Customer Reviews

Defensive Tactics: Modern Arrest & Control Techniques for Today's Police Warrior

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Lethal force is rarely the only appropriate option for controlling a dangerous situation, yet even when it is necessary there is not always sufficient time to deploy a weapon to handle the imminent threat without having to go hands on. Consequently, knowledge, skill, and ability to perform a wide range of defensive tactics under stress is paramount for personal safety. Law enforcement officers who are proficient with firearms yet somewhat less comfortable with hand-to-hand combat rarely find the perfect balance for learning the tactics they need to survive such encounters. The challenge is that neither a completely civilian approach nor a wholly law enforcement-oriented method covers all the bases in most cases.

Civilians have the option, oftentimes the legal imperative, of running away from violence rather than moving towards it as police officers are required to do, hence martial artists tend to have a deficit of combat experience where the goals and constraints are far different than the tournament conditions they are most familiar with. Their approach often contains advanced fighting techniques that are far too complicated for the average officer to pull off on the street, particularly when attempted under the adverse influences of adrenaline. Martial artists rarely align what they teach with departmental Use of Force policies. Even worse, these instructors often advocate applications that work well enough in civilian garments but become grossly impractical for officers encumbered by heavy clothing, ballistic vests, and bulky gear to perform successfully.

Conversely, budget challenges, time limitations, and a shortage of skilled instructors in law enforcement circles can hamper departmental training as well. Competent training officers often lack the martial arts experience necessary to describe all the subtle nuances required to make techniques effective under adverse conditions on the street. When an officer is ambushed or encounters multiple foes, highly skilled adversaries, much larger attackers, and/or crazed opponents they risk disaster without supplemental training.

Thankfully, author Loren Christensen has found the perfect balance and written it all down in a comprehensive, practical, and very well-executed tome. A martial arts instructor with more than 40 years of experience under his ten black belts (7th dan karate, 2nd dan jujitsu, 1st dan arnis), he is also a retired police officer who spent 29 years in the business. He has not only tangled with violent predators on the streets, but also taught defensive tactics, worked gang enforcement, controlled riots, and protected dignitaries as well. And he's written more than 30 books on the fighting arts. This is a guy well worth listening to!

His book begins by covering fundamental building blocks such as adrenal stress, combat breathing, balance, and visualization. It shows the value of repetitions for internalizing techniques and describes a variety of drills that can help readers intelligently practice what they learn. Don't be tempted to skim through this information too quickly; it is critical for making applications work against committed adversaries on the street.

The rest of the text delves deeply into a variety of street-proven arrest and control techniques. Topics include such things as joint manipulation, leverage control, pain compliance, head disorientation, and more. Finger, wrist, elbow, and shoulder manipulations as well as locks, cranks, arm bars, and takedowns for controlling combative criminals are discussed in detail. Readers also learn when, where, and how to hit with their fists, palm-heels, forearms, elbows, feet, and batons. The information on vital areas and pressure points are a bit brief but extremely useful for making techniques effective.

While carotid strangulations can look bad when viewed through the lens of a hostile reporter's camera, hence frequently proscribed by departmental policy, sleeper holds described in this book are perfectly safe and highly effective when applied correctly as described. Even if you never use them on duty, these techniques are great to know if you ever have to control a friend or relative you don't want to hurt.

There is a ton of useful information packed into this 382-page book. While it is mostly geared toward law enforcement personnel seeking to improve their skills, it is also useful for martial artists looking for a street-proven approach as well. While the writing is great, the 700+ photos really make the information accessible to the reader. There is also a section on ground fighting written by officer Mark Mireles, another guy who really knows what he's talking about. Mireles is a MMA coach, police academy trainer, and wrestling champion. Both Christensen and Mireles's advice is solid, practical, and easy to understand.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Blinded by the Night, among other titles

I don't throw that claim around lightly. I've been an police academy DT instructor, have a second degree black belt in karate and have been doing BJJ for several years now. Loren dosen't present anything new in this book, instead he takes all the things were taught in the academy and teaches it the right way. I like most cops have little faith in joint locks and come alongs and the like because they never seemed to work. Loren shows all the fine details that we were never taught, Easy details that were missed because most academy DT instructors are nothing but 40 hour wonders.

The way Loren shows the techniques are very easy to translate into your own practice but make no mistake about it you still have to practice these moves and Loren constantly reinforces that. That actually is the best part of this book is that Loren's delivery is very common sense oriented and often humorous. Psrt of my own teaching style I have developed by emulating Loren's techniques in his other books.

My only contribution is that the ground fighting section is a great section but as someone who does it weekly I can say with the utmost confidence that you really need professional instruction in that to do it right. The author of that section for instance demonstrates the "hip away" or shrimping as it is known. That is a great technique but I can't stress enough the need to put your duty rig on including your radio and then try the hip away on concrete or the grass. The common hip slide on the mat will not work as your gun and radio act as anchors. You have to learn to modify the technique.

