Canberra 2019 feedback "Firstly thank-you for conducting the ISR Matrix Subject Control and LE Course held recently at Canberra. I have over 12 years with Corrections, mostly in high risk roles, and a further 10 plus years in the security industry in various capacities. I also have been involved in martial arts of various persuasions (including reality based systems) for much of this time as well as training directly related to my employment. After attending the course I have found that the ISR Matrix system has exceeded my expectations on all levels. The techniques, drills and tactics are highly functional, easy to learn and maintain, as well as being low risk in training and application. I now feel more confident than ever that when I am required to use force that I am well equipped to not only deal with the incident, but to do so in a manner that will satisfy any resulting review process. I believe that if your occupation involves having to place your hands on another person that ISR training should be a major part of your vocational education. This holds particularly true to those whose employment involves a duty of care and the exercise of reasonable force. Professionals in the Law Enforcement, Security, Health and Education fields should seriously consider attending your training and I will be recommending ISR Matrix to my peers. Thanks" Brisbane August 2015 feedback "Panoptic recently completed training in one of Australia’s premier defence tactics systems ISR Matrix. World class instructor and Australia’s lead trainer Dave provided practical and professional instruction over the 4.5 days in techniques that can be utilised across the range of services that Panoptic provides – Health, Safety & Security. This system will benefit our Paramedics as well as our professional safety and security personnel. We highly recommend this training to health care workers who place their lives in dangerous situations each shift as well as any one in the security sector who is charged with the protection of asetts or High Net Worth Individuals and Family’s. There is even mention of this training in Australian College of Ambulance Professionals Magazine. The training is ethical, functional and relevant to all emergency service providers" Troy, ADF and CPP paramedic "I just wanted to say thanks again for a fantastic course. You always ask about light bulb moments, my light bulb turned on the minute I stepped onto the mat Friday night. I have done a few courses in my time but I must say without a doubt this is the best course I have ever done. Starting with the warmup not evening realising we are doing a warm up to the various stages of training intensity through out the 4.5 days and the excellent and honest presentation, also training to the music a totally ingenious way to conduct drills. It was also mentioned that it was a great investment. When it comes to training in something that can help you do your job better and most of all keep you and your mates safe there should be no monetary value considered at all. Dave I can not I thank you enough for letting me have the opportunity to attend the ISR PM & LE course. I am looking forward to attending the next course!!!!! Regards, Alex, Corrections Trainer "The writing of this testimonial was interrupted by me having to attend a job in which I assisted with an apprehension using material from the course, not three days after its completion. Having done other ISR courses in the past, I would certainly not again spend my time and money if there was not immense value in the content. I have been using the material for the past few years in the conduct of my work with more than ample real life ‘pressure testing’ and it has passed time and time again. Being of a small build I think that adds even more credit to the content as I can’t compensate bad training with brute strength. Some of the best feedback I can give about ISR Matrix is not actually from myself, but from all of the employers, co-workers, bystanders, police officers and others who have made comments to me after an incident regarding how well it was handled on a physical level. This is proof to me that I can perform the techniques to keep myself safe, yet not be concerned with it being construed as excessive force, which for those who deal with physical conflict professionally is a vital concern as it could mean our careers. It is amazing how the course through its structure, content and highly experienced instructor can provide new skills to students and have them instinctively applying them under pressure after only two full days of training with no injuries to themselves or anyone else. Especially when there is enough material to cover all the stages of conflict and everything in between. Once a student has seen all of the material, they are capable of answering any ‘what if’ in regards to subject control using only what they have been given in the previous 2.5 days. What’s even more amazing is the level of retention of skills students can expect from this course. My personal highlight was the entire L.E component as I got to see how the same skills learnt in the first 2.5 days of subject control directly applied to varying contexts such as vehicle and cell extractions, and just how easy it was for us to problem solve on the fly using the material we had. To gauge its validity one only has to look at those who recognise it. On this particular course for example there were several highly experienced police officers, correctional officers, a paramedic and Close Personal Protection professional and myself, a crowd controller and Army reservist. We all have different needs and objectives occupationally but agreed on the value the course delivers in terms of improving our capability. With ISR Matrix it really does feel like everybody else is using typewriters and you’ve been handed a computer. On a personal note it was an absolute pleasure to train with everyone on this course. Everybody knew what they were there for and wanted to get as much out of the training as possible and help make sure everyone else did too. Looking forward to the next one" Damian. ADF and crowd controller "I am just sitting down to send you an email of thanks for the course and also a blatant but genuine testimonial. Had a ball and will be back. Proof is in the pudding. Dozen guys going hard, different weights, ages and combative experience and by the end I don't think there was much between anyone. That's good teaching and good system. Well done and thanks and see you again. The course: I had been trying to get onto an ISR course for a while and the stars finally aligned, including the LE element which was a bonus. 