Blue Cell Protective Services
Less-Lethal Defensive Options Course
After Action Report
by esrice
Less-Lethal Defensive Options Course
After Action Report
by esrice
WHEN: Saturday, August 13th, 2011
WHERE: lovemywoods' Range - Brown County, Indiana (hour south of Indy)
WEATHER: ~83 degrees with a gentle breeze, no rain
INSTRUCTORS: BCPS Owner Erik Utrecht (Trek), Assistant Instructor Clay, Photographer Christa
STUDENTS: esrice, Mrs. esrice, lovemywoods, Mrs. lovemywoods, Kr_Treefrog2, tyler34, Prestige Worldwide, theweakerbrother, Mrs. theweakerbrother, OneBadV8, bwframe, MTC, brown trix, Chindong
COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...urse_lovemywoods_range_sat_aug_13_2011_a.html
I first met Erik Utrecht (Trek) last year during MDFI's Carbine 1 class that lovemywoods and I hosted. At that time he was one of their Assistant Instructors, and he told me about his own executive protection and private investigation firm Blue Cell Protective Services.
I was immediately impressed by his squared away good-guy persona. A former Airman and police officer, Trek is first and foremost an excellent teacher. He knows his material inside-and-out, and can articulate that material to any student in such a way that they can use it in their own unique situation.
So when Trek approached me earlier this year about bringing his new Less-Lethal Defensive Options Course down to Indy for INGOers, I said "Absolutely!".
What follows is my own personal experience in this class. Everyone's experiences will be slightly different, but I wanted to share mine so that those who may be sitting on the fence about taking such a class will feel motivated to get up off the couch and do it!
For me, this class really bridged a gap in my "tactical toolbox". Most of my training so far has been focused on pistols, carbines, and carry law. What I lacked was a response to those bad situations that require a strong response, but not yet a lethal one.
I was lucky enough to have my wife join me, which was a first for us. Although I felt that she had great situational awareness and natural instincts as a woman and mother, I wanted her to also have some basic tools to deal with situations when I couldn't be around.
Registration began at 9:30am. INGOers began to gather in the driveway and side yard, and then were directed down toward the lake, where we signed liability waivers.
At 10am Trek kicked things off by asking some very serious questions, giving students the option of packing up and leaving the class with a full refund if they couldn't definitely answer with a solid "yes". One of the questions asked was "Are you willing to do whatever it takes to come home to your family at night?" My answer was "yes".
Trek then introduced himself, Clay, and Christa. He gave everyone his pertinent background information, and then asked each student to introduce themselves and share their reasons for taking the class. We were then asked to remove all jewelry, watches, guns, knives, flashlights, wallets, and cell phones-- anything that could get hurt, or hurt us, in the hand-to-hand portion of the class. We then gave a pat down to the person next to us, ensuring that there were absolutely no weapons in the training area.
Although Trek was the lead instructor, he had no problem opening up the floor to discussion from students. This revealed some interesting perspectives for all to consider. At one point he asked each student "what about people causes you personal concern?" We found that what concerns ladies is often very different than what concerns men.
We went over the 5 (behavioral) types of people we are likely to encounter in our lives. We also discussed the many gray areas that exist between these types, and how women may be justified in using a less-lethal option sooner than their male counterparts would, due to a disparity of force.
We talked briefly about Cooper's color codes of awareness, and how we as responsible people should strive to always stay in Condition Yellow, and out of Condition White. We recognized that technology offers many ways to keep people in Condition White all the time-- like talking on cell phones and using iPads.
We then went hands-on by learning some open-hand/weapon-less defense techniques. We learned that the average human has 45 seconds worth of 'fight' in them, so we'd better make it count. We went over a basic "interview stance", and why having your hands available at all times is important.
Trek showed us the 'proper' or 'preferred' way to fall backwards, which prevented injury while allowing us to maintain a defensible position. We learned that this position is actually quite strong, as we are still very mobile and can defend with our legs. We also incorporated firearm draws using blue guns or "finger guns".
We then learned how to defend from a high-tackle, mid-tackle, and low-tackle. We paired up with a "buddy" and alternated roles of good guy and bad guy. The response to the high- and low-tackle was the same, using our forearms for brachial artery strikes and head control, while shifting our weight aggressively into our attacker. Because a low-tackle is so detrimental to our legs and knees, we practiced "sprawling" and getting on top of our attacker. We also learned how to break away from a bear hug where our hands were pinned high and then low. A short time was spent on defending attacks from behind, where you essentially drive your pelvis backwards into your attacker, breaking free from their grip, giving you time to strike or flee.
We then worked on more traditional ground fighting techniques and positions such as mount, side mount, and guard, and went over the strengths and weakness of each. We also approached these positions with our partners as the good guy, and then as the bad guy.
For me, these scenarios showed just how quickly I can become tired and out of breath in a struggle. Even holding my head up off the ground after a few ground fighting sessions became tiresome. I will say, however, that trips to the gym did help in shortening my recovery times, and I didn't spend too much time sucking wind.
