Train as you fight

of a suspect, placing wrist controls in order to handcuff, and once the suspect “tapped out” due to the pain, the officer let go and the suspect ran away. Train as you fight!

Training halls, matted rooms, air-conditioned quarters, and amenity-filled facilities are not a combat zone. Take the training outside to the elements. Train on asphalt, in mud, and uneven surfaces. See how your boots react to different surface types; how you like rolling on the ground when mats are not there; how cold or hot weather affect your performance. Train as you fight!

Stress inoculation must be introduced. There are no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” about it. People who train in a sterile environment tend to go into shock when stress first appears. This shock must be introduced and dealt with in a controlled training environment rather then once it is too late and the person is in the midst of a fight that could cost him his life. One must know how he will react when his body goes into the “adrenaline dump,” when endorphins are kicking in, and fear is at an all-time high. I was recently working with a recruit who was watching his partner fight and could not move due to the shock. When another combatant initiated a fight with him he went limp and fell. Just imagine this happening on the street. Means of stress inoculation vary, but can include visual impairment, use of flash-bangs, smoke, gas (OC or CS), yelling, physical fatigue, and, of-course, real contact. Train as you fight!

You might be saying to yourself, as I have heard many people to say when I introduce more aggressive training techniques: “This is so unsafe! All of it!” This one statement has continuously repeated itself.

My response every single time: Done right it should be safe. I see no value in injuring a trainee. An injured trainee is no good to anyone. A trainee who is ill-prepared for real combat, however, and who ends up getting seriously injured or killed is no good to anyone either. On whose shoulders should the responsibility then rest?  Remember, liability has two sides: you may be held liable if a trainee gets injured during training, but the alternative, and in my mind vastly worst, is that you may be held liable if your trainee is injured or killed in combat due to your failure to train him appropriately.

A proper training program should have progression built in. A proper training program should take safety measures to assure that Reality-Based-Training is done in a controlled manner, using appropriate tools. Use of semunition, high-impact suits, training flash-bangs, and similar equipment can greatly increase the efficiency of your training without sacrificing safety. Reality-Based-Training can be achieved by no more than wearing proper attire and adding vocals (yelling) to the training if nothing else.

Do not be fooled: injuries may happen. A busted lip or a twisted ankle may be the unfortunate result of “pushing a bit more than normal.”When training a physical skill, especially a tactically oriented one, the benefits significantly outweigh the risks. Train as you fight!

Tzviel (BK) Blankchtein, a defensive tactics instructor, is founder and president of Masada Tactical, and may be contacted through the company’s Web site. Readers may send him questions on topics and issues which are of interest to them. He will post some of these questions, and his answers to them, in the column.