As trainers we have a certain standards of behavior that are acceptable in the classroom. Behaviors that would fall into the category of unacceptable in the classroom include: Carrying on side conversations. Text messaging. Reading newspapers. Surfing the internet on a laptop or handheld device. Sleeping. Doing your own thing in a physical skills class. Arriving late for class. Returning late from breaks. Challenging the instructor with 'Well the way I was taught to do it  is..." The question this week is what kind of student are you when you are in someone else's … [Read more...]

One of the consistent themes I hear around North America from officers is "If training is not on the company time, and the company dime, I am not going." Officers somehow feel that training is the sole responsibility of the agency and as a result they believe it should always occur on company time and that the agency should always pay for training. When asked about training on their own these officers offer a multitude of excuses such as: If it was that important the agency needs to provide the training. I don't have anyone else to train with. I don't have anywhere to train. I … [Read more...]

A lot has been written and discussed over the past few years about the value of use of force models. John Bostain from FLETC makes a case to stop using models and recently wrote a very good article for Calibre Press Street Survival Newsline. John and I have discussed this issue at length over the years.   The reality however, is that models have been used, are currently being used  and will continue to be used by a number of agencies across North America for some time. Personally I am not convinced models are the real issue here. Like most issues I believe it is delivery, not … [Read more...]

There are a number of issues I will address over time in regards to the handling of training weapons during training. In this post however, I will address the issue of the handling of weapons during training in weapon disarming and similar events.   I am sure everyone has heard of the story of the officer who trained weapon disarming techniques with his spouse on a regular basis. Ever time he disarmed her of the training weapon he handed it right back to her in order to perform another training repetition. As the story goes he was actually in an incident on the street where he … [Read more...]

In the last issue we discussed my concerns with unintended consequences of boxing training. This week we will look at a concern I have with a ground fighting exercise. The exercise I am referring to is one where officers are put through a series of physical exercises to elevate their heart-rate and breathing then two officers sit back to back on a mat and on the whistle grapple until one gets the other in a submission hold. The three main concerns I have with this drill are: Half the officers walk away from this drill losers. On top of that they have to quit … [Read more...]

If you have ever heard ken Murray speak or read his excellent book Training at the Speed of Life (available at www.warriorspiritbooks.com) you are familiar with the phrase "Unintended Consequences of well intentioned training." This term refers to training that is intended to prepare officers for the street and program the officers for success, but may actually be setting them up for failure. Over the next two week's I will talk about a couple of examples of training that I believe falls into this category based on both my experience and discussions with officers that have been through this … [Read more...]

It is critical for all trainers and especially those training law enforcement professionals to understand the power of words. It is not just semantics. It is often the difference between programming officers for success or for failure. In some cases it can be the difference between life and death.   Imagine yourself in a violent confrontation with a person who is intent on killing you. Do you want to survive, or do you want to win? Every single officer I have asked this question has said that they want to win. Why, because there is a different image that comes to mind when you imagine … [Read more...]

“When I became a high school teacher I took my responsibility very seriously. I believed then, and I do now, that I was paid to teach, and that meant it was my responsibility to help every one of my students learn. I believe it is impossible to claim you have taught, when there are students who have not learned. With that commitment, from my first year as an English teacher until my last as UCLA basketball teacher/coach, I was determined to make the effort to become the best teacher I could possibly be, not for my sake, but for the sake of all those who were placed under my … [Read more...]

W.I.N. is a simple but powerful acronym used by the famous college football coach Lou Holtz.  It stands for ‘What’s Important Now’?  Holtz would remind his players at Notre Dame to ask themselves this question thirty five times a day; when they awakened in the morning, in class and study hall, in the weight room, on the practice field, on the sidelines during a game and when on the field during games. As law enforcement professionals we need to take a lesson from Coach Holtz and ask ourselves this same question. Every day, in our personal and professional lives, we are faced with a number … [Read more...]