4 days and 1 night and it was well worth the money. First night was mind boggling overload even though I was ready for it. Amazing how much was covered. There are other seminars I guess, taught by martial celebs but for bang for your buck, challenge yourself and come away with real retainable practical skills that you have learnt and actually own and access under stress. And it is a lot of fun too. Learn by playing and it stays with you like learning to do a wheel stand as a kid. You never forget how to get there. For those that think they know what ISR is based on what is out on YouTube and Internet, respectfully, you do not until you have experienced and felt it. It is truly a very well researched, planned and tested and ethically taught system of few techniques but endless opportunities and options put together by people that have experience in both the sometimes overused term "reality “as well as combative sports. It is not a cobbled together miss mash of unrelated techniques with no central spine throughout or MMA in a soldiers or police uniform. Our course focused on surviving the initial onslaught and taking control and sorting it out, or alternatively seizing the initiative, controlling your subject and sorting it out. Problem solving on the go was developed through the well-designed drills and random testing of where you are at. You can still do your Internet moves once you have your subject under control. Everyone’s reality is different and their needs differ ISR does fit everyone from civvies who gets hassled at the cab rank to police officer dealing with a violent offender in the front yard in the dark. I am a lifelong martial artist and police officer for 26 yrs. I know what I need when it turns ugly in someone's kitchen or living room and my partners and I need to get someone into custody quickly but also as safely as possible for all concerned. ISR fits this perfectly and after the course I trust it as I have been able to prove to myself that it works for me. Fancy does not work in real time and especially if you are on your bum or worse. From the first few light drills until the last bullring pressure test it is layer upon layer of strong basics learnt, drilled and then tested under ever changing circumstances. You get a chance to see if you really can handle someone coming at you hard, under pressure when you’re are tired and have taken a hit. As the saying goes “will it work if a large Pacific Islander is trying to punch you?”- Well we got the chance to demonstrate this and yep it works. Of note is that after endless punches being thrown, people being stabilised and taken down and subdued at speed against walls cars and the floor and with intent, not one injury among us. Sore, tired, the odd bruise from the helmet bit no one injured. And sizes ranged from about 56 kilos to an athletic 117 kilos. The law enforcement side if it is again well researched and well taught and again we tested it ourselves and it works. One example is gun retention that after possibly over a thousand retention reps by all of us not one gun was taken by an offender. This was done with some very vigorous intent by all. Same for cell extraction and vehicle extractions. Not false confidence, but provable results. All of us were impressed with how it is taught and delivered. The music, tempo , drills it all came back to a central theme: intercept stabilise resolve. And at this time I am starting to like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings and so is everyone else. What the... The techniques are relatively simple but not easy and in short it works and you prove to yourself it works at speed and intensity and like the man says you can dial it up and cause harm or keep it toned down. I would be very comfortable going into a confrontation with anyone on the course as a police officer. The skills of the individual plug in beautifully as a team. Intercept stabilise resolve. Problem solve on the go. And we learnt to. Example: If an armdrag can and does work on a sweaty olympic wrestler who knows it is coming it can and does work on a sweaty criminal who does not know it is coming. It is a very well thought out way of teaching the system. The music (you will understand when you train this system) the terminology for drills that eventually removes the need to explain the drill and assists you in owning" it. The instructor: I have known Dave for nearly 20 yrs and bump into him every half decade or so. He has put his money where his mouth is and travelled, learnt, taught and experienced a wide variety or systems, styles and points of view. He has found what he is looking for in ISR and I have to say I agree with his conclusions. He is not a martial arts celebrity nor wants to be, content to teach those that do know what they are looking at will get it when they see it. I am impressed with his knowledge and abilities and the methodology he uses to teach the system is the best I have seen. He keeps it moving, reads the room well and knows when to crank it up and when to back it off. That's a good teacher and good a well-designed course. The crew on the course all bonded well and there is something about shared hard work that binds people. The course is challenging but not crazy hard and you earn your bumps and bruises and everyone was proud of hanging in there. To walk into a room full of police, military, experienced martial arts types and hold their attention for 5 days is a huge ask. Dave not only did that but took us all to a much higher level than we were in many areas. All of us. And he could relate it all back to material we covered in the first hour on Friday. Dave can walk the walk but as he stated his aim is to improve us not tell us what a bad ass he is. Never did he disparage