We broke for lunch sometime after 1pm. We were all hot, sweaty, and grass-stained. lovemywoods provided sloppy joe or lunch meat sandwiches with chips and drinks. To top it off he even made his famous chocolate chip cookies! Just about everyone took advantage of the air conditioning and ate inside.
After lunch we moved our gear and set up in the side yard. Trek brought out an entire "toy chest" of less-lethal devices, from OC to CS to CN, stun guns, and tasers. As he demo'd each device and its operation, he also handed them around the class and we got a chance to see them up close. He went over their pros and cons, and why certain devices were preferred for certain circumstances. Items demo'd included (but not limited to): JPX Jet Protector, Kimber Pepper Blaster, PepperBall HotShot, Taser C2, as well as many personal handheld OC devices from Fox, Top Cop, and Freeze Plus P.
We learned about the chemical makeup of OC, CS, and CN. We also learned about their effects on the human body. OC, for example, causes one's mucous membranes to essentially freak out, causing eyes to close, mouths to water, noses to run, and pores to burn. We learned about the "percentage myth", and why 2% can be just as nasty as 10%. Any type of OC/Pepper spray/Mace is also perfectly legal here in Indiana, whereas BCPS's home state of Michigan regulates it.
We then went over the physical mechanics of spraying an attacker. A perfect analog for OC is. . . . . silly string! First we practiced by spraying Trek and Clay, and then we paired back up and ran through a few "spray/no-spray" scenarios.
Being a former police officer, Trek was also able to give everyone his perspective on what to do after an incident, how to report it, and how to deal with the first responders. He covered several different scenarios, including when to call the police, and what information to give them.
We also went over a small block on emergency medical response. It was very basic, but we got to see techniques demonstrated for using an Israeli bandage, CAT tourniquet, and QuikClot. We learned how these could be used to keep someone from bleeding out until professional help arrived.
Then the entire class was asked to go around to the opposite side of the house. We were all given the same scenario--
"Its 11pm and you just came from the movie theater. Walk to your car in the parking lot, get in, and drive home."
One at a time we were called to come around and walk to our car, which was an SUV in the driveway. Clay (who is a fantastic role player, btw) then played several different parts-- one as a drunk college kid excited about the recent Colts game, one as a crazy scientologist wanting to spread his gospel, one as a bum panhandler, and one as an attacker lying in wait while pretending to talk on a cell phone. After we handled our specific scenario, we would then break it down with Trek, discussing our mindset, thought process, and actions. This really got our hearts pumping and our brains racing!
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To close out the class and end the day, Trek gave every student an opportunity to take an OC hit to the face-- we had 3 volunteers. bwframe, theweakerbrother, and OneBadV8 all volunteered to receive first hand experience on the effects of OC along with Trek, who took his 19th hit. The rest of us learned how to properly decontaminate an affected person. This was a true learning experience for everyone, as simply talking about it doesn't quite prepare you for what actually happens. When our volunteers were finally able to speak, they did their best to precisely describe the pain they were experiencing. Most noted a severe burning sensation, along with a feeling of drowning, and not being able to navigate due to their eyes being forced closed. I learned that our decontamination methods did work, but it took time.
After class Trek handed out certificates of course completion to the students, including a letter stating that we had either witnessed or experienced the effects of OC, and a BCPS "Death Pepper" patch. lovemywoods also presented each participant with a certificate for 2 free hours of range time at his private shooting range. A class picture topped off the day.
On the way home my wife and I had an hour to discuss the class. We both learned a great deal and want to continue to fill the gap between "helpless" and "shoot 'em to the ground". My wife wants to again host BCPS and their shorter 4-hour OC class for her circle of friends, as she feels that many of them would really benefit from the information taught and techniques presented.
I would highly recommend Blue Cell Protective Services to anyone looking to fill those gaps in their "tactical toolbox". Whether you go to them in Michigan or they come to you, I know you'll be satisfied in the amount of training you receive for the money you pay.
I want to thank lovemywoods and Mrs. lovemywoods for again opening up their property to allow us INGOers to experience this kind of necessary training.
A huge thanks goes to Blue Cell Protective Services crew Trek, Clay, and Christa, for their willingness to drive from Michigan to teach us Hoosiers a thing or two. I know you guys couldn't have made much money from this venture, and I appreciate the time you spent away from your loved ones so we can better protect ours.
I also appreciate Kr_Treefrog2, tyler34, Prestige Worldwide, theweakerbrother, Mrs. theweakerbrother, OneBadV8, bwframe, MTC, brown trix, and Chindong for making training a priority, and for getting up off that couch! This was a great group to train with, and everyone was safe and thirsty to learn.
I may be biased, but I also want to thank Fenway for what he has created with INGO. Without this great community this event would have never happened, and I wouldn't have had the chance to meet such fine Hoosiers.
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