Today’s guest is Dr. William J. Lewinski, co-founder and Executive Director of the Force Science Institute. Together, we look back on 2025 to explore what research, practice, and professional experience have taught us.These are the key highlights and lessons learned—highly relevant for teachers, trainers, and professionals alike.
🎙️ In this podcast, you’ll hear and learn about:
✅ Living in peace and societal resilience
A reflection on life in peace in the Netherlands, shaped by WWII history and current geopolitical tensions in Europe.
✅ Wendy Dorrestijn’s research – Beyond the Split Second
Why police training often mismatches real-world practice and why the pre-incident phase matters.
✅ Pattern recognition and decision-making
How experts across professions recognize patterns long before the critical moment of action.
✅ Training perception instead of prediction
Why officers should learn to notice and orient, rather than try to predict behavior.
✅ Pre-assault cues and their limits
Why behavioral cues are not predictive, but still meaningful when interpreted in context.
✅ Representative and realistic training
The problem with block-and-silo instruction and the illusion of learning it creates.
✅ Pre-service training effectiveness
Research showing skill decay and insufficient integration in current police education models.
✅ Eye-tracking and emotional arousal
What eye-scan research reveals about threat versus challenge mindset and performance under stress.
✅ Scenario-based decision-making (U.S. Marshals)
How short, repeated scenarios with variation train perception and decisions rather than scripts.
✅ Vision, neurophysiology, and the Quiet Eye
How visual fixation supports emotional regulation, confidence, and skilled performance.
✅ OODA-proof training and debriefing
Translating complex theory into practical reflection using the OODA loop and Socratic questioning.
✅ Lewinski’s 2025 research highlights
A focus on performance “on the edge” and unanswered questions in use-of-force science.
✅ K9 research: time, distance, and recall
Why handler perception and decision-making matter as much as canine speed.
✅ Rethinking the 21-foot rule
A more realistic understanding of close-range knife attacks and reaction time.
✅ Honest accountability
Why legal judgments must include human performance factors, not just outcomes.
✅ Biomechanics and forensic science
How head rotation explains shots to the back or rear of the head without intent.
✅ Ejected cartridge casing research
Why shell casing location varies widely depending on grip and weapon manipulation.
✅ Unintentional discharges (UDs)
A taxonomy that distinguishes different types of UDs and supports targeted correction.
✅ EEG research and police driving (London Met)
How training shifts skills from conscious control to automatic processing and broader situational awareness.
✅ Attention, mindfulness, and Peak Mind
Insights from Amishi Jha on attention as a trainable skill: focus, notice, refocus.
✅ Martial arts, pain, and focus
How embodied practice reveals the link between attention, stress regulation, and performance.
✅ Historical and spiritual parallels
From samurai discipline to Zen and Jesuit practice, attention as both functional and existential.
✅ Academic milestones and open-access research
Why making research accessible matters for trainers, practitioners, and institutions.
✅ A European court case and human performance
How biomechanics and trigger mechanics shaped the outcome of a shooting case.
✅ Implications for training and reporting
Using clear language and perceptual explanations to improve reports and accountability.
✅ Educating the next generation
The impact of smartphones, stress, and social development—and why trust and challenge matter.
✅ Rethinking stress inoculation
Moving from breaking people down to building confidence and problem-solving capacity.
✅ Looking ahead
Continuing to bridge science and practice through research on perception, cognition, and attention.
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