Circuit Magazine

For Security & Protection Specialists

Starting Out

After a hard training session, I was having a well earned pint of Guinness with my Jujitsu Instructor. It was over this pint that I learned that his day job was teaching unarmed combat and restraint techniques throughout the UK. “You jammy bugger!” I thought. This was the seed, the niggling idea at the back of my mind, and that was 13 year

Fit for Purpose

From a physical training perspective, the evolution of my own personal practice, my approach to nutrition and what I advise for the general population has dramatically changed over these years.

FIRST AID FOR CLOSE PROTECTION

CPOs are thinkers, planners, and problems solvers and are generally expected to pull rabbits from hats at short notice and we regularly do. We are employed to ensure not only the safety and security of the client but also their health and well being.

Mental Illness and Addiction

Addiction.  Mental Illness.  What comes to mind when you hear those words?  According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 1 in 5 Americans experience a form mental illness within a given year, while about 21% of 13-18 year olds experience a serious mental illness. 

HOW TO SURVIVE A MASS SHOOTING

I’ve harnessed the knowledge and experience I’ve gleaned through two decades of Special Forces soldiering, and nearly twenty years as a private security adviser working in conflict zones around the world to advocate for a formula-guided, options-based response plan to mass shootings. I’ve taught these techniques to diplomats, the media, executives, NGO’s etc.

Utility of Force

Physical violence is a fact of life. Those of us involved in the security industry are in the front of the queue when it comes to people wishing to cause us harm. It is right that we are held to account and it is right that we are taught and encouraged to use de-escalation techniques, but at the moment we and those we are dealing with are in greater danger than need be because the training is inadequate.

Does Fitness Matter Anymore?

Are we as protectors, just giving lip service to the physical nature of the craft? Yes, this is a thinking man’s game and the best muscle to work out is the mind, however, are we really preparing for that “Moment of Truth,” the one we hope never happens on our watch, but that we nonetheless have to plan for?

Surviving university as a mature student

Going to (or going back to) university seems to be becoming increasingly popular and I have lost count of the number of conversations I’ve had about the pros and cons of such a venture.

One of the major concerns / barriers to people embarking on a university course seems to be an anxiety about being a mature student. Whilst perhaps understandable, I hope in this article to reassure you that your experience of university can be just as valuable and exciting as a mature student as someone going straight from school.

A Medics Experience

Over the years, with the added involvement of oil and gas companies, alongside government contracts, the role of the medic has evolved from working as a ‘team medic’ into a ‘Tier 2’ medic who carries a comprehensive medical kit & medications, and is able to function as a lone medic often in remote locations. These changes have caused multiple shifts in the industry standard and requirements to become a Tier 2 Medic. This should be a good thing but it also comes with pitfalls.

The art of being an independent learner

So, what is independent learning? The Higher Education Academy 1 describe independent learning as “a process, a method and a philosophy of education in which a student acquires knowledge by his or her own efforts”.