This week we learned how to fight.
The only fight I have ever been in is with my twin brother growing up about who had to sit on the "red cooler" between my parents on family road trips. One of our instructors who teaches us escape moves, jujitsu, and overall how to survive as a Police Officer is also an MMA fighter and extremely skilled in every aspect of everything he teaches us. The lesson of the week regarding fighting was survival. If/when the day comes where we have to fight to survive and we get jacked in the face with a fist or other object how are we going to respond? We're going to fight! We're going to go home to our families at the end of the day.
Round 1 was punches only. My main focus was to move. For the average person on the street it is harder to hit a moving target. I didn't seem to phase our instructor but I did it anyway.
Round 3 punching, kicking, grappling. I remember having wanted to wrestle when I was little because my twin brother got to and I didn't understand why I couldn't. Now females can wrestle but after Round 3 I am glad I was not allowed to join the little boy wrestling team when I was a child. It felt like I was grappling with a python. Needless to say the whole experience of the day was valuable and in one day alone has given us all a taste of reality.
The rest of the week we learned in the classroom about Victim's Rights and bombs. It is crazy that we are learning about bombs but if you think about it, maybe it is not crazy. You always have to expect the unexpected in this profession and bombs are not ever expected.
The shooting range was awesome as well. I feel like a kid when I leave the range because "THAT was so awesome," but then I finish with Arrest Control and I say the same thing.
We are learning how to shoot behind coverage at the range. We have different sizes of coverage and trying to get small to the big guys is not easy, but they find a way. I find it interesting the drills the instuctors put us through because I have taught basketball camps for over 10 years and the amount of drills we have for the campers is endless and they are all fun of course. Same goes for the drills at the range. There is competition against your peers, but most of them at this point are competition against yourself. We are learning to shoot at close range as well as far, and we are learning how to shoot in the kneeling and prone positions. It gets better every day. We get better every day.
Fruit Friday cannot come soon enough. We have started bringing fruit on Fridays. Fridays are a different beast. We are exhausted from a full week of shining shoes, ironing uniforms, doing homework, writing reports, completing surveys, studying, packing lunch for the next day, cleaning your guns, and packing your bag for the next day yet our anxiety is high because we have a test to pass, and we have physical training. Fridays are bitter sweet. Fridays are like a roller coaster ride at Eliches because before the test you just want to take the test. Then during the test you have to relax. Then you have your reaction to your test score which could be high or low. Then you have to get prepped for PT. Then you come down from the adrenaline. Then you have a whole afternoon of classroom but you really want to think about a relaxing weekend. Regardless of our high or low...we can count on our fruit.
The lesson was a hard one to learn as there were some bloody noses, a lot of bumps and bruises, a lot of sore ribs, etc...but it was the most valuable lessons I have learned thus far. I made it out with blood free but my jaw got rocked. I think the two initial reactions to getting popped in the face are to fight or flight.
Next week I will have a guest speaker to share their story about the week.
Next week I will have a guest speaker to share their story about the week.
No comments:
New comments are not allowed.