Many times, in our line of work, folks put a great deal of importance on physical fitness, firearms efficiency, control and defensive tactics, etc. While all these things are essential and could help save your life or another’s, they are nowhere near as paramount as having the most valuable tool: verbal judo.
Verbal judo can be defined as using effective communication combined with verbal de-escalation tactics to avoid the need for an altercation to turn physical. We’ve all dealt at one time or another with an individual who was clearly just off a bit, whether emotionally or mentally. It was clear this person was either fired up and looking for an argument or really fired up and looking for a fight. In our line of work, I cannot stress enough the importance of verbal judo. If you fight fire with fire in this business, the result is a lot of heat and smoke, neither of which is suitable for anyone involved, most importantly the client we work for.
The ability to de-escalate a person who is highly emotional, angry, or agitated is the most effective thing you can do to avoid unnecessary confrontation and further escalate an incident that can be squashed with just a little patience and understanding. It’s essential to put your pride aside in these instances. Remember, you have nothing to prove to anyone. The most important thing you can do at work is to make it home safely every shift. There’s no need to try and get into a physical confrontation with someone just to prove something, whether that be to yourself or others. The most ideal battle is the one that never takes place!
When training to increase your skills as a security officer, I still strongly recommend you train in your physical fitness, martial arts of choice, firearms proficiency, etc. These tools are all very important, but I strongly recommend that as much as you train these things, you train yourself as much or more in your ability to de-escalate and effectively communicate with people and master the art of verbal judo. You’ll thank yourself that you did!