Having been an active street cop for the entire 33 years of my police career, as well as an active police trainer for 43 years, in this series I share some of the defensive tactics techniques that helped me prevail on the street. The series presents a variety of defensive tactics in a format that allows you to follow the instructions and practice the technique. Remember practice makes prepared.
It goes without saying that by training in self-defense techniques beyond the academy, the life you save may be your own. However, you could also say that the life you save may be the suspect’s as well.
I can say this honestly, because on one particular occasion on the street I was attacked by multiple attackers, and, during this attack, I used a number of trained techniques to save my life, including this technique I am showing you today.
When the attack was defeated, I won, and the four out of five suspects (one prudently ran after I back-fisted him, during the assault), who were arrested knew they had lost the fight. Because of the threat posed in this particular case, I could have been justified in shooting some or even all of these attackers. However, because I still had viable pre-trained, less than lethal options available to me, I did not even consider the use of deadly force.
I just reacted, seemingly instinctively, according to my beyond-the-academy-training. This is why I say to you the life you may save may be the suspects.
The front strangle
The one or two-handed front strangle is a common murderous assault launched by aggressors. If you do not respond instantaneously when an assailant grabs you by the throat and squeezes, you are literally placing your life into that person’s hands. However, you can take your life back with an effective counter-move.
The usual reactions of an unprepared person facing this attack is to either do nothing, scratch at the attacker’s face, or attempt to pry the attacker’s fingers off their throat with their own fingers. Since most police officers have not been trained in an escape from the front hand strangle, the untrained officer may have to resolve this deadly threat with their duty weapon. I would argue that if the suspect is larger and stronger than the officer and the officer can’t escape the attacker’s grip, that option could be defensible for this is a deadly assault.
However, for those of you who want another option for yourselves, or maybe even to teach your children, here is one street-proven technique to consider.
Step one: Turtle up!
When a suspect attacks you from the front by placing his hands around your throat, when he begins to squeeze, immediately “turtle up.” This means your chin goes down and your shoulders go up, to block, or at least minimize, access to your trachea and carotid arteries. To maintain your balance, your feet should be at least shoulder-width apart with your strong foot (gun side) back and your reaction foot (non-gun side) slightly forward.
Step two: Throw up!
This does not mean vomit, it means throw both hands straight up into the air. Follow this by locking your hands together with your arms still locked straight up in the air. Hold this position throughout the following movement.
Step three: Power pivot!
With both arms locked skyward with your hands grasping each other, you perform the “power pivot” sharply. To perform the pivot, your reaction foot will be your planted pivot post. Your strong foot will sweep in a 180-degree arch toward your rear and reaction side. As mentioned, keep both arms locked straight up throughout this movement to break the attacker’s death grip on your throat.
REAR hand strangle
It will please you to discover that the defense against the rear hand-strangle is the exact same maneuver as the defense from the front hand-strangle:
- Turtle up!
- Throw up!
- Power pivot!
These three movements will combine to break the grip on your throat as long as both of your arms are locked into the air as you pivot.
By the way, the reason you throw both arms in the air is that if you throw one into the air, there will be a wrong way to pivot that will be ineffective. Under stress, by throwing both arms into the air, no matter which way you pivot, the movement will break the belligerent’s grip on your throat.
When you break the grip, there is no guarantee the aggressor will end his assault. You must decide in a moment what your next move will be depending on the threat you face at that moment. It would certainly be defensible to follow the counter with power punches, elbow strikes, knee strikes, kicks, baton, TASER or pepper spray. If you choose to make impact, be certain these strikes are focused on a vulnerable target. If the suspect continues to be a deadly threat, you may also choose to access your firearm and verbalize appropriate commands, or use level of force defensible depending on the totality of the circumstances.
Conclusion
When you thwart this attack in this manner there will generally be evidence of the attack on your neck in the form of finger-width stripes or sometimes scratches. Make certain you or an investigator get photos of all physical evidence of any attack against you or unlawful resistance by a suspect. Also be sure to take photos of evidence of disturbance at the scene, get witness statements and collect evidence of the attack such as your damaged uniform. Secure all police recordings and/or private security recordings of the struggle to prove charges against the suspect and justify whatever force you use to survive this deadly assault.
The most important proof you want to have after any deadly assault, however, is for you to be living, breathing and telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about this attack and what you did to survive it. In other words, after each and every deadly threat you face in your career, you want to prevail so that you can show proof of life: your own precious life.
Photos by Anya Marcou. Techniques demonstrated by Lt. Dan Marcou and Aidan Marcou.
