Sharp survival skills saves lives
four police officers were taught how to speed up their reaction time, fend off an attacker with a weapon and also how to disarm a suspect
Not only do residents need protection from criminals or potentially harmful situations; trained police officers do too.To sharpen their skills, a hand-to-hand practical lesson was taught to four police officers from Wembezi on Wednesday. The training was hosted by David Allen at his gym Estcourt Active and was the first in a series of three sessions he has planned for the officers.
Dressed in formal pants and shirts and clad in jerseys, the officers unassumingly walked into the gym before they were put through their paces.Wednesday’s training concentrated on self-defence and how to react in a threatening situation. The four police officers were taught how to speed up their reaction time, fend off an attacker with a weapon and also how to disarm a suspect.
Soon the jerseys were removed and heavy breathing and droplets of sweat showed the intensity of the training programme. While there were many laughs from the officers, who attempted the moves with enthusiasm, there was also a wealth of information to be learnt. Mr Allen who has provided training to national and international specialised police units said that one of the main reasons that he offered this training was to help keep the officers safe on the streets.
“One of my main concerns are the number of officers that are killed in the line of duty. I thought that if I could help equip the officers with the know-how they need, it may keep them safer on the streets,” he said. The training that the officers received differs from the traditional police training, with Mr Allen bringing in aspects of mixed martial arts and ideas used by police departments from other parts of the world.
