SELF-DEFENSE

ADAPTED TO ANY
AGGRESSOR AND
SCENARIO

HIGH RISK CONTROL TACTICS

VOLUME 1
CONTROL AND ARREST THEORY
 FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES FOR CONTROL TACTICS

1. CONTROL TACTICS FOR HIGH-RISK

OPERATIONAL CONTEXTS
The methodology contained in this manual of control tactics is designed to be
applied within certain operational parameters, as follows:

Organizational profile and context

The tactics in this manual are designed to provide viable options for use by
organizations who, through the nature of their work tasks, come into contact
with persons who may, by their behavior, cause potential harm or risk of
injury to themselves or others.

In some circumstances it may become necessary for staff members of the

organization to engage in the control of those persons in an effective and
efficient manner.

Specific contexts in which this material will be applicable include but is not
exclusive to:
Law Enforcement Long-term mental health services
Military Operations Emergency/trauma services
Leisure/Bar/Nightclub environments Emergency psychiatric services
Corrections / Prison / Court Services Ambulance services

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Subject Profile

The following description attempts to clarify the type of subject which this manual
of tactics is designed to be applied with.

The generic tactics in this manual are designed to provide viable options for use
with fully-grown adult-sized subjects who are - or who could reasonably be
believed to - exhibit highly motivated assaultive or resistant behavior.

This behavior may present for example in the following scenarios*:

The subject is resisting lawful arrest

The subject is attempting to escape from lawful custody
The subject is resisting being lawfully ejected from a premises
The subject is experiencing acute psychosis with violence
The subject is under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Marshaling military prisoners
Dealing with unarmed enemy combatants in tactical operations

*This is not an exclusive list and is merely illustrative.

This manual of control tactics will address control of a subject in the scenarios
above who is presenting with one of two categories of behavior:

Physically assaultive behavior Physically resistant behavior

Dealing with subjects who do not approximate fully-grown adult size is outside the
scope of this manual.

Individual organizations are advised to carry out their own risk assessments as to
how the tactics in this manual may be implemented considering
their subject profile.
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Subject Behaviors

The tactics in this manual are designed to provide viable control options for use when a
subject displays
Assaultive Behaviors which encompasses the following:

Attempting to Punch / Slap or Strike the other person in the head

Attempting to Grab the other person around the head/neck area
Attempting to Grab the other person around the body

This manual also contains tactics which are designed to provide viable control options
for use when a subject displays Resistant Behaviors, which encompasses the following:

Attempting to pull away from a prompting gesture or control hold

Attempting to push into a prompting gesture or control hold
Attempting to stay in one position when being prompted or held

It is assumed that Assaultive and Resistant Behaviors may happen in a cycle during
the tense, uncertain and rapidly unfolding circumstances of a physical confrontation
in the contexts described here.

Therefore we can add the following Compound Assaultive Behaviors which

may be presented by the subject during a control scenario:

Attempting to Punch / Slap or Strike the other person in the head while being held in a control or escort hold.
Attempting to Grab the other person around the head/neck area while being held in a control or escort hold.
Attempting to Grab the other person around the body while being held in a control or escort hold.

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Staff Profile
The tactics in this manual are designed to provide
viable options for use by members of staff with
reasonable levels of physical fitness and average
levels of motor-skill proficiency.
Physical Fitness and conditioning is likely to have a
considerable impact on the performance of staff in
any given scenario and it should be noted that
embarking on any control tactics intervention is a
very physically demanding activity. Organizations
would be well advised to conduct occupational
health screening to ensure that employees being
tasked with control tactics interventions are
sufficiently fit and healthy to do so within a margin
of safety.
Proficiency with Physical Skills
Every effort has been made to create a system of
control tactics which is effective but which is
compliant with Guthrie’s definition of skill:
Maximum likelihood of goal achievement
Minimum movement time
Minimum energy expenditure
The design of this control tactics method has
endeavored to create a system which is as reliant as
possible on Gross-Motor skills and Instinctive
Protective motion (the Startle Reflex) to ensure
maximum retention and ease of assimilation of the
required skills.
Very few Fine motor skills are required to effectively
utilize this method of control in an operational
context, which reduces the chance of technical skill-
failure.
Legal Context
Care has been taken in the compilation of this manual
to place it in the framework of legislation, guidance
and the regulatory environment of most US States.
Trainers teaching this material to their learners
should ensure that their learners are aware of the
legal rules on occupational use of force and their
rights, including the restrictions on those rights and
the sector-level guidance (where lawful) which
applies to their occupational environment, and
departmental and unit policies and procedures, and
established rules of engagement.
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2. REDUCING RISK OF UNNECESSARY INJURY OPERATIONALLY AND
IN TRAINING

Any use of force with an individual can the path to restraint, thereby addressing the risk-factor for the
result in injury. subject of a prolonged time in a resistant state.

