every officer that I have taught your system to has walked away with confidence of being able to do the techniques and remain calm. I continue to look forward to being associated with you and your staff and growing to a more competent level in this system. Sincerely, Steve Decker |
Dear Ken, This is a letter to thank you for the "eye opening" experience that I was made aware of through your course. For the last (20) years, from the time I started in martial arts, to my career in the Marine Corps, to the personal security details that I have done as a civilian contractor and in training of law enforcement officers, the training techniques that your staff has shown me have totally opened a new door and provided me with a new sense of capabilities and confidence. Taking the aggressive nature of personal protection and law enforcement training, and turning it into a system that magnifies "a total sense of aware-ness and confidence to take, and maintain, control of a violent situation with as little exertion of personal energy possible", has basically redesigned my personal training system. When dealing with law enforcement agencies, as an instructor, "liability" is a term that often restricts certain types of training. With all of the techniques that I have now learned, more than effective techniques have now been "even more refined" to take the "adrenalin level" attained in a combative situation to a now manageable level, "for the officer", which has the most to loose in this type of violent situation. Thank you for the opportunity to train with you and I hope to attend future classes that are put on by the your staff. Victor J. DeMicco |