Police World Edition 3 2014

IPANews

IPA Defence TacticsGroup BranchesOut RobStenhouseandKeithSinclair, from the Defence TacticsGroup, travelled toKlaipeda, Lithuania to teach self-defenceand shooting techniquesat theLietuvosPolicijosMokykla (Lithuanianpolice school). Theaimof the visit was tomake contactswithin the Lithuanianpolice self-defence training community andencourage the formationof another branchof theDefence TacticsGroup. The visit was organisedby ViliusMotiejaitis, from thepolice school inKaunas, andRomualdas Rulevicius, from thepolice school inKlaipeda. On the first dayRobandKeithmet Dainius Smatavicius, theheadof thepolice school, and explained theaims of theGroupand the course. Self-defenceappears tobe givenahigher priority in Lithuania in comparison to theUKand the school is equippedwith twoexcellent self- defence training rooms. Bob spent amorning teaching theExplosiveSelf- DefenceSystem (ESDS), whichwasdeveloped for policeofficersby SlawoGozdzik, an IPAmember fromSweden - a system that relies onopen- handed strikes to subdueanattacker. Keithalso taught part of theSportikoprogramme Wine & Wisdom Thingsarehottingup in the race betweenDevonbranchandCornwall branchquiz teams. Despite thedistance involvedmembers from the twobranches got together and musteredasmuchbrainpower as they could for theevent organisedbyMarilyn McQueen.Marilyn tried to givemembers somethinga littledifferent witha ‘Wine& Wisdom’ quiz evening. GrahamBulford, DevonbranchSecretary, said, “Oneof the teams fromDevon is makingahabit of winning - in fact for the last three times! Cornwall branch is determined to stop the rot. ACornishman in theDevonbranch team swopped teams and tried tohelp change things - but tonoavail. Wearenot quiz regulars, andnothing could prevent agreat atmosphereanda lively evening.With chocolates shared round from thedrawprizesweall left witha smileand fondmemories.” ?

RobStenhouseandKeithSinclair with the trainees

using grapplingdrills toaccustom trainees to aggressionand close-quarter attacks. Training involveda lot of roughand tumblewhich the trainees took to very quickly. Healso focusedon knife-awareness anddefenceusing scenariowork to show the reality of knifeattacks. Again, training was realistic and challengingat times. The final training sessions targetedpoint- shooting. The Lithuanianpolice currently use a two-handed competitionbased shooting technique. Rob taught amorepractical one- handed close range survivalmethodof shooting. All the trainingprogrammes presentedwere ThamesValley Get Hooked “Dirty head”, “Rousing”, Skimming” and “Cooling” – thesewords conjureup visionsof anunderworld! But ThamesValley branchmemberswere soon to learn the inner secrets of beer fermentationat the HookNortonBrewery inOxfordshire. Sixteenmembers, including two guests from Australia, embarkedon the tour. After witnessing the fermentationprocess andwhere the liquor is barrelledweendedupmeeting ‘Nelson’ and ‘Major’ - twoShirehorses. Theywereabout topull awaywitha delivery of beer onadray. We thenhad theopportunity to sample themany beers that wereproducedon site - with lovely old names like ‘Lion’, ‘Hooky’ and ‘DoubleStout’. Having completed the tour wehadanexcellent lunch in thenearby Sunpublichouse in thehigh street. Thanks toPaulineand JohnOsborne for organising the visit. MikeVince , ThamesValley Secretary

basedona common themeof realism. Keith said, “Someof the trainingmethods and exercisepresentedby ushadnot been seenby theLithuanian trainees andwere the subject of muchdiscussion.” RobandKeithmetMr Smatavicius to thankhim for the chance to trainat the school and later said that they consider the visit tohavebeena resounding success. Keithadded, “Thehospitality shownby the Lithuanianswas impeccable. Thepolice school not only provided top-class accommodationbut also covered the cost of allmeals.”

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POLICEWORLD Vol 59No. 3, 2014