{"id":84,"date":"2016-01-20T17:34:29","date_gmt":"2016-01-20T17:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/?p=84"},"modified":"2016-06-11T18:05:01","modified_gmt":"2016-06-11T18:05:01","slug":"words-as-a-force-option-a-two-part-article-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/?p=84","title":{"rendered":"Words As A Force Option – A TWO-PART Article – PART 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words As A Force Option Part I<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“After thirty-five years of using both physical karate and Verbal Karate<\/em>
\nprofessionally, I can tell you the latter never once helped me. And I was an expert at<\/em>
\nit. In fact, Verbal Karate burned more bridges, alienated more people, and lost more<\/em>
\nopportunities for me than anything else I can think of.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“In the professional realm, Verbal Karate is the unprofessional use of language,<\/em>
\nbecause you?re using words to express your personal feelings.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“Whenever you use in a harmful, destructive way those words that rise readily to your<\/em>
\nlips, you have employed the easiest use of language: Verbal Karate.”<\/em>
\nDr. George J. Thompson, ‘Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I’d like to introduce CRGI members and its readership to the late Dr.George Thompson,
\naka ‘Doc Rhino’ via an obituary:<\/p>\n

JUN, 2011<\/strong>
\nAUBURN, N.Y.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Dr. George Thompson, the English professor-turned-street-cop who
\nultimately taught one million professionals the art of verbally redirecting negative
\nbehavior, passed away June 7 at his home in Auburn, New York. He was 69.
\nDoc Thompson contributed columns for many years for both CorrectionsOne.com and
\nPoliceOne.com, beginning in 2005. He helped our community examine how conscious
\ncommunication impacts the job. He regularly contributed tactical tips, too, and had us
\nthinking about human interaction as a tool for police.<\/p>\n

Dr. Thompson was affectionally called “Doc” by the professionals he trained in his
\nmethodology of Verbal Judo. To develop his tactics, he would watch police officers
\nparticipate in real-time crisis situations and observe strategies for talking down
\nviolence.<\/p>\n

Using what he observed from the “salty old dogs,” as he liked to call the LEOs, he
\nassembled a legion of global trainers who brought the lessons to police forces. He
\ntrained departments large and small, including the NYPD and LAPD. He also worked with
\nthe Federal Bureau of Prisons.<\/p>\n

Private enterprises outside of law enforcement have been trained in his methodology,
\ntoo, in order to protect employees from verbal assault and physical violence. Verbal
\nconflict mitigation can be applied to harassment and bullying in general as well as
\nthe issues that are more specific to police.<\/p>\n

Dr. Thompson held a B.A. from Colgate University and a Master?s and Doctorate in
\nEnglish from the University of Connecticut. He completed post-doctoral work at
\nPrinceton University in Rhetoric and Persuasion and went on to author four books, also
\npublishing work that appears in magazines and periodicals. Major networks like 48
\nHours and Inside Edition have reported on his training techniques.<\/p>\n

Doc often called his communications strategy “martial art of the mind and mouth,” and
\nwas a fan of martial arts himself. He achieved a 2nd Dan in Judo.<\/p>\n

Doc Thompson survived throat cancer for many years, and staunchly committed himself to
\na busy speaking and training schedule despite his condition, which reduced his ability
\nto speak for extended periods of time.<\/p>\n

He had recently received treatment to enhance his breathing, and he passed away
\nunexpectedly. Doc?s family includes his wife, Pam, their nine-year-old son Tommy Rhyno
\nThompson, two adult children, Kelley (Ronald) Monach and Taylor (Valerie) Thompson,
\nand five grandchildren.
\nsource: correctionsone.com<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Doc’s very first book in a series of four is titled: ‘Verbal Judo: Words As A Force Option.’
\nWhen Doc personalized my copy, he quipped “This started it all!” Doc loved rhetoric.<\/p>\n

