Should Airline Crews Learn Martial Arts?
Should Airline Crews Learn Martial Arts?
With the ominous threat of terrorism, airlines should be training their flight attendants to subdue unruly passengers or even terrorists. Sichuan Airlines in China now requires new recruits to know Kung-Fu. I would suggest Russian Systema as a better alternative for confined spaces such as airplane aisles.
The problem with most of today's martial arts is that they have long drifted away from their intended purposes, which is combat. Flight crew, if willing to train in martial arts, should be very careful not to opt for a sparring or sport oriented art. Organizations who make claims about turning anyone into a fighting machine in a few weeks, for a price, are dangerous (more info). Controlling a drunk passenger is one thing, a young and determined terrorist carrying a knife is another. High kicks, fancy foot work and preset moves won't help.
Systema (videos), with it's military origins, unbound by any rules, would probably be the most efficient in an airplane like environment.
The issue with martial arts, or even non lethal weapons of any kind is training. Little training might be indeed more dangerous than none. Terrorists may have bombs, and a flight attendant trying to jump on that switch might just ruin your day.. I do not even believe Air Marshalls have the proper training to handle terrorism, but that is just my opinion.
Airlines would be irresponsible in asking their employees to seek martial arts training on their own, as the environment they work in does offer very specific challenges. If they offered training, it would have to be on a continuous basis, with dedicated individuals, taught by knowledgeable instructors; something airlines might not be able, or willing to offer.
In the end, martial arts training will be a personal choice for flight attendants, and even frequent flyers. Let's just hope it will be an informed one.