any system or instructor as we were too busy training. A fantastic course, excellent instructor and well worth it. It is testament to Dave and ISR that a few of the guys were back for second and third course. I will be one of those in the future. All of us progressed vastly from where we were Friday night to Tuesday and despite the difference in fighting skills and experience between some on a Friday you would be hard pressed to know who was who by Tuesday. Exceptional system and instructor" Cheers Tim, Police Senior Sgt "I just completed the ISR Matrix 5 day subject control and LE course. It has to be one of the best courses I've ever done, and by far the best on subject control and restraint. It started off with an introduction and overview of the system, then we started the first drills. I'm not going to break down the whole course for you, but suffice to say that I learned some very basic skills and movements that can be adapted to most situations that I have or would be likely to encounter. The key is repetition through basic drilling so that movements become instinctive reactions. There are no complex Katas or super secret moves or 5 finger death touches, just core skills and gross motor movements repeated and revisited frequently. The system is brilliant in its simplicity, with unbelievable results in such a short period. In 25+ years in my job I have seen a lot of "moves, manoeuvres, and cool things" but none have come close to this system. I'm no martial artist, fighter or athlete, but I was controlling big powerful men and putting them on the ground under control and with no injuries all round. Does it hurt, of course. Do you work hard, yes. Do you sweat, buckets. Do you remember what you're taught, yep, but sometimes you cop a "reminder". Do I recommend it, hell yes. Would I do it again, in a heartbeat. Who would benefit? Anyone who deals with people for a living". Mark, Police Sgt. 2013 feedback "Hey Dave, Thanks again for a great course. Let me know if any 5 day LE courses are coming up. I wrote down a few of my thoughts from after the course, you're welcome to post to Facebook or use wherever. I attended the ISR course held in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago. I've done a number of martial arts, attended self defence seminars and watched plenty of movies, ISR is the first course that combines physical skills with tactics, strategies and trains them. Drills incorporate tactical awareness so you don't just stand in the middle like Seagal punching and kicking the shite out of everyone, constant movement, using people as shields, actually training tactics and strategy rather than just going over theoretical concepts. For an external training course Dave has a way of making it fit every type of use of force model and explains how one can articulate that use of force for your job description. I recommend the ISR to anyone requiring skills to physically manage people from Nurses, Teachers and Paramedics to Security, Corrections and Law Enforcement these are skills for everyone. I have to admit that working as an investigator for a Police Organisation I don't go hands on all that often, so what is the point? ISR stands for Intercept, Stabilise and Resolve - and this can be done in every conflict situation not just physically but verbally, emotionally and psychologically. Each and every day people are constantly intercepting (just by being there and part of the situation, presence); stabilising to the situation (getting your bearings, orientating yourself to the situation, deciding what to say or do); resolving the situation (thought, emotion, action). We can use ISR as a decision making model, for strategic thinking and for self defence. Definitely a professional tool for professionals in the area of subject control. With thanks Chris" 2012 Feedback "Some operational feedback in recently: An offender rushed an Officer (a recent ISR course graduate) with a belt around his hand, threatening to kill him, inciting more than a dozen others to join him and promptly threw a punch. The Officer instinctively helmeted, ducked under and took the Offender down hard. A second offender then struck a responding Officer (non-ISR trained) knocking him out and legged it. Our guy, having already secured the first offender, gave chase, took down the second offender and arrested him as well. After seeing the two rapid takedowns the other dozen ratbags thought it best to disengage. End result - two crooks in custody and charged with assault police, an ISR graduate unscathed and getting lots of positive feedback from colleagues and supervisors and a Police Officer with a sore head asking about an ISR conversion course!" "I'm a firm believer in ISR for LE work. I have used every single technique to great effect. Used helmet to underhook with pike to seatbelt only yesterday! One of your biggest backers in VicPol as far as I know. I only wish my pay grade allowed me to pay for all my guys to do a 3 - 4 day seminar" "As I entered the cell he came off the wall and lunged at me. The instincts took over and I used some ISR for the first time, helmet to stabiliser to cell wall- reaction from prisoner and staff priceless. Keen to get into more ISR this year" "I'm getting some great feedback and super glad that the unions are on board too. The Academy, Operational Staff, Tactical Unit and the Union is supporting change" Regards, Manager Training Section "I have thoroughly enjoyed the new self defence course based on ISR techniques. It was run in a pleasant and professional manner and as a participant, I was amazed by my own learning curve. I just wanted to compliment you on finding a technique which works but at the same time will reduce injury to detainees and officers. In (juvenile detention and custodial corrections), a lot of injuries are a result of when 2 officers take a struggling detainee down to the ground with the current technique. This new technique will give us many more options before going to the "restrain to the floor" part of it, and when a detainee does need to be held on the floor for the approved reasons, the head of the detainee is well taken care of as an intergral part of the move. ISR also allows for time to