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Training police officers in the use of the knife can be controversial at best.

Most, if not all, police academies will not permit trainees to be introduced to the concept of using a knife in self-defense during a lethal assault. However, the ICS philosophy is to prepare police officers to survive—under all pos-sible circumstances. Without the perception of the knife as a potential tool of survival, police officers will not use it to save their own lives. Indeed, many police officers have been found dead with their knives still on them, neatly folded and impotent in their pockets.

Although it may not be possible to allow police officers to actually train in force-on-force confrontations with red (training) knives in a police acad-emy setting, the strategy of using a knife to survive a worst case encounter can be explored as a tactical mindset concept. Talk to officers about what they might do if disarmed, kidnapped, or nearing death during combat.

Would they be willing to be inordinately brutal if it meant they would sur-vive? The answer should be yes. With an absence of other options, could they use a knife to defend themselves? Again, the answer should be yes. A discussion about the targets available for knife deployment—both lethal and nonlethal—can complete this tactical mindset training without exposing an academy trainer to liability garnered through actual practice of knife-fighting techniques.

However, mere discussion of knife-fighting targets is not the same as practicing the execution of lethal tactics. Discussion of techniques is a cere-bral classroom activity that can become part of an officer survival program, safely vetted by administrators. In contrast, practice of the techniques is the way of the warrior. Until police training can become more warrior-oriented (and less socially correct) by design, trainers must work to give the maximum level of survivability to students in training while minimizing personal and agency risk. When your hands are tied by bureaucratic requirements such as these, seek to merely convey this:

The knife is available to you as an offensive weapon when all else fails. Be prepared to use it.

If you plant this seed in the mind of your students and allow it to grow, it may save their lives.

Targets

From the Neck Up

Most targets that are located from the neck up are fatal, simply due to the proximity to the vital organs essential for survival. However, certain con-frontations require lethal counterattacks to preserve life. Officers forced to use the knife to protect themselves are the best judges of what targets are acceptable under the circumstances.

Lethal targets in this section include the mandibular angle, medulla oblongata, hypoglossal, trachea, eye gate, forehead, and carotid artery.

Nonlethal targets include the forehead and cheek.

From the Neck to Waist

When striking from the neck to the waist, it is important to note two fac-tors that may prevent a successful attack: the suspect’s clothing and weight.

In much the same way that the bullet-resistant vest protects the officer from incidental stabs or slashes, clothing, such as down-filled jackets, leather or metal-adorned overcoats, provides some protection from knife attacks.

Striking an opponent with this manner of dress may be more difficult; the overall level of damage will be reduced.

In considering the second factor of the suspect’s weight, obviously com-bat is not a beauty pageant. We know that obesity among all populations (suspects and officers) is increasing exponentially. In terms of combat, it is important to know that obesity protects suspects from edged weapons in two ways: (1) it increases the distance from the skin to the vital organs and (2) it provides extra “padding” of fat beneath the surface of the skin to protect the muscles and tendons. Thus, depending on the size of your knife, you may not be able to inflict the damage you expect with an obese opponent.

Lethal targets in this section include the subclavian artery, wrist, heart, armpit, diaphragm, spleen, liver, bladder, and kidneys. Nonlethal targets include the opponent’s arm tendons, shoulders, and hands.

From the Waist Down

Striking an opponent from the waist down is not an ideal attack. However, there are circumstances when this area is the only target available. If you find yourself with a critical injury, unable to get back to a standing position, and disarmed of your firearm at the feet of an opponent with no other options, use the targets available to win the fight.

The one lethal target in this section is the femoral artery. Nonlethal tar-gets include the groin, hamstrings, and Achilles tendon.

Final Commentary

In general, when police officers consider use of deadly force, they automati-cally focus on the firearm. However, deadly force can come in many disguises.

When the use of deadly force is justified, but the firearm is not available or nonfunctional, know the other options available to inflict maximum damage and preserve life. Using the knife is brutal, but combat is a brutal business and self-defense is an adequate reason for many lethal attacks.

Beyond the Hollywood versions of knife fighting, with ambidextrous bad guys wielding dual butterfly knives in a fury, there are real situations where the only thing that may stand between police officers and death is the silent back-up weapon that they carry: the folding knife. In the event that you find yourself in a situation where the knife is the only option you have, you should not hesitate to use it. Know those hidden targets that inflict lethal and nonle-thal damage to your opponent and use them accordingly.

Legal prosecution is possible for officers who deploy a knife against a suspect in an aggressive confrontation. Obviously, it is not something that is usually taught in the academy. Always ensure that you follow the force con-tinuum of your departmental policy.

ICS teaches police officers to have a contingency plan for situations that cannot be anticipated. In the worst case scenario, the need for officer survival trumps potential litigation. As police officers say, “It is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six.”

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Drills

Introduction

Designing challenging practice drills is the best way in which trainers can simulate a stressful environment to reinforce skills and increase students’

confidence in the tools and techniques of combat survival. Static drills, in which students practice under relaxed conditions, are not the choice of the Israeli Combat System (ICS) trainers. They are simply too unrealistic to accomplish much in the way of actual combat readiness. Short of placing the students in actual fights, drills are the best way to get students to feel some of the psychological and physiological responses to stress.*

There are many approaches to quality drill design. The goal of a well-designed drill is to challenge students to develop more endurance and com-mitment to survival in spite of the level of difficulty presented. ICS drills are designed to cause students to lose fine motor skills, through strenuous activity, and to elicit the experience of some of the effects of stress, such as an increased heart rate, tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, and the “shakes”

brought on by fatigue.

This chapter is designed to provide guidance on developing your own drills for training. For the purposes of this book, we will discuss three kinds of drills: fatigue, aggression, and sensory deprivation/overload. Following an overview of each kind of drill, a few examples of well-designed drills are included for reference.

Types of Drills