Articles with de-escalation

Interview with Craig Gray: Developing a Protector’s Lifestyle

SemperVerus interviewed Craig Gray, founder and trainer of PeaceWalker.org, a membership website that teaches simple and effective methods of personal protection and church security, and ways to handle conflict and live confidently. It provides solutions for dealing with conflict and violence, ranging from verbal arguments to physical assaults.

With your extensive background in protective services, martial arts, law enforcement training, and defensive tactics instruction, why did you create PeaceWalker.org?
I created our PeaceWalker private online community and training resource to help people who want to learn how to deal with conflict and violence more effectively. Anyone from anywhere in the world can connect with me and this community to learn this simple, effective method of personal defense, leadership, and lifestyle. This resource can be used on its own or in correlation with live in-person training.

Read More…

Church Security Book Review: A Gentle Response

With the title taken from Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire,” the book A Gentle Response: Conflict De-Escalation With A Ministry Mindset is written to guide staff and volunteers of all faiths and houses of worship in proven ways to defuse tense and potentially dangerous situations. Its author, John Riley, is an Army veteran, retired police officer, consultant, trainer, and founder/president of Gentle Response, a consulting company specializing in very dynamic, realistic conflict de-escalation training seminars which are specifically designed to help students develop stress inoculation, muscle memory, self confidence, and confidence in colleagues.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Gentle Response De-Escalation Training for Church Security Teams ]

The book is filled with practical insight and examples by the author, gleaned from 20 years of road patrol experience, observations, and training as a certified crisis intervention specialist through the National Anger Management Association of what can be said and done by law enforcement officers to more effectively and successfully de-escalate a situation to ensure that everyone goes home safe. While it’s written to church security team members, it’s principles can be equally applied to individuals as part of your personal self-defense toolbox.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

The following are highlighted quotes from the 90-page book:

Read More…

Active Self Protection Self-Defense Checklists and Acronyms

John Correia is the founder of Active Self Protection, teaching people to develop the attitude, skills, and plan (ASP) to defend themselves and their families from harm.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Security Armament Recommendations By Tom Givens, John Correia, and 6 Other Professionals ]

John is a nationally-recognized subject matter expert in private citizen defensive encounters and law enforcement use of force, a master firearms instructor, martial artist, court-admitted expert witness, teacher of teachers, and former pastor. He reviews thousands of violent incident videos as true-life self-defense teaching lessons on his Main and his Extra YouTube channels.

The following is a collection of some of the acronyms and checklists John has created to assist in remembering self-defense techniques and mindset.

•   Vehicles are transitional spaces where threatening incidents can easily happen. Follow this LET’SS GO checklist IN NUMERICAL ORDER to quickly remove yourself from vulnerability:

LET’SS GO

  1. L ock your doors as soon as you get into your car.
  2. E ngine on.
  3. T ransmission in gear.
  4. S seatbelt buckled.
  5. S can your surroundings.
  6. G et organized.
  7. O n your way.

Read More…

6 Laws of Mindful Self-Defensive Tactics

In his article, Pre-Contact Assessments & the 10 Laws of Defensive Tactics, trainer and use-of-force expert Ron Martinelli, PhD, reminds police officers how to make sound, legal, and reasonable decisions under stress in order to preserve the lives of citizens as well as their own.

The following extracts from that article are adaptations of those tactics that are appropriate for use by civilian and church security team concealed firearm carriers.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

•   Your mouth and your mind are your two greatest weapons.
“The best fight is the one you don’t get into. Good verbal skills and sound tactics will keep you out of more critical incidents than any other defensive weapons or tactics you have.”

If you suspect, but are uncertain, someone is posing a threat to you, strip away the ambiguity of the moment by loudly telling the person to “STAY AWAY.” If he or she continues to advance, you know he or she is a threat and you can take immediate evasive or self-defensive action.

Read More…