ABSTRACT
In discussions with defensive tactics (DT) instructors from various agencies, I was told an average of four students per academy class are injured during DT training and the injuries are serious enough to warrant surgery. This is unacceptable and is an indicator program revisions are needed. The training activities leading to these injuries need to be identified and evaluated. Prior to any DT session, the instructor should discuss the absolute need for strict adherence to all safety rules. Not only is it just being nice to ensure you are not injuring your training partner, but it is also common sense. As a DT instructor with the FBI, I was constantly imploring agents to start slowly at first and increase speed gradually. The older agents had no problem with this concept. In fact, some of the older agents started so slowly it almost looked as if they weren’t participating at all. And I must say, even if some of the old dogs were horrible at DT, they never had any injuries. The young bucks, however, were another story. Nothing makes a DT instructor’s heart beat more proudly or bring a tear to the eye than to see folks paying attention, completing the exercises as described, having fun, and actually working hard to get better. The challenge was always to thoroughly brief safety rules prior to the start of each session, continuously remind students of the safety rules during the training, and closely monitor all students to ensure those rules were being followed. As I told the agents, “We only give you one partner. If you break that one, you don’t get another one.”
