I spent today in restraint training, which poses a few philosophical questions not unlike the questions politicians are faced when going to war. To maintain peace/safety, I am going to invade your country/physical space and move you to where I think you need to be. Same deal. A country or student is aggressing and hurting others. What to do? My answer is usually to walk with the kid, away from the trigger and talk/listen. It goes a long way. It is helpful to know what to do if things escalate but I'm not going to put a kid down and I'm not going to fire a weapon in the name of peace. So, I think it is safe to say that I did not pass my training with flying colors. No heart, no skill.
On the drive home, drivers were beeping at each other, and cutting each other off. I yelled out "everyone needs to calm the hell down." I thought I showed great restraint.
I feel safer knowing that I can restrain a kid and/or talk them down if need be. For me there are 2 parts of the training that are really valuable. One is how to protect myself by blocking punches and kicks and escaping from choke holds, bites, and hair pulls. The second and most valuable thing for me is to be able to help a kid, who really needs it, regain control. I've done it and had it really work. It was hard on everyone involved, but I think it can save lives when done as a last resort and done with care.
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