By Tony Torres
While training in the S.P.E.A.R. System you will hear this phrase day in and day out. It is time to deepen our understanding of this concept. We are going to explore its origins as well as all its layers.
The term was paraphrased / borrowed from military close quarter battle. When entering rooms, operators, immediately seek what is referred to as a position of dominance. This is a space in the room in which the operator can cover danger areas, engage threats, and protect their teammates. It is the theoretical ideal “place to be”. Like anything in combat this position can constantly change.
BTS has always emphasized the notion that complex motor skills are applied when we are psychologically in control of ourselves and physically dominating our opponent. How do we know when we are there?
Enter Point Of Domination. It is our three dimensional signpost that tells us it is appropriate to engage our complex motor skills. Its qualities allow us to choose the appropriate tactics for the scenario we encounter and also allow us to abort tactics that might be less desirable.
Lets break down the concept in its three components; Athletic, Tactical, and Strategic Points Of Domination.
Athletic POD is basically the answer to the questions “What does it look like and how do I do it?” The majority of the time the Athletic POD will be the Close Quarters Combat Stance (CQCS). Lead hand intersecting the eye line, outside 90 degrees, body armor downrange, in a sprinter’s stance. In the S.P.E.A.R. System we first teach this position statically then we introduce the more dynamic versions. There is no denying that we can certainly land more powerful blows, apply leverage, and transition to other tools more easily and efficiently when we are in this position.
Tactical POD answers the questions “What is it for? What does it do?” Again the drills from the system give us a direct experience in which we see that our POD puts our attacker in a position in which he is slower and more telegraphic. He will also be more vulnerable to our attacks.
Strategic POD deals with the questions “Why do we use it? When do I use it?” First we need a three dimensional marker that lets us know in the chaos of the fight that we are “psychologically in control of ourselves and physically dominating our opponent”. The consistent and proper practice of the CQCS makes us viscerally recognize that we are now in one of the most advantageous positions we can be in a fight, we can now intelligently start applying counters. We also recognize through drilling that our POD is fluid and transitory. The angle will change but the advantages will be the same. It can also vanish and we may need to re-establish it.
When we understand clearly all the definitions of point of domination it raises the way we drill to another level. The Point Of Domination Principle is found in every drill and will be part of every fight.
