Equestrian Brigade of the Mons City.

Since 1996, Stany LEDIEU (World Technical Delegate of the Yoseikan Bajutsu) teaches the Yoseikan Bajutsu to the Equestrian Brigade of the City of Mos (Belgium). In fact, following the events arisen in Liège on November 28, 1995, the chief Police Superintendant of the Police of Mons, M. Luc DEMOL, calls in Stany Ledieu and his team 's services.

 

 

 

Originally.

During these events of 1995, among policemen and students and teachers, some still remember these images where a policeman, not managning to raise back on his horse (but what was he doing on foot ?), ends up one foot in the stirrup, hanging to its saddle over dozen of meters before colliding with a parked car ! The horse continuing its road through the city of Liège during 12km.

These images will serve for a long time the first pupils of Stany Ledieu and shall allow to develop better in real situation the techniques of horsemanship on horseback without stirrups (Norikata). If this policeman had know these techniques at the time of the event, he would certainly not have been the "headline" of the news.

But especially, what started the collaboration between the Police of Mons and the Yoseikan Bajutsu held to a thread. When Stany Ledieu was contacted by M. Demol, after some practical focusing, one thing decided Stany Ledieu : M. Demol accepted the "stirrup belt" presented by Stany Ledieu to the official harness of the policemen of the Equestrian Brigade of Police of M. Demol (who had been Commander of Squadron in the Cavalry of the Police force and who had imposed a similar harness for the montoise brigade). This only condition accepted, the Yoseikan Bajutsu Special Police was born. But we shall return later to this famous "Stirrup Belt".

Technical Program.

It is evident that our policemen neither use bows, nor spears. But it arrives during training and in a precise educational purpose. The bow or the spear bringing to these modern professionals of the "military" equitation, a playful aspect, asking nevertheless for concentration. Besides, during all these exercises, Stany LEDIEU always tries to work as much as possible, the rider and the horse. 

Techniques of use and manipulation of the stick of police. Longer than the ones of policemen on foot, the stick of the horseback policemen gets closer in dimension to the sabre used in Bajutsu. From then on, a learning of this "weapon" is beforehand given with Tchôbo (sabre in bamboo covered with froth(moss) allowing a safe work, for the rider, as well as for the horse). 
In reality, not much work with the stick of police, for the simple reason that in Belgium the law is such as it is better for our policemen not to make use of this weapon taking the risk of having to justify itself for its use (in the best of the cases), what is not beforehand won. 

What is it then the specific work of these policemen will you wonder? Simply, all the rest. Let us list some of these techniques and develop them a little: 

• Norikata Techniques(or techniques of horsemanship without use of stirrups). Of playful appearance, these techniques are of a major importance. In the light of the images of the events of 1995, if we had lived in a more merciless and non-civilized world, certainly this policeman, falled in the middle of the demonstrators, would not have survived because in the hands of " the enemy ". Fortunately, we are not any more in this time, even if the daily current event worldwide could contradict these comments, and we are not, in our countries at least, on the verge of the civil war every day. However these techniques of horsemanship, practised in the rule, and in the 3 speeds, allow the rider to go back on his horse in all the situations. This knowledge of specific movements also bring a big confidence to the rider. Obviously, it is necessary to us to emphasize the "sports" aspect of some techniques practiced at canter. The idea of our method is that the rider should not step down in this kind of situation, unless he choses to do so, because no one or nothing can make him fall off his horse.

• Orikata Techniques (or of descent of horse without use of stirrups). To you whom does it serve ? Simply to gain speed, and to stay in shape obviously (tonic aspect). More naturally, these techniques allow you to be in a second foot on ground when the situation requests it. Try a little with your stirrups or by the classic methods! Practised at the stop and in the 3 speeds also. These techniques also allow to jump on a foot "soldier" in movement.

• Jyo Tai Sabaki Techniques (or techniques of dodges, bust and body). Useless to explain why, it is enough to you to think of missiles and different knocks that the policemen have to avoid while duty.

