Chicago does have a Man of Steel and I have no problem giving out his secret identity...Master Edwin Rivas.
I first met this man at a martial arts seminar in the fall of 2011. My name was called and I turned around to see a brute-ish figure marching toward me.
This man, bearing tattooed, muscled arms and an off putting look of purpose on his face; walked right up to me, stopped, bowed and said to me, "its nice to finally meet you Mr. Izzo."
Wow...I was immediately taken back by such a deceiving look from such an amazing man.
On March 22nd of this year, my Sifu, my Kung Fu Brother and I were invited to give a Wing Chun Kung Fu demo at Master Rivas' Karate School (located at 3008 N Elston Ave in Chicago.)
Syed (Syed Ahmad of Eternal Spring Martial Arts) and I did not know, however, that we were also to be a part of the belt promotion ceremony Master Rivas was holding.
I cannot put into words our emotions for being asked to participate, nor can I describe how it felt to know that like the many martial artists who came before us, we were making an impact on these young men and women.
What I will say is what I observed.
I will open by saying that if you have a child and are seeking to start their journey as a martial artist...start your child with this man.
I will say upfront what Master Rivas' students are NOT...
They are not neglected.
They are not unskilled.
They are not undisciplined.
They are not disrespectful.
They are not un-educated.
They are not without a bright future.
And they are most certainly NOT unloved by this man.
In an era of bullies and the bullied, Master Rivas' students will most definitely never be bullied...nor will they ever be bullies.
This compassionate man balances structure, discipline, focus, hard work, manors and skill...while at the exact same time promotes an atmosphere of friendship, teamwork, fun and student / teacher love.
Master Rivas pushed for hard work and respect. He demanded these young men and women give their best and refuse to give up... Syed and I looked at each other countless times during the belt testing with looks that said, "are you serious!?""
I was particularly impressed and even more so moved when I watched Master Rivas channel his own will to have his students perform their drills. When they couldn't do something, he pushed...and his method of pushing them was to shut off the rest of the world and give that student all of him until they could. Master Rivas possesses a skill long lost amongst martial artists...Master Rivas truly cares.
Yes, this man adores his students and his closing praise for them with his eyes welled up with tears was enough to make Syed and I choke up, knowing this man was eternally true to his word.
As a former police officer who has seen countless examples of horribly undisciplined children who are reinforced with even more horrible adults who do not care for them, I must praise and praise over the work this man does.
Edwin Rivas is a hero for Chicago. He is my mentor for what an ambassador for martial arts should be as well as what a human should be.
Superman is alive and well in Chicago and his name is Master Edwin Rivas.
Dominick Izzo
Izzo Tactical Combat Martial Arts
Wing Chun Kung Fu
www.izzo-traning.com
Friday, March 23, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Martial Arts has no place in Law Enforcement
One of my biggest pet peeves in life is when non law enforcement personnel or non military personnel teach defensive tactics.
I have said it before; Martial Arts have no place in the world of law enforcement, and those who have not walked the beat have no place teaching cops.
I can qualify my statement by saying that Martial Arts concepts and techniques do have a purpose in LE training, however having a Martial Arts teacher instruct LE does not fit.
Martial Arts is an amazing lifestyle geared toward self improvement and SELF DEFENSE.
In a physical aspect, if I am at a bar or on the street and someone threatens me, Martial Arts help me DEFEND myself. If I am squared off with someone and I do not make an advancement toward him, nor he me; I win the fight by having no physical contact.
Law Enforcement is the exception. As a former cop, when I told someone to place their hands behind their back, they had two options...comply or resist. If they resisted we were immediately at war.
If we were at war it was my job to initiate contact...or in other words I had to "go get them." That is not a defensive position, rather a proactive one and a position Martial Arts teachers without LE experience do not understand.
Furthermore, I hear MA teachers talk about use of force, control tactics, strikes, etc...but I have yet to hear one who understands the application of such ideas.
I can state first hand how inside of a 5 second altercation with a subject, while you are trying to put him into hand cuffs, the thought, "who is video taping me?" pops into your head and you change your struggle and use of force out of fear of being put on youtube. In other words, sometimes your head does not allow you to go "as hard as you need to" to get the job done out of a well warranted fear of losing your job.
Martial Arts teachers do not know what it is like to be in a high stress circumstance and try to act withing policy while your heart is pounding and your adrenaline is on overload. It is very easy for them to teach about warfare and killing spirit as their teachers had taught them...but what about civilian eyes or the age of video cameras, department policy or that every lasting resounding word, "LIABILITY"?
One MA teacher I knew taught hand cuffing tactics and was an advocate of "doing whatever you had to do" to cuff someone...including breaking the subject's arm. While I do agree with this, I doubt the MA teacher knew what it was like to cuff someone who is an emotionally disturbed subject that is screaming "DON'T KILL ME" in the middle of the road. Nor how his unwarranted cries draw a crowd who is all yelling at you while you are doing your best to get the job done without getting your flank taken.