Reduced time struggling and resisting also reduces the risk of a

It is therefore important that trainers considering teaching control medical impact factor becoming a catastrophic cause of
tactics to their learners pay attention to the foreseeable risk of injury in sudden-death during restraint.
the tactics being taught for operational use and also to the method by
which they are taught. This methodology seeks a balance between restrictive
interventions which gain control quickly and the need to apply
only the necessary amount of force for the shortest time
Operational Use of Skill Set
possible.
It is our opinion that the tactics being taught in this manual, in
A primary aim of physical intervention tactics and decision-
consideration of the contexts outlined above for which they are
making is the protection of human life.
designed, are no more or less foreseeably injurious than those
contained in other comparable programs. Care has been taken in the
description of each tactic or skill to describe the foreseeable risk of
Training of the Skill Set
harm and how the methodology has attempted to reduce that risk.
Each drill described in the teaching points of this manual has
None of the techniques in this manual are designed to inflict pain as
been designed to offer a progression from lower-level, easier
their primary control mechanism. The tactics use leverage, mass and
skill levels to those requiring higher-level and more demanding
momentum to achieve their aim, usually in response to a specific set of
skill. The teaching progressions are progressive in their intensity
behaviors from the subject and not merely as a planned ‘technique’.
and therefore allow the trainer and the trainee to gauge and
regulate both the intensity and the difficulty-level of the training
Furthermore, the speed and effectiveness of the control tactics
to the appropriate degree to maintain a balance of safety and
described herein should serve to reduce contact time and shorten
skill development.

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TRAINING RISK MANAGEMENT and
INJURY AVOIDANCE

There exists a "Target Training Rate" that closely corresponds

to the "Target Heart Rate" for aerobic exercise. If an
individual exercises too strenuously, then s/he dynamically
increases the chance of injury. On the other hand, if the
individual doesn't work hard enough, s/he will obtain little
benefit from the exercise. The same is true of the intensity of
tactics training.

The trainee that trains at 60 - 80 % of their maximum intensity

level will experience the best results with the least chance of
injuring him/herself. A trainer should emphasize this "Target
Training Rate" so that his/her students can obtain maximum
results with minimum risks.

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3. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CONTROL PHASE AND THE
RESTRAINT PHASE
The tactics in this course are designed to be used primarily during the Control Phase of a physical confrontation.

The Control Phase is recognizable by:
Rapidly unfolding circumstances
Frenetic activity
Observable effects of adrenaline/high levels of ‘survival’ stress
All persons involved are moving with gross, sudden and jerky movements
The mobile geometry of the bodies involved is constantly changing
There are collisions between bodies and between bodies and objects
The Restraint Phase is recognizable by:
A slowing of the pace of events
More deliberate actions of staff
Observably more considered and orchestrated activity
Persons involved are using smaller movements, smoother, with finer motor control
The bodies involved are relatively static in location
Collisions have stopped

The restraint phase is often characterized by the use of restraint methods which serve to immobilize the subject. These
immobilization methods (holds, mechanical devices, rapid tranquilization or other relevant and appropriate method) are not the
focus of this manual of tactics.

This course currently attends to the control of violent persons. Specifically, it does not attempt to address any subsequent
immobilization of an individual who has been controlled.

In fact the control tactics offered in this manual - while sometimes sufficient He stated,
in and of themselves to achieve a lawful aim - are designed to allow the team
to work towards their preferred immobilization methods of choice, for “...the period of control or, perhaps
example handcuffs, where necessary. more accurately, the period that leads
to the control of a violent individual is
usually far less structured and
A representative of ACPO’s Self Defence, Arrest and Restraint (SDAR) significantly more frenetic and
Working Group described in inquest evidence seen in 2013 how to potentially dangerous than that of the
differentiate between the Control Phase and the Restraint Phase of a restraint period”.
physical intervention.
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Functional Control enables Restraint and
Immobilisation
Using the systematic approach and terminology of our functional system of
intervention, you cannot achieve Immobilization and Restraint with an actively
resisting or combative subject until you have achieved Survival, Reversal and
Control And therefore our training design incorporates these crucial phases
as parts of the physical intervention system-of-work.
Once Control has been achieved and the team is in the Restraint Phase of the
incident, that same expert said:
“...I would expect officers to work as swiftly and methodically as the circumstances allow,
handcuffing the individual and getting him or her up from the prone position. I believe the easiest
way to help identify this transition is by observing the actions of both the officers and the
individual. Once control is achieved their actions tend to become increasingly measured and
orchestrated”.
Restraining, for our purposes, means the immobilization and holding still by
mechanical or manual means, such as to await and enable transportation by
the relevant authorities to a secure place or for the administration of rapid
tranquilization or other medication in- situ.
We strongly recommend that Trainers become fully conversant with the
Guidance contained in our chapter on Sudden Death During Restraint and
on the Research regarding Prone Restraint in Appendix Two of this manual
of control tactics before considering teaching or operationally undertaking
the restraint/immobilisation of a controlled subject.
This manual has been designed to supplement and encapsulate the online
pre-study course which accompanies the physical skills training.
The Online course requires trainer candidates to complete reading/watching
and analysis tasks as follows:
Positional Asphyxia warning signs recognition
Excited Delirium warning signs recognition
Video observation of warning signs
Understanding Fatigue Threshold
Understanding the difference between Control and Restraint
It is felt that a broad understanding of these topics will assist trainers to
properly evaluate and articulate viable options and decision-making
frameworks for their trainees who are learning Control Tactics.
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4. RECOGNIZING AND AVOIDING THE RISKS
OF SUDDEN DEATH DURING RESTRAINT