think and communicate instead of the chaotic scenario's some of current restraints end up being. There are a limited number, easy to learn moves, which are however applicable in every situation I can think of in the Centre. They will protect the Officer and are safe for detainees. (In this high intensity course, none of the participants were injured, even though we were repeating the holds at great speed, and ended up in the detainee position, for at least 500 times during 3 days.) As a female officer, I feel that this course is very empowering. When you are by yourself in a unit (which happens a lot) you now have a skill set that will protect you (helmet), gives you time to desengage from a violent detainee, and if need be stabilise (hold) the detainee untill help arrives. In fact I am confident that I could now find a resolution for most situations. I thank you for your kind invite to participate in this course, and I can't wait for the new techniques to be implemented in the training packages for the Youth and Custodial Officers as they are a vast improvement of the previous ones" Z Senior Training Officer "As a Police Officer and Trainer for over 20 years, and after all the DT's and martial arts courses and seminars that I have attended, I can tell you that ISR Matrix is without a doubt the ONLY course that I would attend again and again. It's that good" "We are getting far better results from Police Officers following just 3 days ISR Matrix training than 2 weeks of the previous Police DT's training package" T, Police OST trainer "I attended an ISR LE 5 day end user course in November last year. Since then I've used ISR 15 times operationally, both individually and team tactics. Sometimes in self defence leading to arrest, other times in escort and removal situations. It's worked immediately every time with no injuries to myself or the offender. Only one out the fifteen applications resulted in the use of force being questioned by the subject, even though there were no injuries. Due to the ISR systematic design and training methodology, I was able to justify this to the satisfaction of the court within 30 seconds" (G, an ISR LE instructor development program participant) “Having participated in, reviewed, and recommended ISR Matrix training, I can attest to the relevance and achievements of this Defensive Tactics training. The ISR Matrix system is one of many I have reviewed, but none came close to ISR Matrix in regards to the relevance and results. A number of law enforcement agencies and employees have contacted me enquiring about this training and I have descibed it as being the most relevant and useful training package available today for real-world street defense. I have spoken with a number of Law Enforcement Agency Trainers recently trained in this system, and all have been impressed with both the package and the training style undertaken. I would not hesitate to recommend this training system to Military, Police, Security and "civilians" alike for their Defensive Tactics needs.” September 20, 2012 Doug hired you as a Defensive Tactics Training in 2010 Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value "In the last three shifts I have used the Harness twice: once for a take down on a Detainee who was shaping up to punch another officer and the second time to stop someone from headbutting a wall and restraining him until a second officer arrived so we could take him to a padded cell. Even if the other team members don't know the move they can still work in with ease. Cheers, S “ISR is all encompassing and and flexible giving it the capability to meet the needs of individual and team Combatives in a variety of work environments.” September 21, 2012 Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Creative. Simon Grieves. Hired ISR Matrix as a law enforcement in 2010, and hired ISR Matrix more than once Corrections Emergency Support Group 2012 Hello Dave It was an absolute honour for me to be involved in the ISR Matrix course that you conducted. The course itself is without doubt the most professional control/restraint course I have ever been on and or am aware of. I could write pages of positives about the course. The Academy are writing a submission in regards to the course and it will come before myself and the Boss for acceptance (guess which box I will be ticking). Like yourself I have been an Instructor in various skills both in the Army and Corrections. I take the role of Instructor as almost sacred. I have been on many courses and seen many Instructors from the Army, Police and Corrections over the years and I have to say that you are one of the very finest Instructors I have ever had the good fortune of meeting. I learnt a variety of excellent innovative techniques from you that I will incorporate into our lessons. It was special that Gary wrote his thoughts down and gave them to you at the end. I have known Gary for a long time and he is a very decent man his thoughts on you and the course speak volumes on your professionalism, strength of character and humanity. Well done mate take care and I hope we meet again. JK Senior Officer Training Emergency Support Group USA 2012 - Florida High Liability Trainers Conference - ISR Matrix Ground Combatives and Dynamic Weapon Retention: "I just wanted to pass along my sincere appreciation for Mr. Fuller's dynamic weapon retention class that I had the privilege of taking in Tallahassee. As an instructor, I know that our jobs are often thankless but we sleep well knowing that our students were given the best possible training. As such, Mr. Fuller should sleep very well. Mr. Fuller was very humble and did not give an hour long dissertation on all of his accomplishments and background and then proceed to kick our asses into submission. His humbleness spoke volumes and his qualifications were evident in the power packed class. As he said, "let's work it!" Thank you again for the fantastic training" "Very practical, user friendly techniques. The use of the UTM rounds made the course VERY worthwhile!" "EXCELLENT COURSE! UTM rounds enhanced the course." "Very good instructor. Interesting and high speed. Blanks added to realism." "Great course. Great mindset." "Best information