Can that MA teacher understand what it is like to break that person's arm and then deal with the mob that's around? Can that MA teacher truly "control" someone who not only does not want to be controlled, but has 100 pairs of eye balls on you, backing him up...even when the fact is you are in the right?
The was a suburban department in Lake County a few years back who had a subject attempting to drown a cop in a lake. His back up officers ran up to the subject and began beating him on the head with their batons. Use of force dictates they had every right to walk right up to him and empty their firearms into his head at point blank range...why didn't they? I can't say I would have either...as I understand the concept of self preservation while defense of life. Maybe those men were scared about their safety, the officer's safety...and their pensions.
Take age and gender too. What about the old woman who is skin over bones, who needs to be arrested, yet resists you. How "hard" would the MA teacher have you go? According to one of the men I knew, "she is a threat regardless of age or gender."
I understand fully the use of force continuum, the MA concepts and techniques which do fit in LE as well as the real life application as well, because I have done it.
Control Tactics / Defensive Tactics are VERY different from Martial Arts. If you are a MA teacher looking to teach LE, get with a cop...LISTEN to them. Have him or her tell you about fear and apprehension even when you they are in the right. Learn what it is like to go from "zero to red" until the threat is eliminated...and then STOP immediately.
Law Enforcement has a special need for training. It takes great understanding to be able to teach cops.
Dominick Izzo
Chief Instructor
Izzo Tactical Combat Martial Arts
www.izzo-training.com
I have said it before; Martial Arts have no place in the world of law enforcement, and those who have not walked the beat have no place teaching cops.
I can qualify my statement by saying that Martial Arts concepts and techniques do have a purpose in LE training, however having a Martial Arts teacher instruct LE does not fit.
Martial Arts is an amazing lifestyle geared toward self improvement and SELF DEFENSE.
In a physical aspect, if I am at a bar or on the street and someone threatens me, Martial Arts help me DEFEND myself. If I am squared off with someone and I do not make an advancement toward him, nor he me; I win the fight by having no physical contact.
Law Enforcement is the exception. As a former cop, when I told someone to place their hands behind their back, they had two options...comply or resist. If they resisted we were immediately at war.
If we were at war it was my job to initiate contact...or in other words I had to "go get them." That is not a defensive position, rather a proactive one and a position Martial Arts teachers without LE experience do not understand.
Furthermore, I hear MA teachers talk about use of force, control tactics, strikes, etc...but I have yet to hear one who understands the application of such ideas.
I can state first hand how inside of a 5 second altercation with a subject, while you are trying to put him into hand cuffs, the thought, "who is video taping me?" pops into your head and you change your struggle and use of force out of fear of being put on youtube. In other words, sometimes your head does not allow you to go "as hard as you need to" to get the job done out of a well warranted fear of losing your job.
Martial Arts teachers do not know what it is like to be in a high stress circumstance and try to act withing policy while your heart is pounding and your adrenaline is on overload. It is very easy for them to teach about warfare and killing spirit as their teachers had taught them...but what about civilian eyes or the age of video cameras, department policy or that every lasting resounding word, "LIABILITY"?
One MA teacher I knew taught hand cuffing tactics and was an advocate of "doing whatever you had to do" to cuff someone...including breaking the subject's arm. While I do agree with this, I doubt the MA teacher knew what it was like to cuff someone who is an emotionally disturbed subject that is screaming "DON'T KILL ME" in the middle of the road. Nor how his unwarranted cries draw a crowd who is all yelling at you while you are doing your best to get the job done without getting your flank taken.
Can that MA teacher understand what it is like to break that person's arm and then deal with the mob that's around? Can that MA teacher truly "control" someone who not only does not want to be controlled, but has 100 pairs of eye balls on you, backing him up...even when the fact is you are in the right?
The was a suburban department in Lake County a few years back who had a subject attempting to drown a cop in a lake. His back up officers ran up to the subject and began beating him on the head with their batons. Use of force dictates they had every right to walk right up to him and empty their firearms into his head at point blank range...why didn't they? I can't say I would have either...as I understand the concept of self preservation while defense of life. Maybe those men were scared about their safety, the officer's safety...and their pensions.
Take age and gender too. What about the old woman who is skin over bones, who needs to be arrested, yet resists you. How "hard" would the MA teacher have you go? According to one of the men I knew, "she is a threat regardless of age or gender."
I understand fully the use of force continuum, the MA concepts and techniques which do fit in LE as well as the real life application as well, because I have done it.
Control Tactics / Defensive Tactics are VERY different from Martial Arts. If you are a MA teacher looking to teach LE, get with a cop...LISTEN to them. Have him or her tell you about fear and apprehension even when you they are in the right. Learn what it is like to go from "zero to red" until the threat is eliminated...and then STOP immediately.
Law Enforcement has a special need for training. It takes great understanding to be able to teach cops.
Dominick Izzo
Chief Instructor
Izzo Tactical Combat Martial Arts
www.izzo-training.com
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