There are concerns about excessive use of force by police across the country, yet every day police officers potentially face encountering a threat to their life and the lives of others. Eureka Springs Police Chief Brian Young said the officers’ first goal when coming into work is making sure they get to go home at night.
“I want to keep our officers safe in our little town, and people, too, even if they are intoxicated by alcohol or an illegal drug and think they are ten feet tall and bulletproof,” Young said. “It is our goal to keep our citizens safe. We never want to use deadly force, but we want to stay ahead of the game.”
Eureka Springs Police Department provides officers with martial arts training that teaches awareness, how to de-escalate encounters with people who are a potential danger to themselves, others, and the police officer, and how to safely restrain someone who is out of control.
ESPD has been getting instruction for several years in Gracie Survival Tactics, a defense system based on jiu-jitsu that teaches officers how to “humanely prevail against larger and stronger opponents.” In the past, they have used instructors from outside the area, but are now also receiving training from a resident Dustin Whittemore.
“Dustin has numerous types of certifications and is helping our guys to train in more than one method,” Young said. “If they go to arrest someone and that person is combative, Dustin teaches how to arrest that person with the least injury to the suspect or the officer. With jiu-jitsu or any kind of martial arts, it doesn’t just teach you movements, but how to be calm and stay one step ahead of the other person. Sometimes calm is contagious. If someone is very upset—including people with mental health issues—if you remain calm, the majority of the time they are going to calm down, too. Our goals for 2023 include continuing this training. I want our officers to be excellent. That’s what our citizens expect of us.”
Whittemore grew up on a farm in Clifty, and got involved in martial arts 17 years ago when he was 16 years old attending high school in Huntsville and being bullied. He got certified in Japanese jiu-jitsu.
“What I’m trying to do is give back,” Whittemore, who is a Commission of Law Enforcement and Standard-certified trainer, said. “Martial arts changed my life for the better in so many ways. I was a rough kid growing up. I was bullied, overweight and angry. All of that changed when I got involved in martial arts. I lost 86 pounds the first year of martial arts. I completely reinvented myself. The change happened in me. Be the change you want to see in the world. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Since learning martial arts, there have only been a handful of times he has had verbal de-escalation fail.
Police have a lot of training with firearms. Whittemore said if police are trained to draw a taser or gun, that’s what they will do. Officers learning hand-to-hand self-defense gives them an alternative to drawing a taser or a gun, and that makes communities safer.
Not only are martial arts techniques safer and more humane, they also save money. For example, in Atlanta, Ga., a great deal of money in hospitalization costs was saved the first year that martial arts training was implemented.
Whittemore started training Eureka Springs police last August. While the department had been sending officers to similar training already, there was no one locally certified and no one officers could go to with questions. Young helped get Whittemore certified and hopes to be able to provide similar training workshops to police in Berryville, Huntsville, Carroll County and Madison County.
One of the teachings is how to control someone resisting arrest, including how to put them into or remove them from a police car.
“Because in class we simulate violent situations, they understand what kind of altercations they can encounter and the potent outcomes of them,” Whittemore said. “It puts them in situations that test their endurance. It helps officers be calmer and more collected. It is an enlightening experience to go into a class like this. The grappling aspects that look like wrestling are something they have to deal with quite a lot, surprisingly. This training shows them how to get out of them.
“If someone puts you in a headlock, tries to bear hug you, grab your uniform or punch you, if you have never been exposed to that kind of situation, it can totally mess up your mind. Having exposure to those types of situations and having training about what to do helps boost confidence. They have learned to control themselves and the situations around them. One guy told me it totally changed how he does things. Almost everyone has said it has helped them in their job. There is less pressure, and they can remove someone without injury, so no health reports have to be filed. It has been going really well.”
Similar training can be helpful for other professionals such as mental health counselors, school resource officers, and emergency medical technicians who might be called to pick up a belligerent patient.
“The movements of drunks are sloppy and telegraphed,” Whittemore said. “Learning how to read body language is important. You can read what people are going to do before they do it a lot of times.”
The local police take the martial arts training at Eastgate Martial Arts and Fitness Center. Whittemore also teaches martial and meditation at other locations.
Whittemore advises all his students to be as nice as possible to others. Be kind. Being respectful. Try not to let things get to you.
“The highest level of martial arts is love for your family, your community and your country,” he said. “But if someone tries to hurt you or your family, now you have an answer.”
He also teaches observation, awareness, and safety. For instance, he said, if you are walking out of Walmart, wait until someone else is walking out, too. Never walk alone. Always lock your car, and never go to your car if there is a suspicious looking van next to your vehicle.
Whittemore can be reached at lotusselfdefense@gmail.com.