These police expandable baton instructors are, from left to right:

AJA Instructor and USPIS/FLETC Arnold Smith, 4th degree black belt
AJA Instructor Ibrahim Majeed, 4th degree black belt
AJA Instructor Charles Bradshaw, 5th degree black belt
AJA and FOP/Fairfax Co. PD Instructor and MPO David Patton, AJA Sensei, 5th degree black belt
AJA and FLETC/ILEETA/FLEOA Master Police Teacher Bruce H. Jones, AJA Sensei, 7th degree black belt
AJA Instructor Brad Millick, 3rd degree black belt
AJA Instructor Luis Tsuji, 3rd degree black belt

Instruction in taihojitsu and keibojitsu is appropriate for military, police, intelligence, undercover officers, and responsible adult civilians.  Initial keibo instruction is typically conducted at slow speed – in this case about one-quarter speed – using a padded baton.  Of course, all attacks and defenses are simulated and controlled, and great care should be taken to avoid injury. 

When confronted with a serious developing assault scenario, try to keep the attacker well outside your defensive circle (approximately beyond arms’ length).  Keep your left hand/forearm up and forward, your right (baton) hand back and away. Give repeated, assertive voice commands (Stop!  Stay back!  Halt!).  If the attacker ignores the commands and starts to attack, use the appropriate baton technique. 

For the following keibojitsu techniques, grip the baton somewhat forward, exposing the butt end for defensive “hooking” and “close-striking.” The grip primarily uses the small, ring, and middle fingers.

TECHNIQUE # 1:
When the attacker begins an open right-hand attack to high center, block inside with your left forearm and trap the attacker’s right sleeve or forearm with your left hand.  Strike the attacker’s right forearm pressure point (just below the elbow) with the baton and press down and through the bend of the elbow joint to a takedown in the attacker’s right rear corner.  Use equal and opposing two-way action.  Turn the attacker over, pulling his right arm up and pushing it across his body.  Then apply a restraining technique.  We want you up and the attacker face down, quickly joint-locked, and brought under control or permitting you to safely flee the attack.  The longer the violence goes on, the uglier it tends to become.

TECHNIQUE# 2:  The attacker attempts a left high-center attack, like a boxer’s left jab.  Step outside the attempted strike, forward and right, blocking the attacker’s forearm with a left-hand circle block.  Grasp the attacker’s left wrist with your left hand.  Strike his left triceps from behind with the baton, then hook the bend of his left elbow with the butt-end of the baton.  Push the attacker’s hand toward his chest or face, pull down and to your right rear corner with the baton, pivoting clockwise on your left foot, for a quick controlled takedown and appropriate ground restraint.

These are robust keibo techniques that can be applied in a variety of situations.  Learning the basics is not difficult, but frequent practice is needed to build them into muscle memory.

Sensei Jones demonstrates taihojitsu knife defenses with Yodan Majeed at PA seminar

.308 tactical rifle with scope from 1,000 yards and closer

12 gauge tactical shotgun with sights and oo buck or rifled slugs from 100 yards to 0

.45 tactical pistol with 185 grain +P jacketed hollow point from 50 yards to contact

less-than lethal TASER neuromuscular incapacitation device (NMI) from 15 feet to contact

4 foot jo staff and 36 inch hanbojitsu for crowd control and close in self-defense

a common walking cane of about 36 inches

OC pepper spray less-than lethal out to about 12-15 feet

Police ASP expandable baton, traditional Japanese "jutte" as carried by palace guards and police security personnel as less-than-lethal intermediate impact weapons

Close Quarter Combat; jujitsu empty hand controls, less-than-lethal, and appropriate to the specific threat.

This Federal Law Enforcement Trng. Center (FLETC) and Police Officer Standards and Trng. (POST) advanced certified defensive tactics instruction may be useful to: police cadets, active and retired members, and/or their spouses. We find this concrete benefit to be useful for very practical reasons with budget constraints, and as an ILEETA membership recruitment tool. Furthermore, this Reston YMCA generously permits federal, state, and local police to stop in and try a 2 hour class for free, as a public service. In furtherance of this effort, the internationally recognized not-for-profit American Jujitsu Assn. also has formally voted a resolution of support designating this master teacher 7th degree black belt as their national representative for this purpose.

Priority subject matter areas include: use-of-force, testifying, strategies and tactics, weapon retention, expandable baton, OC spray, handcuffing, searching and restraining, effective close striking, blocking and trapping, wall and ground restraints, TASER, and 48 inch crowd control/riot baton. Our ILEETA active members working counterterrorism, organized crime, extremists, witness protection, executive protection, or violent gangs; also sometimes feel vulnerable to retaliatory threats against their homes or families. This police-sensitive issue is also addressed.

Many of our more senior officers/agents find it difficult to get good, safe, “police-friendly” refresher practice. Retired agents working contract investigations in bad areas can use this support and help. Retired couples find it useful traveling more safely together in retirement. For all of these reasons and more, you are cordially invited to participate in this program that prides itself on professional standards, and NO injuries; based upon your agency training policy.