and most realistic material on Weapon Retention I have seen in 10+ years." "Great class. Great instructor. Solid information reinforced by training technology." "The bridge between hands on defensive tactics and realistic weapon manipulations. Really opened my eyes." "A huge difference from working with typical red or blue training guns, pretending to pull the trigger and saying BANG, BANG!" Perth 2010 I have been a Police officer for 11 years and have served in the United Kingdom, South Australia and Western Australia. I am currently serving as an Operational Safety and Tactics instructor within (with held). I first met David in 2009 when I attended an ISR Matrix course being held within the Perth area. I was immediately impressed with David’s coaching style and professionalism. His knowledge, experience and genuine passion inspire complete attention and respect and I have highly recommended his courses to my friends and colleagues. As an instructor it is sometimes extremely difficult to monitor, fault-correct and manage the learning of a large group of people, taking into consideration learning styles, experience and confidence of the students. David however makes these tasks look easy, which was demonstrated on the most recent ISR course I attended in July 2010. The course participants had a mixed work background (Police, military and civilian) and varied experience levels in martial or fighting arts (from zero to instructor level). This was in no way a hindrance however as David was able to tailor the course to suit the relevant experience levels and address specific role-related tasks. On numerous occasions during the course David was simultaneously managing 3 separate groups; the first looking at basic ISR physical management, the second physical management attached striking and the third (which included me) weapon retention and vehicle extraction techniques. His ability to apply his technical knowledge, communicate that knowledge and achieve excellent results is a credit to him. I was further extremely impressed with the way in which David assists his students to address specific questions posed. For example, a course participant and I both work within environments in which we have to remove persons from vehicles in a dynamic way and we had both found this to be a difficult and dangerous task due to the complexity of what can appear to be a very easy task. David’s patience and technical skill were again very evident, as he encouraged us to work through the problems we were encountering, applying guidance where necessary in a way that helped us to achieve the task. I have taken a great many of the things I have learned from David back to my workplace with a view to implement them as best practice within the agency. David’s ability to communicate on all levels is exemplary. He communicates with influence, is never overbearing or patronising and puts all those he teaches at ease with his manner. I have made contact with David on numerous occasions outside of the training environment to ask for his opinion and guidance. David always has time for people and would never allow a question to go unanswered, which is sometimes a very rare quality. In conclusion I believe David to be a person of the highest calibre, and his technical knowledge, expertise and skill are second to none. His integrity, personal drive and professionalism are of the highest order, and his ability to communicate at all levels is excellent. I am very proud to call him both my instructor and my friend and would have no reservations in recommending him to you as operational safety and tactics subject matter expert. (Name withheld) Police Officer and Operational Safety Trainer Perth ISR Matrix USA I am a Military Veteran and an active Law Enforcement Officer and Supervisor for a large agency in the USA. My official duties include being the High Liability Training Coordinator for all Use of Force Topics as well as Pursuit Driving and serving as a member of a 40 member SWAT Team. I am also the Vice President and Director of Law Enforcement Training for ISR Matrix International, a Tactical consulting organization based in the United States. Our group has been contracted to train Police, Military and Security Professionals worldwide, including Officers in Australia. We have been featured in various International Media publications such as SWAT Magazine, Black Belt and Blitz and have earned a reputation for providing the highest quality training and consultation in the area of Tactics and Use of Force. In our experience, not all LE/ MIL trainers are created equal. There is a range of competence, initiative, and integrity. When we choose to endorse and affiliate with an instructor on a professional level, we have examined their skill, character and work ethic and must be completely satisfied that they will uphold our uncompromising performance standards. That being said... It has been our good fortune to have met and worked with Dave and we are proud to be affiliated with him. After observing him instruct and coach Law Enforcement professionals from various agencies, including The U.S. Federal Air Marshals and U.S. Customs service as well as members of several SWAT teams, Patrol and Tactical Units, as well as Corrections Officers, I can say that Dave's attention to detail and tireless dedication in organizing and conducting Training events distinguishes him as among the finest in the Police Training Community. He has our highest endorsement and our unwavering recommendation. Fletch Former Vice President/ LE Training Coordinator I.S.R. Matrix International Perth July 2010 I was advised to give ISR a go by a colleague in the Police and I honestly say I am so glad I did. I attended an ISR PM course in early 2009 and was amazed at how such a simple system could be so effective. The fluid nature of the system, constant drilling of the core moves and use of “drills under pressure; all added up to a fantastic weekend, from which I became a firm supporter of all things ISR.I was extremely excited about the next course I was able to attend (held in Perth in July 2010) and was in no way disappointed. The course participants had both a mixed work background (Police, military