From May 5–8, Escanaba, MI hosted a powerhouse training experience for law enforcement professionals seeking to level up their tactical expertise and instructor capabilities. The Level 1 & 2 Departmental Instructor Course brought together public safety professionals for a high-intensity, hands-on event built around the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. M.A.C.H.™ System.
Whether you’re a department training coordinator or a frontline officer aiming to enhance your defensive skills, this course delivered invaluable insights and actionable tactics for real-world policing. With a strong emphasis on law enforcement training, defensive tactics training, and use of force training, attendees left better prepared to lead and defend—on the street and in the courtroom.
🔎 Course Focus: Practical Skills, Real Impact
✅ Level 1 – Arrest and Control Tactics
This foundational training laid the groundwork for safe and effective control strategies. Through detailed breakdowns and repetition-based learning, attendees developed confidence in both executing and teaching key arrest tactics.
Subjects included:
- Escort Positions and Transition Movements
Seamless positioning and movement control for compliant and non-compliant
subjects. - Mechanical Advantage Control Holds (M.A.C.H.™)
Joint manipulation and leverage-based holds that require minimal strength and
maximize control. - M.A.C.H.™ Takedowns
Safe, effective takedown techniques that reduce injury risk for both officer and
subject. - M.A.C.H.™ Handcuffing Procedures
Techniques that ensure smooth custody transitions while maintaining control. - Officer Positioning and Approach Tactics
Tactical awareness and positioning during stops, arrests, and resistance. - M.A.C.H.™ Team Arrest Tactics
Coordinated team techniques for high-risk subjects or resistance scenarios. - M.A.C.H.™ Baton Subject Control
Using batons as a control tool with an emphasis on subject compliance, not
punishment.
This level of training emphasized repeatability under stress, providing attendees with defensive tactics that are efficient, teachable, and court-defensible.
✅ Level 2: Officer Survival Tactics
The second tier of the course advanced into critical officer survival tactics designed to preserve life, maintain control, and respond decisively in volatile confrontations.
Covered topics included:
- Hand-to-Hand Protection/Disruption
Close-quarters strikes, blocks, and redirection techniques that buy time and
space. - Baton Protection/Disruption
Using the baton defensively in confined spaces or against multiple threats. - Edged Weapon Awareness and Defense
Practical training to identify, avoid, and counter knife threats, both standing and on
the ground. - Ground Defense and Escape Tactics
Escaping common ground positions, regaining a dominant stance, and preparing
for re-engagement. - Weapon Retention – In and Out of Holster
Methods to retain sidearms against grabs in dynamic, close-contact scenarios. - Weapon Disarms
Safe and effective techniques to disarm assailants wielding firearms or knives.
This module was critical in addressing the types of sudden, violent encounters that officers may face. The skills acquired in Level 2 provide officers with survivability tactics that prioritize control, judgment, and fast recovery.
🧳 Who Attended And What They Gained
The course attracted training instructors for police departments, defensive tactics trainers, and patrol officers looking to refine their skills and bring advanced training back to their agencies.
Participants walked away with:
- Instructor certification in the Controlled F.O.R.C.E. M.A.C.H.™ System
- Confidence to train recruits and peers in use of force principles
- A better understanding of legal articulation for force applications
- A renewed commitment to officer safety and subject care
⛓️💥 Why This Matters
Today’s policing environment demands that law enforcement professionals are more than reactive—they must be tactically proactive and educational leaders. This course did more than just teach—it built trainers who can elevate their entire department’s readiness.
From reducing liability through court-defensible techniques to fostering stronger community trust via measured and effective control tactics, the real-world application of this training is immediate and powerful.
📣 Don’t Miss Out. Stay Connected
If you’re looking to take your department’s readiness to the next level, don’t miss future opportunities to attend or host one of these elite programs.
👉🏼Subscribe now to receive updates on upcoming events and new course offerings
👉🏼Explore our training calendar to find the next session near you
👉🏼Contact us to bring Controlled F.O.R.C.E. to your department
Train hard. Train smart. Lead with confidence.
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