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A.I.I.P and S.A.O

S.A.O: Operative Self-protection System

The Operative Self-protection System was developed between 2004 and

2006 by several police, military and martial arts instructors who

searched a quick and effective system for to resolve confrontations in

real, present situations.

It is neither a “new combat

art” nor anything similar, as

everything has already been

invented by now. It is simply

the result of abandoning

archaic and obsolete

techniques, which are not

effective in real situations,

leaving only simple and

effective techniques, which

can be performed under

stress.

Since 2009 and due to its high degree of effectiveness and realism, the

A.I.I.P adopted the SAO as a basis of its self-defence training programs.

And it adapts perfectly to the association’s motto: Facta, non

verba.(Facts, not words)

The SAO consists of techniques from several martial arts, combat arts and fight

sports. The common factor that these techniques share is EFFECTIVENESS in the real

world where there are no referees, tatamis or rings.

The SAO is divided in

different fields: civil, military

and police; and these, in

different levels: basic,

medium, advanced, expert

and instructor.

In the SAO, the emphasis is

on a person’s SURVIVAL

above all, working in the

extreme on thinking and

tactical vision of

confrontations, training with

bare hands as well as with

weapons, these latter can be

out of circumstance or

legitimate.

Action plans and tactics are

constantly revised and updated, any technique that does not offer a remarkable,

demonstrated reliability is withdrawn from the program. Thus we avoid the

inflexibility of other systems which have remained unalterable during the years, and

even if they offer outstanding aesthetics and tradition, they became obsolete against

the aggressions and confrontations taking place in our days.

The SAO can be practiced by people of all ages and conditions; it is a system that

adapts to the person, not the other way round.

In advanced training, students exercise realistic attack simulations, so they work in a

controlled environment what they have learned, but with an extra dose of stress.

The aim is to improve the operators’ security, making them feel that they can face

threats without under-estimating themselves, but at the same time being aware that

nothing is infallible and neither overestimate their knowledge nor underestimate

any attacker or situation.

Tactical Thinking

The development of tactical thinking is most important in the SAO, prevention of

confrontation is one of the topics which form part of the civil SAO. So does the

expeditious resolution of incidents, the basic pillar of the system.

In the police and military fields we put special emphasis on the respect of human

rights, confrontation rules and international agreements.

As well as on how to discern

what power scale to use in

each kind of conflict, teaching

techniques of binomial

working, control and arrest

techniques, restrainment and

at last, extreme techniques for

situations where the

operator’s life is seriously

threatened.

In the civil field there are several specific courses set for particular groups: Feminine

SAO, Vio.GEN SAO (victims of gender violence), Hospital SAO and Restrainment SAO,

among others.

The course Hospital SAO and Restrainment of aggressive patients has been taught to

more than 500 members of the hospital sector, and based on those training courses

we designed specific action protocols in several hospitals as well as we are organising

new courses and refreshing

workshops regularly.

In the civil field we usually organise

seminaries for any kind of body or

small groups (squads), the same as for

neighbours’ associations, private

groups, control staff of access to

leisure centres, workers in areas with

risk of aggression, victims of gender

violence, schools, etc.

The SAO is a self-defence system created for

the century XXI.