A couple of weeks ago, on a Saturday evening, an LAPD desk officer was attacked inside the Harbor Station (San Pedro CA). In a fight that lasted less than 30 seconds the officer not only got his ass kicked, his blaster was wrenched from his level three holster and he was pistol whipped. The thug was unable to pull the trigger because the officer's decocking level was down and the trigger was mush. Shortly afterwards officers stopped the fleeing thug and performed a vehicle extraction during which an officer broke his hand.

Reference: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-28/suspect-pistol-whips-lapd-officer-inside-police-station

The problem with gunfighting is that you don't live long enough to make mistakes. That being said; this is why I wrote my Street Fighter editions found on DEA Watch. Let's take a few moments and look at some Tactical Takeaways...

The LEO was incapacitated by fear and self-doubt. Both drained his will to fight. He could have gone one of two ways: either vapor lock and panic or flip the switch and auto-revert to his training. He vapor-locked and panicked. Untrained, he remained static, frozen. Subconsciously he knew he was unskilled at arms, impotent, helpless and mismatched. Simply having been issued a blaster by the LAPD did not mean that he was prepared. He lacked "fighting spirit." He lost the fight because he was both psychologically and physically defeated. He disengaged from the fight of his life because he determined he was unable to muster the physical or mental strength to continue.

The "fighting spirit" the Street Fighter brings to the battle is as important as the blaster he carry's or the tactics he employs. The LEO did not realize that simply wearing a uniform with a badge meant jack for the thug would only understand the violence he projected. Instead, he projected fear and uncertainty. The "fighting spirit" works because it is the mental science of human behavior and coercion.

When locked in a life and death struggle he allowed his attacker to fight with more intensity; underestimating his fierceness, his boldness. He never countered the force that was projected against him. He was unable to detect the threat and the rapid escalation of his unmerciful callousness. The LEO got his ass kicked because he was not resolute enough and yes passionate enough.

As a Street Fighter you want to be as strong as you can. An undeniable fact is the stronger person will win the fight. You must be stronger than your attacker, not bigger, but stronger. Every gym session needs to work toward these goals: mobility, flexibility, strength, power, explosiveness and injury prevention. We know from first-hand experience that stronger Street Fighters are harder to kill. You must become stronger as the fight goes on, not weaker.

Let's face it, in a fight for your life you must inflict severe enough injury to you attacker so that he is no longer physically or mentally able to continue his assault on you. Unfortunately most defensive tactics taught LEOs at their academy or in-service is no different than what is taught at the YMCA or neighborhood boys or girls club.

Don't ever work with a partner who has barely squeaked through your agency's "Adam 12 School of Gunfighting." This partner will take you to your grave.

Semper Fi
Frank White