In closing, for those active, and retired personnel with LEOSA firearms requalifications concerns, former Special Agent Jones has also identified Washington DC Metro area professional resources on his own, as a firearms instructor. The Virginia State Police have also been very supportive to work with in this regard.

Please be safe. Be happy. And be retired that way someday- if we take good care of ourselves. Let ILEETA help you.

Now AJA and Sensei Jones will be offering the full 4 hour Taser C2 program on Sunday August 9th, 2009, from 10 am until 2 pm, in the main floor conference room of the Reston, VA YMCA at 12196 Sunset Hills Road in Reston, VA 20190. Bring a snack and a bottle of water because we will eat after we are done with the written exam at the end. The goal is to train the trainers within AJA leadership ranks and better understand current advancements in modern weaponry of interest and concern to our students from a crime prevention standpoint. There are, interestingly, also ancient martial arts Taser equivalents in taihojitsu.

This C2 registration process will work in this manner. In response to this communication, each more recently interested prospective attendee should e-mail Sensei Jones quickly reaffirming intention to attend the August 9th seminar. That e-mail must contain the following information: full name, current AJA rank and AJA membership number, current home mailing address, current personal e-mail address, personal cell or home phone number, name of your AJA martial art school and chief instructor with that person's phone number, and the method of payment of the $50.00 pre-registration fee, which is non-refundable.

Payment must be made before a dedicated training slot will be held in that name. Fee payment must be made by Postal money order, or by bank certified check in the name of Bruce Jones, mailed to: 11506 Sunder Court Reston, VA 20190, with a printed copy of this e-mail. Registration must be made in advance and there can only be 20 attendees in this first session. On site registration will be handled by Sensei Jones and staff in the Reston YMCA conference room on the first floor and class will start on time. Please arrange to be there a few minutes early, 9:30 am, for this process, and to make best use of your training time. You will also need to sign a YMCA waiver form provided at this registration desk in the conference room.

No later than Thursday July 30th, 1 week from today, a first sort of the prospective class will be made by criteria such as: AJA school heads, AJA upper belt instructors, AJA dojo geographic representation within the northern and southern regions, and those serious-minded professionals who are motivated enough to pay in advance. This minimal fee only covers part of the cost of equipment and materials incurred already by your instructors. This program is for Safe Effective C2 User Documentation, to better answer all of our students questions.

For the convenience of any attendees commmuting from outside the DC Metro area, no later than close of business on Thursday August 6th, 2009; a confirming e-mail will be sent to each of those AJA instructors and future instructors who have properly registered by that time. That will be the class for this first full session. In the event of overflow, a standby list will be established for follow-up training sessions this summer for: additional AJA leaders, federal, state, and local police offficials, police spouses, intelligence and security professionals, licensed USDOS and USDOD executive protection agents, school teachers concerned about threats from gangs, and corporate executives. For persons traveling to Reston, VA who may want to stay over; search nearby hotels in zip code 20190 or 20191; or, near Reston Town Center and the YMCA.

Pre-registered attendees are encouraged, but not required, to purchase a Taser C2 online at www.taser.com before attending. This will also require an online security registration process that involves a background check by Taser to ensure these are not inadvertently sold to predator felons. Taser C2s can also often legitimately be purchased through local police supply stores, licensed gun shows, or personal protection area businesses, still requiring a registration process and an instant electronic background check on the purchaser.

Having a C2 will make this seminar much more worthwhile for attendees and minimize prematurely burning out the volunteer AJA instructors' Tasers they use in their work. A new C2 purchaser should commit to buying also a laser sight and LED light for improved sighting and threat identification in the dark, holster, spare battery pack and 4 extra C2 cartridges for recommended practice outside during this program. You must do this for your own improved safety before carrying this device in any actual or potential threat situation. Such a purchase may cost as much as $500.00 total and therefore is a serious commitment. Essentially, never carry any weapon you are not well trained with by a qualified and experienced instructor. Full disclosure, these volunteer AJA instructors do not sell or profit from any such Taser sales.

The subject matter content of this seminar will include: Technical aspects of the Taser C2 for civilian use, tactical considerations, range, distance control, angle control, physical techniques, target areas, accountability, legal, ethical, and post-incident reporting, and ample time for closely supervised practice, short written examination for documentation, scenario analyses, critique and questions answered. Late lunch nearby on our own at Chipotle afterwards, within a short walk of this Y.

Attendees should not dress in martial arts attire in this setting and for this purpose. Athletic or sturdy casual wear will be more appropriate when we go outside the YMCA at the rear pavillion briefly for demonstrations, weather permitting. Also, guests are welcome to observe or participate in the regular AJA class afterwards from 3-5 pm, time, travel, and remaining energy permitting.

We look forward to working with you on this to advance the art of jujitsu and civilian self-defense. We appreciate your cooperation and assistance in the management of this registration process and the conduct of a good safe class. Please respond in writing soon so we may help you meet your training needs. Thank you.

Bruce H. Jones, MS, FCIA, ILEETA
Federal Special Agent (Ret.)
AJA Sensei # 1900
Police Taser Instructor

11506 Sunder Court
Reston, VA 20190
B2jones@comcast.net
202.215.1061