and civilian) and varied experience levels in martial or fighting arts (from zero to instructor level). This was in no way a hindrance however as the instructor was able to tailor the course to suit the relevant experience levels and address specific role related tasks. I can attribute this to two things; first of which is the nature of ISR, everyone starts with the basics, there are no “white belts do it this way, black belts do it this way” mentality. The fundamental principles are drilled to the point where you no longer have to think, your body just does what it needs to do. The core principles of ISR are so interchangeable, the system allows you to move from one position to the next without pause, feeling what your opponent is doing rather than having to watch for it. We were able to work through complicated role related problems, such as removal of persons from vehicles, without having to do anything other than go back to core principles and think it through. The second was the instructor Dave. His knowledge, experience and genuine passion inspire complete attention and respect and I would (and have) highly recommend his courses to my friends and colleagues. The guys that I trained with are a fantastic bunch of guys and I have made friendships that will last. I can hand on heart say that ISR is absolutely fantastic and cannot recommend it highly enough. Whether you are in the military, law enforcement or a person who wants to learn how to defend yourself ISR is the way to go. I can’t wait for the next course, and the next, and the next, and the next. (Name withheld) Police Officer Perth 2010 As a former Police Officer of 18 years service, my tenure included 11 years in Police Special Operations. In recent years I have pursued a career as a private security contractor in operational and training roles in hostile environments such as Iraq and Africa. I am the Executive Director of Training of a Registered Training Organisation approved by the Western Australian Police Service to deliver Firearms and Defensive Tactics training. It has been my observation where many training providers will compromise the integrity of their services to secure business, there is no compromise in the quality of the service delivered by Dave in his role as a training consultant, facilitator and Regional Director of ISR Matrix Australia. Dave is dynamic and innovative in his skill sets underpinned by his intimate knowledge which allows him to have the flexibility to adapt and improvise in environments where resources are limited or the student is of a culturally diverse background. His interpersonal skills and ability to articulate at all levels establishes excellent rapport with his students and cultivates healthy business relationships with clients. Dave has a well rounded knowledge of military, police and civilian/security doctrine and his currency in the use of equipment and weapons enables Dave to transition in the relevant roles and duties. Dave's professional acumen is a reflexion of the strength of his personal character. Honest and without question to his integrity. His enthusiasm for living again flows over into his desire to perform as a trainer. I have no hesitation in recommending Dave and the ISR Matrix. (Name withheld) Former Senior Constable, Police Tactical Operator and Operational Safety Trainer Perth Townsville 2010 I am a Watchhouse Officer in QLD; I have almost 3.5yrs police experience and over 10yrs private security experience. I have been on a number of different OST/Defensive Tactic courses over this time. After completing the 4hour course with Dave from ISR Matrix Australia these courses they have on offer, unquestionably beat any current OST methodology that I have been exposed to. I look forward to attending the next course to be run in Townsville in the future; I would recommend these courses to other people in Police, Corrections and Security personal but not limited to those agencies... I feel even agency’s such ambulance officers/paramedics would also benefit for these courses, due to the cliental they deal with? The skills and information on offer is beneficial, and if you would like to learn more Defensive Tactics or OST, these courses are for you. Thanks Dave I thoroughly enjoyed the course and await the next one. (Name withheld) Townsville, Queensland. Perth 2008-2010 As a current Instructor with a Law Enforcement Agency I first met Dave in 2004 when he and I were deployed overseas for a peace keeping mission. Instantly I saw his professionalism in not only his work ethic but his training methods and experience. We immediately hit it off and worked together in some very trying and dangerous conditions. Dave's thoroughness, attention to detail and being able to teach a myriad of persons from all walks of life and skill levels meant that every person learnt the required and necessary skills needed to perform their job effectively. Dave then carried on his Instructing furthering his skills base by travelling overseas and training with various disciplines and law enforcement agencies, applying better technical skills with the worlds most up-to-date teachings which benefited his students greatly. I am even more impressed by the way Dave can structure training packages to suit differing agencies from different work backgrounds such as Police,Military & Civilian Security and adapt these courses to suit exactly what they require from a Use of Force and Legislative point of view. The way that Dave teaches means he puts the students at ease and creates a comfortable environment in which they want to learn and creates interest in the training. He is patient and is always willing to spend more time above and beyond if the students require this. The students find he is always approachable which makes them want to come back and learn more and better themselves in their chosen disciplines. I recently participated in an ISR Matrix course as a student under Dave and found all these gametes of being an excellent Teacher and Instructor evident, his technical knowledge in the material, the way he teaches with influence, being approachable and making the students get involved mean that they are able to absorb and retain a high standard