• Tehodoki Techniques (or techniques of release). How to release yoursself from a seizure made by an aggressor on foot who tries to make you fall for example.

• The techniques of Kansetsu (or keys). How to immobilize an aggressor by means of a key. A key being a movement working on the axis of the joints(articulations), in "opposite" direction, provoking a pain in such way that it is preferable for the one who undergoes the key "to give up". The critical threshold exceeded, the unwanted would risk the dislocation or the fracture. Effective and dissuasive.

• The Atemis (or carried knocks). A policeman within his missions and when defending others or himself is entitled to carry a blow. The whole being to know how, the purpose not being to hurt.

• The techniques of loading. How to take or move, possibly by force, a man on foot when sitting on its horse. The purpose being to go away from a dangerous situation and to withdraw towards a quiet place, or shielded from the glances, or simply to drive a target towards colleagues on foot in put off position.

• The techniques of seizures. Assimilated and often preliminary to the techniques of loading. How "to catch" a target in a group of demonstrators or troublemakers? How to seize an individual who flees ?

• Techniques of handcuffing since the position on horseback. Without dismounting thus.

These techniques are among the most common of the specific program in Yoseikan Bajutsu Special Police. Naturally they are used together.

As examples, here are some illustrations of training scenarios :

1. During a mission of maintenance of law and order, the rider is seized by a demonstrator who tries to unseat him. Use of the belt of tie. The rider first releases from the seizure, then seizes the attackant in order to pull him outside the crowd either to hand him to a team of colleagues on foot or to proceed to his arrest (with handcuffing from the horse).

2. "Snatch stealing" Pursuit of the thief by a policeman, a seizure, a loading, an arrest. Other policemen take in charge of the recovery of the bag and of the victim. 

3. Peaceful dispersal of a group. Almost exclusive use of the work of the horse, with or without use of techniques of loading.

4. Intervention during a fight. Stop of the exchanges of knocks thanks to the work of horses, the possible work of evasion, techniques of seizures, keys, preliminary to the loading and in the arrests.

These ideas of scenarios are not significant of the work done by the police, because it is important to clarify that police also takes use in utilities visibility, mobility, speed, nearness. For it we orient you to the report of License in Stany LEDIEU's criminology: " flourish of the horse custom in the services of police. Description - Explanation - Evaluation ". 

The stirrups belt .

This belt, inspired by the one used in Horse-Ball, but especially by the belt present on certain models of saddle of acrobatics Cossack, was adapted by saddlers of the Yoseikan Bajutsu. Connecting both stirrups, and adjustable, it has for big advantage to give mobility and security to the rider. Seized with the aim of being unseated, the rider will balance on the side, held by the means of his belt with the force of his legs, and will have the two hands free to defend himself, avoid or carry a blow, seize, free himself, make a key, load, or handcuff. By the force of his legs and abdominal muscles, the rider can cheer up himself in saddle without the using his hands. 

Here is what Mister DEMOL said about it himself in the press little ago; "Bajutsu serves our riders in everyday life. one of them mastered, without falling from his horse, a pickpocket who ran away, by catching him by the neck to immobilize him. Outside these sharp techniques, Bajutsu allows to free our riders and to accustom their horses to the realities of the city (firecracker, brass bands, objects throwing)." 

In May, 1996, three months after the beginning of the trainings, here is what answered the chief Police superintendent Luc DEMOL to a journalist who interrogated him about the practical use of these lessons; " they are numerous: let us quote the arrests of thieves (a dozen made until now), the demonstrations, or still, the regulation of the traffic in certain circumstances. Without forgetting that June 2, horses will face for the third year the crowd of the ducasse! ".

The "Ducasse" or holiday of " Doudou " attracts every year thousands of persons in the city of Mons. It is obviously the occasion for our horseback policemen to show themself in ceremonial dress and to open the parade of the political personalities. Generally, 3 policemen on horseback open this procession through howling, melodious, drinking crowds of persons, etc. ... It is necessary to know that during this "work" of people touch the horses, including on croup, throw of glasses (in plastic in the best of the cases), or push themselves on horses. This work of professionals is certainly a test which few would like to bear, what is everything to the merit of Mister DEMOL, his men and the horses of the Police of Mons.

