By Steven Benusa
Whether you’re drawing a weapon, performing a strike, or applying a control hold, all officers should train themselves to a level where these skills become a reflexive action — where instinct takes over and the mind and body are not slowed by conscious thought. To get to this level, officers must be able to act without thinking and rely purely on feel and muscle memory for various techniques. This level of proficiency can only be achieved through consistent practice and repetition.
One way to get the practice necessary to hone your skills is to shadow train. Shadow training is essentially practicing your techniques in the air on an imaginary subject. It is a quick, easy, and effective way to develop the muscle memory necessary for fast and effective reactions. Boxing trainers have used this technique for decades, instructing their fighters to spend hours punching the air as they perfect their skills.
The advantages of shadow training include:
• It can be done solo — you don’t need a partner or training equipment
• It’s a useful addition to other kinds of training — you can shadow train as part of your warm up or cool down when doing other types of workouts like weight lifting or running
• It can vary in difficulty — you can push yourself to complete multiple, high-intensity repetitions on hard days, or complete low-intensity repetitions to work on perfecting your technique on slow days
• It doesn’t take much time — you can complete a quality workout in less than 10 minutes without having to stretch or warm up
• It’s good for the brain — officers who shadow train find that through physical repetition they also keep themselves mentally sharp
• It doesn’t require much space — Shadow training can be done in confined areas like hallways, corners of conference rooms, or your living room
Don’t limit your shadow training to just empty-hand skills. You can also practice drawing your weapons (like batons, TASERs, and firearms), baton strikes, and handcuffing skills. While training, use mental imagery to develop a pre-planned practice response, decrease you reaction time, and build mental preparation for a physical confrontation.
Remember, practice doesn’t make perfect, but perfect practice does, so pay close attention to your form and always work to improve your technique.
Stay strong everyone.
