Course Outlines – SWAT School Hand-to-Hand Tactics
Note: These classes are broken down into 2hour segments covering specific hand-to-hand tactics for SWAT law enforcement. They can be modified (mixed and matched) to fit the needs of your department. You should be aware that by shortening class time your personnel might not get all information that is critical for their success and safety. All modifications to class schedule should be discussed and worked out with the lead instructor, William Page at The Martial Arts Center, INC. His telephone number is 271-2228.
Day 1 Lesson A – Close Quarter Striking (30 Minutes)
Objective: The student will learn and execute the techniques for open palm striking, elbow strikes, forearm strikes, knee strike, and low kicks as well as demonstrate what areas of the body to target with these basic strikes.
Teaching Steps (teaching times are an estimate)
1. Open Palm Striking & Targets
2. Elbow Strikes & Targets
3. Forearm Strikes & Targets
4. Knee Strikes and Low Kicks & Targets
5. Pressure Points – “When” & “How” you should really use them?
6. Supervised Practice
Day 1 Lesson B – Aggressive Takedowns (1 hour – 30 minutes)
Objective: The student will learn and execute the techniques for aggressive takedowns of suspects. Day 1 classes will be practiced without SWAT gear so the student may concentrate on learning the actual techniques. SWAT team members will take turns playing the role of an unwilling suspect for this drill.
Teaching Steps (teaching times are an estimate)
1. Leg Sweep Takedown
2. Arm Hook Takedown
3. Rear Choke Takedown
4. Applied Strikes from Lesson A to Aggressive Takedowns in Lesson B
5. Review
Day 2 Lesson A - Aggressive Takedowns (60Minutes)
Objective: The student will practice and execute the techniques for aggressive takedowns of suspects. Day 2 classes will be practiced with SWAT gear so the student may learn to deal with any equipment problems or weapons deployment issues while doing the actual techniques. SWAT team members will take turns playing the role of an unwilling suspect for this drill.
Teaching Steps
1. Leg Sweep Takedown
2. Arm Hook Takedown
3. Rear Choke Takedown
4. Applied Strikes from Lesson A to Aggressive Takedowns in Lesson B
Day 2 Lesson A - Two Man Control Tactics (30 Minutes)
Objective: The student will practice and execute techniques designed for two officers to control, takedown, and cuff a suspect using two-man team tactics. These techniques use biomechanical methods rather than brute strength to accomplish control over the subject.
Teaching steps for Objective
1. Two Man Arm Hook Takedown & Control
2. Two Man Chin Lift Control Technique
Day 2 Lesson C – Handcuffing Techniques (30 Minutes)
Objective: The student will practice and execute techniques designed to teach practical
Biomechanical methods of handcuffing of a suspect. These techniques are meant to add new methods to the officers current handcuffing skills rather than replace others methods already in use
Teaching steps for Objective
1. Arm Bar Cuffing Techniques
2. Radius / Ulna Torque Technique
Day 3 Lesson A – Vehicle Extraction Techniques (30 Minutes)
Objective: The student will practice and execute techniques designed to teach practical
Biomechanical methods of removing a non-compliant suspect from a vehicle
Teaching steps for Objective
1. Arm Lock Drag
2. Elbow Hook Drag
Day 3 Lesson B – Ground work, Shoot / Push Defensive Techniques (60Minutes)
Objective: The student will practice and execute techniques designed to teach an officer how to deal with a suspect attempting tackle the officers legs (shoot), push the officer aside or back, and some basic groundwork theories.
Teaching steps for Objective
1. Shoot Defense
2. Push Defense
3. Groundwork positioning & Strikes
Day3 Lesson C – Offensive Knife Work (30 Minutes)
Objective: The student will practice and execute techniques designed to teach the use of a knife (folding or fixed blade) using Biomechanical methods of cutting. Student will also biomechanical cutting & targeting for sentry removal (anti-terrorist) applications.
Teaching steps for Objective
1. Understanding critical distance
2. 9 angles of attack
3. Knife grips and uses
4. Biomechanical cutting and targeting
5. Sentry removal – anti-terrorist techniques
6. Supervised practice
Day 4 Final Lesson Overview and Objectives
Objective: Brief Swat teams on Day 4 objectives
Day 4 Practical Application Scenarios (120Minutes)
Objective: The student will practice and execute all techniques in realistic application utilizing other SWAT team officers acting as non-compliant suspects. This training should be done in full gear inside a building and / or vehicle to test the officer’s ability to use the techniques learned on Lesson Days 1 through 3. “Non-compliant Suspects” will be instructed on how to act and the responding SWAT team will have to make judgment calls on how to deal with the non-complaints and to what level of force they are able to take.
1. Non-compliant Suspects in House
2. Non-compliant Suspects in Vehicle