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Defensive Training...at Sea?

Forget the old saying, "never mix business with pleasure" and join officers from across the country on a cruise unlike any other. And bring your family along, too.

DT at Sea, a police training seminar on board Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas, promises an intense training experience with some of the country's most recognized instructors including Calibre Press Street Survival Seminar Instructors Dave Smith and Elizabeth Brantner Smith.

"At first glance, this might seem like an excuse to go on a cruise," said Lead Instructor Dave Smith. "But what it really does is allow for an intensive physical and mental training curriculum in a relaxed familial setting that permits the students to dialog with the instructors long after the sessions end."

Roy Bedard, president of RRB Systems International, organized the first cruise last year for defensive tactics professionals and the response was "phenomenal." More than 150 officers and family members participated, prompting another cruise this year co-sponsored by Calibre Press.

"The most common word used to describe last year's training cruise was 'memorable,'" said Bedard. "They got such a neat experience and had the best instructors they could ever hope for. It reinforced the idea that adults learn best when they are comfortable and can participate in the training. They are active learners and need a positive environment and time to relax between sessions."

Bedard, creator and developer of the Rapid Rotation Baton System, the Rapid-Cuff System and a well-renowned educator and consultant to law enforcement, said he and some fellow trainers were tossing about ideas during a seminar at a resort in Orlando, Florida, when they realized that offering a seminar on a cruise ship might actually be cheaper for officers than paying for multiple nights lodging, meals and entertainment at a resort.

"Plus, having the ability to sit around at night and be together with the teachers and students who wouldn't be running off to a drinking hole or theme park...it is a complete immersion of DT training, theory and practice," he said.

The cruise departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 10 and returns December 15, with ports of call in Grand Cayman and Jamaica. Prices start at $740 per officer based on cabin preference and include the cost of the five-day seminar. Discounted rates are available for family members. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to Fort Lauderdale. Classes are scheduled around the ports of call and ship activities so that officers and their families enjoy every moment of their cruise.

Street Survival Instructor Elizabeth Brantner Smith said officers are encouraged to bring their spouses and children.

"This truly is a conference for the entire family," said Sgt. Smith of the Naperville, IL, Police Department, who will teach a segment entitled Married to a Crime Fighter. "This seminar empowers officers' families by providing the tools and information they need to stay safe and keep their officers safe during an emergency."

"On the cruise, survival doesn't just mean pulling yourself together after the physical fight and limping home," Bedard said. "Students are taught to wholly survive all aspects of their careers - how to deal with their administrations, their family lives and of course how to respond to attacks by the bad guys."

Training topics certified by the State of Florida include Rapid Rotation Baton, OC Instructor, and Rapid-Cuff Certification. Other topics in the five-day seminar that offer hands-on instruction include Takedowns and Throws, Fundamental Close Quarter Defense, SPEAR Applications for the Gunfight, Ground Defense and Escapes, Waterborne Tactics for Officer Survival and High-risk Vessel Boarding.

Leadership training, which is an important element of the Street Survival Seminar, will be led by Dave Smith of Calibre Press.

"Dave gives a great course on Leadership in the 21st Century and helps students understand how to get along in their careers by understanding what is expected of them by their communities, their peers and supervisors. It is a real perspective course," Bedard said.

Other instructors include Tony Blauer of Blauer Tactical Systems; Dave Young, director of specialized programs, Fox Valley Technical College, Tactical Training Division, PoliceOne Training Network and RedMan Training Division; Antonio Kilpatrick, director of Defensive Tactics at Florida fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Mark Pearce of Decisive Tactics, United Kingdom; Dr. Laura Bedard, an expert in post-traumatic stress; and John Bunnell, host of Fox Television's Police Videos.

Instructors Dave Young and Simon Dixon address survival notions that are often overlooked by officers, including how to deal with unusual environments when fighting on a boat, on a seawall, dock or near a lake. The team also takes their instruction into the water to demonstrate how to deal with a person who is trying to drown you.

"This really isn't a junket," said Sgt. Smith. "There are tight controls in place that should reassure administrators that officers who participate are truly learning, despite the unique atmosphere. The truth is this may be one of the most important training experiences offered to law enforcement this year."

To find out more about DT at Sea and the Enchantment of the Seas cruise ship, visit www.rrbsystems.com or call 803.732.6082.

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