The work of horses.

Besides the classic work of training (very important in the physical preparation of the horse - flexibility, balance, submission, etc.), the specific work of training a horse of police has all its importance. Whether it is presented in the form of game or in a scenario, the work of the horse of police is major. In fact, there is no miracle formula. All the possible and conceivable exercises can constitute good exercises of preparation for a horse of police. For example: to cross on covers or bags in plastic, to cross a wall of fire, to pass on a "mattress" of firecrackers, to accompany a brass band, to unfold a map, to walk near a child transport or of a cycle, to go through a portico with banners or models, etc. ... 
Everything is good and important, and for it Stany LEDIEU and his assistants do not miss exercises, but what counts more is the way the exercise is approached, and how it is brought. How to prepare it, to present it and to approach it? Formerly Stany LEDIEU moved to Mons to give the training. At present, the policemen move by small groups to follow whole days of training in the Stables of the Big Royal. Often still, horses of the Police of Mons refuse certain exercises and do not dare to cross certain "obstacles" as one presents to them. Stany LEDIEU uses then his horses in the track so that the policemen do these exercises and facilitate the work of the riders who can acquire the good reactions and the customs. Naturally, the horses of the Stables of the Big Royal do not make it every day, because it is about a School of Equitation and about Training above all. It just allows to understand that it is in the approach of the exercise, but especially in the physical and mental preparation of the horse that the work should be done. Indeed, it is well known that a horse who does not react in front of a red, green, blue lorry, etc. can one day be afraid of a yellow lorry for example. This can be avoided by a just work of preparation even if there is no exact sciences in equitation and the fact that a horse remains a fundamentally unpredictable animal when a something frightens him.
So, not long ago, Stany LEDIEU has put horses in a passage of a wall of fire for the needs of a report TV. He worked a new horse which he had just bought 2 months earlier. He decided to go through this wall of fire on this new horse, who would be for the occasion framed by two other horses of the School. The horse was hardly surprised by the noise of the implosion, and while rose in front of him a wall of flames of more than two metres in height, the horse under Stany LEDIEU's saddle did not hesitate to dash and to cross this obstacle not common. It was a horse of iberian blood, really not the calm and cold kind. Stany explained this by the work of preparation which he had done daily for two months with this horse. Never they had together approached a flame, but the physical preparation and mental of the horse, accompanied with a stake in confidence established by the communication had allowed such a result. 

Self-confidence and philosophy.

It is obvious that the belt of stirrups brings a feeling of security, comfort and self-confidence. But it is not only it. The whole of the techniques are important to the riders.
To horses as well moreover, because the work concerns as much the rider as on the horse as far as they are associated during the largest number of exercises. Then, each, horse and rider, has its appropriate techniques. For the horse, the specific work of classic training, but also the stake in confidence, the approach of the riders, implementation of the communication, indispensable to a good collaboration. And especially, " the explanation " by the man, of the notion of mutual respect, because it is the man who teaches the horse the respect, but it is the horse who teaches the man to remain humble.
The rider also works on his side : a martial philosophy, barehands and on foot techniques, keys, projections, fallings, etc… and factice horse riding.

After all, these policemen-riders become so confident and sure of them as are experienced followers of Yoseikan Bajutsu. They know their techniques, horses, they are used to a series of eventual extreme conditions, and surprising (probations of the reactions) and can already face quite a lot of situations.

Certain leaders of the Police of Mons moreover understood it well. Over there, 2 riders are enough around the rooms of Basketball or the grounds of football said to be dangerous. And it seems that regularly our riders realize "exploits" at the level of their interventions and that their efficiency is not to be any more questioned. Certain colleagues or superiors who had not understood the utility of horses within a body of police would moreover have changed opinion since.

[Trad. Sandra Lambert Site : http://www.ifrance.com/closaumane]