The Gracie family has showcased once again their expertise in understanding how the human body can and can't move. The SafeWrap lateral control system is a culmination of tens of thousands of hours of high level jiu jitsu grappling experienced applied in an organized method of humane control of an uncooperative subject.
SafeWrap challenges the wisdom of tradition methods of controlling uncooperative subjects by placing them prone onto the ground. SafeWrap recognizes that pronation of a resisting person does not impose sufficient mechanical disadvantages to the resisting person to prevent attempts to resist and escape. Gracie further recognized that pronation provokes the fight/ flight response, increasing the the occurrence of amygdala fueled panic reactions. Thirdly, pronation places the face of a subject into the ground, complicating the ability of responders to communicate with the subject and calm tense situations non-violently. Lastly, a prone subject can easily hide their arms under their torso and access a weapon, or even only place responders in fear that a hidden weapon could be quickly deployed.
SafeWrap advocates placing subjects on their side, in more of a lateral position. This simple adjustment eliminates all of the above weaknesses to old fashioned prone restraint. Lateral restraint also facilitates the ability of two people easily control both the arms and legs of a resisting subject in order to prevent attacks, escape, or accessing a hidden weapon. Lateral positioning also enables responders to make eye contact with a subject and to communicate with them to help encourage non-violent compliance.
Probably the most attractive benefit to SafeWrap is the absence of joint locks /pain compliance to attempt to force cooperation. The system also allows the application of physical restraints on a person without placing them in positions that provoke resistance, or compromise the ability of the subject to breathe.
SafeWrap promises applications in law enforcement arrest, violent patient restraint in medical facilities, student restraint in schools, and patient restraint by first responders. The New York City Police Department has already adopted the SafeWrap system for use by its officers.
SafeWrap is only one manifestation of the brilliance of Gracie jiu jitsu. Since Royce Gracie walked away from UFC 1 with the title of Ultimate Fighting Champion in 1993, jiu jitsu has been proving that jiu jitsu IS the triumph of human intelligence over brute strength.
Lakewood Jiu Jitsu Academy applauds SafeWrap as the newest manifestation of how jiu jitsu can improve public safety. In the short-term, efficient non-violent control improves the safety of people being arrested as well as officers making arrests. In the long-term, humane arrest techniques improve officer safety by minimizing public resentment of police officers and improving relations between the public and the police.
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