Police officers attend rigorous self-defense training sponsored by Will County State’s Attorney Glasgow, Illinois State Crime Commission

November 9, 2011

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow talks with Will County Sheriff’s Deputy Bob Dymek during a break in law enforcement training in the Krav Maga self-defense system.

JOLIET – Roughly 30 law enforcement officers attended highly specialized self-defense training sponsored by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow and the Illinois State Crime Commission.

State’s Attorney Glasgow and the Crime Commission, under the leadership of Executive Director Jerry Elsner, coordinated the two-day training seminar in the Krav Maga self-defense system. The free training was held at the Illinois State Rifle Association Shooting Range near Kankakee.

Sessions featured training in hand-to-hand combat and tactical self-defense as well as close-quarter handgun defense training and an introduction to the AR15 tactical assault rifle. Officers who participated were from the Will County, Cook County and Kankakee Sheriff’s Departments, Romeoville, Aurora, South Chicago Heights as well as from other agencies throughout the region.

Krav Maga is the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces and has been taught to hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the United States. The simple, effective self-defense system emphasizes instinctive movements and practical techniques taught in realistic training scenarios. The goal is to provide officers with the skills necessary to quickly stop problems on the street and take swift and safe control of dangerous situations.  

“The threats our police officers face on the streets today are unimaginable,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “Krav Maga instructors last weekend put these officers through the paces and provided them with the streetwise self-defense training they need to protect themselves and the public in the most dangerous and chaotic situations.”

Romeoville Police Officer Woody Jones receives instruction in counter-ambush tactics while shooting from a vehicle at the Krav Maga training.

“This was the kind of hardcore training that will help officers respond to any situation they encounter,” said ISCC Executive Director Elsner. “They were out there in the field learning how to defend themselves effectively against knife-wielding criminals and how to take down violent offenders twice their size.”

Training included defensive and combative strikes to control and subdue offenders who are carrying guns, knives or baseball bats. Weapons training involved counter-ambush tactics deployed while approaching suspicious vehicles or shooting at threatening targets from inside a car. 

The training was conducted by self-defense specialists from Israeli Combat Krav Maga based in Indianapolis. The instructional staff consists of sworn law enforcement officers. The instructors themselves had traveled to Israel to be trained by Krav Maga experts who had served in the Israeli Defense Forces.

Krav Maga training is adapted to comply with use-of-force standards for police officers in the United States. The training is updated in consultation with use-of-force experts – including district attorneys, police liability defense lawyers, police administrators and defensive tactics instructors – to provide effective, defensible applications of reasonable force.

The Illinois State Crime Commission was established in 1994 and operates as a tax exempt charitable organization.  Its goal is to offer creative legislative solutions and assist law enforcement agencies to prevent crime in our communities through a unique blend of awareness and activities.A spring training session for law enforcement is currently being planned.