Without having much - any - martial art training, from what I understand of the Judo art form is one person deflects the kinetic energy from an aggressor. While that's probably an extremely simplistic definition, it does bring up something I've pondered time and again.
Something Richard Flynn, apparently, has as well.
Applying a bell curve to the population that "are being arrested." (Meaning those that are being arrested at any point of time.) The majority of people may comply to varying degrees of resistance. There's one extreme side (who I'm confused about) that "want" to be slapped in handcuffs, flexcuffs or any type of restraint. Then there's the other extreme side: the difficult people fighting back.
Training can only go so far. Most of the time it will work, get everyone safe, get you home after your shift without a visit to the hospital. In my time as one of the Editor's in the group with Officer.com, I've seen tons of new products come through my email inbox. Of those, there are variations of handcuffs. (It's neat to read how many claim they can't be broken or picked.)
I've always wondered why they make the officers actually physically touch the arrestee? Sure you can wear gloves, but you're still grabbing them and hopefully they'll graciously comply. To me, it seems like a tense moment.
Just the other day Flynn sent me a message announcing his new product: the G-Tac by his company G-Tactical. At first impression it looks like a clamp I've got on my workbench. But isn't that the point? To "clamp" (for lack of a better word) onto your suspect for control?
The basic device places a wrist into a locking area with you pulling a lever which closes the area more and more. With you holding the device, not holding the person, it looks like an effective product for suspect control. There's a police version as well; giving officers a nylon strap to quickly attach - makes sense. But I do wonder about the "reload time."
In a video demonstration, Flynn says "I don't care if you're a samurai, there's no counter to this mechanism." He's referring to a wrist lock counter in Judo: to attack the thumb. Since this product puts the thumb further away from harms way (note I didn't say "out of"), one can infer that it's designed to make breaking your control that much tougher.
With my position with Frank Borelli and Sara Schreiber, I see a lot of products - a few even catch my eye. We've created a special section in Law Enforcement Product News to feature these, In Our Sights. Each product packaged on the LEPN magazine page and fully illustrated on individual webpages in our Property Room.
Feel free to check it out, browse around and let me know if something catches your eye.
Thank you, be safe.
