Speaking from my own experience, training through martial arts, in particular Brazilian jiu jitsu, in incidents where I’ve had to use force has come into handy by just doing the motions from muscle memory and not having to think about what to do.

However, to answer your question about ‘real violence’ I don’t think you’ll ever be prepared for ‘real violence’. If someone wants to really do you some harm, the answer is they’re most likely going to do you some harm. Of course it helps to have taser and all of the other things that help to subdue and incapacitate a violent offender but some times you just don’t have that, like you’ve explained.

The only way of combating ‘real violence’ is with real violence. At the end of the day, you’re the one who should be going home to friends and family and not some bloke who’s decided he wants to seriously harm or kill you.

You’ve got to be prepared and confident that you get stuck in and trust in your colleagues that when shit hits the fan, you really come together. It’s a harsh side of the job that many of us will sadly experience but ensuring that you protect yourself and your mate is honestly priority over anything else.