USING YOUR WORDS CAN MAKE YOU SAFER

LEARN TO USE YOUR VOICE TO DE-ESCALATE THREATENING SITUATIONS.

- Paul Rackley

The 1980s had some of the best movies. Sure, a lot of them were corny and contained too many themes of coming of age, decadence and extreme idiocy, and the gun handling in them was truly horrible. But good lessons can be found anywhere, including the 1984 comedy, Police Academy, which often focused on the importance of verbal commands.

Despite the slapstick nature of this series of movies, all seven of which received mixed reviews, they contained the importance of verbal commands. “Laverne Hooks,” played by Marion Ramsey (who died earlier this year), is a meek, little woman with a squeaky voice who shows that verbal commands given in a rough, authoritative voice can be quite effective in defense. In each of the movies, Hooks really backs folks up with an authoritative growl and a grim look in her eye.

In fact, verbal commands are included in the fundamentals of threat response, according to Tiger McKee, the director of Shootrite Firearms Academy. These fundamentals include “move,” “communicate,” “use cover,” “shoot” (if necessary) and “think.” The mind should always be working, searching either for an advantage or a way out, during a self-defense situation.

“Fighting is problem-solving at high speed,” McKee says. “But notice that ‘communicate’ is number two on the list.” Verbal commands are part of communication, meaning they can be used both against attackers and in conjunction with partners. People can use verbal commands to de-escalate a situation or inform a partner of intentions, as well as let an attacker know that they mean business.

Going Verbal