Applying the Right Amount of Force: Judo’s Contribution to Law Enforcement
Posted on 20th June 2019 at 09:26
This is the latest book on Judo from David Hammond and you may notice that the photography is by...Craig Barlow - me!
Full disclosure, Hammond and I are old friends and colleagues. I hold a black belt in Judo and used to be a BJC Coach. David is also a coach and Judo scholar but his knowledge and interest is as much in the history and philosophy of judo as it is the sport and skills.
David Hammond also has years of experience in security and close protection work in a variety of contexts. and outside of the dojo we have worked together on developing personal safety courses, de-escalation and conflict management courses as well as providing safety and risk assessment advice to individuals and organisations.
In another life I have been a photographer and so when he came to me with his idea for this book I was very keen to get involved. What intrigued me was his analysis of how Japanese martial arts such as Judo and Jujitsu have influenced the development of control and restraint techniques in law enforcement and other contexts accross the world. Crucially however, this was not to be a macho book the predicts the risk of violence on every street corner. It emphasises the value of assertiveness and the use of minimal but effective force in order to control a situation that could escalate in threat and violence.
This book will not teach you how to do these techniques, that requires training, practice and qualified teaching, but it offeres a fascinating insight into the evolution of physical interventions and the mechanics of the techniques. This book will be of interest to anyone involved in martial arts in any capacity, military and law enforcement history, criminology and policing and even human behaviour.
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