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Trainer Talk

Functional Fitness for Law Enforcement Officers

By ASP Trainer Mike Dice

Law enforcement work comes with fitness demands that are unique among professions. An officer may spend hours in a car, but then have to suddenly burst into an all-out run, climb a fence or stairs, lift or drag significant weight, engage in defensive tactics and more. Add to that the psychological pressures and stresses, and you’ve got a physically-demanding career, to say the least. One of the best ways to prepare for these demands is through functional fitness—a varied and versatile exercise approach that trains your body to perform real-world physical tasks safely and efficiently. When people hear “functional fitness,” they often think of CrossFit—but that’s just one well-known version of the concept.

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Dialogue: Why it's the best defensive tactic

By ASP Trainer Jim Klauba

In Law Enforcement, fundamentals matter—and the most basic fundamental of all is dialogue. Verbal direction plays a role throughout the use of force continuum, from cooperative subjects to lethal scenarios.

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Elements of an Attack

By ASP Trainer Jim Klauba

The very foundation of defensive tactics is knowing what constitutes an attack in the first place. There are three elements that contribute to an attack—intent, weapon, and delivery system—and all three need to be present for an assault to succeed.

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Hand Positioning During Handcuffing—"The Why Behind the How”

By ASP Trainer Jim Klauba

Understanding why something is done a certain way helps straighten the learning curve, and handcuffing is one area where a little bit of learning goes a long way. That’s because bad things happen when handcuffing is done improperly. Of course, handcuffing is taught in all of our local departments and training academies, but in my experience, the quality and consistency of that instruction still varies. 

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