Rhetoric: Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims\u00a0to improve the capability of
\nwriters or speakers to inform, persuade, or motivate\u00a0particular audiences in specific
\nsituations.
\nsource: wikipedia<\/em>
\nIndeed. It started a revolution in Police Tactical Training. Using words instead of or in
\nconjunction with using force. Doc didn’t invent this stuff – Police Officers have used this
\nstuff for years. Doc admits that his FTO\/partner, Bruce Fair, was the one that got him to
\nthinking…<\/p>\n

My first introduction to Doc’s calling was ‘Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion.’ In it,
\nI got to ‘know’ Doc. He had an easy style of writing, and didn’t want his work to just be
\nperceived as ‘cop stories.’ Indeed, they are good cop stories, but with a very imaginative
\nmessage ? to teach others how to talk to people in crisis.<\/p>\n

The first image I recall seeing of Doc, is one where I was reminded of Telly Savalas, minus
\nthe sucker ? bald, bold, and silent. Through his cop stories, I gleaned an insight into some
\nvery interesting strategy. In the movie Fort Apache: The Bronx, Paul Newman portrays a
\nPolice Officer. In one scene, the responds to a call ‘man with a knife’. He cocks his hat
\naskew, walks up to the confused man while acting ‘crazy.’ Mr. Newman’s performance stops
\nthe actions of this man, who now has is trying to figure out what is going on. This is an
\nexample of exactly what Mr. Fair does during one story. Mr. Fair used an very unusual tactic
\nto de-escalate two parties during a domestic disturbance call.<\/p>\n

In his Chiron Training series, Rory Miller does something similar. He de-escalates an irate
\ninmate by using an unusual strategy. This strategy got me to thinking differently about a
\ncareer that I had been thrust into with no training.<\/p>\n

During his research, and over the course of many years, Doc finely honed his ‘program’ and
\ntook it to the streets for validation and correction. His Verbal Judo was then taken to the
\nseminar circuit, where again it was refined. It became incorporated into many local
\nacademies. Why? Because it works. It’s fairly easy to pickup, and even makeup – it’s not
\nthat regimented, and it does encourage personal growth. You can make VJ your very own
\ntool, as I have. Yes there can be a learning curve, but you have the opportunities before
\nyou to use it – evert, single, day.<\/p>\n

We get so caught up in being ‘me’ that we often forget that it’s not always about ‘me.’ If
\nyou are trying to be a part of the solution, you need to let your ego go and really try to be
\njust that. Using words as a force option is also about using silence – yours.<\/p>\n

“You can do better!” Dr. George J. Thompson<\/em><\/p>\n

You CAN do better. It takes a lot of conscientious work to get there. And that means:
\n1) Jettison your own ego.
\nMAXIM # 15:<\/strong> “Be disinterested when you punish.”
\n2) Become a better listener.
\n“Here then is the powerful sentence that will allow you to interrupt anyone without
\nfear of bodily harm: ?Let me be sure I heard what you just said.?
\nDr. George J. Thompson, ‘Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion’
\n3) Remove your emotion from the equation.
\nMAXIM # 16:<\/strong> “When you punish for clearly defined rules violations, set aside personal
\nindignation. Respect the authority that empowers you to discipline.”
\n4) Respond, don’t react.<\/p>\n

“Verbal Judo will teach you to respond – not react – to situations.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“When you react, you?re being controlled by the situation. When you respond, you?re<\/em>
\ndealing with it.”<\/em>
\nDr. George J. Thompson, Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion<\/em>
\nIn Part II I’ll share some of Doc’s sagely advice – his 16 Maxims, and 11 Things You Should
\nNever Say!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a9 Copyright 2015, tb<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Words As A Force Option Part I “After thirty-five years of using both physical karate and Verbal Karate professionally, I can tell you the latter never once helped me. And I was an expert at it. In fact, Verbal Karate burned more bridges, alienated more people, and lost more opportunities for me than anything else … Continue reading Words As A Force Option – A TWO-PART Article – PART 1<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conflict-research-group-international"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=84"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137,"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84\/revisions\/137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=84"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=84"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defendublog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=84"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}