V.I.P.A Tactical Training

I commented on the picture below which was posted in the facebook group, Raising Standards in Close Protection, named after the same book by the author Richard Aitch. Before I go any further let me just say that if you have not bought this book and you work in the Close Protection industry then you really should. I highly recommend it.

So that is what a calling looks like!

So are you obsessed? I hope so because I am, I have a calling. Actually I am lucky as I have two. The first Self Protection, I have been involved in since 1978 and the second, you guessed it, Close Protection, I have been involved in since 1992. In between was a stint in the military which at the time I thought was my calling until I realised it was in the field of CP.

Although this blog post is in relation to the Close Protection industry it does also relate to any other form of employment you have chosen to be in. Musician, artist, carpenter, builder, architect and so on.

Pick your most boring subject, something you are not interested in, engineering, gardening, painting, whatever it is you just do not like and I can guarantee one thing. If it is someones passion, their calling and they are talking about it, you will listen, why? Because they make it interesting, they love everything about it, let me reiterate IT IS THEIR CALLING! Look at these people, watch them on TV and tell me they do not make what they are talking about interesting, Alan Titchmarsh (Gardener), Mark Williams (Actor) talking about engineering, Kevin McCloud (Designer) on Grand Designs or Jamie Oliver (Chef).

Could you do the same, could you talk to a bunch of people about Close Protection and have them enthralled?

So where does this fit in with the title. OK let me ask you this, as soon as your shift or rotation is finished do you switch off as soon as you are out of the door until you start work again? If you do then you are not following your calling. For the average person that is exactly what happens, hey 5PM down tools lets get to the pub, glad the day is over not another thought about the work they have done or will do tomorrow. How many times do you think the top fashion designers have been inspired when they have not been at work? building shapes, colours, tree shapes, distorted reflections, anything can inspire creativity not only when you are working but more importantly working when not at work.

I recently watched Olympus Has Fallen, Gerard Butler in the Kitchen with his wife who is trying to have a coversation with him. He on the other hand is watching the news about the North and South Korean military developments. Nothing to do with him, he is not even on the Presidents detail anymore though still part of the Secret Service and the South Korean Prime Minister is visiting the White House that day. He is taking more interest of the news because of who he is and what he does. Although it gets him in the shit with his wife he is still working while not at work, sound familiar?

Let me ask you this very important question; If you are not working while not at work, how then do you run your personal security procedures? They don't run on their own you know!

PERSEC, OPSEC and  INFOSEC are becoming punchlines all too often on social network groups and forums!

Do you have an ideas book? I do I keep it in my day-sack. Sitting on the train an idea will come to me or I will see something pertaining to CP or EP and I write it down before I forget it. Remember, working while not at work. What do you do, sit there and enjoy the ride? Multi-tasking is something we should all be able to do. 

There is an article on Fred Leland's Law Enforcement and Security Consulting website entitled - The 10% of Mindset. It relates to the 10% of all Law Enforcement professionals who constantly strive to develop themselves and their professionalism both physically and mentally. It also talks about those who are 'Retired on Duty', both we can relate to in our profession. Which one are you?

If you are looking to come into the industry, the ceiling EPOs work at is far higher than you think, both physically and mentally. I am not degrading your current employment whatever that may be, just realise that if you make a mistake people may die, you, your colleagues or your principal.

For those already working in the industry and also for those looking to come into the industry here is a little reminder
The business we are in, protecting lives, is a serious business and not one to be taken lightly,
so for those that are still confused let me try and make it a little simpler for you.

If you are doing this to impress your mates or girls down the pub - Then find another job!
If you look at this profession as just a job - Then find another job!
If you want to mingle and be photographed with the stars - Then find another job!
If you cannot attain the ceiling required for our profession (and it is not the SIA ceiling) - Then find another Job!
If this is not your calling - Then find another job!
If you are not of the 10% mindset - Then find another Job!
If you are not at work and still not working- Then seriously find another job!

Are you following your calling?

