DON'T HELP TOO MUCH...

 by Phillip Starr

Familiar scenes during practice... two students participate in practicing defensive techniques against an opponent who's armed with a knife. Of course, the knife is made of wood or rubber for reasons of safety and after the defensive maneuver has been completed, the knife-wielding participant has dropped the weapon, the receiver often bends over to retrieve the knife (or pistol or whatever) and gives it back to the attacker.

A second scene involves a self-defense technique that involves a throw or “takedown.” The participant executing the throw does his best to “ease” his partner into the fall, doing it as carefully and gently as possible.

Scene three. True story. Years ago, a police dept. (I won't name which one) noticed that when officers were killed when exchanging gunfire with violent criminals, they often found some of the officer's spent brass casings in their pants pockets, and their weapons were empty. An investigation was subsequently launched...

First, it was determined, of course, that the brass came from the weapons used by the officers. It was also determined that the officers were shot WHILE PICKING UP THEIR BRASS! How could that be? Well – at the shooting range, officers were required to ALWAYS pick up their brass before loading a fresh magazine! That became a learned habit. So, in a real gunfight...you guessed it.

When I am teaching students defensive maneuvers involving weapons, the receiver is forbidden to pick up a dropped knife (or whatever) and politely return it to his training partner.

As far as throws and takedowns are concerned, they are forbidden to “ease” their partners into the fall. Their partners should be skilled in breakfalling; if they aren't, they must go back into a beginning class until they are.

Remember the old maxim: We fight EXACTLY as we train. ALWAYS.