Police officers are faced with lots of challenges when they are on the field. The men in uniform are expected to make prudent decisions and maintain control of chaotic situations in a matter of seconds. It’s relatively easy to control a chaotic situation when they are holding a gun, but what can police officers do when they don’t have a firearm?
This is where martial arts can come in and assist police officers in the field. Police officers who have some training in the martial arts can defend themselves in situations wherein they don’t have a weapon in their hands. Martial arts can help police officers control a suspect without necessarily hurting him. At the same time, it can give the officer the option to inflict pain and cripple the suspect if the altercation forces him to.
With the numerous martial arts fighting systems that have been developed, police officers have lots of choices. They can study and practice various arts like karate, taekwondo, kung fu, Muay Thai, and jiu-jitsu, among others.
But what are the best martial arts for police officers? Here is a rundown of the five most recommended martial arts for the men in uniform:
1. Muay Thai
Literally translated as Thai boxing, Muay Thai has been around for hundreds of years now. Known for its damaging strikes, it utilizes the hard parts of the human body such as the elbows, shins, and knees for kicking. Kicks to the thighs of a suspect are particularly effectively in ending a confrontation, or closing the distance and stripping the suspect of his weapon.
2. Krav Maga
Krav Maga was actually designed for the Israel Defense Forces. In fact, the name literally translates to “Contact Combat.” The US military has even trained their soldiers in Krav Maga for close quarter hand to hand combat.
In Krav Maga, police officers are taught how to neutralize a threat as quickly as possible. The movements—strikes, holds, and blocks—are also pretty simple. And unlike other martial arts where defensive and offensive moves are separate from each other, Krav Maga teaches how to incorporate counterattacks to every defensive move.
For instance, an attacker goes for the throat of a police officer. The policeman who’s trained in Krav Maga can deflect the attack and simultaneously launch a counterattack by going for the groin, throat, or eyes of the attacker.
In Krav Maga, police officers can also learn how to use virtually any object as a weapon. You name it— pens, belts, keys, chairs, cellphones, and just about anything —can be incorporated into Krav Maga techniques and used as a weapon.
3. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is ideal for police officers because it is effective and easy to learn. Plus, the martial art is great for the men in uniform because it is designed to enable smaller men to overpower stronger and bigger opponents. Police officers don’t need to be strong and powerful to execute Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ).
Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques put the police officer in a position wherein his attacker cannot strike him. Moreover, the police officer can strike the attacker and temporarily incapacitate the suspect. The techniques are mostly focused on joint locks and carotid restraints, meaning the officer does not have to be stronger than his opponent. The policeman only has to be stronger than the weakest point of his attacker, and this can be done by focusing on body parts like elbows, shoulders, neck, and ankle.
4. Aikido
Aikido has long been utilized by police forces around the world. In fact, one of the best trained police departments in the world—the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department- employs aikido as a defensive tactics system.
Aikido is derived from martial techniques that have been passed on from generations to generations of Japanese samurai fighters. Techniques are battle-tested, so to speak, as Aikido has been practiced for hundreds of years.
In aikido, police officers can learn how to use the force of an opponent against him. The martial art teaches how to take down a bigger opponent, or to counter weapon attacks. Aikido’s advantage as a martial art for police officers is the number of academies and qualified instructors who can teach its basics to policemen. It is also designed for police officers regardless of their age and gender.
5. Combat Hapkido
Some quarters say that combat Hapkido would become the future of law enforcement, as it is the only martial art that includes disarming knife and firearms. It underlines the need for technical know-how, speed, adaptability, and strategies to effectively neutralize an attacker.
As you can see, there are lots of martial arts that should empower policemen who are out in the field. These martial arts can help policemen resist an attack and even control a suspect without the use of a firearm.
