How Bail Agents and Bounty Hunters Can Improve Self-Defense Knowledge

• July 12, 2010
• by Collateral Staff
• Business Tips

[caption id="attachment_237" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Self-Defense for Bail Agents."][/caption]

If you found yourself unarmed and face-to-face with someone willing to resort to physical violence to avoid a trip to jail, would you know how to defend yourself? It's more likely that fugitive recovery agents will find themselves in physical confrontations than bail agents, but both should be prepared for dicey situations. Even if you usually carry a weapon, you likely won't be armed at all times, and knowing hand-to-hand combat might someday save your life.

Martial arts can help you in all areas of self-defense, including strength, conditioning, speed, balance and breathing. They give you confidence in your ability to protect yourself on the job, and they contribute to a healthier lifestyle. If you're looking to increase safety for yourself and the other bail agents or bounty hunters you work with, martial arts are a time-tested defense method.

Self-defense for bail professionals isn't as simple as offhandedly picking a martial arts discipline and going with it. You need to consider how you expect to use your self-defense training on the job if necessary, which can narrow down the types of combat you wish to learn. Rex Venator, primary instructor at Bailspeak in California and a well-known educator in the bail industry, offered AboutBail.com several tips to put you on the road to better self-defense.

What should I know before choosing a self-defense program?

1. Shape up before you begin self-defense training
According to Venator, self-defense training won't do you much good if you're out of shape. He said that many bail agents and bounty hunters are in their mid-30s or older and have been physically inactive, so they may have a ways to go to get in shape.

Before you enroll in a self-defense class, he recommends evaluating your physical fitness level and taking steps to improve. If it has been a while since you exercised, it's beneficial for you go to the gym and do resistance training, cardio and low-impact exercises such as cycling. Venator recommends working on both aerobic and anaerobic cardio.

"First and foremost, fitness equals safety. I'm not inclined personally to lose a fight because of lack of air," Venator said. He explained that he trains to have high-level cardiovascular fitness in real-life situations such as foot chases.

2. Train with a purpose
Specific martial arts disciplines have been teaching people to defend themselves for centuries, and their effectiveness is proven. However, the techniques you learn in those classes may not be ideal for bail agents and fugitive recovery agents in live situations. When you practice damaging moves repeatedly in class, it's a natural instinct to resort to those moves in a stressful situation. Venator said you wouldn't want to break a fugitive's femur with a Muay Thai (kickboxing) kick or crush a person's trachea using Krav Maga (an Israeli form of combat) techniques, which is possible if that's what you've been training to do.

You need to consider that you're preparing to apprehend someone using non-damaging force because bringing a fugitive who is bloodied or has broken bones to booking is not acceptable. Keep this in mind when conducting research to figure out which training avenue you wish to pursue. It could also influence whether you want to practice individual martial arts, or if you would prefer a self-defense course that integrates several martial arts.

Venator's classes incorporate techniques from martial arts such as taekwondo, aikido, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Western boxing because those disciplines teach students how to control their opponent with minimal damage.

"I'm not on the streets to win a fight," Venator said. "I'm on the streets to make an apprehension safely so all parties get paid."

3. Prepare to deal with armed fugitives
In a worst-case scenario, the person you are trying to apprehend will be armed with a knife, gun or other weapon. When evaluating self-defense classes or martial arts classes, you should discover how much emphasis they place on dealing with armed assailants. By training to neutralize armed attackers, you will be able to quickly respond if you encounter one.

Venator said people searching for a self-defense class should also look for an instructor with a law enforcement background.

"The reason for that is you want an instructor who is cognizant that the people you're fighting are likely carrying weapons," he said.

Many martial arts, while effective for the average person, don't translate well into armed combat for bail professionals. Jiu-jitsu, for example, teaches people how to fight from their backs, but it can lead to injuries if you fall on your back while wearing handcuffs or a radio. A class geared toward bail professionals will take these intricacies into account during practice sessions and adapt techniques accordingly.

4. Learn to avoid confrontation
While this article has been primarily focused on how to prepare for physical confrontations, the best thing you can do is to avoid them in the first place. Venator said that 99 out of 100 times he apprehends people through trickery. He also employs "show of force" tactics such as surrounding himself with imposing partners who make would-be attackers think twice. Only when his non-violent tactics don't work does he turn to the training that he teaches in his own classes.

Conclusion
Enrolling yourself in a well-taught class that is geared toward bail professionals or law enforcement professionals is a wise investment for your business. By getting in shape and learning to defend yourself, you'll be making things safer for both yourself and your colleagues.

"The person who is out of shape, who doesn't have the tools if need be, isn't doing their partner any favors. They're putting their partner in jeopardy," Venator said.

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