Braveheart

Mel Gibson as William Wallace, 1995

       Despite what he might choose to do or say in his personal time, Mel Gibson produced and directed one of the greatest movies of the last three decades. Released in 1995, Braveheart took the world by storm and won the praise of millions. That success can be attributed to a lot of the hard work and dedication of the team support Gibson but I believe that its popularity is based firmly in the content of the story and the portrayal of one of the greatest revolutionaries ever to have lived. The real life of Sir William Wallace differed significantly from the Mel Gibson version but there can still be much to learn from the qualities of this fictional version.
       In Mel Gibson’s version of William Wallace he is overcome with grief over the loss of his wife and goes on a rampage through the town and with the help of friends storms the fort and kills the sheriff. This revolt ignites the already tenuous situation in Scotland regarding the English occupation and hundreds flock to Wallace to support him in his revolt against the English. Throughout the movie the Scots gain ground and even invade England until they are eventually betrayed by the Scottish nobles who are bought by Kind Edward Longshanks, the King of England. Wallace is then brutally and publically executed by the order of King Edward. Following his death, Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick takes up Wallace’s place and leads the Scots into battle for freedom.

Sir William Wallace

       The original catalyst to his cause might have been the death of his wife but the sustaining power was brought on the desire to be free. Wallace states in the movie that he just wants to have a farm, marry and have children. There is no desire for vengeance or a thirst for blood rather the entire motivation is to live his life as he dictates and not as a king would. Wallace struggled with the Scottish nobles to see that uniting under the flag of Scotland was more important than who was king of Scotland. That obtaining liberty for a free Scotland was much more important than anything.
       Braveheart clearly gives three examples of the kind of people and their responses to life threatening stimuli. The first is William Wallace who strikes back and doesn’t allow the stimuli control him. The second example is Robert the Bruce who doesn’t enjoy being controlled by the stimuli but lacks the courage to do anything. The last example is everyone else who is either too unaware to realize that they’re being affected or that they are too afraid to do anything about it.
       Wallace stood when no one else did and in truth he stood regardless of what others were doing. He knew there was a problem and there was action to take and he took it. He didn’t wait for someone else to take charge. He didn’t wait for it to get any worse. In this he displays the kind of courage that we seek for in Everyday Jacks. Years ago I heard two phrases that have stuck with me and have become part of my repertoire of phrases. The first was, “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything” by Malcom X and the second was, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” attributed to Edmund Burke. Each of these phrases has found their way into my heart in a way that echoes truth. Mel Gibson’s Wallace was the exemplar to these principles and even though his rebellion might have started out as revenge for his wife he eventually turned it into the desire for freedom.
       I believe that a good portion of people fall in to the second category.  Men like Robert the Bruce are those that either know they should do something and don’t or they give up doing something in lieu of what they feel society wants them to do. Many of these might be in dead end jobs because that’s what they were supposed to do and not because of any actual choice of their own. These men and woman might even be living their dreams by working where they work or doing what they do but when it comes to intervening into things beyond their comfort zone the second guess or hesitate to do anything. Most people know what it right and what should be done in any give situation but it’s the real heroes that act on those impulses; Robert the Bruce didn’t.

       The last category is the “sheep” category. These are those that are content to live their life oblivious to the events surrounding them. They might see an issue that could use their attention and yet they’ve developed the mantra of, “it’s not my problem” rather than investing interest in the lives of those around them. It is difficult for these people to change and most of that has to do with fear. They’re afraid that if they step out to help someone that it will be bad for them and that they will only attract more attention to themselves.

        As I watched this movie again most recently I thought about what it would take for me to stand up and act in the way that Wallace did. Would I need to lose my wife before I responded to the tyranny? Would I need to lose lands, property or my freedom before I acted? Most people require a catalyst to encourage them into action and on a number of occasions I’ve found myself in the same situation. I see what needs to be done and I just can’t find a way to ignite that movement.
        Rarely are we placed in a situation that needs a nationwide revolution but there are little revolutions that are needed daily. Situations arise regularly around us that need our attention. Stepping up to defend the old lady being bullied by some teenagers or maybe stepping in to make sure a woman is ok when her boyfriend gets a little rough. I’ve been present for more than one of these kinds of events and every time they ended better than I had planned. That’s not to say that it couldn’t go wrong someday but my idea is that even if 9 out of 10 times it ends well then I’m still doing good 9 out of 10 times.
        Find the catalyst to spur you to action. Everyone is different and we all need different things to get us moving but find out what it is and put it to use. We need more men and women willing to stand up and take action and less falling for everything. If we had even a handful more men and women like Wallace we’d be better off in any situation we could be handed.

Escalation of Force

     Escalation of force is something that we use on a regular basis whether you realize it or not. Have you ever stopped a fight before it started? Have you scared a robber before he was able to do anything? Or maybe you just held someone back long enough that they were able to calm down and it never led to violence. We use escalation and de-escalation tactics daily without even knowing it. As taught in the military and law enforcement world there is a ladder of force and if used properly you can prevent serious harm from falling to yourself and those around you. Although every branch of the military and most law enforcement have different variations of the ladder, the overall idea behind it is to stop the action of the suspect at the lowest level possible.