Sudden Death During Restraint is a real risk when engaging in restrictive physical
interventions and all staff who might be called upon to be involved in an incident should
be aware of the impact factors and warning signs related to it.

Although this manual is concerned only with Control Tactics and not immobilisation of
subjects in the restraint phase, it may nevetherless be important that any person
involved in the control and/or restraint of violent subjects be aware of the risks involved
in physical interventions.

In its broadest sense 'asphyxia' refers to a state in which the body becomes deprived of
oxygen. This results in a loss of consciousness and/or death.

Positional Asphyxia (also known as Compressional Asphyxia)

Death which results from a body position that interferes with the ability to breathe.

Positional or Compressional Asphyxia occurs when compression of the upper body

limits chest wall movements preventing the ribcage from expanding, which impairs
breathing.

Following exertion, or when an individual is under emotional stress, the body’s demand
for oxygen increases significantly.

Failure to supply the body with the additional oxygen demand is dangerous and may
lead to death within a few minutes, even if the individual is conscious and talking.

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GENERAL MECHANISMS OF DEATH WHICH CAN LEAD TO ASPHYXIA
AND/OR SUDDEN DEATH

Mechanical constriction/squeezing Traumatic Asphyxiation: Is the term given to the condition most often seen after mass disasters, such as the
Hillsborough football stadium disaster, or where people have been crushed by collapsing trenches, or by the weight of grain etc in silos.
of the soft tissues of the neck: The most
The thorax is transfixed, preventing respiratory movements. There are classic signs of congestion, cyanosis and petechiae, but there may
common mechanism is that of compression of the jugular veins, with or
be no other signs of injury on the body. The florid signs of congestion usually finish at the level of the clavicles.
without that of the carotid arteries, leads to reduced oxygen reaching the
brain, loss of consciousness, and if sustained for a sufficient interval (minutes) Postural asphyxia: Is a related condition, recently coming to the fore due to interest in deaths in police custody etc,
death. The time interval of compression to loss of consciousness is approx. 10
and may involve splinting of the diaphragm during restraint, coupled with the additional requirements for oxygen during a struggle.
secs if both carotid arteries are compressed and a minute if only the jugulars
Research into this aspect is ongoing.
are compressed. The time interval from loss of consciousness to death is said
to be in the region of minutes. Obstruction of the airway: When oxygen is not able to reach the lungs because of external occlusion of the
mouth and/ or nose, or the airway at the level of the larynx is obstructed (eg by a bolus of food), the cause of the asphyxial death is
Airway obstruction: This is a contributory factor in some 'obstruction of the airways'. There are no specific autopsy findings that would support the main types of airway obstruction deaths, and
hangings, where the hyoid bone and tongue are pushed upwards and circumstantial evidence, physical evidence (eg plastic bags used by the deceased) and the scene of death would be relied on to support
backwards against the laryngo-pharynx. This type of obstruction produces 'air the diagnosis.
hunger', which is a frightening sensation and which is not a feature of vascular
Smothering: The covering of the mouth or nose (or external occlusion) eg by a plastic bag or in overlay deaths (may see
compression in the neck.
abrasions etc in a homicidal smothering if the victim could put up a struggle)

Cardiac arrhythmia: This is a controversial postulated Gagging: The tongue is pushed backwards and upwards, and the gag becomes saturated with saliva and mucus causing further
mechanism whereby pressure over the carotid artery at the carotid sinus obstruction.
provokes a reflex slowing of the heart (bradycardia), which may provoke a
fatal arrhythmia (particularly in the elderly or those with underlying cardiac Foreign body obstruction: Those at risk being children/ infants, the intoxicated and those with neurological
disease). This mechanism is unlikely to be responsible where there are difficulties with swallowing etc
petechiae or congestion which would suggest that the heart had been beating
for a more lengthy period than this mechanism would support. Swelling of the airway lining: Anaphylactic hypersensitivity reactions, or thermal/ heat injury.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Copyright © Gerard O’ ea
Gerard O’ ea i the a thor o thi a a

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