One of the primary goals of any law enforcement training session should be to ensure that students leave better equipped mentally and physically to meet the demands of the job. But how do we bridge the gap between learning skills in a controlled environment and winning real-life encounters with highly resistive subjects? The answer lies in what we call “confidence drills.”

What Are Confidence Drills?

Think of live drilling for wrestlers, live rolls in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), or sparring for mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters. Our confidence drills move beyond technique critique and instructor-initiated responses, giving students the chance to make decisions based on real-time resistance. These drills test and enhance students’ skills in escalation, de-escalation, emotional control, and tactically sound decision-making. They are scalable to push students of all fitness levels, skill capabilities, and law enforcement experience, ensuring everyone leaves our training sessions better prepared.

How Long Should a Confidence Drill Be?

Drawing from my experience as an amateur MMA fighter, where preparation for a fight involved knowing the opponent, fight location, rules, and duration, we apply a similar approach to law enforcement training. Unlike MMA, officers don’t know the specifics of their encounters. Therefore, we focus on the one variable we can control: the duration of the encounter.

We survey the class about their backup response time and train far beyond that. For instance, if the average response time is five minutes, our confidence drill lasts 45 minutes. This involves a 50/10 split—50 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest—mimicking the unpredictable nature of real encounters while teaching students to identify and utilize brief moments to catch their breath and assess the situation.

Conclusion

Confidence drills are the perfect training adaptation, allowing students to demonstrate skill proficiency and build the self-confidence needed to win critical encounters. These drills ensure that every participant leaves our training sessions better prepared for the challenges they may face on the job.

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