In closing this book offers simple, effective and task specific techniques that one can use to supplement their own martial arts training. The book is briskly paced and laid out in a simple logicial manner that makes it fit great in my training bag so that I can have it on hand to reference it.

Kane really provides an outstanding review here, so I am in a sense writing to "pile on" the accolades hoping to increase sales for this book. It is, without a doubt, the epitome in the Defensive Tactics milieu. Loren Christensen's body of work really speaks for itself, but to those who are unfamiliar, he is one of the foremost experts in the world, providing street experience with analytical study to provide a text that is comprehensive as a text can possibly be while still providing the basic information without losing the targeted audience.

I remember when I started out as a DT instructor in the early 90s. Essentially, my unit knew I was a black belt and said "you can teach this stuff, why hire someone or send officers to an expensive seminar." Cocky as I was, I said, "Sure." Soon, I found myself going to seminar after seminar to prepare myself to teach because I discovered after my first DT class I was inadequacy prepared to teach DT. This led me to become an expert in the field myself (although it has been awhile since I taught a course). I wish this book had been around back then, it would have saved me some seminar fees. I must also say that my sensei is also one of the foremost experts in the field and I also was able to "pick his brain."

This book will help first time instructors as well as police officers preparing to enter a course or refresher course. Further, to any police (or possible) recruit - get the book and prepare yourself before entering the academy. Further, those entering security force career fields with the military should also get this fine text.

The book covers everything from controlling breathing, fear, adrenaline, to employing restraint and beyond. If you are a DT instructor or a police officer, get the book now - don't delay.

In the hustle and bustle of day to day life how often do we get to train? For most of us time is a scarce commodity, with little to spare. With such little time left over for training and the lack of frequency to keep our razor edge sharp, the majority of us walk around dulled, maybe even rusty. Don't be fooled by confidence or pride, it is that razor sharp edge that can make all the difference.

So with such little time to spare, Defensive Tactics fits the bill. The book itself was an easy read, enjoyable and well laid out, and explained things very clearly. Two things about this book really stood out at me. First, the surprising number of photos; I can't remember another book at this value having so many pictures. It was like having a step by step guide to each technique. The second was Loren's voice, as I read the book it was as if I could here Loren speaking to me. Each chapter was laid out clearly, and was simple and to the point. Long-winded explanations were saved for another day or book quite possibly.

This is a book that I have recommended to my own friends and colleagues, and would suggest for anyone who wants to improve their skills. There is something new for every level of skill and can be used as great aid in training. I see this book as another great effort by Loren to keep all his readers sharp and ready for action.

Dave

Defensive Tactics is packed with information that can be applied to the well-experienced or the novice. The photos make each technique easy to follow, along with step-by-step written instructions and explanations. The book is well-rounded in that it covers all the grounds that one might need to know in any situation.

As an avid reader of Loren Christensen, he once again delivers an information-packed guide along with humor to make it an enjoyable and instructive read. I highly suggest it!!!

This is the very best; most practical text on Defensive Tactics I have ever seen. The author is a been there and done that (for real) instructor. You can tell that he wants to make sure everyone goes home at the end of his /her shift. Excellent!!!

Having had the pleasure of reviewing numerous books and videos of Loren Christensen, I found this book to be an excellent reference source and review of the many techniques I have been teaching officers for more than forty years. This book is comprehensive in scope and the photographs are clear and easy to follow. I do not think just reading this book alone without real hands-on training is the best way to learn the material. However, if you are a police officer who has had the basic police defensive tactics course, this book will provide a good review to reenforce the material learned in class.

In conclusion, this is a book every police defensive tactics instructor and those who are also involved in teaching law enforcement should have as a resource text.

Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Monadnock Defensive Tactics (MDTS) System).

Loren Christiansen has always written great books on Defensive Tactics for police professionals. In this book he again scores with another good one on various techniques easily learned and employed to defend oneself and control a subject.

This book provides a great overview of simple DT moves and how to employ them. I found it to be easy to read and follow along with the instructions. The pictures in the text were clear and understandable and matched the descriptions given in the text. I enjoyed the text very much and thought it was a good book.

I have been reading a number of books since I joined the department and this was not my favorit. This book might be better suited to those that have not gone through defensive tacticks (DT) yet. Having already done DT nothing that this book introduced was new. I also found that the book during its instructions of the moves did not acount for any resistance on the part of the suspect or it jumped a few steps. It did make me aware of some things that I had not thought of before and gave perspective in other areas as well. The book was not my favorit but I did benifit from it but would only highly recommend it to a person that has not been through DT yet.