Friday, Oct. 20
10:45 – 11:45 (1 hr)
Meeting Room: Junior Ballroom D (3rd floor – North Tower)
Edwin Tam*, FRCP

CanMEDS Roles:

1. Health Advocate
2. Professional
3. Leader

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1) Learn the general sequence of response in dealing with an armed aggressor; 2) Acquire the physical skills of basic evasive footwork, blocking, parrying, control and counter offence; and 3) Adopt the mindset necessary to survive.

This hands-on course addresses the worst-case scenario of encountering an armed aggressor at work. Participants are assumed to possess basic verbal de-escalation skills, and thus the focus will be on physical strategies for surviving these life-threatening situations. General principles of dealing with weapons will be covered, with attention to dealing with a knife, due to its combination of lethality and easy accessibility in Canada. We will examine the different tactics possible at different ranges and cover the role of evasion, parrying, blocking, control, counter offence, and equalizing tools/weapons in attempting escape. Legal considerations will be addressed. Although the theory will be presented, the emphasis will be on acquiring basic motor skills to increase the participant’s ability to survive a weapon attack. Various defensive drills will achieve this. Participants will engage in moderately strenuous activity and should dress in regular work attire, unless such clothing restricts movement. Safety in training is a priority. The 25% discussion will be intermixed with the teaching, as questions and comments are encouraged throughout the course.

References:

1. Kane L. Surviving armed assaults. Boston (MA): YMAA Publication Center; 2006.
2. Wagner J. Reality-based personal protection. Valencia (CA): Black Belt Books; 2006.