of the course material, meaning a better overall product in the outcome. In conclusion I believe that Dave would be a highly valued asset to any organisation as a Trainer/Instructor and have no hesitation in saying so. The qualities that he not only portrays but lives by are hard to find in this day and age. I would highly recommend Dave . (Name withheld) Police Supervisor and Operational Safety Trainer Brisbane 2010 I am a current serving member in the **** Police Service. Previously I was a member of the Calgary Police Service for 5 years. During my policing career I have been involved with Public Order Teams, tac crime teams and general duties. I have worked in extremely dynamic and often volatile environments. I had the good fortune to attend two different seminars with the ISR Matrix Physical Management system. Both of these courses were taught by Dave. I have been exposed to various forms of subject control and different concepts put forward by different services. I was extremely pleased with ISR and the concepts explained and portrayed. ISR and Dave's coaching reinforces the warrior mindset and provides many tools and skills that can be interchanged at a moments notice. This is integral as any officer in a confrontation needs to have the ability to make sound decisions and throughout the incident evaluate the goals and push through to achieve the desired outcomes and results. ISR also incorporates the duty of care that law enforcement agencies have towards everyone that they deal with. Dave continuously reinforces the basic concepts of ISR during the courses. He coordinates multiple groups, going over the techniques over and over. This repetition is vital. The hundreds to thousands of reps completed cement the skills into the student. When the reps have been engrained then the student can apply his technical knowledge and through further experience are able to develop their expertise and skill set. Dave structures his courses in a modular fashion. This allows Dave to build up the training level throughout the course. Each level building on the previous and forcing the student to think on their feet, apply the techniques and execute them to achieve the desirable result. This is all done in increasingly stressful situations as Dave throws unknown factors into the mix. Dave challenges the students physically, pushing their endurance until they reach a state of reaction by instinct. At this point the student has the skill set in their muscle memory. Dave also makes students think by throwing "what if" scenarios at them. The students get a chance to change up and work with different people so as to experience a wide range of body types and this teaches the students that the techniques can work for anyone. This interaction also cultivates good working relationships between the students themselves. They then end up pushing each other and correcting technical errors between themselves. I have used these techniques in the field with positive results. I am of the opinion that the ISR Matrix method when used in conjunction with communication contributes to strategic thinking and enables officers to be proactive, aware and thinking ahead when engaging the public. I found training with Dave to be a great experience. He is aware of the sensitivities of training law enforcement personnel and takes appropriate steps to maintain that security. His manner of speaking and demonstrating allows students to see what the techniques are and to correct their mistakes. Dave is very passionate about making sure law enforcement personnel have the most up to date training to keep them and the public safe. I would recommend Dave and the ISR Matrix without question. (Name withheld) Police Sergeant and Operational Safety Trainer Brisbane Aug 2009 I recently attended a 3 day ISR Matrix Physical Management Foundation Skills course. By way of background, I have been involved in the military, the security industry and law enforcement field for over 10 years. Through out this time I have always trained in Martial arts and defensive tactics and continually searched for a realistic/effective system with no success. Then I found ISR. This course was just brilliant. I have trained in wrestling and MMA for a long time (where a lot of the ISR techniques come from) but this is far more than a bunch of techniques. The ISR Matrix team have seriously done some quality research and development to establish 9 core techniques that flow systematically together. ISR Matrix allows you to keep complete control of the bad guy whilst always keeping in mind situational awareness, weapon retention and transition, team tactics and the ability to escalate or de-escalte your use of force at anytime. Sure that sound sounds great but we drilled these 9 core moves over and over again to the point of having to apply them on a fully resisting opponents wearing boxing gloves who were trying to knock us out! ISR just works. Unfortunately, as a police officer, I am not comfortable walking into dangerous situations with every partner I work with. However, I would gladly go up against any angry man with any Officer who has done an ISR course, safe in the knowledge that they have already had to make their training work for real! This system is a must for anyone serious about doing their job properly or wanting to defend themselves. (Name withheld) Police Officer Brisbane Aug 2009 & March 2010 I am a current serving Police Officer and have been in the military, security industry and law enforcement in excess of ten years. The ISR Matrix defensive tactics coaching emphasis a strategic approach to complex real world problem solving rather than the technique based approach that is common with other systems. After several days of intense training, students think strategically in terms of controlling the situation and environment in accordance with sound use of force policy and officer safety guidelines while their appropriate physical techniques occur without conscience thought. The courses that I attended had students from all walks of life. State and Federal Police, Corrections, regular and reserve Military and private security. Some trainers may find these different back grounds and different role