HOW TO SAFELY & EFFECTIVELY SEPARATE LARGER AND STRONGER FIGHTING STUDENTS -DSM TRAINING, PART III

THIS IS THE 3RD OF THREE POSTS ON HOW TO SAFELY separate two or more children, teens, and even adults – I teach these techniques to police, corrections, and other officers on how to separate large, drunk, and/or violent adults who are slugging it out in a bar or domestic-violence scenario -in a quick, safe and effective manner.  I invite you to read my other posts on Keep Schools Safe,if you need to catch up.  This post will specifically address an issue that vexes teachers (parents, security and police). That is having to quickly and safely pry apart two combatants who are bigger and stronger, without harming either combatant, and, of course, without suffering an injury to her or himself.  In my last post, by the way, I addressed the versatile Torso Rotation Separation Technique, which works on smaller children (Elementary School students) and for larger students who may be less aggressive.

THE INFRA ORBITAL BALANCE DISPLACEMENT SEPARATION TECHNIQUE.  Actually, this technique is designed for situations where the kid you choose to separate is the samen size or taller than you (teacher, security, police, parent).  Apply this by approaching from directly behind (or, an oblique angle to the rear) the student and placing your non-dominant (or, weak) hand on the back of the student’s head.  Now, place your strong hand across his or her (the fighter’s) eyes, followed by sliding that (strong) hand down until the middle knuckle of your index finger is below the nose and across the Infra Orbital Nerve Motor Point (located directly under the nose in the philtrum).  Apply pressure up into that nerve pressure point while simultaneous pulling the head back against your shoulder and/or chest for counter pressure.  This will cause an automatic and involuntary response – and a little discomfort – and you should  continue to apply pressure and pull the head back and up and quickly move the student back and away from the fighting zone.

It is essential that you quickly turn the kid away from the “fight zone.”  This is an excellent Balance Displacement technique (“..a control principle that uses leverage to displace a subject’s balance.”) that relies on speed, not only because speed is essential for the effectiveness of the technique, but because speed is essential so that the separated student is safely separated from his or her opponent, who , if the student you are separating is removed slowly, will likely take that opportunity to pummel the youngster.

THE REAR SHOULDER PULL SEPARATING TECHNIQUE.  This tactic should probably be restricted for violent fights between (larger) teenagers.  The RSP technique, therefore, is a little more aggressive.  The technique is initiated by the teacher approaching from the rear and the teacher (parent, security officer, etc.) reaching out and placing both hands on the student’s shoulders and quickly pulling back and toward the ground.  This move should be applied with no hesitation and with substantial vigor.  In most cases this move will be enough to impel the student to lurch backward, and, once that happens the teacher should continue pulling the kid away from the fight-zone.

If, however, the teacher’s initial move fails to separate that student, he or she should distract (“A Distraction Technique weakens resistance by changing the subject’s mental process…”) the student by delivering a moderate (this knee-strike does not have to be hard  or painful to distract the student) knee-strike to the back of the student’s thigh to initiate balance displacement.  With rare exception, the student’s knee(s) will buckle forward, which displaces balance and allows the shoulder pull to be executed.

I have taught and used these techniques for decades, and correctly performed, they work damned near every time.  Matter of fact, they work every time, but going by the belief that no technique is perfect, I am hedging my bets by writing “damned near every time.”

Finally, as I noted in my first post, always precede your separation move with verbal directions, identify yourself as a teacher (or, security, police, etc), try to break through the kid’s auditory exclusion, and, of course, continue verbal direction and de-escalation during and immediately after you separate…

Until my next post, please stay safe.

The Hammer

 

 

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