What skills are you looking to improve?

I was wanting to open up this thread for folks to ask questions and to post links to useful reference material for skills or techniques that they are wishing to explore or improve upon.

for instance:
I am trained in crowed control but I was trained in the USMC Infantry so the methods and tactics I know have ZERO application for the RLSH community can anyone point me to reference material, training videos, or even real life experience at non violent crowd control.

feel free to ask the community questions about anything you would like to improve on.  We can only better ourselves as individuals and as a community by recognizing our shortcomings (non of us have learned everything there is to know about a skill set yet) and weaknesses and as a community helping to improve and educate each other in a POLITE and RESPECTFUL manner.

NOTE: this is not the only area I'm lacking in it's just the ice breaker for the thread.

I'm all for nonviolence and am pretty good at it. Obsessive descrbes it better; I'll go severely out of my way not to hurt someone.

My specialty is Krav Maga, particlarily blocks, redirections, escapes, weapons disarming (handgun, long gun, knife, sticks/bats and grenades, even if the pin has already been pulled.) My favorite thing about krav maga is it's versatility for all body types and ages, it's simple, basic, instinctually designed techniques and tactics with the open ended option of nonviolently controling the assailant, or totally messing up their world, rapidly, good for either a strong defense or offense if necessary.

NSD/Nonviolent Self Defense is a completely nonviolentdefense form.
Kyushojutsu allows you to manipulate any of the approximately 420 pressure points on the human body, coupled with Highschool Wrestling, Aikido, and Judo. I want to always be nonviolent, I want to believe that violence and killing are never necessary in life, but it's hard for me to when I look at the world....

I'd like to go to Dallas, Texas to learn more about the No Touch Knock Out, and master it if it turns out to be real. 

I am severely skeptical, even after watching the dude just raise his hand and knocked out the dude ten feet away from him. Gonna go there and ask him to knock me out multiple times to determine if a. he's a fraud, b. it's a tactically-unreliable stage trick, or c. I'm wrong and it really is a possibility to nonviolently knock people unconsciouse without even so much as laying a finger on them. Iwant to keep an open mind, but it's kinda hard. 

Oh, there's some cool toys out there, one is called "Sonic Nausea" (Designed for targetting an entire room full of people, projectile vomiting tends to kinda take the fight out of some folks, as does varying frequency/600+ Lumen Turbo Strobe Light.

Never underestimate the awesome power of the Lights and Sounds heh heh heh. XD

good info but I'm looking for non violent tips to crowd control not self defense

Sonic Nausea.

They also have "Special Ingredients".

A shield would be handy, pepper spray maybe, not sure if that counts as violence. I'll get some links.

http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/Sonic-Assault-p-18543.html
http://www.selfdefenseproducts.com/DSG-Laboratories-Special-Ingredients-p-1-c-702.html

Not too experienced on crowd, severely little to no need for it where I'm based except perhaps at parties where everyones drunk and high.

*Crowd control. 

Incidents don't happen much, and when they do they're usually pretty quick; everyone has a gun.

*Here in Alaska

Oh, smoke grenades are an option too, bonus if you can get like 4th gen Infrared Goggles or something to see through the smoke. I use a hand held radar gun screen type of thing, it's super cool, you can see in pitch darkness as clear as day. And beyond; I could see my partners boot prints on the carpet before it vanishes moments later, I love the toys lol, I get to use it but it's not mine of course, belongs to the station...maybe the state; haha I don't really knows whose "official property" it is but it's pretty badass. 

In wildland my favorite toy is another multi thousand dollar piece of hardware, not even sure what it is exactly, combination between a digital camera, gps, weathermeter, compass, calender and maps, touch screen, ruggenized sexy...I love it lol. I havegotta get me some of that, I've asked around but nobody seems to know where this tech comes from. XD

Heard a rumor about us getting Digital Heads Up Display SCBA units, the future is so now, lol, literally.

no we have plenty of guns in Missouri, that's not what I'm talking about, your thinking to direct action.  I'm talking mob manipulation, crowd mechanics, turning a volatile crowd into a passive mass that would disburse.  Shields and pepper spray is riot control and does not fit into my perceived mission.  Not to mention barging around with a shield and pepper spray is a good way to turn an agitated crowd into an angry mob.  I'm talking passive action for diffusing situations, I'm all to familiar with direct action but I want to get away from that, it's just not part of my life anymore.

Smoke grenades are also out for me, using something like that in city limits is illegal and dangerous.

....Do you play an instrument?

I dabble with a few

If you get really good at one that oughta shut 'em up so long as tensions aren't too awfully high, heck maybe even if they are, music can be extremely powerful, it has the power to make hearts throb, ache, skip, race, or even lower heart rates. It can turn every head in range right to that amazing sound, it has the power to end wars....or start them. 