requirements a hindrance to effective training. David was able to contextualise his training delivery and communication style to suit both the group collectively and each individual while still meeting the learning outcomes. He is able to apply his technical knowledge of subject control in the Military, Security, Corrections, Health and Policing fields to develop and coordinate multiple concurrent training evolutions with apparent ease while still maintaining control of the course direction and ensuring that all participants are actively progressing. (Name withheld) Police Officer Brisbane 2009 I am a current-serving Police Officer with over ten years frontline experience and with operational experience in both Afghanistan and Iraq. David has delivered ISR Matrix defensive tactics instruction to people ranging from current serving Police and Military to martial arts practitioners. Despite the different backgrounds of the participants, David's instructional ability was such that he was able to pass on his knowledge and skills seemingly without effort. Despite dealing with classes with large numbers of participants, from varying backgrounds, David was able to monitor their progress and assess and further developments requirements of everybody involved. David is approachable and able to answer questions about his teachings without attempting to change the subject, as seems to be the case with many Police and Military instructors today. His ability to communicate with people at all levels is of a high standard, and he is able to do so with authority and confidence without being overbearing or arrogant. I have no reservation in recommending David and the ISR Matrix. (Name withheld) Police Officer Adelaide 2009 I just got back from 5 days training ISR in Adelaide. I'll start by saying I have never before felt so exhausted after a course. At the end of the second day I got an ice pack from the freezer and didn't know where to put it first. Everything ached! From the get go I was impressed by how functional the system is. Transitioning from a point of disadvantage to a point of almost total subject control is done with relative ease. Never in any point of the course was excessive force advised or demonstrated. All techniques have been carefully examined and pressure tested, with a strong emphasis on using minimal or reasonable force to achieve a positive outcome. The system is designed in a way that it always leaves you an opportunity to transition to gain positional control, or even better to find an exit. The techniques focused on using Gross Motor Skills, and placed more emphasis on control and restraint, as opposed to using pain for compliance which sometimes may not be effective if your aggressor is under the influence of drugs, or has unusual flexibility/size differences etc. The LE course dealt with specific situations that Law Enforcement Officers may encounter whilst in the field. The material and techniques were job specific, and always placed a strong emphasis on officer safety and situational awareness. A big thank you to Fletch who travelled a long way to teach such a small group. Fletch is an excellent Instructor, and just a great guy to boot. Thanks to Ash, Davo and everyone who helped make a highly enjoyable week of training. I highly recommend ISR to all Front Line Employees, or simply anyone who wants a safe and effective method of controlling potentially hostile or aggressive persons. Regards, (Name withheld) Police Officer Adelaide 2009 Well, just completed five days of the ISR PM 101/201 and the LE 101. I'm bruised, knackered, and sore. It was five days of pretty intense training, ranging in techniques from escort control, restraints, weapon retention, vehicle extractions, and everything in between. Fletch Fuller, who is the main instructor for the Florida SWAT, and Vice President of the ISR Matrix was the instructor, and was awesome at the job. I've got a mainly Jujitsu and boxing background, and ISR has definitely changed my ways of controlling subjects in the future. I'd recommend this course to any LEO as a must do. Matter of fact, I'd recommend every Police Force in the country to teach it to cadets at the Academy. It makes the SAPOL taught DEFTAC look pathetic. Full review will be coming in the next week or two once I've finished my notes. (Name withheld) Police Officer Brisbane 2010 The 3 days of the ISR Matrix course I just attended was exhausting but was the best course I have been on throughout my military and corrections career. It was intensive dynamic and equipped me with extremely functional skills that can be applied across a range of industries. Great instruction and a great group of professionals who attended. Peter, Correctional Officer and Training Manager, ex regular Army cont.... Well we finished the LE component of the ISR Matrix training today. I am sore and bruised everywhere yet I can't wipe the smile off my face. It has been a great week all round by all reports. Great job Dave and can't wait for next year. Peter, Correctional Officer and Training Manager, ex regular Army Brisbane 2009 Vastly superior to any contemporary Police DT / OST package in use in Australia today...... Australian Police organisations are performing a disservice to their staff, and the community they are expected to serve, by not implementing ISR. Editor, Response Australia Magazine, Police Officer Perth 2009 I learnt more in just 1 day about handling the bad guy's than I ever have from my employer. (Name withheld) Police Officer Melbourne 2009 We have been using and training the ISR package in the crew a fair bit now, and the response from the guys is phenomenal. We are routinely using the helmet and underhook and pike in unarmed subject control now - to great effect. The wrist weave has become another favourite (Name withheld) Force Response Unit Perth 2008 Brilliant ..... used it to take down and control POI's a number of times.... ISR is easy to learn, easy to teach and their stuff integrates seamlessly with other skill sets.... Highly, highly recommend it to operational officers! – (Name withheld), Police Operational Safety Trainer |
Law Enforcement Testimonials
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