MO – Overcoming Size Differences for Female Enforcers

St. Louis County & Municipal Police Academy
Hosting
Controlling Larger Combatants
Overcoming Size Differences  for Female Enforcers
Oct 11-13, 2023

This three day course is designed  to address violent encounters dealing with suspects of larger stature. When attempting control larger suspects, size and strength differentials  necessitate combat strategies less reliant on pure upper body strength. The concepts and techniques can be utilized by any officer addressing a larger suspect. The days are hands-on and mentally challenging.       Officers train and drill wearing vest, gun belt and long pants because anything else makes no sense.

Officers learn:
L.O.C.K.U.P. Police Training System and Principles

• Risk Assessment and Threat Indicators
• Ground Fighting Counter Measures
• Fear Management and Control
• Fighting Techniques and Fatigue
• Understanding Weapon Integration
• Decisive Takedown Manipulations
• Active Diffusion Strategies
• Team Approach and Strategies
• Understanding Mass / Power and Kinetic Energy
• Overcoming/ Understanding Size Challenges
• Using Your Size to Your Benefit
• Proper Weapon and Target Selection
• Taser to Physical Control

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

• BDU Style Pants
• Boots w ankle Support
• Red Gun / Full Gun belt
• Body armor
• Handcuffs and keys

LOCATION

St. Louis County & Municipal Police Academy
1266 Sutter Avenue  • Wellston •  MO 63133
Contact – Sgt. Chris Thomson
cthomson@stlouiscountymo.gov
Office (314) 889-8606

Evaluation Summary
Overcoming Size Differences for Female Enforcers
Leesburg FL PD
March 7 – 9, 2023

Please rate the overall presentation. 20 out of 20 students, 100% of the evaluations collected rated this course presentation at the highest level – Excellent!

• Excellent!
• Great class!
• Both instructors played well off each other
• Great interaction and knowledge
• Great quality /presentation
• Would be nice to have some bigger folks for us to take down.
• Thorough and well planned.
• Quality was 100%. Great teaching styles and motivation to learn material.
• The presentation was great.
• It might be beneficial to have larger statured volunteers for officers to practice.
• Excellent instruction and material.

Was this program relevant to your work assignment? 20 out of 20 students, 100% of the evaluations collected rated this course presentation at the highest level – Excellent! 

• Absolutely.
• Always a pleasure on learning techniques to control my high school kiddos.
• Yes.
• Yes, we fight a lot.
• Completely relevant and helpful for day-to-day encounters.
• Yes. Being on patrol in a very busy city we go hands on a lot.
• Very relevant
• Extremely relevant. For road patrol
• Yes, I will take the material back to my team.
• Working on a short shift, I feel confident in my abilities to hold my own till help arrives.

Please comment on the instruction of this program. (Training aids, multimedia etc.) 20 out of 20 students, 100% of the evaluations collected rated this course presentation at the highest level – Excellent!

• Excellent.
• The video aides were very informative in introducing the hands on
• There should be more male participants that are larger than us.
• Excellent!!
• Videos were great training, adding more videos and less lecture would be great.
• Some updated training videos.
• Great PowerPoint material.
• The class was presented well. I enjoyed the split days.
• Super easy to follow.
• PowerPoint and practical applications were excellent.

Would you recommend this training to other officers? 100% recommended this course to their peers.
20 out of 20 students of the evaluations collected rated the course presentation at the highest level – Excellent. 

• Yes! Absolutely!
• Yes! Especially newer
• Absolutely
• I’d recommend it to everyone.
• Yes
• 100% recommend to other female officers. Game changer in learning command in safety for self
• Highly recommend this training to all officers, not just female officers.
• Should be taught to all officers in all departments.
• Yes 100%

 Please assess the instructors of this program. Instructors – Megan Thul and Guy Samuelson
100 % of attending student rated this category at the highest level – Excellent.

• Amazing
• Personable and not robot like
• The instructors were fantastic and always willing to help.
• Very well put program. the instructors were understanding, patient and very knowledgeable.
• We need guys to practice on.
• Both were excellent sources of knowledge. Balanced well between pushing and understanding.
• Great instructors! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to offer this class.
• Very informative, did an amazing job explaining and demonstrating.
• Instructors were both extremely knowledgeable and instructed well.
• Instructors were amazing. Definitely loved teaching this class and material.
• The instructors were great. Very knowledgeable about the topics and always willing to help, both instructors offer useful feedback and are active in training, they don’t teach you training, they train with you.
• Amazing!
• The instructors were excellent, a wealth of knowledge, willing to answer questions and explain instructions.

Please explain how this training will enable you to change or improve your present assignment?
20 out of 20 students, 100% of the evaluations collected rated this course presentation at the highest level – Excellent! 

• Best class I have ever taken. I like how you don’t teach a ton of moves and how there is a ton of reps on the moves.
• Training has given me the confidence to do my job better.
• I learned new skills to apply to everyone who becomes noncompliant and or combative. that takedowns without injuring myself and other officers.
• More confidence in my abilities and more willingness to engage.
• It was a good refresher DT course from the Academy. I don’t think it necessarily targeted overcoming size differences.
• Will make me more confident and give me more skills to use on the road. I will do more of this type of training and suggest to our agency more training time.
• Will improve my officer safety and also the safety I provide for fellow officers. Will enable me to have better control on calls when situations go sideways.
• This training has given me a better warrior mindset and I truly believe it needs to be taught at all agencies.
• I was slightly too confident in my physical abilities prior to this training. Now I know I can get out of more situations and become more confident in my physical abilities.
• More confidence in going hands on and utilizing these techniques with backup and myself.