If you want to get fancy, have a 10 man strong dance crew at the ready to very spontaneously break out in song and dance for about five to ten minutes whenever things start looking iffy, that oughta stop just about everyone in there tracks. Tensions should lower while the punks are scratching their heads wondering if they accidentally walked into the middle of the making of a musical film/video, bonus if you're able to find amazing talent that'll blow the socks of people before they give a big round of applause with a standing ovation. Disaster averted. XD

Wow.....that's actually an awesome idea, I gotta persue that haha! XD

Yes music has an interesting effect on crowd dynamics.  Dance crew....maybe not so much, not only do I hate movies and shows about dance crews....I hate to have to ask this but there is no tone or inflection on an online post so I have to....are you being serious or are you joking.  I ask, not to be offensive or derogatory  to the content of your post, but if it is a serious suggestion I see some possible execution and logistical issues with the concept that would be interesting to discuss but not of substance for this thread.  I don't want to see the thread get bogged down brainstorming new concepts.  I want to keep it lean so it's easy to find the advice and links to reference materials.  A discussion on something like this would be good in something like and "alternative methods" thread where non standard approaches could be discussed in greater detail.

Martial arts.

@Urban Avenger other than finding a teacher I would suggest focusing on a single aspect, you can't become a master of Judo from watching videos and reading books but you can become proficient in aspects of a martial art using these reference materials and a partner to practice on.  Things like joint manipulation are IMHO the way to go as far as self teaching.  Easy steps for the most part, and you know if your form is correct with just a little bit of force on your live practice partner

Yup, I was being serious.
I don't necessarily hate movies like High School Musical or Hair, but I understand what you mean; it's un-natural for a group of people to just break out in high step and dance in the middle of nowhere, that's why I think it would be so effective; either people will love it and be engrossed, or they may feel awkward and uncomfortable but at least opposed to tense and angry. But yeah, haha, I think that would be awesome, like a Musical Justice League. XD

Good discussion for some other time.

And I have to disagree though on becoming a master with books and videos; I'm an obsessive reader, most of my skills are completely self taught. Videos I find are best for my combat training while books are invaluable for learning and memorizing concepts. I just don't have the money for too much official training and I think self teaching is probably best; that way it's done in the best way that suits you; you can know a bunch of katas by heart but if the movements aren't natural for you it likely won't hold up in a real fight. Books used to be one of the only ways to pass information and to this day people are successfully taking over the world one piece at a time because of a book or two. I love books lol.

I agree with themarine about mastering techniques by reading books and watching videos. It's just not the same. You can gain proficiency and fluidity by simply sparring with friends and discovering techniques that work (all fighting arts had to start this way).

I disagree however with self-teaching joint locks, as I have found that people new to the techniques underestimate the damage they can cause, and apply them too aggressively in training, often even when they have a competent instructor present. Sprains, breaks, and varying degrees of nerve damage can result.

I'd start with basic punching and blocking. You can try open hand strikes to feel the difference. You can gradually work in traps and low kicks. Be sure to study wrestling as most fights will end up on the ground, given enough time.

I need to improve my social skills. I went on a semi-costumed patrol last Tuesday. Outside of Fred Meyer's I was approached by an epmployee in the parking lot at about 1:30. He asked me "Are you a superhero?" I nodded. He replied "I can really appreciate that. Thanks." I nodded as if to say you're welcome and he headed back inside the department store. I felt kinda bad for not saying a word, I communicated everything in a friendly but non verbal manner and I do it way too much, 90% percent of my communication is eye, brow, and body gesticulations, I'm practically a telepath lol. When I do talk it's usually too quiet for most people. I'm shy and socially awkward and I don't even know what "normal" conversation and fear I'll say something by accident that will weird someone out or piss them off. I communicate far better in writing but I'd like to be able to talk better.

If you can, go out to a popular public location, sit where there's a few different conversations going on, and jot down any notes you can on what you notice in the way the people in each conversation communicate. The old saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words" applies at times, but you have to remember that, when you're soliciting information, building rapport with a possible contact, etc., you'll often have to be the one to initiate conversation. Of course, you don't always have to start verbally, even if that is the preferred way to get their attention. The one thing to keep in mind, when you're starting a conversation, is to start slowly and gradually. Pick safe topics; things that won't cause the people you're talking to, to put up their defenses. One detective in Florida, with a Master's in Anthropology, suggests commenting on the appearance or usefulness of an object nearby, preferably on their person. "That's a nice necklace. Where did you get it?" Small-talk is the best way to get people to open up. It doesn't even take that long to get them to open up, if you keep up a reassuring appearance and mannerisms.

Good advice, I usually make a comment on the area/location in the form of a joke, always better when it starts with two smiles. It's weird, I can talk really well when I have to, like on the Juneau mission or when someone needs help or when I'm relaying info over the radios, but when everything is fine I find myself clamming up. Oh, and at parties I conversate fine, a chemical reaction happens and I end up becoming the life of the party by accident, I suspect it's a defense mechanism, crowds scare me and so I start making everyone I can like me so that I feel more comfortable/safe, I just take control when I'm scared/tense/angry/worried but I'm lost if there's no crap and fans.

any physical skill you want to use has to be practiced physically.

I practice my social skills online, relative safety if I say something someone doesn't like, but lately I've been feeling angry about being afraid to express myself, it seems the whole country for the most part is that way if you watch the news, there's so many things that "You can't say", no more freedom of speech, I want to live out loud but there's an innate fear encoded into our genetic memory that makes us shut up and there's no connections. Like two knights trying to share a hug with one anouther in full metal armor, it's not how life should be, life should be abundant, and joyful, and people should be truly free and without fear of any form of persecution for expressing their authentic selves.