     The list that we use here at Jack of All Spades is a seven point ladder of force (see the image above). The first step to any event is Presence, just physically being there. Military, law enforcement and civilian are all capable of performing this step however it is usually easier for uniformed individuals because they present a more authoritative demeanor. A civilian may not have the physical appearance of a soldier or Sheriff however they can still deter criminal actions just by being there. The only active requirement to this step is something an Everyday Jack or Jill should be doing anyways and that's paying attention. Being observant can oftentimes lead you to action before anything could be committed. Report suspicious activity if observed and if necessary move on to the next step.

     Verbal commands are the quickest way to deescalate a situation. Using this step can prevent the criminal act or even delay them long enough for law enforcement to arrive and assist. This step is most often used when two people get into a heated argument. This doesn't need to be a step only used when you see a noon-high shoot out. Your voice is the best step to stopping bad things from happening. The more you practice, the better you get at it. Some people are born with silver-tongues that can get anyone to do what they want and others need to work at it, but the bottom line is that speaking up can often be the best step and is almost always the most effective. Even if this step fails on your first attempt you should still continue to use it throughout the next five steps. 

     Most people think that if it comes to physical contact it has to be in fist form. Soft-Hand Techniques are utilized to prevent injury to yourself and the suspect. These skills could easily be used by pulling a friend away from a larger opponent in a bar or even restraining someone until he calms down. Soft-Hand techniques are used to prevent injury to the suspect and others who might be in the area. Non-lethal holds or strikes fall in this category, but understand that if you perform a strike you must do it in an area that will not do any damage. Non-lethal strikes are more to distance you from the suspect then to do any harm. Remember that if this is a violent situation and the suspect continues to grow more dangerous, that escape is still your best option and you should utilize the soft-hand techniques to achieve that. If these steps fail and you're either unable to calm the suspect down or escape then move on to the next step.
     Hard-Hand Techniques are similar to Soft-Hand Techniques but they are more forceful and require you to move the suspect's arms, legs and neck into positions that restrict movement and incur slight to serious pain. Remember that you're trying to deescalate the event as much as possible and throwing your opponent into a bone-breaking arm-bar is not necessarily going to make him happier. Twisting the suspects arm behind his back like the police do is a great technique and many martial art dojos are more than willing to teach simple techniques for a small fee. Blocks, arm locks, wrist locks and holds all fall within this category and are very effective at slowing down your opponent. (Later I'll make a good video showing the five basic law enforcement moves we utilized in the Navy). If you're unable to distance yourself from the suspect or subdue him then move on to the next step.

Police duty belt. So many options.

     Military and most law enforcement combine Strikes in the same category as hard-hand techniques. The reason we don't combine them at Jack of All Spades is because striking is seen by an opponent as offensive in almost every case. A person being "managed" by soft-hand and hard-hand techniques may not see them necessarily as offensive however a strike can easily escalate the situation. Before I discuss this more I must remind you that if it is not required then don't use this step. There are plenty of other steps that can subdue the suspect before you get to this point and a good strike in the wrong place can kill someone. However, if he's still moving around and you're still in danger after exhausting all the other steps, then by all means step in with a well placed strike. You should also understand the state laws regarding this step because in some states a shod foot is considered a deadly weapon and you can go to prison if not careful. If you see that your strike(s) have been successful then move down to a lesser step.

     With any luck you've contained the situation and a Less-Than Lethal Weapon is not necessary. I won't discuss batons, bats or other weapons here in detail because there are very different rules and laws regarding what is and isn't a deadly weapon. I recommend that each person consult the state laws where they live to make sure that their weapon of choice isn't illegal and understand what repercussions could result from using it within your state. When we refer to less-than lethal weapons we are referring to batons, tasers and other items that won't cause death but are often restricted by local or federal laws. Choosing your weapon can often be a difficult one but we will cover is a later article.

     Personal judgment in the last three steps are crucial and at this point are necessary when it comes to deciding how best to escalate or de-escalate further. Moving on to the next step is a serious one and can land you in a situation you may not want or need to be in. Deadly Force needs to be considered very carefully in all situations. Sometimes you're not given that option and you might even jump straight to this step. I hope that no one ever has to but if you are faced with it I hope you’re ready. In the military they drill into your head that deadly force is, "force that a person uses causing, or that a person knows or should know, would create a substantial risk of causing death or serious bodily harm". Looking back on those days in Naval Security I understand better why they made us recite this regularly. The Navy wanted to make sure that we understood what was involved if we had to draw our weapons. Every person that carries a knife, baton, gun or other weapon should understand the possible outcome if that weapon is implemented. If you're not comfortable with that possibility or you're unsure of how to best utilize that weapon then you should reconsider using it.

     Escalation of Force is a series of steps but it should be known that there is no solid break between the steps and it really is more of a scale. Most importantly is to remember that this ladder is a two-way street and just as easily can you escalate you can deescalate. Your goal should always be to deescalate. There’s no reason you can’t encounter a dangerous or life-threatening situation and find a pleasant way to de-escalate it. Every situation is different and they each require a different set of steps and sequence. Remember to keep your head on a swivel and be prepared because when it counts that preparation will come back to you when you need it most.