WRIST LOCK: THE MARTIAL ARTS INFLUENCE ON POLICE USE OF FORCE

WRIST LOCK: THE MARTIAL ARTS INFLUENCE ON POLICE USE OF FORCE
By: Lt. Patrick J Ciser (Ret.)

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Many regular readers here at Blue Magazine have read much of my work over the years, but today, I’m bringing you my professional opinion and review of a new documentary on Amazon Prime. Since I never mince words, I’ll tell you up front that the documentary “Wrist Lock” is absolutely worth the $4.99 providing that it’s a subject you are interested in, and you should be. Both working and retired police officers can glean some very useful information from the cast of expert martial artists and police officers demonstrating their discipline in the film. In today’s society with America’s alarming crime rate and uptick of assaults against cops, we can all use as many tips as we can get. Producer Jason Harney, a former Las Vegas police officer and police academy instructor, fully understands how important it is for our officers to be well-prepared when thrown into violent situations.

Currently, few police departments put in adequate time to train our officers in defensive tactics after they graduate from the police academy. And furthermore, while in the academy, recruits get very little self-defense training. In New Jersey I’d say that the mantra has become, “no rough stuff” as they eliminated boxing years ago. Now understand, when they did have boxing back in the day, it wasn’t so much about boxing as it was about testing your mental toughness. Case in point: A few years back I had a female come into my dojo telling me that she wanted to learn self-defense in order to be a police officer. For her introductory lesson, I brought her on the dojo floor and asked her while facing me, to hold up her right hand in front of her face. Suddenly, and without warning, I slapped her hand with my right hand. I’m sure that it stung a bit judging from her reaction. Then I asked her, “If that slap was to the side of your head, would you cower in fear, or fight back?” I then explained that cops always have to win in a civilized society, so I not only have to teach you self-defense, but also instill some mental toughness so you’ll, hopefully, survive the encounter. She never came back.

As a Japanese Karate-Do practitioner and striker for 50 years, whether on duty or off, I always acted like a hammer, in the sense that the hammer sees every problem as a nail. My overhand right always hit its mark as I’ve always been a no-nonsense kind of guy. But alas, as the years went by, somehow, cops aren’t allowed to defend themselves with that kind of force anymore, even when confronting a violent offender. Cops are, as Sly once put it, “expendable.” But if a perp points a gun at you, you are justified in shooting him, correct? So, if a perp takes a swing at you, why can’t you knock him out? Because, unfortunately, many politicians and even top cops have lost their balls when dealing with violent criminals; hey, it’s not their asses on the line.

Judo and Jiu Jitsu to the rescue, maybe. Even I would reserve my knockout punch for only the extremely violent offender. Most of my career I used foot sweeps, which not only puts a perp down on his ass, but also confuses them as you apply a proper rear choke hold if they’re sitting up. Reverse joint techniques are a beautiful thing, if you’re skilled enough to use them. We have to remember, though, that most of our students in the academy are basically white belts; so, keep it simple. I can show you a few ways to disarm a perp of the gun he’s pointing at your chest; however, I always teach the simplest technique to the novice. If the perp is a righty, you hold your hands up, as if submitting, at the same level as the gun. You would then, simultaneously grab the barrel of his weapon with your left hand and strike his wrist with your open right hand (think shuto, or karate chop) removing the gun before he blinks. This is just an example. Please see an expert instructor for more. Also understand that a gun in a holster is worthless if you’re already looking down the barrel of the perp’s gun.

Getting back to the documentary: “Wrist Lock”will open your eyes up to a wide range of martial arts styles and systems. I believe a little mix of the best and most basic techniques would serve us well. Jiu Jitsu too has its shortcomings, because police officers carrying many items on their duty belt really shouldn’t be going to the ground. There were too many instructors featured in the film to mention in this short article, so I suggest that you check them out and decide what a good fit is for you. Osu!!

Pat Ciser is a retired lieutenant from the Clifton Police Department, and a 7th Degree Black Belt. He was a member of 5 U.S. Karate Teams, winning gold medals in South America and Europe. He is the Author of BUDO and the BADGE; Exploits of a Jersey Cop (BN.com/Amazon), and is a guest writer for Official Karate Magazine.