I attended the Verbal Judo Course in Philadelphia and was highly impressed. Verbal Judo has provided some of the investigators under my leadership the communication skills that they have been lacking for such a long time. However, I do recognize this one thing…that like anything new and useful, you can’t get good at it unless you put it to use.

In my earlier years (I mean in my youth), I was a student of the martial arts and while in South East Asia on a military tour, I undertook learning ‘Lotus’, which is kin to Tae Quon Do. My instructor (who I only came to know as ‘Teacher’) imparted in me a wisdom that to this day I have never forgot. You see, as a youngster, I was so interested in moving past the exercises and into the heavy stuff, you know, like the important katas, that I almost omitted the most important lesson. You see, I wanted to be quick and agile, and move into the ‘big kata’ stuff like Bruce Lee, but then something happened. ‘Teacher’ pulled me aside and said these powerful words of wisdom which I have shared so many times with others and now impart to your reading audience.

Teacher said, “Practice execution, speed will come! Practice execution…speed will come.” And so today, as I reflect upon the lesson, the ‘katas’ of verbal judo, which were taught by you, I remember ‘Teacher’. The lesson of ‘Teacher’ still echoes in my mind. And so it is also true that we who undertake this lesson of verbal judo must now put it into practice.

We must practice executing what has been taught, otherwise, we would have missed a very valuable life lesson. The art of communication, like the art of martial defense does not come without effort. And, in the words of Og Mandino, “In all human affairs, there are efforts and there are results. And the strength of the effort is the measure of results. Gift, power, materials, intellectual, and spiritual gifts are the fruits of our labor. They are the thoughts completed, objects accomplished and visions realized.” And so I say to you, Mike Manley — the ‘Teacher’, thanks for the life lesson.

During August and September 2008, the Minimum Force Institute (MFI) conducted three 10-day Compliance & Control training courses for members of our department. The training presented by Mr. Don Gold covered various aspects of force, with a strong emphasis on Verbal Judo (also known as Tactical Communication) and designed to generate voluntary compliance.

An immediate result of the training was an improvement in the morale of our officers, who enjoyed the training immensely. However, from a public relations point of view, the long-term outcome has been most gratifying in that our department has experienced a decrease in complaints from the public of at least 90%, a testimony to the effectiveness of Verbal Judo.

It is our intention to arrange more of Mr. Gold’s training for our depatment in the future. We highly recommend Verbal Judo taining for all officials who interact with the public.

I have been working with Mr. Manley for the past 3 years on a Verbal Judo course that has been specifically designed for my government Agency. I have been and continue to be impressed with Mr. Manley and his ability to learn about our Agency prior to teaching the course.

As with many government agencies, ours is no different in our specific use of abbreviations and talk in code. Mr. Manley “learned the FDA” in order to teach the FDA and it has had a great impact on his teachings and on the students. It has made him a more effective and credible government contractor. I am often present on many of the trainings, as I provide the agency policy and answer necessary questions. Each time Mr. Manley gives his presentation, I learn something new.

Mike is passionate about his teachings and is an awesome instructor. He is well respected by our Agency personnel.