Counter Custody & Escaping Illegal Restraints - Part 2


By Gavin C - Urban Ready Contributor







To continue our article series on Counter Custody and Escaping Illegal Restraints, in the context of crime in South Africa as laid out in our previous entry, we will now look at the types of restraints typically used in SA.


The types of restraints do differ quite widely. Here in South Africa criminals tend to prefer cheap and disposable restraints, whereas overseas cuffs are more widely used. That being said, you should be prepared for any instance, just because cuffs aren’t used a lot, doesn’t mean they cannot be used at all. We are preparing for the most likely scenario which would be home invasion, but that doesn’t mean you cannot end up in a scenario where the assailant is willing to use more expensive restraints like cuffs. A hostage situation, a disgruntled employee/colleague, etc.


Ask yourself “What would I use if I were going to need to tie someone up for a few hours/few days”. Whatever you think of needs to be in your wheel house of escapology, because if you can think it, so can others. Also, do not discount the influence of film and tv on the criminal – if you’ve seen it in a movie, learn how to escape from it.


With that out of the way, here are some of the common types of restraints.


Duct Tape – it’s cheap and strong, can be used to bind, gag and blindfold all in one. A single roll can work on multiple victims too.


Cable Ties
– Usually these will be common types of cable ties found in your local hardware store. Go and get a pack of the strongest, heaviest duty ones you can find on the shelf. This is your worst-case scenario. Again, these are relatively cheap and disposable.


Rope – Good old fashioned rope is never out of the picture. These can come in both the natural twine type rope, or the nylon braided variety.


Wire/Cable – Steel/Copper wire is a fairly common binding, especially in rural areas. Insulated copper wire cabling can also be used. These pose a problem because the metal core can be tough to get through. Also, relatively inexpensive.


Flexi-Cuffs
– LE Grade flexi-cuffs are much tougher than your commercial cable ties. However, these are usually quite pricey in comparison.


Handcuffs
– Again, these are an expensive option. Especially because they will be leaving them behind. So, while it’s not as common here in SA, it’s not out of the realms of possibility. A set of steel handcuffs can be purchased for +- R150.00 so, better prepared than not.


The one variable factor in all of these is the method of restraining. This will vary from criminal to criminal and evolve as they learn what works and what doesn’t. However, from experience the method of restraining used by criminals in SA appears to be very basic when compared to the more advanced methods used in places like Mexico, which have evolved and adapted to counter escape methods.


But the only way to get a fuller understanding of this is to practice. Go and do courses, like the ones offered by Kangal Defensive Systems, and test yourself. There is far too much material to cover in a basic article like this. What we will get into now will form the fundamentals of Escapology, and from here it’s up to you how you will expand on your repertoire and what you will add to your skill set. It’s important to understand that this is not a one-stop-solution, criminal tactics evolve just as our understanding of them does. It is a constant game of catch up and making sure your training, knowledge and skill set stays relevant.


In our next installment we will start looking at brute force and physical escape techniques!