Stay Dangerous

Rock

We are never static, when we are standing, sitting or lying down we may get the impression that we are not moving but the body is in constant motion and in a permanent state of unbalance.
One question I like to ask both beginners and the more advanced students is: Do you know how to walk?
At first it seems like a stupid and easy enough question to answer, 'Yeah you put one foot in front of the other and off you go'. OK, yes well that is walking but the body mechanics that allow us to walk are slightly more complicated.
We use both the conscious and sub-conscious mind to make this work and for most of the time it is the sub-conscious mind that is doing all of the work.
For this short blog post we will look at the axis that interact permanently with the body and helps us counter this unbalanced state.
These invisible axis never move their position, they stay in a fixed point, it is the body that moves around the axis.

Central Vertical Axis

The CVA starts above the head, runs through the centre of the body, out between the legs and into the ground. Think of it as the pole that goes through the centre of a merry-go-round horse keeping it in place.

Central Horizontal Axis

The CHA runs parallel to the ground, roughly in the centre depending on your body make-up as not every ones centre of gravity is the same. Again the axis starts outside of the body and extends through the opposite side.
You can see from both photos that there is only one CVA but there are two CHAs, there is the Lateral (side to side) and the Radial (forwards, backwards and circular).

As the body moves around these axis we become more unbalanced, the more we become unbalanced the more the conscious mind takes control in the decision making process. This is even more so when dealing with a combat situation.

No matter your position, your balance will be effected to some degree. if you are in a combat situation you not only have to be aware of your own balance but also that of your enemy so practicing balance drills in all positions is necessary to be comfortable at performing and understanding how the axis come into play.

As we cannot always choose the location or the time that combat will take place, being able to control your balance whilst being mobile in a vehicle is essential.
How many times have you being travelling on a bus, train or tube for example and lost your balance when the vehicle lurches around a corner or slows to a stop?
How many times have you been on a ship or boat and you lost your balance through the rolling of the vessel?

Balance is a far greater subject than this blog post has gone into and one that is often forgotten by instructors and students alike.

Combat Focused - Are you?

Stay Dangerous

Rock

In a previous blog post I looked at the holistic approach to combat, dealing with the physical, mental and spiritual aspects that need to be balanced so as to be truly effective in the pre - in and post combat phases.

I have also looked at living in 'The now', and only by having a balanced approach is this possible and more so when dealing with combat.

You control your thoughts or at least you should, and by controlling your thoughts you control your actions. Controlling your thoughts is the only way to fully interact with your actuality, notice there I said 'interact' and not 'control'. We can never fully control our environment, we can to some extent assert a measure of control on our immediate surroundings but even here it is never 100% secure. 

However much we think we are in control. we are not in control of the thoughts and thereby the actions of those around us. To those we must respond and to respond correctly we must be living in the now.

so my questions to you at this stage are: how many time per day does your mind wander along its own paths before you drag it back? how often do you listen to your music on your phone while walking along the street or you are texting or reading?

At these times you are not in control of your thoughts.

During a discussion with a fellow EPO along similar lines, he let slip that while protecting his principal he finds his minds wanders at times. That is not something I wanted to hear from a fellow EPO.

Controlling your thoughts and actions allows your life to be balanced and like everything else in your life you have to find time to achieve this. This balancing act is going to manifest itself physically as administration tasks. 
Are your finances in order, are your bills paid, are family members well and cared for, appointments kept or cancelled on time? Etc, etc, etc.

Everything you do as your way of life if not controlled has the annoying knack of spiralling at an alarming rate, way out of control. You cannot concentrate on work, worry, anxiety, depression and all of the other negatives are suddenly overwhelming you. In that moment when you are not there you are at your most vulnerable. Like everything that is unbalanced it ends up either falling down or getting knocked down.

In your case you end up being robbed, injured, raped or dead. So balance your life because an unbalanced and out of synch mind and body will certainly have a detrimental affect on your combat performance.

How many times per day do you this? these sheeple are the future victims,
don't join their flock!

In part two we will look at how balance can either aid or impede your performance during combat.

Stay Dangerous

Rock