Ecological Response to Resistance - Instructor Course

Registration Deadline: September 20, 2025 

PURPOSE OF COURSE: 

This course will give agency and academy instructors the ability to structure CDT training using the Constraints Led Approach (CLA) to create training specific to their department needs. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The basis of this course is creating a system that fits the performer rather than trying to make the performer fit the system. Most CDT systems prescribe a certain number of “authorized techniques” to very specific situations. These solutions do not account for a vast array of environmental differences in even situations that appear similar. Additionally, these technical approaches fly directly in the face of the U.S. Supreme Courts admonition against “precise mechanical application” in Graham v. Connor. Furthermore, this technical approach creates an unintended consequence where officers can be disciplined based on using a technique that is “unauthorized” vs one that is unreasonable for the situation. 

So, how do we go about creating a “system that fits the performer”? First and foremost, we must acknowledge that the environment is never static and rarely the same, even for a single performer. In addition to obvious differences such as size and strength differences, motivation, lighting, fatigue, footing, etc.; We must also consider differences such as response time, available back-up, agency specific policy, agency and general community culture, etc. It would not make sense for a large urban department that has trust issues with the community, short response times, and restrictive use of force policies to train the same technical solutions as a small rural department with high community trust, long response times, and liberal policies. Even though those agencies are bound by the same Constitution, and may be bound by the same state law, they could be bound by different interruption of those laws, and they will certainly be bound by different physical environmental factors.  

Once we have acknowledged the massive role of environmental differences, we can look to over-arching principles that will allow performers to find their own reasonable solutions to problems. This way we are building critical decision-making skills into physical skills. We accomplish this through employing a CLA to learn, a method heavily associated with ecological dynamics. Successful students of this course will be able to construct drills and training sessions based on the CLA by manipulating constraints to create a productive learning environment for a wide range of students.

COURSE GOALS: The goals of this course are as follows:

•    Understand the benefits of Ecological Dynamics over classical Information Processing 
•    Be able to apply for a CLA to CDT Training 
•    Analyze various scenarios to be able to identify the key concepts (invariants) for success 
•    Apply those concepts to drills that create “repetition without repetition”
•    Scale constraints to students of various levels within the same course  
•    Apply scaffolding to drills to progress skills to gradually more chaotic situations
•    Build decision making into physical tactics training 
•    Identify heuristics to guide high stakes decision making and apply them to skills training  

COURSE PREREQUISITES: 

F2 Training Systems will not enforce any course prerequisites in terms of prior physical training or instructor experience. It is the responsibility of individual agencies to determine who from their ranks will make an effective instructor. Additionally, agencies must carefully evaluate their own instructors to make sure that they are performing to a satisfactory level. The staff of F2 Training systems can only determine if a potential instructor meets the rigor to pass this course. We cannot provide evaluation once they have returned to their department and are teaching on their own. 

It should be noted that this is a physically demanding course that requires some level of basic general physical preparedness. A background in combat sports is highly encouraged, as the physical concepts introduced, such as balance, posture, attachments, posture breaks, etc. will make much more sense to someone fluent in the disciplines of combat sports. 

There are links below will be sent out as pre-course reading a couple of weeks before the course. This reading will encourage the learner to better understand pedagogy from an EcoD framework.

Bartel R, (2024). Rethinking Police Training: The Case for a Constraint-led Approach;  https://www.police1.com/police-training/rethinking-police-training-the-case-for-a-constraint-led-approach 

    Koerner, S. & Staller M. (2020). There Must be an Ideal Solution… Assessing Training Methods of Knife Defense Performance of Police Recruits
DOI:10.1108/PIJPSM-08-2020-0138    

Yearby, T., Myszka, S., Grahn, A., Sievewright, S., Singer, A., & Davids, K. (2024). Applying an ecological dynamics framework to mixed martial arts training. Sports Coaching Review, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2024.2325822

METHODS OF EVALUATION: 

Each student will be required to conduct 3 “practice” teach backs, as well as one graded teach-back. The graded teach back will require the student to identify a Learning Objective (LO) and construct a 20-30 minute teach back that implements drill progression that successfully meets their required LO. Note: This teaching back will be 20-30 min for class purposes, however the full lesson plan must also be submitted. That lesson plan should be for an hour of actual course time, and include an introduction, at least one reference, instructional body, and closing. The lesson plan will be in an approved ILETSB format, and include an A2 Form, so the learner can complete class with a ready lesson plan for submission and implementation at their agency. 

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: 

This course is conducted using the following methods of instruction:
•    Lecture
•    Demonstration
•    Physical Drills
•    Graded and Non-graded Teach Backs

COURSE REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY:  

1.    Methods of Instruction; Teaching Practical Professional Policing Skills Course. Chris Butler, Raptor Protection 
2.    Bartel R, (2024). Rethinking Police Training: The Case for a Constraint-led Approach;  https://www.police1.com/police-training/rethinking-police-training-the-case-for-a-constraint-led-approach 
3.    Andersen, J. P., & Gustafsberg, H. (2016). A Training Method to Improve Police Use of Force Decision Making: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sage Open, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016638708   
4.    Gray, R. (2022) Learning to Optimize Movement; Harnessing the Power of the Athlete-Environment Relationship. Gray, Rob 2022
5.    Koerner, S. & Staller M. (2020). There Must be an Ideal Solution… Assessing Training Methods of Knife Defense Performance of Police Recruits
DOI:10.1108/PIJPSM-08-2020-0138    
6.    Grounding and Your Justification for It; John Peters, Darrell Ross, Michael Brave. 2024 https://policeandsecuritynews.com/2024/07/25/grounding-and-your-justification-for-it/
7.    Taylor v. City of Milford, 10 F.4th 800 (2021)) [2]. (A medical emergency   impacts the objective reasonableness of a seizure.)
8.    Abdullahi v. City of Madison, 423 F.3d 763 (2005)) [1]. (officers must take reasonable steps to monitor the individual’s condition, especially their breathing in the prone position.)
9.    Day v. City of Indianapolis, 380 F.Supp.3d 812 (2019)) [5]. (Officers must consider the risk of medical harm when using restraints) 
10.    Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths (IPICD) Webinar: Grounded Restraint: Legal, Scientific, Medical, Liability and Reported Concerns (including “prone” positioning and restraint), researched and presented by: Michael Brave, John Peters, and Darrell Ross. August, 2024

COURSE REQUIREMENTS/GRADING POLICY: 

 Students may not miss more than 10% (4 hours) of the course and must successfully complete all teach backs, both graded and non-graded. 

RECOMMENDED INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS: 

Classroom (for discussion and introduction of course concepts), mat-room (for practical exercises), training handcuffs, training weapons, fold old mats (to create environmental variability)

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  

Students may not miss more than 10% of the course and must participate in all teach backs. 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: All material in this course is referenced in the bibliography or the intellectual property of the instructor. 

SAFETY PROTOCOLS:      

1.    No live weapons allowed in class
2.    Immediately report any injury to instructors 
3.    Notify instructors and partners of any physical limitation 
4.    Apply “mat management” at all times during class
5.    Use the “tap-out” rule 
6.    Do not speak while instructors are presenting
7.    Only work on the drill be trained
8.    Stay within prescribed intensity levels 
 

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC MEETING